all things World Cup 2022 thread

[Ted Hoppe]

Note: time zones for North America

WC Bracket (US_CAN)1024_1.jpg

Group A:	Ecuador	Netherlands	Qatar	Senegal
Group B:	England	Iran	USA	Wales
Group C:	Argentina	Mexico	Poland	Saudi Arabia
Group D:	Australia	Denmark	France	Tunisia
Group E:	Costa Rica	Germany	Japan	Spain
Group F:	Belgium	Canada	Croatia	Morocco
Group G:	Brazil	Cameroon	Serbia	Switzerland
Group H:	Ghana	Portugal	South Korea	Uruguay

[Figment]

eff Qatar.

[Ted Hoppe]

eff Qatar.

I feel the same way. They have already banned the sale of alcohol in the stadium. This coming out party is a media circus with hidden dark undercurrent. FIFA is complicit.
Waiting for a winter uprising and unrest.

[JimD]

Heard that Budweiser after paying $75 million for the right to sell beer, responded 'Well, this is awkward'

[Andrew2]

The 'awarding' of the WC to Quatar was obviously bent. No history of Footy and before they changed the timing, playing games in serious heat.
Buying all sorts of celebs to promote it, who now are getting flak for selling out.
FIFA don't seem to have the game at heart, just the money.

Budweiser should have looked a bit closer at what they were sponsering.

[Ted Hoppe]

It starts now!

The Ecuadorians are the +140 favorites in the latest Ecuador vs. Qatar odds from Caesars Sportsbook, with the Qataris the +220 underdog.

[Ted Hoppe]

Ecuador scores first goal in games!

[Ted Hoppe]

Holy crap they took back the score! WTF!

[Ted Hoppe]

Ecuador shakes it off. Comes back with another gooooooooooooal!

[Jimmy W]

outlawed



and why did Morgan Freeman get involved in the train wreck?

[George Jung]

Reading the back story to how Qatar (how you boys pronounce that?) 'bought' the rights.... it's all that's wrong with the sport, at this point.

[Figment]

[bamamick]

Group F looks very tough to me.

England with an easy win this morning.

Mickey Lake

[Jimmy W]

Does group F have Arlo on the team? It's getting about that time again.

[Joe (SoCal)]

Ecuador players taking a bath after losing opening World Cup match 5-0 vs Qatar

1345E95E-3D30-4A0C-AB2D-D4946E803640.jpg

[AndyG]

Eff Qatar.

However, in the sing-off, starting tonight's match, Wales beat the USA one million to one.

Andy, c'mon the Welsh!

[bamamick]

The US team: we kissed our sister.

The American team looks just like they lost instead of tied, 1-1.

Mickey Lake

[AndyG]

England with an easy win this morning.

Eff Qatar.

I disagree. England played like a team, and won handsomely, which is unusual on many counts.

Iran won with the politics, however. (Not singing their national anthem).

Andy

[John Smith]

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-...b0e771d955e396

[Jimmy W]

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/john-...b0e771d955e396

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...99#post6759899

[Hwyl]

Gareth Bale was magnificent.

[George.]

Go Iran!!

[George.]

outlawed

Not outlawed. Threatened with a yellow card. Apparently enough to scare some people into submission. Meanwhile the Iranians are threatened with imprisonment and torture, and still they made their statement.

[bamamick]

The threat of a yellow card was too much for the guys to bear, considering the years it took to get the Qatar and the fact that a second yellow would have been disastrous for their team mates should they get taken off of the pitch. Some of the ugly underbelly of what goes on in FIFA has really been exposed to the world in these last few days.

And yes, the Iranians showed tremendous bravery in their protest. You have to ask yourself if you'd have the courage to have done the same?

In other news, the Saudis beat Argentina this morning, 2-1, in what must be one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.

Mickey Lake

[George.]

The threat of a yellow card was too much for the guys to bear, considering the years it took to get the Qatar and the fact that a second yellow would have been disastrous for their team mates should they get taken off of the pitch.

Or the whole team could have shown up with the armbands, every game, and dared FIFA to expel all the star players from their tournament.

[Ted Hoppe]

huge deal beating argentina. it goes to a lifetime of legendary games - those saudis players will never forget this.

[Ted Hoppe]

MEXICO vs. POLAND next up - Should be an epic match.

[Hwyl]

Or the whole team could have shown up with the armbands, every game, and dared FIFA to expel all the star players from their tournament.

Agreed!

[Ted Hoppe]

The world cup is supposed to be above politics or countries personal projections. Wearing an arm band would be a strike against that.

Not everything needs to be politicalize. Some people can't help themselves. To what end does it stop. What happens if the arm bands were offensive to you and your core belief systems?

[George.]

The World Cup is the most political event in sports. It has always been political, in a way that I think insular Americans can't comprehend.

[Ted Hoppe]

The World Cup is the most political event in sports. It has always been political, in a way that I think insular Americans can't comprehend.

Yes and no. Yes insular Americans who do not know the beautiful game can't imagine what it means to win the biggest staged event in the world.

People love to politicize any venue. The recent winter olympics in China and Russia were exceptionally political. More to the point - is this game better off with teams wearing armbands with significant ideological symbols promoting causes - i think not. The game is played on a level field - only the best become champions. It is pure that way. Leave the beliefs on the sidelines or in the stands otherwise it becomes just another hunger games.

[Joe (SoCal)]

Argentinian players taking a bath after losing opening World Cup match to the second worse team Saudi Arabia 2-1 ( anyone seeing a Middle East pattern here ? )

[Ted Hoppe]

I can not imagine a world cup Argentinian football players taking a fall for cash. Knowing the Argentineans and loving this game, they can not go home humiliated. The national pride rides on their success here. The best world cup players could make mass fortunes on their success on the field. Perhaps there is more at foot here. Certainly PIDs may be involved as would other things that could affect the games outcome.



Soon you will asking why Wales tied with the US too? Wales has lots of Prince Charlies pounds to throw at US players too.

[George.]

Argentina wasn't bought. The Saudis played admirably. Their defensive line must have trained for months - kept the Argentinians always offside - they didn't expect that and couldn't adjust. And both Saudi goals were very well done. And their goalie is great.

This is why the World Cup is more beloved than the Olympics in the broader world. Superpowers don't always win. Sometimes the underdogs come up on top.

[Garret]

So - you start with a game that forbids the use of humans' most important physical attribute (hands/opposable thumbs), then you add in a totally corrupt/chickensh!t organization (FIFA) and set the games in an intolerant, corrupt country. Huh?

And people say American football is dumb?