Board 8 > Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 - Topic 4

(+) Yeah! (+)

So many matches will feel like a final.
It's a stacked tournament.

Argentina vs Brazil if it happens will be a blockbuster. But so would England vs Portugal or Holland vs Brazil.

We have a score to settle with Portugal. I would love to knock them out if we pull off the France upset.

shane15 posted...

England Vs France on Saturday will feel like a final.

Offensively good teams tend to look a lot better. I don't think they're particularly above the rest.

ctesjbuvf posted...

Offensive teams tend to look a lot better. I don't think they're particularly above the rest.

Never said they are

charmander6000 posted...

While the gap between Europe/South America and the rest of the world is narrowing they still haven't made the jump to the top tier. So while they could pull off an upset against the top teams every now and then, for them to string multiple upsets is still very difficult.

This. There is a reason why only like 3 teams outside of Europe and SA have ever made the semis

shane15 posted...

We have a score to settle with Portugal. I would love to knock them out if we pull off the France upset.

I would rather go out to France

shane15 posted...

We have a score to settle with Portugal.

Nah, been there, done that back in 2006. Let Switzerland take them out.

Also same thing again tonight. Surrounded by people blithely screaming siu

I have never wanted a stadium to be shut up more. Please Switzerland in the name of high christ eliminate them

Well he's not playing so they just might lol

It would be good to see Morocco and Switzerland battle it out for a place in the semi final. At least then we'd get 1 outsider in the mix.

paulg235 posted...

Nah, been there, done that back in 2006. Let Switzerland take them out.

This. Give me the winner of Morocco vs Switzerland and lots of camera angles of Ronaldo sulking on the bench as his team lose without him a la Suarez.

Come on La Suissa!

Pricks

Already the rolling has started.

How can anyone outside Portugal want them to win? Their behaviour is endemic.

Jesus christ Switzerland. Why even bother? At least Cameroon being here would have been fun. This is just limp, insipid.

This one looks done.

I mean Pepe has to be the easiest player in the world to mark - unless he starts violently kicking the shit out of you, as he's prone to do - and you let that happen. Why even bother qualifying?

Portugal's old blue and white flag was so much better looking than their red and green flag that breaks rules of heraldry that were there for a good reason.

Fall River East looking good today

XIII_Rocks posted...

Jesus christ Switzerland. Why even bother? At least Cameroon being here would have been fun. This is just limp, insipid.

Serbia would be most ideal I think.

Jesus Christ, Portugal is going to get a free route to the semis.

Morocco won't be as easy as this

...but it's looking really good.

*Fauxtralian accent* "Fucken blowout mate."

Wait... Switzerland got a conolation.

2-1 I would think they stood a chance.

But yeah I just don't think they prepared enough for that corner there.

It seems to be local and non-Portuguese fans cheering for Ronaldo more than the Portuguese for some reason.

Cor... TF did Switzerland do to them? Sleep with their girlfriends?!!

ctesjbuvf posted...

It seems to be local and non-Portuguese fans cheering for Ronaldo more than the Portuguese for some reason.

XIII_Rocks posted...

Also same thing again tonight. Surrounded by people blithely screaming siu

To be clear: the "reason" is blithe ignorance

I live in South London and there's a large Porto Contigent down here and they gon' be celebrating and honking.

"Port-u-gal! Port-u-gal!"

loathe as I am to agree with xiii on one of his endless football grudges, I went into this tournament really disliking this Portugal team (or at least the way Santos set them up)

that said, if they want to provide the final nail in the coffin of ronaldo's career by proving that both his club and his country are better without him, that might actually be enough for me to wish them well!

Giggsalot posted...

loathe as I am to agree with xiii on one of his endless football grudges, I went into this tournament really disliking this Portugal team (or at least the way Santos set them up)

I genuinely only have two individual sporting grudges left - Ronaldo and Nadal

They're holdovers from my teenage years that I want gone asap because I'm past the point where I can feel that much vicious negativity for anything, really, but those two still remain. (Neymar is just standard dislike)

There are of course far bigger and like existential grudges - Infantino/FIFA, the ownership of City/Newcastle/PSG, etc, everyone responsbile for the super league. But I think those are entirely justified.

