Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Sometimes the world just tells you your cat is here.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

American history and black history cannot be separated.

Dear elected officials: Trump is temporary, dishonor is forever.

It’s pointless to bring up problems that can only be solved with a time machine.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

“Facilitate” is an active verb, not a weasel word.

That’s my take and I am available for criticism at this time.

The revolution will be supervised.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Innocent people do not delay justice.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

They fucked up the fucking up of the fuckup!

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let me file that under fuck it.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

It is not hopeless, and we are not helpless.

Disappointing to see gov. newsom with his finger to the wind.

You are here: Home / Sports / World Cup / World Cup: Quarterfinals

World Cup: Quarterfinals

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We’re finally here! After a disastrous (for my preferred teams!) Tuesday, we’re now onto the meat of the Cup.

Today at 10, Uruguay v France.  Normally I’m all over Les Bleus, but today I’m rooting for tiny Uruguay. Unfortunately, I’ll be in the car during most the match, so I will be listening-only.

 

Today at 2, Brazil v Belgium. I’m somewhat ambivalent on this match, but I guess I’m leaning towards Belgium. Given history, Brazil will pull through, but Belgium has impressed this Cup.

 

Enjoy the matches, everybody!

 

Oh – a side-note: I re-enabled the CloudFlare CDN for the site just now. This should make the site speedier. There may be growing pains; if you cannot access the site for a moment or two, that’s to be expected, but should it not resolve itself, please pop me an email.

Reader Interactions

141Comments

  2. 2.

    burnspbesq

    With Cavani out, Lecter has to step up, or it could be a long day fora Uruguay. There is only one Godin, but they could use two or three more.

    France, two-nil.

  3. 3.

    mali muso

    Definitely rooting for France. With all of the African teams out, they are the team with the most players of African origin. :) Besides, I detest Uruguay with the force of a burning sun. Suarez has been the instrument of snatching victory from several of my fav teams in the past. Allez les Blues!

  4. 4.

    burnspbesq

    The one place Uruguay has a decided advantage is in goal. Muslera is solid.
    Lloris is a disaster waiting to happen.

    ALLONS ENFANTS DE LA PA-TREEEEEEEE-A!

  5. 5.

    Onkel Fritze

    Pretty sure France is gonna win the first one. Really looking forward to the second game, this could be one for the ages. Rooting for Belgium.

  7. 7.

    SRW1

    Today is Europe vs South America, tomorrow Europe vs Europe. I see one South American team in the semifinals and it’s the one with the super tumbler.

  8. 8.

    Amir Khalid

    I’ve been a bit antsy these past few days with the break between the last-16 matches and the quarterfinals. Uruguay vs France and Brazil vs Belgium tonight, Russia vs Croatia and England vs Sweden tomorrow. Knockout stages are inherently unpredictable; I support no particular team, and fancy no team’s chances. I just want to see some memorable football.

  9. 9.

    Tony Jay

    France have slowly and steadily improved their cohesion and attacking performance as the tournament has gone on, and in the last game gave a masterclass in lightning fast counter-attacking. With Mmmm-Bop, Griezmann and Giroud they have enough goal-scoring clout to batter anyone. However in Uruguay you have a team that – plays – like a team. Everyone gives 100%, they all know their roles, they defend like wolverines and up front, though missing Grima Wormtongue, they do have one of the best natural strikers and Eaters of Men in the modern game.

    It’s almost going to be classic Attack vs Defence, which surprisingly makes for a great game. You know what, I think Uruguay might just pull this off. A single goal victory or on penalties.

  10. 10.

    SFAW

    Russia beats Croatia, then smashes England after some of the English players drink FSB-supplied “energy drink.”

    Russia beats France in the Final after Mbappe mysteriously collapses (no, I don’t mean emulates Wayne Rooney) and another French player is red-carded after a high-low by Russian defenders which resulted in the Frenchman’s broken neck. The French goalie gets red-carded for making a save not unlike Gordon Banks stopping Pele.

    You heard it here first.

    ETA: The Rooney comment was just because I had been hearing (just before the last Copa) what a stud he was, then he did approximately zero. I really have no idea how good he was/is

  14. 14.

    Bostonian

    I think Uruguay is looking pretty good here. France is a little late to the game.

