Goooooooooooooooooooooooooool

[Rabshakeh]

40 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

Well done Belgium. I feel sorry for Bealogun who became a pawn in a game he had no control over. 

To his credit he did seem quite embarrassed by the whole thing. Supposedly he sought out Rudi Garcia the Belgian coach to apologise. 

11 hours ago, Niko said:

That was the good game, now comes the one that could change soccer forever, depending on what comes out and how it's being handled

42 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

Well that turned out well for political interference, thank heavens.

Oh. The US Belgian game. I didn't factor in time differences and delays. 

[Niko]

He could have refused to play, or the coach could have used someone else or someone from the US soccer federation could have made a proposal not to use him in the game...  Anyway, fingers crossed that the remainder of the world cup can go through without interference and that FIFA gets rid of Infantino after the world cup... AFAIK we're still waiting for the US government's reaction to the outcome of the game... so I wouldn't consider the result final yet

[Rabshakeh]

23 minutes ago, Niko said:

He could have refused to play, or the coach could have used someone else or someone from the US soccer federation could have made a proposal not to use him in the game...  

I don't think it is fair to expect a player in his position to refuse to play. I think he acted well in returning to international duty but accepting that what happened was wrong (and certainly a lot better than many others on his side). 

23 minutes ago, Niko said:

fingers crossed that ... FIFA gets rid of Infantino after the world cup.

Promise me you're not holding your breath. 

CONMEBOL and the AFC are already circling the feeding trough. I mean wagons. 

Edited July 7 by Rabshakeh

[Rabshakeh]

What's quite sad is that the US team are normally quite likeable. Mid tier players and a few lower ranked Premier League guys held together with can do attitude. And this team was that, but for once with decentish football (even if not good enough to beat more established national teams). I don't get the sense that any of the US players wanted this to happen. 

Anyway, I hope that all the weird fan stuff about ranch salad dressing and waffle restaurants or whatever drops off now. 

[Niko]

Agreed that the player maybe himself shouldn't be blamed after everyone in the chain above him asked him to play... 

[Dub Modal]

58 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

Anyway, I hope that all the weird fan stuff about ranch salad dressing and waffle restaurants or whatever drops off now

Ever since that started I thought it was social media influencer BS. 

 

The defensive lapses by the US were surprising, and took them right out of the game from the beginning. They definitely didn't look like the #17 ranked team.

[Rabshakeh]

5 minutes ago, Dub Modal said:

Ever since that started I thought it was social media influencer BS.

I was definitely getting paid for adverts from Heinz stating in strong terms that my failure to put ranch salad dressing on pizza is some sort of evidence of mental deficiency.  I quite enjoyed those. 

[Dub Modal]

1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said:

I was definitely getting paid for adverts from Heinz stating in strong terms that my failure to put ranch salad dressing on pizza is some sort of evidence of mental deficiency.  I quite enjoyed those. 

There are worse ways to make a buck. 

[gvopedz]

Great win today, no "hand of God" or anything simiilar.

[Rabshakeh]

10 hours ago, gvopedz said:

Great win today, no "hand of God" or anything simiilar.

Yeah. Overall a fairly good game, especially by the standards of a world cup semi final. I could have done with less rugby in the first half. 

Gutted by the result. Everyone is an armchair tactician but I think for once you do have a very clear tactical error on display, with Tuchel's unforced decision to move the team to defensive siege tactics with twenty minutes to go and only one nil up. That tactic might have been excusable with another goal in hand and only ten minutes and against a team that is less purely attack focused than Argentina. 

[mjazzg]

23 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

Yeah. Overall a fairly good game, especially by the standards of a world cup semi final. I could have done with less rugby in the first half. 

Gutted by the result. Everyone is an armchair tactician but I think for once you do have a very clear tactical error on display, with Tuchel's unforced decision to move the team to defensive siege tactics with twenty minutes to go and only one nil up. That tactic might have been excusable with another goal in hand and only ten minutes and against a team that is less purely attack focused than Argentina. 

