Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Usually wrong but never in doubt

It looks like winning debates is a black job!

When we show up, we win.

The willow is too close to the house.

“I never thought they’d lock HIM up,” sobbed a distraught member of the Lock Her Up Party.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

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

People are complicated. Love is not.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.

“woke” is the new caravan.

There are consequences to being an arrogant, sullen prick.

SCOTUS: It’s not “bribery” unless it comes from the Bribery region of France. Otherwise, it’s merely “sparkling malfeasance”.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

You are here: Home / Sports / World Cup / World Cup: Quarterfinals, Day 2

World Cup: Quarterfinals, Day 2

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I ended up listening to both matches yesterday as we decided to buy a new car at pre-trade war prices.  We bought a 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid and it is pretty sweet. It’s electric for 48 miles, then hybrid. So for most normal life stuff, you run EV.  It’s a whole ‘nother world!

Back on topic – it was amazing to listen to Belgium overwhelm Brazil after France so handily knocked out Uruguay, but not nearly as enjoyable as watching the match on a good big screen would have been.

But enough about me – onto today’s matches:

First at 10 – England v Sweden.  I expect Harry Kane will lead the team to another victory, but I’m not counting out Sweden – they’ve been a good team.

And at 2 – Russia v Croatia. I expect and hope for a Croatia win, but cannot discount the Russian performance so far, coupled with the home-country advantage.

 

Enjoy the matches, everyone – we’ll be back on Tuesday for France v Belgium.

Reader Interactions

141Comments

  2. 2.

    Viva BrisVegas

    @Bobby Thomson:

    Not so sure. In the Congo the Belgians would cut off the hands of troublemakers. In Vietnam the French would cut off heads and mount them at the entrance to the village.

  3. 3.

    Tom Levenson

    Congrats on the new car. Three years ago we needed to replace a suddenly dead car and bought a lightly used first gen plug in hybrid Prius. It only gets about 10 miles all electric, so only about 30% of our miles run on electrons alone, but it’s still a different and preferable (to us) experiences. Got a few more years in it, but I’m hoping we can transition to full BEV or at least a much longer range plug in fairly soon.

    Oh, and go 3 Kings!

  4. 4.

    hueyplong

    I’m at the point at which the priority is Russia losing. Everything else pales in comparison.

    I feel that way about the World Cup as well.

  5. 5.

    Schlemazel

    I’d really like to hear more about experiences with EVs. Maybe an discussion thread some weekend? Thanks

  6. 6.

    SRW1

    On paper the Eng – Swe game should be England’s, but if Sweden takes the lead they can stifle you to death. England beware!

    Second game: Please, please, please Croatia.

  11. 11.

    Davey C

    Given their dubious record in other sports, how likely is it that the Russian team is doping?

  14. 14.

    Tony Jay

    Sweden have come to play with all the tempo and dynamism of a smotherer’s pillow, trying to choke the life out of the game and pinch a 1-0. England are trying to build attacks but there’s not enough pace and they keep on giving the ball away (looking at you, Deli)

    On balance…. Oooh Goal!!!!

    Nice one, Ratface!!

  18. 18.

    burnspbesq

    Barry Glendenning, live-blogging for the Guardian: “on an aesthetic level this is a truly atrocious game of football.”

  19. 19.

    Tony Jay

    @raven:

    Damn the game needed that goal. Now the Swedes have got to chase the game while England can actually see some reward instead of sinking deeper and deeper into melancholy thinking “We never score against Sweden, we might as well just give up and start knitting burly sweaters.”

    How the he’ll did Sterling not busy either of those chances? No end product from that lad. Rubbish.

  24. 24.

    Tony Jay

    @SRW1:

    If Ibra’s not playing the crazy ‘foreign’ terrorist leader in The Expendables X within the next five years I’ll eat my hat and socks. The guy just oozes photogenic solipsism.

  25. 25.

    Tony Jay

    Okay, we were by far the better team in that half, but why, why, WHY is Sterling still in the first XI? He’s playing as an attacking forward but he CAN NOT SCORE. I get the whole “he pulls defenders to him and scares them with his runs” but you know what? There’s absolutely zero point to any of that if he a) doesn’t pass the ball to anyone and, b) runs into three defenders and loses the ball.

    Rashford must be grinding his teeth to stumps wondering what the hell he’s done wrong. We should be at least 2-0 up by now and would have been if Sterling could finish.

