World Cup 2022 Thread (Ole.... oleololeole...ole... ole...)

[Barry.Randolphe]

2 hours ago, tshile said:

Brazil women very hot

 

portugese women not so hot. 

 

Having been to Portugal, can confirm.

[tshile]

35 minutes ago, Barry.Randolphe said:

 

Having been to Portugal, can confirm.

I’m basing it off shots of the stands

which I consider to be skewed towards the better portion of potential representation. 
 

our d1 college stadiums give the Brazilian chicks a run for their money… may even be better… 

[Fergasun]

The Qatar World Cup has focussed... less on the fan based scenary than previous ones.  I don't know if that is because it is Qatar, or if broadcasting has changed recently. 

 

I remember Brent Musberger verbally drooling over one of the QBs girlfriend in a game that probably happened a decade ago and thinking "you shouldn't say that outloud". 

 

[Fergasun]

So a few things I will be watching for in the USMNT match with Iran.

 

1) Any lineup changes up front?  I don't think Weah, Pulisic or MMA midfield change.  Can they go with a less number 9-like number 9?  I am thinking the US should try to play like 2010 Spain... because I would love to see Reyna or Aaronson start and they try to pass and move it in. 

 

2)  Will they try a different approach on corners?  I don't recall them being so poor on set pieces.  I wish Pulisic wouldn't take everything .. in fact I think he is better suited at the receiving end. 

 

3)  Will some players try to do too much?  Pulisic has a tendency to do this.  McKennie blasting long shots over the goal is starting to be a pattern too. 

 

4) Can they turn a good half into a productive half?  Will the soccer gods come through? I don't care that they have been solid for all but a 30 minute span against Wales.  Canada looked better than Belgium, missed a pen, had another blown from poor officiating and was out.  Go create your luck.  Many times the players have been hesitant to go for it...try to win the game in the first 25 minutes and pour it on. 

 

5) Game will come down to if they have a magical moment.  Weah, Pulisic and Sargent had a magical moment... and then it was wiped out by a tragical moment from Walker Zimmerman. Nothing magic or tragic against England.  If someone or more than someone can be magical... they will win and be through.

 

6) I will be sad if their run is over...  3 games sucks,  but it is what is.  

 

ITS CALLED SOCCER clap clap clapclapclap!!!

[abdcskins]

I think the US will win 1-0. They have just enough talent to penetrate the Iran defense and bury one in the back of the net.

[Destino]

9 hours ago, tshile said:

Brazil women very hot

 

portugese women not so hot. 

This comment makes me wish Venezuela had qualified for the World Cup.  
 

[86 Snyder]

I love that it comes down to this.

 

Look, we’re better than Iran.  The question is, can we be better when the pressure is on?  Even if they pack it in, can we get a result?  Can we not concede a stupid goal, amp up the offensive pressure, and punch it into the net?  And when that happens, can we absorb their counter punch, get on the front foot once again, and finish them?

I don’t think it’s overstating it to say our success in future cups depends on this result.  We’re younger and more talented than we’ve ever been and these kids need to feel the success of advancing out of group.  
 

I really do think they’ll get the job done.  And I think they’ll have a pretty good shot against the Netherlands in the next round, too.  
 

USA 2-0.

[Destino]

1 hour ago, 86 Snyder said:

I love that it comes down to this.

I’d love if it came down to an even match were both teams needing a win.  I’m not thrilled that Iran can bunker because I think the US teams strength is their midfield.  They open up the field for a fairly dismal group of strikers.  That isn’t likely against a team determined to turtle their way to a tie.  

[FrFan]

10 hours ago, tshile said:

Brazil women very hot

 

portugese women not so hot. 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2022 by FrFan

[Long n Left]

17 hours ago, tshile said:

I understand you can enjoy the back and forth and strategy of a 1-0 game. That the level of competition can just be great. 
 

if you’re into the sport. 
 

much like a real football fan can enjoy a 13-10 game, if the score is the outcome of two outstanding defensive teams going at it the whole time. 
 

but for a sport to take off it needs to appeal to the non-true-fan. Much like how someone that’s not a real football fan cannot enjoy that game, and if the games regularly ended 9-6 or 13-10, the NFL would have never taken off the way it has… soccer will continue to struggle as a tier 2 sport here so long as great matchups can end in a 0-0 tie regularly. 
 

think about how bitter people get at ties in the NFL. Now imagine ties being the norm, and the result of a 3-3 game where for 60 minutes there were only 2 fg’s kicked. That’s soccer for the US. 

