World Cup 2022 - VeloNation - Cycling Forums, Bicycle Forums, Community Forums

Posts:4209

11/21/2022 09:56 AM
Figured we could start a thread about the World Cup.....Netherlands / Senegal about to start. I'm sure OC is watching! USA v Wales this afternoon.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

11/21/2022 11:08 AM
I'm sure I have my head stuck in report reviews and am just taking passing glances at what's going on. So far not worth an actual watch. Don't think our minimalist TV subscription even allows access to WC broadcast.

Posts:4499

11/21/2022 12:19 PM
Reads like a rough start but a lesson in efficiency for Senegal. NL had all of two chances and both resulted in goals. Theoretically this was the toughest group opponent so it should be clear sailing to elimination rounds. My prediction is that this is where it will end for the orange although quarter finals should be possible. Wales and USA should be roughly even matched LOL. England are celebrating their blowout win but really the two going in their own net from a weak opponent should be worrisome.

Posts:2881

11/21/2022 06:50 PM
US had a solid first half and deserved the half time lead. But the second half, too much standing around. Lucky to get that tie. PS the ref was not good. Typical world cup.

Posts:2881

11/21/2022 06:54 PM
PS, the no Sadio Mane for Senegal (one of the best and hardest working strikers in the world) due to injury. Senegal still had many good chances without him. Reimagine with Mane playing, and also Mendy (goalie) not laying a huge egg in front of his own goal. NL won fair and square but surely they are counting their blessings.

Posts:4499

11/21/2022 06:56 PM
Posted By Orange Crush on 11/21/2022 12:19 PM Wales and USA should be roughly even matched LOL. That's bang on, haha!

Posts:4499

11/21/2022 07:00 PM
Posted By Frederick Jones on 11/21/2022 06:54 PM PS, the no Sadio Mane for Senegal (one of the best and hardest working strikers in the world) due to injury. Senegal still had many good chances without him. Reimagine with Mane playing, and also Mendy (goalie) not laying a huge egg in front of his own goal. NL won fair and square but surely they are counting their blessings. Ah yes, but same is case for Dutch side. Lots of absences and injuries. This was first ever international game for our goalie LOL. Our key striker hasn't played in a few months, when he came in second half that was his first game in ages. Its a bit stitched together and the best player may be our coach who always knows how to make something out of nothing.

Posts:4499

11/22/2022 10:43 AM
That 500 kgs of BBQ meat Argentina brought with them clearly didn't work. They should have talked to Alberto.

Posts:4209

11/22/2022 10:53 AM
The Mexican fans TRAVEL.....wow. Noise is incredible.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

smokey52

Posts:493

11/22/2022 10:30 PM
I have trouble caring about the World Cup since it's played in Qatar. Of course, FIFA does not care about social issues.

huckleberry

Posts:824

11/22/2022 10:56 PM
Gotta say, I'm with you Smokey.

Posts:4499

11/23/2022 09:27 AM
Im of the opinion that the only way to enact any changes in these countries one tiny crack at at time is to shine a very bright spotlight on their human rights issues. A massive tournament like this does that. Without it we wouldn’t even be talking about gay rights and foreign worker abuses in Qatar. The German tank continues to misfire LOL.

Posts:4209

11/23/2022 09:57 AM
I can separate the two issues....it is possible to enjoy the sporting aspect of the WC while still voicing opposition to the corruption at FIFA and autocracy of Qatar. What does pss me off is FIFA officials responding to the legitimate criticism of "sportswashing" with the Trumpian response of "What, you think we are so innocent?" FCk them.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

11/23/2022 11:04 AM
The "are we so innocent" is both a disingenuous deflection but at same time its 100% correct. Mirror time is always uncomfortable. I'd encourage human rights groups to shine a bright light on the three host countries come 2026. Spain looks to run smoothly. My adopted home country is next. We didn't score any goals in last participation decades ago. Can only do better than that one would hope.

