2022 World Cup Thread

[edd_jedi]

I know how excited you all are about it, but we may as well start a thread rather than clog up the PL one. First up - no beer! That will go down well with the England fans

 

[theforceuk]

No beer is probably a good thing. Although the fan parks you can fill your boots!!

 

[edd_jedi]

I reckon it's going to be carnage, imagine if England 'fans' act the way they did in Marseille, they'd all be given life sentences (or worse!) I can seriously see hundreds of people being imprisoned for acting like yobs

 

[theforceuk]

Yeah totally agree I've been thinking the same. Getting tanked up at the fan parks then heading to the game, that's a lot of opportunities to get in trouble. Thankfully Russia aren't going!

 

[lejackal]

What a ****

 

[edd_jedi]

I actually strongly agree with a statement he made in his speech:

I am European. For what we have been doing for 3,000 years around the world, we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before giving moral lessons.

If Europe really care about the destiny of these people, they can create legal channels - like Qatar did - where a number of these workers can come to Europe to work. Give them some future, some hope.

I have difficulties understanding the criticism. We have to invest in helping these people, in education and to give them a better future and more hope. We should all educate ourselves, many things are not perfect but reform and change takes time.

This one-sided moral lesson is just hypocrisy. I wonder why no-one recognises the progress made here since 2016.

Being gay was illegal here within the last 50 years. We practically invented slavery. Black people were segregated in America until the 1960s. It is ****ing rich to harp on about this stuff. Yes we have made progress, but certainly have not eradicated inequality.

 

[lejackal]

So because we still have work to do as a nation we shouldn't call out other, worse nations?

 

[weasel]

I cant really agree @edd_jedi. I'm not saying Europe/the west has a perfect track record, far from it. But if we go round excusing other people discriminating just cos our history is a bit dodgy then what's the point? We might as well sit back and do FA about Russia invading Ukraine or turn a blind eye to China exterminating its own people in concentration camps.

"You kill gay people, cos they are gay? Well, we don't agree, but we did a fair bit of slavery so fair enough!"

It won't make any difference to Qatar, they are a filthy rich country and a staunch Islamic one. But saying nothing is as good as a tacit acceptance that we don't mind them using slave labour and killing homosexuals.

I am surprised by the last minute alcohol ban. Given FIFA insist, it is literally one of the conditions you MUST accept in order to bid, that ALL income is tax free, and that FIFA bods get priority at traffic lights (heaven forbid a FIFA bod should have to sit in his limo at traffic lights). Surely they have a condition in there that alcohol sales must be allowed, and most likely that their preferred partner gets exclusive rights. It seems an incredible oversight on their part if they don't. Or maybe they were too busy making sure the money was tax free and they all got 7* hotels.

As for Infantino, if I was a member of a European Football Association, I would seriously be speaking to my colleagues about breaking away from FIFA. The corruption and two facedness is beyond ridiculous. We all know Russia and Qatar paid bribes to get the WC, the fact that Infantino is now rubbing people's noses in it and acting like they are whiter than white is a joke.

FIFA is nothing without Europe. Imagine a WC devoid of European sides. Brazil, Argentina and ehhh 30 other sides there to make up the numbers. The viewing figures would be through the roof!
Bar those two South American countries 90% of the marketing revenue comes from Europe.
It also pisses me off that every WC has fewer and fewer European sides in it, yet every time they make up the majority of the sides in the latter stages. I'm all for encouraging other continents but every time Europe gets fewer spots and there really doesn't seem to be any improvement from the ROW. That despite AFCON being played every other year etc.
In my WC Europe should get at least half the slots. TBH 20 for Europe isn't unreasonable. South America has a decent shout for 5 (bar the big 2 we rarely get much, the odd time Colombia/Chile/Uruguay do something, but are they really any better than most middle ranking European sides?), Africa 3 (Nigeria/Ghana/Cameroon etc. again, all no better than a middle ranked European side), Asia 2 (Japan/South Korea and then just cannon fodder), North America 1 (Mexico don't do 'getting out of the group' despite making every WC and the rest are shite) and Australasia ….well, do NZ deserve a spot? (Australia are part of Asia in football terms). The last one can be a play off between NZ, and the four runners up in the other confederations. They are all shite anyway.

