OT: World Cup Semi, England vs. Croatia
Yesterday France put Belgium to the sword in an entertaining 1-0 game. Today it's England vs. Croatia. This is Croatia's second trip to the semis, the first being a Davor Suker-led squad that fell to Lillian Thuram and France in 1998. England hasn't made it this far in the semis since they lost to West Germany in Italy in 1990.
Croatia could be tired after playing two consecutive extra-time games. England could be in jeopardy because their perpetual black cloud of bad luck has yet to smite them in this World Cup.
This has been a really entertaining tournament. Here's hoping for another crackling game.
Come on England!
Doooooon’t take me hoooomme
Please, don’t take me home
I just don’t wanna go to work
I wanna stay here, drink all your beer
Please don’t, Please don’t take me home
Rooting for England, but either way I think France wins it all. Too much talent all over the field. Mbappe is just fun to watch and should make France a tough team for years to come.
Paul Pogba is only 26. This generation of French players is going to be terrific for a long time. Honestly a win here would put them ahead of schedule.
I think the main question is who will be their coach. Hard not to think that the federation might want to defenestrate Deschamps for Zidane (if he's interested), but can't rightly do that if Deschamps wins the whole thing.
I took Croatia to advance. Kane will probably make me pay
I picked Croatia to advance in our work bracket and think Modric is a really unique player but would like to see England get to the final.
Anybody but France after the theatrics they pulled yesterday.
I just want to see all the beautiful goals. Croatia can produce some magic. England has the talent to but hasn't quite done it this tournament. Kane might just bulldog his way to a brace though.
Guess I picked an interesting time to take vacation in France and England. We are in England this week and go to France on Monday. Going to be crazy in both countries although I hope it doesn’t mess up the trains
Nice. Enjoy France.
I'm going to Zagreb for the final. It's gonna be nuts there for sure. I was in Dubrovnik for the game versus Japan and I couldn't sleep after the match (street noise, fireworks).
If the final is England v France I am going to be rooting for an asteroid. Come on Croatia!!
Come on England!
Wow. What a start for England.
Thank you charter spectrum for not streaming the game on your app while I'm driving around today
Use the foxsportsgo app and sign in with your charter login?
I did finally find it. Thanks. Just in time to see them lose
Anyone else notice that England is using the train formation on their corners?
Sterling is such a quick-twitch dude, if he'd grown up in the US he'd have ended up as a slot ninja in some Big 12 spread offense. He's not a great finisher (from what I've seen in this tournament) but man does he stress out a defense.
He has had some amazing misses
Dear Baby Santa, please let that blown opportunity by Kane come back to haunt England...PLEASE!!!
So I just signed up for YouTube TV....Croatia is threatening inside the box as the final half is about to end and my screen goes out with a "playback error" and won't restart.
EQUALIZER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CILJJJJJJ!!!!!
It seems like England's only offense for the last 60 minutes or so has been boot it long and hope Sterling outruns Vida. Croatia has absolutely dominated this second half.
Anyone know, what is the song (or which team's fans sing it) that has the horns or saxophone or whatever that is playing the same tune? Wish I could describe it better but no way to sing to you...
God Save the Queen, the England anthem. We Americans stole the tune and sing it as My Country Tis of Thee.
No it's not that. It sounds like a short song that just goes (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh, <horn, horn horn> ooh, ooh, ooh, Horn, horn, horn> Great little ditty.
The three lions song...It's coming home. That is my only other (best) guess.
And the English stole the tune from France (who stole it from Austria)...
Wow...stunner of a goal by Croatia!!!
I appreciate that result.
Does this mean the It's Coming Home memes are done now?
I think it means they've just begun.
The World Cup was founded by a Frenchman (Jules Rimet), so maybe not...
"It's coming home" refers to "football's coming home", not the World Cup as they are the ones to have invented modern soccer.
What a match! I was hoping it would go into penalty kicks, but congrats to Croatia.
After my team (Germany) was eliminated, all I've been rooting for is CHAOS.
I think France hoists the trophy on Sunday, you heard it here first!
Ballsy, picking the favorite with only two teams left. Don't get too crazy.
Ballsy for sure, but sometimes you just have to take chances on things that will result in zero repercussions if I am right or wrong.
My slavic brothers pulled it off. gonna be a tough game against France
Brexit, Brexit!!!
Croatia!!!!!!! Here's to hoping they can knock off France.
Allez Les Bleus!
Or, as we saw in the land of Charlevoix, Grosse Pointe, Detroit and Marquette: "Let's Go Blue[s]!"
Well blimey.
Oh those crafty Englishmen. Once again they lose to get the easier draw next round.
Well, as I've been cheering for France I feel pretty good about this whole setup, having an extra day of rest before a Croatia team that's actually played 90 more minutes of soccer (plus two penalty shootouts) than France has. But two years ago it was basically the same thing against Portugal. Some teams are just Dracula-esque.
Welp, the dream England-France final won't be happening. A pity, the historical references would've been delightful. William the Conqueror! Edward III! Henry V! Joan of Arc! John Churchill! Lord Nelson! Napoleon! The Duke of Wellington!
Instead we'll have to focus on the soccer, which I guess is a good fallback position in a soccer tournament.
And the uniforms, which could be good. This has been a good World Cup from a sartorial perspective, IMO the best since 1998.
France/England would have been pretty epic. They never seem to face each other in an elimination match. England always seems to lose the round before - they lost to Iceland in ‘16 and now today to Croatia. Oh well.
I mostly agree except for Hvratska’s blue and black checkerboard with red numbers and socks. Those are atrocic.
Yeah, they've got to stick with their regular colors.
I wasn’t sure who to root for in the finals before today’s game. After that amazing comeback today, I will definitely be rooting for Cinderellic.