FIFA WC 26 - Other Nations LIVE Match Thread ⚽

[jas88]

To me personally Messi is already the "goat". He's won everything already so he's up there Maradona who is the OG goat.

Would be nice for Spain to win as not many people are feeling the love for Argentina throughout this tournament.

Yeah I've always been pretty pro Ronaldo because he's been a supreme athlete I always thought having less technical ability showcased the work he does. But there was a 15-20 mins period towards the end that was vintage Messi just picking up the ball running at people all over the park played some superb crosses looked 25 again he is just an anomaly an alien almost not sure if we will see it again.

 

[kiro kompiro]

Who do we want to win? Spain with their first win in 16 years or Argentina to settle the GOAT debate? I kinda want Spain to win it despite their federation having a disgraceful recent history.

I so badly want Spain to win...the Messi-FIFA love-in has been appalling. No-one can tell me Messi has not had on-field privileges that don't apply to lesser players. He's not bigger than the game but is being privileged as if he is.

 

[JS96]

T

Whats even more brutal is he's going to start Mainoo against France and he was probably the one guy they could bring on to maybe hold the ball lol

Pressure off but something to prove.

 

[kiro kompiro]

To me personally Messi is already the "goat". He's won everything already so he's up there Maradona who is the OG goat.

Would be nice for Spain to win as not many people are feeling the love for Argentina throughout this tournament.

Maradona for me. The way I see it its not just about the numbers, its about the football they played in the context they played it in. The challenges Maradona faced were more difficult.

 

[Decentric]

Even though it was traumatic when the Socceroos were knocked out in the pen shoot out, it has been nice to be a neutral and just admire the quality of some teams at the WC.

* The best technical teams I've seen are Spain, Portugal ( when playing Spain) and France. I'll go into more detail in the Socceroo match analysis/stats thread, and the differential with the Roos.

* Have been astonished that Tuchel didn't take shorter players with lower centre of gravity, like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer? Maybe Tuchel had too much talent to choose from?

England 's huge, tall team, with most of the players 1.85 and 1.88 metres tall, ( 6 feet 1 and 6 feet 2), couldn't jockey the shorter nimble Argentinian players on the ball after the English Gordon goal and when the Poms subsequently parked the bus.

In central midfield Rice and Anderson, were too big and cumbersome, to stop Messi and his mates beating them, with most of the English team the same.

Conversely, Norway had a few even taller CBs, but they still had 3-4 shorter players on the pitch.

 

[Decentric]

Very disappointed that Brazil have lost their Jogo Bonito and flair. Checked their South American WCQing and they were ordinary, losing quite a few games. Only Vinicius Junior at Left Wing displayed a nice skill set in the WC, more akin to older style Brazilian players.


I think Brazil has a crisis in identity. The Euopeanisation of Brazilians developing in UEFA academies has seen their past lobs, flicks, dribbling and attacking interplay in tight spaces, almost disappear. Yes, Brazilian players are more two footed and two side of the body proficient, but the old one foot dominant flair players developed playing futsal in the favelas don't seem to be making it to the Brazil national team.

 

[LFC]

It doesn't help when Argentina are already beginning a simulation before minimal contact. I don't think any English fouls during play were dirty. Argentina meanwhile..

Sorry
Even back in Maradonas days the Argies we dirty rotten scoundrels to the EU and evidently more to us play it to the rules ethos.
Nothing has changed but they like all the genuine play actors in Latin America Etc have played it even better today’s game.
Uruguay the dirty rats here karate chopped Baartz in the Sydney game - that was un heard of way back then.
I see it that those opposing them either stand up or play better to nullify it- now then I’d rate who beat them.
Not whinge about the rules the officials the certain oh it’s set up for Messi.
Seriously play the game to beat the system.

 

[Decentric]

Astonished how good the DR of Congo were against England. Congo had a wide player on each flank, who were good ball players and worried England.

Congo were organised, skilful and athletic. Losing 1-2 to a quality England team was impressive.

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

Astonished how good the DR of Congo were against England. Congo had a wide player on each flank, who were good ball players and worried England.

Congo were organised, skilful and athletic. Losing 1-2 to a quality England team was impressive.

England were lucky to get the job done against DR Congo in the round of 32 and make it as far into the latter stages of the World Cup as they did especially given that they struggled to find the back of the net despite creating meaningful chances and converting them into shots at goal, as well as the fact that they committed numerous errors defensively.

 

[JS96]

Sorry
Even back in Maradonas days the Argies we dirty rotten scoundrels to the EU and evidently more to us play it to the rules ethos.
Nothing has changed but they like all the genuine play actors in Latin America Etc have played it even better today’s game.
Uruguay the dirty rats here karate chopped Baartz in the Sydney game - that was un heard of way back then.
I see it that those opposing them either stand up or play better to nullify it- now then I’d rate who beat them.
Not whinge about the rules the officials the certain oh it’s set up for Messi.
Seriously play the game to beat the system.

Definitely develop systems to beat them but the balance of the match is unfairly effected if refs don't give cards. Imagine if Fernandez had a yellow, he holds back. Fernandez should have had 2 yellows. Any competent ref does it for the punch in the head and the blatant trip.

