World Cup 2022 - Qatar

[Tom 1860]

Oh crumbs I feel sick...

[rass]

Operation hide the beer

[Pruitt3]

But it’s gonna hurt the next time we try to get some dual citizen to commit to us right?

I haven’t committed to either side, yet.

There's room for you!

Timori chose England over Canada, didn't get selected
Mitrovic chose Serbia over Canada, didn't get selected

HAHA

I've still not forgiven Owen Hargreaves

[wlu_lax6]

Qatar is an interesting place to have lady refs....note: World Cup ref >Towson U
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2 ... n-nesbitt/

[Nonlinear FC]

And then choose haji wright? How many caps does that guy have. Does he have any chemistry at all with any of the players? Obviously the guy can play but how do you go the entire two years prior and not give the guy a chance and then somehow decide he's who you're gonna bring along? Don't you have to see him do it for you and not some unknown league?

Men in Blazers covers this... It's not just Pulisic. Haji came up with Weston, Christian and Tyler Adams. They all (reportedly) love the guy, so...

As I've said a couple of times, with a roster this big, if you're overly worried about the 4 or 5th striker... It's just not that big of deal, as opposed to years past when you were likely to play the entire roster. If you are playing every guy (excluding keepers) then, frankly, you're probably having a bit of nightmare of a WC.

[mister d]

I'm going to keep doing this until Morris and/or Wright score a dozen against Iran and I looked like an idiot ... its not the 4th/5th striker or the 26th man. Pepi had a path to being a very important contributor. This isn't complaining that someone like Slonina should have come along for the ride knowing it wouldn't affect the actual matches.

[The Sybian]

I'm going to keep doing this until Morris and/or Wright score a dozen against Iran and I looked like an idiot ... its not the 4th/5th striker or the 26th man. Pepi had a path to being a very important contributor. This isn't complaining that someone like Slonina should have come along for the ride knowing it wouldn't affect the actual matches.

I think Wright has a better chance of contributing at this World Cup. Pepi scored in his US debut, then fell apart when he went to Germany and couldn't get on the field for a relegated team. He got another call up, and he looked lost. From the little I've seen him play, he seems like a one-note target man, and GGG's system isn't suited to a target player. We aren't going to lob crosses in all game and hope he can get on the end of one. I wouldn't have cared either way if GGG took Pepi over Wright, but I don't get all the vitriol, not just from you but a lot of USMNT fans. Pepi may be good one day, but right now he isn't.

I am just exhausted from 25 years of US fans anointing our next savior or World Class player after a teenager has a good game or scores a national team goal. Pepi is the next Juan Agudelo, Freddie Adu, Eddie Johnson, Brek Shea, Bobby Convey... Yeah, he has potential, but FFS, he isn't a world beater and right now he isn't even good.

[mister d]

I won't pretend I watch the ... copy/paste ... Eredivisie but from everything I can tell via google (and I think confirmed above) its the top league out of the euro big 5. He's put up 6 goals (only 1 PK) in 9 matches; that's one less than Morris in a full MLS season and at a better pace than Sargent in the championship. He put up strong numbers as an 18 year old in MLS and scored 3 in qualifiers (yes, frontloaded). If we had a clear #1 striker and Sargent and Ferreira were preferred behind that #1, I wouldn't be complaining nearly as much. But if we flop and its not because our CBs get caved in, its going to be a lack of finishing and Pepi seems like a guy who should be in the rotation to solve that.

[wlu_lax6]

I can taste this World Cup it is so close

and....like what I am reading in the headline here..
https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-stat ... -and-wales

[Baloney]

[Nonlinear FC]

I won't pretend I watch the ... copy/paste ... Eredivisie but from everything I can tell via google (and I think confirmed above) its the top league out of the euro big 5. He's put up 6 goals (only 1 PK) in 9 matches; that's one less than Morris in a full MLS season and at a better pace than Sargent in the championship. He put up strong numbers as an 18 year old in MLS and scored 3 in qualifiers (yes, frontloaded). If we had a clear #1 striker and Sargent and Ferreira were preferred behind that #1, I wouldn't be complaining nearly as much. But if we flop and its not because our CBs get caved in, its going to be a lack of finishing and Pepi seems like a guy who should be in the rotation to solve that.

