Soccer/football thread 2022

[Priller]

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Cape Verde is through. That’s the story of the World Cup right there.

Amazing stuff. And Uruguay out, which is a bit of a shock. Poor Bielsa. Sadly looking like Scotland is also out. Some groups much crueler than others. If Algeria can draw or Congo win (doable against Uzbekistan), that could drop South Korea out, and even Croatia if they can't get at least a point against Ghana.

The draw wasn't kind to Cabo Verde, though. They play Argentina in the knockouts. They'll need a good bit more on the miracle front to survive that ..

 

[JC99]

Amazing stuff. And Uruguay out, which is a bit of a shock. Poor Bielsa. Sadly looking like Scotland is also out. Some groups much crueler than others. If Algeria can draw or Congo win (doable against Uzbekistan), that could drop South Korea out, and even Croatia if they can't get at least a point against Ghana.

The draw wasn't kind to Cabo Verde, though. They play Argentina in the knockouts. They'll need a good bit more on the miracle front to survive that ..

Very tough draw but at the same time…I bet they didn’t think they’d be playing the World champions in a World Cup knockout if you’d asked them a few years ago. Stuff of legends.

On another note, the Iranian team are being treated horrendously by the US. Just reading about their treatment and it’s nothing short of disgusting. Forced to leave the US and travel to and from Mexico for every game they play in the US. A whole bunch of their staff not allowed visas etc etc.

The World Cup games themselves are great, but the **** the US is doing with this, the crappy hydration break rubbish (yes, FIFA did it but I’m pretty sure the US networks had a hand in this) and the fact that many of the stadiums are set up more for NFL games than football in terms of playing surface (lots of green paint/dye being used I see) I really hope the next few world cups are nowhere near that country.

 

[Priller]

Very tough draw but at the same time…I bet they didn’t think they’d be playing the World champions in a World Cup knockout if you’d asked them a few years ago. Stuff of legends.

I'd love to see them hold on for a draw and then go through on pens. Insert "So you're saying there's a chance..." meme etc.

On another note, the Iranian team are being treated horrendously by the US. Just reading about their treatment and it’s nothing short of disgusting. Forced to leave the US and travel to and from Mexico for every game they play in the US. A whole bunch of their staff not allowed visas etc etc.

None of this is a surprise from a country run by people with emotional intelligence that seems to range somewhere between tantruming toddler and petulant pre-teen. FIFA's enthusiastic bootlicking is the background music.

The World Cup games themselves are great, but the **** the US is doing with this, the crappy hydration break rubbish (yes, FIFA did it but I’m pretty sure the US networks had a hand in this) and the fact that many of the stadiums are set up more for NFL games than football in terms of playing surface (lots of green paint/dye being used I see) I really hope the next few world cups are nowhere near that country.

Don't worry, the next one is in Saudi Arabia. It'll be totally fine and free of controversy, I'm sure. Russia, Qatar, USA and Saudi. FIFA is on a heck of a run, I expect it'll be Israel or China next...

The ad breaks are horrible and affect the games. If this is a one-off to appease US broadcasters who can't comprehend 45 minutes without an ad break, then whatever, I'll just be happy to see the end of it. But my fear is that the (almost) equally craven Premier League and UEFA are looking at this and rubbing their hands together. They'll do a test run by putting ad breaks in a few games 'free' to watch on a streamer like Amazon, then it'll eventually get introduced for every game. Enshittification marches apace in the wondrous 21st century.

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