Football WC 2018

The Russian national football team are celebrating a historic and monumental occasion after officially being told by the Russian government that they are allowed to keep their kneecaps for another 3 days.

The good news comes on the back of Russia’s record-breaking World Cup win over favourites Spain.

“Honestly, I couldn’t believe it when they first told me”, said Russian manager Stanislav Cherchesov in his post-match conference. “I thought it was another one of those classic Putin zingers”

“But it’s true! Our boys get to keep their knees intact for another few days! That’s huge for a football team – I’ve always said having knees is a really important part of playing football”

The emotions were evident on the faces of the Russians at full time, after word reportedly trickled down that they get to enjoy full use of their legs for at least another 3 days, before their next World Cup match.

“No one predicted this at the beginning of the tournament” said an emotional Artem Dzyuba, the Russian goal-scorer who helped eliminate the Spanish giants.

“Everyone thought that by now we’d all have met unfortunate knee-based accidents or something”

“The fact that we’re still standing today is a testament to Russia’s famous ‘scared of being permanently maimed for embarrassing the country’ spirit”

Meanwhile, despite their early exit from the World Cup, the Spanish team also left in good spirits, after reports emerged that Putin had officially released their families and they could see them again - The Betoota Advocate

taipan wrote:Swedes 2 turnips 1
http://www.goal.com/en/news/2377/top-10/2009/12/20/1698466/top-10-greatest-football-headlines

Can't believe that this one was missing from that list:

Only Europe left in.

What a howler by the Uruguay keeper.

Great defence by Belgium to keep out wave after wave of Brazilian attack. The South Americans' touch and finishing let them down.

Fark me. Got the Belgians at sevens yesterday. After that they could be odds on.

Just had the impression that Neymar's earlier antics cost Brazil in the long run

Yeah taips. Maybe should have been a penalty but when you spend 14 minutes of the tournament on the ground the defending side is going to get the benefit of line ball decisions.

Suck shit wanker.

JGK wrote:

taipan wrote:Swedes 2 turnips 1
http://www.goal.com/en/news/2377/top-10/2009/12/20/1698466/top-10-greatest-football-headlines

Can't believe that this one was missing from that list:

And then there are times when a simple pair of inverted commas might have prevented guffaws ...

and avoided echoes of an effusive Kevin Rowland expressing his love for (on) Eileen ......

Seaman wouldn't even rate as a gap filler. Useless piece of shite.

Bradman wrote:Yeah taips.  Maybe should have been a penalty but when you spend 14 minutes of the tournament on the ground the defending side is going to get the benefit of line ball decisions.

Suck shit wanker.

Late in 2nd half? No way was that a penalty. Correct call all round.

I said maybe. If I was reffing someone would have to shoot him before I'd award the bastard a penalty, and only after I'd gone to the VAR.

Bradman wrote:Fark me.  Got the Belgians at sevens yesterday.  After that they could be odds on.

Still my tip too.

They looked more convincing than France and that semi is more or less the final.

lardbucket wrote:

Bradman wrote:Fark me.  Got the Belgians at sevens yesterday.  After that they could be odds on.

Still my tip too.

You're both rooted. I got Belgium at 17s a year ago and England at 22s at the start of the tournament. So France are certainties.

Bradman wrote:They looked more convincing than France and that semi is more or less the final.

Not really, in a low-scoring game like soccer, the better team can pepper the goal scoring area without quite nailing it and it just takes one strike, or penalty from the opposition. Not to mention the vagaries of penalty shootouts either.

Noticed that many of the experts were on Belgium from the outset. They looked great against Tunisia.

Still France have somehow found a way to get there after looking very average at times.

Guess the other interesting thing is how Europe has dominated.

Would be an even better quality WC is they could get rid of most of the Asian and African teams who lower the overall standard. Clearly though they're in it for commercial reasons.

taipan wrote:Just had the impression that Neymar's earlier antics cost Brazil in the long run

Yep, definitely a foul on him by Meunier. That said, Brazil almost wanted not to score yesterday.

Red wrote:

Bradman wrote:They looked more convincing than France and that semi is more or less the final.

Not really, in a low-scoring game like soccer, the better team can pepper the goal scoring area without quite nailing it and it just takes one strike, or penalty from the opposition. Not to mention the vagaries of penalty shootouts either.

Noticed that many of the experts were on Belgium from the outset. They looked great against Tunisia.

Still France have somehow found a way to get there after looking very average at times.

Guess the other interesting thing is how Europe has dominated.

Would be an even better quality WC is they could get rid of most of the Asian and African teams who lower the overall standard.  Clearly though they're in it for commercial reasons.

They may lessen the standard... But there are enough European teams IMO.

And the more global football has become the more localised its power has become centred across a few European countries. If this WC wasn't already brilliant, I'd have lost all interest in another European affair.

JGK wrote:

lardbucket wrote:

Bradman wrote:Fark me.  Got the Belgians at sevens yesterday.  After that they could be odds on.

Still my tip too.

You're both rooted.   I got Belgium at 17s a year ago and England at 22s at the start of the tournament.     So France are certainties.

Yeah well death, taxes and nurses and all that.

Still cannot believe the soft draw given the Pomgolian Divers.

Still cannot believe the soft draw given the Pomgolian Divers.

horace wrote:Still cannot believe the soft draw given the Pomgolian Divers.

It was clever the way FIFA rigged the draw. Letting Germany finish bottom of their group was a masterstroke.

Easy or tough side of the draw... Apart from France, none of the favourites made it to the semi final

Well someone has to say it. PMSL,