OT: World Cup 2018

[Jay-Bone]

Croatia got their asses kicked.

Don't go by the score.

 

[Yardigan]

Don't go by the score.

Too American

 

[HuskyHawk]

I thought it was a great final with fairly non stop action. There was little to no real flopping, like we’ve seen throughout the tournament. In fact, France got a goal when a man who,was tripped, kept his feet and the ball. Amazing what happens when you don’t act like a child. The pace was high. A very entertaining match.

The handball was legit. The problem, as @MadDogRevival notes, is that awarding a penalty is too steep. Yet that ball was going through without the hand and so might have been a goal, or might have been cleared. The rules are problematic on many levels, because the referee lacks flexibility. A simple fee kick at midfield for a trip that stops an attacking side who has numbers, is woefully inadequate. It’s almost a benefit to the defense who gets to set up with 11 behind the ball, instead of the few they had when it happened. Awful.

They need more options to award closer free kicks, rather than at the spot of the foul, or send a man off for say 2-3 minutes as they do in hockey.

 

[MadDogRevival]

I thought it was a great final with fairly non stop action. There was little to no real flopping,

Yeah, that was just weird. It was like both sides just decided to straight play. Ironically, the one very obvious flop led to the 1st goal, which completely changed the game. If that is not called, and Perisic gets the goal to go 1-up, the game is completely different. France may still have had too much horsepower, but Croatia has a very good counter, and would have given France fits on break outs.

My idea for both hockey and soccer is this - I despise penalty shots/kicks. You're essentially using a skill that is almost never used in the live action. 1 on 1 vs. goalie, one direction one chance.

My suggestion is to remove a player from each team every X minutes. Say, 6 minutes for soccer. After 1/2 an hour, you're playing 6 on 6. Eventually, it's 1 on 1, with goalies. I know - not even going to get considered, but you gotta admit, 3 on 3 hockey would be awesome to watch.

 

[Mazhude]

Completely undeserved. Could the refs have worked any harder to hand the trophy to France? All respect to Croatia. They worked hard. They hustled. They earned everything they achieved. France though, I have to say as a Frenchman, feels like they just sort of fell into it. Oh well. Now back to basketball angst...

 

[intlzncster]

Yeah, that was just weird. It was like both sides just decided to straight play. Ironically, the one very obvious flop led to the 1st goal, which completely changed the game. If that is not called, and Perisic gets the goal to go 1-up, the game is completely different. France may still have had too much horsepower, but Croatia has a very good counter, and would have given France fits on break outs.

My idea for both hockey and soccer is this - I despise penalty shots/kicks. You're essentially using a skill that is almost never used in the live action. 1 on 1 vs. goalie, one direction one chance.

My suggestion is to remove a player from each team every X minutes. Say, 6 minutes for soccer. After 1/2 an hour, you're playing 6 on 6. Eventually, it's 1 on 1, with goalies. I know - not even going to get considered, but you gotta admit, 3 on 3 hockey would be awesome to watch.

I think in hockey, it would work. Because you have shifts.

In soccer, if you got down to 5 on 5 or something, full field, guys would die of exhaustion. And the tactics wouldn't even resemble a soccer game. I don't like PKs, but there's got to be something workable.

 

[Jaker]

All around, it was a really good tourney, too bad Croatia lost, because they looked like the better side and their mid field held a lot of possession. I thought Perisic was one of the best players in the tourney.

 

[outlaw]

On to 2022

The USMNT is now joined by the rest of the world in preparation for the new cycle.

Our young guns must be feeling pretty good right now having played the World Champions admirably in June, in Lyon.

Brazil, Mexico, England, Italy and 2 unnamed opponents await to finish of 2018 for the U.S. - the perfect way, IMHO, to kick off the new cycle with a new look team.

 

[intlzncster]

The USMNT is now joined by the rest of the world in preparation for the new cycle.

That made me chuckle.

Our young guns must be feeling pretty good right now having played the World Champions admirably in June, in Lyon.

Brazil, Mexico, England, Italy and 2 unnamed opponents await to finish of 2018 for the U.S. - the perfect way, IMHO, to kick off the new cycle with a new look team.

