2022 World Cup

[Déjà Bru]

Wow, rioting in Brussels.

BRUSSELS — Police had to seal off parts of the center of Brussels, deploy water cannons and fire tear gas to disperse crowds following violence during and after Morocco's 2-0 upset win over Belgium at the World Cup.

Dozens of rioters set steps on fire and pelted cars with bricks. Police moved in after one person suffered facial injuries, said Brussels police spokeswoman Ilse Van de Keere.

Brussels mayor Philippe Close urged soccer fans to stay away from the city center and said authorities were doing their utmost to keep order in the streets. Even subway and tram traffic had to be interrupted on police orders.

Morocco's victory was a major upset at the World Cup and was enthusiastically celebrated by fans with Moroccan immigrant roots in many Belgian cities.

It was not immediately clear how many people were detained during the disturbances.

[Westheim]

Füllkruuuuuuuug! Bremeeeeeeeeeen!!

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Wow, rioting in Brussels.

There are a LOT of Iranian-Americans, living in Michigan. Good news is that most Americans don't care near as passionately about the game as everyone else.

[Amazin69]

So now Germany needs to win and have Spain win (Germany would have 4 pts to 3 for Japan/Costa Rica)…

OR Germany wins by 2 and Spain Draws (Germany and Japan would both have 4 points, but Germany would have +1 differential, as opposed to 0 for Japan)…

OR Germany wins, Japan Draws, but Germany scores more goals (Germany wins 1-0; Spain and Japan are scoreless, for example) so that Germany pulls ahead on total goals (I assume that's the 2nd tiebreaker?)…

OR Germany wins, Japan wins, but by a cumulative margin of 9 or more goals. (Germany 6-0, Japan 3-0 or similar), so as to wipe out the 8-goal edge Spain currently has on GD.

Anyhow, best wishes for your team, Westheim. And, most importantly, I liked the look of the kit. Sharp!

[monkeyman576]

Apparently it's wrong to make fun of the iranian flag but it's okay to execute gays.

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

Apparently it's wrong to make fun of the iranian flag but it's okay to execute gays.

What the US Soccer Federation did was disrespectful, and they're trying to walk it back.

What would the US do if Iran showed a US flag with an upside down cross?

[monkeyman576]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

What the US Soccer Federation did was disrespectful, and they're trying to walk it back.

What would the US do if Iran showed a US flag with an upside down cross?

It's called freedom of speech.

[pilight]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

What would the US do if Iran showed a US flag with an upside down cross?

My guess is that more Americans would be upset at that than would be if the US were executing gays

[Déjà Bru]

Media are definitely playing it cautious and p.c. Try finding a picture of the altered flag. One news outlet linked to an Instagram page but the image had been deleted.

[monkeyman576]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Media are definitely playing it cautious and p.c. Try finding a picture of the altered flag. One news outlet linked to an Instagram page but the image had been deleted.

Yeah we wouldn't want to upset a brutal monarchy.

[Amazin69]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

What the US Soccer Federation did was disrespectful, and they're trying to walk it back.

What would the US do if Iran showed a US flag with an upside down cross?

Hopefully nothing because we'd be hypocrites if we imposed this same sort of censorship we rightly object to…

…and because there should be no crosses, inverted or otherwise, on the flag of a secular nation, which this is explicitly intended to be. ("Congress shall make no law regarding the establishment of religion…", etc.)

That said, perhaps the Federation might have considered whether getting into a slagging match was really the smartest thing to do, and simply advertised the upcoming showdown without bringing the Iranian flag into it, at all.

[monkeyman576]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

Hopefully nothing because we'd be hypocrites if we imposed this same sort of censorship we rightly object to…

…and because there should be no crosses, inverted or otherwise, on the flag of a secular nation, which this is explicitly intended to be. ("Congress shall make no law regarding the establishment of religion…", etc.)

That said, perhaps the Federation might have considered whether getting into a slagging match was really the smartest thing to do, and simply advertised the upcoming showdown without bringing the Iranian flag into it, at all.

Next I suppose we should allow Russia to compete.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

Yeah we wouldn't want to upset a brutal monarchy.

Well, it was dumb in one way. You don't want to fire up your opponent two days before a must-win match.

[monkeyman576]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Well, it was dumb in one way. You don't want to fire up your opponent two days before a must-win match.

Yeah if they don't win they might not be alive tomorrow.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Well, it was dumb in one way. You don't want to fire up your opponent two days before a must-win match.

But you know what? Bring it.

Here is what the U.S. did:




Here is what the hypocrites have on their own Twitter page. Whether it was up there before or in response to the perceived insult matters little:



Bring it.

[Westheim]

My, wasn't that an easily avoidable brouhaha.

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

Yeah we wouldn't want to upset a brutal monarchy.

*theocracy.

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

Yeah if they don't win they might not be alive tomorrow.

I am confident the players and personnel are aware that given the situation any EU country (and many others) will grant them asylum, and where their embassies in Qatar are. Which isn't to say "all is well". Far from that.

I must watch that game tomorrow. It's gonna be textbook "120% effort" from the Iran squad. There will be red. Cards, or blood, or both.

Regardless. Can we just play soccerball, please?

[Amazin69]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

Next I suppose we should allow Russia to compete.

Of course we should. Even if we were in an alternate universe where the accepted narrative of EVOL RUSSIA "attacking" the poor innocent Ukrainians (who totally aren't NAZIS who've spent the past eight years bombing the Russian-speakers in Donbass in violation of the 2014 Minsk accords, oh, never!) was even slightly true, rather than political nonsense, it's not the place of FIFA to pass judgment on how countries behave.

Otherwise, why are the Saudis here? Why is the Cup in Qatar, of all places? (Answer: bribery. But having made the decision to be a soccer federation rather than a moral scold, they should stick to it.)

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by monkeyman576

It's called freedom of speech.

Your freedom to speak can also be disrespectful, right? And besides the government, no one has to recognize your freedom of speech.

That said, I couldn't care less about Iran or how butthurt they are.

[Westheim]

Meanwhile, in soccerball news, Cameroon and Serbia draw 3-3 in a game I couldn't see because I really have to work from time to time.

[Déjà Bru]

Originally Posted by Westheim

Meanwhile, in soccerball news, Cameroon and Serbia draw 3-3 in a game I couldn't see because I really have to work from time to time.

*Cough, cough* "Furball, boss. Gotta take the day off, see if I can get it out."