The Round Ball Game - II

[zola]

4 come to mind off-the-top-of: Nacho (v Portugal); Pavard (v Argentina); De Bruyne (v Brazil); and just now (!) Cheryshev (v Croatia)...

Di Maria's was pretty special too, plus the two classic counter attack goals...Belgium to see off Japan and France's fourth against Argentina.

[jayne lee wilson]

Ok Gareth, Harry and everyone... now we've really got a match haven't we...? Oh yes....and back in the glorious Luzhniki too.

Intensely dramatic game, tonight, despite having no favourite my heart beat a little quicker during the shootout..(that almost-saved, in-off the post....oooooh, the agony)...wonderful event, wonderful occasion, as have so many been in these packed, physically beautiful stadia, all-tournament long... only four games left, it will be hard to do without.

[teamsaint]

Ok Gareth, Harry and everyone... now we've really got a match haven't we...? Oh yes....and back in the glorious Luzhniki too.

Intensely dramatic game, tonight, despite having no favourite my heart beat a little quicker during the shootout..(that almost-saved, in-off the post....oooooh, the agony)...wonderful event, wonderful occasion, as have so many been in these packed, physical beautiful stadia, all-tournament long... only four games left, it will be hard to do without.

Another intruiging puzzle for Southgate. How to deal with Croatia’s briliant midfield, without stifling his own sides freedom to play. That freedom, though it hasn’t led directly to many goals from open play, is what this team is all about.
Will he want to change a winning side? Would Dier help restrict the threat from Modric and Rakitic ? A busy few days ahead for the coaches.

( How on earth is Qatar going to follow this....?)

[Lat-Literal]

Another intruiging puzzle for Southgate. How to deal with Croatia’s briliant midfield, without stifling his own sides freedom to play. That freedom, though it hasn’t led directly to many goals from open play, is what this team is all about.
Will he want to change a winning side? Would Dier help restrict the threat from Modric and Rakitic ? A busy few days ahead for the coaches.

( How on earth is Qatar going to follow this....?)

(Very wintry)

[johncorrigan]

Yes, I had spotted the Irishness of one of my fave bands , Lat !!

Just to add, that this isn’t the best group of English players ever. And expectations of the team these days aren’t sky high. But the way they have gone about their business has been so engaging, ,

Some of what you say is certainly correct, ts. However sorry to keep going on about it, but I wish I could say the same about the commentator/ pundit who have, once again, been frankly appallingly one-sided - had to watch with the sound on mute eventually. I mean it's the BBC not the EBC, is it not? For the Croatia v England game I think BBC Scotland should put their own commentators in there, I reckon.

[eighthobstruction]

....did I see coverage of Rashford kneeling on the ground being 'emotional' at the end of his gallant 3 minute stint....I be b'fed up if I was him ....Yes johncorrigan Martin Keoghs attempts at being expansive man for all seasons giver of high class messages of just how good each and every Eng player and their parts played etc etc blaa blaa snore crass....

[teamsaint]

Some of what you say is certainly correct, ts. However sorry to keep going on about it, but I wish I could say the same about the commentator/ pundit who have, once again, been frankly appallingly one-sided - had to watch with the sound on mute eventually. I mean it's the BBC not the EBC, is it not? For the Croatia v England game I think BBC Scotland should put their own commentators in there, I reckon.

The BBC seems to have lost the plot on how to present sports events in an even handed manner, viz the winter olympics. It is all about “appealing” to the particular target audienc, I guess.
Mediocre pundits, such a Keown, and part and parcel of the thing I’m afraid.( Hoddle is in a different class, IMO.)

It would be interesting to go back and listen to what coverage of the Wales games was like in 2016,in terms of one -sidedness.
Some, and is is just some, of the (over?) excitement around this team is I suspect a reaction to years of indifference to and failure of the team,ending up with the appointment of Sam Allardyce. It’s all just been a bit of a nice surprise, I suppose.

Anyway, sorry that biased commentary is taking away some of your enjoyment, JC. FWIW, I often have to turn off the commentary when Saints are on Sky playing one of the top 6,for similar reasons. But of course there is no licence fee involved.

[Pulcinella]

But at least there ARE pundits worth listening to, unlike on the whole in the presentation of music events!

But I've just had a dreadful vision of the future.
Just imagine listening to La Derham giving a running commentary during a piece of music:

And now the tune has passed to the cellos, back to violins, oh, a smart move there to the oboes for a bit of fancy play, back to the violins again, they're all crowding in, yes, yes, a cadence! Imperfect though, so the conductor says play on!

[teamsaint]

But at least there ARE pundits worth listening to, unlike on the whole in the presentation of music events!

But I've just had a dreadful vision of the future.
Just imagine listening to La Derham giving a running commentary during a piece of music:

And now the tune has passed to the cellos, back to violins, oh, a smart move there to the oboes for a bit of fancy play, back to the violins again, they're all crowding in, yes, yes, a cadence! Imperfect though, so the conductor says play on!

:

You really shouldn’t mention things like that, and give them ideas ......but at least we would all know the correct score......

[Pulcinella]

:

You really shouldn’t mention things like that, and give them ideas ......but at least we would all know the correct score......

Try telling that to the Bruckner supporters!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Try telling that to the Bruckner supporters!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

But I've just had a dreadful vision of the future.
Just imagine listening to La Derham giving a running commentary during a piece of music:

It already happens on the Listen to Me Service.

[Pianorak]

. . . had to watch with the sound on mute eventually. . .

Why anyone would want to listen to the commentators defeats me. No doubt sacrilege for some but I always take the opportunity to listen to CDs due for another airing. Last night: Gordon Fergus-Thompson playing Debussy Pour le piano; Children's Corner; Estampes; Deux Arabesques; Danse bohemienne.

[BBMmk2]

They do say some stupid things at times, don’t they?

[Stanfordian]

It already happens on the Listen to Me Service.

KD's face, suitably grinning, is on the front of BBC Music Magazine featuring the BBC Proms. I nearly dropped it when I saw it. Clearly they value presenters over composers and musicians.