World Cup preparation fixtures

[Reg]

For more International: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/international-friendlies/scores-fixtures/2018-06?filter=fixtures
For more telly: http://www.live-footballontv.com

FS = FreeSports

Saturday 2nd June
Austria v Germany 17:00 BTS2
England v Nigeria 17:15 ITV
Belgium v Portugal 19:45 MUTV
Ireland v USA 20:08

Sunday 3rd
Mexico v Scotland 01:00 BBC1 Scot
Brazil v Croatia 15:00 LFCTV
Costa Rica v Northern Ireland 18:00 BBC RB
Spain v Switzerland 20:00 SS Foot/SS Main Event

Wednesday 6th
TBC Toulon SF 16:00 FS
TBC Toulon SF 18:30 FS
Belgium v Egypt 19:45 MUTV

Thursday 7th
England v Costa Rica 20:00 ITV

Friday 8th
Germany v Saudi Arabia 18:30 BTS1

Saturday 9th
TBC Toulon 3rd P/O 15:00 FS
TBC Toulon Final 17:30 FS
Spain v Tunisia 20:00 FS

Sunday 10th June 2018
Austria v Brazil 15:00 LFCTV
England XI v World XI (Soccer Aid) 20:00 ITV

Monday 11th
Belgium v Costa Rica 19:45 MUTV

[bruhnaldo]

"World Cup preparation fixtures"
"Ireland v USA"

You smug fuck...

[Reg]

:D Good one bruh.

[Giggles]

"World Cup preparation fixtures"
"Ireland v USA"

You smug fuck...

The John O'Shea retirement extravaganza.

[Jimmy Floyd]

England v Nigeria at Wembley? They'll be dancing in the streets of Lewisham tonight.

[Magic]

Hopefully Nigeria are in their traditional green kits otherwise I won't be able to distinguish between the teams.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've been doing important research on African goalkeepers ahead of the World Cup as it's always the most entertaining and vital topic at the tournament. Nigeria, having benefited from Enyeama all these years, I think are now going in with Ikechukwu Ezenwa, I'll let the picture speak for itself.

http://dailypost.ng/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Ikechukwu-Ezenwa-Shengolpixs.jpg

Tunisia, often an underrated source of terrible flappy keepers, stick with experience in the form of madhead domestic veteran Aymen Mathlouthi, who is also their captain, mainly because he is the best at feigning injury and organised cheating. He may not be the safest pair of hands, nor the slimmest around the waist, but no one in the game can hold a candle to this man when it comes to falsifying knocks on the head between the 63rd and 98th minutes.

http://en.africatopsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/B12A1SM0050w-1328714655_280x229.jpg

Next up in our round up, it's over to Morocco, where there's a surprising turn as they go to the Spanish second division's Munir Mohamedi. I've not seen Munir play, but with his track record of losing his place in the Numancia team this season, film star looks and extreme anxiety in the eyes, I'm sure there's plenty of potential here.

https://img.fifa.com/image/upload/t_l4/mkqkyg2dejd6sotdodoa.jpg

Moving back south of the Sahara, we come to Senegal, where goalkeeper has often been a problem position since the retirement 10+ years ago of the not-in-any-way-dodgy Tony Sylva. With such a lack of talent available, all African nations know that the best option is to pick a comedian, and how better to waste time in the 89th minute of a tight Afcon match than by kicking yourself in the ankle? Enter Khadim N'Diaye.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09OgeuG9pTI

Finally we head north again to Egypt, where for years people wondered how they would ever replace the shouting, rolling, penalty-taking dominance of Essam El-Hadary. They have clearly thought it over plenty and tried a number of different keepers but have ultimately concluded, rightly, that the best way to replace El-Hadary is just to make him keep playing until he dies, so here he is again, at the age of 45.

https://www.kingfut.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Essam-El-Hadary.jpg

Doesn't look a day older than 43.

[Kikó]

Jim's African roundup. 😎

Cape Verde have just equalised against Algeria.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I miss Boubacar Barry tbh. He absolutely perfected it. 84 caps and fucking useless in each and every one.

That DR Congo guy was a bit of a legend too, but took his act too far towards competence.

[John]

Barry rolling around between penalties in that AFCON final shootout is comfortably the funniest thing I've ever seen on a football pitch.

