MATCHWATCH : Croatia (n) sponsored by two big badges

[windermereROYAL]

Predictably the Scottish and Welsh are out in force on twitter tonight, it`s quite laughable really.

[Old Man Andrews]

I've seen a lot of jealousy, which is all it is. Those nations are very small and will never get to win a World Cup or a Euros. Their football is in decline and ours is on the up. Our future is very bright and we will only kick on from here. They will both struggle to qualify for tournaments for years and years to come. Scrapping and clawing for draws away to Belarus whilst we are walking our qualifying group and playing positive football with youth at the heart of the team.

[Scutterbucketz]

I’m hating this country until the whole shit show is cancelled. So to be beaten by the newest EU team is delightful.

I hope your missus shit bag explodes in your face. I had your back on this portal at one stage. Now I just think you’re a troll muthafukka pcunt.

That shirt I bought you. I wish it was small poxed

I still own and cherish that shirt. It’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me

Look, I didn’t mean that. I bought that for you, not knowing you but hoping it would be fun for you. It was fun for me too. Fun from nothing. The best kind. Don’t be that guy who takes pleasure in watching those more optimistic around you have their dreams dashed. The Germans have a word for that. A word which I hope we never need. Let’s not be those people. I take it back. I hope you do too. And then you stop trying to garner attention for being the guy you probably don’t want to be, but feel lost without.

You’re not lost!! None of us are. You saw that once! Don’t try and draw people out with the exact opposite of that sentiment.

[Scutterbucketz]

Lads.....it came home already. This run made us feel things about our country that have long since been dormant.


It fukking came home. Briefly. Ever so briefly.

As Reading fans I hope we’re all taking this loss with the calm, stoic knowledge that has been afforded us for over those 130 years when we did nothing. One day it will come home. And when it does I hope it’s with a team like this.

IT CAME HOME! IT FUKKING CAME HOME!!! It didn’t stay but we at least got to see it visit.

Been enjoying your posts Scuttz. Srsly.

Disappointed tonight, but we did not really deserve to go any further.

I thought the same......but wasn’t every moment just so much fukking fun? I love tales of the unexpected. Life is about surprises. Embrace them always. And when the balloon finally pops, pick up the pieces and remember how exciting it made you feel. It changed your life. Maybe next time it will do it forever.

[Jackson Corner]

Best team won no complaints except the ref was dreadful. Southgate did a top job with a pretty average set of players. Until we start producing world class players like Modric or Messi. We will always struggle.

[Scutterbucketz]

Wasn’t it all just good fukking fun though?

We’ve been given the opposite to the sour dish we’ve been served up for years. We weren’t all that. But that’s what the rest of us wanted. We didn’t even realise it.

I’ll remember this forever. And not even with a hint of bitterness. Xxxx

[Libertine]

Great run. Thought you would win this one but fall short in the final. Hopefully you'll get 3rd place. As the old saying goes it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all...

Bodes well for the future nonetheless. Very valuable experience for this young squad.

[CountryRoyal]

You know what, we had to lose to experience the best feeling that I've had all world cup. The minute full time went I threw my drink and went and sat outside, I NEVER cry at anything to do with football and I was close to tears... it was then when outside of Belushis in the street I heard a faint murmur.... "dont take me home". I stood up, on my feet, and the next thing 40 or so of us were singing for at least 30 minutes, in the street, by ourselves in good spirit despite what happened. Shirts off, swinging t shirts, just getting mashed and enjoying it.

Moment of the world cup. I love this country. We'll be back.

[From Despair To Where?]

Those nations are very small and will never get to win a World Cup or a Euros.

You do realise Scotland has a bigger population than Croatia?

I think Croatia winning it would be brilliant. It would show that you don't need 40m people, you don't need billionaire club owners and you don't need a multi billion pound TV deal to produce decent players and coaches.

[Old Man Andrews]

Those nations are very small and will never get to win a World Cup or a Euros.

You do realise Scotland has a bigger population than Croatia?

I think Croatia winning it would be brilliant. It would show that you don't need 40m people, you don't need billionaire club owners and you don't need a multi billion pound TV deal to produce decent players and coaches.

Without being political a lot of the Croatia players were born in a country that doesn't exist anymore, they had a huge pool to choose from especially when you consider you can go on parents country of birth and grandparents. There are a lot of grey areas when it comes to team you can represent after the break up of Yugoslavia. As time goes on it will be harder for Croatia to compete, this is their "golden generation".

