World Cup 2018

Deserves its own thread.

My goodness, what a game between Portugal and Spain. Ronaldo hat trick.

 

[uck fay] CR7, but dammit if that last goal wasn't a beauty

 

POR/ESP has been incredible. I hope there is more of that in the tank in this WC

 

Hell of a game.

 

Sportscenter saying the top story of the day is Kawhi Leonard wanting out of San Antonio. Go [uck fay] yourself, ESPN.

 

So, Cristiano Ronaldo or Pele?

 

I still think Messi is a little better.

 

I use my qb method on this debate (and all goat debates):

There is a list of players from all eras and they are all a grab bag of greatness. My personal favorite is Messi.

 

Forgive my WC ignorance, but wasn’t this game all but meaningless? Don’t the top 2 teams of each group move on? Barring any meltdowns, both of these teams make it to the next stage, regardless of today’s outcome, right?

 

I was kidding, we don't have to do this, but I love Messi as well.

This was the most entertaining game I've seen in a while. The next big one for me (and the Uni household IIRC) is Peru at noon tomorrow.

 

Today's results mean the road just got more difficult for Spain and Portugal to advance. Iran will park the bus to the max against each of them in hopes of just securing a point and moving on.

 

Messi vs. Ronaldo is a hard argument, though. Throwing in Pele and Maradona makes it tougher.

And, yes, super excited about Peru tomorrow. The wife is Peruvian, not a sports fan, at all. Not one bit. However, she has been Peru World Cup crazy since last October and even called me at work to voice her displeasure at the original decision against Paolo Guerrero. Saying the country will be "lit" tomorrow will be an understatement.

 

Being able to watch these two guys through their prime and even now towards the end of their careers is a pleasure.

 

Yes, it has been. I just missed the greatness of Maradona. By the time I got into soccer, all I saw was Coked-up Maradona.

 

Is it just me or are the FOX commentators, announcers, and pundits vastly inferior to the group ESPN managed to assemble four years ago? Spain subbed in a player I've never even heard of and they failed to give any background info, for example. There didn't seem to be much nuance.

 

I feel the same way having only seen Mario Lemieux as a cripple.

 

Of course they’re vastly inferior, that’s why everyone was sad when Fox won the rights to the WC. The World Cup tonight show on FS1 is horrifyingly bad. Shows you how good Mike Tirico, Bob Ley, and the rest of the ESPN crew were. ESPN’s coverage of the ‘10 and especially the 2014 World Cup was as good as anything that they’ve ever done.

 

What lylsmorr said. The group stage is more complex than you realize because of the nature of a soccer game

 

Yeah a draw between those 2 is exactly what one of the dogs needed

 

Also, I’ve pretty much never been more sure of anything than I was that CR was about to bury that free kick.
Here it is with Portuguese commentary.