No Irish, No Yanks, No Clogs - FIFA World Cup 2018

can't believe mou couldn't bring football home

fuck

i mean i cant tell if this is ridiculous and if so from which end

jesus levy turn off the phone

4pm bst I meant upthread, not gmt. Anyway, all afternoon to marinate in alcohol, then plenty of hours to er, celebrate or, ahem, not.

who we got today?

I am taking Belgium (2-1, in extra time)

Same actually.

France, with at least 3 goals scored in the game

France 2-0. Also Giroud to get a shot on target, which he apparently hasn't managed yet in the entire tournament.

mbappe

France, also Giroud not to get a shot on target.

Belgium to go through, Mbappe and Lukaku to both score.

Pogba v fellaini could be an interesting battle

not if Fellaini's brother gets caught in traffic

That Belgium XI is pretty confusing.

France 3-1

this is where Martinez's 8D chess turns itself inside out and he ends up mating himself

ew

there's a Punnett square I never wanted to see

FIFA has belgium as a 3-5-2, BBC 3-1-4-2, 3-4-3 seems plausible to me

WM formation or gtfo

Bobby M's keepin' them guessing.

my 9-y-o has this 3-3 w France winning on pens

Damn you, Tracer Hand!

Dembele and Chadli as wingbacks? The Dembele thing might just work - stick the express train in to press and heavily disrupt play on the left and prevent the ball getting to Mbappe. Not sure it'll work with Chadli.

Basically it'll either be inspired or a complete disaster.

Bel 4-2 Fra because i'm allergic to being correct

Belgium 2-1

kev vs kante, probably the two best players left

Sad_luka.jpg

OK there's Macron, come on Belgium

tbf the belgian king's there as well.

... as well as the French king.

Vive la something?

More of the Stratego uniform colors

Who are you supporting LBI? The Dutch guy I work with is totally gung-ho for Belgium, including against England in the final, should that arise.

Belgium winning it before Netherlands? Lol who'd want that

^ X-D

If belgium are in the final might fly over to holland

For it

Personally I'm fine with either winning it tbh. Holland at large *def* wholly rooting for Belgium though!

Kind of like how England's nearest neighbours are all rooting for them.

Yeah I think so. Dutch ppl have a weak spot for that soft Belgian Dutch sound/accent.

I love France but am not sure about Deschamps, they seem too defensive. A Belgium blitz I can get behind as well.

First game I'm watching on a big screen in public. Woolwich has turned out in good numbers

^ the Dutch don't do irony (xp)

And the man in the back said everyone attack and it turned into a belgium blitz

tentative so far, not unexpected

oof man Hazard

Good game this, danger everywhere.

fuck

That famous photo of maradona and belgian defendees the bbc commentators are burbling about is from the 1982 opening game (which belgium won), not the 1986 semi as they seem to think.

*makes careful note*