I just watched German TV (because both Dutch and Belgian TV hasn't started their football broadcast yet). They were showing interviews with the players after the match, and this was the background music. No joke :)


Anyway, I'm very curious what this afternoon's matches will bring. I hope Columbia and Japan will make it through, but I actually don't really care if they don't either

so i have to ask. a couple of days ago i read about this one-sided english rivalry against german football. how come?

is it the war? (“don’t talk about the war, basil!”)

is it that, as gary lineker is quoted, “they always win”? (clearly not today but for the last 1/2 century or so)

curious about all this. someone who is in it please explain

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as for me i’m not sad for germany as a nation, but these people are my weekend buddies, i watch them (most of them anyway) play every weekend during the season and they’re more familiar to me than actors in a sitcom (i don’t watch many sitcoms i think, though i’ll rewatch father ted till the end of time, ha ha ha ha). but yeah, ufff, the failure in their faces was pitiful to look at.

still trying to make sense of what happened and why they played so terribly. loew apparently just renewed his contract and will stick around? lol.

wow, senegal fans

i had seen them before but not in detail

they look awesome

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the stadium from above looks like a vinyl record

wow the var is bananas

nice and open/freewheeling game so far but lacking a bit in tactical intelligence maybe?

colombia’s midfield rather soft on defense

now james subbed out. injured? damn!

this is not good

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speaking of tactical intelligence though, senegal does know to shut down cuadrado and do a great job at it

there's a Wikipedia page about it, and it's very very long:
England–Germany football rivalry

and then there's also links on that page to the Dutch - German rivalry and the Italy - German rivalry :D


I can't speak for the English, but for the Dutch the war definitely influenced it in the past, but not so much any more for the younger generations. But we still are always happy when Germany loses. Personally I'm more neutral, if Germany would win from Netherlands and they played a great match, it's totally fine for me. But as Lineker says, they always end up winning in a sneakily manner.
This is probably the most famous NL-DE clash. But he deserved it! Really! :D

^^ lolololololol. that’s hilarious. the video i mean.

i probably saw, i recognize the players, that but had no memory of such exchange of it at this point. where was i that day? no idea.

i think historically the 1974 world cup final should be your biggest beef. i mean not “unfair” or anything, but damn... the best team lost.

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colombia i think in trouble in this game. first, they have to win, second, they’re struggling with both misfortune and... impotence, maybe? lol.

lots of running in this game though. the first one to tire out loses.

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senegal now on a demolition campaign i think. if they make it through, their next rival should pick up some injuries.

...

and colombia retaliating? damn. i hate this shit.

...

mina golaaaaaaazo!

..

this 2nd half much better. actual danger from both sides!

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soo..... colombia 1st... is it japan 2nd? im confused about this lol

senegal goes down on yellow cards?? or what?

...

whatever happens, this should be good for the latter match

It definitely started with the war and even now English supporters reference it in chants about 'Ten German Bombers', 'Two Word Wars and One World Cup .. dooh dah, doo dah', etc. But recently, a widely held perception that Germany effectively leads the EU has resulted in a lot of anti-Merkel/pro-Brexit chants. Although it's predicted they'll also chant variations of those at tonight's Belgium game (the Brussells connection). FIFA have even issued a warning to England fans not to do this.

https://www.theguardian.com/football...e-brexit-derby

There's actually a part of me wanting to see England lose. Wanker England supporters are the absolute worst of knuckle draggers

Given how the post-Group stage looks, a part of even the most wanky England supporter probably wants the same thing.

Anyway, lineups:

England: Pickford, Alexander-Arnold, Stones, Cahill, Jones, Rose, Dier, Delph, Loftus-Cheek, Rashford, Vardy.

Belgium: Courtois, Dendoncker, Boyata, Vermaelen, Chadli, Dembélé, Fellaini, Tielemans, T. Hazard, Januzaj, Batshuayi.

I guess that's 8 different players for England and 9 for Belgium. Vertonghen is still not in good enough shape otherwise he would be playing too tonight.


Let's hope for many goals, I don't want a boring 0-0

no maguire! no lukaku! no debruyne!



i am ON FIRE on this round of the fantasy league

and by “on fire” i mean GOING DOWN IN FLAMES

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ty for the explanations

Fantasy league comeback: it doesn't work at all for me...
For next round, I picked Germans... ok, I've changed them... I picked James Rodriguez, he's off...
Marcelo had to leave yesterday...
Pfff...


England-Belgium... will it be worse than France-Denmark? Will there be tons of own goals to avoid the Brasilian side?


It's gonna be odd if they play poorly. How will your subs will feel if you ask them not to play too well?

I'm giving the English more chance right now, Belgians have substituted the defence, English still have Vardy and what more. But the same counts in other direction too so who knows?


Anyway, back to Rivalry. There's always a Belgian - Dutch rivalry too, but more friendly. So this is what we see when we cross the border from NL to BE:





it reads "here begins the world cup"
(the banner above not the graffiti) ;)

Apparently, if the game ends a draw England go top on the amount of cards they've received ... unless in the last minute a utility player for England comes on and gets a straight red. It'd be cynical but I'd personally have no problem with it.

Would be cool if one of the teams subs for the second goalie to make a hands ball outside the penalty box

Delph has confirmed he's going home after this game because his partner's had a baby. What are the odds on him going in two footed if it stays a draw in the last minute?

Januzaj goal.

Hmmm, this could be interesting

it’s finally watchable!

Belgian coach didn't cheer :p
Michy will get teased a lot for kicking the ball to his head via the post, he better score now