2022 World Cup GDT

[Natsinpwc]

Goff from the WaPo says the USA is 1-11-6 vs European teams since 1990. Portugal was the victim

So you’re saying they’re due?

[Natsinpwc]

Part of it seemed to be Wales just getting their act together.

I read something about them changing their formation in the second half to have more players up front. USA was unable to make them pay for that with counterattacks. They seemed to have several chances to do so and just flubbed passes and such.

[HondoKillebrew]

I read something about them changing their formation in the second half to have more players up front. USA was unable to make them pay for that with counterattacks. They seemed to have several chances to do so and just flubbed passes and such.

Yep.  The old "half time adjustments."

[English Natsie]

I read something about them changing their formation in the second half to have more players up front. USA was unable to make them pay for that with counterattacks. They seemed to have several chances to do so and just flubbed passes and such.

Yes - the change to two-up-front changed the balance of the Welsh and, for some reason, Team USA seemed to find it difficult to adjust. Was willing them to take advantage, of the first half, whilst they had Wales on the back foot. It's the problem of MLS requiring further development - it was easy to spot the MLS based players, as they were attempting things that they might get away with, in the MLS, but not at this level.

[English Natsie]

To mark France's first game, here's a reminder of France '98 - how many of the participating teams can you spot?...



(although, as it's the home of The Wonderful Game, I'll be rooting for the Socceroos... )

[Natsinpwc]

Wow. Saudi Arabia beat Argentina.

[English Natsie]

Wow. Saudi Arabia beat Argentina.

As the booth crew here put it - 'there are shocks, and there are shocks...'  Argentina's first defeat in over three years (last time was by Brazil...) sees them go down to the KIngdom of Journalist Murderers...

[1995hoo]

So you’re saying they’re due?

On the other hand, England have never beaten the USA in the World Cup (0–1–1), so I suppose it's every bit as valid to say England are due.

[English Natsie]

On the other hand, England have never beaten the USA in the World Cup (0–1–1), so I suppose it's every bit as valid to say England are due.

Team USA are clearly our bogey team....

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Hey, there's an idea, let's have Bettman points in football 

Nothing says "biggest tournament in the world" like ending games in ties

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Everyone in the rest of South America must have been over the moon

Wow. Saudi Arabia beat Argentina.

[English Natsie]

Everyone in the rest of South America must have been over the moon

But Argentina were sick as a parrot, whilst for Saudi the boys done good....

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Part of it seemed to be Wales just getting their act together. 

they did make a tactical adjustment.  They went with that tall forward, Moore, who had about 10 inches on the guy he replaced, and they started going with more balls in the air into the penalty area rather than dribbling and possession passing.  They seemed a lot bigger than the US.   

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Worst Argentine performance since the General Belgrano

[Natsinpwc]

The Mexico/Poland draw seems the worst possible result for Argentina.

[Natsinpwc]

France ties it up.

[Natsinpwc]

they did make a tactical adjustment.  They went with that tall forward, Moore, who had about 10 inches on the guy he replaced, and they started going with more balls in the air into the penalty area rather than dribbling and possession passing.  They seemed a lot bigger than the US.

Another story questioned the USA fitness which makes sense since they have some players who have been out with injuries and Pulisic who does not play much with Chelsea. Looked like they ran out of gas.

[English Natsie]

Firstly, apologies - forgot I was still in the general soccer thread,,,

Pleased for Giroud - he'll soon have sole possession. We haven't seen Brazil yet, but France look like 'the-team-most-likely', so far.

I'm sure I must have mis-heard, but it sounded like a section of the crowd were chanting 'U-S-A! U-S-A!' - during Mexico v Poland ???...

Oh - and I hope the guy in the eagle costume (next to Wonder Woman) is there, on Friday...

[English Natsie]

According to Gracenote's Football Rankings, Saudi Arabia have now taken top-spot from the USA, with today's result (the previous most unlikely victory was for the USA against England, in 1950).

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

"The Hand of Dog"

Worst Argentine performance since the General Belgrano

[English Natsie]

Being reported, over here, that 'sources close to government' are saying that the Qatari's now have 'buyers regret', over the World Cup - they describe it as 'a gigantic waste of money' because it has turned the spotlight onto issues that were previously going on quietly unnoticed, and that there has been disappointing local interest; a number of booth-crews have commented that they've never seen so many empty seats at WC games...(usually, there wouldn't be any...).

[Natsinpwc]

Take a camel ride. Have some kabob. Stare at the tall buildings. Lots to do in Doha.

[Natsinpwc]

Arab countries are doing fine so far.

[Natsinpwc]

Don’t really understand why that was a penalty on the goalie. Very little contact. 

[English Natsie]

Arab countries are doing fine so far.

Indeed - but the problem is the restricted numbers of visiting fans. When England and Team USA meet, there'll probably only be about 6 to 7 thousand supporters actually following the teams, in a stadium of 50,000+ capacity. Takes much of the passion out of the atmosphere - how many England and US fans would be there if the game was being played in, say, Germany....

For Qatar, the issue is more political - they were regarded as a Western supporting nation, in the region, just quietly going under-the-radar. Now they're having to deal with all of the issues, and criticism, which would never have arisen if not for the WC...

And, even against Argentina, I couldn't root for the Journalist Murderers... If Infantino wants to be an apologist for Islamic repression, that's up to him - but it doesn't mean we all have to be. Why root for those whose ideal would be the overthrow of all of the values we hold in the West?