[ContrarianMalazanReader]

I only have this to say about Germany: mentality and willpower >>>>>>>>>>> talent.

I have a deeply rooted hatred for those fucking Spaniards, so I don't think I'll buther watching those scumbags humilliate this sorry Germany.

[Tsundoku]

So it seems the people who count attendances in Qatar are the same people who counted Trump's crowd and vote numbers.

https://www.news.com...3ec23d4aa39b4fb

[Gorefest]

No worries, Infantino will undoubtedly tell us after the tournament that this was the greatest FIFA world cup ever with the highest attendance numbers and the greatest upsets. And to be fair, with the Argentina and Germany games behind us he wouldn't be half wrong on some of it.

[Mentalist]

Goddamn Portugal getting bullshit PK

Ghana so close to getting that draw. Would've been best comeback ever

[Tsundoku]

Holy shit - the end of that Iran-Wales game! Wow!

Both teams couldn't put anything on target all game, but it was just end-to-end running all game. In that heat!

But with Hennessey's red card (yeah, it looked pretty bad live and worse in slow motion when the ref checked it) in the ... 89th (?) minute then +9 minutes, the Welsh were repeatedly stretched and finally the dam broke.

Iran 2-Wales 0. Got to say, I think Iran actually deserved it, if only just. Definitely the first goal and the second was just unfortunate for the exhausted Welsh defence.
Iran had the better of the second half by far, just no luck with the final passes and strikes. 2 post hits in a few seconds was indicative. Both defences were pretty good, neither attack could get clean shots.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 25 November 2022 - 12:13 PM

[Cyphon]

The scoreline was fair. Could be an intense final round of that group with England vs Wales and Iran Vs USA.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

'England Fans With Swords and Shields Banned From U.S. Game

[...] British supporters have dressed up as St. George—the patron saint of England—at international sports tournaments for at least two decades. But international soccer governing body FIFA says the chainmail costumes are inappropriate in the Islamic host nation of this year's World Cup because they invoke 1,000-year-old holy wars between Christians and Muslims.

[...] The England fans who were refused entry to the Iran game insisted in an interview with the Telegraph that they are "definitely not racists" and said they were actually cosplaying as knights from comedy classic Monty Python movie The Holy Grail, not crusaders[...]

[...] Western visitors and players alike have complained about not being able to display rainbow flags in support of LGBTQ people at the tournament which is taking place in a country where homosexuality can be punishable by life imprisonment or even death.'

FIFA Bans England Fans With Plastic Swords and Shields From U.S. World Cup Game

Football hooligans with swords and shields dressed in armor---could be interesting. How does it influence the headbutts?... Really more like American football I'd guess....

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 25 November 2022 - 05:56 PM

[Mentalist]

Dutch got lucky with that dissalowed goal. And the crossbar.

After scoring that beauty of an opener, they really let go off the pedal, and Ecuador's pretty much called the shots. They won way more turnovers in mid, and generally, the team that does that doesn't lose.

[Gorefest]

Shame, Ecuador should have won. I cannot wait for us to get eliminated from this travesty of a tournament. Maybe Qatar can get a stunt against us to relegate us to third place. The sooner the Netherlands is out of this tournament, the better.

[Mezla PigDog]

Tsundoku, on 25 November 2022 - 12:12 PM, said:

Holy shit - the end of that Iran-Wales game! Wow!

Both teams couldn't put anything on target all game, but it was just end-to-end running all game. In that heat!

But with Hennessey's red card (yeah, it looked pretty bad live and worse in slow motion when the ref checked it) in the ... 89th (?) minute then +9 minutes, the Welsh were repeatedly stretched and finally the dam broke.

Iran 2-Wales 0. Got to say, I think Iran actually deserved it, if only just. Definitely the first goal and the second was just unfortunate for the exhausted Welsh defence.
Iran had the better of the second half by far, just no luck with the final passes and strikes. 2 post hits in a few seconds was indicative. Both defences were pretty good, neither attack could get clean shots.

