I don't understand your point. Portugal were a team risking even less and look at them now.
Game 39: Croatia vs Portugal
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
Yeah, we lose and all of a sudden we were terrible and Portugal was great.
What do you reckon, how many more games for Čačić until he gets sacked?
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You haven't watched much of Nani then. He has always done things like that, doesn't always come off, but is brilliant when it does
Get in Portugal. Always have a soft spot for them.
Legitimately one of the worst games of football I've ever watched, and I remember Japan-Paraguay from the 2010 World Cup.
Portugal have managed to get to the quarter-finals by playing utterly terribly, wouldn't surprise me if they lucked their way into winning it.
Portugal have managed to get to the quarter-finals by playing utterly terribly, wouldn't surprise me if they lucked their way into winning it.
Croatia got the stronger team in my opinion. And Portugal has looked anything but solid when someone has had a go at them. Why play for the penalty shootout...
Our coach inspiration is probably Greece, 2004
I don't think we didn't risk, it's just that Portugal defended for the majority of the game with 8 players and we didn't know how to open them.
Damn it
"Portugal only tried to defend… they had two chances and then did not try to score. They celebrated like they had won the Euro cup or something, that’s a small mentality. That’s why they’ll do nothing … Portugal only tried to defend, they had two chances and then did not try to score"
Sounds about right? That being said, Croatia didn't do much better.
Sounds about right? That being said, Croatia didn't do much better.
If nothing it was nice to see Portugal, team full of talent, decided to defend against us.
It means nothing though.
Bring on Mourinho and PL season!
It means nothing though.
Bring on Mourinho and PL season!
In which they were pretty successful. You didn't have a single shot on target in 120mins.
Well first Portugal's shot on target was the goal.
But I agree and I said it in a previous post. Čačić was outsmarted by Santos and outsmarted good..
Who is this Pjaca lad? Never heard of him before, but has looked very exiciting so far.
Quick google tells me, 21 years old, still at Dinamo, Liverpool want him
Quick google tells me, 21 years old, still at Dinamo, Liverpool want him
To be fair, it was the second
So you win 0/4 games after full time and you're in the QF's, great stuff..
Happy for Nani though.
Happy for Nani though.
Have to disagree with that. Both teams seemed just as happy with the draw. Don't think I've ever seen a game at this level with such low intensity.
I must admit that it is sad to see such a nice Croatia team go out so early. Until today, it was your team that had performed the best throughout the competition. Winning a group that includes Spain is quite an achievement, you guys did a very good job.
But oh well, this is what happens when you stand in our path. We show no mercy.
Seriously though, better luck next time. I believe Croatia still have more to show to the footballing world.
Hm which was the first?To be fair, it was the second
Thanks mate. I wish Portugal good luck in the tournament. You should really win vs Poland.I must admit that it is sad to see such a nice Croatia team go out so early. Until today, it was your team that had performed the best throughout the competition. Winning a group that includes Spain is quite an achievement, you guys did a very good job.
But oh well, this is what happens when you stand in our path. We show no mercy.
Seriously though, better luck next time. I believe Croatia still have more to show to the footballing world.
As for us, we're wasting a generation on bad coaches and I don't see that changing while Mamić and co. are ruling our FA. And what a generation.
I just saw, Modrić will be 32 in Russia, if we qualify and we have a tough group, Rakitić 30... Luckily we have some young players coming through.
Our coach said something like he doesn't feel optimistic about our qualifiers for Russia...
What to say if your coach says something like that.
I don't even think he was outsmarted. You defended well, controlled the game and created better chances for 117 minutes of the game, then madly enough decided to have a go at them in the dying minutes and conceded on the counter in extra time. There's literally nothing more stupid than letting the opposition counter attack you in the last minutes of stoppage time with the game tied. I really doubt this was manager's idea rather than collective brainfeck of your players.
Outsmarted in the sense we didn't know how to score or even look dangerous. Portugal wanted to defend and hit us on counters, they gave us the ball but generally we didn't know what to do with it. Also Pjaca and Kalinić, who were dangerous, should have come in a lot earlier, especially Pjaca who came in the 2nd half of OT which is crazy. Have a go, risk something, don't wait for the OT!
Goal was stupid yeah, I mean we had like 8 players on their half and even then we could have stopped Quaresma's goal, our players just stood there and watched him score as if they can't do anything about it. They probably expected Ronaldo to score or something.
HREXIT
Awful game, zero creativity, zero risk until the end, simply nothing and the expectations were high, so the disappointment is even bigger than it was for some other games on the tournament.
I'm glad they're out.
Will Ćorluka and Srna play in WC 2018 qualifications?
Awful game, zero creativity, zero risk until the end, simply nothing and the expectations were high, so the disappointment is even bigger than it was for some other games on the tournament.
I'm glad they're out.
Will Ćorluka and Srna play in WC 2018 qualifications?
Gutted for Croatia, i thought they were the better team tonight. But it's baffling that a 3rd place team beat a group winner. But on we go.
The first was Ronaldo´s finish, the second was the header. I was just being annoying.
I had just looked at the stats for the game and spent a while thinking "What was Portugals 2nd shot on target?", before realising the goal was in fact two shots on.