Posts:3180

11/23/2022 11:16 AM
Turning away fans for wearing rainbow bands? I hope that gets a lot of attention. What a contrast to the gay club shooting in Colorado where as best I can figure, nearly half of those shot or subduing the shooter were straight. Straights going to see a gay show. No big deal. But gays, or just people making a statement that they support them) get turned away from an event that supposed to be for the whole world? At that club, nobody cared what your orientation was. Treat people like people and all was good. I feel strongly that any country/culture can carry themselves as they like, but it that country invites in the rest of the world, that changes things. An island can be inhabited by cannibals. OK, mark the charts with a warning. But if that island now advertises as a tropical vacation destination, it needs to stop eating visitors. If the Arab countries want to stay quiet, Muslim practicing nations with repressive laws and practices, OK, but inviting the world in means changing. (Just read Moby Dick. (My G**, Herman Melville was in love with his words!) Queeque(sp), a cannibal, is probably the most upright, trustworthy man aboard that ship.)

Posts:4499

11/23/2022 12:01 PM
For 2026 I am hoping the human rights spotlight will be solidly on aboriginal rights. I mean, Canada still has the racist Indian Act enshrined in its constitution. Repressive laws and practices are the rule of the land. I am sure things are equally dismal in the other two host countries. Inviting the world should be a good moment to amplify the call for change (good luck). Now if everyone in 2026 wants to wear orange (the color indicating we stand with First Nations), I'd be 100% OK with that. If as I think we will per usual stop short and just have the token drum beats, circle dances and land acknowledgements, that will be a major opportunity lost once again.

Posts:2881

11/23/2022 02:19 PM
Back to soccer. Canada are entering the Belgian box frequently and could be up 5-1 if they could finish. But

Posts:4499

11/23/2022 02:27 PM
Yes, its a lesson in efficiency so far much like NL versus Senegal. As much as Davies is fundamental to Bayern's attacking line, he's not the kind of guy who is a killer finisher. But back to what the end goal for hosting 2026 should be, its fairly clearly defined as Call to Action 91: "We call upon the officials and host countries of international sporting events such as the Olympics, Pan Am, and Commonwealth games to ensure that Indigenous peoples' territorial protocols are respected, and local Indigenous communities are engaged in all aspects of planning and participating in such events". In other words, meaningful participation. It was partially achieved with the 2010 winter games. Instead, based on what's currently online as to 2026 objectives it seems to be doing better than Russia and Qatar on LBGTQ issues, setting a low bar that we know can be met. Aboriginal rights get a passing mention. Low bars are not progress. /end rant

Posts:2881

11/23/2022 03:33 PM
BTW the Canada Belgium ref was another fail on soccer’s biggest stage.

smokey52

Posts:493

11/23/2022 05:17 PM
Qatar and human rights wrt to futbal/soccer: "Besides that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?"

Posts:1767

11/23/2022 06:05 PM
You go Denmark! https://www.football365.com/news/denmark-leave-fifa-snub-infantino-call-to-arms-onelove-armband-ban

Posts:4499

11/23/2022 08:05 PM
Unfortunately for Denmark is that FIFA has 211 member countries and a significant portion of these voting members play pretty loose with human rights. So these Euro protests will find limited traction. That’s how Qatar happened to begin with, votes from poorer member countries being bought. Maybe if UEFA as a whole were to draw a line in the sand. Maybe. Best way to effectuate Qatar is not via soccer but to stop giving them the insane amounts of money that we do via energy purchases (which allowed them to buy the WC). They’re one of the main benefactors of our boycott of Russian gas. But changing our energy habits might be too much to ask. Bread and games is a sureproof remedy for that amount of irony. The Romans knew this.

Posts:4499

11/23/2022 08:17 PM
Best protest that happened in Qatar so far was from Qatari “those empty seats will feel like a kick in the (crown) family jewels” https://www.espn.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup/story/4807634/qatar-money-bought-a-world-cupbut-not-loyalty-vs-ecuador

Posts:4499

11/24/2022 12:33 PM
whatever else we think of Ronaldo (getting booted from Man U, haha) he knows how to take a penalty kick. Even though the penalty was undeserving. Probably the first poor refereeing decision that may actually have influenced a game outcome. Speaking of Man U, the Glover brothers getting the boot as owners is also good news.

