# World Cup 2018 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 7, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615 "2018-06-07T18:09:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 54
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1062 "2018-07-01T16:34:58Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Let’s see if the penalty shootout will be as lousy as the match. You are actually going to watch that? Got money at stake? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1063 "2018-07-01T16:35:07Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Let’s see if the penalty shootout will be as lousy as the match. I would hate to be in a shootout with the Russians in Russia. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1064 "2018-07-01T16:40:09Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > You are actually going to watch that? Got money at stake? Nope, but hey, at least a little bit of _action_. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1065 "2018-07-01T16:41:24Z")
Never saw this coming. Wow. Again, all credit to Russia for being in a position to win. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1066 "2018-07-01T16:42:24Z")
So, Spain loses a 1-1 tie where they didn’t even score in PKs. They really didn’t deserve to win. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1067 "2018-07-01T16:43:04Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > I would hate to be in a shootout with the Russians in Russia. 😛 Is there a thing like Chinese food in China is just called “food”? So “roulette” in Russia means… ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1068 "2018-07-01T16:43:33Z")
That moron Putin wasn’t there because I’m sure he thought Russia would lose too. Fuck him for his cowardice. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1069 "2018-07-01T16:45:17Z")
This is a wonderful World Cup where anything is possible. Dont let it end. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1070 "2018-07-01T16:46:50Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > That moron Putin wasn’t there because I’m sure he thought Russia would lose too. Fuck him for his cowardice. Yes, I can forgive him for ruthlessly murdering his enemies. But not showing up to a football match? Fucking psychopath. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1071 "2018-07-01T16:48:37Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > That moron Putin wasn’t there because I’m sure he thought Russia would lose too. Fuck him for his cowardice. I figured he didn’t want to be photographed next to 6’6" King Felipe of Spain and look like a weenie, so he sent Medvedev instead. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1072 "2018-07-01T16:48:55Z")
Feel bad for Spain. Probably the last we’ve seen at the World Cup of this golden generation. I really don’t a see great short term prognosis for them. Ramos, Pique, Iniesta, Busquets are a difficult group to have to replace. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1073 "2018-07-01T16:51:50Z")
So, one of these teams will be in the Final: Russia Denmark Croatia Switzerland Sweden Colombia England Sweden and England have both been there before - albeit 60 and 52 years ago, respectively - so it’s still a shake up of the usual suspects. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1074 "2018-07-01T16:52:50Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Yes, I can forgive him for ruthlessly murdering his enemies. But not showing up to a football match? Fucking psychopath. He was there for the opening match. He deserves scorn for more than his brutishness. He is a cynically calculating man. He bribed the World Cup to Russia and used it as propoganda to normalize Russia. But he didn’t want to be identified with losing. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1075 "2018-07-01T16:53:51Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > I figured he didn’t want to be photographed next to 6’6" King Felipe of Spain and look like a weenie, so he sent Medvedev instead. Better explanation. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1076 "2018-07-01T17:00:34Z")
Well, I’ll be. Turns out you do need to have some form of attack to win games. Who could have guessed that? ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1077 "2018-07-01T17:14:01Z")
I thought Russia were pretty crap in their first game and I’ve not changed my mind but there you go, knock-out football…bloody hell. It is an entirely legitimate tactic to play defensively and force your opponent to break you down, it is a dance as old as time and there is a reason teams choose to play that way…it sometimes works, especially in a game ultimately decided by the lottery that is a penalty shoot-out. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1078 "2018-07-01T17:18:48Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Well, I’ll be. Turns out you do need to have some form of attack to win games. > > Who could have guessed that? Then how did Russia win? ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1079 "2018-07-01T17:19:47Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Then how did Russia win? They didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1080 "2018-07-01T17:31:13Z")
There were no goals scored in that game on attack. Spain forced a Russian own-goal on a direct free kick, and Russia scored on a PK due to a handy in the box. But, it was kind of a bad sign that Spain had a ToP edge of nearly 4:1 – teams have been getting knocked out so far by sitting on the ball. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2018, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615/1081 "2018-07-01T17:53:09Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Then how did Russia win? Far cry from small boys in the park, jumpers for goalposts. Rush goalie. Two at the back, three in the middle, four up front, one’s gone home for his tea. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615.md?page=53) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2018/815615.md?page=55)