World Cup KO: En-ger-land, En-ger-land, En-ger-land (was 'Group G')

Vorselaarhammer

Amazing..... First time since 1996.....

Colombia are a bunch off....

Moojor

Sent my daughter to bed at the end of normal time as it's a school night. Woke her up at the end of penalties.
She actually cried with happiness.

SuzanneClaret

I’ve been very impressed with Gareth Southgate. I saw him as the safe choice after Allardyce; a “yes” man. He is so much more than that. He is single minded and is his own man with his own ideas. Long may it continue.

MIAHammer

Well I didn’t say that coming ..............
..............
..............

Not that we’d win a penalty shoot out but that both teams would still have 11 players on the field at the end!

IronHerb

Fully deserved that win.

COME N ENGLAND

Kuchinghammer

That was worth staying awake for a 4am kickoff! This team have gone way past my expectations. I was happy with them before, I'm dreaming now... ;star

Slaven_Cups_His_Beard

ianbishoplegend

I like Southgate, but yet to see a galvanizing performance from England. Good defence, but way too slow to build attacks still. I would like to see him be more ruthless with passenger players like Alli also. I think his substitutions almost lost us that game, but credit were it’s due, could be a great run. Would like to see Sterling stay on to take advantage of any lapses, and counter attack in the last 10 mins. Looking forward to that Sweden game!

chicagohammer

certainly never thought I would ever say this about the old codgers who run the FA but the appointment of Southgate looks like it may be entering the realms of “inspired”

I can live with the thought that it was fortuitous- I am just pleased that he is bloke in charge, as Suz said, long may it continue

MunichHammer

I had this strange dream last night where the English Team managed to actually win a Penalty shootout.

We're out, aren't we?

Bazshuayi

I may be wrong but I cant remember a Columbia shot on target til injury time. I thought we coped well under the fouling, dirty tricks pressure and being massively outnumbered fan wise so it felt like a hostile away game.

A young team picked themselves up (any team wouldve been knocked sideways by that equalizer) and still came back toward the end of extra time.

I thought Rashford was the right sub for Sterling. He's also quick, direct and can take a man on/beat him (where Sterling seems to struggle to actually get him and the ball past a defender) Not knocking Sterling. Vardy was also a good sub. Hes obviously also quick, a poacher and we needed fresh legs. We mau have had a rest but the humidity was high at the stadium and I'd say Columbia would be more used to that.

I thought Dier was also a good tactical sub when he came on but he took a good time to tune into the game. Scoring the pen made up for that though...

We've nothing to fear on Saturday or beyond. I'm not saying ti will be easy but n quarter final should be as any team will be trying their hardest.

I stood by the desire to see us lose against Belgium and now we've got past Columbia we can hope and dream of even bigger things. I can still remember the feel good factor of my youth when England were doing well. So at this moment I am slightly envious being so far from home...

SuzanneClaret

True enough IanBishop, but you have to stop the rot before you can move forward. This team at this tournament have done that already.

Stopped being humiliated. Stop being an embarrassment. Really play for the shirt, for your team mates and for your manager. This team at this tournament have done that.

Restored some faith that they actually have a clue.

SuzanneClaret

baracks_a_hammer

cricket is played in Iceland??!!

OldCastleSwift

Hamstew will be happy

SuzanneClaret

Can we take a moment to remember that 40-something Colombian coach shoulder barging 23-year-old Raheem Sterling at half time, pathetic! Good riddance.

baracks_a_hammer

As an aside, I was wondering whether there should be a change in law about the goalie coming off the line before the penalty is struck. Everyone seems to be doing it. Either the law should be enforced or it should be changed?

SuzanneClaret

Some many things were let go in this World Cup. Too focused on VAR to actually referee the game.

baracks_a_hammer

Var has started to address things like holding at corners - something which has routinely gone on in virtually every game without being penalised

Pearces_Left_Foot

Sweden next I hope our midfield can start creating more chances as other than panama they have created v little we rely on set pieces a lot I think we might scrape past Sweden as they were pretty average against Switzerland but fear Croatia in semi will beat us comfortably

Bazshuayi

In other news, and in celebration of our victory, Columbia's Shakira decided to remix her song 'Hips don't lie'.....

