2022 FIFA World Cup - Qatar, November 21-December 18

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Tweet of a Brazilian comedian:

"Hey, Wales!
Show your independence certificate otherwise we will send the squad of Sergipe in the next World Cup"

Sergipe is the smallest Brazilian state in land area

At least Wales has a government, unlike England.

[Meclazine for Israel]

The one sport Aussies aren't good at.

Well today we are.

The 2006 team that tied with Croatia was our best side. Cahill, Vaduka and Kewell were three of our best ever players.

The reason a lot of men in the US and Australia don't like soccer is:

(a) we have better football codes;
(b) we don't fake injuries lying on the ground squirming when some one lightly touches us.

Fake Soccer Player injuries

https://youtu.be/aX71nSSBLe8

Australian's have a limit on pretending and bs in sports. It's more acceptable in European culture.

There was a young guy at Collingwood this year who did the soccer free kick acting routine, and the cultural response was swift.

[DavidB.]

It seems pretty clear to see what the quarter finals could look like already:

Netherlands/U.S. vs. Argentina
Spain vs. Brazil
England vs. France
Croatia vs. Portugal

Don't think any of the (currently) second-placed team except for the U.S. can take on any of the group winners. But of course, part of the fun in football is that anything can happen.

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

Well today we are.

I owe the Australian nation a sincere apology, no doubt.

(b) we don't fake injuries lying on the ground squirming when some one lightly touches us.

I can relate to that, as a Canadian. My mom's side are euros and I played from childhood through high school, so I have an affinity for the sport, but most Canadians without recent immigrant ancestry feel the same way as Aussies and Americans about soccer (it's no surprise that literally every player in Canada's regular starting XI is either himself an immigrant, or the child of immigrants). The diving and play-acting can be very off-putting to people who grew up watching hockey, a sport famous for players literally dropping their gloves and beating each other halfway to death during the game. There's also the fact that European soccer fans can be very gatekeep-y about the sport to the point of obnoxiousness, like they get when you say "soccer" (they say crisps, we say chips, they say football, we say soccer, none of those are incorrect)

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

It seems pretty clear to see what the quarter finals could look like already:

Netherlands/U.S. vs. Argentina
Spain vs. Brazil
England vs. France
Croatia vs. Portugal

Don't think any of the (currently) second-placed team except for the U.S. can take on any of the group winners. But of course, part of the fun in football is that anything can happen.

I'm inclined to agree, but some of the second-placed teams have a better chance than others of causing an upset. Switzerland for example can be a very frustrating team to play against, as France found out the hard way in the last Euro and as Portugal may well find out. I also wouldn't put it past Spain to choke against Morocco, although that's more of a longshot.

[Santander]

Serbia have a very good chance of making it out of the group against Switzerland - they have some elite players and actually played fine against Brazil, but Brazil was just that good. They really did bottle it against Cameroon, but they are capable of beating anyone at the tournament except Brazil.

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

Serbia have a very good chance of making it out of the group against Switzerland - they have some elite players and actually played fine against Brazil, but Brazil was just that good. They really did bottle it against Cameroon, but they are capable of beating anyone at the tournament except Brazil.

My money's still on the Swiss, but yeah Serbia have a chance

[LAKISYLVANIA]

england could choke to senegal as well. And croatia isn't over the finish line yet either, depending on who they have to play against.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Belgium has been the most disappointing team so far, together with germany if they don't qualify but i think germany will qualify. For us it's a long shot. If we play a great match against Croatia, than perhaps... we theoretically in that case could even eliminate croatia if morocco wins their match against Canada.

But i don't think the quality is there, we even have 3 points that we didn't deserve (i mean we made the goal), but like it didn't reflect spirit of that match.

And even than, no chance we defeat Spain (and than Brazil). Nah, not gonna happen.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

US leading 1:0 against Iran now. USA! USA!

are you fan of germany or USA.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Meanwhile, the Belgian squad have had a crisis meeting because the players apparently hate each other. Juicy details are being leaked. Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois "haven't spoken for years", strikers Romelu Lukaku and Michy Batshuayi are "not best friends" and Eden Hazard and Leandro Trossard ("everyone in Belgium thinks I should play" but Hazard is actually playing) also don't talk. In an interview, Hazard had apparently blamed the bad results on the old, slow center backs; after the Morocco game, center back Jan Vertonghen implicitly hit back by saying the lack of chances created "was also our fault, or not?" 🍿🍿🍿🍿 I expect this chapter to close after the Croatia game.

https://twitter.com/rtlinfo/status/1597287227008045056

Oh dear.

