FRA-POL Take a deep breath everyone

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

France have to be sharp, here. If they do their oft-worn tactic of pissing about and having a smoke during the game, Poland will be up for it.

[Satchmo Distel]

Lloris has already warned the squad about this, apparently.

Previous WC meeting was the 1982 3rd place playoff, ludicrously just 2 days after the SFs. France are unbeaten in their last 7 meetings (starting in 1990)

[Jah Womble]

I think this countdown nonsense can do one.

[Lobachevsky]

Are Poland the most negative team in the WC

[Sean of the Shed]

Mbappe seemed well pissed off that he got no support on that break.

[Sean of the Shed]

Dublin claiming Dembele put too much on the cross, but the keeper was nowhere and it just needed to be steered towards the goal. I think he played it thinking that Mbappe would be there rather than Giroud and would already be in position.

[Crystal Staples]

I think this countdown nonsense can do one.

Hope we soon get a referee that agrees and blows for the kick-off while the announcer's half-way through.

[Gangster Octopus]

That's what happened at the New York during the Euros for the France-Italy game...

[Sean of the Shed]

Poland may not get a better opportunity. Two rebounds and both shots blocked by defenders after Lloris's initial save.

[Sean of the Shed]

The OG scores again.

[Jah Womble]

Giroud buries it for the record and Poland are made to rue those missed chances before h/t.

[Sheep]

Lovely pass.

[ursus arctos]

I'm not sure that goes in of it doesn't loop up a bit after hitting his other foot.n.

Will be interesting to see how long Giroud holds the French goalscoring record. Mbappé will surely take it off him.

[Nocturnal Submission]

I think this countdown nonsense can do one.

It wouldn't be so bad if they kicked off at whatever they say after "1" but the actually KO is usually a couple of second afterwards.

[Cal Alamein]

Andres Cantor has his gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooll!!!!!! voice back!

[Sean of the Shed]

I'm not sure that goes in of it doesn't loop up a bit after hitting his other foot.n.

Will be interesting to see how long Giroud holds the French goalscoring record. Mbappé will surely take it off him.

Possibly by the time the next World Cup comes around. Maybe even before.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Giroud buries it for the record and Poland are made to rue those missed chances before h/t.

I wanted the TV camera cutting to Thierry Henry pulling his shirt over his face to hide his crying. The last couple of days have whetted my appetite

[Cal Alamein]

New rule - finger wag at a ref - red card.

[ad hoc]

Griezmann is the weak link in this team isn't he? What does he offer?

[ad hoc]

I think that should be a goal.

[ursus arctos]

He can be a passenger at tines, but most French observers are much more concerned about the defence

[ursus arctos]

I think that should be a goal.

Do you mean that the referee shouldn't have blown the whistle, or that that shouldn't matter?

[Ray de Galles]

Griezmann is the weak link in this team isn't he? What does he offer?

I was very impressed with him in their first two games, worked the hardest of France's front four players and was great at linking up the defensive midfield duo and his two wide men and lone forward.

As he's just done here.

[Jah Womble]

He’s seemed a shadow of the player he was 5-6 years ago over the past couple of tournaments.

Have to say that I don’t see what the issue was there - Szczęsny holding his back like he’d been shot…

[ad hoc]

Do you mean that the referee shouldn't have blown the whistle, or that that shouldn't matter?

No once the whistle had been blown it had to stop. But I don't think he should have blown the whistle. It wasn't a head injury.