  19. 19.

    Tony Jay

    @SFAW:

    On his day and when fit Rooney was one of the most complete attackers in the game; strong, fast, lovely touch, great vision. It just happened that he was never fit for big tournaments, but was picked anyway because no English manager had the balls to tell the FA or the Media that the Potato Faced Grannyshagger with all the advertising contracts and the Manchester United shirt wasn’t going with the team.

  22. 22.

    Platonailedit

    Great save from the french goalie. And Godin fucks up an easy rebound. France 1-0 at HT.

  23. 23.

    SFAW

    @Tony Jay:
    Thanks very much for the explo. I didn’t really doubt my (English) friend re: Rooney’s prowess, and I know how disappointed he was after the last Cup, but it’s good to read your assessment..

  24. 24.

    Cheryl from Maryland

    Rooting for the Waffles in the 2nd game (a nickname some guy in a bar gave them in 2014 when the Red Devils defeated the US).

  25. 25.

    Tony Jay

    @SFAW:

    You’re welcome. And now he’s off to play out his remaining years in the Land of the Free for DC United, who I hear are so bad even an aging Rooney will be a boost. Mature hookers of Washington beware, Shrek is coming and he knows what he likes. 8-)

    Good game this. Now Uruguay have to change up their tactics and try to pry an equaliser out of the slightly suspect French defence. If he’s even 70% fit I wouldn’t be surprised to see Cavani come on at some point.

  27. 27.

    Onkel Fritze

    @Tony Jay: ‘Grannyshagger’ and ‘mature hookers’ – seems I have to read up on the man’s extracurricular activites. Sounds – uhh – interesting.

  28. 28.

    Captain C

    @SFAW: Followed by Russia going 0-0-10 with a -42 goal differential in the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, including an 0-6 loss to San Marino at home, despite San Marino getting 2 red cards for telekinetic fouls and the rest of the team having mysterious food poisoning.

  33. 33.

    Bostonian

    Every time I say something France scores. I should stop. I blame the Sazerac my wife mixed me at 10.

  38. 38.

    Onkel Fritze

    @burnspbesq:

    “The one place Uruguay has a decided advantage is in goal. Muslera is solid.”

    That’s what I used to think, too.

  39. 39.

    Tony Jay

    @Onkel Fritze:

    The boy develops an early ‘relationship’ with a sex-worker old enough to be his mother’s much older sister and he’s never allowed to live it down. 8-)

  40. 40.

    Platonailedit

    Uruguay goalie is their weak link today. That goal should have been stopped. And it was Griezmann who scored must be an eternal sore point for them.

  44. 44.

    Leeds man

    @burnspbesq: It wasn’t bend. The ball had no spin, so it was moving around like a bastard (like a knuckleball in baseball, I believe). I hit a couple like that in my playing days (by accident; I wasn’t good enough to mean it), and the unpredictable movement of the ball is a thing to behold from either end (shooter or goalie). Not so obvious from an angle.

  47. 47.

    Amir Khalid

    Underwhelming as a contest. In the end there was no more fight left in Uruguay.

  48. 48.

    Bostonian

    At least it didn’t go to penalties or involve an hour of tiki-taki in midfield

  49. 49.

    Tony Jay

    Relatively easy for France. Cavani was missed, and once that first goal went in Uruguay were always going to be stretched against French counter-attacking. That said, it took a woeful goalkeeping error to send France clear. If that hadn’t happened, 1-0 going into the last 5 mins… could have been a different story.

    Belgium v Brazil to come. Rubs hands.

  51. 51.

    Onkel Fritze

    I’m off to watch the second game in a bar. Don’t write anything stupid while I’m gone!

  52. 52.

    Platonailedit

    Come on Brazil. Without at least one south american team, this is more of european cup than a world cup.

  57. 57.

    Platonailedit

    Serena:A lot of top players have lost, technically I am not one, though I have the wins of one.

    Lol. Nice ding at ‘authorities’.

  58. 58.

    HumboldtBlue

    Saw the first half and you could also see Uruguay deflate a little when they gave up the opener. For them, the best path to a win was to score first and then bunker down with two of the best center backs in the world.

    Nope, the fighting cocks got to them first.

