-Jaro-

24 minutes ago, moreblack said:

Called it, Croats running on fumes. It's over. 

We fucked ourselves...

France played smart and had a lot of luck...

Fuck fuck fuck... croatia destroyed France, but we destroyed ourselves also...

56 minutes ago, Len Cnut said:

Everyone hates England   Ah, fuck the lot of yous

Can't tell you don't ask for it everyday 😂

If world was GNR England would be Axl - once great but rememberd of arrongace, tantrums, self-worship and strange behaviour...

Belgians will destroy this England...

1 hour ago, DieselDaisy said:

I put in a number of competitions and stumbled upon this,

 

What on earth am I supposed to do with a signed Ronaldo suitcase?

This is Neymar suticase, isn't it?

5 hours ago, AtariLegend said:

Okay for me, so far;

Pickford (England)

Pavard (France), Godin (Uruguay), Varane (France), Vida (Croatia)

Pogba (France), De Bruyne (Belgium), Modric (Croatia)

Mbappe (France), Hazard (Belgium), Coutinho (Brazil)

Bench:

Ronaldo (Portugal), Umtiti (France), Cavani (Uruguay), Kante (France), Cheryshev (Russia), Honda (Japan), William (Brazil), Courtois (Belgium)... Not naming the full 11 subs.

Courtois - Hernandez, Varane, Lovren, Pavard - Pogba, Rakitic, Modric - Mbappe, Griezman , Coutinho

6 minutes ago, AtariLegend said:

Oh I've heard English pundits say Maguire was the best player in the tournament, try to say they didn't like Varane as a defender.

Yep - i guess they prefer chris smalling and similar players - that's why Real won 3 champion leagues in the row, Euro and World titles (and finals) avoid England forever...

3 hours ago, moreblack said:

Yeah where was he when Bale came on?

Well, in that game (CL final) he was only LFC player who was on the level wit Madrid players (after Salah was injured). He is great defender but here and thwre he does great and spectacular mistakes.

He said he is one of the best defenders - well results say so - CL final, WC final, top 4 in the most competative league in the world - and he is regular first 11 member.

This WC he played almist without any errors, and winning almost every tackle and is paet of finals.

Somebody mentioned Varane - noone said he isn't also one of the best defenders today.

Other topic - croatia '98 (and euro '96) was product of former yugoslavia - main players were part of '87 youth world cup winners...

After that generation we were almost nowhere - group stage or even not qualifing at all (smth like England between 1990 and 2018). When Modric and co came there were (still are) problems on our FA - national managers were total begginers (Bilic, Kovac, Stimac...) or amateurs (Cacic) and main man was criminal (today hiding abroad) whose only interest was earning money trough transfers. And you cant sell player from poor league to big clubs without national team as shopwindow ao his influence on poor or unexperienced manager was big.

After start of his downfall his influence is weakening (still not gone), Dalic came to save almost ruined chance to qualify to this WC. And he has coachin career in Asia so he is not like those before without knowledge and experience. With him players from Real, Barcelona, Inter, Liverpool, Juventus started to play like they play in their clubs and are in final of their last WC...

What is future of Croatian football novody knows - we have no system, we are masters of improvisation...

Fuck - there is no normal stadium in Croatia 😃

17 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

I don't agree. Every team should assume the mentality that there is a belief ''they can win the thing'', or why even bother in the first place? 

I totally agree with you on this one - main difference between Croatia 2018, with Croatia 2016, 2014, 2012... is that this year the went to Russia to win the World Cup, in years prior their goal was to pass the group and then we'll see...

Same players, different approach and mindset...

Every sport is competition and if winning isn't a goal, then it is not sport anymore...

Achiving that goal is different because all the opponents (should) have the same goal...

and famous english chivalry and fairplay at its best:

Panam tried that against them and they laughed

1 minute ago, moreblack said:

Croatia has to be running on fumes by now. France should pick them apart easily.

That's what english press, fans and players said, and see what happened - old and tired Croatia outrunned them.in extra-time....

I guess for the final - someone will have to lace up Mbappe 😀...

