Four sitters and everything missed. Just like the night Jeffrey Epstein died.
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The last one that hit off his chest was particularly glaring.
Iād be happy with any if the remaining 4 teams winning it from here. All are really intriguing stories.
Morocco being the first African team to win it would be a stunning historic coup.
Croatia for Modric would be a major shock too. I, for one, gave them no chance to come back and have a major stab at the tournament this year. What a story a Croatia v Morocco final would be - a victory for the neutral.
Argentina and France can write themselves into the history books then, for different reasons. Argentina and Messi could finally climb the steps and reach their Holy Grail.
While France will truly stamp themselves into eternity with repeating the world cup. They would have to rank among the greatest teams of all time IMO. To win two in a row is the stuff of true greatness, and Mbappe would surely be a shoe-in for his first Ballon dāor.
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Come on Morocco
Mnappy needs to prove himself in a proper league, He was anonymous last night
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What was the best World Cup for proper heavyweight clashes?
Iām going for 1982.
Italy v Argentina
Brazil v Argentina
Italy v Brazil
England v France
Spain v West Germany
Spain v England
England v West Germany
France v West Germany
Italy v West Germany
1990 ranks highly.
Ireland v England
Ireland v Holland
Ireland v Italy
England v Holland
Brazil v Argentina
West Germany v Holland
Italy v Argentina
England v West Germany
West Germany v Argentina
Any genuinely great World Cup needs have at least three of the following:
Argentina v England
Argentina v Brazil
Argentina v Italy
Argentina v Holland
France v Brazil
Italy v Brazil
England v Germany
France v Germany
Germany v Holland
Is there a few heavyweight clashes that have rarely occurred or are not box office?
Brazil v Germany had never happened until 2002 and theyāve only played each other twice.
I donāt recall Spain and Holland ever playing each other in a major finals until 2010.
Big match ups with Spain in them tend not to be as box office. Spainās biggest rivals are probably France or maybe Italy.
France v Italy and France v Holland are not especially box office in my view.
England v Italy doesnāt hit the spot like England v Argentina or England v Germany or even England v Holland does. England v France is a rivalry you associate more with rugby.
Holland v Italy is not massive box office.
Iāve grown thoroughly sick of Germany v Argentina because the Germans have exacted regular and brutal revenge for the 1986 final.
The years from about 1974 to 1990 were a golden era for proper, bitter, hate filled rivalries because of the memories of wars, and glorious characters who were perfect national stereotypes.
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12 premiership players among the 200 or so left in the competition !
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Thatās crazy I saw a stat earlier in the tournament that they had by far the most players of any league at the wc. Thereās only 100 players left though.
Just keeping you on your toes!
lies
I heard it on talk radioā¦(i just tuned in to savour the woe and grief)
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Croatia v Morocco would be some occasion
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As i did
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I dont care who wins it out from here so long as itās not France
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Come on Morocco
England lost to the first decent side they met. Southgate has solved them not beating the bad teams but they donāt seem to have the guile to beat a team better than them or equal to them. They were the better team last night, but couldnāt get it done again.
In contrast Croatia seem to constantly punch above their weight.
A manager is tasked with getting the best out of the people at their disposal. Essentially making them better.
No one can say Southgate has achieved that after last nights defeat.
Southgate would benefit from a few years managing a lower league team in italy, spain or scotlandā¦or maybe an assistant coach role somewhere.
It was a bit of a punt by the fa. Picking a lad because he has a certain faux stiff upper lip proper english bearing and a very average playing careerā¦ and expecting it to work out. Lads like foden and bellingham need a leader, not a class prefect
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