Mr PigDog, Welsh football fanatic. He took the day off. We all agree an international tournament in Qatar and the migrant worker death toll sends all the wrong messages. But he's been waiting a lifetime for Wales to be in the World Cup so it's a big deal in our house. The ranting and raving I could hear from our TV room this morning during Wales v Iran....! He still says losing to Iran is better than not qualifying for 64 years!

I'm English. We live in England. Our kid is English despite being brainwashed to believe Wales is the greatest footballing nation on earth (even in the face of evidence to the contrary). Wales v England will be interesting on Tuesday.

Not a great showing by England so far against USA. Second half, come on!

This post has been edited by Mezla PigDog: 25 November 2022 - 07:54 PM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Mezla PigDog, on 25 November 2022 - 07:54 PM, said:

Tsundoku, on 25 November 2022 - 12:12 PM, said:

Holy shit - the end of that Iran-Wales game! Wow!

Both teams couldn't put anything on target all game, but it was just end-to-end running all game. In that heat!

But with Hennessey's red card (yeah, it looked pretty bad live and worse in slow motion when the ref checked it) in the ... 89th (?) minute then +9 minutes, the Welsh were repeatedly stretched and finally the dam broke.

Iran 2-Wales 0. Got to say, I think Iran actually deserved it, if only just. Definitely the first goal and the second was just unfortunate for the exhausted Welsh defence.
Iran had the better of the second half by far, just no luck with the final passes and strikes. 2 post hits in a few seconds was indicative. Both defences were pretty good, neither attack could get clean shots.

Mr PigDog, Welsh football fanatic. He took the day off. We all agree an international tournament in Qatar and the migrant worker death toll sends all the wrong messages. But he's been waiting a lifetime for Wales to be in the World Cup so it's a big deal in our house. The ranting and raving I could hear from our TV room this morning during Wales v Iran....! He still says losing to Iran is better than not qualifying for 64 years!

I'm English. We live in England. Our kid is English despite being brainwashed to believe Wales is the greatest footballing nation on earth (even in the face of evidence to the contrary). Wales v England will be interesting on Tuesday.

Not a great showing by England so far against USA. Second half, come on!

Without their knights to cheer them on
Against the Dragon-Leviathan
The English hath no Courage to charge
The Wyrm-enwound branches sans Saint George

[Mentalist]

Well, the US made a really good showing. Needed to come up with a finish, and stop being cute with those blind passes towards the spot.



England, not so much. Bringing in Henderson and Grealish livened things up, to be sure, but they need to have more intensity. Kane was just poor on offence, and his one good chance, he was facing the wrong way.

Should have an exciting group finish. Everyone's got something to play for

[Mezla PigDog]

Limp showing by England. USA were the better side. Wales should really bring it to England in the last game and USA v Iran has to be interesting any day of the week.

May have taught my child to chant Poo-S-A... He was allowed to stay up to watch the match, 6 year olds dream. He asked to go to bed at half time. Shows the excitement levels of that match.

[Tsundoku]

AUS 1 - TUN 0

Lucky goal for us, but we were the better side for most of it and pretty much deserved it. Some VERY nervous moments in the second half though.

Next up - Apt Aptersson's cheese-eating Lego monkeys.

---------------------

EDIT and in a lighter moment to salute our national public broadcaster (non-English speaking product) ...

https://www.betootaa...he-fucken-pros/

SBS Reminds Nation That Soccer Broadcasts Are Best Left To The Fucken Pros

One week into the 2022 FIFA World Cup and almost everything is as strange and unpleasant as would be expected when sporting administrators take millions of dollars in bribes from repressive autocracies in an effort to sportswash their horrific track record on human rights.

Last minute changes to programming from the hosts, bizarrely shocking on-field upsets, and even weirder reports coming back from tourists in the streets of Qatar – this world cup may in fact be the lowest that FIFA has ever sunk.

However, with all the moving parts needed to pull off an event of this scale, there’s only been one reliable contributor who has not let anyone down.

Because they never do. It’s Australia’s official world cup broadcast partner, SBS.