[Giggles]

It's a wonder Trump hasn't demanded they don't show up for the game.

1002624583193817089

[Lewis]

lol at the Nigerians booing Dele Alli. Their kit is shit as well.

[Spikey M]

They’re all Gooners

[phonics]

Harry Kane has decided to pass with the outside of his boot every time and I approve.

[randomlegend]

Jesus I've only had this on 10 minutes but Pickford is a fucking bombscare.

[Magic]

The idea of Southgate achieving anything. :harold:

[Lewis]

In his stupid fucking wedding waistcoat.

[Spikey M]

That black armband coupled with a shirt and waistcoat makes him look like he’s out of a Fascist group.

[-james-]

How were England?

[Spikey M]

How were England?

Have you watched any game since 2008? That’s how they were.

[-james-]

England are statistically likely to win a world cup in our lifetime and there's nothing anyone's relentless pessimism can do to stop it.

[phonics]

I thought England were quite good in the first half when the extra man provided by Young and Trippier were really effective. Nigeria seemed to adapt in the second half and they found it a bit harder to play through. They looked really poor in that area between the edge of their own area and the center circle though. Didn't know what to do with it in the middle and struggled to get it out wide when under pressure. Felt like Stones and Dier were standing on top of each other. Nigeria also got in behind a few too many times for my liking even if they never did anything with it.

[Lewis]

England are statistically likely to win a world cup in our lifetime and there's nothing anyone's relentless pessimism can do to stop it.

How do you work that one out?

[Pepe]

+1 for Mexico.

[Baz]

Why didn’t England play that friendly with the word cup ball?

Apparently the next one is.

[Giggles]

Not a chance that's Burkes goal.

1003009885997420545

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It is.

[Giggles]

It is.

It's bullshit if it is. And that's if it wasn't already over the line, which in that case then it definitely isn't.

[-james-]

How do you work that one out?

UK life expectancy: 82
Average age on here: 30?
World cups in next 52 years: 14
Average England outright odds since 1990: 11/1ish

11/12 = 91.6% chance England don't win a given world cup.

1 - 0.916^14 = 70.4% chance England win a world cup in the next 52 years.

[Shindig]

I'll wait for Ital to verify the numbers.

[Spikey M]

He forgot to carry Jordan Henderson.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Slight problem there is that the odds are bullshit.

[-james-]

The "true odds" only need to be about 20/1 for it to be better than 50%. It's true that recreational native money meant England went off shorter than they should for a few tournaments, but that's not the case any more.

My point is that people tend to come up with all sorts of nonsense to explain why England haven't done very well for a while. It's seven football matches that you don't even need to win.

[niko_cee]

When you put it like that . . .

Only saw bits of the game yesterday. For all the hope of Southgate bringing in some sort of team over individual ethos it still looked like to do anything of note we were relying on an individual to do something, and when that individual is Raheem Sterling, well, it can be frustrating. Our midfield is beyond bad and I slightly worry how we'll deal with both bus-parkers and technically superior teams.

[Kikó]

Shut up niko. It's coming home!!

[Jimmy Floyd]

If we develop some sort of footballing identity then we might win it one day. At the moment our footballing identity is just money/PL worship, which is great but doesn't win you World Cups.

We will see so many 'lesser' nations at this tournament play well as a team because it matters to them, which clearly isn't the case with many England players and hasn't been for a while.

[Kikó]

This is probably the least egotistical England team we've had though - the teams don't really hate each other like they did in the Chelsea / United / Liverpool / Arsenal times. And Sareth Gouthgate seems like he's got a clue as well.

[SvN]

Looking at the team, it feels like the old guard has well and truly gone now. No Gerrard, Terry, Lampard, Rooney, Hart, etc.

[niko_cee]

No midfield either though.

Harry Kane dropping deep is going to be this years Harry Kane taking corners.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I would rather have the infamous Gerrard/Lampard midfield than the one we look likely to field in 2018.

[-james-]

England are perfectly capable of winning the world cup without an identity, a midfield or John Terry. You just need to flip the coin enough times.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That is such a wrong arsed way of looking at sport. The way to win is to be good, not to be mediocre for 100 years until you get lucky. Although we were already lucky once in 1966.