  28. 28.

    ruemara

    I’m siding with England as one goes with the colonizers one is used to. And rooting for Russia to be destroyed. In all things.

  30. 30.

    smintheus

    Sweden looks like it’s way out of its league in this match. They simply cannot transition out of their half, and keep giving the ball away in the England half. Their one legitimate scoring chance in the first half, a long stretch pass, was incorrectly ruled offside. Sweden is also making a lot of dangerous mistakes in its own end.

    By contrast England looks strong in defense, in midfield, and is attacking well…apart from Stirling’s incompetence. I see virtually no chance of Sweden winning this if both teams continue to play at the same level.

    I’m surprised that neither squad has made much effort to achieve corner kicks, which seems like the easiest way for each of them to pile up genuine scoring chances.

  33. 33.

    otmar

    To write something positive about this game:

    Very few fouls and hardly any flopping around.

  34. 34.

    Tony Jay

    Oh good, Sweden are coming out to play this half. Still compact and well-drilled, but posing more of a threat. That’s fine, our defenders get paid (in a sense) to deal with that. It’s up to our midfield to knuckle down and get the ball up front to the attacking line. Which we appear to be doing.

    But how many times are we going to whip a ball across the face of the goal that no one…. Hold on… Yes, like that!!!

    Deli Ali! Yes he is on the pitch.

  37. 37.

    SRW1

    2 – 0. Steep, steep hill for Sweden to come back. Unless England snooze, this is over.

  43. 43.

    Tony Jay

    Right. Easy part done, now the hard part. Holding onto a lead without dropping back and allowing Sweden to bring the pressure. Get the ball, pass it with purpose, deny the Swedes possession and force them to make mistakes. One more goal for us and this is over, one for them and this turns into a right bother.

  45. 45.

    Tony Jay

    Example 132,461 of Sterling not being able to deliver a final ball. Just get it past one defender? No? Thought not.

  51. 51.

    Tony Jay

    You know, if we – do – see this game out and get Russia in the Semis and Putin orders the members of the travelling English band arrested to send a message… I won’t be that upset.

    So Russia, if you’re listening, you know what to do.

  54. 54.

    Bostonian

    They should look into the Swedish food service. Lots of Swedes with tummy aches today

  59. 59.

    Tony Jay

    @SRW1:

    Now I’m not saying they – should – imprison everyone with a drum, trumpet or the lyrics to the first chorus of On And On stuffed in their ample pants….. But someone should.

  63. 63.

    smintheus

    Sterling just gives up rather than save a ball in the box. Nearly trips himself in the process, too.

  67. 67.

    Tony Jay

    Rock solid performance by most of the English team here. Deserved winners. Sweden just haven’t offered anything that we couldn’t deal with.

    Sterling off on 90 minutes? Taking the piss, Gareth?

  68. 68.

    Platonailedit

    If Rashford scores now, will Southgate will still be playing Sterling in the semis?

  71. 71.

    Platonailedit

    That was an easy win in the end. Swedes played well in patches.

    Come on Croatia.

  73. 73.

    Sloane Ranger

    Wow, we made it look easy! Jordan Pickford, what a hero! Now to the semi-finals. I’m rooting for Croatia. I want Russia to loose sooo bad!

  75. 75.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Tony Jay:

    Believe it, they played well. It doesn’t have to be pretty and Sterling keeps finding blind alleys, but it was hella effective and if they make the final they won’t be favored but they will have as good a shot as anyone else left, even France, who look the pick of the litter by a few whiskers over Belgium.

    Good for England, I like this team.

  76. 76.

    Amir Khalid

    It’s amazing, isn’t it, what a difference a sane, competent, no-drama manager can make to a team. Southgate can’t claim Big Sam Allardyce’s 100% win record, but he’s put together an England side that knows its business, has a very positive attitude, and gets it done.
    ETA: He’s the best England manager in half a century, I think.

  77. 77.

    TomatoQueen

    Part two. Luka v Them. (My cat is named for him.). As was said above, Them losing and losing hard is the goal.

  80. 80.

    Barney

    You’ve got to hand it to Russia, that was a superb goal. The team got him clear, and then he never gave the goalie a chance.

  81. 81.

    Bostonian

    Bogus yellow card. It was the Russian who hip-checked the Croatian, not vice versa.

