2018 World Cup Semi Finals
Following up on World Cup 2018 Group Stage, Gameday 3 , Round of 16 and Great 8 (Quarterfinals)...
After going 12 of 16 or 75% in Group play; and 5 of 8 or 63% in the Round of 16, [Russia's gift penalty kick win knocked us off our 75% mark]....
In the quarter finals, we would have been 75% had we not elected to put the whammy on old yellow stains [by taking them to beat a clearly superior Belgian side].
We gladly "take one for the team" in going 2 of 4 in the quarters for 50%. And now our predictions for the semis, winners in bold. In parenthesis suspended players.
Although yellow card counts are reset with the semis, any straight red or a pair of yellows in the semifinal, will see a player banned from the final, pay attention...
Initial impressions: England have beaten one of the two toughest qualifying schedule teams (Sweden). After two consecutive 120+ penalty kick matches vs weaker sides (Denmark, Russia) Croatia could be spent?
Both sides should be more offensively minded than their previous opponents were. This should open things up a bit, especially for Croatia. However, on a stretched field, we like the Three Lions chances vs a potentially winded Kockasti side. TBD.
Coming from the same UEFA qualifying group as Sweden, France is the other toughest scheduled qualifier. Despite beating down a severely overrated Brazilian side, in qualification and this tournament, Belgium have played a far weaker schedule (vs England, both sides rested their starters) than France.
We expect a somewhat open field affair with some goal scoring. Pavard and Mbappe should excel in this match, that slight difference in mid field and the back line, tilts us towards Les Bleus. TBD.
1C France
vs
1G Belgium (DB Meunier)
---------------------------------------
1D Croatia
vs
2G England
As for the final, more to come, stay tuned, no flippin.
Les Bleus could be dangerous.... Indeed they can be on both sides of the ball, up 1-0, only to fall behind 2-1, then throttling Argentina for three straight goals 4-2. Having conceded three goals in their 4-3 victory, one wonders about the French back line??Asked and answered in the form of a clinical performance resulting in France 2 - Uruguay 0. A more active and aggressive Belgian side await Les Bleus in the semis.
What could Brazil do against a tired [Belgium]? Certainly not wriggle around the ground acting like little girls pretending to have been kicked in the shins? Hopefully the Red Devils can put these clowns dressed in canary yellow out of our misery? Somehow we feel that honor will fall to the French foreign legion in the semis...Not so fast Joe, as the Red Devils jumped out early 2-0, while the back line held on to win 2-1. Thus, the last Conmebol "acting" squad, aka old yellow stains rolling around on the ground, was mercifully sent packing. A superior [to Brazil] French side awaits to test the Belgian backside and resolve in the semis.
The host [Russia] did so [rather than play to win] blatantly and was rewarded with a gift goal by FIFA to even the score (1-1). This set up the lottery known as penalty kicks, so that Big Red had a 50-50 chance of advancing (4-3) against a far superior Spanish side. Hopefully Croatia can put Mother Russia out of our collective misery?Indeed, this is the only way host Russia had any chance of advancing vs Spain, but vs Croatia, Big Red came to play, but alas they ran into the wall called Subasich.
Despite winning 1-1 (3-2), as their goal keeper Subasich outdueled son of Peter with 3 stops, the lackluster showing on both sides of the ball, with 9 fresh starters who rested in the last group match, was anything but impressive.Another unimpressive Croatian win 2-2 on penalty kicks (4-3). Even though Croatia intended to win in 90' they became the 1st team to win back to back via lottery since 1990 Argentina (whose only intent was to get to penalties). Some stiffer competition than Denmark or Russia awaits the Croat's in the semi's.
Winning 4-3 in the shoot out put some old shoot out ghosts to bed, and also earned the Three Lions a date with the most defensive side in this cup.... In qualifying Sweden had seven clean sheets.... Shhh, Switzerland is now the 10th victim to be smothered by the Blue Swede clean sheet. England next? TBD.The Three Lions fitted Blue Swede with a clean sheet 2-0, and the more offensive minded Kockasti await in the semi's.
After going 12 of 16 or 75% in Group play; and 5 of 8 or 63% in the Round of 16, [Russia's gift penalty kick win knocked us off our 75% mark]....
In the quarter finals, we would have been 75% had we not elected to put the whammy on old yellow stains [by taking them to beat a clearly superior Belgian side].
We gladly "take one for the team" in going 2 of 4 in the quarters for 50%. And now our predictions for the semis, winners in bold. In parenthesis suspended players.
Although yellow card counts are reset with the semis, any straight red or a pair of yellows in the semifinal, will see a player banned from the final, pay attention...
Initial impressions: England have beaten one of the two toughest qualifying schedule teams (Sweden). After two consecutive 120+ penalty kick matches vs weaker sides (Denmark, Russia) Croatia could be spent?
Both sides should be more offensively minded than their previous opponents were. This should open things up a bit, especially for Croatia. However, on a stretched field, we like the Three Lions chances vs a potentially winded Kockasti side. TBD.
Coming from the same UEFA qualifying group as Sweden, France is the other toughest scheduled qualifier. Despite beating down a severely overrated Brazilian side, in qualification and this tournament, Belgium have played a far weaker schedule (vs England, both sides rested their starters) than France.
We expect a somewhat open field affair with some goal scoring. Pavard and Mbappe should excel in this match, that slight difference in mid field and the back line, tilts us towards Les Bleus. TBD.
1C France
vs
1G Belgium (DB Meunier)
---------------------------------------
1D Croatia
vs
2G England
As for the final, more to come, stay tuned, no flippin.
Comments