Those of us from small European football nations who have trouble qualifying for the World Cup should be encouraged by results to far. Qualification places are allocated based on performance at previous tournaments, and so far, this has been a great tournament for Europe.
Five European teams have won and only one, reigning champions Germany, have lost. Croatia got the better of Nigeria, one of Africa’s powerhouses, while Denmark and Serbia edged Peru and Costa Rica.
The draws involving European teams are probably more impressive. Iceland matched Argentina while Switzerland drew level with Brazil last night. Mikael Lustig’s Sweden take on South Korea this afternoon, before Dedryck Boyata’s Belgium face Panama. Tunisia will be hoping to take something from England tonight to prevent a fourth consecutive defeat for African nations.
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Poor second half. Tunisia sat back and hoped for a draw, England ran out of ideas and energy, their one genuinely international class player gets left free in the box from two corners and scores two goals.
Long time since I last saw England -they were absolutely dire.Even longer since I last saw Tunisia -they were worse than England .Tunisian penalty stemmed from amateur Level defending .Centre half defending a cross while facing his own goal ?Mama mia ! The winner came from a needless corner and some pub League defending.
Reminded me a lot of an Aberdeen V Thistle game with about as much football skill.
For such a limited side Tunisa made England work really hard for their win, I doubt Belgium will be so kind..
I was shocked as a defender how Southgate set up his defence, Walker and McGuire allover the shop, against better players they will pay a heavy price for such sloppiness.
Young Dele Lingard???? WTF is that all about…
If everyone looks at it from a neutral perspective, England were easily the better team. Played decent football and created a load of chances. Tunisia tried to stifle the game and almost got a draw. There were also two, IMHO, stonewall penalties when Kane was wrestled to the ground.
Football won and the predatory striker disappeared largely after 11 minutes but popped up 80 minutes later to clinch it. Clever header – the keeper was set for a cross-goal header but the late swivel of the head he caught the keeper out.
KTF
VFR,
jeezo,
all you are missing is a verse or two of Jerusalem ;-)))
England v Tunisia match report;
Average team beats poor team 2-1 in non-thriller.
Despite being hyped up England are no where near winning the WC.
Well done Southgate and his boys…Rashford is an exciting young player and Kane is, well, Mr Goals…
England were the better team and deserved the win. In Kane and Rashford they have 2 genuine world-class talents.
However, they don’t look like champions in waiting. Defensively very slack and they seemed to have run out of ideas against an obdurate Tunisian team till Kane popped up.
The day the brit media take on board a touch of humility, will be the day I want the brits to win.
FAIRHILLBHOY
Best wishes for your sister
Me? I would love Iceland to be the shock WC Winners…I doubt England are good enough to win it, however, will the other favoured teams raise their game? I don’t think there has ever been a shock WC winner, unlike the Euros where Denmark and Greece both won against the odds…it would certainly shake up the financially bloated and corrupt football world…
GORDYBHOY64 on 18TH JUNE 2018 9:12 PM
It’s straightforward enough; if that had been A N Other V Tunisia, you would say the better team won and deservedly so. What’s yer gripe?
Funnily enough, I was listening to Chariots of Fire soundtrack on Saturday. A great version of it on there. It’s also a superb allegory on destruction of the industrial pollution of Northern England.
KTF
Henderson ‘exceptional’….i was watching a different game
VFR,
wee joke,smiley face at the end was the hint
Gordy sorry I didn’t pick up on that! ??
KTF
Vfr
Being objective I would whole heartedly agree with you. Your analysis is 100 % correct .
However…(dramatic pause as our hero clears throat,salutes framed photo of The Proclamation and belts out a verse of Rebel Song or two) ..however this was a game involving Perfidious Albion ..so to hell with objectivity..Bring on Panama
???
Engerland has a very very soft draw.
Even if they lost to Belgium then Mexico in quarters will be the hardest game before the semi finals.
Interesting debate on Boyata’s worth and suitors…
When Musonda came to these parts he seemed of have a detailed plan about how you get into the Chelsea team, or any tier one European team. In fact it was so precise it was almost like a blueprint.
He felt (or his agent felt) that as you approach your mid-twenties, with top class coaching behind you, an International player with UCL experience, you tick many of the boxes for these big Clubs. He obviously seen many International players, with UCL experienceat Celtic and a cabinet full of trophies help.
Now Boyata ticks all those boxes. He’s being coached by Man City and Celtic’s top class coaches an awe.
He is obviously a well conditioned athlete with all the necessary experience, He is starting games in the World Cup for one of the fancied Countries.
