Newsflash! Soccerball International Championship thread?

[ColourofFire]

Doesn't surprise me. Both teams have a lot of players in top Euro leagues.

They have alright players, but it being a first round game, which are usually boring as hell because no one wants to lose, I kind of expected both of them to play it safer. Like the game before it, that was borderline unwatchable as Egypt didn't move and Uruguay didn't take any risks.

 

[frunobulax]

Salah must be more injured than being let on. I see not starting him, but not bringing him on with 10-15 minutes left. Egypt was getting chances and Salah might have allowed them to steal match.

 

[ColourofFire]

Salah must be more injured than being let on. I see not starting him, but not bringing him on with 10-15 minutes left. Egypt was getting chances and Salah might have allowed them to steal match.

I think they didn't fancy their chances against Uruguay and it's more important to have him fit against Russia and Saudi-Arabia, both of which they're more likely to win.

 

[Dexter Inferno]

I think they didn't fancy their chances against Uruguay and it's more important to have him fit against Russia and Saudi-Arabia, both of which they're more likely to win.

Yep. It's quite a weak group, so I'm guessing they're aiming for 2nd. Uruguay is by far the best team in that group. No need to risk Salah for that.

 

[wok]

So Portugal-Spain is turning out to be a cracker!

 

[bsman]

So Portugal-Spain is turning out to be a cracker!

This match is at least two orders of magnitude better than anything we've seen to this point!

 

[wok]

Holy crap! What a goal!

 

[ColourofFire]

Haha, as bad as the first 3 were, this one just keeps on giving.

 

[frunobulax]

!!!!!

 

[bsman]

I cannot recall a better, more exciting football match I've ever seen - except possibly the 2003 California Classico between the San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy (when the Quakes went down 4-0 in the aggregate goal playoff home-and-away) and ended up winning the series 5-4.)

 

[frunobulax]

That was hugely entertaining.

 

[nuke_diver]

Indeed it was though I can't help thinking that Spain gifted Portugal that game. De Gea bobble on the 2nd goal and Piquet foul were mistakes Spain doesn't usually make. Don't get me wrong I thoroughly enjoyed the game and that tying goal by Ronaldo was a thing of beauty. And I'm not a big Ronaldo fan.

 

[bsman]

I have a friend on Facebook who opined that there was a payoff involved...

 

[ColourofFire]

Indeed it was though I can't help thinking that Spain gifted Portugal that game. De Gea bobble on the 2nd goal and Piquet foul were mistakes Spain doesn't usually make. Don't get me wrong I thoroughly enjoyed the game and that tying goal by Ronaldo was a thing of beauty. And I'm not a big Ronaldo fan.

De Gea has made several mistakes like that before. Especially when we was relatively new at ManU he was not undisputed after repeated errors like this. He hasn't made any recently, but it's no surprise to me.

Pique is also this clumsy quite often.

I think the unfallable image of Spain has reached a bit too legendary levels in people's minds.

 

[jbj]

I had 3-2 Spain in a little betting round in the pub

:(

No one got the correct score so we used the pool to put an acca on todays games.

France
Argentina
Peru
Croatia all to win. I'm not hopeful.

 

[Dexter Inferno]

Considering the talent available, France really are quite poor (or Deshamps as a manager, to be fair).

 

[VoidTerraFirma]

Icelandic Soccer!

 

[jbj]

Of ffs, making a right meal of the shoe-ins on this acca!!!

 

[jbj]

well done Argentia, bet is gubbed before it got interesting.

 

[Danhedonia]

Iceland looked terrible today - great PK save and a few near misses and they got a tie. Never seen so many bad balls by a putatively competitive team.

In related news, my (favorite) local brewery opened at 7 for the game this AM. Breakfast burritos and all taps open. Didn't go, but I could see that working out down the line .....