World Cup 2022

[lizkat]

I for one remember ‘94 fondly. Would love a repeat performance.

Why not hope for even better in 2026?

Anyway first there is 2022 to finish.

Watching replay of France v Poland tonight. England will have some work cut out for it next weekend.

 

[lizkat]

So today was amazing... next up: quarter-finals Friday and Saturday

 

[Yoused]

A sports reporter, Grant Wahl, has abruptly collapsed and died while covering the games in Qatar, 2 days after his 48th birthday.

U.S. soccer journalist Grant Wahl dies while covering World Cup match in Qatar

“Fans of soccer and journalism of the highest quality knew we could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game,” U.S. Soccer said in a statement.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[lizkat]

A sports reporter, Grant Wahl, has abruptly collapsed and died while covering the games in Qatar, 2 days after his 48th birthday.

U.S. soccer journalist Grant Wahl dies while covering World Cup match in Qatar

“Fans of soccer and journalism of the highest quality knew we could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game,” U.S. Soccer said in a statement.

www.nbcnews.com

His wife made sure media outlets picked up and disseminated official news --after an autopsy, stateside-- that his death was of natural causes, a burst aortic aneurysm. All those infernal conspiracy theorists were out there meanwhile of course, stirring trouble.... because what's an internet for anyway.

Morocco v France just underway now. Popcorn at the ready. Hard for me not to want Morocco to win this match as a continuation of their stellar rise in these matches. But I am not a fan of Argentina and think that France might have the better chance in the finals.

 

[Pumbaa]

Why not hope for even better in 2026?

Even better would be awesome for sure. But I was more thinking about the quality of the team, reaching the semifinals with a team like that, anything could happen…

 

[Pumbaa]

His wife made sure media outlets picked up and disseminated official news --after an autopsy, stateside-- that his death was of natural causes, a burst aortic aneurysm. All those infernal conspiracy theorists were out there meanwhile of course, stirring trouble.... because what's an internet for anyway.

Good to hear. Did not think it was anything but natural causes, but still. Rest in peace.

Morocco v France just underway now. Popcorn at the ready. Hard for me not to want Morocco to win this match as a continuation of their stellar rise in these matches. But I am not a fan of Argentina and think that France might have the better chance in the finals.

Interesting draw for Morocco from a geographical point of view. Really great to have an unexpected team reaching these stages, wishing them all the best (although I agree regarding the France part).

 

[Pumbaa]

r/nottheonion delivers. Cheers!

 

[Yoused]

One thing I noticed about footie stats: the app I have lists time of possession, and in the lion's share of games, the team with the higher number tends to lose. In the semis, both Morocco and Croatia held control of the ball for 61% of the game.

 

[Pumbaa]

One thing I noticed about footie stats: the app I have lists time of possession, and in the lion's share of games, the team with the higher number tends to lose. In the semis, both Morocco and Croatia held control of the ball for 61% of the game.

Made me think of Egil Olsen. Possession is crap, might as well give the ball away if you don’t score shortly after gaining possession of the ball.

Egil Olsen, the ingenious Norwegian

By Sindre Trygsland, writing from Lancaster, England The Norwegian national team, currently ranked 11th in the world, will be placed in the top seeded pot when the qualification groups for the 2014...

blog.whereisfootball.com

 

[SuperMatt]

The first half of the final was dominated by Argentina, leading to the 2-0 advantage. France benched Giroud, one of their best players, before halftime. If Argentina keeps playing the same way they did in the first half, I fail to see how France can score 2 goals to tie it.

 

[Pumbaa]

The first half of the final was dominated by Argentina, leading to the 2-0 advantage. France benched Giroud, one of their best players, before halftime. If Argentina keeps playing the same way they did in the first half, I fail to see how France can score 2 goals to tie it.

Yes, you failed.

 

[SuperMatt]

Congrats to Argentina! In my opinion, they outplayed France. I don’t think it even should have gone to penalties. The late-in-extra-time penalty call for an accidental handball that hit a guy facing the other way in the back of the elbow was pretty bad.

Messi was fantastic, and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time. But the entire team played at a very high level, especially the goalie and the striker Di Maria.

 

[Pumbaa]

The late-in-extra-time penalty call for an accidental handball that hit a guy facing the other way in the back of the elbow was pretty bad.

That’s a penalty call ten times out of ten.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I regret that France didn't win, and think that they did exceptionally well to come from behind twice.

In fairness, each of Messi and Mbappe - respectively - showed their genuine class at this level by delivering an excellent performance - under pressure - in a World Cup Final.

I honestly do not believe that CR7 would have been capable of that.

Now, as for penalties: I have written this before, (and said it endlessly, to anyone who will listen to me on the subject), but I really cannot understand how teams do not practice the taking of penalties in pressurised environments when they are stressed and exhausted.

Well, France made it a genuine contest, only to lose at the end, and I am truly sorry that they were defeated.

And, as for Argentina: Yes, they won. They have the trophy, and collected five yellow cards during the course of the game. Not that they will care; despite their genuine and undoubted footballing gifts, they have an unpleasant habit of winning ugly.

Argentina win ugly - and worse, they choose to win ugly - and that is why I dislike them, notwithstanding their undoubted wealth of footballing talent.

 

[SuperMatt]

I think Argentina’s match against the Dutch was ugly. Today’s match was a great one. As for 5 yellows, France had 3, including one for Giroud being unsportsmanlike from the bench... neither team played ugly IMO.