World Cup 2018

Van, nice call on Sweden.  You nailed the analysis of that game, and damn near hit the exact score !

Spain-Russia knockout round is an interesting game.   Spain still shows brilliance in its tightly controlled passing game, but their defense is porous like you mention, much like it did them in during Euros2016.  Both teams show ability to score, and give up goals, too.

Thoughts on the Over 2,2.5 -120  ?

Also, Colombia not getting much love, but feel they might be a sleeper (hope I haven't jinxed them).

Their last game was the first time that both Falcao and James have been healthy for a full WC game and they looked great.    Their group play isn't very strong, but their play is encouraging...

Van. Just wanted to give you props for an excellent job since the World Cup started. The call you made on Sweden today vs. Mexico was written like it was submitted after the game was over. I also respect the way you handle the haters. Well done! Keep the insightful posts coming!

I haven't even logged into this site in years, but you know what, for this I will take the time because I've always believed message boards and forums function best when the users police themselves to an extent.

To that point, posts like these are the worst of the Internet. They're embarrassing, and not only do they make you look like a petty, jealous infant with no life and nothing better to do than troll others online, they actively discourage exactly what forums like these are supposed to promote.

Van may remember me from ye olden times, he may not. But one thing I know about him is that he'll always discuss how he's capped a game, why his play is what it is—and if you're asking for more, for free, from someone online that you'll never meet, you need to re-evaluate your life.

Forget for a second that I've been on the same side as some of these losses and can tell you I absolutely believe many of them were capped well (hell, despite not even trying to score for the last 15 minutes of the game, but for dumb luck Spain wins that game at least 2-0, if not 3-0, blah blah blah). But the individual plays are irrelevant.

The point is, if your entire contribution to this thread is to remind a guy that he lost, as if a handicapper wouldn't know that, removing you from the thread is addition by subtraction. And if your only contribution to the site is the same, you're failing at the incredibly low bar of doing enough to justify posting here.

And don't say it was just one post, because you had another post barely minutes after the France game saying the same thing about his record.

TL;DR, you're being a jackass.

Don't bother responding, I'm now returning to hibernation and to watch the World Cup in peace.

Good to see you're still out there swinging, Van. Been a long time, brother, good luck the rest of the tourney.

=)