Semi Finals: Argentina vs Croatia | Eng... France vs Morocco

If this only looks at placement, this is irrelevant. Some of Japan's PKs were awfully weak in power and had no chance to get in as long as the keeper guessed the right side.
it says placement & power in the tweets
 
I just need us to either win or lose but comfortably. I don’t want to suffer anymore. I seriously feel sick, guess blood pressure goes really high.
whoever wins Hope they take a considerable advantage and keeps it under control.
 
I think it is not about underestimating them...but if you have the choice playing against the reigning world champion loaded with CL stars or Marocco you want to play against marocco - even if they killed Spain and Portugal
Makes sense. Argentina v France for me.
And of those two? Extremely difficult to say. I have a tiny hunch Argentina could find a way somehow. What an exit that would be for Messi.
 


Indeed, based on the placement of each penalty.


I might be missing something, but doesn't this fail to consider the approach taken by the penalty taker. As an example, a lot of penalty takers these days do the stuttered run up, wait for the keeper to move, then simply pass the ball into the opposite side of the goal. In this model, the pen would be flagged as poor quality when in reality, considering the approach taken by the penalty taker, it's a great penalty.
 
Has anyone got the whole way to the final on pens before? I think Argentina in Italia 90 was just the quarters and semis.
 
Croatia is so hard to beat and Argie is too dependent on Messi, I think he has dragged them as far as he can. Croatia via penalties.
 
If Croatia goes through again on penalties, I am done with this WC. I want Argentina to go through with as much shithousery as they can muster, just to trigger people. :wenger:
 
Would like all of them (not as much France) to win the tournament. Quite relaxing not having a team you really don’t want to win
 
Croatia's luck will surely run out? Belgium should've put them out but, you know, Lukaku... and Japan and Brazil were both the better team v them too.

Can't lie though, they scare me. They're like an unflushable turd.
 
Croatia's luck will surely run out? Belgium should've put them out but, you know, Lukaku... and Japan and Brazil were both the better team v them too.

Can't lie though, they scare me. They're like an unflushable turd.
They are really difficult to beat. Large parts of the game are just them passing it around to pass the time, hoping to steal a goal or take it to pens.
 
Would like all of them (not as much France) to win the tournament. Quite relaxing not having a team you really don’t want to win
kind of in the same boat. Only reason not to want France to win is they won it last time.
 
They are really difficult to beat. Large parts of the game are just them passing it around to pass the time, hoping to steal a goal or take it to pens.
You really think we're passing it around to pass time? True, we now have more accent to defensive tasks and while it wasnt as justifiable maybe vs Japan it sure was against Brazil. Its just Brazil defended good too and while we tried we couldnt make a real danger and anything other than halfchances till 117th minute, all the worse is our attack is blunt.
Nor do I think Japan was a better team but thats not important.

Stuff about luck is funny. Was Morroco lucky Bruno hit the post right after their goal or that Spain was crap in their penalties, was France lucky Kane missed his penalty, was Japan lucky we didnt score a 2nd right after Perišić scored so they endured till the penalties or that Germany missed all those chances before they scored their 2 goals?

Mentioning we're only lucky is too simplistic way of looking at things. Part about luck is not aiming at you but in general.
 
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I've just seen that a lot through out the years in the Premier League. They are hardly given. Not saying it wasn't stupid, but


I think this France team is just as good as the 2018 one. They're a bit more balanced.

People aren't really understanding how good a job England did on Saturday, they nullified France's greatest strength, their width. Dembele is a world class player and they managed to limit both he and Mbappe's influence. I don't see either Morocco or Argentine being able to do that.

In 2018, France were forced to play Matuidi on the left wing to cover for Pogba in the middle, right now, they are able to actively use their dual threat. In addition, I think Griezmann is actually more influencial than he was in 2018, he's providing a lot of the link play in the middle for France. Allowing them to stay solid centrally, whilst still being able to combine high up the pitch.

Remember 4 years ago, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Argentina were all out before the semi-final. None of these teams were better then than they are now. Belgium aren't better than any of these teams either. I actually think the quality of national teams is better than it was in 2018, equal to 2014, but not quite at the 1998 or 2006 level.
Agree- Griesman is playing the best I’ve seen him for years.
 

Good fortunate is probably a better description.

If Lukaku isn't an absolute donkey you're sent home in the group stages.

If Brazil don't bizarrely allow themselves to get countered on in the last minute of extra time when they're 1-0 up you're sent home.

If the equaliser v Brazil doesn't take a massive deflection you're sent home.

