Barry Ferguson's Hat Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Croatia have been an absolute gang for years. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonS Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Watched the Spain - Croatia game. It was pure filth. It was football porn. I think that's the best performance I've seen all year - better than anything at the World Cup. Make sure you watch the highlights, but honestly, watching the whole 90 minutes would be worthwhile. They utterly rinsed a very good team. Croatia's great strength is centre midfield, yet somehow Spain managed to make it look like they didn't have a midfield at all. They seemed to get to the edge of the Croatia box any time they wanted. I need a cigarette after that, and I don't smoke. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xj2011 Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 17 minutes ago, GordonS said: Watched the Spain - Croatia game. It was pure filth. It was football porn. I think that's the best performance I've seen all year - better than anything at the World Cup. Make sure you watch the highlights, but honestly, watching the whole 90 minutes would be worthwhile. They utterly rinsed a very good team. Croatia's great strength is centre midfield, yet somehow Spain managed to make it look like they didn't have a midfield at all. They seemed to get to the edge of the Croatia box any time they wanted. I need a cigarette after that, and I don't smoke. agreed, just finished watching it... immense football 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marten Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 San Marino - Luxembourg was obviously THE game tonight. Finished 0-3 to Luxembourg. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat(The most tip top) Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Tbh, I'd rather have seen us (The Netherlands) in group B. This group can be an embarrassment with France & Germany as opponents. If there is one country Germany would be keen to proof against they can still play good football... Games for us in B would have been more interesting IMO.Well chances are you’ll be in B soon enough 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesM82 Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 Apparently Belgium are going to be #1 in the next world rankings list. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detournement Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 (edited) 8 hours ago, Marten said: San Marino - Luxembourg was obviously THE game tonight. Finished 0-3 to Luxembourg. One of the things I like about this is that it creates a bit of competition for the smaller teams. Luxembourg are likely never going to make a tournament but making the play offs is a good goal for them. Edited September 12, 2018 by Detournement 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Easy to forget how brilliant Isco is when for his whole RM career it's all been about Bale, Modric and The Big Man. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marten Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 31 minutes ago, Detournement said: One of the things I like about this is that it creates a bit of competition for the smaller teams. Luxembourg are likely never going to make a tournament but making the play offs is a good goal for them. Agreed, I love this tournament, especially because the "diddy countries" get some competitive games against similar level opposition. Games like Liechtenstein v Gibraltar & Faroe Islands v Malta are great for those countries: they finally get the chance of competitive victories. Luxembourg have improved greatly over recent years, they should have a good chance to get to the play-offs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunning1874 Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 Absolutely wild to think that Isco didn't even make Spain's provisional squad of 30 in 2014. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highlandcowden Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 21 hours ago, GordonS said: Watched the Spain - Croatia game. It was pure filth. It was football porn. I think that's the best performance I've seen all year - better than anything at the World Cup. Make sure you watch the highlights, but honestly, watching the whole 90 minutes would be worthwhile. They utterly rinsed a very good team. Croatia's great strength is centre midfield, yet somehow Spain managed to make it look like they didn't have a midfield at all. They seemed to get to the edge of the Croatia box any time they wanted. I need a cigarette after that, and I don't smoke. well done spain for hitting a peak;3 months after the world cup. that's so scotland 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highlandcowden Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 12 hours ago, Marten said: Agreed, I love this tournament, especially because the "diddy countries" get some competitive games against similar level opposition. Games like Liechtenstein v Gibraltar & Faroe Islands v Malta are great for those countries: they finally get the chance of competitive victories. Luxembourg have improved greatly over recent years, they should have a good chance to get to the play-offs. totally agreed the most interesting games have been the bottom group,they realise this is their big chance 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DG.Roma Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 2 hours ago, highlandcowden said: totally agreed the most interesting games have been the bottom group,they realise this is their big chance Aye, and besides the playoffs there'll also be teams promoted into the C leagues, our current level. You could say this might be setting up teams like Luxembourg for fresh batterings against the likes of Serbia and teams relegated from the B leagues, but they'll be approaching these games with a new found confidence and optimism so who knows. It'll be interesting to see what the league groupings look like after a few rounds of promotions and relegations 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightmare Posted September 12, 2018 Share Posted September 12, 2018 16 hours ago, Detournement said: One of the things I like about this is that it creates a bit of competition for the smaller teams. Luxembourg are likely never going to make a tournament but making the play offs is a good goal for them. Luxembourg are currently a League D group leader, along with Georgia, Kosovo and Macedonia. They wouldn't be favourites in the playoffs with that lineup, but I don't think it would be completely outwith the realms of possibility for them to win that playoff tournament and qualify either. They seem to have risen well above being perma-diddies (Gibraltar, San Marino, Malta and Liechtenstein) into the "no mugs" category; they're currently above both Georgia and Kosovo (as well as Israel) in the FIFA rankings. Same with the Faroes as well, who seem to actually pick up a relatively decent points haul in qualifying campaigns these days. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonS Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 4 hours ago, highlandcowden said: well done spain for hitting a peak;3 months after the world cup. that's so scotland Well they do say you don't want to peak too early in a World Cup year... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marten Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 8 hours ago, Nightmare said: Luxembourg are currently a League D group leader, along with Georgia, Kosovo and Macedonia. They wouldn't be favourites in the playoffs with that lineup, but I don't think it would be completely outwith the realms of possibility for them to win that playoff tournament and qualify either. They seem to have risen well above being perma-diddies (Gibraltar, San Marino, Malta and Liechtenstein) into the "no mugs" category; they're currently above both Georgia and Kosovo (as well as Israel) in the FIFA rankings. Same with the Faroes as well, who seem to actually pick up a relatively decent points haul in qualifying campaigns these days. Luxembourg, in terms of population, might be a small country, but it's not that small. It's 2.5 times the population of Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Faroer and Gibraltar put together, larger than Iceland and similar to Montenegro. The fact that they were in the category of these real microstates just shows they were under-performing for a long time. They will obviously never be a major force due to their size, but they can do much better than what they were doing until a few years ago. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highlandcowden Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 7 hours ago, GordonS said: Well they do say you don't want to peak too early in a World Cup year... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kejan Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 4 hours ago, Marten said: Luxembourg, in terms of population, might be a small country, but it's not that small. It's 2.5 times the population of Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Faroer and Gibraltar put together, larger than Iceland and similar to Montenegro. The fact that they were in the category of these real microstates just shows they were under-performing for a long time. They will obviously never be a major force due to their size, but they can do much better than what they were doing until a few years ago. Malta are always massive under-achievers, IMO. Considering the success Iceland have had and the Faroes - 4th in Qualifying and some decent scelps, rarely get a hiding these days for a population of 50k is impressive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AsimButtHitsASix Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 San Marino joined UEFA in 1988 but, before then, Luxembourg, Iceland (both joined in 50s?) and Liechtenstein (1970s?) really had no hope of beating anyone else. Even the smaller populated states like Northern Ireland or Cyprus would have had the jump on them so their entire mentality woulda been "keep the score down" I guess since the break up of Russia/Yugoslavia and the introduction of more diddy countries Luxembourg and Iceland have realised they have more to play for and no reason to feel like they're just making up the numbers. The memo just hasn't reached Malta yet. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted September 13, 2018 Share Posted September 13, 2018 San Marino, Faroe Islands, Liechtenstein and Andorra all joined during late 1980s & early 1990s. Cyprus, Malta and Turkey were traditionally the minnows before then. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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