Thanks for the Cyber Fellowship this WC

[mate]

Guys, it was as always a pleasure and privilege sharing this WC with you all. We've a long history. Lots of diversity among us.

I appreciate the thanks, support, and even criticism of my Croatia. It's life. I also in turn keep an eye out for African teams and, yes, Nigeria not being here. We engage each other on things that matter.

Football matters. A lot. At least for me and my circle of friends. IRL and virtual. And I met some of you IRL.

What a blast!

I won't hold back: I'm reveling in Croatia being 3rd. It makes my life nicer.

Here's hoping the Super Eagles make the next WC. And score a victory...dreaming big.

Thanks!

[felarey]

Thanks, your team were my favourite in terms of work rate and attitude. If I could coach a bunch of guys, it will be them. No prima donnas, reminds me of Hockey where even the best and most talented have no choice but to still play the game with hardwork. They were just jaded and uncharacteristically had breakdowns in central defence in the first half against Argentina. Gvardiol will unfortunately be remembered for that abuse he suffered from Messi on their 3rd goal, but at 20, what a player he is and will become. Big clubs will come calling.

Luka Modric likely not playing at this level again, is a big miss for me. Players like him are very rare, like Paul Scholes. Not many are comfortable receiving the ball in the midst of 3 opposition players yet make the right decision and with the technical quality to ping the ball around effortlessly and accurately. Playing deep, he provides relief for the defence, its get the ball to Luka and he'll do the best thing with it.

Overall, a good team, Perisic is probably done too. But youngins are getting there.

[mate]

Thanks, your team were my favourite in terms of work rate and attitude. If I could coach a bunch of guys, it will be them. No prima donnas, reminds me of Hockey where even the best and most talented have no choice but to still play the game with hardwork. They were just jaded and uncharacteristically had breakdowns in central defence in the first half against Argentina. Gvardiol will unfortunately be remembered for that abuse he suffered from Messi on their 3rd goal, but at 20, what a player he is and will become. Big clubs will come calling.

Luka Modric likely not playing at this level again, is a big miss for me. Players like him are very rare, like Paul Scholes. Not many are comfortable receiving the ball in the midst of 3 opposition players yet make the right decision and with the technical quality to ping the ball around effortlessly and accurately. Playing deep, he provides relief for the defence, its get the ball to Luka and he'll do the best thing with it.

Overall, a good team, Perisic is probably done too. But youngins are getting there.

Gvardiol spoke to this. He said it was a lesson he will learn from and improve upon. But this is the price of being a defender.

Ramos got torched so many times by Messi and other players in big matches. But he also made big stops. It's the nature of being a defender.



I like our prospects. We have a pipeline of youth. I'm very optimistic, but we will see.

I envy my Argentina friends. 3 stars now on their jersey. I DEARLY wish Croatia had even 1 star...man would that be something.

[airwolex]

Awesome WC, and some of you guys here know your football.

[akamoke]

Indeed that is why we all come here, to talk and live football

I hope we can live to realise that when the tournament is over, the players go about their merry lives as well we also should

Till the next time when we can all come together and celebrate the myriad of talented players the world has given us

[ohsee]

Thanks mate. Very impressed with Croatia. Did not know that your country has only 4 million people. What an awesome football nation.

[mate]

Thanks mate. Very impressed with Croatia. Did not know that your country has only 4 million people. What an awesome football nation.

Thanks man.



On to the next tournament. Football is life.

[Damunk]

Thanks mate. Very impressed with Croatia. Did not know that your country has only 4 million people. What an awesome football nation.

Mind bowing.
That’s roughly the population of Cross River State.

[mate]

Thanks mate. Very impressed with Croatia. Did not know that your country has only 4 million people. What an awesome football nation.

Mind bowing.
That’s roughly the population of Cross River State.

We had 4.8M 15 years ago. Young people have left for greener pastures in Western Europe. Not for bad reasons.

Croatia has excellent schools, college and vocational. People are ambitious and want to make money. Corruption limits this however, especially in public sector: where nepotism and embezzlement are common.

Bottom line: a line worker in Croatia outside tech and public sector cannot buy a home in Croatia anymore. So they go for $$$ in Western Europe. At least the government recognizes it as a national emergency, but it will take time before the bleeding stops.

I have to think this impacts our football team. Demographics matter. You need kids to actually play and engage football.

Then again, in some ways, this night fuel football...as young boys desperate to find $$$ might see football as the way.

[theDunamis]

Thanks mate. Very impressed with Croatia. Did not know that your country has only 4 million people. What an awesome football nation.

That for me is the wonder of Croatia's international football success. And of course, the incredibly wonderous Mr. Modric. An in-depth study of the how Croatia forged a footballing powerhouse out of that meagre population size is a study I would love to read and one I hope those qualified to conduct someday soon.

[theDunamis]

Guys, it was as always a pleasure and privilege sharing this WC with you all. We've a long history. Lots of diversity among us.