Posts:2881

11/24/2022 02:32 PM
Torches and pitchforks averted in Manchester

Posts:4499

11/25/2022 12:13 PM
Ouch, that was rough, the orange are pretty far away from a well oil machine. Someone apply some chain lube. Iran earlier today against Wales was brilliant. With their protest against regime, these guys deserves some continued spotlight. USA up next, good luck.

Posts:4499

11/26/2022 01:54 PM
Finally watching a game live, Arg - Mex, good one. Rewatching Den - Fra tonight with friends. Carlsberg and French cheese on menu. Let’s get this WC started. And since soccer is politics. Time to recalibrate support for Brasil. Couple of articles this week how the game has become a vehicle of support for Bolsorano. The yellow green is tainted.

Posts:2881

11/26/2022 07:15 PM
Kudos to Lionel Messi for sneeking in the winner. Justice. Sad for Mexico, a good side who were unlucky in the draw. Good on them if the prove me wrong in a few days, but they are underdogs at this moment. Euros may understand the pressure on the Mexican team to make the round of 8. Tough crowd there. As for FIFA, f ck them for ever placing the US against oppose regimes. Or just cut the crap and put the US with China in a neutral venue, with agents expelled. Good luck with that.

Posts:4499

11/26/2022 07:48 PM
Are you talking about the upcoming US game against Iran? That’s the result of a random draw, one of the few non political things w FIFA. And those Iranian boys firmly oppose their regime and stand w protests. I’ll be cheering for them. Mexico will have a tough nut to crack with Saudi side who were unlucky against Poland. They play well and passionate. Who knew. Lots of good non Euro teams and few Euro teams worth cheering. France and Spain are the exception.

Posts:3180

11/26/2022 08:05 PM
I am re-reading Fate is the Hunter. (Fascinating book on life as an early commercial pilot with insight re: world events and how the US was seen by others.) I'm at the author's second venture into South America; the State Department's attempts at matching Germany's venture into the South American airlines pre-WW2. Pilot gets to see first hand that the US ventures were not welcome, even though we were flying in brand new planes to give to them. Got to be the victim of sabotage, a cup of water in the engine oil. Incredibly lucky they didn't have to crash land in the jungle. (This had the the crew completely baffled; a weird mechanical in a brand new and excellent engine. Until the pilot mentioned this to a US flight support type with engine oil under his fingernails. "What? You didn't guard the on the plane while you slept? What did you expect?") The Germans - welcomed because they were excellent pilots, brought good planes, hired and trained the locals. Then their relatives. Were welcome everywhere. And if we lost to Germany? Wouldn't be a tear shed between Mexico and Tierra del Fuego. Sobering read. And humbling. I'm thinking about this now with those countries to compete against us in a venue where we are not dominant (if we get that far).

Posts:4499

11/26/2022 08:57 PM
Ben - wonder if that aversion of the American side had anything to do with Banana Wars which were still pretty recent at that time.

Posts:3180

11/26/2022 09:16 PM
I'll have to look into it. (We never covered unpopular wars, etc. in US history in school. Sorta like studying mathematics without subtraction and division.) Had a classmate in 6th grade who's dad was big at Chiquita Bananas. Used to bring rolls of Chiquita stickers to class to be given to the kids in favor at the time. That was 1964. A benefactor of those wars?

Posts:3180

11/26/2022 09:38 PM
Wikipedia is an eye-opener on "banana wars" and "chiquita banana". And yes, I better understand some of the ill feelings that pilot saw. My classmate, the hotshot? Handing out tokens acquired with dirty money; money paid for with lives.

Posts:1767

11/27/2022 08:02 AM
We never covered unpopular wars, etc. in US history in school. Sorta like studying mathematics without subtraction and division. We did subscribe to the rule of intervention: Better a right wing dictatorship than a left leaning democracy. It appears many still feel that way... I'm looking at you, #45 and your minions.

Posts:4499

11/27/2022 10:40 AM
So some Brits really thought they could show up dressed as crusaders LOL?!

Posts:4499

11/27/2022 11:34 AM
Thanks for playing Canada but not ready yet. Did get first goal in WC ever. “Greatest moment in Canadian soccer history “. A few seconds later to the female commentator “we don’t want to minimize your world championship “. Doh.