Aside from one month every four years, the publicly funded SBS (special broadcasting service) mostly sticks to serving viewers horny Scandinavian true crime dramas and Korean song competitions. But when it comes to soccer, they do not fuck around.

This is more evident than ever this world cup, when compared to the colossal binfire that was the 2018 Optus Streaming partnership.

With Australia’s greatest footballing minds on post and pre-match panels, non-English options, full replays, 30 minute recaps, 10 minute recaps, 2 minute recaps, and uninterrupted live broadcasts – the SBS has reminded Australians that the rights to the FIFA World Cup are best left to the fucken pros.

The SBS never crashes, and never makes excuses. They were doing this shit before anyone was talking about soccer in Australia, and they’ll be still doing it when we finally win the fucken thing at the 2034 Ukraine FIFA World Cup.

-----------------------

EDIT2

Another case of "never a truer word spoken than in jest"

https://www.theshove...o-qatar-rigged/

Decision to award World Cup to desert nation with no football stadiums may have been rigged: reports

FIFA’s decision to award the 2022 World Cup hosting rights to a nation without a football stadium may have been the result of foul play, fans were shocked to learn this week.
One football supporter summed up the feeling amongst fans. “Apart from having no places to play football, daytime temperatures unsuitable for vigorous physical activity, a national side that has never qualified for the World Cup, and a population the size of Brisbane, I thought Qatar’s bid was pretty faultless. So these new reports suggesting that they may have needed to use bribery to get over the line do come as a real shock”.
Perth man Sam Ashling said he was also caught off guard by the allegations. “Some things you just associate together. Brazil and beaches, England and cosy little pubs, Qatar and top flight football. It never occurred to me that money would need to change hands”.

If the allegations are proven true, there is speculation that Qatar’s 2030 Winter Olympics bid may also be threatened.

This post has been edited by Tsundoku: 26 November 2022 - 10:58 PM

[ContrarianMalazanReader]

I'm feeling really pessimistic about the match between Germany and Spain. I loathe those fucking Spaniards with a passion, but I'm also a realist and fully expect the Germans to be packing their bags after the FT whistle. Despite all that talent and all the accomplishments at club level, this is undoubtedly the most pathetic Germany I've ever seen, as they have zero fighting mentality and cohesion as a team.

[Mentalist]

Man, this is getting spicy.

Didn't see the 1st Morocco goal, but that 2nd one was a beaut.


France, Spain, Brazil and England looking like the only shoe ins so far. Pretty much everyone else's been struggling.

[Gorefest]

That's what happens when you stick a big tournament smack bang in the middle of the European football season. Hardly any preparation time (the summer tournaments will give teams ~ 3 weeks of prep) and dire, pedestrian performances.

[Tiste Simeon]

Also a lot of players want to stay fresh for returning to the season immediately after the tournament. Perhaps not giving it as much as they might have?/

[Mentalist]

Well, that was a disaster.

Once Croatia found their stride, our offence never really figured out how to break through. They also really piled on the pressure from Defensive mid, getting way too many turnovers. Honestly, we played better against Belgium. Who's gonna have their hands full needing only a win against CRO, since they're 3rd in the group RN.

Edit: why is Kimmich so useless?
He hasn't completed a single pass off his crosses from set pieces in the 2nd half.

There's another group with everything to play for. Even Spain can still be out, if both underdogs win and collect their 6 points.

Well, maybe Korea will at least beat Portugal.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 27 November 2022 - 08:52 PM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

'Riots Sweep Belgium and Holland After Shock World Cup Loss to Morocco

[...] wreckage of torched cars and smashed scooters[...] sprawling riot in several Belgian and Dutch cities, resulting in thousands of dollars worth of damage from Antwerp to Rotterdam, where two police officers sustained injuries[...] “Those are not fans, they are rioters. Moroccan fans are there to celebrate,”'

Riots Sweep Belgium and Holland After Shock World Cup Loss to Morocco

WTF... here we only riot when we win (you don't get to pillage unless you win the war...).