I think it comes down to American mentality, where we seem to like big, fast, and loud. We want to be entertained.

 

I feel lucky to have been raised with my Dutch grandfather getting my interest into the beautiful game at an early age. Because the scoring is usually so low, it makes ANY goal possibly pivotal, and, therefore, the massive celebrations. Nil-nil can sometimes be a clunker, sometimes be exciting. I would argue that the USA-England match was quite exciting. A good number of chances created by both sides.

 

IMO, the sport does not need to be MADE more popular for USA audiences, but that Americans need to better understand the biggest sport in the world. That said:

 

Go USA!

Hup Holland Hup!

[Long n Left]

9 hours ago, Fergasun said:

So a few things I will be watching for in the USMNT match with Iran.

 

1) Any lineup changes up front?  I don't think Weah, Pulisic or MMA midfield change.  Can they go with a less number 9-like number 9?  I am thinking the US should try to play like 2010 Spain... because I would love to see Reyna or Aaronson start and they try to pass and move it in. 

 

2)  Will they try a different approach on corners?  I don't recall them being so poor on set pieces.  I wish Pulisic wouldn't take everything .. in fact I think he is better suited at the receiving end. 

 

3)  Will some players try to do too much?  Pulisic has a tendency to do this.  McKennie blasting long shots over the goal is starting to be a pattern too. 

 

4) Can they turn a good half into a productive half?  Will the soccer gods come through? I don't care that they have been solid for all but a 30 minute span against Wales.  Canada looked better than Belgium, missed a pen, had another blown from poor officiating and was out.  Go create your luck.  Many times the players have been hesitant to go for it...try to win the game in the first 25 minutes and pour it on. 

 

5) Game will come down to if they have a magical moment.  Weah, Pulisic and Sargent had a magical moment... and then it was wiped out by a tragical moment from Walker Zimmerman. Nothing magic or tragic against England.  If someone or more than someone can be magical... they will win and be through.

 

6) I will be sad if their run is over...  3 games sucks,  but it is what is.  

 

ITS CALLED SOCCER clap clap clapclapclap!!!

Yeah, been saying Gio needs to start as a false 9 for a while now. Berhalter seems rigid in his want for a big, traditional 9. One of his failings, imo.

 

Gotta think Iran will play it more close to the vest , with only a draw needed, so a more one touch pass and move style should be favored over lumping the long ball to your big guy. That is where Gio comes in. His technical ability and decision making could be crucial in playing himself, or others, through. I believe he is the best, all around offensive player in this side, and it’s criminal that Berhalter has only seen fit to give him about 10 minutes.

[Forehead]

Well, I'm excited but as with most, kind of apprehensive.  Do we know yet where the referees will be from?  Seeing as how we're playing in an Islamic country and our soccer federation saw fit to stir up a hornet's nest with the whole Iranian flag thing, I'm curious what kind of external pressures may be on the referee crew.

 

Or that could just be my lifetime of Washington fandom speaking, where I'm coming up with a mental excuse to reduce the potential pain.

 

Anyway, regarding the argument of whether soccer is exciting or not, I played it growing up and loved the sport.  I don't even mind 0-0 games.  The big issue is their needs to be more back and forth, attacks and counter-attacks.  Americans get easily bored when teams alternate passing the ball back and forth among their back line and don't really try to do anything. 

 

Also, the whole diving thing.  I'm still of the mind that dives should be reviewable, and if the player was judged to have exaggerated, the other team gets to kick them in the shin for free, so they have a reason to roll around screaming.

Edited November 29, 2022 by Forehead

[gbear]

As a defender, I hated the diva diving.  If I am honest though, I did trip myself a few times to conveniently fall into the attacking player to give the sweeper time and space.  I was never looking for a call, quite the opposite.  I was just using my 6'4" long legged frame being "clumsy" as a way to slow the attacker's pursuit.  It was good for a time or two a game.

[Dan T.]

11 hours ago, abdcskins said:

I think the US will win 1-0. They have just enough talent to penetrate the Iran defense and bury one in the back of the net.

 

10 hours ago, 86 Snyder said:

...

I really do think they’ll get the job done.  And I think they’ll have a pretty good shot against the Netherlands in the next round, too.  
 

USA 2-0.

 

USA 74, Iran 3.

[FrFan]

33 minutes ago, Forehead said:

Well, I'm excited but as with most, kind of apprehensive.  Do we know yet where the referees will be from? 