And before anyone says I am just trying to look after my own interests, remember, I'm not English, and even if Europe got 20 spots, my lot wouldn't get near qualifying. I'm just tired of seeing UEFA bend over and surrender spots to sides that are visibly massively inferior to dozens of European teams who won't make it.

 

[edd_jedi]

Oh don't get me wrong I don't condone what happens there or think it shouldn't be called out, just that it's very hypocritical for countries that only made changes in recent history (or in Poland's case not yet re: gay marriage) to act like they have all been shining examples of morality.

 

[weasel]

Maybe, but if your options are 'look slightly hypocritical, or say nothing'……..

 

[lejackal]

This time tomorrow……

 

[theforceuk]

Predictions if anyone is interested. With Ronaldo pissing me off and the fact the World Cup is in one of the worst country's you could choose bar North Korea I just want to watch some footy. Don't take the piss for picking Holland, I had a dream ages ago that they won it.

Winners - Holland
Runners Up - France
3rd and 4th Brazil, Germany
How far England get - Quarter Finals
Golden Boot - Cody Gakpo
How far Wales get - Group Stage
Player of the tournament - Gakpo
Team that exceeds expectations - Holland
Teams that flop - Portugal/Argentina
Random predictions - Ronaldo gets dropped and storms off.
First team out Qatar
First Red Card - Neymar

 

[Michael Sith]

We are one big family the human race
we lose sight of credulity with life's pace
straight gay, black or white,
questioning what's wrong or right,
don't offend, watch what you say,
let me make a point if i may,
politics, religion, oh, have I said the wrong thing,
here is the ethos I want to bring,
we are only here for but a short time,
in life there is no reason there is no rhyme,
we all need to step back and take a look,
and take a leaf out of the sensible book,
people are people and we need to accept their mindset,
let us not forget,
we are all one family, the human race,
don't be disparaging with two face,
be honest be true, accept what is right
be accepting of others, and maybe we might,
have a world where we are in a place that is right,
let's all get on and be tolerant and of the right mind
then maybe be we might actually find,
we can work together for the right reasons and make life better,
and not be a neigh sayor, or a regretter,
do the right thing and let's get on,
then we we all have not lost but have won

 

[weasel]

This time tomorrow……

View attachment 178179

A lot of talk on Twitter (so it must be true) that the Qatari's have bribed 8 of the Ecuador team to lose 1-0 today, the goal to come in the second half. Time will tell. Will be funny if it does finish 1-0.


Anyone see Samuel Eto'o's WC predictions? Bat **** crazy!
Cameroon beating Morocco in the final. Morocco beating, Spain, Portugal and France en route to the final. Qatar beating England. Tunisia beating Argentina, Cameroon beating Germany, and the only way an African team gets put out is by losing to another African team. They all get out of their group and beat anyone they play until they meet a fellow African side.
I want what he's been smoking!

Random predictions - Ronaldo gets dropped and storms off.

I'd love to see that! Lol

 

[weasel]

Found his predictions.

Dafuq is he on?

 

[edd_jedi]

That first ruled out goal certainly looked more like a back hander than offside!

 

[weasel]

100%.

If you showed that goal, including replays, to 100 football fans, all 100 would say goal. Unless one of them happened to be Qatari (or have acquired a new Swiss bank account by mysterious means in the previous 5 mins).

 

[theforceuk]

They need to change the off side rule, ruining the game.

 

[theforceuk]

It's coming home!!!!!

 

[edd_jedi]

Lots of talk about added time, all four games so far have gone over 100 minutes (England's was 116!!) Personally I'm all for it if it stops the pathetic Newcastle style time wasting after 55 minutes.