So even with expanding the tourney the top four teams are the semifinalists.
If FIFA was really trying to keep big names in the spotlight Haaland is easily as recognizable and marketable and more likable than Kane or any other player for England. Plus England have regularly been on the short end of the stick in critical moments in FIFA history.
Fact is minnows have rarely if ever shined in the round of 16 and beyond in the WC. The talent gap is just that wide.
This was posted by someone else over at USCHO. It's a little bit of a sidebar but I think fits in general:
Lost in a lot of kvetching over the USMNT, and really any discussion as we head into the quarterfinals, is that there’s a glass ceiling at the quarterfinals level for all the none power countries. It’s not just something affecting the USMNT but everyone else around the world too. Mexico had everything lined up for them and yet couldn’t pull it off. Japan has done everything the “right” way development wise and yet they’ve never been. Colombia made it once in 2014 but has struggled since.
Morocco seems to have the solution, but it’s a solution that’s unattainable for most countries: Have talent born in Europe and convince them to play for you.
For all of the discussion, for all of the back and forth on “how do we do this?” The reality is that nobody has the solution, beyond either “cheat” or “have generational talent”.
If FIFA was really trying to keep big names in the spotlight Haaland is easily as recognizable and marketable and more likable than Kane or any other player for England. Plus England have regularly been on the short end of the stick in critical moments in FIFA history.
Fact is minnows have rarely if ever shined in the round of 16 and beyond in the WC. The talent gap is just that wide.
This was posted by someone else over at USCHO. It's a little bit of a sidebar but I think fits in general:
Lost in a lot of kvetching over the USMNT, and really any discussion as we head into the quarterfinals, is that there’s a glass ceiling at the quarterfinals level for all the none power countries. It’s not just something affecting the USMNT but everyone else around the world too. Mexico had everything lined up for them and yet couldn’t pull it off. Japan has done everything the “right” way development wise and yet they’ve never been. Colombia made it once in 2014 but has struggled since.
Morocco seems to have the solution, but it’s a solution that’s unattainable for most countries: Have talent born in Europe and convince them to play for you.
For all of the discussion, for all of the back and forth on “how do we do this?” The reality is that nobody has the solution, beyond either “cheat” or “have generational talent”.
as much as people like haaland, Englands squad has vastly more international appeal (Kane and Bellingham are massive international names). Add to the England Argentina storyline (not to mention the much larger following for both England and Argentina) which is MASSIVE and it’s not even remotely close
I wonder how many of the Argentina (or any country) fans are from Argentina and traveled to the States for the World Cup. Or are Argentinians living in the US. The World Cup is nearly a month long if your country/team makes it to the Finals. Its spread between 3 countries to start and the knock out stage is spread across one of the largest countries on the planet. You have no guarantee your country/team will have a game in the knockout stage.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2025 had 2 games at US Bank. Working the events, US Bsnk wasn’t sold out. Though the lower bowl was full for both games. US vs. Costa Rica and Canada vs. Guatamala. Costa Rica and Guatemala both had good showings for fans being not on a World Cup level.
Honestly, and correct me if I'm wrong, outside of that ONE year, Colombia was only good b/c Pablo funded the team.
Euros and South Americans train their youth in soccer the way we train our youth in "our" big four sports.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
If FIFA was really trying to keep big names in the spotlight Haaland is easily as recognizable and marketable and more likable than Kane or any other player for England. Plus England have regularly been on the short end of the stick in critical moments in FIFA history.
Fact is minnows have rarely if ever shined in the round of 16 and beyond in the WC. The talent gap is just that wide.
This was posted by someone else over at USCHO. It's a little bit of a sidebar but I think fits in general:
Lost in a lot of kvetching over the USMNT, and really any discussion as we head into the quarterfinals, is that there’s a glass ceiling at the quarterfinals level for all the none power countries. It’s not just something affecting the USMNT but everyone else around the world too. Mexico had everything lined up for them and yet couldn’t pull it off. Japan has done everything the “right” way development wise and yet they’ve never been. Colombia made it once in 2014 but has struggled since.
Morocco seems to have the solution, but it’s a solution that’s unattainable for most countries: Have talent born in Europe and convince them to play for you.
For all of the discussion, for all of the back and forth on “how do we do this?” The reality is that nobody has the solution, beyond either “cheat” or “have generational talent”.
