World Cup 2022 thread (football only)

[Show Me The Money!]

1 hour ago, RedHienz said:

Players play a formation and role outlined by the manager. Did he change anything after the first 45 to change the game?

Thats unless you think players just get on the pitch and do what they want.

USA played well. England have better players man for man across the pitch, unfortunately sitting deep doing anything but attacking.

If only football were that simple

[Ashtonboy]

Are Stones and Maguire the new chuckle brothers? Me to you , you to me!

[BigTone]

1 hour ago, Lanterne Rouge said:

1-0 to the convicts.

Tunisia fighting back but leaving it late.

[Port Said Red]

One good thing about this tournament being squeezed into a shorter period is that I am getting to know the players of other teams better. Usually I forget most of them from one game to another.

[Never to the dark side]

Viewing figures Iran 3.9 million

England v USA 15.9 million

 

[McNasty Filth]

7 minutes ago, Never to the dark side said:

Viewing figures Iran 3.9 million

England v USA 15.9 million

 

Do feel a bit sorry for the Yank Tv floating supporter. Just imagine being served up with that. How can they expect to grow the game out there when a pile of steaming manure is placed full and centre screen. No wonder they have such a negative view of soccer when all they have to wet the appetite is international football!!!! 

[Sheltons Army]

Fair play to the Aussies

The footage of the utter delight of Dukes son celebrating and responding to his Dads celebration , my favourite moment of the tournament to date

[ExiledAjax]

Well done Australia. Now make sure to salt the earth to head of any notions of revenge from those sneaky Tunisians.

[The Bard]

1 hour ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

And, of course, there are other Cups you could mention where the eventual winners DID look handy in group games.

The US offered little bite, but what was disappointing wasn't the final score, but the manner of play and the fact that a team that didn't even arrive after their customary win in the CONCACAF sector had the best of it.  Imagine playing like that against Spain? Pickford would get a repetitive injury from picking the ball out of the net!

From a personal point of view, that's the only group game I will be watching, so it's disappointing it was such a poor spectacle for the fans. I regret angling my head to look at the screen rather than focussing on the tasty blonde lady on the far table. 

Hopefully, this blip of boredom has taught Southgate something, and a more attack-minded side can humiliate Wales. However, I feel anyone watching last night is quite right to feel disappointed and let down. The atmosphere in the boozer was as flat as the proverbial pancake after the game. 

Mention them then?

Deschamps got pelters in France for being cautious and won the wc beating Argentina 4 3 and Croatia 4 2. He still gets criticised. Sir Alf was playing negative football apparently and would never win the wc.

Let's be honest, vast majority of criticism is sanctimonious horseshit.

[Calculus]

On 25/11/2022 at 12:13, Red-Robbo said:

 

Never understood that, as Sam Hammam (who now has no link to the club) was not Iranian, and more to the point, recent Ayatollahs have been horrible bastards. Might as well 'do the Hitler'. 

Never understood it myself either, but then that goes for much of fan humour and culture for me.

BTW, shouldn't let this go without congratulating you on the quickest demonstration of Godwin's Law I have ever seen. No messing about straight in with the H bomb. Brilliant!

[BigTone]

37 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

One good thing about this tournament being squeezed into a shorter period is that I am getting to know the players of other teams better. Usually I forget most of them from one game to another.

Forget who ?

[Mr Popodopolous]

We got the point and are in pole position to win the group but think we need to dominate those central areas a bit more to control the game better and both guard against the counter.

Unsure Mount in a central 3 does this and certainly vs better sides..I have certain tactical biases granted.

What about Rice, Foden, Bellingham in a genuine CM 3?

We only really played in fits and starts, bit disappointing.

Edited November 26, 2022 by Mr Popodopolous

[Red-Robbo]

19 minutes ago, Calculus said:

Never understood it myself either, but then that goes for much of fan humour and culture for me.

BTW, shouldn't let this go without congratulating you on the quickest demonstration of Godwin's Law I have ever seen. No messing about straight in with the H bomb. Brilliant!

 

Difficult to know who to compare Khomeini and Khameini to, but they are both hypocritical power-mad dictators and murderers. One name comes to mind....

[W-S-M Seagull]

6 hours ago, Port Said Red said:

People are also forgetting that we are playing in a condensed tournament in stupid heat, the aim of these three games is to get through the group stages with the minimum of effort. 

Hence why he should have made changes to the starting 11. We looked tired last night. 

[RedHienz]

1 hour ago, Show Me The Money! said:

If only football were that simple

Stellar reply. 

[big dosser]

2 hours ago, spudski said:

England v Wales...state of this lot. It's like a comedy sketch. Some blokes even thumping his own head  

 

just need some benny hill music and that is comedy gold,not one good punch between the lot of them and it looked like they were fighting on a ice 

[W-S-M Seagull]

13 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

We got the point and are in pole position to win the group but think we need to dominate those central areas a bit more to control the game better and both guard against the counter.

Unsure Mount in a central 3 does this and certainly vs better sides..I have certain tactical biases granted.

What about Rice, Foden, Bellingham in a genuine CM 3?

We only really played in fits and starts, bit disappointing.

Because for some bizarre reason Southgate considers Foden to be a winger. 

[Major Isewater]

23 hours ago, EstoniaTallinnRed said:

How does JP know all the info on most of these players, must do a lot of homework.

It’s his job to know isn’t it? 

[Midred]

Apparently FIFA's technical director has described Ronaldo as a genius for "winning" a penalty! I always was under the impression that a player was awarded a penalty. No doubt after hearing that Ronaldo will be "winning" alot more penalties! 

Seems to have the right credentials to be given a future job at FIFA! 

[Mr Popodopolous]

2 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Because for some bizarre reason Southgate considers Foden to be a winger. 