[niko_cee]

I would rather have the infamous Gerrard/Lampard midfield than the one we look likely to field in 2018.

Would probably work quite well in this system with Dier and a host of defenders behind them.

[Mellberg]

Not so lucky in 1970 or 1990. Have to be decent enough to give yourself a chance and then you can start flipping your coins.

[-james-]

You can guarantee it would be painted as anything other than mediocre if it were to happen.


Basically everything that ever happens in sport is luck. It's easy to talk about why something happened after it's happened.

[Giggles]

What's with your media always trying to destroy the team before/during every tournament? Genuine question. I can't understand how people even accept it.

[Spikey M]

What's with your media always trying to destroy the team before/during every tournament? Genuine question. I can't understand how people even accept it.

It sells. Or it’s clickable.

People would rather read ‘DIRTY DELE GIVES PROSSIE SOME WELLY’ than ‘England determined to bring football home’.

[Baz]

Sterling looks like a mini John Barnes playing for England. Hopefully he’s better than Barnesy though because, that goal against Brazil aside, he was diabolically bad in a white shirt.

[randomlegend]

Dino is having a proper mental boom on this page.

[-james-]

I think I'm right. That's all that matters.

[Spikey M]

Sterling looks like a mini John Barnes playing for England. Hopefully he’s better than Barnesy though because, that goal against Brazil aside, he was diabolically bad in a white shirt.

All signs point to a similar pattern.

I’d probably play him and Kane behind Vardy if I were running tings.

[Giggles]

All signs point to a similar pattern.

I’d probably play him and Kane behind Vardy if I were running tings.

No point, you'll be dead by the time you win it.

[John Arne]

Brazil - Croatia just about to kick off.

Acestream for any interested.... 3dd69997a3465c5ae565d5c51c11b5a36f47a700

[John Arne]

Why do Brazil always pick weird captains? Thiago Silva, Fernandinho, Marcelo and Paulinho all on the pitch.. the captain... Gabriel Jesus :/

[randomlegend]

Americans really are terrible at commentating.

[randomlegend]

What the fuck is that tackle? :D Doing it in a friendly is atrocious.

[John Arne]

How is Corluka still playing? Makes Razor Ruddock look mobile.

[randomlegend]

If this was a competitive match there'd have been a player sent off for each team. Mental.

[John Arne]

Fernandinho's high foot was mad, too.

[randomlegend]

Not bad from Neymar there.

[John Arne]

Absolutely spanked that, eh.

[randomlegend]

Neymar's hair really is horrendous.

[Mike]

I’m about to watch my first England game since the Euros. Do they still have that shit England Band? I hope not.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

1004785060342632448

[Max Power]

Slightly surprised and disappointed Southgate hasn’t tried Vardy and Kane together before the World Cup but I guess I’m biased.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Why are they at the cesspit Elland Road?

[Mike]

I’m about to watch my first England game since the Euros. Do they still have that shit England Band? I hope not.

They’re there and worse than I remembered.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's fucking brilliant from Rashford.

He can strike the ball so well.

[Lewis]

From the right-hand side as well. If he (and this goes for Anthony Martial) had any brains he would be learning to cross and re-inventing himself as a right-sided forward.

[Disco]

Did Jordan Henderson just hit a spacker with the ball?

[Spikey M]

He is a spacker with a ball.

[Magic]

All Leeds aren't we.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

From the right-hand side as well. If he (and this goes for Anthony Martial) had any brains he would be learning to cross and re-inventing himself as a right-sided forward.

Maybe that's why Mourinho put him on corners.

[Disco]

Is it in Leeds? In that case he'll have struggled to miss them.

[Magic]

They're still piss poor aren't they?

[Baz]

All the England players seem to have gone two sizes up in the shorts.

[Spikey M]

If the aim was to hit the goalkeeper that’s a great shot.

[Dquincy]

Welbeck should be nowhere near the England squad.

[Spikey M]

Isn’t he our (recent) top scorer or something?

[Spikey M]

That’s league 1 football there.

[niko_cee]

Ian Smith from Costa Rica? Not having it.

Also, just then when some Costa Rican bunted the ball in the air backwards from the halfway line (towards the goal), a defender flicked it with his head and the 'keeper picked it up - I'm fairly sure that's not allowed within the backpass rule.