This was Srna's last game. Ćorluka will play.
You're glad cause it's Croatia or cause we were poor?
croatia deserve this. they never went out of first gear. they seemed pretty arrogant after the spain win and being in the "easy" side of the draw. get the feeling they thought they'd just have to turn up today and would win
Portugal are just garbage aswel. they dont deserve to go through either they just got lucky. hope poland starch them
Portugal are just garbage aswel. they dont deserve to go through either they just got lucky. hope poland starch them
Srna was absolutely brilliant. He still found time to attack, even knowing Ronaldo was on his side of the field.
And seems like I've watched different game. I often thought at times during the game, wow.. these two teams were really comfortable with the ball, they often pulled out interesting one-two on tight area, going hard with cynical fouls without overdone them, and their energy level were pretty high. It's a game of chess between two equally good teams, with Croatia being slightly dominant.
You can't help but think that any of these teams would 'trash' England, based on England previous performances.
And seems like I've watched different game. I often thought at times during the game, wow.. these two teams were really comfortable with the ball, they often pulled out interesting one-two on tight area, going hard with cynical fouls without overdone them, and their energy level were pretty high. It's a game of chess between two equally good teams, with Croatia being slightly dominant.
You can't help but think that any of these teams would 'trash' England, based on England previous performances.
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Croatia played some of the best football in the tournament.... until today when they were without any imagination and creativity. That being said from the meagre chances in this game the Croats should have had at least 2 or 3 goals. Vida had some great chances and cocked it up under the pressure. Portugal looked just as woeful as they have been all tournament. Sleepwalking through every game. The golden boys like Figo and Gomes must be disgusted at this generations underwhelming football. Perhaps if Cristiano Ronaldo could maybe lower himself for a few minutes to be a team player then maybe some chemistry might develop with the other players. Even on the winning goal, Ronaldo acts like he scores it and not quaresma. Which is why Portugal will never win anything with Ronaldo as their leader. Too bad for the Croats in the end, but if you want to win the tournament then play your best and stop being so conservative!!
That's because usually CAF's fav team loses. That the game is shit. The other team does not deserve it bla bla.
Portugal will and should play counter attack mainly because they don't have any good striker to lead or hold or whatever. But, if you let them counter attack you while having Ronaldo, Nani etc, shit will happen. It is interesting that they went that route coz that's what they should do against any decent teams or even shit teams. Playing to their strengths and all.
This is such a stupidly biased observation. Portugal lack the players to win a big tournament. It is not like their squad is full with world class talent and the only thing they lack is a team spirit. If anything, they played very disciplined as a team last night. If you try to outplay Croatia chances are you will end up like Spain.
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I think Portugal defense is not that good to hold up for 90 min. against good team. They were actually riding their luck against Croatia with the amount of good chances Croatia had. But then you're right that with the attacking players they have, they're suited for counter attack.
That was a pretty dire game of football. Boring as feck. Croatia never seemed to get into into it and Portugal had no energy until Sanches came in (damn Bayern! Why do they get all the good ones!).
Portugal's centre backs were excellent and friggin' Pepe of all people was man of the match for me.
Portugal's centre backs were excellent and friggin' Pepe of all people was man of the match for me.
Is this the Twilight Zone I woke up in this morning, or what the heck am I reading here
When the draw came out, I knew Portugal would advance ahead of Croatia. I was expecting it to go to penalties and Portugal to win it. If you actually look at Portugal's track record in major tournaments, they are very impressive. They always qualify for the knock-out stage and seem to go far in major tournaments unless they meet Germany or Spain. Even in the last Euro, they made it to the semi-finals and held Spain to a 0-0 draw and only lost to them on penalties, and in the previous Euro before that, they lost to Germany 2-3 in the quarter-final. They are basically Spain and Germany's bitch but other than these two teams, they always give their opponents a hard time.
Portugal reminds me of the Netherlands, they are a gritty team who are hard to beat. If they get past Poland, I won't be surprised they beat Belgium (if they get past Hungary) in the semis.
Portugal reminds me of the Netherlands, they are a gritty team who are hard to beat. If they get past Poland, I won't be surprised they beat Belgium (if they get past Hungary) in the semis.
Mostly because of you TV commentators, I like how they weep every time you're knocked out of some competition.This was Srna's last game. Ćorluka will play.
You're glad cause it's Croatia or cause we were poor?
I was supporting you against Turkey and Spain, yesterday I was indifferent, but then again it's always nice to see Croatia bottling it at the end of the game. It's interesting how you always manage to drop it in the closing moments, not only in football, but other sports also.
Anyway, this was an example of an undeserved win. Although Croatia was shit, Portugal was even worse.
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2 knockout phases in 8 years. It's just not enough.
Really tough group for Russia WC, Iceland, Finland, Turkey, Ukraine and Kosovo.
Really tough group for Russia WC, Iceland, Finland, Turkey, Ukraine and Kosovo.
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It was a game in midfield in which Portugal commited 15 fouls by half time (most of them late or to preventing us opening) and received zero yellow cards. Go at what?
That Adrien guy finished the game without a yellow card after commiting 10 fouls alone. It's easy to defend in the middle when you know ref is never going to punish you, and you can just foul and foul and foul.