jespafc":1pfhfv8t said:
We're just not that good!
The 2018 WC was so overrated it's untrue. We lost twice to Belgium and once to a better Croatia team. We scraped through on pens vs Colombia and were blessed with an easy group and a knockout game with an extremely average Swedish team. That was it.
The players are rotated so much now in meaningless friendlies that the so-called 'pride' of representing your country is dished out to every Tom, Dick and Harry that happens to have a good month for their clubs. Oh, and of course, when there's a global pandemic, we have several players who can't follow simple rules. I'm sorry, I don't care how young they are, if you're picked for your country, you follow the simple rules.
Italia 90 - We scrapped through the group after drab performances against Eire and Egypt... should have lost in the next round v Belgium, then were outplayed by Cameroon in the quarter final. Our best game was the semi final yet we still managed to lose before the Italians beat us in the 3/4th play-off. We only won 1 game in normal time.
Euro 96. More drab performances against Switzerland, the first half v Scotland and Spain before another semi final loss v the Germans.
In perspective to 2018, I think this should match up to those other semi final appearances.
Fair cop Panama were a pub team but Colombia and Tunisia displayed some of the worst anti football I ever witnessed in a football stadium with the off the ball fouling, diving, intimidating the officials.
Sweden are always a probmatic side for us and we played very well in that match and well Belgium have a terrific side. Let's be honest with a better manager than Roberto Martinez they should have won tournaments by now with that talent in the squad.
I loved that World Cup and being in the semi final was a wonderful experience (apart from the final whistle).