Welbeck is dreadful, but this isn't his meta. Jinx.

[Giggles]

Ian Smith from Costa Rica? Not having it.

Also, just then when some Costa Rican bunted the ball in the air backwards from the halfway line (towards the goal), a defender flicked it with his head and the 'keeper picked it up - I'm fairly sure that's not allowed within the backpass rule.

Welbeck is dreadful, but this isn't his meta. Jinx.

When did they change that rule? I thought you could head back to the keeper, even now.

[bruhnaldo]

Ian Smith from Costa Rica? Not having it.

Ian Rey Smith Quirós, is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as a right back for Norrköping.

Born: March 6, 1998 (age 20 years), Guápiles, Pococí, Costa Rica

Jeeze Niko didn't take you for a name-racist smh.

[Spikey M]

Yeah that’s passed me by if not.

[niko_cee]

When did they change that rule? I thought you could head back to the keeper, even now.

You can, but not if it is played to you (ie the headerer of the ball) by your own player - so a defender can't flick it up to another player on his own team to head back the 'keeper. I may be wrong, but I'm sure I looked into it a while ago and that was the case. I guess it's one of those 'intention' things, but it's never enforced on the odd occasions it does happen.

In that instance just then, I assume the Costa Rican was tying to pass it back to the 'keeper (as why else was he lofting it back towards him) and the fact that another player of the same team then touches it with his head doesn't (or shouldn't') break that chain as far as the backpass rule is concerned. I'm probably way out though, Jimmy's usually good for a fifa powerpont link.

[Giggles]

Sounds plausible enough anyway.

[niko_cee]

Wiki disagrees, but then has this cracker:


If a player uses such a trick, they are cautioned for unsporting behaviour, and the opponents are awarded an indirect free kick from where the trick was performed. It is irrelevant as to whether the goalkeeper subsequently handles the ball or not.

So if you flick it up, and head it towards the 'keeper it's a foul regardless of whether he picks it up or not? Imagine being the one to find that out in a competitive fixture.

[Spikey M]

What a fucking stupid rule.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They should really just get rid of all deliberate backpasses, including headers.

[Spikey M]

They should really just get rid of all deliberate backpasses, including headers.

Like a backwards Rugby.

Or exactly like American Football.

Tomatoe tomato.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I meant to the keeper. I'm not trying to put Jordan Henderson in the dole queue.

[niko_cee]

Hey man, 'Hendo' is a master of the lateral pass.

Am I alone in thinking Navas massively spacked up for that Rashford goal? The curse of being bit of a midget, I guess.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He was in a poor position, probably because he wasn't expecting Rashford to hit it.

[Magic]

Concussion.

[Ian]

Hey man, 'Hendo' is a master of the lateral pass.

Am I alone in thinking Navas massively spacked up for that Rashford goal? The curse of being bit of a midget, I guess.

Lee Dixon agreed with you for whatever that's worth.

I think it's more the sort of goal where one of the very best goalies wouldn't have conceded it. Still a nice hit though.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Anyone been unfortunate enough to encounter 'Ra-ra-rasputin, England's got a goal machine, he's Harry Kane and he's gonna score' ?

I feel like it might be time for Andrew 'Andrew' Flintoff to be given a quiet word about his media career.

[Spikey M]

Should have just repurposed ‘he’s one of our own’ really.

[John]

Arsenal had an Arshavin song to that tune I'm sure. A crap one.

Some Saudi bloke has just hit one of the worst penalties ever against Germany. If this game mattered he'd definitely lose at least a hand for it.

Everyone on the park in that Germany game looked shit scared to hit a shot.

[phonics]

Arsenal had an Arshavin song to that tune I'm sure. A crap one.

Only one I knew of was the he's 5 foot 4 / something slagging off Adebayor / which was equally crap.

[John]

Billy Gilmour, formerly of Rangers now at Chelsea, has just won 'Young player of the tournament' at the Toulon. What's that about? They're all young, it's an U21 tournament.

As an aside, forty minute halves can fuck right off in that. Utter nonsense.

[-james-]

Billy Gilmour, formerly of Rangers now at Chelsea, has just won 'Young player of the tournament' at the Toulon. What's that about? They're all young, it's an U21 tournament.

As an aside, forty minute halves can fuck right off in that. Utter nonsense.

