Just back from the Denmark game. Was so so good being in what felt like a packed stadium after everything that’s happened and then reaching the knockout stages!
Day 11: North Macedonia vs Netherlands | Ukraine vs Austria | Russia vs Denmark | Finland vs Belgium
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
Is it really that shocking? Placed last in the group stages at the last two Euros as well. The last time they were any good was in 2008 with Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko. Getting to the quarters at the last World Cup was mostly due to them getting an easy draw and Spain being inept in front of the goal combined with the home advantage. Denmark's squad is just far more talented.
A bit of an odd story from the game, I was sitting next to a Russian, during the first half he was asking me if he should run on to the pitch, a bit drunk I told him yeah go ahead. We were sitting on one of the upper balconies, so thought it wouldnt happen.
Probably wasnt shown, but the mad fecker ran on to the pitch at full time. Was tackled instantly but still, what the hell.
Probably wasnt shown, but the mad fecker ran on to the pitch at full time. Was tackled instantly but still, what the hell.
I mean in general, with that population and ice hockey being their only other popular sport Id expect better.
Just found this article.
Russia has 145 million people and likes football, so why are the team so poor? | World Cup 2018 | The Guardian
England should try to get beaten to avoid a team from group of death. You guys have already qualified and your chances to win the tournament is higher if defeated.
How are Italy playing Austria? Why can’t they play a 3rd placed team?
Yeah, they're a very strange case. I'm not sure about the arguments of lack of coaching and facilities etc either. Tonnes upon tonnes of talented players have come from poverty in South America and Africa.
There's only 4, so not all groupwinners can play one.
Well, you can't exactly play street soccer in Siberia for most of the year
If you just look at the success of European players of African descent in teams like France and Belgium, you can clearly see how much of a difference coaching and infrastructure makes.
I know but they won with 9 points. Scoring 7 and conceding 0. Would’ve thought they’d end up playing a 3rd place team.
Nice!
That's not too bad considering the group Austria were in. Look at England's group. Their reward for winning the group is Portugal/France/Germany.
No, it's decided before the tournament which groupwinners play who. I think it's A (Italy's group) and D (Englands group) that play 2nd place teams this time around.
Bad excuse, Soviet Union was a strong team.Well, you can't exactly play street soccer in Siberia for most of the year
I guess something went wrong after the 90s.
Will only bump into one of them in the QF anyway if that happens
As a finn, im proud of our team. This was our first time in major tournaments. Today we lost to much better team but at least we kept it in 0-0 74mins against tough Belgium. 1-0 victory from Denmark and tight game against Russia. We had our chances to continue to top16 but same time need to remember that Denmark deserved to place 2. in this group.
Awesome, mate!
Yeah with work. 2k at stake.
For the first time looked at how the next round lines up and noticed that England's group 2nd place team plays 2nd place team of Spain. They have not qualfied yet but, smart thing would be to play for 2nd place for them and are ideally set up. Play for a draw with the Czechs and both end up on 5 points with Czechs winning the group on goal difference.
Lose even by 1 and a Croatia win by at least 2 goals and Croatia go through since both will be on 4 points but, Croatia would get 2nd on goal difference.
Yeah England- Sweden again maybe. We need revench from Maguire ruining Sweden and made us (United) pay 80 million for him haha. Do not get me wrong I like Maguire and happy we have him now.
I hope we win the group though and get Ukraine most likely or Switzerland potentially.
Spamming the refresh button on Livescore. Its like when you're outside with the missus and your team is 1-0 up in stoppage time.
Could see that performance from Russia coming a mile away if you've been following the team. Broken shell of a football nation, but it reflects Putin running the country into the ground over the last 10-15 years.
Denmark have played some very good football, it was nice to see them come back strong from what happened to Eriksen.
Denmark have played some very good football, it was nice to see them come back strong from what happened to Eriksen.
Yes, they lost Ukraine and Georgia.
Russian sports go as:
1. ice hockey
2. Ball hockey ( Bandy )
Football is just something you do when there is no ice around to pass the time.
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Wait, isn't that our reward?
Inflated wages of RPL means Russian players rarely go abroad and stay in the domestic league, hence they don't develop, don't get out of their comfort zone, or tested on the biggest club stages, and stagnate. Why go play in EU when the wages won't be anywhere near as high than home? especially with the mostly negative view of Russians in Europe. and RPL is a very industrial league with little technical play and it completely shows on the big stage and every time Zenit/Spartak/CSKA get floored in CL/EL when they meet a team with a half-decent technical midfield.
Cherchesov for example makes more money than all the 3 coaches in the group combined.
It's the Netherlands' reward to get 3rd out of those 3. It's England's reward to get 2nd place.
Good post
Yes, i reckon lot of the best players in Soviet Union era where from Ukraine and Georgia, but they all trained under the Soviet football system, plus they were some russians in there.
It might be a combination of losing Ukraine+Georgia and russian players staying in russian Football because of high wages.
Yes basically the entire Dinamo Kiev starting lineup was called up in 1986 and 1988 for Soviet. Hardly any players from the Moscow clubs.
Impossible that bandy is the second most popular sport in Russia. I mean it's a small sport in Sweden with low coverage yet they're on a similar level of Russia internationally. That seems beyond unlikely if indeed bandy is so popular in Russia.
The biggest mystery of the RPL is the fact it somehow makes Quincy Promes seem good.
They consider it a national sport, like they invented it, anyway that is what the Russian national TV reported once, growing up in there I've never seen it played, only the regular hokey.
CSKA as an army club could pick any 18 year old they would like without asking...
the most of the best players from ussr era being Ukrainian and Georgian idea is an overblown idea boosted by Lobanovsky's choices to keep things as close to Kyiv as possible when manager. Georgia always punched above it's weight class through Dynamo Tbilisi, players from current Russian federation regions made up the majority during the late 40s-60s, then Ukraine came to the forefront during early 70s-80s but there were still numerous russians around. the 90s generation looked like being a Russian/Ukrainian split with Georgia dropping off massively after the early 80s.
Neglect of building a coherent country-wide footballing infrastructure after the communist sports systems fell apart and a declined participatory culture among youth due to that and the economics situation of the 90s that hasn't really picked back up are main issues. Along with since the early-mid 00s the well paid, insular comfort zone nature of RPL with its various badly thought out foreign restrictions. Players not moving abroad wouldn't be so bad if the standard of youth development could be brought back up a few levels, but that doesn't look likely under this government. Things are widely inconsistent and successes like Krasnodar developing its football privately aren't widespread.
None of that particularly excuses some of the depths of shocking organisation and negativity seen at this tournament though imo.