FIFA WC 26 - Other Nations LIVE Match Thread ⚽

[SocceroosFan84]

All other football codes seem to have this under control. You talk back to a ref or umpire you’re penalised further. You touch a ref or umpire you are either sent off or will be suspended later.
Just implement post game reviews. Anyone who argues a decision, delays play, simulates injury (including simulating contact to a different part of the body to the actual contact) or touches the ref can get a card (hence can miss a following game) or a lengthy suspension.
Geez, you get a red for possibly saying something nasty behind your hand, but you can dig up a penalty spot and get nothing.

I wish football referees were as hard on dissent as rugby union referee Wayne Barnes was after Dylan Hartley talked himself into an early bath.

 

[HonestSpursFan]

Every individual is unique so everything I'm about to say is broad. What would you want the international rules to be? Should they feel any less Moroccan because they have never lived there but maybe both parents brought them up with Moroccan customs?

So what about all the Moroccan kids growing up in Morocco right now? Why not pick players who were born in Morocco? Why must only Europeans make the Atlas Lions squad? Why can’t those players, if good enough, play for their home countries’ teams?

If they’re not good enough then fine, and plenty wouldn’t be good enough. But some are, like Achraf Hakimi, so what are they doing? It’s the same as when Australians reject Australia, only that our player pool is much smaller so it’s even worse here.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

So what about all the Moroccan kids in Morocco growing up in Morocco right now? Why not pick players who were born in Morocco?

What about all the Aussie kids growing up in Australia, why not pick a CB born here instead of Souttar?

 

[HonestSpursFan]

What about all the Aussie kids growing up in Australia, why not pick a CB born here instead of Souttar?

We have multiple other CBs. And as I added, he was simply never picked for Scotland. Achraf Hakimi would’ve absolutely been picked for Spain and would likely start for Spain.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

We have multiple other CBs. And as I added, he was simply never picked for Scotland. Achraf Hakimi would’ve absolutely been picked for Spain and would likely start for Spain.

"Absolutely" and "likely" are subjective assumptions. Each national federation has the right (in my opinion) to operate within their means when it comes to talent acquisition and identification. And adding to that , being born in one country, doesn't tie you to it emotionally unless you allow it to.. Each if us has the right to exercise free will and self determination. If these Moroccans expats feel tied to their parents country of origin and both FIFA and their own country grant them citizenship then carry on I say.

 

[theFOOTBALLlover]

So what about all the Moroccan kids growing up in Morocco right now? Why not pick players who were born in Morocco? Why must only Europeans make the Atlas Lions squad? Why can’t those players, if good enough, play for their home countries’ teams?

If they’re not good enough then fine, and plenty wouldn’t be good enough. But some are, like Achraf Hakimi, so what are they doing? It’s the same as when Australians reject Australia, only that our player pool is much smaller so it’s even worse here.

So you are saying you'd only pick players born in that country? Just a quick Google search on our national team. Souttar and Burgess born in Scotland, Irankunda born in Tanzania, Mabil in Kenya, Degenek in Croatia, Circati in Italy, Paul Okon in Belgium & Toure in Guinea.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

So you are saying you'd only pick players born in that country? Just a quick Google search on our national team. Souttar and Burgess born in Scotland, Irankunda born in Tanzania, Mabil in Kenya, Degenek in Croatia, Circati in Italy, Paul Okon in Belgium & Toure in Guinea.

EXACTLY.....

 

[NicCarBel]

So you are saying you'd only pick players born in that country? Just a quick Google search on our national team. Souttar and Burgess born in Scotland, Irankunda born in Tanzania, Mabil in Kenya, Degenek in Croatia, Circati in Italy, Paul Okon in Belgium & Toure in Guinea.

I think the difference is between a large majority of them being based outside of Morocco throughout their lives. The only one in our current squad that really fits that ideaology (spelling?) is Souttar. Boyle would be in the same boat probably as well.

 

[HonestSpursFan]

So you are saying you'd only pick players born in that country? Just a quick Google search on our national team. Souttar and Burgess born in Scotland, Irankunda born in Tanzania, Mabil in Kenya, Degenek in Croatia, Circati in Italy, Paul Okon in Belgium & Toure in Guinea.

All of those except Harry Souttar are immigrants. They lived most of their life here and all of them but Cam Burgess have Aussie accents.

 

[HonestSpursFan]

ideaology (spelling?)

Ideology.

Boyle would be in the same boat probably as well.

And he also wasn’t getting picked for Scotland. You think they’d pick him in a squad with Scott McTominay?

 

[Football us life]

Well said. It's not just Scaloniesque (it is) as you say, but written into the DNA of Argentine football when played at its best. Combative, looking to control even when in defence, craft and creativity. The fan atmosphere around the Albiceleste is not just patriotism, it's joy in the embodiment of and identity through that aesthetic and mindset.

When the tackle from behind was outlawed, Argentina struggled for a decade at least and WC performances suffered. You could no longer defend as aggressively with the fall back of being able to make a clean tackle from anywhere backwards of the lateral line of an attacker's shoulders. But that rule has softened over time with the emphasis now on the quality of the challenge, and the Martinez/Romero partnership is a welcome return to some of that kind of defending.

It's probably unfair not to include Leandro Paredes in this conversation as well .

He plays that 5 position impeccably. I think Scaloni believes Paredes (and Alvarez) are in his A team and would have liked to have started both in every game so far.

Yep....Your observation about the outlawing of the tackle from behind is a masterclass in tactical history.....

For years, that rule change forced a period of existential crisis for Argentine defenders. They had to transition from "hunters" to "systems-based obstructors." The fact that Martínez and Romero have mastered the current "grey area" of the rules where the referee allows a high-intensity, physical challenge if it is timed with technical precision is exactly why they feel like a throwback. They have reclaimed the right to be "hunters" within framework of the modern game.

Also....You are spot-on to bring Leandro Paredes into this. If Romero and Martínez are the sword and the shield, Paredes is the maestro of the match’s tempo. The 'Cinco' or number 5 and very much a "heartbear of the team" type of player...

I love the way he manages the game’s "rhythm." When Argentina needs to kill the momentum of an opponent, Paredes slows the play, recycling possession with short, precise passes. Conversely, when the gap opens, his long-range distribution can instantly bypass the opposition's press.

Scaloni’s trust in these players shows he isn't just picking the "best" players, he is picking the players who collectively embody that Argentine spirit.

 

[Football us life]

You have a football blog! I’ll check it out

Yeah, it's a bit amateur hour but French football is my guilty pleasure!!!

It's a league that often gets dismissed because of Paris Saint-Germain's dominance, but beneath that there's so much character...

Olympique de Marseille, Olympique Lyonnais, AS Saint-Étienne, RC Lens, Stade Brest and others all have fascinating stories.

 

[zimbos05]

So what about all the Moroccan kids growing up in Morocco right now? Why not pick players who were born in Morocco? Why must only Europeans make the Atlas Lions squad? Why can’t those players, if good enough, play for their home countries’ teams?

If they’re not good enough then fine, and plenty wouldn’t be good enough. But some are, like Achraf Hakimi, so what are they doing? It’s the same as when Australians reject Australia, only that our player pool is much smaller so it’s even worse here.

People can be born in another country and migrate to another country, but still feel a strong connection to their home nation. Sometimes this comes with the idea of wanting to honour their parents, or give back, and in their way, playing for that country is doing that.

Whilst some of these players are born in Europe and play in Europe, they could be spending the rest of their time in Morocco, living normal lives there, running foundations or doing work there and contributing to the economy. If we start saying that players can only play for the country they were born in, this world cup would have quite a few players missing.