2026 FIFA World Cup

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by Westheim

I would like to take the opportunity, at half past one in the ******* morning, to express my deepest respect to the German team for having no plan, no strategy, no will to play, and managing to take the world-renowned soccerball nation of Paraguay to an overly full 120 minutes and 12 penalty kicks before being sent the **** home.

That was, from the start, the third World Cup in a row, where the team played ***** from the start (as if that Curacao game could have been a measuring stick) and was sent home in due time. If the DFB doesn't chop Nagelsmann's head off after that one, I don't know.

Maybe the players shouldn't have to play 70 games a year, but I hate the excuses that they're tired. They're ALL tired. It's not like Paraguay players had an easy 12 months ahead of the tournament.

Also, Kai Havertz. I love you to bits, but I see who plays in England. That was a gross penalty. Same for Woltemade (formerly of Werder Bremen, before they bobbled him), and don't get me started on Tah.

Jamal Musiala remains the most grotesquely overrated player in the sport. Me, me, me. Always: me, me, me. Loses more balls than the entire team is able to feed him. Disgusting. Me, me, me. Even when he steps on a guy's foot, he'll go for a dive and ten rolls, just so that it'll be all about him.

Maybe we also shouldn't have taken a pension-age goalkeeper to the tournament, but that's a different..... look, I have to go to bed, even though I could rant for another 30 minutes.

PARAGUAY.

Disgusting.

This is a great post. You sound like me when I talk about the Cowboys. That end result was a travesty. Paraguay is hopeless. At least Germany would have made things interesting, even if they probably wouldn't have made it to the finals. They were still a contender, where Paraguay is not.

How about both teams choking in the shootout? A far cry from that 1990 West Germany team. I root for the USA primarily. My backup is Spain since I'm Spanish. They're not beating France. But I have a spot for Germany because of the 1990 results. I won a ton of money. Enough to buy a car. So I'll always love that team. To this day I root for them.

What's sad is, the guy on Germany that kicked the goal that was reversed, missed the penalty that lost them the match.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

Soccer was the one sport you didn't get that.

Ergo, my point. It is not about the necessity (though I would argue exerting yourself back & forth on a football field in the middle of a June/July day, it is common sense a water break would be expected.). It is about the commonality. In every sport, during the middle of competition, time is given for participants to get a drink. It is recommended by the CDC that you should drink every 20 minutes when working in the heat.

So those that like less time for commercials, you had a good run. But the complaint shouldn't be that water breaks have become required. The complaint should be why hasn't it happened sooner. We are all used to this by now.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Wikipedia got you covered.



Not to be confused with this William of Orange or the William of Orange that became King of England.

So a guy from France led a Dutch rebellion against Spain. But they didn't think enough of his act to paint their flag orange. However, felt the soccer team was the way to honor him.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

So a guy from France led a Dutch rebellion against Spain. But they didn't think enough of his act to paint their flag orange. However, felt the soccer team was the way to honor him.

William of Orange's flag did use orange instead of red (and then white and blue as in the modern flag). It was changed at some point in the 1600s after the Oranges' loss of power.

Soccerball came about around 1900 globally, and at the time there never was an opportunity missed to harken back to the olden days. But I do not know whether the Dutch national soccerball team has *always* played in orange.

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Ergo, my point. It is not about the necessity (though I would argue exerting yourself back & forth on a football field in the middle of a June/July day, it is common sense a water break would be expected.). It is about the commonality. In every sport, during the middle of competition, time is given for participants to get a drink. It is recommended by the CDC that you should drink every 20 minutes when working in the heat.

So those that like less time for commercials, you had a good run. But the complaint shouldn't be that water breaks have become required. The complaint should be why hasn't it happened sooner. We are all used to this by now.

Sure, when I worked in the heat, I was all for a drink every 20 minutes. Did I need it? Not really. But everyone is different.

As far as the commercial breaks go. I have a feeling this is a USA thing. I have a feeling we won't see them in the next cup. Like I said before, I usually watch the Spanish channel, and they don't go to commercial during the hydration breaks. Fox does.

[Ragnar]

Looking at the brackets, and not to take anything away from Colombia, but Argentina looks like they have the easiest path to the semi finals.

[Cobra Mgr]

I hate Congo scored early. Now they are going to spend the next 2 hrs trying to win 1-0

[Shea6408]

From Oliver Brown in the Telegraph:

For once the hydration break comes to the rescue, giving Thomas Tuchel the chance to deliver one of the most crucial tactical talks of his short England career.

Yes, that would be the problem, wouldn't it? As an NFL/NBA fan, I don't object to quarter-breaks in principle, but for over 150 years, that's not how this sport has been played. Now England ("all over the shop", "an utter shambles") get to pull themselves together because of a "hydration break"…in an air-conditioned stadium.

Somewhere, Rob Manfred is probably smiling.