[bobby1413]

In work this morning:

Woman 1: I watched the first half but got bored, so turned it off

Woman 2: Yea, I don't get why the ref didn't give a yellow card for the penalty
Me: Penalty? There wasn't one
Woman 2: there was, near the square bit
Me: You mean a free kick
Her: Yes, a penalty

[From Despair To Where?]

You can't discuss Balkan national identity without being political. National identity, particularly after the death if Tito, was the single biggest defining characteristic for most Yugoslavs. You were Croat, or a Serb or a Bosnian first and a Yugoslav second. There really wasn't any significant switching of National identity after the breakup in 1991 because it ran so deeply.

And anyway, I though their golden generation was the 1996-2000 team.

[Stranded]

Best team won but hard not to be positive about the direction of the national team.

That XI is fairly young and has bought in to what Southgate is trying to do, add to that that we are World Champions at both U17 and U20 level - and some of these players are realising that they don't need to hang around at PL clubs not playing and moving abroad in some cases - and there is no reason not to think that we could be entering a spell where England regularly make the latter rounds and maybe ever win something.

Of course, the opposite may happen but it feels like a positive step forward.

[Maneki Neko]

I hope your missus shit bag explodes in your face. I had your back on this portal at one stage. Now I just think you’re a troll muthafukka pcunt.

That shirt I bought you. I wish it was small poxed

I still own and cherish that shirt. It’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me

Look, I didn’t mean that. I bought that for you, not knowing you but hoping it would be fun for you. It was fun for me too. Fun from nothing. The best kind. Don’t be that guy who takes pleasure in watching those more optimistic around you have their dreams dashed. The Germans have a word for that. A word which I hope we never need. Let’s not be those people. I take it back. I hope you do too. And then you stop trying to garner attention for being the guy you probably don’t want to be, but feel lost without.

You’re not lost!! None of us are. You saw that once! Don’t try and draw people out with the exact opposite of that sentiment.

beautiful

[Sanguine]

Agree, Stranded, a big step forward and Southgate can take a lot of credit for that. We should be proud of the team, who have played excellent football (even last night, we kept trying to pass the ball), and approached games with a team ethic and spirit we haven't seen for a generation (even the '96 side was driven by the egos of Ince, Gazza, Shearer).

This is a young team/squad that could, conceivably, line up exactly the same at the Euros in 2020, and even peak in Qatar in 2022, when still only three of the starters last night will be over 30 years old (Henderson and Walker will be 32, Trippier 31), and when the likes of Rashford and Alexander-Arnold and Gomez will have four more years' experience. That's something to be excited about.

[Maneki Neko]

Wasn’t it all just good fukking fun though?

We’ve been given the opposite to the sour dish we’ve been served up for years. We weren’t all that. But that’s what the rest of us wanted. We didn’t even realise it.

I’ll remember this forever. And not even with a hint of bitterness. Xxxx

this. was good to be swept up in a campaign with no expectation, and surprised by a team better than the sum of its parts, and to have postitive and warm feelings for the england team and manager after they crash out for once.

that's all you could ever ask for imo.

[Maneki Neko]

Best team won but hard not to be positive about the direction of the national team.

That XI is fairly young and has bought in to what Southgate is trying to do, add to that that we are World Champions at both U17 and U20 level - and some of these players are realising that they don't need to hang around at PL clubs not playing and moving abroad in some cases - and there is no reason not to think that we could be entering a spell where England regularly make the latter rounds and maybe ever win something.

Of course, the opposite may happen but it feels like a positive step forward.

the biggest positive, and southgates biggest achievement for me is that we now have a template for how to do a tournament.

[Old Man Andrews]

I sadly have to agree with Piers Morgan and say I think the word "hero" is a bit strong when describing the players. The players and management have given us hope and restored the pride again which is amazing, getting to the semi's is more than I ever imagined pre-tournament and I am very happy to have been proven wrong.

The FA need to now give Southgate and his management team long and improved deals imo, show that he is going to be there for the long haul.

[Winston Biscuit]

England tried to score while Croatia were celebrating

https://imgur.com/oy0eBzI

lol

[Sanguine]

In work this morning:

Woman 1: I watched the first half but got bored, so turned it off

Woman 2: Yea, I don't get why the ref didn't give a yellow card for the penalty
Me: Penalty? There wasn't one
Woman 2: there was, near the square bit
Me: You mean a free kick
Her: Yes, a penalty

Lady behind me at work.

Her: So when do we play again?
Colleague: Saturday evening.
Her: Oooh good. So we can still win the World Cup?