mcguffin

I agree on both points. Two games left. If Croatia and Morocco can scrape together 11 fit players each to start the match, I think this can be a great match. Hopefully the final should be quite good too. (Though I see some analysts are predicting a 'tactical battle'. Hope it's not 0-0 after extra time followed by penalties. 🤞)

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This is a good preview of tonight's game. The Moroccan fans could play a big part. Frank LeBoeuf stating that France really need to score early. First 15-20 mins could be interesting (Can see Griezmann looking for Dembele and Mbappe at every opportunity).

😀I do like your attention to detail. Looking forward to the Morocco vs France game, should be a cracker. I can't decide who to support (like them both). But in terms of atmosphere/fans, a Morocco vs Argentina final would be something else!

Yes it is a remarkable stat. As for how far we've dropped. Maybe part of it is that other nations have just got better? Croatia didn't even exist as a nation back then. Look at Morocco now. Look at the remarkable progress of the likes of Denmark, Iceland, Japan. And for the future, watchout now for the likes of North Macedonia, USA, Canada and Mexico. To get back to the topic of the thread. I feel we need to step back a wee bit from the idea that we are some kind of great football nation just looking for the magic key to reawaken our brilliance. We're not. (Leave that line of thinking to our rich and super-confident neighbours down south). We're a small European nation lacking the national confidence to even to run our own affairs. We need to look at other small European nations and learn from them. And Croatia is certainly one of the small European nations we can look to emuate, at least in terms of football.

Going to be a real challenge now for Croatia. Fingers crossed for them.

In Scotland? 😬

This is a good analysis of Morocco. I think France will have their work cutout. That said, with Griezmann and Giroud (with Mbappe playing the same scary decoy role as in the Quater-Final), they might be the only team so far who might unlock the amazing Moroccan defence?

To be fair to France, they were taking a few heavy challenges too, but tended to stay on their feet better (Giroud and Griezmann in particular). it paid off: two goals from open play.

Does seem a really great young player. But there is certainly some hype. Which is fair enough (the media have to write/say something positive occassionally?). I do wonder if the media in other comparably 'big footballing' nations hype their young stars to the same extent?: E.g. if we take France. Tchouameni is still only 22 (and his opening goal for France last night was quality). Mbappe only 23 (and already has a World Cup Winner's medal in his pocket), Camavinga only 20 (and played in last years Champion's league final on the winning side). Do 'L'Equipe' and other French outlets hype them up? I expect they do? Would be interesting to know.

I agree. I hated basketball at school. However, this would be an interesting thought experiment. Take Scotland's football squad, and say Croatia (or Serbia's) national squad and ask them to play games against each other in a tournament of the following sports: Basketball, handball, water-polo, volleyball, futsal. Who do you think would win? And why? Then at the end of all that play a game of 11-a-side football. And ask the same question? https://www.whoateallthepies.tv/videos/258263/inter-milan-winger-ivan-perisic-makes-professional-beach-volleyball-debut-photos-video.html

good points. Lots of food for thought.

You may be right SamP. In which case, we may as well give up now. 😒 Alternatively we can take a look at how countries of a similar size (or smaller, take the Faroes) conduct themselves. Croatia, Iceland, Denmark. Lots of models out there. And I suspect it really is something a bit deeper than the make up of their football associations. They've somehow, I don't know how, made sport an integral part of people's lives. They eat better, they exercise better, they govern themselves better. And from that, they get greater rewards, in multiiple sports (look at Finland and Slovakia in Ice Hockey), than you'd expect for such small countries. Just my view of course.

I agree. But it's a deeper problem than just the SFA. Let me repost what I wrote on the Croatia thread:

Putting the craziness of the finals being in Qatar to one side. This World Cup has been one of the better tournaments. And in terms of all-round team performance, I think the four best teams are left. That doesn't always happen. If they've got any energy levels left, we're in for a couple of cracking semi-finals!

Yes you are right. I was meaning that teams like Croatia and Morocco, who have very good, but not so famous players (with the exception of maybe an aging Modric?) can beat a team stuffed full with megastars (e.g. Brazil and Portugal)

I honestly think Morocco, on their current form, would easily beat us. I'd wager they would beat England too. As would Croatia. I think this World Cup is showing that being a 'world class player' isn't all it's cracked up to be?

Speaking of poor defending, the attempt to cut out Griezmann's cross was pretty half-hearted I thought? But what a cross it was, picking out Giroud amongst a crowd of white shirts. One of France's few good moments in the second half:

When the game was 1-1, it crossed my mind that Morocco would fancy their chances against either of these teams. Wouldn't mind seeing a Croatia vs Morocco final to be honest.

Thanks Clyde1998 for the info. That's interesting. He seems top quality. Looking forward to seeing him and his team mates in the Semi-final!

very good point!

Thanks vanderark14. I particularly like your "Im staying well clear of all football media till 3pm when Portugal Play Morocco then I'll be done with football for the day." I might follow in your footsteps 👍😀

Following the mainstream coverage, I get the impression England is really the favourites. Yer typical interview, yer typical news paper article always starts with the same question: "Can we stop Mbappe?" The answer is always "Yes, Kyle Walker bla bla bla". Then onto the gushing praise of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Harry Kane and all the rest of them. And how much better the English midfield is than the makeweight French once ("Griezeman, Tchouameni, Rabiot...pffft") And they may be right? But I really think this French team can come good on the night. Allez les bleus!

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Apparently their goalie, Livakovic, plays in the tiny Croatian league. I'd never heard of him before this tournament. Today he was phenomenal. And they've got similarly high-quality players all over the park. I just get this hunch that Eastern European countries (at least the more southerly ones with good weather) just are more into sport, all sports, from a very young age. Take a look a Hungary, pumping England home and away in the Nation's league. (And countries such as Croatia, Hungary and Serbia are good at other sports too: men and women's handball, waterpolo, basketball, fencing, canoeing...the list is a long one). We need a total culture change in Scotland. Get all kids playing sport. Competitive sports in school as well as in clubs. Provide them with good coaching in whatever sport they fancy and a place to play. (Just my view, sorry for the rant).