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Friday, 29 June 2018
England take hand off the throttle in basic misreading of hypotheticals | Barney Ronay
And so on to Moscow. On an underpowered, slightly strange night in Kaliningrad England made it to the last 16 of the World Cup, an event that is worthy of celebration in itself. If there is a note of regret it is the manner of their progress, which came with the first minor mis-step of what has been a positive, sure-footed World Cup campaign.
The Kaliningrad Stadium is one of the smaller arenas at Russia 2018, a generic white bowl, like the bathroom suite of an ageing but perfectly respectable three-star hotel. At kick-off its stands were packed out with the usual basking blocks of red and white, the playing surface drenched in a lovely soft evening light.
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There are no World Cup games on. What are you going to do?
After 48 games in 15 days, the group stage is over and real life may intrude. Although there are ways round it …
It’s the morning after the night before, and as you gradually wake up, a jarring and worrying thought occurs to you. There’s no football. You draw a deep breath. There’s. No. Football. After 48 games in 15 days, the World Cup group stage is over. How the hell are you going to fill your day now?
We are told that checking a phone first thing in the morning isn’t good for bleary eyes, but can technology really be bad if it’s being used to check the status of Marouane Fellaini’s contract? Or to see if Jack Grealish has expressed a desire to play Premier League football? There may even be breaking news on Nabil Fekir’s knee ligaments. It’s easy to forget that without the World Cup, a protracted saga about Antoine Griezmann’s release clause would be forced to provide the excitement of the entire group stage.
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Japan manager Akira Nishino admits his own negative tactics left him unhappy
• Tactics led to Senegal’s early exit
Akira Nishino, the Japan coach, admitted his tactics in the final 10 minutes of their game against Poland were “very regrettable” and left him feeling unhappy, after he told his players to “stay put” and keep the ball without trying to attack, despite the fact that they were losing. Nishino decided to “rely on the other match” in Samara, where Colombia were leading 1-0 against Senegal – a scoreline that would put Japan through via the fair-play rule provided they did not concede again or pick up any further yellow cards.
Related: Japan sneak through to World Cup last 16 despite Poland defeat
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Toni Kroos admits early World Cup exit is what Germany deserved
• ‘We were not unlucky. It is not down to bad luck’
• ‘It’s a very black moment for German football’
From Toni Kroos there was no attempt to downplay the significance of Germany’s exit from the World Cup, nor any attempt to deflect the blame. Admirably straight-talking when things were going well, he was also admirably straight-talking now they have gone badly.
“In the end we did not do enough,” the midfielder said. “To be honest, if we can’t score a goal in 90 minutes against South Korea then we don’t deserve to go through. We got what we deserved. We were not unlucky. It is not down to bad luck.”
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Insipid England, Japanese farce and knockout time – World Cup Football Daily
Max and co review day 15 of the 2018 World Cup including a Januzaj goal for all of England, a Sunderland connection, Japanese passing records and a special round of 16 preview with Tim Vickery
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Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning and Will Unwin to discuss all the action from day 15 at the 2018 World Cup, starting with England’s 1-0 defeat to Belgium, which has excited and worried Max in equal measure. Tunisia and Panama played a match with little other than pride at stake - but both will take positives.
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Germany’s early demise eases Brazil supporters’ recurring nightmare
Every day is a different 7-1. This is an expression that became popular in Brazil after 2014, to talk about daily problems or a bad surprise. It is one of many jokes made by a nation which likes to make fun about its problems. It is a way to escape, or forget, the defeat by Germany in 2014, when Brazil hosted the World Cup and the world was left in shock.
Related: Argentina succeeded where Germany failed by adapting to adversity | Liam Rosenior
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