UPDATE: Reviews section refreshed, redesigned, searchable: Go take a look
Nice of leandro trossard to ref the match.
My predictions and betting proved as reliable as ever. Quite happy to lose that bet though.
A pretty impressive performance, that, against a decent side
That was more entertaining than I thought. I guess winning helps.
I was surprised how much time the spent passing the ball backwards with the goalkeeper, though.
There seemed to be reasonably long periods where they were just kicking the ball around the pitch and then sudden intense moments where they were actually trying to score a goal, both sides.
Looks like I might be watching the next game as well.
Given the way England are seeming to enjoy knocking around the bank like that I can see why he left Harry at home.
I wish they'd stop trying to beat the press 6 yards from the goal-line. That is going to go horribly wrong at some point soon. English players aren't exactly known for their perfect first touch passes. And it seems to end with one of them having to hoof it upfield anyway, so why waste time?
That sounds a bit like trying to find something to moan about. Despite growing up in an era where centre backs were rated by how far and high they could launch it, I found myself in the strange position of not shitting myself every time, which is a clear indication that it works.
I wish Pickford wouldn't do that little multiple rolling it back step, get it in front of you where you can react if someone rushes you, but that aside they looked comfortable and created a some decent possession when they beat the press.
Yes, at times they are forced to play long but when they do they will be playing into a far less congested area with far better chance of retaining / regaining possession compared to the old style of waving all 20 outfield players into a 20x20 square. Not picking on Pickford specifically here, but some of the longer balls just were poorly executed, they should still be passes.
Overall a very good performance going forward, both conceded goals were results of errors but were still great goals, we didn't concede anything 'easy' (although I was a bit surprised James didn't get more attention for his attempted block for their second, a very wafty waft of the leg cf. Kane at the end, 4-2 up and still throwing his whole body in front of a shot).
A few defensive frailties to concern but the third quarter was reminiscent of E96 4-1 vs NL, every attack looked deadly and but for the keeper having a period of otherworldliness and a bit of lack of coolness at the vital moment there were 4 or 5 gilt edged chances that maybe just fell to the wrong people.
7.5/10 performance against a side, let's not forget, that while not the side they were 4 years ago, have had major semis and finals recently and a few on the previous page quietly fancied / feared to beat us.
I'm only a big occasion watcher of football these days but I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks knocking the ball around the keeper and the back four I assume to keep possession? has the potential to go a bit wrong?
Playing out from the back is just how football is played now, even down to national league in this country, the days of ‘gerrit forward’ are long gone. Yes occasionally it goes wrong but the stats will show that you’re better off keeping possession like that over Harry Kane trying to win flick ons and the ball coming straight back at you
1st half I was thinking same old England - a bit like watching Sheff U. Piss about with the ball at the back, not incisive with attacks, defensive frailties.
2nd half, was really entertaining. You have to wonder why it takes a half time bollocking to gee up world class multi millionaire players
Was expecting us to lose, so to win and with a decent performance against a tough team is definitely a bonus.
I never planned to watch but curiosity had me clicking onto the match some time before half time. I could see the score was England 1-0 up but all I could see on the pitch was some sort of kick around in the area near the England goal line, all very untidy which had me thinking "this will end in tears"...... and it did. Seconds later Croatia scored and I turned off.
Great game to watch.
I'm Scottish, so naturally dread the prospect of England actually winning the world cup, but that is a seriously stacked squad. Probably only France are similarly equipped - Spain, Germany, Portugal all have elite starting 11s but not quite the squad depth of France and England. Feels like the tournament's getting going now.
I like watching football on RTE, as the pundits are a bit removed from the premiership love-in and less inclined to just sit in the studio praising their mates. They were enjoying the thought of a bit of friction in the England dressing room at half time after the short interview with Tuchel's assistant, but whatever was said in there had the desired effect - [grits teeth] England were superb in the first part of the second half.