Tbh I dislike Figo more than Ronaldo.

But Portugal for a country of only 10m, can argue they punch above their weight in football.
There's a few villains left in the tournament, makes things more exciting when you raise the stakes.

XIII_Rocks posted...

I genuinely only have two individual sporting grudges left - Ronaldo and Nadal

They're holdovers from my teenage years that I want gone asap because I'm past the point where I can feel that much vicious negativity for anything, really, but those two still remain. (Neymar is just standard dislike)

There are of course far bigger and like existential grudges - Infantino/FIFA, the ownership of City/Newcastle/PSG, etc, everyone responsbile for the super league. But I think those are entirely justified.

oh for sure, that all makes sense

...except for the nadal one, that is! that's genuinely baffling these days. him and federer are basically best friends!

Talk about adding Insult to Injury time.

voltch posted...

Tbh I dislike Figo more than Ronaldo.

But Portugal for a country of only 10m, can argue they punch above their weight in football.
There's a few villains left in the tournament, makes things more exciting when you raise the stakes.

People like a good panto baddie; Hook, Fagin, Paul off Neighbours...

Giggsalot posted...

except for the nadal one, that is! that's genuinely baffling these days. him and federer are basically best friends!

I don't think that was ever not the case?

But that's the irrationality of sport. I still want City to win the title more than Liverpool and I still want Djokovic to beat Nadal even though one of them is a grotesque sportswashing exercise and the other is an antivax shithead. I can't choose these things.

Well I said this was the best chance of am upset and man was I wrong!

Well, didn't expect Portugal > Switzerland to be the biggest blowout of the round.

OK so in my mind Portugal are in the final now. Hopefully Brazil continue to play that well and can stop them.

I can't see them beating France. They'd probably do England over though.

I know it's not that likely but can we stay on the Morocco bandwagon for now

You guys want Portugal out, you can have an African team in the semis for the first time ever as well, what's not to like

Of course I want Morocco to win, it's just got like a 1% chance of happening so it's pointless to even discuss it. They are simply not going to beat Portugal in the world cup quarter final.

Portugal with a 6-1 walloping of Switzerland....ouch!

Bracket:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/3/4/AAE6mcAAD9bS.png

Ranking:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/3/5/AAE6mcAAD9bT.png

This whole tournament has secretly been Dani Alves and Pepe's last dance.
They keep doing shit they shouldn't be capable of anymore.

We heading to an all Portuguese speaking final featuring a bunch of people from the El Classico wars.

Never been a fan of Pepe, but credit where it's due, it's incredible he plays.

We can add Thiago Silva to the group honestly. None of them played in 06 it would seem. Only Messi and Ronaldo from then.

I will say one thing though. If England beat France they better make the final. You don't beat a team like France and then bottle it.

It'll be weird having days with no World Cup now lol.

But I'm looking forward to the quarters and I don't feel like there are teams there that haven't proven themselves. Aome more than others, but solid final 8.

Croatia is the only non-group winner to advance to the quarterfinals. The consistency of soccer results always surprises me. The game feels so random when watching it, like results turn on inches or milliseconds of reaction time. Yet the results end up being so consistent iin that better teams usually win. Maybe my sense of this is just miscalibrated by baseball, where the worst team probably has a >25% chance of beating the best team in a single game.

Normally you bring the older washed up vet as a cheerleader of some sorts.

But this cup has seen so many legends still contribute valuable minutes.
Modric's run of greatest has absolutely gone under the radar in this tournament.

Modric is getting plenty of praise here. Also the whole stadium applauded him when he was subbed off, Japanese as well.

From a quick glance it seems Pepe might have not played in 06 because he wasn't eligible. As for Dani Alves and Thiago Silva, we'll, Brazil is a tough squad to get into and in 06 they brought way too many old players because of their previous glory.