World Cup 2022 - Team and Match Discussion

And the gas bit he said I am not too keen on Brazil’s chances after today. He has written them off completely on that basis.

I watched a program on Brazil 82 and they were dancing their way to the final but lost. And everyone loved them.

How many years of Dunphy, Giles and Brady doing exactly that. RTE is not known for its innovation.

Welcome to Eaven !

I remember 82 and that Brazilian team. They were a joy to watch. Just about everyone was convinced they were going to Samba their way to the trophy (think Dunphy actually was the exception, and thereby set the template for the rest of his punditry career) until Italy and Rossi did a number on them. I was devastated at the time. The Italy game was epic and could have gone either way. Still have to be the best team not to win the trophy (possibly Hungary in 1954, but that was way before my time.)

Ide say Italy in 94. Amazing players in every position and 2 of the best defenders in the history of the game in one team.

Easy for lads who played positions where you are subbed on and off the whole time to say that.

Cant see England getting past France. Too much quality in that French side and Mbappe is playing out of his skin. Win it with a couple of goals I reckon.

Same with Croatia. They’ve been just ok, and they haven’t really had any tough opposition so far. Japan’s energy in the first half caused them problems and Brazil will have that and more.

The most interesting QF is Netherlands v Argentina - could go either way, but I’d probably back Argentina to shade it.

Brazil must've been over the moon with Korea getting through - they knew they'd play it clean. Uruguay would've kicked Brazil up and down the park. Brazil would still have won, of course, but there wouldn't have been much dancing... hard to dance on knobbled ankles!

Yeah, they really were that good. They were punished by Italy for a couple of mistakes, but still looked like scoring more in that game, at least that’s my recollection of it. Still think it’s a travesty they didn’t win it. I don’t remember the 70 Brazil side, but in 82 they were something else. I think you’re right, this current team doesn’t compare. In fact I think they won it in 94 and 2002 with inferior teams to that side, at least skill wise.

Also, Ireland were very unlucky not to qualify in 82, out of a group with Holland, France and Belgium. We only missed out on goal difference, and were robbed by the ref in Brussels. I remember being quite sore that Northern Ireland qualified out of a far easier group when I really felt we had better players at the time.

Sounds like I'm not missing much without ITV

Re Brazil 82 and the comparisons with now.

That was a brilliant side, no doubt. However, there was a huge aura around those sides back in the 80s. We simply didn't see them play until the world cups. We had heard of the likes of Zico, Falcao, Socrates, but apart from an odd clip, we were only familiar with them from reading of their exploits, tv coverage was pretty non existent.

Nowadays, we see the likes of Richarlison and Casemiro on a weekly basis, warts and all. The aura and mystery is gone.

correct, I’m dubious about any of the great players or sides unless I saw them play.

for example if Cristiano’s career was transferred to the 80s or 70s no one would have known or talked about that he completely fell off at the end of his career and the sides he played suffered from having him and he reacted in the worst possible way to being past it. The age of micro analysis of football means this will never happen again.

2018 is key though to this team though. They lost to teams rated higher than them, Belgium (5) (twice) and beat the teams rated lower than them in Tunisia (28), Panama (49) and Sweden (25). They drew with Colombia (13) and Croatia (18). England were ranked at 12.

England are now ranked 5, but France is ahead of them at 3. Waterloo, and all that!

What team has played "somebody"

What would be funny is if Brazilian players got booked for ‘excessive celebrations’ and then a second yellow later on. Could change a game. Plus with the refs adding on loads of extra time those celebrations could bite back.