Today should be exciting, let’s just hope the site stays up!
First in the knockout round of 16 at 10, it’s France v Argentina. Should be a good match, and I expect that France will put Argentina out of their misery. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Argentina pulls together and really makes France earn the victory.
Then at 2, Uruguay v Portugal. I expect that Portugal will push through, but I’m not ready to discount Uruguay. They won all three of their matches and have some energy. Will it be enough? We shall see!!
Steeplejack (phone)
I haven’t found myself rooting for a particular team yet. Just enjoying the matches. I have a soft spot for underdogs, though. Japan?
ThresherK
Woof. Argentina really gives France an opportunity there.
Aaaaand, converted.
eclare
Yay Les Bleus!
Platonailedit
French score on penalty. Stupid move by Rojo.
Tony Jay
@Steeplejack
Well if it’s underdogs you’re looking for… Have you noticed how rubbish England are? We’re terrible, please support us!
Oooh, penalty. 1-0 France. What a run by Mmmm-Bop to draw the foul.
Platonailedit
French are good on breaks. Very good pace.
Ken
Indeed, it begins.
But is this the beginning of the end, the end of the beginning, or somewhere near the middle of the early part of the ending?
Jeffro
Argentina’s defense needs some work…I mean, pulling attackers to the ground every time just seems kinda lame.
Platonailedit
And Di Maria levels with a stunner from outside the box.
Tony Jay
What’s Spanish for “Boof! Eat my goal!” ?
Platonailedit
Mascherano is most likely to be ejected if he keeps on like this.
Platonailedit
Desktop site is fubar in Windows 10 Firefox. Let’s see if mobile site works.
otmar
@Ken: the correct video is this https://youtu.be/QYSYAHDKtvM
BruceFromOhio
Too early yet, but I’ll be out and about when it happens so ¡Viva Portugal!
WaterGirl
Speaking of Argentina, Valdivia, you are missed!
BruceFromOhio
@Platonailedit: Desktop Win 10 Chrome is behaving. Maybe clear cache?
Though I do note that it’s waiting for i.ssix.io…
Platonailedit
Argentines score immediately after break. Blues for les blues?
Tony Jay
By the Hammer of Thor! I was a couple of minutes late getting back in from the garden and Argentina are 2-1 up?
France should have enough goals in them to pull this back, but it’s a game now.
Tony Jay
Goal! What a shot from Pavard! 2-2.
Platonailedit
And French level on the break. Great goal. 2-2.
JCJ
Holy cow! That was a heck of an equalizer
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: She is rooting for France in this match
Platonailedit
French score again. Goals galore.
Tony Jay
Before that went in I was about to say that Argentina were really lucky that, a) Griezmann couldn’t get his foot around that loose ball enough to pop it into the net, and b) No one noticed Fazio’s tug on Griezmann’s shirt to stop him getting to the ball in time. CAR should have flagged that up for the referee to check again.
And it’s Mmmmm-Bop for France 3-2. Keeper should have dealt with that.
Tony Jay
Here’s Aguero. Why he wasn’t on the pitch from the start I don’t know.
4-2! Mmmmm-Bop indeed.
JCJ
And France again. That was well done.
Platonailedit
Fourth for French. Argentina are out. Great play by the French.
eclare
Wow…Mmmm-Bop has arrived
Amir Khalid
Frogs 4-2 Argies. Seems to me this eighth-final is now decided.
Tony Jay
France are purring like a fine racing car now, ripping Argentina open whenever they break. Unless you know who does something spectacular soon it’s the end of the nicest looking strip in World Football.
Platonailedit
Where the hell is Messi?
Amir Khalid
The BBC liveblog notes:
That’s distinguished company for young Kylian to be in.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: That’s fine, I just appreciate the fact that this gives me an opportunity to think of her. Please give her my best and tell her she is missed!
Amir Khalid
Nabil Fekir’s come on for Antoine Griezmann. I hope Fekir’s club transfer issue is resolved this summer so he can come to Liverpool.
HumboldtBlue
France are talented enough to win it all.
