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It really could be anyone's game at this point.

I was just looking at the brackets and noted 4 PKs for the Croatia/England set and none in the France/Belgium set which I think is interesting. Does that mean more favourable odds for the winner of France/Belgium to take the tourney?

Winner of Belgium/France is probably the favorite for the final. France started out a bit slow but have been looking stronger each game, and Belgium have just been the best team of the tournament. Croatia started strong but has faded a bit their past 2 games, and England just... hasn't looked spectacular in their run other than destroying Panama

France is also defensively the strongest team left (since Uruguay and Brazil were the only two stronger defensive teams lol), and good defenses always have high potential to bullshit their ways to tournament wins

IMO it's Belgium > France > Croatia > England rn

Croatia doesn't really match up too well against England though

How is France's defense against the counter?

It's coming home

Rakitic and Modric v Henderson, Alli and Lingard terrifies me tbh.

lingard has looked v good and alli might be hitting his stride

lol France's bench is worth more than the entire Uruguayan team according to transfermarkt.

Also Argentina and Switzerland had starting 11s worth less than their benches.

I think the relative success of Belgium, Croatia, Russia, Uruguay, etc show how much having good tactics and chemistry matters over having better players

I dont think belgium necessarily fit with the other three there - individually theyre also really strong. England are probably a good example if they were to get to the final though.

Tactics and play absolutely are more important than the value of your team. I mean, Portugal is a prime example. Ronaldo must make a shittonne, and where did it get them? They didn't play cohesively and fell apart because of it.

Portugese team other than him are mostly not top tier talent, though. I dont necessarily thinl tjeir tactics let them down as opposed to maybe getting unlucky against a disciplined and strong team.
But yeah i get your point. Argentina's forward line exemplifies it as do germany this year.

In post 261, Aristophanes wrote:Tactics and play absolutely are more important than the value of your team. I mean, Portugal is a prime example. Ronaldo must make a shittonne, and where did it get them? They didn't play cohesively and fell apart because of it.

Tactics weren't the problem. Cavani is a top 10 striker in the world and he captilized on the few oppurtunities he had, including one from a beautiful pass from one of the best outfield players in any position in the game.



I feel out players were fine, and our tactics were fine. Sometimes the other team scores more goals on less shots. That's just the way the sport goes.

Portugal actually had the higher xG lol. Cavani scoring 2 on an xG of just under 1 was the difference maker

And by just under 1 that was for all of Uruguay.

The xG of his two that he scored combined for about 0.5

That said Portugal always had a talent problem, and they were tactically average. The saving grace for that team was Ronaldo's ability to win games that shouldn't be won

Right park the bus, make it a coin flip and hope the greatest player of all time makes the difference.

Jesus Griezmann took his love of Uruguay so far as to make the French play like them

Its not coming home.

In post 269, Nexus wrote:Its not coming home.

It is

God I can't root for Croatia because geopolitics but I also hate the idea of France or England winning

Uruguay, Belgium, and Sweden all would have been such great winners, too

In post 271, BROseidon wrote:I also hate the idea of France or England winning

Womp womp

Yo France/England Final will be LIT!!!

I've been warned that it may start a new 100 years war but my god will it be worth it!