World Cup 2022 thread (football only)

[BigTone]

49 minutes ago, AshtonGreat said:

I strongly dispute the suggestion that there have only ever been four truly great players. I’m sure the likes of Zidane, both Ronaldos and diStefano would have something to say about that. And to suggest that Messi isn’t a true great (the OP’s suggestion, not yours) is laughable. He’s the greatest ever, and he has the accolades to prove it. Mbappe did brilliantly yesterday and will undoubtedly be a great, but Messi was undoubtedly the talisman for this World Cup win, and at the age of 35 that’s an incredible achievement.

Not a fan of Argentina or Messi but hard to disagree with that.

[Open End Numb Legs]

Quite a bit in the media today about celebs trying to get a piece of the reflected limelight during the tournament and particularly after the final.

There are so many hangers on at these events, I am fine with close family getting on the pitch afterwards but just when the players should be enjoying the moment and soaking up the atmosphere they get jostled by B list nobodies wanting a selfie and politicians wanting some good publicity. A bit like an F1 grid walk.

I am not a tennis fan but they do a good job of thanking umpires and ball boys/girls rather than letting the celeb culture rule.

[spudski]

2 hours ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

Quite a bit in the media today about celebs trying to get a piece of the reflected limelight during the tournament and particularly after the final.

There are so many hangers on at these events, I am fine with close family getting on the pitch afterwards but just when the players should be enjoying the moment and soaking up the atmosphere they get jostled by B list nobodies wanting a selfie and politicians wanting some good publicity. A bit like an F1 grid walk.

I am not a tennis fan but they do a good job of thanking umpires and ball boys/girls rather than letting the celeb culture rule.

This one is the worst. 

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

On 18/12/2022 at 18:25, Lanterne Rouge said:

We had a couple of games that used that IIRC, JPT or something like that. One in particular was a freezing night at AG, we all had to wait around for ages until the ET kicked off and City went and scored in the first bloody minute of it!

Could have been home in the warm half an hour earlier if we`d done it in the 90th.

I think I remember it, was not only freezing but a terrible game too! Earlyish in JPT.

1 minute, bang- Golden goal, game done.

Mix it have been Torquay at home.

Edited December 19, 2022 by Mr Popodopolous

[italian dave]

29 minutes ago, spudski said:

This one is the worst. 

 

At the other end of the scale, that Moroccan player’s Mum will long be one of my fondest memories of the tournament. 
 

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Was a great final and despite the obvious problems with the location itself and the reasons behind the tournament award, some good football, games, shocks while some fancied middle weights crsxhex out hence a clear surprise factor. Belgium, Denmark, Uruguay plus of course Germany!

Best ever? I doubt although the final itself was perhaps up there.

Old star Messi overcame the probable heir in Mbappe.

One side note, can Infantino get lost with his tinkering? In some ways worse than Sepp ever was!

1) A 48 team World Cup? 80 games is too many, 50 pct more sides bound to dilute the quality though some of the so called lesser sides closed the gap quite well this time.

2) That tournament might entail 16 groups of 3, causing dead rubbers plus a possible repeat of West Germany v Austria 1982.

3) A 32 team Club World Club Cup. Really??

4) Now he has a hope reportedly for a World Cup every THREE years, Matt Hughes reports tonight.

Feeding into point 3. Thought the Confederations Cup was at times a good little tournament but clearly not.

Messi v Ronaldo? Ronaldo has played in  a wider range of Leagues but I've always preferred Messi just about, less ego plus seems I dunno lower centre of gravity, bit more technical perhaps.

Edited December 19, 2022 by Mr Popodopolous

[Open End Numb Legs]

It has occurred to me since the final that although I wanted France to win, by Messi playing such a key role and Argentina winning he will remove the gloss off of Maradona, a good thing. Those Argentinians who remember both will say to their children, yes Maradona was a great player but Messi did it the right way.

[2015]

9 hours ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

It has occurred to me since the final that although I wanted France to win, by Messi playing such a key role and Argentina winning he will remove the gloss off of Maradona, a good thing. Those Argentinians who remember both will say to their children, yes Maradona was a great player but Messi did it the right way.

