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    Originally posted by Diable Rouge View Post
    Said 7-1 on the FIFA graphic, at any rate.
    Yeah, I saw that graphic and then the post above while simultaneously having the same discussion with SdR Jr. He is utterly livid with England for "hoofing it everywhere" in the second half. Good lad.

    So, well done to Croatia, I doubt anyone in that country is talking about how the draw has opened up for them. They've played an entire 90 minutes more than France in those three rounds and I can't see them getting anywhere near the French on Sunday, but you never know.

    As for England, there's a chance to reset the narrative. All this "never have a better chance" stuff needs to stop. The attitude now should be to use this as a springboard and come back in two years time even better.

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      Ho hum. The curse of ITV strikes again...

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        Pity it wasn't on the BBC,I'd have loved to see Lineker do the eyes thing to the camera as Shearer started to blubb

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          They will have a highlights show later if you want to wallow, elguapo4. I guess the introduction will be interesting to see how professional and not give-the-game-away they can keep it.

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            Vive La France

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              Originally posted by SouthdownRebel View Post

              As for England, there's a chance to reset the narrative. All this "never have a better chance" stuff needs to stop. The attitude now should be to use this as a springboard and come back in two years time even better.
              Yes but by then there'll be "expectations" and the hype and its consequences will be rebooted once again.

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                Bugger. I'm surprised how much I cared, in the end. Two years ago England losing was a giggle. This time I was begging for a last-second miracle, the first time I've been invested in England since CR7's wink in 2006 (and even then it was no great pain).

                But they blew it. A few ref-related grumbles, but no hands and gods. Just a team without the incisive edge to finish Croatia off, and getting punished. *sniff*

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                  Perisic’s flicked headed assist for the winner was absolutely phenomenal, hope it gets acknowledged.

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                    Originally posted by Defensive minded
                    However, that was England's problem in general. They were the better team, but Croatia had the better footballers.
                    England were by far the better team for 45 minutes, the rest of the match was Croatia’s.

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                      Enjoyable tournament for England, as much as they ever are. And a good match, with nice ebbs and flows. The better team won, but it was marginal. But I really like this Croatia team - I like their midfield, and obviously have a bit of a crush on Modric. But I also kind of like their shithousing. It's just the right kind of shithousery, cynical but entertaining, not just thuggish. I really, really want them to win on Sunday, but fear it's going to be a step too far.

                      There's part of me that's happy England lost a semi-final with normal football rather than on penalties - it allows us to continue the narrative that this England team aren't just repeating the mistakes of England past. And they totally over-achieved ahead of both expectations and ahead of the actual quality in the squad. For a team without a midfielder who can pass properly, it was very impressive.

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                        Originally posted by Amor de Cosmos View Post
                        Yes but by then there'll be "expectations" and the hype and its consequences will be rebooted once again.
                        Sorry, what major nation with a quality team heads to a major tournament without "expectations"? The issue isn't that there are expectations, it's that English footballers aren't equipped to deal with that.

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                          Is ITV taking it badly? Fox is choosing to focus on giving credit to Croatia. Southgate has not been criticized for failing to stop the slide in the second half.

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                            Originally posted by San Bernardhinault View Post
                            There's part of me that's happy England lost a semi-final with normal football rather than on penalties - it allows us to continue the narrative that this England team aren't just repeating the mistakes of England past.
                            The trial of guilty men has always been a depressing part of England's tournaments (Beckham 98, assorted penalty takers, etc). At least this time there's no standout scapegoat.

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                              England come out all guns blazing, score an early goal and run themselves into the ground before halftime. Then England lose.

                              This is the most unoriginal script since that JJ Abrams third fucking death star movie.

                              Adieu, mighty conquerers of Tunisia, Panama and Sweden.

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                                England should have had the game wrapped up in the first half when Croatia looked like they'd forgotten what a football was.
                                After that it was all Croatia and they deservedly won the game. Ho hum. England rather outdid expectations here. I don't have the aching "what could have been" of other tournaments. I'm not sure if that's age, dissillusionment with football or just that I never expected England to win.

                                I suspect (and hope) that France will be rather too much for Croatia though.

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                                  Originally posted by Amor de Cosmos View Post
                                  Yes but by then there'll be "expectations" and the hype and its consequences will be rebooted once again.
                                  England, and all national teams, need to follow the model of successful NFL franchises, like the Eagles, which is to tell the populace "Look, most of you are going to continue buying tickets and merch regardless (e.g. the Washington franchise), the rest of you will do so if we win (e.g. the Patriots), and most of our revenue doesn't come from 'the fans' anyway. Therefore, we do not give a shit what the fans on talk radio or the media think about what we're doing. We're going to do what we have to do to be a winner in the long-run, including dumping popular players with bad contracts, accepting some losses in the short run while young prospects develop, and hiring smart young coaches with potential rather than well-known retreads. If we fail, that's on us. But it won't be because we lacked 'passion' or didn't have enough local players or because we didn't listen to 'the fans.'"

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                                    Belgium should have tried harder to throw that dead rubber. They'd have been runners up instead of semi final losers.

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                                      Originally posted by San Bernardhinault View Post

                                      For a team without a midfielder who can pass properly, it was very impressive.
                                      The other glaring absence in this tournament is a quality finisher (strange when Kane will probably win the Golden Boot, I know).

                                      England had fewer shots on target than every single opponent in the knockout stages but had more than enough shots overall to win each game comfortably.

                                      Sooner or later you’re likely to meet a team who can defend set pieces properly and, if that’s your only source of goals, you’re out.

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                                        Originally posted by anton pulisov View Post

                                        Adieu, mighty conquerers of Tunisia, Panama and Sweden.
                                        Nah, England historians don't get to play "we didn't really lose, coz penalties don't count". So nor do you.

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                                          Is Roy Keane about to lamp Ian Wright?

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                                            Wright and Keane losing the plot there.

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                                              Originally posted by Janik View Post
                                              They will have a highlights show later if you want to wallow, elguapo4. I guess the introduction will be interesting to see how professional and not give-the-game-away they can keep it.
                                              True,that was uncalled of by me,apologies and withdrawn

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                                                The producers on IT always let their pundits have a good old ding dong, the BBC never do. It's more fun the ITV way.

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                                                  Originally posted by SouthdownRebel View Post
                                                  Wright and Keane losing the plot there.
                                                  Summary please

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                                                    I feel like England will have an edge in the third-place game because they're more likely to think third is a good result to be proud of, rather than feel down that they didn't make the final, but I could be wrong.

                                                    It's remarkable to me that the third-place game is still a thing. Do any other sports, outside the Olympics, bother with it for major tournaments? I can't think of any in the US that do.

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