From what I could tell, France and Uruguay were playing a similar style, laying back and scoring on fast-break type attacks. Stats show Argentina controlling the ball for 60% of the game, Portugal for two-thirds. The matchup between these two should be interesting.
Hopefully Cavani has a minor knock and can be 100% Friday.
Don’t cry 4-3, Argentina.
Well played, sir.
Or not. 
Ill have a go for day 2 of the octavo de finales:
Spain dominates possession; Russia gets a red; SPA 3 RUS 0
Croatia and Denmark start conservatively and play safe possession footie. Eventually Croatia breaks through to go up 1-0 and gets a second on the counterattack as Denmark pushes forward. CRO 2 DEN 0
Tip o’ the cap, though for full disclosure, I saw that on twitter today from a user with the handle “Falkland Islands”.
In fairness, I did change my pick to France before the game started. And I also backed it up with a personal investment. 
I think the World Cup is less important now in judging and defining a player. Judging a player on his WC record is primarily the reserve of pundits of a certain age. We have WC standard competition each year in the Champions League. The CL was not available to Pele(rather he chose to forego the competition) and Maradona had only a watered down version of it to compete in.
The CL had not even an iota of the pressure of the World Cup for the mercenary players of today. Playing for ones country means playing for family and friends and neighbors. Its not about money. Its about pride. And the consequences of failure are much more personal.
:dubious:
Have you not been following the WC (and the last Euros)? The big “established” sides struggling or even losing to minnows.
I remember one of the Barca and Spain (Puyol I think) contingent was asked this very question and his answer was that the International tournament footy is much more difficult since everyone is going flat out all the time.
This argument is what lots of CR7 fanboys made, until 2016, then they reversed course for some reason.
Aww
I don’t see why established sides being beaten by minnows has any bearing on the issue of which competition is harder to win. International teams play less often, the likelihood of international teams underachieving due to lack of preparation, players not gelling together, or loss of form is probably greater than in CL.
I don’t place much faith in what Puyol says. I’m sure I can find quotes by other footballers who will tell you the intensity of the CL is as great as the WC.
We are lucky enough to have 2 of the all time greats playing together at the same time. Ronaldo and Messi are up there with the likes of Pele and Maradona. I have no interest in discussing whether Ronaldo or Messi are better than Pele. However, they are in all likelihood pretty much equal. The fact that neither Ronald o nor Messi have produced at a WC takes away nothing from their ability or achievements. Pele has the WC medals; he also has a multitude of goals and trophies from a 2nd rate league. Ronaldo and Messi have regularly won trophies at an extremely high level, delivering top notch performances as much as 50 times per season. Puyol make think 4 or 5 games at a WC is as intense an experience as a full domestic and European season; I do not. At least I think it very debatable.
You do not know which competition players feel the most pressure in. I have seen many a player deliver abject performances at international level. Sure, the reason for these abject performances may be pressure, it may also be because players barely give a fuck. That certainly is one accusation levelled at England payers; that they don’t care enough. Does pressure even have a bearing on how good a competition is or judging a player? I don’t think so. Comparing Ronaldo or Messi on their performances this WC is a worthless exercise when comparing, say, Pele in the 1970 Brazil team.
Has there ever been a player murdered because they screwed up in the Champions League? How many times have 3.2 billion people watched a Champions League group stage match?
English Exceptionalism the footie edition at work here. Can almost anyone remember who won the CL in 2002? Who can forget Spain vs South Korea? Does anyone remember anything Did and did in La Liga? Who can forget the head butt?
No Iniesta today at the start, one of my favorite all time players. Maybe a good thing. I think he’s slowed a bit and seems to hold up both Barca and Spain at times. I still see this Spain team having difficulty finishing against the better defensive teams.
Does anyone think Russia has a chance here? Home field is a pretty strong advantage. Spain’s defense has been shaky.
Ramos scores!
Sorry, own goal, by Igansasomethingortheothervich.
Seriously? You are going to disregard what a man who played and won both competitions says?
Own goal. Russia is going to have 2 people sent off by the end of this.
If you take a free kick, put it right into the box and it bounces off a defender’s calf and into the net, should you not at least get credited with an Assist?