That 3 then 2 of Mount, Sterling, Saka, Grealish and Maddison is what I'd like to see...wingers or fluidity around Kane I don't know- perhaps some games wider players, some games more fluid but I'd be keen to see that template.

[Red-Robbo]

23 minutes ago, The Bard said:

Mention them then?

Deschamps got pelters in France for being cautious and won the wc beating Argentina 4 3 and Croatia 4 2. He still gets criticised. Sir Alf was playing negative football apparently and would never win the wc.

Let's be honest, vast majority of criticism is sanctimonious horseshit.

 

It was dull and tedious. That is the main point for me - because it doesn't have to be. We have some very exciting players.

I certainly don't expect England to win every game they take part in, but I do like to be entertained, not frustrated by timidity.

As for naming teams that do well in the group stages and advance to finals, you only have to cast your mind back to Russia, where Croatia beat Argentina and Nigeria to top their group and looked good VFM throughout. They may not have won it, but they advanced further than their nation ever had. Or take Brazil in 2002, scoring 11 goals to top their group and going on to win. 

[Mr Popodopolous]

2 hours ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

And, of course, there are other Cups you could mention where the eventual winners DID look handy in group games.

The US offered little bite, but what was disappointing wasn't the final score, but the manner of play and the fact that a team that didn't even arrive after their customary win in the CONCACAF sector had the best of it.  Imagine playing like that against Spain? Pickford would get a repetitive injury from picking the ball out of the net!

From a personal point of view, that's the only group game I will be watching, so it's disappointing it was such a poor spectacle for the fans. I regret angling my head to look at the screen rather than focussing on the tasty blonde lady on the far table. 

Hopefully, this blip of boredom has taught Southgate something, and a more attack-minded side can humiliate Wales. However, I feel anyone watching last night is quite right to feel disappointed and let down. The atmosphere in the boozer was as flat as the proverbial pancake after the game. 

CONCACAF until lately perhaps, used to be quite a challenging zone. Bit of a segue but away to the smaller Latin nations the US and Mexico well not easy. Fans certainly played an active role.

In fact USA didn't qualify for the 2018 WC of course.

Probably a bit homogenised now, bit like CONMEBOL...the hostile away atmospheres a bit less than they once were historically. Not that long ago though they used to be very notable.

[Red-Robbo]

Just now, Mr Popodopolous said:

CONCACAF until lately perhaps, used to be quite a challenging zone. Bit of a segue but away to the smaller Latin nations the US and Mexico well not easy. Fans certainly played an active role.

In fact USA didn't qualify for the 2018 WC of course.

Probably a bit homogenised now, bit like CONMEBOL...the hostile away atmospheres a bit less than they once were historically. Not that long ago though they used to be very notable.

 

I may be wrong, but I think it's the first time Canada won it, and they looked an exciting running side from what I saw. I know a couple of Canadians and they've suddenly developed a never-seen-before World Cup fever. 

[tin]

Tournament football is all about momentum. We laid down a marker in the first game, but that was woeful last night. I don’t expect us to win every game, but I expect us to put in a shift every time. 

I don’t care if it was a repeat of the performance v Scotland. If he wanted to conserve energy for the latter stages, why not rotate his squad and give others a chance? I suspect they’d have shown more urgency.

Credit to the US, they outfought and outperformed us in every department. But no other nation will be fearing us now. As someone said on Twitter, it’s like Southgate has the keys to a Ferrari and is driving it at 15mph. 

Edited November 26, 2022 by tin

[glynriley]

48 minutes ago, Sheltons Army said:

Fair play to the Aussies

The footage of the utter delight of Dukes son celebrating and responding to his Dads celebration , my favourite moment of the tournament to date

I think my favourite bit of the tournament so far, is all those who definitely weren’t going to watch this tainted, abomination of a World Cup, moaning how shit England were last night. 

[Red Army 75]

Overall I’ve enjoyed the football in the World Cup. Also been impressed with the majority of the officiating and the adding of minutes for time wasting. 
 

Last night was shit though. Reminded me of watching City sometimes 

[Mr Popodopolous]

6 minutes ago, Red-Robbo said:

 

I may be wrong, but I think it's the first time Canada won it, and they looked an exciting running side from what I saw. I know a couple of Canadians and they've suddenly developed a never-seen-before World Cup fever. 

Maybe it's a bit more of a thing if the past but some of these stories fairly startling by modern European standards.

https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2022/01/26/offside-remarks-the-truth-about-world-cup-qualifying-in-concacaf/

Yes some of thst is Covid specific but some talking 10, 20 years back.and beyond.

I think Mexico as a big regional player will also get the treatment in various places too.

Think Canada qualified in 1986 but don't know the format back then. Suspect you are right- should have beaten Belgium without doubt, exciting side.

Edited November 26, 2022 by Mr Popodopolous

[chinapig]

20 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Hence why he should have made changes to the starting 11. We looked tired last night. 

Southgate said after the game that we couldn't be expected to play with the same energy as in the first game. So why not make 1 or 2 changes?

[chinapig]

20 minutes ago, Midred said:

Apparently FIFA's technical director has described Ronaldo as a genius for "winning" a penalty! I always was under the impression that a player was awarded a penalty. No doubt after hearing that Ronaldo will be "winning" alot more penalties! 

Seems to have the right credentials to be given a future job at FIFA! 

There was an identical incident with a Qatari player yesterday but no penalty was awarded. His fault for not being called Ronaldo I expect.

[chinapig]

1 hour ago, Show Me The Money! said:

If only football were that simple

It isn't I agree.

But Southgate said afterwards that the USA posed us a tactical problem yet he did not change his tactics to counter that.

I'm generally a supporter of his given his record for England but I thought he got a number of things wrong last night and an inability to respond tactically in game is his key weakness imo.