Posts:4499

11/27/2022 03:38 PM
Morocco beats Belgium. Celebrations and riots in France, Belgium and Netherlands. A rise against the oppressor moment.

Posts:4499

11/27/2022 06:01 PM
Posted By 79 pmooney on 11/23/2022 11:16 AM Turning away fans for wearing rainbow bands? I hope that gets a lot of attention. What a contrast to the gay club shooting in Colorado where as best I can figure, nearly half of those shot or subduing the shooter were straight. Straights going to see a gay show. No big deal. But gays, or just people making a statement that they support them) get turned away from an event that supposed to be for the whole world? At that club, nobody cared what your orientation was. Treat people like people and all was good. Reality check from CBC front desk “ How the American anti-LGBTQ hate machine is posing a threat to Canadians” : https://www.cbc.ca/news/investigates/anti-lgbtq-hate-social-media-legislation-1.6663528

Posts:4499

11/29/2022 08:10 PM
Netherlands- USA this Saturday. Two mediocre teams trying to advance to quarterfinals. That about sums it up.

Posts:4499

11/29/2022 09:05 PM
This was brilliant though, the hair of god that wasn’t. Just don’t try to claim a goal that isn’t yours. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11483147/CHRIS-SUTTON-Forget-Diego-Maradona-Cristiano-Ronaldos-Hair-God.html?fbclid=IwAR1dSdYsBsJWUlL6eM0sgZP9mQuRpE9oDM0KMVzQG0vrhkE9sdOVuyHB_TI&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

jookey

Posts:197

11/30/2022 07:24 AM
OC, watch out for that high powered USA offense. Yawn

Posts:2881

11/30/2022 08:54 AM
No real striker for the US since Dempsey. That said, They get it done.

Posts:4499

12/02/2022 09:32 AM
Great interview with your coach. He played in Netherlands for some smaller clubs way back when and has a lot of great stories and friendships. With that I guess this matchup was meant to happen for old times sake to bring it all together. Also excellent quote; Netherlands, the land of 17 million soccer coaches (as in, it’s never good enough).

Posts:4499

12/03/2022 12:22 PM
Thanks for playing. Still lots of room for improvement but more lessons in efficiency.

Posts:2881

12/03/2022 12:48 PM
When Pulisic didn’t convert that gift at the beginning I had a bad feeling.

Posts:4499

12/06/2022 08:14 PM
Portugal looked a lot better without Ronaldo. Quarterfinals coming up.

Posts:2881

12/06/2022 08:39 PM
hey OC, so does ManU! (snark snark) Har. Back to the WC: The Blue Bloods who made it out of the prelims were rolling, I mean really rolling. Until Morocco steamrolled Spain! wow they are playing great. Ziyech and to a lesser degree Pulisic have shown they can do more than Chelsea allows them. I hope they offer Chelsea a big bird on their way to better things in the upcoming transfer window. As for Holland: OC, c'mon, say it: Oranje are playing well, maybe well enough to play 3 more games.

Posts:4499

12/07/2022 09:23 AM
Ziyech is a product of the Ajax (Amsterdam) school, Pulicic should consider it if he can get out of his Chelsey contract. An almost certified route to success. The best team to have never won WC is a legendary title that I’m quite sure we will retain.

Posts:4499

12/09/2022 11:49 AM
Croatia, yikes. It's a cruel game. Livakovic is in fine form.

Posts:4209

12/09/2022 11:58 AM
ARE YOU KIDDING ME, CROATIA?!?!?! Wow...what a game. OK, let's go Netherlands!

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

12/09/2022 12:09 PM
As a Messi fan (he's the walking definition of a humble and fallible genius) must say I am solidly on fence as to outcome of next game. Let's call it a win-win situation.

Posts:1767

12/09/2022 12:19 PM
Hahaha.... check out the Pat Bagley cartoon in the SL Tribune. https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/bagley/2022/12/08/bagley-cartoon-world-cup/ Sorry, not savvy enough to just post the cartoon so cut-and-paste the link

Posts:4209

12/09/2022 02:11 PM
That pass from Messi was unbelievable....wow.