Completely agree. He invited Argentina to take the initiative which they did with great skill and aplomb.

Argentina are a more experienced, more streetwise (dirty?) team and have superior belief in their not inconsiderable abilities. They also have a very good no.10...

When Djed Spence is England's best player defensively and offensively (!!) we don't deserve a world cup final place 

Well played Argentina, even if the first half shithousery was pretty unedifying 

[Rabshakeh]

3 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

When Djed Spence is England's best player defensively and offensively (!!) we don't deserve a world cup final place 

Pretty amazing to have got this far, really, with a team held together with rubber bands and sticky tape. It was always an odd choice of defenders and midfielders. 

But then again, you never know with international football or knock out rounds. You just need those moments of magic.

[mjazzg]

So football won in the end, just. Disgraceful approach from Argentina, so pleased it didn't pay off.

And please, no more world cups in the US (with apologies to the many residents here). The extension of the halftime break to accommodate "the show" perfectly encapsulated why.

Edited July 20 by mjazzg

[Niko]

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

So football won in the end, just. Disgraceful approach from Argentina, so pleased it didn't pay off.

And please, no more world cups in the US (with apologies to the many residents here). The extension of the halftime break to accommodate "the show" perfectly encapsulated why.

Yes to all of this... Argentina was hard to watch without getting upset... 

Edited July 20 by Niko

[Rabshakeh]

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

And please, no more world cups in the US (with apologies to the many residents here). The extension of the halftime break to accommodate "the show" perfectly encapsulated why.

At least we got to see Donald Trump lift the Trophy. 

[mjazzg]

2 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

At least we got to see Donald Trump lift the Trophy. 

Yes, good of him to lend his gravitas to an event that would have faltered badly without it

[Dub Modal]

4 hours ago, mjazzg said:

So football won in the end, just. Disgraceful approach from Argentina, so pleased it didn't pay off.

And please, no more world cups in the US (with apologies to the many residents here). The extension of the halftime break to accommodate "the show" perfectly encapsulated why.

Fox Sports having broadcast rights led to all of that. I'm not sure it would have been the same if another network got it. 

[Rabshakeh]

I'd like to hope that the hydration breaks, 48 team group stages, unconcealed corruption and political interference, and dubious one sided refereeing will be absent in 2030, but not holding my breath. 

Overall, not a terrible world cup but not a very good one, in my view.

The excessive bloat of the group stages meant that the knock out rounds had too many weak teams, so it all came down to the "luck" of the draw. The end result was a final between one upper-to-middling team and one quite weak team. Turning the game into four quarters rather than two halves to allow for ad breaks also had a serious impact on play. I think that both of these changes seriously damaged the quality of the football.

[mjazzg]

We had hydration breaks in Qatar too I think and I don't disagree with them when player welfare is an issue but not in air conditioned, roofed stadia 

48 teams was not a success it led to two good stories, Curaçao and Cape Verde but they in no way justified bloat.

The political interference was bare-faced and disgraceful. I'm sure there may have been more less overt too (as there also may have been at other WC)

Refereeing standard definitely let itself open to accusations of favouritism whether justified or not.

I think you're too harsh describing Spain as upper-to-middling. I think they're definitely a top rank team, maybe a world class left winger light.

My favourite football was played by France.

[Rabshakeh]

15 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

I think you're too harsh describing Spain as upper-to-middling. I think they're definitely a top rank team, maybe a world class left winger light.

Maybe. I thought they were roughly as good as e.g. England. Which is to say, not really worthy of the top. Maybe I'm being harsh. There were some magical moments where Yamal slipped through defenders, but they just weren't that good at scoring. And they looked as good in the final as they had done all tournament. 

17 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

My favourite football was played by France.

Definitely. 

I didn't watch France's last two. I don't really understand why they suddenly plunged like that. 

[mjazzg]

1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said:

I thought they were roughly as good as e.g. England. Which is to say, not really worthy of the top.

