Hold on to your hats…the Vikings are coming.
Soccer/football thread 2022
- Thread starter Priller
- Start date
And that last min penalty against Norway was a crime.
As for positive news Klopp named as the new manager for Germany, great opportunity for him.
I am prepared to be disappointed by England tonight.
Vikings came, saw and conquered. Haaland is amazing - a pleasure to watch - in the hunt for the Golden Boot. This might change
Oh yay my feed switched to Mexico England feed right from the start thanks to weather.
What a game and not even half time.
What else can happen??
Clearly more!!! FFS the drama never ends
Fantastic game. 
Oh yay my feed switched to Mexico England feed right from the start thanks to weather.
What a game and not even half time.
What else can happen??
Clearly more!!! FFS the drama never ends Fantastic game.
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That game had everything. Thrilling to watch even if I did want Mexico to win.
Priller
Well-known member
Athletic and Guardian both reporting that Trump called Infantino directly. Just when you think FIFA can't possibly get any dirtier, they somehow manage to top it. Agreed on Belgium, hope they beat them worst than the 5-2 they won by not that long ago.
Slightly less scummy UEFA now calling them out, too. When you're so corrupted that you make Ceferin and Blatter look clean by comparison, it's quite an achievement.
Norway is really good. I knew that watching them romp the group with Italy, but it's interesting seeing them do it against better opposition. They're more than just Haaland, they defend well and press well. But Haaland does give them something that organised and hard-working teams like Canada are missing.
Also, Brazil have serious problems in midfield. Trotting out aging players like Fabinho and Casemiro is not a sign of good depth. Ancelotti is not Klopp...
Sounds like a mostly done deal, just working out the details of responsibility in the DFB in restructuring their whole youth system. It was inevitable that Klopp would take over Germany at some point. It's probably the one job besides Liverpool that I'm happy he takes. And because of him, I have a lot more optimism that the German system can be fixed, unlike fellow faded superpowers Italy and Brazil.
England did not disappoint! Winning at the Azteca is quite an achievement, and they fought through so many levels of adversity. Norway will be tough with the effects of that game and losing Bellingham on yellows.
Still, it's hard to cheer for a team that has both Bellingham and Pickford in it. The Quansah red was tough but probably fair, not dissimilar to Balogun in the lack of intent but still dangerous play. The Kane penalty is one that drives me nuts. Basically an attacker is allowed to put themselves in danger, and the defender isn't allowed to defend. And unlike the others, it's not a dangerous play.
Haaland is one of the most complete goal scoring machines around. It’s a shame he’s with City as he actually seems like a nice guy too. I wonder if him being a premier league player means England have a little more knowledge of how to contain him?
The US red card controversy is, allowing for football puns, an own goal. The US team will always be thought of as cheaters and by inference their participation in international sports anywhere will be tarnished. If Belgium lose tonight they will walk away with their heads high but I really, really do hope Belgium win by an embarrassing margin. Even if the red card was a poor decision (I’m not entirely sure it wasn’t) then everyone else takes their lumps except it seems for the US. A referee and a VAR team looked at the incident and came to the same conclusion. FIFA knows that if the US exit the competition then domestic viewing figures fall off a cliff in the US. This decision absolutely tarnishes the game.
I’m a bit ticked that Brazil went out but they are such an unpredictable side these days. I loved their flair and attacking mentality and they were entertaining to watch,
Still some great matches coming up though although I still think it may be a repeat of 4 years ago for the final.
The US red card controversy is, allowing for football puns, an own goal. The US team will always be thought of as cheaters and by inference their participation in international sports anywhere will be tarnished. If Belgium lose tonight they will walk away with their heads high but I really, really do hope Belgium win by an embarrassing margin. Even if the red card was a poor decision (I’m not entirely sure it wasn’t) then everyone else takes their lumps except it seems for the US. A referee and a VAR team looked at the incident and came to the same conclusion. FIFA knows that if the US exit the competition then domestic viewing figures fall off a cliff in the US. This decision absolutely tarnishes the game.
I’m a bit ticked that Brazil went out but they are such an unpredictable side these days. I loved their flair and attacking mentality and they were entertaining to watch,
Still some great matches coming up though although I still think it may be a repeat of 4 years ago for the final.
Some friends who follow football mentioned exactly this on a common whatsapp group lol. Such a great sport ruined by rampant corruption. Now they don't even try to hide it. I have lost any interest to follow a club or a national team these days. I enjoy some highlights here and there.
Also, I take comfort in the great words of Guy Martin
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Priller
Well-known member
It's far from perfect, but I'll still take the European club model over the North American franchise model ten times out of ten. Watching the Whitecaps be possibly stolen from Vancouver on the vagaries of the MLS and all the other guns to heads of cities and regions held by franchise owners to squeeze taxpayer money is, frankly, disgusting. The sole reason Seattle doesn't have an NBA team is to provide an ongoing threat to any other NBA city that if they don't pay for arenas and provide tax exemptions the franchise will up sticks and leave. I guess squeezing public coffers for free cash (billionaires only, thanks) is the new American way. See Musk, Elon.
FIFA are what they are because they are a monopoly. If nonsense like this keeps happening, I could see a breakaway group forming, primarily made up of European and South American federations with more to gain from a long view than whatever kickbacks FIFA offers. I read a comparison recently of Blatter as being like a hedge fund, wanting to maximise exploitation, but with a long-term view on the asset. Infantino is like private equity, obsessed with vampiric short-term gain even if it means the asset is ultimately stripped of value and discarded.
I hope we see less of the Spain Portugal type of game. Bit boring. Renaldo out with a whimper.
Yep, that was a bit of a snooze fest.
