World Cup : Group G (Eng, Bel, Pan, Tun)

[Zatman]

I imagine both Lukaku and Kane be demanding to play 

[Stevo985]

13 minutes ago, PieFacE said:

Yeah but let's say it is better to finish second. Both England and Belgium will want to not win. What kind of a football match is that going to be? Will be fascinating to see how that game will play out. 

I mean, what if they score an own goal? Do we then go and score one too?  

I doubt it would come to anything like that.

But I do think it could end up being a very lackluster game of football. Probably a dull 0-0 with us going through on fairplay

(watch it be 7-6 now) 

[PieFacE]

1 minute ago, Stevo985 said:

I doubt it would come to anything like that.

But I do think it could end up being a very lackluster game of football. Probably a dull 0-0 with us going through on fairplay

(watch it be 7-6 now) 

Well we've got 2 yellows, Belgium have 3... maybe play for a 0-0 draw but pick up a couple of yellows in the game? 

[Zatman]

Fair Play? They were going to draw lots last night

[Dodgyknees]

20 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Fair Play? They were going to draw lots last night

If fair play is equal, it goes to drawing lots.

[BOF]

1 hour ago, Stevo985 said:

I think there's a very very good chance it's better to finish 2nd.

Second round isn't certain. I think Japan will top the group as Poland look terrible so expect Japan to get something from them. If that happens then winning the group could very well give us a second round of Colombia followed by a QF of Brazil/Germany

Finishing Second would give us a second round of Japan followed by probably Mexico/Switzerland/Serbia.

By the time we kick off it'll be clear what the better route is. If germany and Colombia end up winning their groups then obviously go all out for the win. If not then I really do see the benefit of resting players

I think Poland will want to put the record somewhat straight, and they'll overpower Japan.  I also think Colombia should muller Senegal.  So Colombia win the group, in which case it's better to win your own group.

[Django_Zooms]

If England beat Belgium & then Japan or Senegal or Colombia, the quarter final will be versus Brazil or Mexico, at 7pm on Friday 6th. If England lose to Belgium, then beat Japan or Senegal or Colombia, the QF will be versus Switzerland or Sweden, at 3pm on Saturday 7th..... C’mon Belgium!

[villa4europe]

if england are good enough to beat belgium and colombia i think we're good enough to get at this brazil too

[MrDuck]

Madness to start planning for a quarter final game when there's a last 16 game to be played first. All the teams we'll meet from here on in are very good, we should be trying to keep our winning momentum going.

[AJ]

On ‎27‎/‎06‎/‎2018 at 00:38, BOF said:

I think Poland will want to put the record somewhat straight, and they'll overpower Japan.  I also think Colombia should muller Senegal.  So Colombia win the group, in which case it's better to win your own group.

If Poland were to set the record straight, they would have done it when it mattered.

[AJ]

To hell with the draw. You win it by beating everybody else in front of you.

[Stevo985]

8 minutes ago, AJ said:

To hell with the draw. You win it by beating everybody else in front of you.

If we were good enough to win it then I'd agree with you. But we're not. We're not going to win it.

I think if we win the group we'll go out to Colombia in the next round.

 

I'd rather come 2nd and have a decent chance of a semi final. We'd probably still **** it up, but I'd like to see us get as far as possible.

 

 

I'm not saying, by the way, that England should try to lose tonight. i think they should play to win. 
I just think finishing 2nd in this group could end up being a massive advantage

[AJ]

10 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

If we were good enough to win it then I'd agree with you. But we're not. We're not going to win it.

I think if we win the group we'll go out to Colombia in the next round.

 

I'd rather come 2nd and have a decent chance of a semi final. We'd probably still **** it up, but I'd like to see us get as far as possible.

 

 

I'm not saying, by the way, that England should try to lose tonight. i think they should play to win. 
I just think finishing 2nd in this group could end up being a massive advantage

I see your point, and that is fair enough.

Tonight's game has so much potential and I have been looking forward to it.

If either England or Belgium go out on the field and play for second, that would be disappointing.

