Two Hours On The Bogota: England v Colombia

[Pérou Flaquettes]

Out-qualified Holland is a euphemism for "sent 11 players out onto the pitch" I assume?

The Dutch weren't actually too bad in the qualifiers apart from 1 or 2 shockers, tight group (A), France scraped through really, 2nd spot between Sweden and Holland was decided on goal difference.

https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Foot...roupe6692.html

[Mr Cogito]

Too generous, I think. England had possession, usually got a free kick or a corner, and then barely troubled Ospina. It's true they couldn't flow because Colombia fouled, but they couldn't do anything with the set piece either. That's been the pattern in the tournament.

Sweden's game plan will be to keep England away from the area, fair or foul, rely on their defenders clearing when necessary, and waiting for England's calm playing it out from the back to go wrong. It took 80 minutes this game (Walker) but it always looks like they're a misplaced pass away.

I wasn't saying they were great, just countering the general line that it was all about Colombia's belated start. This is a thoroughly mediocre England team and for a while that was a thoroughly competent performance that exceeded expectations AND put the opponents on the back foot for the best part of the game.

Sweden have more than enough to prevail, but in a game between two team's like that, each with limited x factor, a lucky break or two could be enough for either.

[jason voorhees]

Sweden is obviously very good, but seeing the chances that Germany and Switzerland got...That one may end up 5-3.

[jason voorhees]

And I agree with Mr Cogito's post at the bottom of the last page. Not generous, truth. England played very well and dealt with a very hard, very physically demanding game.

[Post-apocalyptic Pete]

A game of few genuine chances, very good save by Pickford immediately before the equaliser. Ultimately I think England did well in a physical, grinding game.

As much as I try, I can't hate this England team.

[Mr Cogito]

The Dutch weren't actually too bad in the qualifiers apart from 1 or 2 shockers, tight group (A), France scraped through really, 2nd spot between Sweden and Holland was decided on goal difference.

https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Foot...roupe6692.html

Well, it was a little tongue in cheek, based on the last 4-5 years; but the goal difference is a bit misleading given that it was over with a game to spare, in that the last game between the two Sweden could have lost something like 10-0 and still got into the play offs. Minor point though.

[tee rex]

Anyway, has Southgate explained his sub/penalty choices in the media? Vardy didn't take one, imagine the opprobrium on player and manager if England had gone out.

The shootout body language was good, for what little it's worth. They didn't have that usual "WTF am I doing here?" look that England have. And no mucking about, playing silly buggers. Same again, please.

[Patrick Thistle]

A game of few genuine chances, very good save by Pickford immediately before the equaliser. Ultimately I think England did well in a physical, grinding game.

As much as I try, I can't hate this England team.

Welcome to the board. Excellent biscuit choice.

[Satchmo Distel]

Ultimately frustrating, and tending towards the mediocre; but that was a very, very competent first 60-75 minutes from England, and they seized the advantage, Colombia certainly didn't give it to them. The general thuggery was a mark of how ruthless and dominating that England performance was. It was a superb performance from England. Not superb football, or spectacular, or even out of the ordinary for this level of a World Cup; just everything coming together. When we have the ball Lingard, Ali and Sterling's movement was too much for the Colombians. When we didn't have the ball we still have a tendency to swarm the ball holder and lose shape, and when we stopped pressing forward that made us look pretty ragged and certainly England surrendered momentum. But I don't think Colombia would have played so badly if it hadn't been for England's possession, use of the ball and general purposeful football.

Totally agree with this. Excellent summary.

[Patrick Thistle]

My most Welsh friend is gutted, she tells me

"I'm bored being Colombian," she texts, "I'm going to be Swedish now."

"Same shirt colour," I reply.

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

Didn't England win a bunch of various u-XX World cups and European championships past couple of years?
Wonder if that has had any effect on this side?

[Simon G]

I think I've finally calmed down now - I was completely overwhelmed when Dier's penalty hit the net. As a kid, I cried when England lost to Argentina and Germany on pens in 98 and 96 respectively, tonight I nearly cried because we won. I honestly thought we were out when the Colombians scored.