  83. 83.

    hueyplong

    Thank God. I was just typing that I’m on the verge of rooting for England in a semifinal.

    C’mon, Croatia, beat those doping, Trump-sodomizing Russkies.

  88. 88.

    otmar

    Dinner: done
    Belgian beer: opened

    I want to hear cheers in the neighbourhood, it’s full of Croatian migrants.

  94. 94.

    Tony J

    I’m on enforced escort duty with the dearly beloved at a surprise birthday party for the head of the dance school she was at from 6 to 18. Just me, her and three generations of semi professional female dancers. Yeah it’s awful. /s

    However the football is on. Tight match.

  95. 95.

    SRW1

    I guess extra time in this game would suit England just fine. If Russia advances on penalties, they’re gonna have two 120 minute games in their bones when they meet England.

  97. 97.

    otmar

    Austrian tv claims that the Russians have to run a lot due to their game plan.

    Let’s see who has more power left for the overtime.

  99. 99.

    raven

    @otmar: Yea wasn’t there some stat that they ran 30% more than their opponents? I wish I understood what that means?

  102. 102.

    SRW1

    If the Croatian goalie doesn’t make it through the entire 30 minutes extra time, Croatia may have an improvisation in goal for a penalty shoot-out.

  103. 103.

    raven

    @otmar: I guess my question is what do they do that makes them run more? Is it something about their strategy? I know what differentiates a running team from a more static team in basketball.

  104. 104.

    SRW1

    @raven: They measure the distance every player runs throughout a game and add up for the team. A player typically runs about 10 km.

    The 30% extra sounds a lot.

  108. 108.

    raven

    @SRW1: I’m not sure that’s right but someone was telling me they run more. I get that they measure it but what does it mean that they run more aside from the fitness aspect?

  110. 110.

    lol chikinburd

    Corluka was on for like five minutes and just had the non-touch of the tournament getting out of the way of Vida’s header.

  111. 111.

    raven

    OK, it was 35 km more:

    All of which should give Russia plenty of time to recover after their exhausting exploits against Spain, although one of the main lessons of this tournament is that the energy of this Russia side may well have no upper limit. Of the teams remaining in the tournament, they have collectively run over 35km further than their nearest challengers Croatia. They have run 10 per cent further without the ball than any other team.”

  113. 113.

    SRW1

    @raven: Sorry. Didn’t understand your comment. Running more mainly means that they work harder to close down opportunities for their opponents. Doesn’t really give you any other advantage. And concentration, especially towards the end, may suffer.

  117. 117.

    burnspbesq

    The rumor mill on Merseyside says that Besiktas have offered Vida to Everton in a straight-up trade for Davy Klaasen. As an Everton fan, I say make that deal before they change their minds.

  118. 118.

    SRW1

    @raven: ‘Off the ball’ has two different meanings. In defense it’s the one I mentioned. In offense, it means running into free space trying to shake off your defender and to create passing opportunities.

  125. 125.

    SRW1

    Screens are uncommon in football. As is man-to man coverage, though that happens in selected cases. These days defense is mostly organized on covering positions.

  127. 127.

    Calouste

    @SRW1: Let’s just say that you can’t get better skills from performance enhancing drugs, but you can get more stamina from them.

  128. 128.

    smintheus

    This is a bad joke. Russia has genuinely won a grand total of only 2 games, against ridiculously weak teams, and it’s on the verge of going to the semi-finals.

  131. 131.

    raven

    After the one that hit the post and rolled along the line that was poetic justice!

  135. 135.

    Sloane Ranger

    Hurrah! I gladly risk our chance to reach the Final to see Russia knocked out.

  137. 137.

    Onkel Fritze

    England v. Croatia. I was very impressed with the Croats because of their game against Argentinia, but they have really struggled in the knock-out stage. Good chance for England to go to the final. Mind you, I think that the winner of France v. Belgium will win the World Cup.

  139. 139.

    SFAW

    OK, so remember “my” prediction the other day that Russia would win the Cup? My account (so to speak) was hacked.

    Anyway, glad Russia lost.

    Of course, now the Nazi-sympathizers get to play The Home of Bad Teeth and Shitty “Cuisine”

    And did those feet, in modern times
    Walk upon Russia’s pitch of green ..
    And was the Holy Hand of God —
    Oh wait that was an Argentine

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