we need to win the group in order to hopefully avoid Brazil in a potential QF.
I want england to go as far as we can! Then play the big countries inevitably late on.
The later on, the better.
I think if we come second Brazil are on the other side of the draw providing they win their group
Germany could also be on the other side if Mexico win all 3, so second would be very favourable
Another reason 2nd could be favourable is Columbia and Poland not looking likely to be group winners so likely to be Senegal or Japan in the 2nd round which is much more winnable.
What baffles me is the fact that Tunisia obviously know to use the ball... Why not play like this from the off against us and Belgium and they might take the lead
Defending a 0-0 and hoping for the best obviously dont work
He was a keeper and Maradona about 4'3", if he'd have done his job and jumped properly then Maradona would'nt got anywhere near it anyway.
Really ?
Did you watch it live?
Look at the picture, Shilts was going to punch the ball, fatty punched it about 3 feet in front of him! The ball was 2 feet above fattys head.
Very harsh on Shilton or naive....
Great ( unbelievable in spells) player that he was and 2nd goal proved that, Maradona blatenly cheated - end of. Nothing to do with Peter "doing his job" properly.
Must be a WUM comment imo or just stated this for no reason ?
Forget Var for a second.
The modern keepers play more as sweepers in most cases now and would've been off their line much quicker than Shilton was. From memory I always thought Ray Clemence was quicker off his line than shilton.
Probably typical English pessimism but I can’t see us beating Belgium, so we definitely want Belgium to win today or we go into Thursday’s game needing something.
Can't see the Germans topping their group even if they do win both their last two games (I fancy a draw with Sweden tonight which proper puts them in the dog poo).
Mexico should be getting four points from Sweden and South Korea and end up on seven.
Probably typical English pessimism but I can’t see us beating Belgium, so we definitely want Belgium to win today or we go into Thursday’s game needing something.
You forgetting that we have a game against Panama tomorrow as well? Win that and we're pretty much guaranteed to go through (unless Tunisia win this and their game against Panama and all the top teams end up on six points).
Would be interesting to know historically how many teams have lost their first group game and still gone on to win their group - can't be many.
Am looking into it because I'm a geek and these things fascinate me yet already
Spain lost 1-0 to Switzerland in 2010 yet won their Group
it's happened 3 times ever as far as I can tell (also a geek lol) spain 2010 mexico 1994 germany 1982
edit what that tells us is it's highly unlikely to happen twice in one tournament so Poland/Columbia and Germany ain't both going to do it... are they!?
Four now for Lukaku to make him joint top scorer with Ronaldo. Last three golden boot winners have only got five or six so this one should see the highest scorer since the other Ronaldo in 2002.
Four now for Lukaku to make him joint top scorer with Ronaldo. Last three golden boot winners have only got five so this one should see the highest scorer since the other Ronaldo in 2002.
Just looked Lukaku now 15/8 to be top scorer, Ronaldo gone out to 5/2
Four now for Lukaku to make him joint top scorer with Ronaldo. Last three golden boot winners have only got five so this one should see the highest scorer since the other Ronaldo in 2002.
feeling pretty good about my bet on Lukaku to be golden boot winner before the tourney - wouldn't put it past him to score again in the second half here and fancy Belgium to go further into the tourney than Portugal as well.
edit wonder if he will become their penalty taker for the rest of the tournament now that he is in with a shout as well although Hazard is pretty greedy so may do the old pulling rank as the captain.
Belgium remind me of Martinez' Everton, especially during the first season he was there, very entertaining going forward, but not good at defending. As a neutral I enjoyed this first half. One of the best games I've watched so far. Yesterday's Brazil totally pale in comparison to Belgium.
Probably typical English pessimism but I can’t see us beating Belgium, so we definitely want Belgium to win today or we go into Thursday’s game needing something.
You forgetting that we have a game against Panama tomorrow as well? Win that and we're pretty much guaranteed to go through (unless Tunisia win this and their game against Panama and all the top teams end up on six points).
No I haven’t forgotten that. I don’t want to go into Belgium ‘pretty much’ through, I want to go into Belgium through.
Probably typical English pessimism but I can’t see us beating Belgium, so we definitely want Belgium to win today or we go into Thursday’s game needing something.
You forgetting that we have a game against Panama tomorrow as well? Win that and we're pretty much guaranteed to go through (unless Tunisia win this and their game against Panama and all the top teams end up on six points).
No I haven’t forgotten that. I don’t want to go into Belgium ‘pretty much’ through, I want to go into Belgium through.
Even a draw for Belgium would've meant if we won against Panama, we were through. Only result that could've stopped that being the case tomorrow was a Tunisia win today.
Comments
Defending a 0-0 and hoping for the best obviously dont work
I’ve no idea whether 1st or 2nd in this group will be better, as it’s not obvious in which order most of the other groups will finish in
Spain lost 1-0 to Switzerland in 2010 yet won their Group
The modern keepers play more as sweepers in most cases now and would've been off their line much quicker than Shilton was.
From memory I always thought Ray Clemence was quicker off his line than shilton.
West Germany did in it in 1982 (2-1 to Algeria) which'll be a good sign for them
Impressively two of the sides (Spain and West Germany) have gone on to reach the Final that year
Mexico should be getting four points from Sweden and South Korea and end up on seven.
edit what that tells us is it's highly unlikely to happen twice in one tournament so Poland/Columbia and Germany ain't both going to do it... are they!?
edit wonder if he will become their penalty taker for the rest of the tournament now that he is in with a shout as well although Hazard is pretty greedy so may do the old pulling rank as the captain.
so far. Yesterday's Brazil totally pale in comparison to Belgium.
England +1
Could be a blessing in disguise if Brazil win Group E and Germany fail to win Group F.
Was always going to be the case if they went three goals ahead.