The management haven’t got much right there for the last few years but that was great. 
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Great scenes at Benfica last night with the Goalie scoring a 98th min winner against Real Madrid. Always with the drama José
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Amazing scenes!
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It was fucking great, love seeing that lot get humbled, bunch of arrogant entitled bellends.
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I was really hoping the Bodo fairytale run was gonna continue in the CL but it looks like Sporting have turned it around.
See Italy didn’t qualify for the World Cup last night again! Just doesnt feel right without them involved! Fair play to Bosina and Herzegovina for qualifying and winning on penalties though.
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Such a disaster for a big football nation like Italy. Three World Cups in a row they haven’t qualified for. Wild
Its a shame the Irish and Italians wont be there since its in the US
Usual pre tournament doom setting in for England. Can’t see us getting past the Quarter Finals
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1994 Ray Houghton 
v Italy in the USA
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Yeah not sure what to make of England. On the one hand we haven’t actually seen the 1st XI play in these friendlies but on the other hand you get the feeling it’ll be the same old nonsense regardless. How to break down well organised teams who sit in and hit you on the break (Japan brilliant last night)? England looked toothless without Kane and I suspect set pieces will be key. Feels like a dull grind to the QF and then lose to a decent team. Same old same old.
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Am conflicted about the World Cup. It’s increasingly hard to ignore the extreme political backdrop, the corruption, the way charged up fanbases could be more nationalistic/racist than ever (see Spain-Egypt last night for starters… + all the weaponised U-S-A chants bound to erupt…) Is sport ultimately PR bullshit when people are being slaughtered? People were happy to boycott South Africa and the USSR in the 80s but not the USA now? It doesn’t add up.
On the other hand, we’re conditioned to putting everything else aside once it begins. The World Cup lifts spirits like nothing else. It makes you feel part of something global, perhaps the only thing that still brings wildly different countries together? We need to cling on to sport as a substitute for war, now more than ever, a distraction from the real-life horrors. You remember the World Cup, where you were, who you were with. You don’t even have to like football, which for better or worse, is what makes it so powerful.
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Won’t be watching this year my personal anti FIFA, anti Trump, anti corruption, anti exorbitant pricing stand. Anyone who gives Trump a made up peace prize can do one.
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I notice Italy haven’t qualified for a WC since their compatriot Gianni Infantino slithered his way up Trump’s anal tract, sorry I mean took over as head of FIFA, surely proof of some kind of karmic justice from the footballing gods.
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Massively conflicted but I’m heading to the States in June to see Scotland in action.
We haven’t qualified since 1998 and I haven’t been to the World Cup since Italia 90 as a 17 year old so my thinking is that this could well be my last chance to see us on the world stage.
My son and I have tickets for the Morocco game in Boston and I’m currently sitting in FIFA’s online queue in the vain hope of acquiring a ticket for the Brazil game in Miami. The level of price gouging is utterly disgraceful but I just can’t bring myself to miss out.
Despite the Trumpian sh1tshow I personally know dozens of folk who are heading over and Scotland will have a massive support in both Boston and Miami - Trump or no Trump.
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Decision made - go and have a belter! It’s about the fans like you, not the numpties in power.
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The competition for the world cup is pretty stiff, I would say that there’s no clear favourite among the five strongest contender. It’s going to be really interesting IMO. Looking forward to it for sure.
P.S. we probably need a dedicated topic for the world cup.
Congrats, they deserved it.
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France will win it i think.
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They are always strong. BTW Spain has the best odds in the betting markets and England is second. England has a very good team for this mundial.