I read your last line as meaning the system is still in need of a reboot, ergo it hasn't started yet. If you meant the reboot is happening now and they need to have patience then yes, I was definitely agreeing with you! I saw a lot of reactionary stuff in the German media talking about sacking the manager and coaching staff now, how Germany aren't a tournament team anymore, how their national team is no longer elite, an embarrassment, etc... it was just way over the top and proves it isn't just the English press and supporters who sometimes go too far with expectations versus reality.

Switzerland one of those teams that are hyped pre-tournament and labelled dark horses, but almost always exit with a whimper fairly early on. This is probably the worst I've seen them in any semi-recent tournament though.

Not sure if Portugal are playing really well or Switzerland are just a bit rubbish. Maybe some from column A and some from column B.

Eh, I maintain they were just a bit unlucky in this tournament. A freak opening result (Argentina had a worse opening game result and still qualified), a credible 1-1 draw with Spain and they ended up beating Costa Rica comfortably after a brief scare. Had it not been for Costa Rica not turning up for their first match of the tournament it could easily have been Spain going out instead. Nobody would have anticipated Japan beating both Spain and Germany. It was a bizarre set of circumstances that saw them drop out. Now granted Germany didn't look great, but then a lot of the bigger nations looked poor in the groups and still qualified. I don't think they looked any worse than Argentina, Spain, Croatia or the Netherlands. Obviously from their perspective hugely disappointing to go out in the group stages for the second WC in a row, but this wasn't the same as their WC 2018 elimination. That was a team struggling at the end of the road, further confirmed in the Euros afterwards. This Germany is a team in transition from a manager that clung on for too long, and imo at least suffered a bit of bad luck in how results played out. 9 times out of 10 Japan don't beat Spain and Germany, nor do Spain beat Costa Rica 7-0. I don't think the German FA will overreact in the same way their media seem to be.

The one thing you simply can't train for is the pressure and the intensity in that moment. It's something that can only be experienced, not coached or trained for. The mentality of the individual player is key in that situation. He's obviously struggling to come to terms with the fact he isn't indispensible anymore and can't behave however he wants and get away with it just because he's CR7. A humbling lesson for him, but not one I'm convinced he'll learn much from.

Considering the public emphasis Luis Enrique put on penalties before the tournament, those were three shocking penalties from Spain. Maybe those comments ultimately backfired psychologically. Well done to Morocco. Hung in there and got their rewards. The prevailing cencesus before the tournament was that Spain's team lacked goals, and that was roundly rubbished after they won their first game 7-0, but that turned out to be an outlier and the doubters were spot on. Spain just couldn't score when they needed to.

An insipid performance from Spain tonight. If they go through we could handle them easily. I think I'd be more concerned with facing Morocco.

Same here tbh, I watch a tournament like this for competitive matches, not a Brazil exhibition.

A bit sad this. Just a massive gulf in quality. Brazil ruthless tonight.

Not convinced the Japanese practiced penalties - those were some of the tamest pen kicks I've ever seen, one after the other. If they do practice them then they are doing it wrong.

I've seen anti-England forums lads, this ain't it. Mostly decent debate about the strengths and weaknesses, current and historic, of England. Yes there are a few outliers on either side who go way too far into the negatives and positives, but such is life.

Both us and France looked poor for periods today against weaker opposition, but ultimately both won comfortably and that's all that counts in the end. It should be a fascinating clash next Saturday. Arguably the two best teams so far based on performances going head-to-head. Admittedly an argument could possibly be made for Brazil to be in that conversation as well.

Senegal never really threatened us. Any danger was completely self-inflicted by the terrible first half an hour or so. Once we scored it was as comfortable as you'll see in a major knockout match. Beat France and it's game on.

Poor before we scored. Good afterwards. A bit like a typical Rovers win.

Glad to see Bellingham coming off. Wrap that lad in cotton wool.

Chaddy, he said the first 20 minutes were boring. They were. You disputed it. I'm not sure anybody else would have and frankly it felt like you posted that just to get a reaction. Maybe you didn't, but that's how it looks to me because it wasn't a statement that required an explanation. Your post above is moving the goalposts completely. Just leave it.

Tbf you're probably the only person who thinks so. 3-0, game over.

Bellingham the difference maker in that half. Once we scored we turned it up a notch and Senegal started struggling. They'll have to come forward and attack now which should leave gaps for us to exploit.

We're trying to be like Spain but without the intelligent running. Doesn't work.

Poland's gameplan was clearly to keep it tight and try and nick a goal towards the end to try and force extra time, but Mbappe pretty much single-handedly wiped that out. You can't account for that kind of quality.

Yeah, Uruguay going home is no big loss. Perhaps they should look at how they performed against South Korea rather than scream at the officials like a group of petulant children. A good tournament so far for the African and Asian teams.

No one could say we hadn't earned it, that's for sure.

Would basically be the opposite of 2018, from one of the easiest to one of the hardest routes.

Amazing that Germany have failed to progress from the group stages in two consecutive WC tournaments now, and neither were exactly what would be classified as a group of death. We also humbled them in between at the Euros. After such a long period of international dominance it's really something to see Germany at such a low point.

Top down view may show the very edge of the ball curve being at the line.