A rare "minnow" team like Morocco in the last world cup or Croatia in the 2018 tournament have made it to the semis. Usually it's a path like Argentina just got where it's upsets of other teams that are not supposed to be there make it. The finals have only ever been teams from Europe and South America. The same 8 countries have won all the world cups. As much as we like to think we're closing the gap, the truth is the gap is just as big as it ever has been, if not larger.
The vids I’ve seen it pretty clearly hit the camera which is why Norway called it out in real time. It f the sensors didn’t go off then that’s next level incompetence with the sensor system 🤣 .Honestly the ball hitting a camera cable directly leading to an England goal might’ve been the most egregious thing to happen that game.
They have sensors in the ball to register a touch. They used it in the Croatia and Portugal match to say that Croatia touched the ball last to reverse a goal. The Telemundo telecast showed that the ball did not register a touch on the camera cable. It wasn’t on the international feed cause Fox would have showed it. So who really knows if it actually touched the wire or not.
If FIFA was really trying to keep big names in the spotlight Haaland is easily as recognizable and marketable and more likable than Kane or any other player for England. Plus England have regularly been on the short end of the stick in critical moments in FIFA history.
Fact is minnows have rarely if ever shined in the round of 16 and beyond in the WC. The talent gap is just that wide.
This was posted by someone else over at USCHO. It's a little bit of a sidebar but I think fits in general:
Lost in a lot of kvetching over the USMNT, and really any discussion as we head into the quarterfinals, is that there’s a glass ceiling at the quarterfinals level for all the none power countries. It’s not just something affecting the USMNT but everyone else around the world too. Mexico had everything lined up for them and yet couldn’t pull it off. Japan has done everything the “right” way development wise and yet they’ve never been. Colombia made it once in 2014 but has struggled since.
Morocco seems to have the solution, but it’s a solution that’s unattainable for most countries: Have talent born in Europe and convince them to play for you.
For all of the discussion, for all of the back and forth on “how do we do this?” The reality is that nobody has the solution, beyond either “cheat” or “have generational talent”.
as much as people like haaland, Englands squad has vastly more international appeal (Kane and Bellingham are massive international names). Add to the England Argentina storyline (not to mention the much larger following for both England and Argentina) which is MASSIVE and it’s not even remotely close
Agree to disagree. Again Haaland is way more likeable, I don't think England's global appeal aside from hating them is significant, plus Norway advancing that far is as good of a story as England-Argentina for anyone under the age of 50. If it was all about rigging the tournament in the interest of making money they would have found a way to screw over Belgium more so than overturning the suspension of Balogun.
If FIFA was really trying to keep big names in the spotlight Haaland is easily as recognizable and marketable and more likable than Kane or any other player for England. Plus England have regularly been on the short end of the stick in critical moments in FIFA history.
Fact is minnows have rarely if ever shined in the round of 16 and beyond in the WC. The talent gap is just that wide.
This was posted by someone else over at USCHO. It's a little bit of a sidebar but I think fits in general:
Lost in a lot of kvetching over the USMNT, and really any discussion as we head into the quarterfinals, is that there’s a glass ceiling at the quarterfinals level for all the none power countries. It’s not just something affecting the USMNT but everyone else around the world too. Mexico had everything lined up for them and yet couldn’t pull it off. Japan has done everything the “right” way development wise and yet they’ve never been. Colombia made it once in 2014 but has struggled since.
Morocco seems to have the solution, but it’s a solution that’s unattainable for most countries: Have talent born in Europe and convince them to play for you.
For all of the discussion, for all of the back and forth on “how do we do this?” The reality is that nobody has the solution, beyond either “cheat” or “have generational talent”.
as much as people like haaland, Englands squad has vastly more international appeal (Kane and Bellingham are massive international names). Add to the England Argentina storyline (not to mention the much larger following for both England and Argentina) which is MASSIVE and it’s not even remotely close
Agree to disagree. Again Haaland is way more likeable, I don't think England's global appeal aside from hating them is significant, plus Norway advancing that far is as good of a story as England-Argentina for anyone under the age of 50. If it was all about rigging the tournament in the interest of making money they would have found a way to screw over Belgium more so than overturning the suspension of Balogun.
i should say, I don’t think this game was “rigged” for England as much as it’s just officiating incompetence and inconsistency (as they’ve been all tournament long, which continued into the night session). More just commenting on the England appeal that they are also full of huge international names.
Espana moves on. They have given up 1 goal this whole WC (France, until today, had given up 2 goals). That being said, I still think Argentina is gonna win this. I gave them the best shot of beating France (although at 2:1 odds against Spain, I would have taken that risk; those odds were crazy).
