England v Costa Rica

cafcdave123 said:

Have Costa Rica just brought on an Ian Smith?

UDI for Costa Rica in the offing?

SouthWest_Addicks said:

Another enjoyable performance watching England. Really excited for the tournament start and England to play their opening game.

The front four of Kane, Alli, Lingard & Sterling (Rashy) looks brilliant. I really enjoy their movement with and without the ball.

It’s coming home, it’s coming, footballs coming home.

That’s lucky because if we get out of the group we’re not gonna have much of the ball.

Don't see how you can think of starting Vardy over Kane when only only one of those is WC. In other news, i'm getting carried away again and think we could actually put in a good performance this tournament. Not looking to win but I'd just be happy to see England play well in a major tournament which I don't think has ever happened in my memory (I'm 25), then build for future tournaments where we might well have a good chance with some luck.

LonelyNorthernAddick said:

Don't see how you can think of starting Vardy over Kane when only only one of those is WC. In other news, i'm getting carried away again and think we could actually put in a good performance this tournament. Not looking to win but I'd just be happy to see England play well in a major tournament which I don't think has ever happened in my memory (I'm 25), then build for future tournaments where we might well have a good chance with some luck.

I'm the same age as you and I agree that we haven't seen anything amazing.

Best I can remember is WC 2002. Pretty sure after the tournament a few of the Brazilians said we were the hardest team we faced. Remember watching that game on a projector in the school hall.

It's strange going into the World Cup with so few sacred cows in the team. Other than Kane and maybe Stones, I'm not sure anyone is certain of their place in the team

JessieAddick said:

kentaddick said:

SMW28 said:

LonelyNorthernAddick said:

Don't see how you can think of starting Vardy over Kane when only only one of those is WC. In other news, i'm getting carried away again and think we could actually put in a good performance this tournament. Not looking to win but I'd just be happy to see England play well in a major tournament which I don't think has ever happened in my memory (I'm 25), then build for future tournaments where we might well have a good chance with some luck.

I'm the same age as you and I agree that we haven't seen anything amazing.

Best I can remember is WC 2002. Pretty sure after the tournament a few of the Brazilians said we were the hardest team we faced. Remember watching that game on a projector in the school hall.

I remember that well, getting up early to watch the game and having to go to lessons after absolutely gutted. I also remember thinking I would be so so old at the next World Cup, I would be 15 and it blew my mind. 16 years later here I am..

I was 15 years old and a HUGE England fan at the time. Watched the game vs Brazil at home and couldn't hold back tears at the end. That was the only time I cried for a national team - I haven't even shed a tear for my own national team (China) because I've never had expections. I really loved that England team and thought they could do well and with a bit of luck maybe even win the World Cup...

As for this year, I watched replay of both the Costa Rica and Nigeria games. I wonder if you're all wearing rose-tinted glasses because I don't see the performances as great as most of you do. Neither of the opponents put much pressure on England. IIRC you did have a good run of friendlies before the last Euros under Woy? So perhaps friendly performances didn't really mean much? That said, I truly hope England go through the group stage and make the last 8 at least. You'll be the team that I root for.

That's the thing about friendlies, if you win and win well then it's "only a friendly and doesn't mean much" but if you lose then it suddenly means we are useless and won't win anything.

Truth is it's about maintaining form and fitness and creating understandings between players - from my perspective 2 wins, a clean sheet for our defence, 2 strikers getting goals and no injuries is a perfect result for us, I don't really see what more can be asked of a team preparing for a tournament?

kentaddick said:

SMW28 said:

LonelyNorthernAddick said:

Don't see how you can think of starting Vardy over Kane when only only one of those is WC. In other news, i'm getting carried away again and think we could actually put in a good performance this tournament. Not looking to win but I'd just be happy to see England play well in a major tournament which I don't think has ever happened in my memory (I'm 25), then build for future tournaments where we might well have a good chance with some luck.

I'm the same age as you and I agree that we haven't seen anything amazing.

Best I can remember is WC 2002. Pretty sure after the tournament a few of the Brazilians said we were the hardest team we faced. Remember watching that game on a projector in the school hall.

I remember that well, getting up early to watch the game and having to go to lessons after absolutely gutted. I also remember thinking I would be so so old at the next World Cup, I would be 15 and it blew my mind. 16 years later here I am..

2002 is the first tournament I have a proper memory of and I remember us playing well until that Brazil game and Ronaldinho's free kick I think mortally wounded me for life. I remember passionate arguments on the playground about whether Seaman was at fault or whether it was just Ronaldinho being Ronaldinho. After that it has been utterly disappointing crap.

Just want to see us play good football and attack instead of scraping through a poor group and feeling disappointed before we've even been knocked out. Is it so much to ask?

JessieAddick said:

Manicmania said:

JessieAddick said:

kentaddick said:

SMW28 said:

LonelyNorthernAddick said:

Don't see how you can think of starting Vardy over Kane when only only one of those is WC. In other news, i'm getting carried away again and think we could actually put in a good performance this tournament. Not looking to win but I'd just be happy to see England play well in a major tournament which I don't think has ever happened in my memory (I'm 25), then build for future tournaments where we might well have a good chance with some luck.

I'm the same age as you and I agree that we haven't seen anything amazing.

Best I can remember is WC 2002. Pretty sure after the tournament a few of the Brazilians said we were the hardest team we faced. Remember watching that game on a projector in the school hall.

I remember that well, getting up early to watch the game and having to go to lessons after absolutely gutted. I also remember thinking I would be so so old at the next World Cup, I would be 15 and it blew my mind. 16 years later here I am..

