The Big Shiny World Cup thread

[Worthy4England]

Kane.

Ah, right. Cheers.

Reported as "fit to play"...

[TANGODANCER]

Kane.

Ah, right. Cheers.

Reported as "fit to play"...

Always a big plus. in addition to his goal threat, Kane's ball wins and intelligent distribution are immaculate.

[TANGODANCER]

See Ronaldo managed another "soft" penalty. Big muscular bloke runs into the box and throws himself on the deck like a bag of cement. Never fails. Great fight back from Ghana.

[Worthy4England]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

And a Ha for good luck.

[BWFC_Insane]

It was very very funny.

And to be fair, Iran completely outclassed wales in every single department. They looked miles they better side and completely deserved to win. Wales a very very very poor team.

[Worthy4England]

It was very very funny.

And to be fair, Iran completely outclassed wales in every single department. They looked miles they better side and completely deserved to win. Wales a very very very poor team.

It could've been 4/5 goals easily. I'm sure they'll now think they have a point to prove v us.

[Prufrock]

Superb. Win later and we've topped the group.

[TANGODANCER]

Somewhere in California later today, my son will sit on one side of the room wearing his England shirt. His wife will sit on the other wearing a U.S.A. shirt.Glad I won't be with them this evening. Cold be a bit frosty..They'll no doubt make up...soon...

[BWFC_Insane]

Superb. Win later and we've topped the group.

Even a draw tonight would mean only one of Iran or USA can finish above us and wales would have to absolutely Tonk us to overturn the goal difference.

Haha.

[TANGODANCER]

Despite all, I find it hard to cheer a Brit team being beaten by Iran. I'll live with it no doubt as I dislike Bale, and the wife's mother's lot (R.I.P) are all Welsh, but Iran...?

[Prufrock]

Superb. Win later and we've topped the group.

Even a draw tonight would mean only one of Iran or USA can finish above us and wales would have to absolutely Tonk us to overturn the goal difference.

Haha.

It's head to head rather than goal difference I'm pretty sure, so a draw tonight and any loss to Wales and they'd be above us (and we'd go out) if there was a winner in the USA-Iran game (i.e. a two way tie for second on 4 points for us and Wales).

But if USA-Iran was a draw, I think you ignore results against bottom (which would be USA on 3) and it's a three way tie for 1st-3rd between us, Iran and Wales and it would come down to goal difference. The joys of world cup maths!

We'll just have to batter the Yanks then!

[BWFC_Insane]

Superb. Win later and we've topped the group.

Even a draw tonight would mean only one of Iran or USA can finish above us and wales would have to absolutely Tonk us to overturn the goal difference.

Haha.

It's head to head rather than goal difference I'm pretty sure, so a draw tonight and any loss to Wales and they'd be above us (and we'd go out) if there was a winner in the USA-Iran game (i.e. a two way tie for second on 4 points for us and Wales).

But if USA-Iran was a draw, I think you ignore results against bottom (which would be USA on 3) and it's a three way tie for 1st-3rd between us, Iran and Wales and it would come down to goal difference. The joys of world cup maths!

We'll just have to batter the Yanks then!

Nope I thought it might be head to head so checked. It’s GD. Then GS. Only then head to head.

Which is great for us. Not so good for poor old Wales.

[Prufrock]

Oh fair enough, not sure if it used to be head to head or I'm confusing with the Champions League. The joys.

So they'd need a 4 goal win against us to knock us out. Any win would be enough for them if Iran-USA draw.

[Worthy4England]

Despite all, I find it hard to cheer a Brit team being beaten by Iran. I'll live with it no doubt as I dislike Bale, and the wife's mother's lot (R.I.P) are all Welsh, but Iran...?

I doubt anyone is cheering for who beat them (certainly not me. Anyone beating them at anything works for me). But you can just imagine the unequivocal support we'd get from them, should we progress. They'll be mumbling on, to themselves in Welsh at the first sign of an English accent (and I don't have any problem with them speaking Welsh, just when they change to it when you open your mouth and speak English)...So fcuk 'em. They're about the only decent use case for a border wall, Offas Dyke just doesn't cut it anymore.

[Worthy4England]

Strange as it might seem, they're pretty averse to folks turning up in Crusader outfits too! Who could've possibly guessed...

[BWFC_Insane]

Englands manager and midfield are definitely showing their weakness here.

For me hook off Sterling and Mount for Grealish and Foden and start showing some energy and ability to keep the ball.

It’s very very apparent that our midfield is miles off being right.

I’m totally baffled how Mount gets anywhere near this England team…I’m not a huge Grealish fan as is well documented but Mount is even more pointless.

[Harry Genshaw]

Pedestrian, sideways, safe football. Is Evatt on the coaching staff?

[BWFC_Insane]

Pedestrian, sideways, safe football. Is Evatt on the coaching staff?

I was thinking that Southgate and Evatt are basically the same.

[officer_dibble]

I’ve never seen a player in midfield have as little influence on a game of football as Mason Mount there. How did he not get hooked?

Lucky to get a point.

[TANGODANCER]

Way to beat England; bully them. U'S'A ruled the game and although we didn't lose any points, we surely lost in the pride stakes. Second to everything and lucky not to lose. Sterling, Saka and our teenage wonder boy, Bellingham, were absent from class without a note from their mothers. Saka looked knackered after five minutes.

At this level we'd better improve rapido. Harry Kane was our best forward but got no support and had to defend deep. Start Rashford, Foden and Grealish and bring the twinkle-toes sisters on as subs. Passing the parcel in our half was just inviting trouble and we had all the bounce of a bunch of steak and kidney puddings.In short, we got a football lesson from the cousins. World Cup...not at this pace. Souvenir egg-cup maybe.