2022 FIFA World Cup Finals

[PGen98]

Lmao ALL of them, except Brazil, are doing badly. 10/10 our favorites will all lose. Belgium lost to Morocco out of all teams, they're supposed to be fucking No. 2. But then again, this WC is full of surprises, I love it.



But their national sport is also soccer, no?

Yeah, losing to Morocco isn't going to help their chances, lol, but I'm almost positive they're going to get through and go deep into the tournament.

 

[Webster]

But their national sport is also soccer, no?

What Thatcher was snidely telling them was that while Germany may have beaten them on the pitch, Britain had beaten them on the battlefield of war twice that century.

 

[Webster]

Belgium lost to Morocco out of all teams

The Africans teams this year have pretty good for teams of their relative stature; Senegal's given a good account of themselves thus far and obviously Morocco beating one of Europe's resident powers is another. Even Ghana has given as good as they've gotten thus far. Its' not for nothing that of the three mid-power continentals (the others being Concacaf and AFC, Africa's considered the best of the three.

Now if Africa starts contending with Conmebol (South America) that would be a different story.

 

[Vaeve]

The Africans teams this year have pretty good for teams of their relative stature; Senegal's given a good account of themselves thus far and obviously Morocco beating one of Europe's resident powers is another. Even Ghana has given as good as they've gotten thus far. Its' not for nothing that of the three mid-power continentals (the others being Concacaf and AFC, Africa's considered the best of the three.

Now if Africa starts contending with Conmebol (South America) that would be a different story.

Lmao who said they aren't good? You missed the context. Belgium is No. 2 and there's several other amazing teams like France/England/Spain/Arg/Brazil/you name it - So if Belgians lose against Morocco, there's no way they're gonna have a chance against those. Which is why this loss surprises me.

 

[Webster]

BBC Sport: Why Casemiro is key to Brazil's hopes in Qatar - Gilberto Silva

My job when Brazil won the 2002 World Cup was to be invisible on the pitch - if I did it right, it made things easier for the players in front of me, as well as for myself.

It is the same situation now for Casemiro, the defensive midfielder who is at the heart of this Brazil team trying to end our 20-year wait to win it again. He has a great responsibility in my old position. Just as in 2002, we have plenty of attackers to make the difference this time - not just Neymar, who will miss the rest of the group stage with injury.

I can understand why some people just talk about that part of our team but, to win a World Cup, you have to remember the other parts too. Whoever the manager chooses to play further forward now, it is still important for us to be defensively strong.

Right now, I think we have the right balance. I am very happy with our back four and also with the players in front of them who teach the side to be solid. This is where Casemiro's intelligence holds the key...

 

[PGen98]

BBC Sport: Why Casemiro is key to Brazil's hopes in Qatar - Gilberto Silva

Very true! Brazil are a well-balanced squad and if they can get that role *just* right, there's no reason they can't do well in this tournament!

 

[Webster]

(BBC News) Maskless World Cup crowds censored on Chinese TV
Last week we reported how scenes of maskless fans enjoying the World Cup had stirred anger among some Chinese citizens who then questioned the need for zero-Covid restrictions.

That sparked furious discussion online - and authorities have responded.

China's Central Television (CCTV) is now editing out close-ups of spectators during games so local viewers don’t see thousands of fans without masks in the stands. It's only showing wide-angle pictures of the crowds. There's also a half a minute delay in live broadcasts of games.

 

[Webster]

We think this unassuming gentleman is a Ghana supporter. Photograph: Noushad Thekkayil/EPA

Anything Ghana’s fans can do … Photograph: Fantasista/Getty Images

 

[Webster]

@WHO IS SERAFIN, this is you, right?
Tell us that's you, please....

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

(BBC News) Maskless World Cup crowds censored on Chinese TV
Last week we reported how scenes of maskless fans enjoying the World Cup had stirred anger among some Chinese citizens who then questioned the need for zero-Covid restrictions.

That sparked furious discussion online - and authorities have responded.

China's Central Television (CCTV) is now editing out close-ups of spectators during games so local viewers don’t see thousands of fans without masks in the stands. It's only showing wide-angle pictures of the crowds. There's also a half a minute delay in live broadcasts of games.

A socialist sport in a communist country while being hypocrites, lol!

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

@WHO IS SERAFIN, this is you, right?
Tell us that's you, please....

On the weekends

 

[Webster]

On the weekends

@PGen98, I was right; that was him!

 

[PGen98]

@PGen98, I was right; that was him!

We found his moonlighting gig!

 

[Webster]

Wales-England
Bale-Kane
The poodle vs. the bulldog.....

 

[Webster]

(The Guardian) One of the more intriguing storylines in the run-up to today’s USA-Iran game has been a claim by former US striker (and part-time Guardian columnist) Eric Wynalda around Gio Reyna’s lack of action at the tournament. Berhalter says the Dortmund player is carrying an injury while Wynalda says he has spoken to Reyna’s father and that is not the case – and the situation is causing “internal strife” in the US camp.

Berhalter addressed the issue on Monday.

“What I’d say is: I’ll leave it to you to decide if I asked Gio to lie about it,” Berhalter told reporters. “That’s just not who I am. That’s not what I represent. So if you have to take Eric’s word or my word or whatever, feel free, but I know what happened and that’s not what I represent. Like every other person, Gio is a member of this team that we care deeply for and we know can help the team. It’s a matter of when he can help us and how he can help us.”

The US have impressed many observers with their approach play in this World Cup - they just lack someone to finish the chances they create, a problem that cost them against Wales and England. Berhalter has not yet said who will play up front against Iran.

“I think [the US strikers have] been OK,” Berhalter said. “When we’re evaluating the performance in the first game, Josh had a good chance at the near post and, looking at the second game, Haji was very effective on the defensive end of the game, had some good runs into the channel, very lively. Perhaps there were a couple of times when we could have been more effective with the movement in the penalty box.”

 

[MamaFrankie]

Won't be watching it. No television and my national team aren't there.

 

[Webster]

Won't be watching it. No television and my national team aren't there.

That is your right; however, like most soccer fans, I'm watching, not just because the Stars'n'Stripes are playing but also because, all things considered, the time for politics with regards to Qatar are over. There's a time and place for that conversation; now that there are matches that count, not so much.

 

[Webster]

From the Guardian's Iran-US live-blog....

(The Guardian) 10 min: Unconfirmed reports a US fan was thrown out of the game for wearing a rainbow armband.

 

[Webster]

@PGen98, Captain America has arrived!

 

[Webster]

A tale of two Englands'......