It's not really an u21 tournament. A lot of teams bring players that are much younger than that, and he's one of them.

[-james-]

France are a goal down to a bunch of USA trainees at half time. They are so shit.

[John]

It's not really an u21 tournament. A lot of teams bring players that are much younger than that, and he's one of them.

I know, he's seventeen this year. It just seems odd that a tournament populated exclusively by young players would have such an award. Where's the cut off?

He looks absolutely superb, by the way. The rare young player to dominate through technique rather than just being big for his age. Like Iniesta was from Ardrossan.

[niko_cee]

What are Ryan Gauld and Jack Harper up to these days?

[Kikó]

Gauld is still out at Sporting , mainly being loaned out to different teams in the Portuguese system and doing well. He might get an opportunity after the fiasco with the chairman.

[phonics]

Am I supposed to know who this is?

https://i.imgur.com/DjQoKjo.png

I am absolutely awful at recognizing people outside of their element.

[randomlegend]

It's Dele Alli isn't it?

[ItalAussie]

We've actually been half-decent in the warm-ups. Cue to getting pumped by Denmark.

[-james-]

I'm awful with faces (I got through tons of League of Gentlemen before realising it was the same actors), but I immediately recognised that as Dele Alli.

[phonics]

Now you say it I instantly see it.

[Kikó]

Right or left?


🤣

[John Arne]

Pepe.

[niko_cee]

Collina tells linesman not to bother with the offside rule at the World Cup (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44459554)

It's gonna be great.

[Waffdon]

Hazard has been incredible the last two games for Belgium. He’s the one player where stats really aren’t that important.

[bruhnaldo]

That's amazing. Under-18 maybe?

Edit: What the fuck John?

Edit2: Nevermind I replied to a post at the bottom of another page lmao idiot.

[Spikey M]

Hazard has been incredible the last two games for Belgium. He’s the one player where stats really aren’t that important.

Is he? Or is he just a flashy cunt that looks dangerous but lacks any end product at all? He’s like Ronaldo when United first signed him.

[Ian]

He's definitely going to score against England though. Twat.

[mugbull]

The Costa Rica coach apparently had no idea who Hazard was. They’re gonna get dickered this time around. 6-0 to Brazil

[Waffdon]

Is he? Or is he just a flashy cunt that looks dangerous but lacks any end product at all? He’s like Ronaldo when United first signed him.

He’s carried Chelsea to two League Titles, so...

[Spikey M]

He’s carried Chelsea to two League Titles, so...

Has he? How?

[niko_cee]

He is one of those players who is unplayable when he's on it, and can be on it for sustained periods, but then just disappears for entire seasons sometimes, which is odd.

It was him and Costa that won the last one for them, pretty much single-handedly.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Has he? How?
Don't bother, Waff would suck Hazard dry.

[mugbull]

Spikey find yourself a hospice mate

[Jimmy Floyd]

Diego Costa won us the last one with all those 1-0 finishes in shit games in November.

Hazard is an electrifying luxury player. Doesn't have the killer instinct to dominate the game and can drift out of a season. He had a spell middle of this season where he was immense, but he also had a quiet/poor spell.

[Waffdon]

He’s only ever played under defensive minded managers at Chelsea without ever having a team built around him - which it should.

As shite as Martinez is, at least he realises the team should be built around him at Belgium and thus outperforms De Bruyne with ease.

[Spikey M]

:lol: Fuck off.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Our team is 100% built around him and has been for some time.

[Max Power]

Spain manager is off to Real Madrid after the World Cup but it seems no one at the federation was really informed in advance and it’s all kicking off and he might be sacked today!

Yes I did literally back Spain heavily for the tournament two days ago :moop:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's amazing.

[Max Power]

They've actually sacked him lol

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

:lol:

[Baz]

Cash that bet out.

[John Arne]

The vote to host the 2026 bid is also being held today (nice timing, FIFA).

United Bid: USA, Canada and Mexico (massive favourites)
Morocco: lol

[niko_cee]

They'd better be taking those three host nation spots out of their tin-pot qualification system on the 'joint bid'.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Morocco should really be awarded that. The three nation bid is a clusterfuck, particularly as the 48 team thing has been boshed.

[John]

I really hope the joint bid wins and Trump gets his wall built.