World Cup 2018

[utility73]

Fair play, they keep getting the job done. But the performances of this France side are nothing to shout about.

Overall the performances of no team have been.

 

[FCBfan22]

There is only one thing left. In the words of Zdravko Mamić:

AJMOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[jamrock]

The moment they stuck to the 343 against France I knew they were going to lose.

Oh well

 

[El Flaco]

Giroud ruining everything for France.

France won World Cup 1998 with Stéphane Guivarc'h up-front who was shite as Giroud has been in this tournament.

Might happen again.

 

[Morten]

Why do Mbappe and Griez keep passing it to the lamp post? The only thing he is good for is as a target for high crosses.

 

[FCBfan22]

France won World Cup 1998 with Stéphane Guivarc'h up-front who was shite as Giroud has been in this tournament.

Might happen again.

True, true.

 

[Capitan Puyol]

I bet Croatia can beat both England and France! Good luck !
Ajde Hrvatska !

 

[Morten]

Did Barca CBs seriously score more goals than Barca attackers this tournament?

 

[FCBfan22]

Did Barca CBs seriously score more goals than Barca attackers this tournament?

Yes. Mainly thanks to Yerry.

 

[Capitan Puyol]

Did Barca CBs seriously score more goals than Barca attackers this tournament?

Yerri Mina - 3 goals
Messi - 1 goal

Other Barca players who scored this WC - Coutinho and Luis Suarez - 2 goals, Ivan Rakitic and Umtiti - 1 goal.

 

[Blaugrana Bull]

Coutinho is a LW, so no.

 

[Morten]

Yes. Mainly thanks to Yerry.

The tournament of the set-piece merchants

 

[BBZ8800]

I have wrote a few times how in these 50:50 matches between strong but even teams in a CL, World cup and Euros, majority of matches are decided by goals after corners, penaldos, free kicks, headers after crosses, some goals from outside of a box, Gk's mistakes... and very rarely lately by "classical" footballing goals from a nice action and a finishing with feet.

Goals from 1/4s of a World cup:
1. France: Varane, a header after a set piece
2. France: Griezmann: long shot+Gk's mistake
3. Belgium: a header after a corner
4. Belgium: De Bruyne, a counter and a goal from the edge of a box
5. Brasil: a header
6. England: a header after a corner
7. England: a header after a cross
8. Russia: long range shot
9. Croatia: Kramaric, a header
10. Croatia: a header after a corner
11. Russia: a header after a set piece

11 goals in total:
5 headers after corners/set pieces (France, Belgium, England, Croatia, Russia)
3 headers from an open play (Kramaric, Delle Ali, Renato)
3 long range shots from the outside of a box (Cheryshev, Griezmann, De Bruyne)
0 goals in Barca's style, through the middle, inside of a box, against a parked bus

Sorry for quotting myself, but this thing continues:
Semis:
France: header after a corner.

So, till now, 12 goals were scored in quarters and semis between equally strong teams:
6 headers after corners/set pieces (France, Belgium, England, Croatia, Russia in 1/4s and France in 1/2s)
3 headers from an open play (Kramaric, Delle Ali, Renato)
3 long range shots from the outside of a box (Cheryshev, Griezmann, De Bruyne)
0 goals in Barca's style, through the middle, inside of a box, against a parked bus

So, out of 12 goals scored: 6 were headers after corners.
Further, out of 12 goals scored, 9 were headers (6 after corners and 3 after crosses from an open play).
9 headers vs 3 goals with feet.

In 5 matches and 480 minutes of football, nobody scored "a classical" goal with feet from inside of a box from an open play.
It is harder and harder to score this type of goals against strong teams, it seems...

 

[dakt]

Time to take a revenge for 98!

 

[BBZ8800]

Time to take a revenge for 98!

We'll need some headers, it seems...