I'd got used to the random kick off times but am now confused that there are two quarter finals on the same day

Oldest man take here, but bring back the side view for penalties.

"...and he asked if I ever played and I said, sure. Believe me I scored a lotta goals when I played. Huge goals. I could take a penalty right now and no goalkeeper could save it, they know this. Many people are asking if I could play today but I won't..."

I reckon England don't win that game without the hydration break. Comes right after the Mexico goal to go 3-2 and Tuchel has 3 minutes he'd never normally have to tee up what to do. Sure they'd have ended up in a low block anyway, but that additional time to get the message across likely key.

Kane can't speak, Henderson getting air on a stretcher what the hell is going on

ngl I'm somewhat awake

My word, 6 shots total and yet that was about the best match I've ever seen England play

Lmao delayed nap time

We go again

Ok last night was weird, but what is going on on the field rn

Ahead of tonight's game, that there are grown adults who seem to think "staying up til 3am" and forgoing a bit of sleep for one night is a huge compromise baffles me. I promise you will be ok.

R16 er... not quite delivering like R32 yet eh

Lmao what a hit Champion: "Oh my goodness" McCoist: "Oh my goodness!" Champion: "...that is a worldie"

Times the run impeccably then an out of this world touch and finish, promising player no doubt

England seems... etc

thought England played really well second part of that half, if they keep that energy up, variance/luck are the only real enemies in their way

Norway seems underrated broadly for a team with a guy who gets a goal a game wherever he goes

Voller never looked like scoring that

Point of order: two teams both light shirts, dark shorts

Portugal v Colombia is an absolute throwback, 22 shots, which is loads, many of which entirely speculative cos there are so many attackers that rate themselves, totally to and fro. Like a 1980s game

Not sure that scheduling friendlies mid World Cup was the best choice tbh

what on earth is a shot *on target*? we can see the goalkeeper has saved it, it's not a goal, or maybe it is a goal and the goalkeeper hasn't saved it, why are we blighted by all this terminology (cont...)

there was some chat on the radio before Morocco v Scotland and it was basically "they're not as good as Morocco, they're written off, nobody expects much for them - can this be to their advantage?" and well, no it isn't and here they face down Brazil. Good luck to them

What a great quote from Tuchel: “It is always like this [...] If we score this goal everyone says ‘oh, they were so patient, they didn’t concede, they never lost faith’. And if you don’t score, it is a lack of imagination. It is what it is."

I feel like all of the recently departed Prime Ministers did a bad job, then got hounded out had to stand at a lectern, their voices creaked briefly (knowing what they had lost, for themselves) and the only take is "ah see, they're human after all"

rushestotype YOANN WISSA IS 5ft9

I am no fan of ref cam, no sir

there's a touch of "Anfield in April" about this pitch/camera angle

it's important to realise that in another universe, perhaps far away, absolutely any of these games finish 7-1

In my debut writing for Hudl StatsBomb, I talk about some interesting #JLeague 🇯🇵⚽️ talents that caught my eye by the data 💻 & the video 📽️! Check it out and there'll be more about Asian football from me there in the near future 🫡

Letsile Tebogo with the solid but not television friendly message here

used to have an old thread, so latest update is I am currently rated 1702 in blitz after spending *over 2 years* rated below that, brutal stuff, but at least i'm not finished (yet)

Recently had a casual peruse at the big teams' likely World Cup squads and recent call ups and I think fair to say the depth that England has and is getting left behind is unique? Feel free to correct me if you disagree.

This tells the story for me: what you have to do is elevate your performance levels to that which gets you contending. Arsenal achieved that across the last 4 seasons, and as such could expect to contend and if the chips fell right, win. On this trajectory, it was likely never a case of if, but when

Not seen Kyle Walker start for City this season, brave of Pep to put him out there tonight, and the Sky Blues playing a more reactive, defensive game than normal, try the veal etc

apropros of nowt but writing stuff did used to be quite fun: blogarchive.statsbomb.com/articles/soc...

good point for the hammers (kinda is?)

memories of Nani v Real Madrid where in some way the letter of the law means the decision is correct but any realistic analysis means it's bullshit

Bentancur's rep took a knock under Frank, but he's the best pure footballer at Tottenham by a margin for me, good to see him back and playing well

->

VAR as the last and key determinant to everything at the top and the bottom of the table is exactly where we are I guess

what West Ham did there - a one-two through the back line to get the striker in on goal - is so rare nowadays, so hard to execute

*lights touchpaper* Bruno Fernandes is FWA Player of the Year but Kevin de Bruyne never was?

Every football forum: Poster 1: "definitely need a major signing at [a position]" Poster 2: "important not to block progress of [unproven 16yo academy prospect] though"

Wu Yize! Great tournament this year

Tottenham have won 7 away games this season, no team has ever been relegated from the PL with more than 6 (happened twice Bolton 11-12, Palace 97-98). Quite possible true in the history of the whole top division but that's a faff to check and the ole AI is being evasive and gaslighting me

Forgotten hero of this season will be Ruben Amorim. When he left Utd their xG difference was +0.37 per game, up from -0.01 last season, and since he left it's at +0.29, but all the uplift took place when he was in charge

Ref gave them three shots each to resolve, Allen has fouled the black in, so as to progress it, still a wall of reds in the corner. Could be one of the best frames of all time

this has been going on for 45+ minutes, no pot since then, all the reds jammed in the corner, blocked by the black, no obvious way forward as no incentive for Allen to do anything different. Crowd is sarcastically cheering every shot, slow handclaps now. And? In a way this is peak sport.

Big prizes for anyone who blanks and finds themselves spluttering out the ole "like two prizefighters slugging it out" here, also accepted "heavyweights"