Enough evidence has been shown that Egypt and England had shocking officiating. I didn't watch the Cape Verde game live and they had a system to get at Argentina who also had an off day. Each game is circumstantial.

 

[LFC]

Definitely develop systems to beat them but the balance of the match is unfairly effected if refs don't give cards. Imagine if Fernandez had a yellow, he holds back. Fernandez should have had 2 yellows. Any competent ref does it for the punch in the head and the blatant trip.

Enough evidence has been shown that Egypt and England had shocking officiating. I didn't watch the Cape Verde game live and they had a system to get at Argentina who also had an off day. Each game is circumstantial.

Ah now the refs
Some play it harder than others.
Others blow the whistle too much another doesn’t,
What next ?
We are getting towards robot officials striving for perfection - I suppose at my vintage I’m not for this whatsoever but next gen’s most likely.
I like the inconsistency
The difference match to match by officials as well.
Nothing worse than vanilla every single game for that will come and truely change the game even mote.
I am not for this.
I like how league games are officiated differently to Champs league.

 

[JS96]

Ah now the refs
Some play it harder than others.
Others blow the whistle too much another doesn’t,
What next ?
We are getting towards robot officials striving for perfection - I suppose at my vintage I’m not for this whatsoever but next gen’s most likely.
I like the inconsistency
The difference match to match by officials as well.
Nothing worse than vanilla every single game for that will come and truely change the game even mote.
I am not for this.
I like how league games are officiated differently to Champs league.

It's the fact that the fouls and play are blatant breaches of the laws of the game. There's nothing wrong with a hard fair tackle. It's the cheating that's the issue.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

I think we need to understand what gentlemanly means. One definition: "A gentleman rests on his elbows and a lady dammit doesn't move."

I wish I could help but nobody has ever made the mistake of describing me as one

 

[zimbos05]

Turns out Barca ran to celebrate in front of the English players on the field after Argentina's second goal. Bellingham took umbrage to that. Fully understandable. Normally what Barca did would be a cardable offence.

Edit: Corrected for accuracy.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Turns out Barca ran to celebrate in front of the English bench after Argentina's second goal. Bellingham took umbrage to that. Fully understandable. Normally what Barca did would be a cardable offence.

Fully understandable?

 

[Football us life]

Turns out Barca ran to celebrate in front of the English bench after Argentina's second goal. Bellingham took umbrage to that. Fully understandable. Normally what Barca did would be a cardable offence.

Valentino Barco?

I think that sometimes the emotional roller-coaster ride of a football match can make players do things like that....

Same as Enzo Fernandez cupping his ears to the English supporters.

I get why this behaviour is generally categorised by football authorities as provocation rather than an uncontrollable human instinct but we are all human and that’s the central tension in these moments.

The debate on whether it's punishable effectively pits the idealised professional standard against the raw, competitive reality of the sport and of life.

 

[Punchanello]

Fully understandable?

Well, the paragon of virtue was obviously goaded into violence (allegedly, the footage is not forthcoming) by an impudent and fiendish ghostly redhead half his size. So he did what all defenders of truth and justice do, distributed justice via a slap upside his enormous ranga noggin.

There was strange interaction between Messi, Bellingham and Barco well before all this. Messi stayed out on the pitch to lecture the refs at half time and presumably Barco was sent out to follow him and usher him safely into dressing room. There was some kind of interaction between the three and some bemused looks. No idea what it was but it was going on well before the alleged "offensive" celebration.

I have no doubt Bellingham was singled out to be antagonised because his self-conscious and fully visible ego outed him as a guy who would allow it to get the better of him. And it did.

 

[zimbos05]

Fully understandable?

Yeah. Barco initiated by doing a stupid act, Bellingham in the heat of the raw emotion reacted. I didn't say it was right, but I understand it.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Yeah. Barco initiated by doing a stupid act, Bellingham in the heat of the raw emotion reacted. I didn't say it was right, but I understand it.

So you would understand it if you copped a smack in the back of the head, while you were looking the other way, for mouthing off at someone on the pitch? Thats pretty disappointing. I wouldn't.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Well, the paragon of virtue was obviously goaded into violence (allegedly, the footage is not forthcoming) by an impudent and fiendish ghostly redhead half his size. So he did what all defenders of truth and justice do, distributed justice via a slap upside his enormous ranga noggin.

There was strange interaction between Messi, Bellingham and Barco well before all this. Messi stayed out on the pitch to lecture the refs at half time and presumably Barco was sent out to follow him and usher him safely into dressing room. There was some kind of interaction between the three and some bemused looks. No idea what it was but it was going on well before the alleged "offensive" celebration.

I have no doubt Bellingham was singled out to be wound up because his self-conscious and fully visible ego singled him out as a guy who would allow it to get the better of him. And it did.

Im all for copping what you give... If Barco was being a little prick the very least Bellignham can do is face him and swear at him back (or if he is to emotionally stunted and cant control his feelings) smack him in the mouth... not hit him when he is not looking like a coward...