I know you probably shouldn't change a winning side but i'm surprised Brazil continue to stick with Gabriel Jesus. He starts again today but in my opinion, Firmino deserves a chance.
Cue at least 2 goals from Jesus now.
I really like Firmino, think he's very underrated - has both the quality himself and the workrate to make space for others.
I know you probably shouldn't change a winning side but i'm surprised Brazil continue to stick with Gabriel Jesus. He starts again today but in my opinion, Firmino deserves a chance.
Cue at least 2 goals from Jesus now.
I really like Firmino, think he's very underrated - has both the quality himself and the workrate to make space for others.
I imagine the other attacking players love playing with him, he's the sort of attacker who with his workrate and movement will create space for Neymar, whereas Jesus to me (at this stage) is more of a goalhanging striker.
Aluko just finished her usual bland, learned by rote, comments, with the gem that losing 7-1 to Germany in the last World Cup was the best thing that could have happened to them!
Aluko just finished her usual bland, learned by rote, comments, with the gem that losing 7-1 to Brazil in the last World Cup was the best thing that could have happened to them!
Mexico have been knocked out at the Round of 16 stage at the last six World Cups, Brazil are the only other team to have reached the knockout stages at all those tournaments.
I know you probably shouldn't change a winning side but i'm surprised Brazil continue to stick with Gabriel Jesus. He starts again today but in my opinion, Firmino deserves a chance.
Don’t understand the mentality of “I’m not going to get excited until XYZ happens”.
Sorry, but we spend all week having to be level headed and reasonable with work and other responsibilities. If England have a realistic route to the final (which they absolutely do) then I’m going to have a lot of fun dreaming it can happen.
If we get our hearts broken then so be it, but getting carried away is what loving football is all about.
Come on England!
Remember, you can stand the heartbreak, it's the hope that gets you.
I don't understand how they can have the levels of fitness they seemed to have over 120 minutes today - one of their defenders is nearly 39 FFS. 146KM covered over 120 minutes. These are not world class players playing for the top teams in the world either.
If their fitness training doesn't involve chemicals and is purely above board then premiership/champions league teams should be snapping up these Russian fitness coaches after the tournament, they are clearly doing something special that could change the sport.
Was their fitness that great today?
They weren't exactly going for it in extra time. They barely got out of their own half and at times the game was played at a walking pace in front of them. Spain showed no real urgency at all. It's not as if their players were making lung bursting 70 yard runs forward all the time. They were camped between the edge of their area and 30-35 yards out.
They were good against a poor Saudi side, played well in a 20 minute burst v Egypt, were poor v Uruguay and basically played for penalties tonight. I don't think they're a great side, they've just got a bit lucky by Spain being so poor.
They collectively ran 36 KM in 32 minutes - AFTER 90 minutes of football, and yes, in their own half for most of it, don't see how what half of the field they were running around in effects how fit they are??
146 KM in total. They have an almost 39 year old that stayed on the entire game. Yes their fitness level was nuts - most teams of their footballing standard/facilities the players have would be on the floor. They barely had the ball so had to work harder than Spain as well who yes did play at walking pace at times, but the Russian players couldn't play at the same pace could they? They were defending without the ball - that's how they covered so much more distance to Spain in this game, Spain were strolling around knocking it between each other and the defenders were chasing it. Didn't see a single Russian defender walking when they were defending.
You are welcome to believe what you like, I think there is a case to be answered, and FIFA are doing everything they can to block any investigation into checks and tests that have been made on Russian players. Russia have form for this it's not like the accusation is coming from out of the blue.
Is this hearsay or do you have references for this, @Manicmania?
I know you probably shouldn't change a winning side but i'm surprised Brazil continue to stick with Gabriel Jesus. He starts again today but in my opinion, Firmino deserves a chance.
Cue at least 2 goals from Jesus now.
I really like Firmino, think he's very underrated - has both the quality himself and the workrate to make space for others.
think they'd be a better side with him instead of Neymar to be honest.
I don't understand how they can have the levels of fitness they seemed to have over 120 minutes today - one of their defenders is nearly 39 FFS. 146KM covered over 120 minutes. These are not world class players playing for the top teams in the world either.