Spain, Antonio Mateu (field ref), Pau Cebrian, Roberto Dias, and Kevin Ortega from Peru.

[balki1867]

12 minutes ago, Dan T. said:

USA 74, Iran 3.

 

[Fergasun]

Ref is Lahoz from Spain.  I think UEFA has the better refs with experience in bigger matches. 

[tshile]

3 hours ago, Long n Left said:

IMO, the sport does not need to be MADE more popular for USA audiences, but that Americans need to better understand the biggest sport in the world

I agree with you 100%
and fwiw, I like soccer

 

But I think the problem I outlined is why it won’t take off here. And if the soccer community doesn’t care or want to make changes - that’s fine and respectable. 
 

but demanding US people change what they want out of sport, is not actionable. it’s not realistic. It may happen over time if youth participation turns into grown ups who appreciate the sport that way. But odds are it won’t. At best it means waiting a long time to see if it happens organically. 
 

otherwise it’s the Olympics. Something that gains traction every so many years but otherwise is a tier 2 sport

(and as soon as we exit the World Cup, the remainder becomes an afterthought few care about anymore)

ps - I don’t think the international

community gives a **** about appealing to us. In fact I imagine they rather enjoy that it’s a tier 2 sport here, not attracting the best athletes we have, because we dominate every other global sport/competition. 

Edited November 29, 2022 by tshile

[Warhead36]

Whether our best athletes play or not is irrelevant because we don't have the commitment to coaching and player development from the youth levels onwards that the top countries have. Lionel Messi is like 5'7'' 150 lbs and is GOAT tier.

 

Soccer will always be a second tier niche sport here. Personally I'm fine with that. Its nice being able to watch a sport and actually be an underdog and looking at guys from other countries in awe.

[Forehead]

45 minutes ago, tshile said:

ps - I don’t think the international

community gives a **** about appealing to us. In fact I imagine they rather enjoy that it’s a tier 2 sport here, not attracting the best athletes we have, because we dominate every other global sport/competition. 

 

I can't find the article myself, someone had linked it on Facebook.  But it was an English writer in New York discussing how he sees soccer taking more of a hold in this country and the rest of the world may not be ready for it.

 

I've made this argument with friends from other countries.  Yes Lionel Messi is a GOAT at 5'7" and 150.  You know who else ran like a deer, had fantastic body control, and was All State in three sports in high school (I believe All-American in two).  Allen Iverson.  Who was small by NBA standards but at 6'0" - 6'1" would be pretty large by soccer standards.  You take kid like that with his natural athletic gifts and train him to be a soccer player from his youth...forget it.  And in addition to the suburban talent that makes up the majority of our teams now, we have thousands and thousands of Iverson types in cities all over this country, the majority of whom play football or basketball instead.

 

You see it in the Olympics.  We're some of the biggest and fastest athletes in the world.  Fact is, our country is lucky enough that we're generally of larger and faster stock than most other countries with a wide variety of athletes.  Countries that have a similar sized population physically like the Netherlands also don't have nearly the population we have to draw from in terms of talent pool.  Countries that frequently produce faster runners like a Jamaica...don't have the same population to draw from.  Etc., etc.

 

If this country ever decided to pour serious money into soccer, setting up camps and facilities everywhere, inner city and suburbs, I truly believe that we would dominate the sport on the world stage.  It'll never happen as long as it is sport number 4 or 5 in this country, but the sleeping giant potential is there.

[Warhead36]

Senegal deserved to win and advance

[ixcuincle]

[Forehead]

Oooh...a few lineup changes according to the talking heads.  Curious to see what we're going with.

 

*Edit* Not that exciting.

Edited November 29, 2022 by Forehead

[Destino]

US Soccer choosing to make a political point, in a poorly thought out way, without consulting the team right before a match is unacceptable.  They made things worse for their own players and the Iranian side.  
 

if the players want talk about the situation, that’s their business and their own consequences.  It’s not for managing bodies to clout chase prior to a game.  

[Jabbyrwock]

14 minutes ago, Destino said:

US Soccer choosing to make a political point, in a poorly thought out way, without consulting the team right before a match is unacceptable.  They made things worse for their own players and the Iranian side.  
 

if the players want talk about the situation, that’s their business and their own consequences.  It’s not for managing bodies to clout chase prior to a game.  

 

When did Dan Snyder get involved with US soccer?