(England is now so in charge that they would have tied the match if Aaron Wan-Bissaka hadn't blocked a point blank shot with his crotch. [He couldn't use his hands, as he is not the goalie.])

[Shea6408]

From The Guardian (yes, I'm following two minute-by-minutes):

“Let me get this straight,” begins Hugh Molloy. “Trent Alexander-Arnold wasn’t selected because of his defensive frailties. Glad that’s worked out well.”

Heh.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

I hate Congo scored early. Now they are going to spend the next 2 hrs trying to win 1-0

[Cobra Mgr]

Seriously what is a foul?

[Ragnar]

You can't be serious. Senegal has a 2 goal lead in the 85th minute and they lose it to that lazy Belgium team. No offense to Belgium. My memory isn't my strong point, but the last time I saw a team lose a 2 goal lead that late in the match, I'd have to go back to the 70s to a friendly between the Cosmos and Brazil.

[Ragnar]

Someone please tell me the logic to this. Tie game in OT. Senegal has the ball just outside the Belgium box and proceed to pass the ball leading all the way back to their goalie. WTF? What are you doing? I saw Belgium do the exact same thing around the 70th minute when they were down 0-2.

[Cobra Mgr]

Again I don't watch soccer. Just the World Cup. So I got questions.........

How do they allow Belgium's tying goal, when he clearly shoved a Senegal player in the back in order to get in position to attempt a header? But then you call a penalty in the scoring area on Senegal w/less than a minute of regulation play left when clearly he not only was trying to play the ball, but he never even knew the Belgium player was there? And you can see this on replay? The first time he ever was aware there was another player close by is when the Belgium player stuck his foot under the Senegal player after the ball had gotten past both of them.

Somebody make it make sense for me. I've seen limbs pulled, jerseys grabbed, "hugging" as they prepare for set plays on purpose and not get a whistle. And they call that frikkin' mess at that moment???!??! Make it make sense

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Again I don't watch soccer. Just the World Cup. So I got questions.........

How do they allow Belgium's tying goal, when he clearly shoved a Senegal player in the back in order to get in position to attempt a header? But then you call a penalty in the scoring area on Senegal w/less than a minute of regulation play left when clearly he not only was trying to play the ball, but he never even knew the Belgium player was there? And you can see this on replay? The first time he ever was aware there was another player close by is when the Belgium player stuck his foot under the Senegal player after the ball had gotten past both of them.

Somebody make it make sense for me. I've seen limbs pulled, jerseys grabbed, "hugging" as they prepare for set plays on purpose and not get a whistle. And they call that frikkin' mess at that moment???!??! Make it make sense

That was a terrible penalty call. Seriously.

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by Cobra Mgr

Again I don't watch soccer. Just the World Cup. So I got questions.........

How do they allow Belgium's tying goal, when he clearly shoved a Senegal player in the back in order to get in position to attempt a header? But then you call a penalty in the scoring area on Senegal w/less than a minute of regulation play left when clearly he not only was trying to play the ball, but he never even knew the Belgium player was there? And you can see this on replay? The first time he ever was aware there was another player close by is when the Belgium player stuck his foot under the Senegal player after the ball had gotten past both of them.

Somebody make it make sense for me. I've seen limbs pulled, jerseys grabbed, "hugging" as they prepare for set plays on purpose and not get a whistle. And they call that frikkin' mess at that moment???!??! Make it make sense

I just looked at the replay of that tying goal. He does indeed push that player before heading it in. I guess they missed it.

As far as the penalty shot awarded. The Senegal player doesn't have to know the guy was coming. He tripped him up right before the ball got there. There is a good angle of it. If the ball had already past, I don't think it's called. But I'm like you. I only watch the WC. I could be wrong.

[Cobra Mgr]

Originally Posted by Ragnar

I just looked at the replay of that tying goal. He does indeed push that player before heading it in. I guess they missed it.

As far as the penalty shot awarded. The Senegal player doesn't have to know the guy was coming. He tripped him up right before the ball got there. There is a good angle of it. If the ball had already past, I don't think it's called. But I'm like you. I only watch the WC. I could be wrong.

He didn't trip him up. They were both sliding to get the ball. Both missed. The Senegal player accidently stepped on the Belgium guy. I don't know why the Senegal player has greater responsibility to have eyes in the back of his head than the guy who sees both player & ball in front of him. On a loose ball, mind you.

And as I type this. USA loses a man for accidently landing on a player's ankle.

I don't get this sport & its rules. Accidents are more heavily penalized than deliberate foul play.

[Cobra Mgr]

OK. It's offsides when you are ahead of the ball, even when your teammate w/the ball is ahead of the defense?

[Cobra Mgr]

10 minutes of stoppage time?????

[Jordan]

Bosnia had no answers. which is amazing since they had a half hour up a player and did next to nothign with hit.

Nevermind how bad VAR intervening was for the red card. Would be shocked if Clauss and his crew do another game