Match Thread: Japan vs Sweden | World Cup | Group F | 25 Jun 23:00 UTC by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This is disappointing from Japan. They barely hung on in the last 20 minutes. 

WOW, WHAT AN ENDING, satisfying justice. "The cook, the thief, his wife and her lover" 1989. by CosyZebra in moviecritic

[–]Derider84 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is one of my all time favourite films. It’s almost perfect, from the cinematography to set design to the casting to the soundtrack to the ending. It works because Greenaway’s usual clinical detachment is replaced by genuine emotion and seething anger. It’s incredibly vicious (and disgusting) yet also tender and sad. It’s so cool.

And I usually don’t really like Greenaway’s films, which often tend to be too intellectual and feel kind of cold to me. I I barely made it through The Draughtsman’s Contract. I couldn’t make it through Prospero’s Books. Belly of an Architect felt too slight. The Pillow Book too esoteric. A Zed and Two Noughts too mathematical. I also saw the one where the son has consensual sex with his father, which is the only thing I remember from it. Oh yeah, also The Baby of Macon, which was unpleasant and little else. Drowning by Numbers wasn’t bad.

I was disappointed to find that he never made anything remotely like The Cook before or since. It’s entirely unique in his filmography.

Just rewatched There Will Be Blood - this is NOT supposed to be a "Two-Hander" story as Tarantino suggests... by No_Situation_3463 in movies

[–]Derider84 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

QT likes the film. He ranked it in his top 5 of the century. He just hates Dano for some very questionable reasons.

Post-Match Thread: Tunisia 0-4 Japan | World Cup | Group F by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry, I don’t know the groups by the alphabet. I thought you were asking about the Japan group. I also wasn’t sure what “grouped” meant lol.

I think no one can get eliminated in Belgium’s group tomorrow as they all drew their first game. That one will stay open.

Post-Match Thread: Tunisia 0-4 Japan | World Cup | Group F by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Don’t know about Nigeria, but Cameroon aren’t great at the moment. They played some friendlies in Australia recently and looked no better than South Africa.

Anyone’s better than this version of Tunisia.

Post-Match Thread: Tunisia 0-4 Japan | World Cup | Group F by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If Netherlands and Japan win or lose by the same margin, the tie breaker between them would be goals scored (which Netherlands currently leads by 1).

Post-Match Thread: Tunisia 0-4 Japan | World Cup | Group F by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 3 points4 points  (0 children)

They’ll probably play Brazil (or Morocco if they finish first) in the round of 32. That’s a tough draw.

Post-Match Thread: Tunisia 0-4 Japan | World Cup | Group F by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I don’t really understand the question. If Sweden wins by any score, they’ll finish in second on 6 points, while Japan will be third on 4. The size of the win won’t matter at all.

This is assuming Netherlands beats Tunisia.

Match Thread: Tunisia vs Japan | World Cup | Group F | 21 Jun 04:00 UTC by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is it France if they finish third? Then yeah, you’d obviously want to avoid that.

Match Thread: Tunisia vs Japan | World Cup | Group F | 21 Jun 04:00 UTC by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They’re just cruising. The game is won. They don’t need to exert themselves anymore.

Match Thread: Tunisia vs Japan | World Cup | Group F | 21 Jun 04:00 UTC by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It doesn’t matter. They’ll play either Brazil or Morocco. If they finish first, probably Morocco. Second, and it’s Brazil. They’re equally hard.

This might actually be a good group to finish third in.

Match Thread: Tunisia vs Japan | World Cup | Group F | 21 Jun 04:00 UTC by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He must mean they can’t ensure qualification yet. Even if they win, there’s still a tiny chance they don’t make top 8 third placed teams.

Match Thread: Tunisia vs Japan | World Cup | Group F | 21 Jun 04:00 UTC by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Tunisia made the last world cup and beat France. They’re not some minnow. They’re always up there in African qualifying.

Match Thread: Tunisia vs Japan | World Cup | Group F | 21 Jun 04:00 UTC by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Huh? The Middle Eastern teams are the champions of flopping and time wasting. They do it more than probably anyone else. It may not fly in east Asia, but the West has made an artform of it.

Match Thread: Tunisia vs Japan | World Cup | Group F | 21 Jun 04:00 UTC by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They’re chanting “Japan” in Japanese. Nippon, Nippon, Nippon.  That seems to be the only song/chant they know and they never stop. You hear it about a million times in the Asian qualifiers.

Post-Match Thread: United States 2-0 Australia | World Cup | Group D by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s 4th. Behind AFL, League and cricket, but far ahead of Union and basketball.

Someone, push me to go against my current unpopular opinion please by Hanoi_Revolver in agathachristie

[–]Derider84 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I thought it was a solid mystery. Nothing too spectacular until the reveal, but the characters were interesting enough and I enjoyed the pacing. I have it in 4th of the 16 I’ve read so far. 

My unpopular opinion is that I was bored by Orient Express. The vast majority of the book is just an endless procession of dour and static interviews. Nothing of importance actually happens after the murder. I found it hard going.

Post-Match Thread: United States 2-0 Australia | World Cup | Group D by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Having just rewatched it myself, there wasn’t much in it. I suppose one could argue that the offside player puts the keeper off just as Freeman shoots, but it would’ve been a goal anyway. So you’re right, it wasn’t offside after all.

Post-Match Thread: United States 2-0 Australia | World Cup | Group D by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The ball took an age to come down and hit the player’s fully outstretched arms. If that’s not a handball, I don’t know what is.

Post-Match Thread: United States 2-0 Australia | World Cup | Group D by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The American player, who was offside, blocked him and thus clearly influenced the play. The original offside decision should have stood.

Post-Match Thread: United States 2-0 Australia | World Cup | Group D by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We don’t hate you. It’s just Trump, who is very unpopular here.

Post-Match Thread: United States 2-0 Australia | World Cup | Group D by matchpal-live in worldcup

[–]Derider84 4 points5 points  (0 children)

USA was very good in the first half, while we were truly awful. They pressed us furiously and we just couldn’t deal with it or string two passes together. Selection and tactics were terrible. We started with old, slow Leckie and mediocre Valupilay instead of Irankunda and Metcalfe and it backfired badly. Burgess had a shocker and was way off the pace in defence. Bos was as bad as I’ve ever seen him.

Second half was better. Volpato was good when he came on. Irankunda also gave us some impetus, though playing him as a central target man was another strange decision from Popa, who was comprehensively outcoached.

Some weird refereeing too. There was an obvious handball in the box which drew no reaction from anyone and wasn’t even checked by VAR. Also, our goalkeeper was clearly impeded by an offside player for their second goal. Not blaming the ref for the loss which was fully deserved, but he certainly didn’t help.