I appreciate the thanks, support, and even criticism of my Croatia. It's life. I also in turn keep an eye out for African teams and, yes, Nigeria not being here. We engage each other on things that matter.

Football matters. A lot. At least for me and my circle of friends. IRL and virtual. And I met some of you IRL.

What a blast!

I won't hold back: I'm reveling in Croatia being 3rd. It makes my life nicer.

Here's hoping the Super Eagles make the next WC. And score a victory...dreaming big.

Thanks!

Congrats and huge kudos, Mate. A little anecdote that you may find interesting.

I was in Russia for the 2018 WC and after the Nigeria v Croatia match, a Croat and I traded jerseys. I have a couple of other nations' jerseys from doing this. Being an engineer, t-shirts and jeans are my typical attire and so I would wear some of these jerseys on occasion without any particular reason. One day, I wore my Croatian jersey and stopped by my favorite coffeeshop on the way to work. This random dude saw me from outside the coffeeshop and approached me smiling excitedly. He said, "I love your jersey. I am from Croatia." We laughed, and I told him how I got the jersey, and we talked briefly about the amazing feat of the Croatian team in WC 2018. He asked for a picture so he could show it to his friends and other Croats. It was so heartwarming seeing his pride and joy experiencing how his country's soccer feat far away in the eastern hemisphere was being paid homage to by a random Nigerian immigrant thousands of miles away around Seattle.

The beautiful game is beautiful in many more ways than we realize.

[mate]

Thanks mate. Very impressed with Croatia. Did not know that your country has only 4 million people. What an awesome football nation.

That for me is the wonder of Croatia's international football success. And of course, the incredibly wonderous Mr. Modric. An in-depth study of the how Croatia forged a footballing powerhouse out of that meagre population size is a study I would love to read and one I hope those qualified to conduct someday soon.

This is why I fear Nigeria. In a good way. Imagine what happens when Nigeria applies its scale like this?

No reason Nigeria cannot become a regular contender, at the top of Africa, facing the top of UEFA and CONMEBOL.

[mate]

Guys, it was as always a pleasure and privilege sharing this WC with you all. We've a long history. Lots of diversity among us.

I appreciate the thanks, support, and even criticism of my Croatia. It's life. I also in turn keep an eye out for African teams and, yes, Nigeria not being here. We engage each other on things that matter.

Football matters. A lot. At least for me and my circle of friends. IRL and virtual. And I met some of you IRL.

What a blast!

I won't hold back: I'm reveling in Croatia being 3rd. It makes my life nicer.

Here's hoping the Super Eagles make the next WC. And score a victory...dreaming big.

Thanks!

Congrats and huge kudos, Mate. A little anecdote that you may find interesting.

I was in Russia for the 2018 WC and after the Nigeria v Croatia match, a Croat and I traded jerseys. I have a couple of other nations' jerseys from doing this. Being an engineer, t-shirts and jeans are my typical attire and so I would wear some of these jerseys on occasion without any particular reason. One day, I wore my Croatian jersey and stopped by my favorite coffeeshop on the way to work. This random dude saw me from outside the coffeeshop and approached me smiling excitedly. He said, "I love your jersey. I am from Croatia." We laughed, and I told him how I got the jersey, and we talked briefly about the amazing feat of the Croatian team in WC 2018. He asked for a picture so he could show it to his friends and other Croats. It was so heartwarming seeing his pride and joy experiencing how his country's soccer feat far away in the eastern hemisphere was being paid homage to by a random Nigerian immigrant thousands of miles away around Seattle.

The beautiful game is beautiful in many more ways than we realize.

KPOM!!!

I was in St. Petersburg, Sochi, and Moscow for 2018.

2026 in North America. Maybe a bunch of us can cross paths! I live in San Francisco, a host city. I also will travel for sure.

God willing, we're alive and healthy and can let each other know for some beer and win CE Summits at that WC.

[blueangel]

Thanks, your team were my favourite in terms of work rate and attitude. If I could coach a bunch of guys, it will be them. No prima donnas, reminds me of Hockey where even the best and most talented have no choice but to still play the game with hardwork. They were just jaded and uncharacteristically had breakdowns in central defence in the first half against Argentina. Gvardiol will unfortunately be remembered for that abuse he suffered from Messi on their 3rd goal, but at 20, what a player he is and will become. Big clubs will come calling.

Luka Modric likely not playing at this level again, is a big miss for me. Players like him are very rare, like Paul Scholes. Not many are comfortable receiving the ball in the midst of 3 opposition players yet make the right decision and with the technical quality to ping the ball around effortlessly and accurately. Playing deep, he provides relief for the defence, its get the ball to Luka and he'll do the best thing with it.

Overall, a good team, Perisic is probably done too. But youngins are getting there.

I always argue that a good player will at least beat any World Class defender at least 3x in a match.
Very, Very rare a defender can stop a good / World Class Striker / Dribbler 10 out of 10 times.
Sadly defenders are only remebered by errors they make or being beaten.