I agree with much that has already been said – I was screaming at the telly in the pub toward the end of the first half *GAME MANAGEMENT* – we should have been slowing the game down and keeping possession so we didn't go into the break at 2-2, but we somehow did. Fortunately, we played what was probably the best 45 minutes of football I have seen by an England side since the wins against Netherlands (as mentioned above) and that 5-1 classic against Germany in Munich. There were points in that second half where we looked like we could beat anyone. Let's hope we carry that confidence going forward – there shouldn't be any upsets in the group stage now (although we are England), but the knockout stages need us to keep at that level.
Looks like Ronaldo is now an albatros around Portuagal's neck. Maybe one tournament too far for him & Modric.
At least Modric doesn't have the ego so has to stay on the pitch.
I enjoyed that, and good to see a goal from a Rice corner is not "the death of football™" this week 👍
I'm only a big occasion watcher of football these days but I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks knocking the ball around the keeper and the back four I assume to keep possession? has the potential to go a bit wrong?
oldfart - When it does go wrong, which it does regularly in the EPL, it tends to go spectacularly wrong, resulting in an absolute howler!
It was Pep that really developed this style and you can do it if you're Barca or Citeh, with the best players in the world who can weight inch-perfect passes. When you haven't got that quality of player.... hmmmmmm... yet teams all still try to do it, with predictable results
As someone has already mentioned, it's the main reason Slabhead hasn't gone to the US. A solid, old school defender, but an accident waiting to happen when it comes to playing that kind of style. He's led to plenty of head-in-hands moments watching him try, as you shout JUST HOOF IT, YOU DONKEY! at him
When it does go wrong, which it does regularly in the EPL, it tends to go spectacularly wrong, resulting in an absolute howler!
Or for Robostriker 3000's second goal against Iraq.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/videos/cn8kg1e70e5o
I know little or nothing about football, but apparently I'm watching the game this evening. Can someone give me ten facts or questions or points of interest that I should know about for this game?
You need some phraises.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/uT79sc27l0U
I'm at home in Spain for next few weeks so I'll be in our local pub watching Spain play on Sunday evening - they take football very seriously here. As it happens, I was in South Africa in 2010 when Spain beat Holland in the final.
I guess we'll be watching RSA tonight to see how many more red cards they can get 😉
Good, club-like performance last night against what should be our toughest group opponents, and that opens up the possibility of a bit of player rotation. Without taking anything away from it, we have to remember that they were possibly the most benign conditions we’re likely to play in and a high tempo game won’t be sustainable throughout the tournament. But we do appear to have genuine strength in depth (in the forwards, at least) and starting eleven vs finishing eleven is a bit less of a worry or debate. The fact that the WC schedule effectively demands two games a week might even be a positive given we’re probably the country which most regularly puts its top players through such a schedule.
As a counter point to that schedule - this is the first Wordl Cup where our 2 arguably key players have had a smaller workload as they are playing abroad.
True PJ, and Bellingham’s in-season injury means he should have something extra in the tank.
I am no Joey Barton, but the ITV analysis from Emma Hayes was excruciating. A half-arsed blackboard in a kitchen while the blokes lounge about in comfy chairs? I'm sure her analysis was meaningful but it / she didn't come across well at all.
Here's Reform Nutjob Sarah Pocin MP explaining some of the other advantages of Engerland not being awful
https://twitter.com/SarahForRuncorn/status/2067529948257017856
Go out there and do it for all the beaten wives boys!
Good to see these farcical ‘hydration’ advertising breaks being booed by the whole stadium. Not that FIFA will care, but at least everyone’s making their feelings clear about this nonsense
Ridiculous, it's now 4 quarters. If you can't do without water for 22 minutes you shouldn't be an elite level sports person.
The players didn’t ask for it. They hate it as much as the crowd and everyone watching at home, as it totally stops the flow of the game. It’s unanimously despised by all! Again…. not that FIFA give a flying *#%*!