Tony Jay
@Platonailedit:
I think he’s tried to get the back into the game but the quality of support simply isn’t there and France have been defensively solid as a rock for most of the game.
Aguero!!!! Too late though… Isn’t it?
Platonailedit
And Aguero scored. He should have been playing from the start. Their coach a mean fuckwad.
eclare
@Tony Jay: It was too late…
Amir Khalid
An equaliser would mean another 30 minutes, and then, if the score is still level, penalties.
ETA: France stay ahead. Argentina outclassed and out.
HumboldtBlue
@Amir Khalid:
Platonailedit
Great match. Tough luck for Argentines. And Messi cannot match Maradona.
eclare
@Platonailedit: What is the story behind that?
Tony Jay
No, they can’t.
Great game, though. France looking damned strong and fast.
Omnes Omnibus
@Platonailedit: Then again Messi never scored a goal with his hand in the World Cup.
Platonailedit
@eclare:
Apparently Aguero criticised the coach and the fucker took it out on him. I mean he does not have that much talent in the team to spare to salve his stuoid ego.
eclare
@Platonailedit: Thanks! Yeah, stupid fucker
smintheus
France is impressive, but inconsistent. They took their foot off the accelerator after their first goal. They started playing a cute game in the attacking half, looking for ever more clever plays rather than making the most of their opportunities, and they paid for it. In fact they looked stunned after Argentina climbed back in the game, until Pavard’s goal turned them back around. Then again after their 4th goal they stopped pushing and began again with the sloppy play. A better team than Argentina could have made France pay more for its lack of consistency.
Platonailedit
@smintheus: The last two Argentine goals caught the French asleep, but Di Maria’s was a golden one that could not be stopped. In the end, it’s the kid who won this for the French.
smintheus
@Platonailedit: Just before Di Maria scored, I was saying to my wife “This is looking dangerous”. He was totally unmarked in a dangerous place; so that goal also could have been stopped with competent defending.
Platonailedit
Eight shots on target, seven scored. The only miss was Messi’s. Not his day. Or even his WC year.
With no other Maradona or Messi in sight, this might be their last WC?
Platonailedit
@smintheus: It’s always difficult to defend well taken shots from outside the box.
Platonailedit
I am betting on Uruguay for the next game, Ronaldo or not.
SRW1
Headline on the web page of Süddeutsche Zeitung:
Liberté, Egalité, Mbappé
RaflW
let’s just hope the site stays up!
Kinda Borked for me. Three comments eaten so far if I try to post as Raoul.
It also looked as if I could edit comment 53 before I posted comment 54.
Calouste
@Platonailedit: The World Cup expands to 48 teams in 2026, with 6-7 teams out of 10 from South America qualifying. Argentina would have to work to not qualify over Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia.
eclare
@SRW1: That is great!
JR
That Pavard goal, I mean
Ohio Mom
This is the old Balloon Juice, a long sports thread I have no interest in.
Makes me happy to see a moment of normalcy!
SRW1
C – A – V – A – N – I !
eclare
Anyone still around?
Tony Jay
That was a lovely goal. We’ve been spoilt today.
And damn it Suarez. One of the best attacking talents in the world, utterly committed for 90+ minutes of every game, loved him at Liverpool despite the recreational cannibalism, but you sure do five and simulate fake injuries a lot. VAR is not your friend, Luis. Referees notice and are going to make an example out of – someone – during this tournament.
SRW1
@eclare:
Ronaldo seems to no longer draw the masses.
otmar
Beautiful goal. That was one of the longest double passes in this tournament.
eclare
And the brick wall held
Tony Jay
Despite the grandiose staging of every event, Ronaldo’s success rate with free kicks is hypershit.
Tony Jay
Uruguay are definitely on top here. Solid in defence and playing some very attractive combinations when they surge forward. Portugal are going to have their work cut out finding a way through.
eclare
What the hell?
john b.
can’t bring myself to watch a tournament taking place in Russia, airing on Fox
eclare
@john b.: Russia plays tomorrow, you can cheer for a blowout
burnspbesq
@Calouste:
Venezuela have a solid group of kids coming up. They made the final of the last U-20 WC, losing to an England side that featured five Everton players that Koeman and Allardyce stupidly refused to play last season (don’t get me started).
