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FIFA WC 26 - Other Nations LIVE Match Thread ⚽

State of Origin smashed WC football once again in the ratings.

STATE OF ORIGIN RUGBY LEAGUE QLD V NSW 3RD -MATCH Nine 6,032,000
2026 FIFA WORLD CUP: SUI V COL LIVE SBS 1,893,000
I mean, I can't imagine many people in Australia were setting their alarms for Switzerland vs Colombia. This is hardly a comparison of anything.
 
23 years ago.

I’m not saying the US is good. I’m saying Russia is worse, for now.
They did support and assist in invasions in 2006 in Somalia and 2008 in Anjouan. Whilst they also are not specifically boots on the ground, I would say they are big contributor to the invasions of Lebanon in 2026 and 2024, and 2024 in Syria that were carried out by Israel.
 
Mbappe awarded penalty despite a blatant dive and thankfully it's saved.
 
I really do like watching them play together....

They are the antithesis of fragile. While some pundits point to the gaps left by their aggressive positioning, I reckon this is a calculated risk that Scaloni both demands and needs in his team. And you could easily say that it's a "high-wire act" that only works because of this invisible friendship thread they have connecting them....

When Romero moves to challenge a high ball, Martínez has already occupied the space behind him and when Martínez is drawn wide to cover a fullback, Romero shifts to intercept the cross. This is not just footballing intelligence....

It's a shared defensive heartbeat that has become the bedrock of this Argentinean team. And you could say that for Argentina, the most vital line of their defence is not just as a part of the formation, but an unbreakable friendship between these guys.

And I think Scaloni likes these kind's of cultural identities within his team's dynamic.

Romero and Martínez are quintessential products of street football.....and this means an uncompromising desire to win every duel!

Sure, it’s not pretty in the traditional sense but it's brilliant to watch. And the exact tension that makes this Argentina side so compelling. It is the contrast between the "aesthetic" of modern football which often prizes geometric precision and sterile ball retention and the visceral, high-stakes theatre of the Scaloni-esque philosophy.

When you watch them, you aren't just watching a tactical block, you are watching two individuals trying to physically and psychologically break their direct opponents. That human-to-human conflict is what gives the game its narrative weight

It’s chaotic, it’s confrontational, and it frequently lives on the edge of disaster. But it is as I said brilliant because it creates a form of tension that is impossible to look away from.
 
Anyone who thinks that VAR is a positive thing for the game of football is a fucking idiot.
Would you be quiet if replays showed the ref got something wrong? People hate VAR until it benefits them.
 
The penalty was more so given due to the terrible timing of the duel and the minuscule contact which Mbappe initiated by dragging his leg.

The officials should see this as a simulation. We see too many of these. Refs need to book attackers who initiate contact.
 
All the refs need to do is say 'you've initiated contact, simulated a dive and tried to deceive. No penalty and yellow card.' Keep carding them for it.
 
The penalty was more so given due to the terrible timing of the duel and the minuscule contact which Mbappe initiated by dragging his leg.

The officials should see this as a simulation. We see too many of these. Refs need to book attackers who initiate contact.
That was a clear penalty.
Don't like France or Mbappe, i understand, but that clear penalty.
 
Meanwhile, we have seen other teams get punished for similar things that Argentina are doing and getting away with. This is all it is. The lack of consistency and at a time when video evidence exists.
You have been crying conspiracy, not inconsistency. And as I said, a debate about how decisions are made and the use of technology is welcome.
 
That was a clear penalty.
Don't like France or Mbappe, i understand, but that clear penalty.
Mbappe just decided to fall and only late scraped his leg into the defender. Did you see each angle of the replay? It looked a lot worse live.
 
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