Knockout Stages - Round of 16

[Sly]

This is getting to the more exciting stuff now. 

 

A few tasty matches in the round as well. 
 

04/07 18:00 - Canada Vs Morocco

04/07 22:00 - Paraguay Vs France 

 

05/07 21:00 - Norway Vs Brazil

 

06/07 01:00 - England Vs Mexico

 

06/07 20:00 - Portugal Vs Spain

 

07/07 01:00 - USA Vs Belgium

 

07/07 17:00 - Argentina / Cape Verde Vs Australia / Eygpt

 

07/07 22:00 - Switzerland Vs Colombia / Ghana

[Sly]

Also on the England Vs Mexico at the Azteca I saw this Graphic that puts its a bit more in context! 
 

Mexicos form should bother England more than the altitude and feared reputation. 
 

 

[Nalis]

3 minutes ago, Sly said:

Also on the England Vs Mexico at the Azteca I saw this Graphic that puts its a bit more in context! 
 

Mexicos form should bother England more than the altitude and feared reputation. 
 

 

There is a lot to worry about with Mexico but for me it is in the order of altitude, home support, team spirit, team quality, individual quality

[Nalis]

Yet to see Portugal hit form but their off days are awful. If they peak against Spain and beat them I wouldnt be surprised if they went back to their form to date and got beat by USA in the quarters 

Edited 12 hours ago by Nalis

[Sly]

Just now, Nalis said:

Yet to see Portugal hit form but their off days are awful. If they peak against Spain and beat them I wouldnt be surprised if they went on to get beat by USA in the quarters.

Portugal are so hit and miss, however I think like England, they’ve played a couple of teams in Congo and Colombia that were setup not to lose and counter.
 

Against a better team, I was expecting a more solid performance. I honesty thought they’d blow Croatia away. That didn’t happen. 
 

Spain would have too much for them. I can’t look past Spain or France winning this realistically. 
 

 

[StanSP]

What is this sorcery 

[LCFCJohn]

Who’s watching this one at 1am Monday then? 
 

My workplace has communicated flexibility in terms of working Monday so people can be even those of us who are into football all just looked at each other and said no way! 
 

Pretty much the worst time it could be. Think even 3am would be better as my body clock naturally wakes up about 5pm so I’d have got up early and gone straight into my day and got some sleep beforehand but 1am is neither here nor there. 
 

I’d be a statement if we could win anyway. Mexico definitely big favourites. 

[ClaphamFox]

1 hour ago, Sly said:

Also on the England Vs Mexico at the Azteca I saw this Graphic that puts its a bit more in context! 
 

Mexicos form should bother England more than the altitude and feared reputation. 
 

 

I’ve no doubt the altitude effect is very real, but the psychological aspect will also play a major part. If teams go there terrified because they’re convinced they won’t cope with it, it will seriously damage their confidence and help Mexico. Last night Tim Vickery told the story of a player who was travelling with his team to the Azteca by bus when he suddenly had a panic attack and complained to the team doctor that he was struggling to breathe because of the altitude—only to be told they were still at sea level.

 

In his interviews Tuchel has been talking up Mexico’s huge advantage and suggesting we’ll be the underdogs. I wonder if he really believes that or is just playing a few mind games. 

 

Edited 11 hours ago by ClaphamFox

[Aus Fox]

 

prediction time: 
 

04/07 18:00 - Canada 0 - 2 Morocco

04/07 22:00 - Paraguay 0- 4 France 

 

05/07 21:00 - Norway 2-1 Brazil

 

06/07 01:00 - England 2-1 Mexico

 

06/07 20:00 - Portugal 1-3 Spain

 

07/07 01:00 - USA 0- 1Belgium

 

07/07 17:00 - Argentina / Cape Verde 2 - 0 Australia / Eygpt

 

07/07 22:00 - Switzerland 2-1 Colombia / Ghana

[FoxesWalk]

2 hours ago, Sly said:

Also on the England Vs Mexico at the Azteca I saw this Graphic that puts its a bit more in context! 
 

Mexicos form should bother England more than the altitude and feared reputation. 
 

 

I’d still rather play Portugal than Mexico at home at high altitude advantage 

[RowlattsFox]

Glad Spain and Portugal are playing each other so we at least lose one of the whiny bastards. 

 

 

[FoxesWalk]

Saw Tim Vickery saying that if England make the final on the likely path, away at the Azteca, then Brazil, then Argentina (all at a tournament hosted in the americas) then it would be - by far - the all time biggest achievement of the England national team, including winning it. 