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4209

12/09/2022 02:12 PM
Sorry, not savvy enough to just post the cartoon

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

12/09/2022 02:38 PM
Haha, as diverse as the audience is (one of the positives of this WC) they are not the most informed when it comes to the beautiful game. I mean, chants for Ronaldo to be subbed in as opposed to appreciating the brilliance of his replacement. That's it for the Orange. This is increasingly looking like Messi's tournament.

Posts:4499

12/09/2022 03:04 PM
Oh bloody hell YEAH. Last second equalizer. Didn't see that turnaround coming.

Posts:4209

12/09/2022 03:06 PM
HOLY SCHITT!!! Both of these games have been showstoppers!

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4209

12/09/2022 03:56 PM
Bummer, OC....but what a match!!

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

12/09/2022 04:00 PM
Excellent match. I really hope Messi can take this one till the end. The legend of best team to never win WC continues.

Posts:4499

12/09/2022 04:21 PM
I'm just mostly bummed how absolutely poor my game predictions have been for the pool we have at work. I had the outcome of this one correct but have Brasil-Spain as final, go figure. Had Senegal as best African team, not Mococco and had Portugal as favorites team to be eliminated in group games, not Belgium or Germany. Croatia didn't factor at all in my predictions; an easy but dangerous team to overlook.

Posts:2881

12/09/2022 07:09 PM
Wild and wildly entertaining day of soccer. I feel bad for the fans of the losing teams - what an emotional roller coaster.

Posts:4499

12/10/2022 10:58 AM
The Atlas Lions live on. Ronaldo misplaced his Superman cape. Done.

Posts:4499

12/10/2022 06:00 PM
France-England may have been worst game of quarterfinals. The French two brilliant moments but otherwise weak or lazy. The English get an A++ for effort but quality wise it’s so average. Hard on the eyes.

Posts:2881

12/10/2022 07:46 PM
More grist for the mill: Messi correctly said refs in his game stunk (like most of the games, really, FIFA is clueless on this). Messi dodged at least one yellow card because he is Messi., but that was not his gist, and he pressed on to the point if irking the FIFA brass. Yo Messi, FIFA has very thin skin and are loading up a ton of bricks to drop on you. Time to eat some sh*t because history is watching. This is another example of why the biggest sport on the planet is third tier in the US. Americans have an overdeveloped sense of fair play (varies depending on which American you ask). Not a good fit with international soccer.

Posts:4499

12/10/2022 08:31 PM
Yeah it’s something I don’t understand about Americans that feeling that sports should be fair play. Sports is a mirror of the real world. Fair play has nothing to do with it (as Americans very well know). Messi didn’t say half what he wanted to say about ref. The ref was actually a perfect parallel forour separate political thread. He failed to lay an early marker, which was the blatant Messi handball. Then the game ran away from him. Messi was less quiet about the orange. Funny enough in the top 5 of dirtiest games ever (going by number of cards issued which is a debatable metric) the Dutch feature three times and are clear champs. Or maybe we just play a lot of high stakes games.

Posts:4499

12/10/2022 08:42 PM
Btw in context of situation in Qatar there was a retrospective in a Dutch paper on 1978 world cup. The game against Argentina was played within shouting distance of their main political torture prison, from which prisoners would be taken by helicopters, stomachs cut open and unceremoniously dumped in the ocean. A truly crazy worlds.

Posts:4499

12/13/2022 02:31 PM
Whatever else happened, Messi masterclass on the 3-0.

Posts:2881

12/13/2022 02:54 PM
Wow, yes! Nice to see a well refereed game, too.

Posts:4499

12/13/2022 03:02 PM
Except that penalty call, which was weak. Not much goalie could do. But overall Croatia was never able to trouble Argentina. Netherlands gave them a much better run for their money.

Posts:2881

12/13/2022 08:54 PM
Hey OC, you might enjoy this, no tin hat required: https://www.sportbible.com/football/world-cup-argentina-croatia-lionel-messi-rigged-633627-20221213?fbclid=IwAR2aT3GTqj2fqocx95H_681b_QTgBiZCczU3PfqzFalxXGiMpzfZaYkv76o Germany haters have said the same thing for years (about Germany, before they became mediocre)

Posts:2881

12/13/2022 08:57 PM
PS FIFA is certifiably brain dead when it comes to WC officials.

