Russia v Croatia

[Hot Pepsi]

That makes sense.

[Hot Pepsi]

I don’t know about Croatia as a place, but their kits are great.

[EIM]

I'm serious about Marcos Rojo.

[Sash]

Was seriously wearing my USSR top when we recorded this evening's pod:
https://audioboom.com/posts/6924045-liquid-history

[tee rex]

So I missed the wrong game. Kick-offs at 2 am and 6 am, something had to give way to sleep. Never mind, it was fun a few hours later watching the Peter Drury show (international feed), and playing that old highlights guessing game where you work out what's going to happen based on the TV schedule ("extra time now, but still twenty minutes of programme left, it must have gone to penalties, who's getting the equaliser?" etc).

Slightly disappointed to be deprived of the smartarse trivia question "How many Arsenal players in the semi finals?". Answer: Zyuba, of the Russian version. (Welbeck doesn't count, unless food poisoning hits England).

Congrats Croatia.

[Satchmo Distel]

Another 1990 parallel - no Arsenal players in the first team (Robson didn't put any in the 22; no Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Smith, Wright; and they were a good side, would win a second title the following season).

Also seems odd to see France with no Arsenal players. But Henry with Belgium.

[Satchmo Distel]

When was the last time both teams scored in extra time?

[ad hoc]

Last one I can recall in a major championship was this one that I mentioned last night. Notable that both Modric and Rakitic missed their penalties in this one https://youtu.be/MXq13PjO-FQ

[Satchmo Distel]

Winning two shoot-outs in consecutive games is also rare. I can only think of one example, Argentina in 1990. Win followed by loss is far more common, which makes Russia's poor effort yesterday even worse. Usually Croatia would be at a disadvantage because Russia could study their techniques against Denmark.

Another reason is that you're more likely to meet a team with more nous in the second game, such as Germany or Portugal.

Croatia winning three in a row would be freakish, but I suppose a team will do it eventually, maybe even four (five becomes possible from 2026).

[ad hoc]

Russia were in a penalty shootout the previous round too though

[Janik]

Four of the six games in the bottom half of the draw have gone to penalties, compared to zero of six in the top half. In fact none of the games in the top half have even gone to extra-time. The only sides in the bottom half to have properly won a knock-out game are England and Sweden with one each, and the Swedes are out. Neither of those decisive wins was considered to be a particularly sparkling match, and nor were any of the games that went to pens (the one that prompted this thread was dramatic, but a good game? Not really). I'm not sure I remember such a distinct difference between two sides of a draw previously.

[Wouter D]

When was the last time both teams scored in extra time?

Belgium - USA, 2014 World Cup.

[Patrick Thistle]

Just seen the highlights. The first Russian goal was fantastic.