Yeah, they'll be lucky to get a result out of Croatia after a lucky escape against Canada and an underwhelming loss to Morocco, if this is what's going on behind the scenes.

And the fans hate the manager.

i have said what needs to be done and it's to get rid of half of our current players and basically the entire staff.

Our defenders actually didn't do bad, but they're getting too old and we need new players to build experience, they're not the best belgian defenders and still play...

Witsel needs to leave. Hazard needs to leave. We need different tactics than always that same 3-2-4-1 formation that doesn't fit the team. It's time for new people to be given chances, we have great young players and they get barely chances...

Like Onana played a good tournament (and he was literally the most inexperienced player to play), basically the only one (and aside of Courtois mistakes in last match, he did well as well). But all others sucked or were below their usual level.

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

england could choke to senegal as well. And croatia isn't over the finish line yet either, depending on who they have to play against.

England choking is always a possibility, but it should be said that under Southgate, they've made the semifinal and final of the last World Cup and Euro Cup respectively. They should be able to get the job done against Senegal

[Meclazine for Israel]

The diving and play-acting can be very off-putting to people who grew up watching hockey, a sport famous for players literally dropping their gloves and beating each other halfway to death during the game.

Imagine Ice Hockey players developing a culture of play-acting injuries like soccer players.

It's interesting how culturally attached Canada is to Ice Hockey fights.

The Australian equivalent is Rugby League.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

We're out but we kept Croatia at 0-0 which means Morocco won the group and Croatia likely has to play Spain now.

[Santander]

Lukaku 🤡

[Santander]

Also, American 🤡 commentary - "only one team left from CONCACAF" - while Costa Rica can still qualify with as little as a point.

[NewYorkExpress]

Also, American 🤡 commentary - "only one team left from CONCACAF" - while Costa Rica can still qualify with as little as a point.

You actually think Costa Rica is going to do anything other than lose to Germany?

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Lukaku 🤡

he was injured. he has no rhythm

[Santander]

Lukaku 🤡

he was injured. he has no rhythm

Yeah, he was not supposed to play, so I do cut him some slack, and the opportunities he got were mostly not as easy as they looked. Doku was extremely entertaining to watch at times, though.

[Zinneke]

Lukaku 🤡

he was injured. he has no rhythm

No excuse for some of the misses - otherwise it's the coach who has to bring on Openda who would have put those away.

Anaway the end of the Martinez era. I hope we hire a meme like Hein Vanhaezebrouck.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Lukaku 🤡

he was injured. he has no rhythm

No excuse for some of the misses - otherwise it's the coach who has to bring on Openda who would have put those away.

Anaway the end of the Martinez era. I hope we hire a meme like Hein Vanhaezebrouck.

I've lived in the same town Hein was born in, yeah i hope he becomes our manager lol.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Lukaku 🤡

he was injured. he has no rhythm

Yeah, he was not supposed to play, so I do cut him some slack, and the opportunities he got were mostly not as easy as they looked. Doku was extremely entertaining to watch at times, though.

Doku is a world class player, unfortunately being plagued by many injuries. He's definitely my favourite belgian football player and i think it's clear to see why that is.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Also, American 🤡 commentary - "only one team left from CONCACAF" - while Costa Rica can still qualify with as little as a point.

You actually think Costa Rica is going to do anything other than lose to Germany?

Costa Rica leading Germany at one stage.

The Japanese goal was out. The ball was over the line and then kicked back in.

Germany are going to get robbed here.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

The Japan-Spain color commentary on Fox is quite possibly the worst I have seen for any sporting match in almost 20 years. And I watch a lot of home team college broadcasts for regional schools - at least they understand what's going on.

[President Johnson]

Yeah, Germany is out despite winning 4:2 in the end because Spain lost against Japan. However, advancing to the next round was not earned, even the commentators here agree.

I'm rooting for the US now, though I'm not that optimistic about the next round here. Let's see.