As for Columbia, they shouldn't be a worry. I think they will play in the brown pants when they face England. ( Or Belgium)

Edited June 28, 2018 by AJ

[AXD]

12 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I'm not saying, by the way, that England should try to lose tonight. i think they should play to win. 

I just think finishing 2nd in this group could end up being a massive advantage

That is the difficult thing. You want to win but wouldn’t mind losing. We might be up for a boring game in the end

I think the results of Group G will play a big role. If Colombia win the group, that is a big team to play in the next round. With a potential easier QF to follow and than Spain/Croatia in the SF. So it’s basically one easier game on paper on the road to the final. 

[Stevo985]

5 minutes ago, AJ said:

I see your point, and that is fair enough.

Tonight's game has so much potential and I have been looking forward to it.

If either England or Belgium go out on the field and play for second, that would be disappointing.

As for Columbia, they shouldn't be a worry. I think they will play in the brown pants when they face England.

Yeah I don't think we should play for second. we should play to win.

it'll just be a strange vibe because I won't be disappointed if we lose. And I imagine the team won't be either.

 

I think the game will either be very open, and therefore brilliant. Or a complete snorefest  

[Stevo985]

3 minutes ago, AXD said:

That is the difficult thing. You want to win but wouldn’t mind losing. We might be up for a boring game in the end

I think the results of Group G will play a big role. If Colombia win the group, that is a big team to play in the next round. With a potential easier QF to follow and than Spain/Croatia in the SF. So it’s basically one easier game on paper on the road to the final. 

Oh yeah, if Colombia end up winning that group then I think winning our group is worth it. We get a harder team in the QF if we get there but I don't really mind that.

I'd honestly be fine with us going out in the QF. Preferably on penos. I've missed that glorious failure

 

[mjmooney]

Some of the results we've seen in this WC should surely scotch the notion of "an easy game on paper". Teams can look like world beaters in one game and hopeless in the next. And vice versa. 

Just try to win every game, simple as. 

[sne]

would be hilarious if it was still a draw late in the game and they started kicking the shit out of each other just to get a few yellow cards to ruin their fair play stats and finish second in the group.

[Zatman]

2 minutes ago, sne said:

would be hilarious if it was still a draw late in the game and they started kicking the shit out of each other just to get a few yellow cards to ruin their fair play stats and finish second in the group.

Fellaini coming on at anytime would indicate this

[a m ole]

16 minutes ago, sne said:

would be hilarious if it was still a draw late in the game and they started kicking the shit out of each other just to get a few yellow cards to ruin their fair play stats and finish second in the group.

I'm sure I read FIFA have said any players seen doing things like this intentionally, including getting yellows to miss a dead-rubber etc, will be banned for longer.

 

Here we go:

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-cup/2018/06/25/players-banned-deliberate-booking/

Quote

 

Any England or Belgium player who gets himself deliberately booked to secure an easier path for his country at the World Cup will be banned for the next match, it emerged on Monday.

Should there be proof either side have tried to engineer their disciplinary records during Thursday’s game in order to finish second in Group G, Fifa is poised to act.

England’s 6-1 thrashing of Panama on Sunday drew them level with Belgium on points, goal difference and goals scored – the pair are only separated by Gareth Southgate’s men picking up one fewer yellow card.

Finishing top of Group G would bring a possible quarter-final against Brazil or Germany, while the runner-up would potentially go on to face Mexico or Switzerland.

Although there is no suggestion England or Belgium would try to do anything other than win Thursday’s game, players earning deliberate yellow cards in order to help their team is not without precedent. 

David Beckham escaped punishment after admitting doing so playing for his country in a World Cup qualifier against Wales in 2004 in order to serve a suspension while he was injured.

But Kostas Manolas was banned by Fifa in November after being found guilty of getting himself booked in order to miss Greece’s final Russia 2018 qualifier and ensure he was available for the play-off against Croatia. The rules governing such conduct also cover teams deliberately attempting to engineer a result other than a win.

 

 

Edited June 28, 2018 by a m ole