Guys can feel good when they qualify for the cup. Or win the Gold Cup.

Now they need to be desperately hungry.

 

[auror]

I was rooting for Croatia throughout the tourny, but France was the better team. Enjoyed the game, glad it was 4-2 and not 0-0 PKs,

Wasn't a great day for Croatia's D at all. Defender on Pogba's goal was spinning around like a top. Mbappe's defender gave him too much space AND screened his own goalie. I don't think any of the goals were Subasic's fault, but he didn't come up big, either.

I love Modric, but Golden Ball is a little iffy. 2 goals and 1 assist in 7 games? I get that he's the engine, but didn't really playmake nearly as much as some other guys did. Mbappe and Hazard were both better, to me. Penalized other guys for having talent and crediting Modric for bringing them to final, but they only got to final due to easy path. Just IMO though.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

I was rooting for Croatia throughout the tourny, but France was the better team. Enjoyed the game, glad it was 4-2 and not 0-0 PKs,

Wasn't a great day for Croatia's D at all. Defender on Pogba's goal was spinning around like a top. Mbappe's defender gave him too much space AND screened his own goalie. I don't think any of the goals were Subasic's fault, but he didn't come up big, either.

I love Modric, but Golden Ball is a little iffy. 2 goals and 1 assist in 7 games? I get that he's the engine, but didn't really playmake nearly as much as some other guys did. Mbappe and Hazard were both better, to me. Penalized other guys for having talent and crediting Modric for bringing them to final, but they only got to final due to easy path. Just IMO though.

There is a shout for Hazard, but as you implied, Modric’s job isn’t to produce goals. I think he has a total of like 10 league goals for Real in his stint there, and his brilliance is recognized still. He creates almost everything, is underrated in his ability to break up play, and picks out passes like almost no other, and all of this was on display in Russia. IMO a very deserved Golden Ball, not to say a few others weren’t right there though.

 

[Waquoit]

. He creates almost everything, is underrated in his ability to break up play, and picks out passes like almost no other, and all of this was on display in Russia.

I thought you were talking about Paul Pogba.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

I thought you were talking about Paul Pogba.

Yeah he’s another candidate, also Kante before the final was a frontrunner.

 

[Kemba'sYogurt]

Say what you want about him on the field, but this is cool donating his winnings. 19 year old kid doing this wow

France's Kylian Mbappe, 19-year-old phenom, will donate World Cup earnings to charity

 

[intlzncster]

Say what you want about him on the field, but this is cool donating his winnings. 19 year old kid doing this wow

France's Kylian Mbappe, 19-year-old phenom, will donate World Cup earnings to charity

And on the field.....he's the next Messi/Ronaldo. Multiple Ballon d'Or's on tap.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

And on the field.....he's the next Messi/Ronaldo. Multiple Ballon d'Or's on tap.

Seems like after Messi and Ronaldo hang uo the cleats he’ll be the next guy to get 4+ Ballon d’Ors.

 

[auror]

There is a shout for Hazard, but as you implied, Modric’s job isn’t to produce goals. I think he has a total of like 10 league goals for Real in his stint there, and his brilliance is recognized still. He creates almost everything, is underrated in his ability to break up play, and picks out passes like almost no other, and all of this was on display in Russia. IMO a very deserved Golden Ball, not to say a few others weren’t right there though.

 

[UConnSwag11]

There is a shout for Hazard, but as you implied, Modric’s job isn’t to produce goals. I think he has a total of like 10 league goals for Real in his stint there, and his brilliance is recognized still. He creates almost everything, is underrated in his ability to break up play, and picks out passes like almost no other, and all of this was on display in Russia. IMO a very deserved Golden Ball, not to say a few others weren’t right there though.

If you really study and watch Real Madrid Modric is the most important player on that team. He is the conductor. It's beautiful to watch him play. I am a Barca fan and Modric is one of my favorite players. His technical abilities, vision, and IQ remind me of Busquets who I think is one of the top 5-10 players in Europe

 

[UConnSwag11]