Yeah man, Pepi should be there over Morris. No question. I guess I should've stipulated to that very early Morris is a stupid guy to bring. No question.

[Pruitt IV]

Qatar Bans Beer Sales at World Cup Stadiums

[A_B]

You have to think that was a long con and they never planned to let them do it.

[Rex]

So it'll be like college football used to be before the schools loosened it up. People smuggling in the hard stuff in flasks.

[Rex]

Oh man, that's so bad.

[mister d]

This is going to be a bigger deal than slave labor.

[A_B]

Oh man, that's so bad.

So it's the exact situation those SEC schools that haven't allowed general sales in the stadia yet. Of course, they do still let us tailgate in the parking lot.

[duff]

And this is a surprise why?

[A_B]

And this is a surprise why?

We're Americans. Budweiser makes the rules, not us!

[mister d]

Its funny but its true? As an American it is a bit jarring to see a counter-financial decision like this.

[brian]

So it'll be like college football used to be before the schools loosened it up. People smuggling in the hard stuff in flasks.

Even in Alabama, you don't get your hands chopped off for that if you get caught though.

[HaulCitgo]

Pretty easy to claim morality over finance when youre sitting on a huge petroleum field and all the profits go directly into your pocket.

[HaulCitgo]

They really should just pack up the teams and hold the thing in europe. Stadiums empty.

[Nonlinear FC]

Citgo with the truthbombs.

[mister d]

So about the soccer ... US really has to play to win against Wales, right? Go in with the assumption Iran is a win and England is a loss and with the healthy fear that England could already be clinched before the 3rd match? If that's the case, Wales could try to park it for the draw and US would be left eliminated at 4 points.

[wlu_lax6]

The US group is the one that I can't guess. England should move on but there is always one team that just flails. Mideast and African teams always feel like a roll of the dice in the group stage against the US. And I can't decide if this US team will be the one from Korea/Japan that shocked the world or one that finishes 4th in the group with finger pointing (Steve Sampson).

[govmentchedda]

You can't drink in sight of the field at EPL stadia either. Which makes for ridiculously packed concourses before and after halves of soccer.

[tennbengal]

i really can't understand people attending this voluntarily.

[Johnnie]

Yea, the absolute monarchy that runs Qatar couldn't give a fuck less about profits. They have more money than God and import employees to operate businesses.

The Middle East is a wild combo of opulence and destitution simultaneously. And sometimes they're literally across the street from each other.

I'm loving watching this from the outside.

[Nonlinear FC]

Sums up India really well. That place absolutely blew my mind.

[Baloney]

So about the soccer ... US really has to play to win against Wales, right? Go in with the assumption Iran is a win and England is a loss and with the healthy fear that England could already be clinched before the 3rd match? If that's the case, Wales could try to park it for the draw and US would be left eliminated at 4 points.

If US and Wales draw, both beat Iran and lose to England it could get very interesting

[mister d]

It would just come down to US trying to run it up on Iran but without control of their own destiny, no?

[Brontoburglar]

would be wholly dependent on goal difference, so TBD

[mister d]

That's only if we draw Wales then England beats Wales while we're playing Iran.

[Brontoburglar]

That's only if we draw Wales then England beats Wales while we're playing Iran.

correct ... I assume you're replying to Baloney's post?

The Iran score/scenario in that case would be wholly dependent on how the US-England game played out previously in terms of margin of defeat and how the Wales-England game played out in real time

if that's not what you're referencing, then I'm not sure

[Steve of phpBB]

Go in with the assumption Iran is a win ...

That did not work out so well in 1998.

[HaulCitgo]

This aint hard. You go all in for first two to win by as many as you can and then you adjust tactics for the last group stage game based on standings.

[The Sybian]

If that's the case, Wales could try to park it for the draw and US would be left eliminated at 4 points.

My understanding is this is how Wales normally plays.

[sancarlos]

If that's the case, Wales could try to park it for the draw and US would be left eliminated at 4 points.

My understanding is this is how Wales normally plays.

To state Mr. D’s point a different way, England will be playing for a win against the US, and if they are 2-0 entering their game against Wales, they might be content to draw.

That’s why a US win over Wales is so important.

[Ryan]

(About to play 33.3% of your most important games in 8 years) “I’ve decided we should go for the win”