I was 15 years old and a HUGE England fan at the time. Watched the game vs Brazil at home and couldn't hold back tears at the end. That was the only time I cried for a national team - I haven't even shed a tear for my own national team (China) because I've never had expections. I really loved that England team and thought they could do well and with a bit of luck maybe even win the World Cup...

As for this year, I watched replay of both the Costa Rica and Nigeria games. I wonder if you're all wearing rose-tinted glasses because I don't see the performances as great as most of you do. Neither of the opponents put much pressure on England. IIRC you did have a good run of friendlies before the last Euros under Woy? So perhaps friendly performances didn't really mean much? That said, I truly hope England go through the group stage and make the last 8 at least. You'll be the team that I root for.

That's the thing about friendlies, if you win and win well then it's "only a friendly and doesn't mean much" but if you lose then it suddenly means we are useless and won't win anything.

Truth is it's about maintaining form and fitness and creating understandings between players - from my perspective 2 wins, a clean sheet for our defence, 2 strikers getting goals and no injuries is a perfect result for us, I don't really see what more can be asked of a team preparing for a tournament?

Perhaps I'm now just used to watching (Premier) league games which are more physical, competitive and have a higher tempo? Costa Rica looked very good and up for it in the first five or ten minutes but after that they sort of sat back and rarely threatened you.

I agree with you that friendlies are basically for preparation. Just that it's better to be *cautiously* optimistic maybe?

Oh I absolutely agree - never get too high or too low a great man once said. International football is so so different to the PL when it comes to physicality and tempo of the game it's almost night and day.

Costa Rica were very disappointing, I think the commentators had it right when they said they looked jaded - not sure when they got into the country but perhaps that was a factor - but our pressing and hunting down of the ball totally stifled them and the players deserve a lot of the credit for that as well.

To me it looked like the second string to a man were doing everything they could to force their way into the starting 11 for next week and if we are going to progress in any way in the tournament we will be relying on the whole squad rather than one or two individuals like we historically have in the past and that is probably my biggest positive I take from the two games.

LonelyNorthernAddick said:

JessieAddick said:

LonelyNorthernAddick said:

kentaddick said:

SMW28 said:

LonelyNorthernAddick said:

Don't see how you can think of starting Vardy over Kane when only only one of those is WC. In other news, i'm getting carried away again and think we could actually put in a good performance this tournament. Not looking to win but I'd just be happy to see England play well in a major tournament which I don't think has ever happened in my memory (I'm 25), then build for future tournaments where we might well have a good chance with some luck.

I'm the same age as you and I agree that we haven't seen anything amazing.

Best I can remember is WC 2002. Pretty sure after the tournament a few of the Brazilians said we were the hardest team we faced. Remember watching that game on a projector in the school hall.

I remember that well, getting up early to watch the game and having to go to lessons after absolutely gutted. I also remember thinking I would be so so old at the next World Cup, I would be 15 and it blew my mind. 16 years later here I am..

2002 is the first tournament I have a proper memory of and I remember us playing well until that Brazil game and Ronaldinho's free kick I think mortally wounded me for life. I remember passionate arguments on the playground about whether Seaman was at fault or whether it was just Ronaldinho being Ronaldinho. After that it has been utterly disappointing crap.

Just want to see us play good football and attack instead of scraping through a poor group and feeling disappointed before we've even been knocked out. Is it so much to ask?

*Sigh* That just brought back the memory! Me and my then best friend both supported England and that day was her birthday. We were devastated! I became seriously interested in football in the summer of 2000, the Euros but didn't have any preferences then. So WC 2002 was the first tournament that I really had a team (actually not one team but two as China qualified for the finals as well) to root for. And the year before that, Beckham's free-kick against Greece... my oh my... I watched the game live and that goal is simply something I'll never forget.

That free-kick is easily my single favourite moment in international football. Probably will be for a good while. Still think Becks was an absolute legend for England, don't know why we sacked him off so early. Only player who played with any real passion for the badge.

England Scotland Euro '96 for me - Scotland miss a penalty and then Gazza goes immediately up the other end and scores one of the great Wembley goals ever - went from despair to joy in the space of 30 seconds and the delirium of doing it in competition and against the Scots to boot will always be my greatest moment. Beckham's pen against Argentina and his redemption is up there as well for me.

Callumcafc said:

Would have to be cautious. As Jessie said, Nigeria and Costa Rica as a sum did not put us under too much pressure.

When Nigeria did in that second half we looked very shaky.

There's still a way to go but I'm confident we've got enough to at least beat Tunisia and Panama. We'll go from there.

Admittedly I only saw the last 15 minutes and it was all over, but England easily looked like they could be taken apart by the better teams.

Hence we will be in for the usual gnashing of teeth and stringing up of Southgate and some scapegoat players.

Picking 10 favourite England moments off the top of my head

Robson's goal after 26 seconds (or whatever) in 1982
John Barnes goal at Maracana 1984
Lineker's hat-trick in 1986 (against Poland)
Platt goal in Italia 90
Gazza in Euro 96
England 4 Netherlands 1 96
Stuart Pearce penalty 96
Michael Owen wondergoal in 98
5-1 against Germany 2001
Backham's goal against Greece 2001

killerandflash said:

Picking 10 favourite England moments off the top of my head

Robson's goal after 26 seconds (or whatever) in 1982
John Barnes goal at Maracana 1984
Lineker's hat-trick in 1986 (against Poland)
Platt goal in Italia 90
Gazza in Euro 96
England 4 Netherlands 1 96
Stuart Pearce penalty 96
Michael Owen wondergoal in 98
5-1 against Germany 2001
Backham's goal against Greece 2001

Superb list.
Every single one makes me feel strangely euphoric.