Maradona was an absolute genius as well, probably now only 2nd behind Messi as the best ever. 

The worst thing about England fans are the ones who still go on about Maradona in 86 and can't appreciate his utter brilliance as a footballer.

[Open End Numb Legs]

I don't think I have seen anyone ever say they didn't appreciate Maradonna as a footballer, just those saying he was flawed. That is fair comment whether looking at photos of him claiming 'that goal' or his lifestyle in retirement.

Such is the challenge of fame and many have suffered the down sides.

[italian dave]

10 hours ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

It has occurred to me since the final that although I wanted France to win, by Messi playing such a key role and Argentina winning he will remove the gloss off of Maradona, a good thing. Those Argentinians who remember both will say to their children, yes Maradona was a great player but Messi did it the right way.

I don’t believe Argentinians will think that way. 

It’s a very English-centric way of looking at it, which is what’s reflected in loads of comments on here, and maybe not surprising but I think sometimes you have to try to step out from behind our own cultural norms and prejudices.

On “that goal”: two things.

Firstly, I heard something several years back that’s always stuck with me. In a tense local derby, would you prefer it if your team won with a) a brilliant individual goal, or b) a last minute scrappy but hotly disputed goal (offside, or an undeserved penalty)? Because in many cultures the answer most football fans would give is b). Because it winds up your rivals, makes them angry, makes them remember it, far far more so than a) would. And I kind of get that. 

Secondly, that match and that goal came barely 4 years after the Falklands War. 

So, for Argentinians, and for Maradona, it’s quite conceivable that it was the hand ball goal that was the most pleasurable. And the fact that it’s the one we English still remember, still get angry about, still remember that defeat by, probably makes the point. 

 

 

[2015]

1 minute ago, italian dave said:

I don’t believe Argentinians will think that way. 

It’s a very English-centric way of looking at it, which is what’s reflected in loads of comments on here, and maybe not surprising but I think sometimes you have to try to step out from behind our own cultural norms and prejudices.

On “that goal”: two things.

Firstly, I heard something several years back that’s always stuck with me. In a tense local derby, would you prefer it if your team won with a) a brilliant individual goal, or b) a last minute scrappy but hotly disputed goal (offside, or an undeserved penalty)? Because in many cultures the answer most football fans would give is b). Because it winds up your rivals, makes them angry, makes them remember it, far far more so than a) would. And I kind of get that. 

Secondly, that match and that goal came barely 4 years after the Falklands War. 

So, for Argentinians, and for Maradona, it’s quite conceivable that it was the hand ball goal that was the most pleasurable. And the fact that it’s the one we English still remember, still get angry about, still remember that defeat by, probably makes the point. 

We were not a very good side in 1986. Previously England didn't qualify for Euro84 and were abysmal at the Euros in 88.

English football in the 80s was still obsessed with physicality and height rather than actual technical ability. We were long ball merchants and a long way behind the rest of the World.

I'm glad we lost to a 'little squat man' in 1986 as we were never good enough to win the World Cup back then.

[italian dave]

7 minutes ago, 2015 said:

We were not a very good side in 1986. Previously England didn't qualify for Euro84 and were abysmal at the Euros in 88.

English football in the 80s was still obsessed with physicality and height rather than actual technical ability. We were long ball merchants and a long way behind the rest of the World.

I'm glad we lost to a 'little squat man' in 1986 as we were never good enough to win the World Cup back then.

All true. But to Argentines it wouldn’t have mattered if we were the best side in the world. What mattered was that we were England, and they beat us. And doing so courtesy of a goal that really really pissed us off, and still does 40 years later, made it even more special. 

[Bris Red]

1 hour ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

I don't think I have seen anyone ever say they didn't appreciate Maradonna as a footballer, just those saying he was flawed. That is fair comment whether looking at photos of him claiming 'that goal' or his lifestyle in retirement.

Such is the challenge of fame and many have suffered the down sides.

Maradona was probably still a much more relatable character than Messi though to the average Argentinian on the street.