Posts:4499

12/13/2022 09:09 PM
Haha those are just the Ronaldo fans that are still chapped their hero misplaced his Superman cape and showed himself to be the GEOAT* that he is. (greatest ego of all time)

Posts:2881

12/13/2022 09:19 PM
Hah that's funny! Ronaldo and Trump could have an ego faceoff, money infused by the uberrich Arabs. JMO, Trump would win hands down.

Posts:2881

12/13/2022 09:22 PM
PPS FIFA still has a ref problem, unrelated to that rant. PPPS agree with your summary of England France. Here's a different angle on the outcome: who matches up better against Morroco?

Posts:4499

12/13/2022 09:50 PM
France is the better match up. Colony versus colonial master. French police will be out in full force. Morocco has strong defence that I doubt Englands mundane forwards would be able to penetrate. It’ll come down to Mbappe brilliance to find that hole I think. The Brits had Mbappe tied down pretty good but they lost sight of old man Giroud in the process.

Posts:4209

12/14/2022 10:47 AM
If Morocco wins, they will have defeated all 3 countries that occupied them through their history....and that would be kinda cool. Small justice, but...

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

12/14/2022 01:08 PM
That was quick. When France wants to play they are very good. Now Morocco can’t just sit back as they’ve done in previous games. This is good for the game.

Posts:4499

12/14/2022 03:04 PM
Morocco played well, just missed a bit of luck, and certainly showed they belonged in this semi-final. Griezmann is the quiet force on mid-field behind this French team.

Posts:2881

12/14/2022 07:12 PM
Final next Sunday has a ton of potential.

Posts:4499

12/14/2022 07:59 PM
For those who want to believe this is rigged, it’s a match between Qatars two main foreign employees: Lionel Messi en Kylian Mbappé, both playing for Qatar’s main affiliate Paris Saint-Germain. The dream outcome.

Posts:2881

12/14/2022 10:31 PM
Crap. You may be right. F'in FIFA for bringing this event to Qatar (bought and paid for). But are you proposing that the refs were bribed too???? For sure Messi got away with at least one and frankly at least two yellow cards two games back. But so did others - conspiracy theorists will call that covering a corrupt ref's tracks, rather than a deer in the headlights which it looked like to me.

Posts:4499

12/15/2022 12:25 AM
No not suggesting that actually. All it shows is that simultaneous Qatar investment in this WC and in some of worlds best players at PSG is no coincidence. They’ve tried to write this story using a ton of dough and it seems to have worked. Somewhat ironically I think Morocco advancing would have made for a better yarn in the Arab world but I don’t think Qatar cares about that, just the western outlook cause that’s where all their investments reside as part of planning for life beyond fossil fuels. It’s a much thicker plot than paying off a bunch of refs.

Posts:4499

12/17/2022 12:54 PM
Good read looking toward 2026. Look inward. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/world-cup-migrant-soccer-stars-1.6688850

Posts:4499

12/18/2022 09:54 AM
Argentina looks to have a lock on this.

Posts:4499

12/18/2022 10:51 AM
Ha! France woke up.

Posts:4499

12/18/2022 11:56 AM
Epic. What a game. Somewhere Ronaldo is gnashing his teeth.

Posts:2881

12/18/2022 06:22 PM
I was on the trainer during the extra time - usually boring just flew by. Had to dismount for the penalties - too intense!

Posts:4209

12/20/2022 08:33 AM
Epic. What a game. Simply fantastic...stuff of legends. Was streaming it as I was driving back from Boise with my middle daughter and I kept startling her as she was driving as I reacted to the game. 😂

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

12/20/2022 08:21 PM
Look at that photo of the welcoming crowd in Argentina. Absolutely mad https://sporza.be/nl/2022/12/20/waanzin-bij-kampioenenviering-in-buenos-aires-spelers-geraken-niet-in-centrum-fans-springen-in-open-bus~1671515985519/