    And I didn’t watch much Ligue 1 this year, Kylian Mbappe’s pace and power really jump off the screen.

  59. 59.

    Leeds man

    Poor Uruguayan goalie’s being blamed for what was essentially an unstoppable shot. No human being can respond to a hard enough, almost spinless shot. From 30 yards, a 60 mph shot takes 1 second to reach goal. With a response time of 0.2 seconds, he would have to judge, within a few inches, where the ball will end up, when it is till 6 yards out. A spinless shot can easily drift inches in the last 6 yards, making it look like the goalie “misjudged” the shot, when in reality there was no way to judge the random sideways/up/down motion.

  60. 60.

    MCA1

    @Leeds man: Don’t overstate the case. It was nothing close to “unstoppable.” The keeper actually got two hands to the ball. I’ll take the word of former mediocre to decent professional keeper Tony Meola, who was calling the game on U.S. television, noting the movement from the knuckling and the late swerve but concluding that’s one you’ve gotta save on a stage like this.

  61. 61.

    Leeds man

    @MCA1: “that’s one you’ve gotta save on a stage like this”

    That’s just jock-talk mumbo jumbo, like “ya gotta give 110%”, or “ya gotta want it more than the other guy”. As though “a stage like this” makes the impossible somehow possible. Nonsense. What would have been instructive is Meola telling us how he (or a better goalie) would have stopped it.

  62. 62.

    Leeds man

    @MCA1: “The keeper actually got two hands to the ball”

    Right, and that was probably the best he could do. A couple of inches higher, and the ball stays out. Pure guesswork, and on a luckier day, it would have stayed out. But it would still have been guesswork, not better goalkeeping.

  63. 63.

    mali muso

    hmph, well boo. The Brazil-Belgium match is not going to be shown on the regular cable line-up but on FS1, which we don’t have.

  73. 73.

    MCA1

    @Leeds man: Sure. I don’t know what’s driving your interpretation here, but it’s not reason. Perhaps you were a goalkeeper in your playing days? Big Uruguay fan?

    Here’s the Guardian take:

    “It turned into a harrowing evening for Muslera, the Uruguay goalkeeper, who gifted France their second goal when he allowed Antoine Griezmann’s speculative shot to go through him. The shot dipped and swerved a little but Muslera, like everyone else in the stadium, knew that he should have made a routine save after getting two hands to the ball.”

    Or how about the BBC:

    “France…were gifted the goal that made certain of their victory. There seemed little danger when Griezmann let fly from the edge of the area but Muslera misjudged the flight of the ball, flapped at the shot, and saw it loop slowly over the line.”

    ABC (Australia): “a horrendous error”

    ESPN: “howler.”

    The consensus of people who know what they’re talking about is that this was, in the hockey parlance, a “weak goal.” Not quite a slow dribbler from 35 yards out with no oncoming offensive players that went through his legs, but a helluva long way from “unstoppable.” Pretty sure that was the word you used.

  80. 80.

    Amir Khalid

    Belgium 2-0 up! Magnificent drive out of defence by Lukaku, finished off with power and style by de Bruyne.

  81. 81.

    Leeds man

    @MCA1: “Perhaps you were a goalkeeper in your playing days?”

    Left winger.

    “Big Uruguay fan?”

    Never. England all the way. But I am a fan of physics, and a bemused observer of the utter bilge that often passes as “sports analysis”.

    Oh, I’m aware of the received wisdom. People love scapegoats. But the telling point is that there are lots of experts telling us it was a howler, but none of them saying what Muslera should have done, besides “he should have stopped it”.

    Surely, for the benefit of all budding young goalies, the experts should be able to tell us how to stop a shot that could end up a few inches in any direction before you can react to it. Magic? As I said above, a couple of inches is the difference between clearance and putting it in your own net.

    I’ll retract the “unstoppable” and call it “stoppable by blind luck only”.

  86. 86.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Bostonian:

    I was thinking the same thing, but Belgium aint Japan and if Martinez is smart he’ll keep up pressure at the halfway line and make Brazil work for the final third.

  87. 87.

    burnspbesq

    Belgium is fun to watch on the counter.