It’s all about the money and if ruining the way the game has always been played can rinse even more cash in advertising then so be it
Trump and Infantino want firing into the ****ing sun for what they’ve done, between them, to the World Cup
Its an absolute farce!
Give them a break, cricketers can't manage to go 2 hours standing around with their hands in their pockets between lunch and tea without a drinks break. At least it's warm over the pond.
I am no Joey Barton, but the ITV analysis from Emma Hayes was excruciating. A half-arsed blackboard in a kitchen while the blokes lounge about in comfy chairs? I'm sure her analysis was meaningful but it / she didn't come across well at all.
It was massively naff to do it in a set like that. A shame as she knows more about football than all the blokes combined. Did nobody any favours.
If you can't do without water for 22 minutes
They can - they just can't do 45. And three 30 minute periods would be even weirder 😉
Picked up elsewhere but bears repeating:
FIFA have confirmed that hydration breaks will continue for all games so that all teams are treated equally.
Elsewhere, while teams after games go straight into cool downs and recovery, staying close to grounds to minimise time spent tucked into coach or aeroplane seats, Iran are being shuffled away as soon as possible and being forced to fly back to Mexico.
I assume FIFA will also be all over this in the name of fairness.
I assume FIFA will also be all over this in the name of fairness.
Only if it can be monetarised.
Following this world cup I wish UEFA makes moves to disenfranchise FIFA.
Meanwhile, I will be wearing my favourite cork hat tonight whilst trying to drink a can of Festers.
TBF before hydration breaks it wasn't unusual to see the goalie or someone drop to the ground needing treatment, which then meant all the players got a drink and a chat from the manager before the goalie miraculously recovered and was able to play on. So that was effectively a team time out and the rules were changed to eliminate it, but it's not so different to the hydration break (except of course it was harder to schedule ads for showing during the goalie break)
TBF before hydration breaks it wasn't unusual to see the goalie or someone drop to the ground needing treatment, which then meant all the players got a drink and a chat from the manager
Certainly in the World Cup, and I *think* likely to be retained after in domestic leagues, if a keeper is 'injured' the players have to go the the middle of the pitch to prevent that. An alternative option is that a nominated player has to leave the field for the minute that would normally be served. It's harsh if the injury is genuine (and is not applied if the cause of the injury is a card offence) but seems to have worked so far, I don’t recall a keeper fake yet.
I also like the substitute protocol- the leaving player has 10s to get off (some leniency applied) otherwise play restarts and the oncoming player has to wait a minute and THEN the next break in play before coming on. Again, not seen it happen because surprise surprise, seems like 10s is plenty!
This is tough. Feels as though Morocco have 2 extra players. We need to settle the nerves and looked better in the last 5 mins. Gannon Doak on at some point could push them a bit
Painful. Thats the trouble with qualifying, now you pictish savages know how it feels to be an England supporter. We'd be better just drubbing San Marino a couple of times a year and leaving the rest of the world to it.
Morocco just appear a little more athletic and crafty.
Can anyone shed any light on the lack of love for Hakimi?
I can't stand him either, but that's because of AFCON. I'm here for it, and i think it's affected his game, but what gives?
He's facing a rape trial in France.
Righto.
Wrong 'un.
Dirty barsteward both on and off the field then. Allegedly on the latter one should add.
I thought Scotland held their own - lacked anything serious in front of goal, but anyone who watched the AFCON, or the last World Cup to a degree, will see this as a victory of sorts. Morocco are a serious challenge.
Funny to hear Steve Clarke clearly yelling 'Hold the middle', which they pretty much did, but it's one of those things isn't it, you can lose it from the 'middle', but you can't win it there.
Reckon you've got a decent chance of getting something from Brazil if you play like you did in the second half of this one in the first half of that. Substitutes will be more important in that game, nobody can go full gas for 90 minutes in that environment for all the hydration breaks in the World.
Reckon you've got a decent chance of getting something from Brazil if ...
My confidence in this assessment is waning...
Just watched Ecuador v Curacao - such an entertaining game!