If Japan had taken their chances or not taken the worst penalties in the history of football, you'd be sent home too.

It's not meant to be a shot at you guys. You're good at what you do but you've definitely enjoyed your share of fortuitous moments at this tournament.
 
Good fortunate is probably a better description.

If Lukaku isn't an absolute donkey you're sent home in the group stages.

If Brazil don't bizarrely allow themselves to get countered on in the last minute of extra time when they're 1-0 up you're sent home.

If the equaliser v Brazil doesn't take a massive deflection you're sent home.

If Japan had taken their chances or not taken the worst penalties in the history of football, you'd be sent home too.

It's not meant to be a shot at you guys. You're good at what you do but you've definitely enjoyed your share of fortuitous moments at this tournament.
That's all true but it's football for you and it works both ways. Deflections, missed chances, missed pens.
Japan's pens werent that bad, on the opposite as someone pointed here, its just Livaković read them.
Japan for instance didnt have so many chances as portrayed, one would think they missed a ton. And in any case just after our goal Modrić had a great shot saved by Gonda. That goes in game over imo.
Lukaku sure missed glorious chances but on the other hand Curtois saved about 2 or 3 of our good shots way before that.

Argentina was lucky Australia missed a golden chance right at the end. Uruguay was unlucky not to get a pen in the dying moments of Ghana game..

And you're right, we had our lucky moments, but so have other teams as well.
 
That's all true but it's football for you and it works both ways. Deflections, missed chances, missed pens.
Japan's pens werent that bad, on the opposite as someone pointed here, its just Livaković read them.
Japan for instance didnt have so many chances as portrayed, one would think they missed a ton. And in any case just after our goal Modrić had a great shot saved by Gonda. That goes in game over imo.
Lukaku sure missed glorious chances but on the other hand Curtois saved about 2 or 3 of our good shots way before that.

Argentina was lucky Australia missed a golden chance right at the end. Uruguay was unlucky not to get a pen in the dying moments of Ghana game..

And you're right, we had our lucky moments, but so have other teams as well.

Australia's chance wasn't luck, it was a very good goalkeeping action.
On the other hand, they got a totally lucky deflected goal to make it 2-1
 
As a french fan, if we manage to beat Morocco, I'd rather face Argentine but I think Croatia will win, well maybe not "win" but they'll go through. Croatia's midfield is much better than Argentine's, I dont think Argentine have the personnel and creativity to break the Croatian block.
 
Australia's chance wasn't luck, it was a very good goalkeeping action.
On the other hand, they got a totally lucky deflected goal to make it 2-1
Which makes my point. :)
Didnt Australia have one other big chance when Lisandro blocked the shot, Australia player was one on one?
 
You really think we're passing it around to pass time? True, we now have more accent to defensive tasks and while it wasnt as justifiable maybe vs Japan it sure was against Brazil. Its just Brazil defended good too and while we tried we couldnt make a real danger and anything other than halfchances till 117th minute, all the worse is our attack is blunt.
Nor do I think Japan was a better team but thats not important.

Stuff about luck is funny. Was Morroco lucky Bruno hit the post right after their goal or that Spain was crap in their penalties, was France lucky Kane missed his penalty, was Japan lucky we didnt score a 2nd right after Perišić scored so they endured till the penalties or that Germany missed all those chances before they scored their 2 goals?

Mentioning we're only lucky is too simplistic way of looking at things. Part about luck is not aiming at you but in general.
It’s not luck because they have the best in the business at keeping the ball.
 
I'm just hoping the ref doesn't ruin the Croatia game with another dubious penalty for Argentina, Croatians must be wary of any soft offences.
 
Such a clear pk!

I'm sick of these oafish defenders kicking, barging into, grabbing, holding attackers in the area and then crying 'soffffft penalty!' It's a simple game...stop freaking fouling in the box!

You know how hard it is to control the ball, beat a man or two trying to kick it and block it and find a corner so the GK doesn't get it? These caveman defenders could never do it.

Then we complain about bunker ball and bore draws while giving these clumsy thugs who can scarcely manipulate a ball all kinds of sympathy.
 
Yeah, as I said the luck part was in general. :)

Dont mind me guys, I'm shitting bricks right now.


I'm fecking nervous aswell

But I also feel like this guy


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Yeah, we were lucky with that. Lucky to have LISANDRO MARTINEZ defending. He won't be starting today, that's my biggest fear.
And Australia got very lucky when Lautaro missed like 3 sitters. Anyways, im also hoping Martinez would start today. Romero is simply not on that level.
And hopefully Di Maria can play as well. They need all the creativity they can get.