Belgium has come from behind to win (last match) and taken it to strong team today. They are my pick to win it all
Hazard's arguably been the best player in the tournament. Brazil created frenetically - they had their chances but the bounces didn't go their way. At the same time I'm impressed so much with how Belgium defends and attacks with cohesion. Their counters are like fast breaks by the Golden State Warriors - they draw defenders in, drop amazing passes, create space with their runs, finish like marksmen. They're also fit and committed to defending together - the cohesion just oozes out of them. Belgium is also very fast, faster than Brazil at several key positions...but France might be faster. That's one theme I'm going to be paying attention to...
I love the way Lukaku drags defenders, opens space, and overall makes the attack so much better even when he doesn't have the ball himself. He has four goals and a couple of assists, and that doesn't count the dummy on the winner against Japan.
That dummy was one of the best plays of the tournament to date. I love those kinds of plays. It's like being in a car accident only in a good way. Time slows down and you can see it all happening right before your eyes and you know how it's going to end. A perfect moment. Unless it's an actual car accident and you were rooting for Japan and then it is almost like being in a car accident.
I'm going to call and say it'll be France and England in the finals. I wouldn't be upset if Belgium made it either. Russia is the only team that feels like they don't belong out of who is left.
My brother is pulling for France - Russia in the final if not for all the Napoleonic War memes. Speaking of memes, Germany crashing out in the group stage is their 2nd worse retreat from Russia in German history.
Just when you think Russia has no chance the Croatian defender purposefully directs the ball with his elbow. Good Lord!
Hi remember me from earlier in the thread. Still doubting a good chance of Belgium and England final. The four teams I thought could make the semis are in. With the semis you are one great match, one exploiting opponents weakness from the final. After group play I thought Belgium and Croatia looked the best. England has looked better than Croatia in the knockout stages. All I know is there is four great teams in the semis and hopefully we see great soccer. . . . Is football coming home this year?
Although Croatia has the results, I haven't been impressed by their play. If you had swapped England and Croatia for Mexico and Japan, I think the best contenders all would have been on the same side of the bracket. Japan is debatable. They played really well too. I'm hoping that Belgium takes it all. Either way I hope either they or France CRUSH the winner of England v Croatia. Those two have been way more entertaining.
England advancing this far makes thus an odd World Cup to say the least. It’s been fun though! I’m actually rooting for them at this point.
This has been a weird cup overall IMO. Plenty of teams that should've went further and didn't and some that got farther than they should've (and maybe further with a smidge more luck) I have a feeling the France - Belgium match will be more of a final than the actual final. I won't be upset with any of the final four winning it all, but I'm partial to seeing a France - England final. No matter what, I'm just hoping to see some more good games. As weird as this cup has been, there has been plenty of excitement.
World Cup fever has sent "Three Lions (Football is Coming Home)" back to the top of the charts 22 years after debuting https://www.google.com/amp/www.dail...charts-nation-goes-England-mad-World-Cup.html
I'm thinking it will be a Belgium vs England final. That will be a ton of Spurs on the field. One of the reasons the Belgian back line is so cohesive is they play the same positions on Spurs. So glad that my predictions of Russia corrupting the system to the end came to nothing. I can watch the remaining games with no more guilt.
Great article about Lukaku and how his off the ball movement opens up options for other players https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5b43f48be4b0c523e261dc2d
Once again, I am not saying that Argentina had a stellar team this time around, but it is interesting that the two teams that managed to beat them are both in the final.
I had to bail on the extra time because I had to retrieve my wife and child from work and play, respectively, then off to early dinner. Still, I knew what was up checking the Google. <sigh> I wanted England to win.
I would've liked England as well, but credit to the stamina of Croatia. Crazy that on their 3rd game in a row going 120 minutes, they looked less tired than England. I'm hoping France wins it all.
I thought the Croatians resembled warriors returning from a big battle in the last half ov the overtime. Half of them were linking around. I think that wear and tear gives France a noticeable advantage in the Final.