    Brazil hasn’t yet been able to exploit Belgium’s biggest weakness, i.e., the severe lack of speed at the back. Full marks to Witsel and Fellaini for the job they are doing to cover for Vertonghen and Alderweireld.

  88. 88.

    Tony Jay

    Brazil are having two major problems. They’re not playing with enough pace or tempo to pull Belgium out of position and as a result they’re running around on the rock solid Belgian defensive formation. And obviously they haven’t found any kind of answer to the Belgian trident of Hazard, De Bruyne and Lukaku coming at them with pace and beautiful skill.

    They need to change it up at half time and find a way to pierce the Belgian defence, which is not going to be easy. The Belgians don’t need to change their tactics, sitting deep and hitting on the break works for them since they’ve got the two goal cushion, so it’s going to be hard for Brazil to find gaps to exploit. That leaves balls in from the wing, which Belgium can head out all day, shots from outside the box, which means getting the ball to Coutinho in space rather than tunnelling everything through Neymar, or putting on someone like Firminho who can link attacking moves and drag defenders with his movement.

    Whatever they decide they’re going to have to get it very right very quickly, or Belgium could hit them with a Germany 2014 type scoreline on the break.

  89. 89.

    Amir Khalid

    @otmar:
    Belgium look really tight at the back. They’re not leaving any gaps for Brazil to exploit. Brazil need more than a mental regroup this halftime to get back in the match; they need to figure out a way past the Belgian defence.

  90. 90.

    MCA1

    @Leeds man: C’mon, man. You went maximalist statement and I’m trying to give you a way out but you won’t let yourself back down. The general point that there’s a lot of mindless drivel out there masquerading as analysis is not germane here. There’s no analysis needed in this case, and no one’s entitled to a coaching clinic. In this case, the keeper got both hands on a ball coming directly at him without having to move his feet from the position he’d taken, with no traffic screening him; the advice is “catch the ball.” Or maybe “punch harder.” Or perhaps “don’t take the initial trajectory for granted and relax.” It broke all of a foot or so before he got his hands on it. There’s no magic or blind luck needed. These guys have ridiculously fast reflexes and terrific hands. Save the magic for trying to stop DeBruyne’s laser beam from a couple minutes ago.

    And no one’s scapegoating Muslera. They were already down 1-0 before this goal, and mounted almost no effective offense in the 2nd half. He’s still one of Uruguay’s better players. Mistakes happen.

  92. 92.

    MCA1

    @Bostonian: 0-0? Kidding. Japan were getting space out on the wings, but hadn’t yet broken through and Belgium had already seen a little bit of bad luck. To my eyes, this one has more of a “Brazil’s really good and could come back” feel to that one’s “Unless Belgium’s just emotionally broken by going down 2-0, they’re almost certainly going to make this interesting because they’re clearly on the cusp of scoring.”

  93. 93.

    SRW1

    And a little extra, cause this is a full service blog, 40 year old Gianluigi Buffon has joined Paris Saint Germain where he presumably will be the No 1 goal keeper.

  96. 96.

    Amir Khalid

    @otmar:
    A defeat like that is rare. And not likely today. Brazil don’t look as demoralised as they were against Germany. If they lose today I think it will be not so much by a surrender like that 7-1 defeat, but from inability to unlock the opposing defence.

  98. 98.

    Amir Khalid

    That could have been a penalty to Brazil. Belgium caught a lucky break there.

  100. 100.

    Tony Jay

    Brazil are certainly making a better fist of it this half, but if they don’t take advantage of this spell of threatening possession to get a goal soon Belgium are going to come back at them.

  102. 102.

    SRW1

    Question is, will Brazil’s Sturm und Drang yield a goal before they run into another counter.

  103. 103.

    HumboldtBlue

    As a fan of Liverpool who had to watch De Bruyne gallop through the midfield during five matches with the Reds this season, thee is no more butt-clenching moment for the opposition than to see him streaming through the middle of the field with no defender within 10 yards. He’s the best player in this tournament and is making a case for being the best player in the world.

    Also, this becomes a glorified Euros if Belgium win, all six remaining teams will be European.

  104. 104.

    Amir Khalid

    Brazil really shouldn’t try to come through the middle at Belgium. All that does is get them caught in traffic.