Probably the most tense game I can remember. I thought the first half was two teams afraid to commit - Colombia sitting deep and hoping to play on the break, and England refusing to be too adventurous in case they were caught on the break. Towards the end of the first half, the Colombians tried to rough England up with a few flare ups (Cuadrado-Maguire for example) and then trying to wind Sterling up.

Second half, England started to get at them and once the penalty was given they appeared to lose their heads. I think it was very admirable of the England players to keep theirs. One stupid act of petulance (and Henderson very much got away with one) and retaliation could have seen England losing a man and that would really have turned the game. i thought we rode our luck last 10 mins, and appeared to have got away with it, only for Mina to score another great header. I've been very impressed with Mina in this tournament, he is bloody dangerous from corners as well.

Extra-time appeared, to me, to be England letting Colombia have the ball whilst they got their bearings in the first period. In the second period England were much better and unlucky not to find a winner. I thought Danny Rose's shot was creeping in, and Dier has scored a couple of free-headers for England before.

I won't comment on the penalties, except to say that Jordan Pickford's left arm must be made of iron, it was so so solid to stop Bacca's spot-kick.

In terms of quality, it was a poor game, in terms of tension, my nerves are completely shredded. And we have to do it all again in 4 days time.

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

Well, it was a little tongue in cheek, based on the last 4-5 years; but the goal difference is a bit misleading given that it was over with a game to spare, in that the last game between the two Sweden could have lost something like 10-0 and still got into the play offs. Minor point though.

Netherlands had to win with 6-0 (ended 2-0) in the last game against Sweden to get play-off, so the second last round when Sweden beat Luxembourg 8-0 really counted a lot.

[ursus arctos]

bix, like any Libertadores match, this one would have been improved by a mazy run from a stray dog and/or a floodlight failure

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Didn't England win a bunch of various u-XX World cups and European championships past couple of years?
Wonder if that has had any effect on this side?

last summer.

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

What was it? U17, U20....?

[ursus arctos]

Both

[SouthdownRebel]

https://twitter.com/fishplums/status/1014272687097737219

[Ray de Galles]

Going back to the penalty, I only saw the replay briefly, but I thought Kane initiated that little wrestling match with Sanchez by pulling him out of the way first. Did I imagine that?

Yeah, this tweet shows that but he managed to tempt Sanchez in to very decisively and (very stupidly) end it :

https://twitter.com/_dantheman10/status/1014228337840001029?s=21

I think you have to give Southgate (or someone in the England camp) credit for realising prior to, or very early on in, the tournament that VAR and/or a crackdown on sneaky fouls at setpieces was going to lead to a lot of potential penalties and working on how they can invite and exploit them.

Winning penalties and being effective at set pieces has been the absolute bedrock of their tournament so far and they’re wise to focus on these strengths because they’re not doing an awful lot else (two shots on target in two hours tonight, one of them the penalty).

I get the sense that Sweden are going to try and play in a pretty similar way so the quarter final could be another distinctly underwhelming affair for the neutral.

[anton pulisov]

Sweden are England-lite. However, England have played 120 minutes and a few hours later then Sweden, so that might even things up.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

and the u-19 european championships. A bit of an asterisk beside it has to be that the the germans moved a lot of their players up an age group, so the u-21's could go to the confederations cup.

[tee rex]

I think you have to give Southgate (or someone in the England camp) credit for realising prior to, or very early on in, the tournament that VAR and/or a crackdown on sneaky fouls at setpieces was going to lead to a lot of potential penalties and working on how they can invite and exploit them.

Yes, people are working out the changing risk/reward ratio now that tussles in the box are now assessed in close-up. A tangle of arms can seem 50-50, but a shirt can never grab a hand. VAR will go for the more obvious evidence, even if the shirt-grabber is responding to something prior.

[Various Artist]

Mrs Thistle reckons "Lingard" is something you'd find in the IKEA food hall.

Sweden will also have a full team of Ikea Food Hall products, unlike England with just their one measly packet of Lingard.

I reckon, by the way, Mrs Thistle might be thinking of lingonberries, PT. Ikea sell jam made from them, and also juice – it's quite a bit like cranberry, as I recall.

[Patrick Thistle]

Yes she did mention lingonberries. I think you're right they sparked the idea.

[Felicity, I guess so]

The signature meatballs dish at IKEA also comes with lingonberry sauce