Shakira - Clips don’t lie

Lads up in here tonight
No fighting
We got the referee up in here (no fighting)
No fighting

Shakira, Shakira

I never really knew that we could win like this
They make a man proud to be English
C’mon see Hames (si)
Broken (si)
Bacca (Shakira Shakira), Ospina

Oh baby when you foul like that
You make the Brits go mad
So be wise (si) and stroll on (si)
Seeing the scars on my body (uno, dos, tres, cuatro)

Oh VAR is on tonight you know my clips don't lie
And I'm starting to feel it's right
All the acting, the tension
Don't see us losing, this is perfection

Hey Kane, I can see your body moving
And it's driving them crazy
Starting to sing like Jay Z
Until extra time came calling

And when you walk up for the pen and score
Nobody cannot ignore
The way… (we won)




Shakira Hips dont lie

Ladies up in here tonight
No fighting
We got the refugees up in here (no fighting)
No fighting

Shakira, Shakira

I never really knew that she could dance like this
She makes a man wants to speak Spanish
Como se llama (si)
Bonita (si)
Mi casa (Shakira Shakira), su casa

Oh baby when you talk like that
You make a woman go mad
So be wise (si) and keep on (si)
Reading the signs of my body (uno, dos, tres, cuatro)

And I'm on tonight you know my hips don't lie
And I'm starting to feel it's right
All the attraction, the tension
Don't you see baby, this is perfection

Hey Girl, I can see your body moving
And it's driving me crazy
And I didn't have the slightest idea
Until I saw you dancing

And when you walk up on the dance floor
Nobody cannot ignore
The way…

SuzanneClaret

baracks_a_hammer said:

Var has started to address things like holding at corners - something which has routinely gone on in virtually every game without being penalised

True enough. VAR has helped in part. So much more has gone on during the game that the referees have failed to get a handle on. The refs don’t seem to be able or willing to stamp their authority on the games. In the Tunisia game Kane was lucky not to leave the pitch pregnant.

The behaviour of the Columbian players warranted, imho, a couple of second yellows.

But, I have an Argentinian on my course this week and she says this is how football is played elsewhere in the world and if England want to win anything we need to get on board.

Lukerz

Very impressed with the maturity of the side. The way they dealt with the dirty tricks, the atmosphere, the pressure, the set-back etc. Full marks to Henderson for deciding it was worth stooping to their level & bringing the attention to that blatant headbutt, which was a nailed on red card. Shame that between VAR & the ref, they fluffed that decision.

TBH football is all about the final score. You can put positive & negative slants on any game of football. Had we gone out, the summary could easily have been "we only beat two pub sides, lost to the second team of Begium & went out to Columbia, scoring 8 of our 9 goals from set plays etc". As it is, thanks to Pickford, the summary now is "quarter finals here we come, it's coming home!"

Thankfully it went the way we all prayed.

I have never got the animosity for England. Whenever I watch the side, everybody does their best to win games, no matter what generation of player. We just aren't that good a nation to compete with the best. But for some reason this side seems to hold a humility that has resonated with the public & changed the perception of the national side, probably helped by Kane, but tbh it all comes down to the fact they're still in the World Cup. Yes we have disappointments, tournaments where we really do underperform on paper.

With a bit more luck hopefully we can reach the semis. That would be a fantastic tournament & we would go into that game with a genuine chance of beating one of Russia or Croatia & reaching the final.

baracks_a_hammer

Something which just occurred to me - if England reach the final, will Putin grant Teresa May a visa to allow her to attend?

IronHerb

He won't be able to stop her under FIFA regulations.

IronHerb

We need to start creating opportunities in open play as that is what is missing at the moment.
Score first against Sweden and we win the game.

baracks_a_hammer

That’s very true but at least we are doing what we need to do to progress which is the main thing.

Yeoldhammer

Hammerwombat said:

Lukerz said:

Maguire is the weak link in that team. Has been all tournament.

I rarely disagree with anyone on this site, as I believe it’s all about opinions, but Lukerz, I must take a completely opposing view from you. I think He has been rather good. More than that, I think he is probably the best England shirt out there.

Got to say Maguire in his first game looked nervous and a few reckless passes and very dodgy in possession. However out of everyone in the England team, he has grown leaps and bounds in this tournament, was winning nearly every header for England yesterday.

My only criticism of Maguire is when he does bring the ball forward, he tends to release it to the nearest player when he gets towards the penalty box, i think the Colombians sussed him out early on that one and he gave possession away. But at least he takes the ball forward unlike some of our midfield passengers. I think Maguire could turn into a world class defender, as much as i dislike Ramos if Maguire can learn to ping a ball from left to right like Ramos when he is bringing the ball forward, the type of balls that Trippier would thrive on. Similar to the ones Henderson was playing to him in the Tunisia and Panama game. Then he could be deadly.

IronHerb

Was that last minute shot saved by Pickford going wide? Not criticising as I got another hour in the pub. ;biggrin

alderz

I thought Pickford, Trippier, Maguire and Stones were all excellent last night. I said in the pub it's the best I've ever seen Stones play, definitely for England.

One thing that really surprised me was that Jamie Vardy didn't take a penalty. I thought he'd be one of the first up there. The stones on Marcus Rashford too.