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World Cup 2022 Thread (pg. 4)
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| SYSTEM-J |
Well it's half-time between Mexico and Argentina and if they keep playing like this, I'd say Poland have a good chance of beating them. Why they keep putting lofted crosses into the box when their striker is 5'9" is ing beyond me. Beat the fullback and cross it along the deck!
Rumours circulating that Messi has an injury he's playing down. I read a pre-tournament interview where he was denying it, but he's very static. Almost playing at walking pace. |
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| planetaryplayer |
| I wish Poland was pronounced pooland |
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| Sushipunk |
| Australia has won its first World Cup game in 12 years, beating Tunisia, so that's pretty cool. |
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| SYSTEM-J |
| Messi may have been static, but he still scored an absolute screamer when his team really needed him. What a guy. Still think Argentina are complete bobbins though. |
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| OrangestO |
No goals for Mexico - perfect. Might be the difference if Argentina beat us and Mexico beat the Saudis (we need that!).
Also, great goal from Messi. Just when I was doubting him as a great, he showed why he belongs in the club. Poland and Argentina should be a good watch with them getting these wins. |
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| Lira |
Everything is so bizarre right now I've hedged my bets and expectations for tonight: I've got tickets to watch South Korea vs Ghana on FIFA Seoul's Fan Festival followed by an Anfisa Letyago set during the Brazilian match.
If we lose, at least I'll have had fun dancing to Anfisa. If Anfisa goes too mild, at least I'll have watched a South Korean victory exciting defeat with the natives. And, should South Korea lose, I'll have something to laugh about when I go back to Brazil, because what a trainwreck of a night it will have been :p
Edit: We won. She was amazing. Korea lost, but we had a hell of a time.
| quote: | Originally posted by Sushipunk
Australia has won its first World Cup game in 12 years, beating Tunisia, so that's pretty cool. |
It's even better because Tunisia is an anagram for "All in, Stu!" if you mispell it Tulnlsia like I just did.
Regardless of that, congrats, Stu!
| quote: | Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
I suppose the odds have increased because a couple of pre-tournament contenders have had shock defeats and almost nobody has had a statement performance yet. Even the big wins (England, France, Spain) have been against relative minnows, and as England showed last night we're more than capable of reverting to our usual level of bland stodgy solidness. |
Indeed, but we've grown wary of favouritism over the years, so we've learned to find it terrifying. I think you can probably share this caution after evey single time you heard it's coming home :toothless
Back to my original point, sure, it also meant there was a 2 in 3 chance we'd lose as there's now a 3 in 4 chance we'll go home empty-handed. But still, it makes me happy and terrified at the same time, and the odds for France, Spain, and England have also increased. I'd be quite happy with these outcomes too, specially for you guys... it's been a while now :p
| quote: | Originally posted by SYSTEM-J
The main thing I'll say about Brazil is that (whisper it) I thought you looked far, far better after Neymar went off injured. For me he gets too much freedom from Tite to wander all over the pitch and too often he actually slows the play down. Brazil have got so many attacking options with a point to prove. Martinelli and Rodrygo looked really direct when they came on. I wouldn't be surprised if you blaze through the next two group games while Neymar is injured and then decline in form once he comes back into the side. |
You're right about it, actually, and it's the silver lining of that 7-1.
The main reason we imploded spectacularly in 2014 was because Neymar had been kung fu'd out of the competition in the previous match against Colombia, and the Seleção was so Neymarcentric it completely lost the plot.
Tite has done a damn good job with the other players, so much so that, as you noted, we're probably playing better without him, as our Neymarless Copa América win in 2019 showed. Still, he's not someone we can afford to have out of the roster, although I still wish we had called Firmino instead. |
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| Lira |
Hold up, both Australia AND France advanced to the knockout stage!?
Congrats, Stu! |
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| SYSTEM-J |
Australia are the first big surprise qualification, no doubt. They looked like a team of cloggers from reading the squad list. I saw a lot of people predicting Denmark as the dark horse of the tournament, but they've done absolutely nothing in the end.
The other surprise for me is how comfortable England's progression ended up being. I thought we might struggle in the heat against a fired-up Middle Eastern opponent in the first game, the US pressing us like hell was pretty much what I expected and then I thought Wales would give us a similar game. In the end they were completely useless, and took totally the wrong tactical approach. They tried to sit deep and let us play in midfield, with predictable consequences.
Argentina versus Poland tonight is going to be fascinating. I'd love to see Poland progress, but not at the expense of Messi. |
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| Sushipunk |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lira
Hold up, both Australia AND France advanced to the knockout stage!?
Congrats, Stu! |
Everyone is in shock over here, lol. |
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| OrangestO |
| quote: | Originally posted by OrangestO
No goals for Mexico - perfect. Might be the difference if Argentina beat us and Mexico beat the Saudis (we need that!). |
Wow, how close was that?! Can't believe it nearly came down to which team had the fewest yellows (Poland at the moment) before the Saudis scored in injury time. The next decider was a draft lottery.
Would've been nice to win the group for the easier match against Australia next (sorry Stu), but we didn't deserve it. Happy to advance nonetheless. Can't believe it's the first time since 86. |
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| SYSTEM-J |
The shocks are coming thick and fast now. I'm pleased that I tipped Morocco for qualification, although I thought it would be Croatia they'd edge out. I predicted Belgian's golden generation had grown too old to get past the Last 16, and in the end they couldn't even get out of the group, with rumours that the squad have been riven with infighting.
I could not have got Germany more wrong though. Crashing out in the group stage for a second World Cup is completely unprecedented. I was sure that their strong spine of Bayern Munich players with a manager familiar to them from his time in charge of the club would give them a unity and cohesiveness. In the final reckoning they didn't do too badly - a very credible draw with Spain and they hit four past Costa Rica. It shows how fine the margins are in World Cups: that shock loss against Japan when they'd been completely in control was ultimately enough to send them home early. It also shows how important goal difference can be. Just like England were never in real danger of exiting the group to Wales due to our +6 goal difference, Spain could afford to lose to Japan and still qualify because they'd thumped Costa Rica so hard. |
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| Lira |
I guess someone shouldn't have used all their goals in 2014 so they could have the +7 extra goals needed to advance on goal difference this time, huh? Huh? HUH?
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So far, no team has managed to win all their matches. If Brazil and Portugal both emerge victorious tonight (or today, depending on where you are), Qatar will have seen be the fewest number of teams advancing with 9 points since 2010... which comes to show how wide open the whole thing is, heh. |
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