2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia (Maidenfans WC Pool inside)

Pool update:

50 - Shadow (42 potential points remaining)
49 - Wiz (42 ppr)
48 - Saap (38 ppr)
46 - Flash (42 ppr)
43 - LC (20 ppr)
42 - NP (48 ppr)
41 - Perun (42 ppr)
36 - Foro (38 ppr)
 
Forostar said:
Not at all. Not at all. This match was proof.
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Belgium showed that they can turn it on when they need to and can change their style when they need to. In the first half they were playing good football while still in first gear. They can turn it up for Brazil and it has the potential to be a real blockbuster like France vs. Argentina. Japan are too lightweight to mount a serious challenge to Brazil who are improving with every match.
 
Black Wizard said:
To be fair to Roberto Martinez and Belgium, the substitutions in the second half improved Begium's performance a lot and turned the match in their favour. There was a degree of opportunism in Japan's goals too.
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Roberto Martínez's infatuation with Axel Witsel is costing the team, though. Mousa Dembélé is rotting on the bench for no reason and he didn't even call Radja Nainggolan to the squad.
 
The result backs you up Wizard but it could have ended the other way as well. How can one see this Japanese squad as lightweight? Did we see the same match? They have my deepest respect (and not mine alone).
 
Forostar said:
How can one see this Japanese squad as lightweight? Did we see the same match? They have my deepest respect (and not mine alone).
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Japan simply does not have the individual quality to match up against the better sides. They need catch the better teams on a bad day in order to keep it close. That was the case today. To their credit, they did put up a good fight.

They advanced to the second round by the virtue of having received fewer yellow cards than Senegal. I was pleased to see them advance for the first time in years but Senegal was clearly the better team in the Group Stage.
 
I have seen superior individual quality today. I really deemed this skilful team able to beat Brazil. Alas. Crybaby and company will go to the semis now.

Belgian had a bad day? They had a good opponent (the first serious one on this world cup), coming from a lightweight group.
 
Forostar said:
I have seen superior individual quality today.
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No offense, but only someone who doesn't keep his tabs on club football would think Japan has superior individual quality on their squad. Belgium has a starting eleven full of key players for major Premier League sides and arguably two of the Top 10 players in the world in Hazard and De Bruyne.

No Japanese player would sniff a starting spot in the Belgian team. Belgians underperforming was the only way this game would've been close and they did.
 
I felt that coming. The Premier League argument. Well, for me the play on this World Cup counts.

Japan played better, especially as individuals than Belgium, but also better than most other nations, England included.

Kagawa, Inui, Nakatomo, all superior than De Bruyne and friends.

I guess it is the Japanese style Zare mentions that is so appealing. So good and nice to watch. Unfortunately they kept attacking and risked too much in the end. That does not take anything away from the quality we have witnessed today.
They did a hell lot more than putting up a fight.
 
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Today they were most definitely. And thankfully I am allowed to have a different opinion. Agree or not, I felt Japan was discredited and I payed my respects.

Now let's see what Babyface De Bruyne can do against Neymar.
 
Forostar said:
The result backs you up Wizard but it could have ended the other way as well. How can one see this Japanese squad as lightweight? Did we see the same match? They have my deepest respect (and not mine alone).
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Japan couldn't handle Belgium in the last 20 minutes when they started playing direct and crossed the ball into Fellaini. With guys like Willian and Marcelo running at defenders I can't see how Japan would be able to compete toe-to-two with this Brazilian squad.

Forostar said:
let's see what Babyface De Bruyne can do against Neymar
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"Babyface" de Bruyne won't be up against Neymar. They are both attacking players.
 
Today's quiz question:

What do these events have in common: World Cup 1990, Euro 96, World Cup 1998, Euro 2004, World Cup 2006 and Euro 2012 ?
 
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