  105. 105.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Amir Khalid:

    And Nacer Chadli, who has been a revelation, has kept them from attacking down that left side. Haven’t seen a lick of Marcelo.

  106. 106.

    Tony Jay

    Don’t get it. Brazil were having a lot of joy with quick balls into the box from the wings at the start of the second half, but have gone back to trying to lace feathery balls through the middle which the Belgians are dealing with effortlessly.

    Stop trying to feed everything through Neymar, it’s not working.

    There you go. Do that!

  112. 112.

    smintheus

    Brazil finally figures out what was the obvious strategy for unlocking the Belgian defense: feed some balls in to attackers taking runs into the box. I think that may be the first time they have tried that in the game .. at 75 minutes.

  114. 114.

    HumboldtBlue

    Brazil have simply shredded the Belgian defense for the last 15 minutes.

  115. 115.

    Tony Jay

    Belgium need some substitutions, they’re looking drained. Hazard and De Bruyne particularly look like their legs are made of oatmeal.

    And almost a second for Brazil!

    Substitutions, tighten it up, see this out. That’s Belgium’s route to the semis.

  116. 116.

    Tony Jay

    Coutinho….. No!

    How that’s not nothingness net is a mystery for the ages.

  117. 117.

    smintheus

    @Tony Jay: Spending some time in the other half of the field is key. There needs to be a credible threat of a 3rd goal.

  121. 121.

    mali muso

    Have to wonder if Neymar’s constant theatrics don’t count against him when he might have an actual penalty opportunity…

  122. 122.

    Tony Jay

    How spell check turns ‘bulging’ into ‘nothingness’ is another mystery to me.

    Brazil are getting in between Belgium’s defensive line and levering routes to goal open that weren’t there first half. If they get an equaliser it won’t be against the run of play, but Belgium seem to be finding a second wind.

    Was that a penalty shout? No way. Neymar would have had a better shout claiming – accurately – that the defender blinded him with his questing hand just as the ball was coming in, but he just can’t help throwing himself to the ground and giving the referee no choice but to tell him to get up. Arsehole.

  129. 129.

    HumboldtBlue

    Spain, Germany, Argentina, Portugal, (Italy), Brazil all out of the World Cup.

    What an extraordinary tournament.

  130. 130.

    Amir Khalid

    Belgium hold out to win the semifinal place. Brazil go out, but at least they fought to the end this time.

  132. 132.

    Tony Jay

    France vs Belgium. Mouthwatering. Hopefully it goes to extra-time because 90 minutes won’t be enough to contain how cool that clash could be.

  135. 135.

    SRW1

    Martinez made only two substitutions even though towards the end the Belgian players were running on fumes. Looks like he doesn’t have much confidence in his bench.

  136. 136.

    Tony Jay

    @smintheus:

    Tomorrow’s game is going to be much like Croatia v Denmark on steroids. The Russians will defend, defend, defend and try to pinch something on the break or from a set piece. If Croatia play like they did against Denmark…. Well, the locals will be pleased.

  137. 137.

    Tony Jay

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    If England get to the final I’ll want them more than tired, I’ll want them tied up, locked in a box and buried under the posts… If a stadium in China.

    Then I’ll be confident(ish).

  138. 138.

    HumboldtBlue

    @smintheus:

    Yes, no Oranje either.

    Normally Brazil is worth watching because of the style of football, but as I mentioned in earlier threads, this team was wholly unlikeable.

    Croats finally conquer the Russian steppe and England will want to relive the famous sea battle of … of … umm … it appears the Royal Navy has never engaged in combat with the Swedish navy so there is no obscure military reference I can turn to to inform the gallery with useless trivia.

    England 2, Sweden, 1

    Croatia 2, Russia, 0

  139. 139.

    Tony Jay

    @HumboldtBlue:

    If we get the early goal and don’t panic, yes we can beat Sweden. The only issue is the same as when the team was first announced, a real lack of inspirational creativity in midfield. If we ship a goal ourselves and Sweden go turtle… Well we’ll be a pretty blunt instrument battering that shell.

    News just in. Croatia’s team hotel has just fallen into a completely unexpected pot-hole and the site has been cordoned off by security forces. No one in, no one out. Russia get a bye – who could have predicted?!?

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