[Muzzy_no7]

World Cup starts when this round starts.

 

Chuckled everytime a commentator or pundit has said something like ‘first time through to the knockouts’ or furthest they’ve ever been’ in reference to the last 32 round. 
 

Good to see the vast majority of the 3rd place nations are out already.

[Raj]

Too much Hype about Mexico.

Yes they haven't lost in years but they've played Honduras and Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rico and Jamaica(No disrespect) every month!

 

Not got anyone near the quality of Kane

 

Be an easy 2-1 Victory to England!!

[goose2010]

1 hour ago, FoxesWalk said:

Saw Tim Vickery saying that if England make the final on the likely path, away at the Azteca, then Brazil, then Argentina (all at a tournament hosted in the americas) then it would be - by far - the all time biggest achievement of the England national team, including winning it. 

without a doubt! people forget that there were only 16 teams in the World Cup in 66 and one of them was North Korea! + we were on home soil. 

 

Getting passed Mexico would be huge and a massive confidence boost for the rest of the knock outs. 

[Fox92]

I'd imagine Morocco, France and sadly the Argies all progress but Norway/Brazil, Spain/Portugal and USA/Belgium should all be good and difficult to predict.

[ClaphamFox]

5 hours ago, LCFCJohn said:

Who’s watching this one at 1am Monday then? 
 

My workplace has communicated flexibility in terms of working Monday so people can be even those of us who are into football all just looked at each other and said no way! 
 

Pretty much the worst time it could be. Think even 3am would be better as my body clock naturally wakes up about 5pm so I’d have got up early and gone straight into my day and got some sleep beforehand but 1am is neither here nor there. 
 

I’d be a statement if we could win anyway. Mexico definitely big favourites. 

Two pubs in my Oxfordshire village are showing it and I will be in one of them. Probably not my wisest ever move, but the prospect of England heading into the raucous, oxygen-starved fortress of the Azteca and possibly coming away with a win is too intriguing to pass up...

[Dan]

The problem is Mexico have looked pretty decent. It's pointless doing combined XIs and whatnot because in World Cups this is never really how it plays out. There is an advantage Mexico have in this game that England, or pretty much anyone in Europe very seldom faces. There is a reason that Europeans have only ever won one World Cup in the Americas. And vice versa.

 

This was not the tournament to have a likely run of Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. I think we may come through Monday, but I think it'll be taxing, it'll take a lot out of us. Brazil is another tricky conditioned game even not taking the opposition into account on the pitch.

 

If we make the semis of this tournament I think personally it beats anything else we've done in my lifetime.

[Jattdogg]

Canada underdogs 100000%

 

Likely going to grt smashed by Morocco but I can dream  of the impossible scenario we win

[OntarioFox]

Fear this is probably the end of the road for Canada but hey, who knows? 

 

Brazil have been pretty average, lucky to get past Japan and I feel the same about Norway, flip of a coin who wins that one.

 

Cape Verde vs Australia, we will be there 

[Footballwipe]

In a quandary about Mexico game - part of me wants to go pub to enjoy the uniqueness of a 1am England game in a major tournament at the pub. Other part of me wonders if it's worth the hassle and to just wake up and watch without spoilers.

 

Wife said she'd give me a lift to the pub as well (unreasonably she won't collect me after though...)

[whoareyaaa]

Don't have to go into work til 10am so going to power through Sunday stay up watch it then get a few hours soon as its done.

 

I appluad anyone going to a pub at 1am on a Monday morning though.

 

If we do get through what time is the next match ? likely against Brazil which will be better all round if it's not early hours I know there is one game in the early hours for the quaters

Edited 4 hours ago by whoareyaaa

[PhillippaT]

1 hour ago, Jattdogg said:

Canada underdogs 100000%

 

Likely going to grt smashed by Morocco but I can dream  of the impossible scenario we win

You have my axe scarf  

[ClaphamFox]

1 hour ago, whoareyaaa said:

Don't have to go into work til 10am so going to power through Sunday stay up watch it then get a few hours soon as its done.

 

I appluad anyone going to a pub at 1am on a Monday morning though.

 

If we do get through what time is the next match ? likely against Brazil which will be better all round if it's not early hours I know there is one game in the early hours for the quaters

10pm next Saturday night.

[spacemunky]

Happy to still have both flags up!