Im not knocking the clean cut and ultra professionalism of Messi but Maradona was such a cult figure for that nation in a way i feel Messi isn’t quite in the same way - maybe its a generational thing.

[northsomersetred]

[spudski]

Does anyone else find this ***** repulsive and hate everything he stands for? 

Just a shame so many are so shallow, easily influenced and support his ' Empire'. 

 

 

[Open End Numb Legs]

I had never heard of him before, hopefully that means my life is on the right track. I would like to know why he was allowed access to the pitch and players by Fifa. What is the relevance?

There are so many other people more deserving than a self publicist that could have enjoyed these moments in Qatar.

[spudski]

12 minutes ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

I had never heard of him before, hopefully that means my life is on the right track. I would like to know why he was allowed access to the pitch and players by Fifa. What is the relevance?

There are so many other people more deserving than a self publicist that could have enjoyed these moments in Qatar.

He's allegedly big friends with another dick...Infantino...his Instagram is pure bile. The video with him and royalty is stomach churning. It's everything I hate about corporate football.

https://www.instagram.com/nusr_et/ 

 

[2015]

2 minutes ago, spudski said:

He's allegedly big friends with another dick...Infantino...his Instagram is pure bile. The video with him and royalty is stomach churning. It's everything I hate about corporate football.

https://www.instagram.com/nusr_et/ 

 

Popularity by 30 second videos that went viral mainly during the 2018 world cup by doing his silly 'salt bae' routine. How shallow and sad.

Also found the 'organised fun' that FIFA had pretty much arranged for the awards ceremony was corporatism gone mad. Just give them the trophy and let them get on with it, why does it all have to be so organised

[italian dave]

49 minutes ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

I had never heard of him before, hopefully that means my life is on the right track. I would like to know why he was allowed access to the pitch and players by Fifa. What is the relevance?

There are so many other people more deserving than a self publicist that could have enjoyed these moments in Qatar.

Who is he? 

[northsomersetred]

1 hour ago, Open End Numb Legs said:

I had never heard of him before, hopefully that means my life is on the right track. I would like to know why he was allowed access to the pitch and players by Fifa. What is the relevance?

There are so many other people more deserving than a self publicist that could have enjoyed these moments in Qatar.

Glad i'm not the only one, didn't have a clue who he was

[Ska Junkie]

16 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Who is he? 

Just going to ask the same thing Dave. Not a clue who the no mark is.

[Ska Junkie]

23 minutes ago, italian dave said:

Who is he? 

Just looked it up, he's called Salt Bae, whoever Salt Bae is.

[BigTone]

2 hours ago, Ska Junkie said:

Just looked it up, he's called Salt Bae, whoever Salt Bae is.

Ah yes of course !! .............who ?

[Slacker]

 

3 minutes ago, BigTone said:

 

Ah yes of course !! .............who ?

 

Is he the bloke that cooks steak and then let's salt roll down his arm onto it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Super]

Why was he even on the pitch?

[italian dave]

So many questions….so few answers! 

[spudski]

3 hours ago, italian dave said:

So many questions….so few answers! 

He's financed by one of Turkeys richest and most influential people. Ferit Sahenk, the Dogus Group. He and another financed his restaurant 'empire'...designed to attract the powerful and wealthy. 

He (Ferit) is part of the World Economic Forum and has 'Swiss' interest/business/ education/connection.

As does Infantino.

Infantino has property and 'connection' in Qatar.

Qatar 'business' are interested in buying into Sahenk's Restaurant group for millions...which will lead to further connection and profit/ influence/ power.

That's the connection, and why Salt Bae was being introduced to Royalty and Politicians and prominent people of influence.

Although he's now made millions himself from shares in the business...it's obvious he's just a ' face/pawn being used to gain money, power and wealth, as well as further connections.

Imo...he's a smoke screen for other interests shall we say. 

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by spudski

[northsomersetred]

[Dr Balls]

[Open End Numb Legs]

12 hours ago, northsomersetred said:

Looks classless gloating over Mbappe, perhaps he should remember who put 3 goals past him in the game.