Worldcup 2018

[Jules]

Is this a thread about World Cup or a plateau for potential jokers?

Um pouco dos dois, amigo patrício. Futebol é diversão!

Football and jokes go together specially when we talk about national teams LOL

[The Privateer]

Going back to the topic, I consider myself fortunate enough, as I could witness live at the stadium the best player I've ever seen: Diego Armando. What a genius!
Offtopic: on the same level, only the DS concerts I was lucky to attend (some centuries ago).

[Eddie Fox]

Going back to the topic, I consider myself fortunate enough, as I could witness live at the stadium the best player I've ever seen: Diego Armando. What a genius!
Offtopic: on the same level, only the DS concerts I was lucky to attend (some centuries ago).

Maradona was a good juggler when he was clean. As a football player I've seen better, including Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Diego played for Barcelona and failed miserably. He was successfull with Napoli but only in the national league. After that he wandered around and never really did anything remarkable. Yes, he won the WC in 1986 almost single-handedly, but so did Garrincha in 1962 and Romario in 1994.

[The Privateer]

When I mentioned "the best I've ever seen" I meant literally - being at the stadium.
The perspective on TV is a lot different (and sometimes not so real).
Of course, there's a bunch of another great players I could never see live: Garrincha (as you mentioned), Pele, Cruyff, Eusebio, Di Stefano, etc.
As for the current ones and still playing: I saw Messi live, Cristiano I didn't.

[Pottel]

We have this back and forth rivalry with Argentina too but every time one of them starts it all we need to say is:

5 > 2
Pelé > Maradona
Bundchen > the entire female population of Argentina

And the winner by TKO is...

Well, one less south American country in the championship

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[The Privateer]

A couple of weeks ago I made my predictions for the world cup with a few friends.
And it seems they're not so far from what's going on till now.
Here it goes:

Top favourites: Germany, Portugal and Brazil
Eventual favourites: Croatia, Belgium, Mexico and France
No favourites: Argentina, England and Spain
My personal favourite: Iceland

So let's see what these next matches will tell...

[Jules]

Pottel, today Belgium are doing quite well. I like this team when they play like they can!

[Pottel]

Pottel, today Belgium are doing quite well. I like this team when they play like they can!

Amazing. Also, lukaku, a force of nature

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[Jules]

If It was in my hands, I'll buy immediately Batshuayi for Atlético Madrid. Cant believe he is not playing in this world cup...

[Jules]

Pottel, today Belgium are doing quite well. I like this team when they play like they can!

Amazing. Also, lukaku, a force of nature

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It's amazing when Carrasco wants to play. He spend so many games walking, hiding from the game, that when he wants to play you remember how good he is when he wants...

That's why he's playing in China and not in Atlético anymore. Simeone doesn't forgive players that hide when playing

[Eddie Fox]

Belgium is the best team so far, by far. However, in portuguese (at least in Brazil) we say that when it's a traditional team with big achievements under its belt it has a 'heavy shirt' and it makes all the difference when you play big games. I'd say that Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Spain and France are the big guys. Let's see how Belgium will react when facing one of them down the road.

Of course Italy is out though, I'm sorry dear italian friends 

[Eddie Fox]

Ok, let's leave diplomacy at the door, I'm not sorry for Italy, 1982 still hurts 

[Jules]

Belgium is the best team so far, by far. However, in portuguese (at least in Brazil) we say that when it's a traditional team with big achievements under its belt it has a 'heavy shirt' and it makes all the difference when you play big games. I'd say that Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, Spain and France are the big guys. Let's see how Belgium will react when facing one of them down the road.

Of course Italy is out though, I'm sorry dear italian friends 

Yes, what Belgium need is do good when they have to face the big teams.

This is how Spain went from being a candidate to really be capable of win big trophies.

[Pottel]

If It was in my hands, I'll buy immediately Batshuayi for Atlético Madrid. Cant believe he is not playing in this world cup...

Well he did, did he not?

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[Jules]

Ok, let's leave diplomacy at the door, I'm not sorry for Italy, 1982 still hurts 

I think probably any single country in the world was so tired of catenaccio that when Italy is not playing in the Eurocup or world cup is good news.

However Italy managed to improve his style but they didn't succeed yet with it.