Why wouldn’t he go for a seven figure sum? He’s got the greenprint…
Brendan is on record as saying Celtic players are not being sold off cheap anymore. Why not ask £15M?
Hail Hail
Inglan is a bitch:)))
LKJ
https://youtu.be/isMjvRpAckU
WITS somehow that doesn’t surprise me!?
KTF
VFR
A great version of it on there. It’s also a superb allegory on destruction of the industrial pollution of Northern England.
——————
I take it you’re talking about Blake’s Jerusalem?
Which was an early example of the hubris and arrogance of England in the 19th century; a pompous and flatulent attempt to yoke Jesus Christ and the origins of Christianity with England and its ‘God-given right to rule’ in the 1800s.
Not sure what you mean by
It’s also a superb allegory on destruction of the industrial pollution of Northern England.
If you mean the destruction of northern England by industrial pollution, fine, but where’s the allegory?
Jerusalem is a hymn to hypocrisy.
In my opinion!
HH
GreeninbingleyinOslo
” I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In Englands green & pleasant Land.”
He is using the future tense. He is stating that there is no Jerusalem built yet.
When he “yolks” Jesus Christ to England, he is asking a question in a questioning fashion- “And did those feet???” with the view- “Aye did they? What are the chances that he sanctioned this?”.
Blake’s views are far from those of the Little nglander who does not do introspection.
Not easy to fit a cello into a song
Goodnight Bhoys
Play nice
HH
GORDYBHOY64 on 18TH JUNE 2018 9:12 PM
VFR,
jeezo,
all you are missing is a verse or two of Jerusalem ;-)))”
VFR
I agreeed with your general point but I also liked Gordybhoy`s humorous response !
SFTB
As far as I understand it, Blake`s poem was a strong criticism of how England was when compared with how it could be.
William Blake was an exceptional poet/philosopher.
Good night all.
JJ
PS Someone ( TeT?) mentioned the absence of humility in English commentators. Are they really any different from any other National commentators?
SFtB @ 10:39 pm,
You may know (from exchanges past) that I attended secondary school in England.
Our English teacher (yes I did have one;) took us through William Blake’s poem/hymn. it is anything but an endorsement of the England of the time…
“And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?
Now I say my “English” teacher, she was a Nun and Bernadette McAliskey’s sister.
Still I do find, from a proper perspective that Jerusalem is a patriotic song for all the right reasons, like Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”
Well at least I’d have it before “Rool Britannia”
Hail Hail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su-R3JpFVIk
Boyata played well in a dominant team, but Panama offered little. He had one loosish pass towards the end and one where he made a good last ditch interception when he had perhaps switched off a little. The acid test will come against England and beyond. If he performs well we should get at least £5m for him, with one year left on his deal.
I think he has one eye on a move away. Him and his agent are obviously waiting to see how the remainder of the tournament plays out for him and is country before deciding on his future. I think he will finish the WC then return to us for the qualifiers. As it stands we will need him. Unless he signs up i think he will be sold after the qualifiers and even more likely if we don’t make the group stages. I would estimate the chances of him staying with us at around 25%.
David17
Welcome…are you a hun?
Today’s results would have been very different in earlier times…..
… Norse Kingdoms Saami 1 V Silla 0
… Ancient Francia 3 V Western beyond the known World (1) 0
… Carthage 1 V Mercia and Wessex 2
Tomorrow’s Fixtures
Western beyond the known World (2) V Han Dynasty Islands
Slavic Peoples V Takrur
Eastern Slavic State V Nubia
ThingsIdotopassthetime CSC
?⚽️
D17- good assessment re Boyata for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbYxP11rbSM
Good morning friends from a gorgeously bright and sunny Puerto Pollensa. Just 2 more (hot) sleeps left in this beautiful part of Mallorca. Land quite a selection till of beers in the fridge still to be cleared out. Breakfast calling!
No posts since 1:23am
Is the blog broke ?
Is Sandy Bryson still in a job ?
Good morning good ghuys and ghirls from a sunny Garngad
Boyata played ok last night, and I hope he does well.
But for Celtic, I could take him or leave him.
Too prone to mistakes for me.
Hail Hail
D. :)
Morning Tims…
FAIRHILL BHOY…
Thoughts and prayers with your sister and family mate,
H.H
Fell asleep just after “cpt Kane ” got the first goal, was expecting a cricket score ( except engerland win this time)…found out it was only a last minute winner fae “cpt Kane “…
WTF happened????