World Cup 2018 - Rossiya

[Lord Rother]

One thing though - I find it really distasteful showing crying children in the crowd after the last goal went in.

Always the best bit for me.

Especially when it’s adults crying. And when they are in kit and wearing facepaint.

And / or when they are South American.

Or Scottish. (Mind you.... etc. etc.)

[Geezee]

As for Argentina you can have all the Messis and Agüeros and Higuains and Dybalas in the world but no defenders or midfielders and you’re going to get pumped.

Yes, although your big players also need to show up. Did Messi have one successful pass in the game? He was dreadful. As was Aguera, and Dybala and Higain were substitutes who had zero impact when they came on. One thing that's fairly noticeable is how introverted and depressed Messi looks when things are going bad for him - with someone like Ronaldo, if he's having a bad game he'll be having an absolute fit and try to fight his way back into the game.

[Goat Boy]

One thing though - I find it really distasteful showing crying children in the crowd after the last goal went in.

Always the best bit for me.

Especially when it’s adults crying. And when they are in kit and wearing facepaint.

And / or when they are South American.

Or Scottish. (Mind you.... etc. etc.)

Oi!

I don't find it distasteful. They're just kids and will forget most of the trauma anyway. Christ, think of the adults who can remember Iran 78 or Iceland 16!

[Goat Boy]

As for Argentina you can have all the Messis and Agüeros and Higuains and Dybalas in the world but no defenders or midfielders and you’re going to get pumped.

Yes, although your big players also need to show up. Did Messi have one successful pass in the game? He was dreadful. As was Aguera, and Dybala and Higain were substitutes who had zero impact when they came on. One thing that's fairly noticeable is how introverted and depressed Messi looks when things are going bad for him - with someone like Ronaldo, if he's having a bad game he'll be having an absolute fit and try to fight his way back into the game.

I don't think he was dreadful at all but he had hardly any of the ball so what can he do? He had the lowest or 2nd lowest number of touches along with Aguero in the first half of any Argentinian player. And in the 2nd half Argentina were even worse. A total shambles.

I think Messi knew this was going nowhere and he did look down but then what do you expect? This is probably his last world cup and his team were playing like Scotland. Poor cunt.

[Diamond Dog]

Modric produced the performance of the tournament so far for me. Outstanding and a timely reminder of his humble genius.

That midfield fulcrum of him and Rakitić is the best in the tourmanent. They work brilliantly together.

I don't know about everyone else but that first goal, after the Caballero meltdown, was absolutely fucking beautiful - 99% of people would have taken a touch and done something sensible, but there was something ominously emphatic about the way Rebic just decided "You're having that back, with interest, you wanker" before slamming that beautiful volley right back past him, to take the lead. From that point on, Argentina were toast. An absolutely stunning goal.

[Goat Boy]

Yeah, I was saying that to somebody at work this morning. Normally you'd expect a couple of touches but, nope, he just fucking hit it. Like one of those returns in tennis when the cunt's done a dodgy serve and somebody just blasts a forehand that makes 'em look like a total prick.

Fantastic. I think they are a couple of players short of being a very good team and that defense gives me concern but they are hardly alone in that. And let's face it, nobody really likes Argentina do they? One of the funniest things last night was watching their manager stew on the sidelines.

[KeithPratt]

He's Chilean - that's the equivalent of a Scot managing England

Croatia will meet Spain if both teams proceed from the top of their groups. That could be a corner.

[Goat Boy]

Nah, he's Argentinian.

His eyes were getting bulgier as the match went on.

[KeithPratt]

Anyone else think Russia are on something? 3 of the top 5 players in terms of distance covered are Russian. FIFA will do nothing of course...

[Diamond Dog]

I think they (Croatia) are a very very good side. They don't appear to have any real weaknesses, they are clearly playing for eachother and they look balanced and happy.
They will be a team everyone wants to avoid, I think.

[Goat Boy]

Anyone else think Russia are on something? 3 of the top 5 players in terms of distance covered are Russian. FIFA will do nothing of course...

We'll probably find out about in 20 years time. Let's face it, none of us would be shocked.

[KeithPratt]

I can guarantee that they will outplay Spain/Portugal and lose on penalties. It's one of those WC heartbreak stories in the making.

They may have peaked too early.

And of course if Nigeria beat Iceland and Argentina beat them in turn, they will still be in the tournament. I agree that Argentina look callow, but it only takes one win in these competitions to turn things around sometimes.

[Darkness_Fish]

Anyone else think Russia are on something? 3 of the top 5 players in terms of distance covered are Russian. FIFA will do nothing of course...

We'll probably find out about in 20 years time. Let's face it, none of us would be shocked.

Makes me wonder what the Argentinians and French are on. Are Russia dropping ketamine into their water supply?

[never/ever]

Jesus! Are you lot so keen to get Jimbo involved here too?

[Goat Boy]

Well it is a possibility and it wouldn't be the first time either. Look at the miracle of Bern

[Geezee]

Anyone else think Russia are on something? 3 of the top 5 players in terms of distance covered are Russian. FIFA will do nothing of course...

why wouldn't they?

[Rayge]

Because of my distaste for Sky and indeed for tiki-tacky or whatever it's called, I've probably only seen Messi play a dozen times over the last decade or so, mostly for the national side, and while I wouldn't dream of arguing with all those who've seen a lot more, the fact remains that I've never seen him play particularly well, let alone at pantheon level, and, with my predilection for magical thinking, I'm wondering whether I'm jinxing him. Whatever, I'll definitely be watching the last match, and hoping that Nigeria get a result.

And that the Ticos give The Neymar Show a bloody nose.

[Darkness_Fish]

Jesus! Are you lot so keen to get Jimbo involved here too?

And here comes Putin-bot-3000...

[Goat Boy]

Because of my distaste for Sky and indeed for tiki-tacky or whatever it's called, I've probably only seen Messi play a dozen times over the last decade or so, mostly for the national side, and while I wouldn't dream of arguing with all those who've seen a lot more, the fact remains that I've never seen him play particularly well, let alone at pantheon level, and, with my predilection for magical thinking, I'm wondering whether I'm jinxing him. Whatever, I'll definitely be watching the last match, and hoping that Nigeria get a result.

*general comment* He dragged the last team to the final and was player of the tournament. It was still lacking the magic of Maradona in 86 but it should have put some of the criticism to bed regarding Messi and the national team. *general comment*

The world cup isn't the barometer of greatness it once was and I think most people accept that these days but he has had plenty moments of brilliance for the national side even if he hasn't dominated a world cup like Maradona did but then who has? It's unfair to judge him by that but that's what people do of course.

This particular Argentinian team is the worst I can remember. In the first game they were not tactically set up to go through Iceland which left Messi trying to penetrate a packed centre of the pitch with predictably frustrating results. Last night was even worse and he really had little or nothing to work with the whole match.

I'm not a fan of the Argentinian national side but it was sad seeing him last night. If this is the end, and surely it is (he'll be 35 by the time of the next one) then it was not a fitting way for him to (almost) bow out (assuming they go home). He deserves better.

[never/ever]

It's a good assessment, GB. The one thing I am trying to determine in Messi's demeanor was if he was tired or dispirited... there hardly was any vigour in his behavior and he looked genuinely broken after the second goal.