Finland stay, shun Russia

[Discordant Resonance]

And that's them almost certainly out, you would feel.

[tee rex]

Finland really missed out there, had plenty of space and balls into the box. Russia don't really add anything to this tournament (quality goal though it was). Hope Denmark stuff them.

[Satchmo Distel]

I think Finland decided to keep it down to 1-0 and take their chances on having a decent GD in tied scenarios (it's also possible Belgium may be happy with a point or a 1-0 win against them, having beaten the other two by three or four).

[Nocturnal Submission]

Two pretty poor sides.

[tee rex]

Late highlight was a Russian flag in the stand with "Tomsk" on it (insert Wimbledon joke here).

How many coaches have survived since the World Cup?

[imp]

What was the gripe here?

(Or what should it have been?)

My usual gripe with VAR - that it ignores its own remit to only question "clear and obvious errors". It's clear and obvious to me and most of the world that these hairline offside decisions are not clearly and obviously offside. Pre-VAR, the co-commentator might have said "a hint of offside there" and that would have been it, no one would have complained that a decent piece of football was rewarded with a goal.

As it is, you have an entire nation celebrating their underdog team going ahead early on with a fine goal, only for some technocratic twattery to call it back just as they've finished their moment of joy. It's not what the offside law is for, and it's not what VAR should be correcting.

I'm not totally opposed to VAR, and it's been used better in this tournament than in domestic leagues (though a lot of that is due to the handball law being interpreted with common sense again), but on balance I'd get rid of it. It's for TV and TV fans, not the game.

[Satchmo Distel]

Late highlight was a Russian flag in the stand with "Tomsk" on it (insert Wimbledon joke here).

How many coaches have survived since the World Cup?

Most of the ones with the big sides who did OK in Russia, I think, and Loew due to the credit he'd earned in 2014. Most of the sides in Euro 2020 didn't qualify for Russia 2018, mainly because there were fewer places for UEFA sides but also due to the usual churn in form over 2 years.

[imp]

Ah, I see there's been a whole VAR debate on the France-Germany thread. As you were.