Before WC I said that France has 2 sets of 11 players that could play against eachother in finals... But, it's 1 game, Croatia ia on the run, they have great selfesteem after 3rd return in the game in the row...

France is probably better team, but it's 50-50 chance... 

6 minutes ago, Axl_morris said:

I never understand why they bother about a 3rd place play off. What's the point? Two deflated teams battling it out for a place that's never remembered.

Well, here in Croatia 3rd place game from '98 is remebered until tonight...

Well rerun of game on tv... beer is by me... \o/

Just now, DieselDaisy said:

I think England's main problem was Kane playing as both a 9 and a 10 and getting dragged back into the midfield as a playmaker rather than remaining upfront as a simple fox in the box. I wanted Kane at the head of that formation. There was a certain disintegration of gas after second halves also (you saw this even against Tunisia). And of course a lack of clinical shot making, although this is related to the point about Kane being dragged back. 

And guy who marjed Kane (epic Brozzo) ran 16+ kilometers in this game... 

The other problem/mistake was when Sterling went out - he was major treath to our boys...

Hrvatskaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Fuck, my boss won't be happy next few days...

Modric is just stupid little rat...

Oh dear... I think you have better chances tonight, England is stronger, quicker and younger team... there will be few Russians to chear for you because our players can t keep their mouth shut...

Croatian advantages are Modric+Rakitic and experience... oh, and since semifinal is our prior top, there is no pressure of bringing it home...

Scott all the way...

That squeeking voice of Axl is just irritating... More than half GNR songs today are unlistenable to me. Playing Slither is great guesture but sounds bad...

2 hours ago, AtariLegend said:

I'm fairly confident most of the board if asked if whether Tunisia played Mauritania or Mauritius in world cup qualification to climb the fifa rankings would not be able to answer without google. The point is the FIFA rankings don't properly take into account the wild gulf in class of some of the teams that countries are playing. 

Yep, Poland didn't play anyone before the draw just to stay seeded - we all saw how great are they. In past, Croatia was always top 10 in FIFA rankings due to friendlies against low quality countries, but alway droped tournaments early. This time, they played against Brasil and Srnegal so they can prepare for African (Nigeria) and SA (Argentina) opponent in group stage - and here are they - World Cup semi final againt England...

After long time, Croatian press dodn't mark England as one of favorites for winning the title and here are they in semis... Stupid journalists mixed srtong premiership with great national team - they didn't mind  the fact that in league there was maybe 30 english players...

And this year it seems that they have decent keeper and manager....

But I hope that Croatia will play Belgium in final, and classic derby for 3rd place 😂

Just now, EvanG said:

Belgium played well, they have a great team, but they also had a lot of luck again. 

They had great keeper, but defence was really bad.... And Brasil had awful finishing....

That Belgian counter attack is great...

Lukaku is beast!

C'mon Belgium! Want that diving diva out so he can lay on the beach or bed instead of football pitch...

8 hours ago, ChristmasFnatic said:

Its funny how the right bracket winners, 3 of 4 won through PK. lol. Gonna get wrecked by Brasil in the finals.

Yep, in waterjumping for sure - Spagheti Neymar is real class in that... even dirty Otamendi wasn't that annoying as Neymar...

I belive Mbappe and Griezman will stop Brazil before finals...

23 minutes ago, Nicklord said:

You could just see that Modric was going to miss that in OT. He looked like he just did a poo in his pants. I'm so glad he somehow scored that one in the shootout, he'd probably end his career if he didn't

@-Jaro- are poeple already making predictons about final opponent there?

 

Since 1st game there is a story that we have a team that can go till the end, but we are also aware that they could lose against anybody in the world. 

Coach and players are full of experience and unlike any prior or current Balkan team didn't get themselves over the head after Argentina win. And 1st time since 1998 they play "smart" football.

And if you look our part of draw - it's much easier than the other and with Spain out,  there is no big names till final... 

Russia next - I guess Modric will need a rest since he played all 4 games and looked very tired last night... 

And since Kalinic (striker) did Axl move and refused to go on the pich against Nigeria - Croatia is only 22 members team on tournament and lacks attacking options...

We need Brasil and France out so can get new (or really unexpected champion)...