Tony Jay
More of the same this half. If Portugal don’t try something else they’re relying on Uruguay making a mistake. Yeah, good luck with that.
Steve in the ATL
@john b.: same here!
Tony Jay
@eclare:
Russia v Spain. I’m assuming there’ll be a totally coincidental bomb-threat phoned through to the Spanish hotel around 2 or 3 in the morning, and a one-off New Orleans style Jazz Parade starting at 5.30am that the authorities just forgot to mention, but it won’t matter. Spain will carve them up muy bien.
SRW1
C – A – V – A – N – I !
Uuups, I repeated myself.
Tony Jay
Pepe? Who let’s Pepe scored with a header? 1-1
Cavani! Beautiful finish. 2-1
Fuck Russia, but this has been a cracking World Cup so far and it’s getting better as the games become more important.
Amir Khalid
Portugal equalise early in the second half, then Uruguay retake the lead with a stunner by Cavani.
eclare
@Tony Jay: Agree, John Oliver talked about traveling to Russia, and about how the hotel staff deliberately fucked with him to scare him as he tried to sleep. But yeah, Spain should have no problem.
Amir Khalid
And two-goal hero Cavani is off injured.
Tony Jay
@eclare:
There was a travel documentary a few months ago, Russia with Simon Reeve and it was the same pattern. Gorgeous country, wonderful people, police-state bully-boy bullshit from coast to coast. This World Cup has been such a success because Putin has sent out the word for the thugs stay away while the cameras are rolling and Russia are doing well. After they go out… Who knows?
raven
@Amir Khalid: If it holds is this a huge upset?
SRW1
And Ronaldo The Incomplete and Messi The Incomplete leave the World Cup stage on the same day.
Ronaldo has done diddly-squat all game. Except – if my lip reading is correct – telling the ref ‘Fuck you’.
Amir Khalid
Uruguay go on to the quarterfinal.
Tony Jay
Portugal out. Uruguay look solid and dangerous on the break. They’ll certainly give France a test next weekend.
eclare
Let’s go Les Bleus next Friday! Should be a great game.
SRW1
@raven:
Nah, Portugal is European Champion but that came about only slightly less surprising than Greece becoming European Champion in 2004.
raven
@SRW1: Thx
raven
That was fun!
Amir Khalid
@raven:
Not really. Portugal have a more famous captain and a better FIFA global ranking, but no one could say Uruguay are out of their league against them.
eclare
@raven: Did you catch the France/Argentina game?
raven
@eclare: Yup, I’m dialed in. My problem is that I DVR games and have to be careful on social media. I was just a few minutes back on the last game but the final was announced here before I saw it.
BruceFromOhio
Oh Portugal. Uruguay just ran you over.
Uruguay v France should be interesting.
BruceFromOhio
@Platonailedit: that was a good bet, the last 20 minutes Uruguay just dominated.
A Ghost To Most
Good games today. Mighty sick of all the dives, though. It’s like watching pro wrestling.
suezboo
Alain or someone, please educate me a little. The team I was rooting for, Senegal, has the exact same stats on the Group H table as Japan. How come they didn’t make the next round?
A Ghost To Most
@suezboo: They lost on a tie-breaker based on yellow/red cards, after tying on several others.
Platonailedit
@BruceFromOhio:
Given their clean sheet until this game (it’s been almost a year since they conceded a goal) and Edinson and Suarez combo, it was an easy bet. The first goal under 10 minutes was sublime. Their next one with Les Bleus will be a crackerjack if Cavani, their talisman, is fit by then.
Both desktop and mobile sites went fubar for me during the match.
Sad to see Messi and Ronaldo exit the WC stage forever on the same day though.
Platonailedit
@suezboo: Some stupid ‘fairplay’ shit. Senegal had two more yellow cards than Japan and fifa, true to their infinite stupid wisdom, decided that should be the rule to decide the winner. A coin flip or a draw of lot would have made better decider than some referee’s questionable calls.
suezboo
Got it. Thank you,guys. I don’t say I like it but I comprehend it.