The joy is back, thank you Belgium

Day 19 WorldCup2018

Yesterday was just a blip. Today we were back to the Russia 2018 that we have all fallen in love with. Belgium and Japan took it to an even higher level. Even the most hardened anti-football person out there must have been moved by the incredible excitement of Belgium's comeback and final seconds' winner. What a move for the final goal, the speed of the Belgians to go from defending a corner to Chadli scoring the goal that puts them into the quarterfinals.

And that quarterfinal has the potential to be a real cracker. Belgium-Brazil is on paper the meeting of the two most talented teams, bar France, in Russia. Brazil were clinical and, at times, spectacular. Mexico were frantic. The Brazilians lost a lot of respect amongst a lot of neutrals with their terrible playacting antics though. Neymar was the worst culprit. His behaviour was appalling. It would be a wonderful idea to use VAR for one more thing. Whenever the VAR crew spot a shameful act of cheating, the match should be stopped and the video of the incident replayed on the big screen in the stadium. I would love to see Neymar's face when one of his exaggerated rolls along the pitch is played back to 50,000 people who can all have a good laugh at him.

I got into a little Twiiter spat today because I poked fun at one of the contributors to Fox Sports coverage of the World Cup. I have switched from watching the Canadian broadcast and enjoy the entertainment of the animated American commentators. But the best bit is they occasionally have Dr. Joe, the rules expert, pipe in with his mostly amusing opinions. It's amusing to me, but then I am a Euro snob. I did mention in my tweet that it contributes to why non-Americans laugh at American coverage of football. It was a light-hearted comment as a reaction to how hilarious having a Dr of rules is. But all the Americans who replied didn't quite see the humour in it.

They'd be happy to know that I could have gone further. American commentary is not bad, but it is polar opposite to the BBC. I enjoy the excitable commentators at times, but it still takes bit of getting used to the phrases.

I didn’t tweet about the shutouts and turnovers, or mention how Croatia were denied on the pk yesterday, or about the action at the top of the six. Japan, at times today, were jumping lanes and there were players who ran out of real estate on their plays. When Japan scored that amazing second goal the ball had some knuckle on it and if Japan had gone on to play Brazil they would have been playing with house money.

I'm laughing with you, Fox, not at you because I know you want us the viewers to be amused.