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Road to Russia 2018

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
I wish I could feel the same way about World Cups as I did when I was a kid.

I think the enjoyment generated by them back in those days was one of the greatest of life's experiences.

The fact that I will probably never feel the same way about them is genuinely one of the most lamentable things about growing old(er).
I think Furball's right that things aren't the same now, partly because we get to see all the best players regularly in the Champions League.

Going back to my childhood, we'd never seen most of the 1970 Brazil side, and even Pele hadn't been much watched unless folks were old enough to remember the 1958 tournament.
Move forward to 1974, and although we'd seen most of the Dutch players in the European Cup, catching the occasional highlight featuring Ajax and Feyenoord wasn't at all the same as watching them live. Kempes and co were new to most of us in 1978, as were most of the wonderful Brazilian side of 1982.

OK, that's just an excuse to reminisce rather than a massively coherent argument, but hopefully the point still stands. Beyond that, post-1986, most of the WCs have been pretty dull affairs anyway.
 

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
I was young enough to remember 1990 and back then World Cups had a real ''epic'' nature (difficult to put into words). I haven't found that in any World Cup in recent years. The last one of that nature I'd say was 1998. The most recent World Cups are a sort of mush in my mind as I struggle to recall any particular moments, or even who won the thing (I'd forgotten just this week Italy had won the thing in 2006).
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
I was young enough to remember 1990 and back then World Cups had a real ''epic'' nature (difficult to put into words). I haven't found that in any World Cup in recent years. The last one of that nature I'd say was 1998. The most recent World Cups are a sort of mush in my mind as I struggle to recall any particular moments, or even who won the thing (I'd forgotten just this week Italy had won the thing in 2006).
Perhaps the other thing is that for a tournament to be truly memorable, there have to be some great matches in the quarter finals and beyond. So although there have been some decent memories from the group stages, the games involving the last 8 have rarely lived long in the memory. Doubtless there are exceptions, but not many, I'd suggest. And not enough in one tournament to make it memorable.

I'd still argue that the best tournament in the last 30 years was the 2000 Euros.
 

dontcloseyoureyes

BARNES OUT
The reason the WC isn't as special to any of you any more is because you've gotten old, your memories are shot and nothing is fun anymore because of it.
 

flibbertyjibber

Request Your Custom Title Now!
The reason the WC isn't as special to any of you any more is because you've gotten old, your memories are shot and nothing is fun anymore because of it.
Na, think nail was hit on head by Furball I think who said we hardly had football on tv and the world cup was fully covered and we loved it. Now we are saturated with it and the world cup is just more of the same now not the special event it should be.

Is the case in UK anyway, may be different elsewhere in the world.

Felt similar with the FA Cup final too, was one of the few games on tv back in the day so was a special occasion, not now.
 
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Pothas

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
For as long as I can remember people have been going on about how the World Cup is not as good as it was. Still absolutely love it myself, despite the football not being the best, that is not the point.
 

MW1304

Cricketer Of The Year
Agreed. Football is completely ubiquitous, with matches every other week billed as a huge deal with endless coverage and discussion, so having one event on a pedestal as this special thing doesn't ring true. Fatigue has set in before you can get too excited.

Good things should have anticipation. Hell it only feels like we get a few weeks break ever year then it's back to the grindstone.

Edit: Agreed w/ Furball/flib
 
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Pothas

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
World Cup just feels totally different to me, even if I care a lot more about my club than international football it still has something that nothing else can match. Maybe I am in the minority here but glad to be, I would pretty much give up on football if I did not get excited about the World Cup.
 

cpr

International Coach
I think the difference between the world cup growing up and now is that we were ****ing competitive in it back then.
 

dontcloseyoureyes

BARNES OUT
I still love the WC more than anything. Maybe because we've only been in 3 since I was born, and missed so many of them in heartbreaking fashion while I was a kid. I dreamed about watching us play in it and until I was19 years old I didn't get to see it. I cried like a baby with the Iran defeat in 1997, I cried like a baby when we won that shootout against Uruguay. It means so much when it's not a given.
 
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dontcloseyoureyes

BARNES OUT
Man I just re-watched the shootout against Uruguay again. Fighting back tears. That second Schwarzer save may be the best shootout save ever just in terms of what it meant and the situation.

 

Ausage

Cricketer Of The Year
Yep. Completely agree with the 3 above posts. Uruguay comfortably my favourite sporting moment. Iran comfortably my worst.
 

Ausage

Cricketer Of The Year
Man I just re-watched the shootout against Uruguay again. Fighting back tears. That second Schwarzer save may be the best shootout save ever just in terms of what it meant and the situation.

Damn, forgot how good he was that day. First stop was great, second one superb. Went damn close to getting the second pen too.
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
Haha anyone else catch that save? Deflection and then manages to pull it in one handed on the ground.

Been an absolute nail biter of a first half
 

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