closest we’ll ever come
a SF, and possibly even a final spot was there for the taking that year, as we’d already drawn with germans who would have been SF opponents.
we’d have gotten our holes opened against brasil in the final though
Have a few more drinks before you turn in for the night and you’ll have Eire winning that 2002 World Cup yet.
England were the better team in the first half with a couple of good chances to go in two up. They completely wilted second half with Lingard and Alli anonymous and it was game over when Dier game on. The final will be a poorer occasion without them. The EPL fanboys who hate England and were complaining about the draw are, of course, idiotic. It’s the nature of tournament football, you win, you advance. The French will beat Croatia handily enough unfortunately. Pogba and Kante are the best midfield pairing in the competition and won’t be tiring after 60 minutes. It was a rollercoaster for your boys @GeoffreyBoycott and you called it right game by game. Next time.
So leaving Italy in '82 aside, how would you have done against that Brazil '82 team?
Brazil 1982 were quite an overrated side. Sensational midfield but not good elsewhere. Bad goalkeeper and leaky defense (8 goals conceded in 5 matches) and a cart horse of a centre forward in Serginho.
But still managed to give us one if the greatest matches ever played against Italy.
Brooking was 34 in 1982 and at the end of his 47 cap career, Keegan at 31 was hardly a spring chicken either and his commitment to England was always dodgy. To say these two would have won that world cup is stretching it slightly.
Talent my hole.
They’ve supposedly have had all the talent in the world for years but did nothing. Their problem is two fold - they cant keep the ball/ control games - which entails passing the ball. Secondly, they are mentally weak - which seems to pass from generation to generation.
It’s crazy that they produce these young players that they fuck ridiculous money at yet they have no belief once they step out of their clubs and play the cream of the international crop. I suppose it comes down to tradition, England just dont have it.
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Okay guys, let’s keep this civil and constructive and steer away from that nasty strain of schadenfreude which has afflicted the forum in the last decade.
Brazil 1982 were one of the great hipster favorite teams. I can still recall Jack Charlton calling it as it was as an ITV pundit at the time. First decent side they meet Big Jack said they’d go out as their defending was Division 2 standard. That’s exactly how it transpired. England conceded 1 goal in 5 games in 1982 and that in a 3-1 win over semi finalists France. Brazil conceded 8. England had the rock solid defense in 1982 you need to win a World Cup. Missing the creative guile of Trevor Brooking and one of the best strikers in the world Kevin Keegan robbed them of that extra bit of class you need offensively.
of course, mixing up the England/Belgium games that Argentina played. But that was a good 86 side.
A lot of good teams who have won world cups have often not been firing well in the group stages,rare enough over the years that a team wins all 3 games in the group, the last games often being dead rubbers. And that was a top Dutch side in the group in 90 too.
But anyway, point being this England team in this world cup has been seriously over rated on foot of reaching the semi finals by beating teams they would have expected to. They got a lovely draw and made the most of it, but a massive over reaction to their tournament.
In fairness England had one of the best strikers in the world last night. It made eff all difference
Brazil also scored 15 goals. England scored 6, probably all from corners.
Brazil scored 8 goals in 1982 against Scotland and New Zealand. The signs of defensive frailty were there from their opening game when Brazil trailed a good USSR team for most of the game before winning it late.
Who?
England striker harry Kane
Had a great world cup but got injured vs Colombia so missed the last 2 games
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Harry can’t do it all on his own. He had little or no service or midfield behind him in the absence of two of our best midfielders Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and Harry Winks.
Sorry. ‘allegedly’!
He can’t do it at all.
Now now he can score a penalty… except when it’s to win a game at Anfield