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Yeah I kinda thought whoever won that game wins the tourney but England is no slouch and Argentina could maybe get more help from the refs so who knows lol.
Spain matched up super well with France and dominated them in the midfield. Argentina and England both are much more ok giving up the ball or pressing in midfield to get it respectively, with strikers who are willing to put in the work rate to do so (which France sorely lacked today).
either one should be a good game and could beat Spain on any given day. Game probably looks very different for not a terrible pen from Digne (who was awful) and Saliba not getting hurt. Spain played outstanding though and was more than deserving of the result today
ARGENTINA does it AGAIN!!!!!
Argentina the KINGS of late goals.
England scores in the 55th minute to take the lead.
Argentina scores in the 85th minute to tie it up.
ARGENTINA goes up 2-1 in the 92nd minute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MESSI WITH THE SWEET CROSS!!!!!!
Argentina continues to channel their inner Rudy T
England went up 1-0 and then played the rest of the match like they were down a man... or two. Pickford in goal for England was the only reason it wasn't 3 or 4 to 1.
Turns out if you just let one of the best players of all time to just walk onto the ball repeatedly and under minimal pressure, he can hit some pretty sick crosses
Everyone that skipped the third place game yesterday figuring today was the day for fireworks.
So Argentina has not had a shot on goal in today’s game the game is in OT it’s 1-0 Spain with 5 minutes to go
Aloha!
So Argentina has not had a shot on goal in today’s game the game is in OT it’s 1-0 Spain with 5 minutes to go
entire game was like that 3rd period in Tampa '23. Spain genuinely could've played with an empty net and still won lmao.
Question for the ball knowers: was this game so one-sided because Argentina got outcoached, were their players not engaged, or was there just that big of a talent gap?
Spain's D is insane (1 GA the WHOLE tournament), and ARG has been having trouble with teams. A few comeback wins and almost lost to Cape Verde.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
So Argentina has not had a shot on goal in today’s game the game is in OT it’s 1-0 Spain with 5 minutes to go
entire game was like that 3rd period in Tampa '23. Spain genuinely could've played with an empty net and still won lmao.
Question for the ball knowers: was this game so one-sided because Argentina got outcoached, were their players not engaged, or was there just that big of a talent gap?
spain is basically the antidote to how to beat Argentina and what England should’ve continued to do which is possess the ball and attack
its not so much one of coaching, skill, etc, but it’s a better team with a really hard to play against style (particularly in international play where teams dont know each other as well, hence why the counterattacking football is less creative) all coming together from the team selection and way they’re deployed. They gave up 7 total shots on target in the knock outs (and 10 across all the games). They play really low event rate football and that just didn’t allow Argentina to get any of their guns on the ball and into space, not yo mention 2 injuries and the red card (love that Enzo got to look like an idiot, really dislike him as a player) made Argentina unable to sub on some of their late offensive energy (Lautaro for example).
They’re kind of like a snake getting hold and choking the life out of their opponent. boring as hell to watch from a pure viewing experience but highly effective
So Argentina has not had a shot on goal in today’s game the game is in OT it’s 1-0 Spain with 5 minutes to go
entire game was like that 3rd period in Tampa '23. Spain genuinely could've played with an empty net and still won lmao.
Question for the ball knowers: was this game so one-sided because Argentina got outcoached, were their players not engaged, or was there just that big of a talent gap?
spain is basically the antidote to how to beat Argentina and what England should’ve continued to do which is possess the ball and attack
its not so much one of coaching, skill, etc, but it’s a better team with a really hard to play against style (particularly in international play where teams dont know each other as well, hence why the counterattacking football is less creative) all coming together from the team selection and way they’re deployed. They gave up 7 total shots on target in the knock outs (and 10 across all the games). They play really low event rate football and that just didn’t allow Argentina to get any of their guns on the ball and into space, not yo mention 2 injuries and the red card (love that Enzo got to look like an idiot, really dislike him as a player) made Argentina unable to sub on some of their late offensive energy (Lautaro for example).
They’re kind of like a snake getting hold and choking the life out of their opponent. boring as hell to watch from a pure viewing experience but highly effective
Jacques Lemaire.
Jacques Lemaire.
Too funny, I was telling my wife the same thing and did so using my extremely poor Jacques impersonation.
“When your best friend is the son of God, you get tired of losing every argument.”
― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
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