I think Spain are several levels above England. Nearly all the Spanish side would get into an England XI if available. Only Bellingham would be picked by Spain.

 

1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said:

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

I think you're too harsh describing Spain as upper-to-middling. I think they're definitely a top rank team, maybe a world class left winger light.

Maybe. I thought they were roughly as good as e.g. England. Which is to say, not really worthy of the top. Maybe I'm being harsh. There were some magical moments where Yamal slipped through defenders, but they just weren't that good at scoring. And they looked as good in the final as they had done all tournament. 

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

My favourite football was played by France.

Definitely. 

I didn't watch France's last two. I don't really understand why they suddenly plunged like that. 

I watched the SF against Spain. Spain completely out thought France, managing to cut off all supply lines to that front three preventing any meaningful counters. They nullified Olise's influence too. And of course dominated possession. It was such a professional job.

I didn't see the "bronze" match but I'm not sure that game counts in any meaningful assessment, either way really

Edited July 20 by mjazzg

[Clunky]

10 hours ago, mjazzg said:

So football won in the end, just. Disgraceful approach from Argentina, so pleased it didn't pay off.

And please, no more world cups in the US (with apologies to the many residents here). The extension of the halftime break to accommodate "the show" perfectly encapsulated why.

Agreed fully. Argentina team didn't do themselves or their country any favours. Similarly disgraceful was the way that Iran, Senegal were treated earlier on in the tournament. Spain were mostly pretty exciting to watch ,not so much in the final but that so often seems the way. 

[Д.Д.]

7 hours ago, mjazzg said:

Yes, good of [Trump] to lend his gravitas to an event that would have faltered badly without it

😂

I am a fairly recent convert to football thanks to my son, so this is the first World Cup I was watching. The France - England game was a fantastic spectacle - I wish England played this way against Argentina. After Austria was predictably sent home this household is rooting for France, but they were just helpless against regal Spain. I am glad that the team that (inarguably, as far as I am concerned) is the best in the world today actually won the trophy. Argentina's dirty playing in the final was a disgrace - I shudder to think that the game could have gone into penalty shoot-outs. 

As for the next WC, seeing the whole enterprise through purely business perspective this WC was an unqualified success. Despite the quadrupling of the ticket prices, the games  - even the minor ones - were mostly well attended. I don't know the exact numbers but I assume the broadcasting rights were well in demand as well. So, I would assume Infantino & Co. would keep increasing the number of the teams to draw in huge untapped markets of China and India.                

[gvopedz]

I look forward to seeing Cape Verde at the next World Cup.  The team's second goal against Argentina was excellent.

[Brad]

On 7/20/2026 at 3:35 PM, Д.Д. said:

😂

I am a fairly recent convert to football thanks to my son, so this is the first World Cup I was watching. The France - England game was a fantastic spectacle - I wish England played this way against Argentina. After Austria was predictably sent home this household is rooting for France, but they were just helpless against regal Spain. I am glad that the team that (inarguably, as far as I am concerned) is the best in the world today actually won the trophy. Argentina's dirty playing in the final was a disgrace - I shudder to think that the game could have gone into penalty shoot-outs. 

As for the next WC, seeing the whole enterprise through purely business perspective this WC was an unqualified success. Despite the quadrupling of the ticket prices, the games  - even the minor ones - were mostly well attended. I don't know the exact numbers but I assume the broadcasting rights were well in demand as well. So, I would assume Infantino & Co. would keep increasing the number of the teams to draw in huge untapped markets of China and India.                

FIFA will probably increase the field to 64, thereby avoiding the third place team issue. France - England was enjoyable but basically a friendly, very little defense.

I wanted to go to one of the matches but couldn’t justify spending $1,000 minimum for a ticket and I only live 45 minutes away from where the final was held  I’m sure that the same type of pricing will be in effect for the Iberia Morocco WC. If the games are held in the summer I’m sure we will see hydration breaks again.

 

Edited July 25 by Brad