If their fitness training doesn't involve chemicals and is purely above board then premiership/champions league teams should be snapping up these Russian fitness coaches after the tournament, they are clearly doing something special that could change the sport.
Was their fitness that great today?
They weren't exactly going for it in extra time. They barely got out of their own half and at times the game was played at a walking pace in front of them. Spain showed no real urgency at all. It's not as if their players were making lung bursting 70 yard runs forward all the time. They were camped between the edge of their area and 30-35 yards out.
They were good against a poor Saudi side, played well in a 20 minute burst v Egypt, were poor v Uruguay and basically played for penalties tonight. I don't think they're a great side, they've just got a bit lucky by Spain being so poor.
They collectively ran 36 KM in 32 minutes - AFTER 90 minutes of football, and yes, in their own half for most of it, don't see how what half of the field they were running around in effects how fit they are??
146 KM in total. They have an almost 39 year old that stayed on the entire game. Yes their fitness level was nuts - most teams of their footballing standard/facilities the players have would be on the floor. They barely had the ball so had to work harder than Spain as well who yes did play at walking pace at times, but the Russian players couldn't play at the same pace could they? They were defending without the ball - that's how they covered so much more distance to Spain in this game, Spain were strolling around knocking it between each other and the defenders were chasing it. Didn't see a single Russian defender walking when they were defending.
You are welcome to believe what you like, I think there is a case to be answered, and FIFA are doing everything they can to block any investigation into checks and tests that have been made on Russian players. Russia have form for this it's not like the accusation is coming from out of the blue.
Is this hearsay or do you have references for this, @Manicmania?
I don't understand how they can have the levels of fitness they seemed to have over 120 minutes today - one of their defenders is nearly 39 FFS. 146KM covered over 120 minutes. These are not world class players playing for the top teams in the world either.
If their fitness training doesn't involve chemicals and is purely above board then premiership/champions league teams should be snapping up these Russian fitness coaches after the tournament, they are clearly doing something special that could change the sport.
Was their fitness that great today?
They weren't exactly going for it in extra time. They barely got out of their own half and at times the game was played at a walking pace in front of them. Spain showed no real urgency at all. It's not as if their players were making lung bursting 70 yard runs forward all the time. They were camped between the edge of their area and 30-35 yards out.
They were good against a poor Saudi side, played well in a 20 minute burst v Egypt, were poor v Uruguay and basically played for penalties tonight. I don't think they're a great side, they've just got a bit lucky by Spain being so poor.
They collectively ran 36 KM in 32 minutes - AFTER 90 minutes of football, and yes, in their own half for most of it, don't see how what half of the field they were running around in effects how fit they are??
146 KM in total. They have an almost 39 year old that stayed on the entire game. Yes their fitness level was nuts - most teams of their footballing standard/facilities the players have would be on the floor. They barely had the ball so had to work harder than Spain as well who yes did play at walking pace at times, but the Russian players couldn't play at the same pace could they? They were defending without the ball - that's how they covered so much more distance to Spain in this game, Spain were strolling around knocking it between each other and the defenders were chasing it. Didn't see a single Russian defender walking when they were defending.
You are welcome to believe what you like, I think there is a case to be answered, and FIFA are doing everything they can to block any investigation into checks and tests that have been made on Russian players. Russia have form for this it's not like the accusation is coming from out of the blue.
Is this hearsay or do you have references for this, @Manicmania?
Comments
Talk about beating yourself
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-cup/2018/06/21/fifa-refuse-reveal-russia-drug-test-numbers-following-hostss/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5878241/FIFA-knew-cover-Russia-players-positive-drug-test-18-months-ago.html
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-cup/2018/06/24/russia-england-refuse-reveal-many-drugs-tests-have-undergone/
https://sports.yahoo.com/fifa-knew-russian-soccer-doping-nothing-new-investigation-finds-025558754.html?guccounter=1
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-01/russian-world-cup-squad-contains-at-least-one-drug-cheat/9823498
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/sports/worldcup/world-cup-russia-doping.html
I can go on if you like but it doesn't take much to do a google search.
Source for the distance covered stats is the official FIFA website fifa.com
.