World Cup 2022 - Team and Match Discussion

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119921639#Comment_119921639

Thought they were very cynical in the first half. There were 2 fouls from trippier followed by another by stones within about 5 minutes, 3 frees given but no cards. All just breaking up attacks and stopping breaks. Gareth won't be complaining about the refs not acting on those.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119921820#Comment_119921820

What? The draw nothing didn't change the chances of qualifying much over a loss like a couple of percent a win changes it massively and means they have more avenues to qualify as well as a better **** of topping the group.

Not sure what that has to do with winning the last game and they are through, the best strategic play was to go for the win but they didn't push much at all late on

tom1ie

For England to play further up the pitch they need to drop mcguire- which Southgate won’t do- he’s far too conservative.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119923011#Comment_119923011

If they lost Wales need to beat england by about 4 goals to over come then and they still need to win via Iran anyways

The win trade if via the loss trade off is the smart bet every time it's very simple.

NIMAN

The England camp, players and manager, seemed very happy with tonight's result. They kept stressing the clean sheet. Were they annoyed at conceding 2 to Iran?

Shows their lack of ambition imho.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119923091#Comment_119923091

Dude you a missing the point I think on purpose.

Wales are -2 already and the USA will be need to be Iran so plus 1 on that game so Wales need at least a 3 0 win

The loss would cost the under 2% of there chnaces to qualify a win would add 25% maybe more and possibility at better draws in the next round.

It was far from good game management it was an oversight by the manager

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119923178#Comment_119923178

Again the cost of about 2% chance loss at qualifying for at minimum 25% gain with possible better draws in next round is very worth it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119923238#Comment_119923238

None of that matters to anything I'm saying, they noticeable looked happy with the draw it was the wrong call by a large and measureable distance and the management messed up. All I'm saying is factual what you are saying isn't.

Im not going to clog up the thread anymore with anymore back and forth. So I'll leave it there

NIMAN

I think USA just suffer from what a lot of countries do now....lack of a good front man.

So many pass it around well enough, but there's nothing much happening in the final third. Its corners and frees they hope for.

dontmindme

Next time Ronaldo is questioned at a press conference he should be asked how he feels about being loved by so many kids across the world, while at the same time being a cheat, and showing them such a bad example, and does he not feel any sense of responsibility - even to his own kids watching their father.

Hope he blows a penalty over the bar.

Fr Tod Umptious

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119921901#Comment_119921901

Fox were really pushing this game last evening on the Dallas Cowboys v New York Giants Thanksgiving game.

No wonder most Americans don't give a s**t about soccer after watching that.

Plenty of college football games on today that would wipe the floor with it for entertainment.

Loafing Oaf

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119921938#Comment_119921938

Conservative is his middle name.

Seemingly he's a party animal on the sly though

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119921906#Comment_119921906

Southgate is going to get caned when they go out

😝

pjohnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119922222#Comment_119922222

If James wasn't injured TAA probably wouldn't have even made it to Qatar.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119923459#Comment_119923459

I can't see how a sport that had to set a maximum 3hr time limit because of all the stoppages could wipe the floor with anything.

happyoutscan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119923713#Comment_119923713

We may not get it, but Americans love their own football.

theoneeyedman

Regular season college football is normally 2/2.5 hours start to finish. Not much different to the group World Cup games in truth, 45 Minute halves plus 8 to 10 minutes injury time plus a 15 minute halftime break. College football is massive in the US, bigger than NFL - most of the world's top 10 biggest stadia capacity wise are US college football stadia, and they are generally full from September to December. There is generally a local element to it, as well as strong past student groups who travel back to games in their Alumi regularly. Fans in most cities are exposed to it at a high level, its very traditional in relation to a relatively young country like the USA which doesn't have many traditions that are over 100 years old (well.... Not many that they can openly celebrate anyway😉)

Of it's not your thing, fair enough - but you ought to try to understand how and why it's strong before poo pooing it and why others might enjoy it. It is a big obstacle to the hearts and minds of many US sport fans.

Mushy

Nice header for Australia there, cross took a wicked deflection so odd flight and Duke did well to adjust and direct it to far corner. Largely the better team but came at good time for them

dastardly00

I'll be amazed if Tunisia finish the game without getting someone sent off.

The header for the Australia goal was brilliant.

creedp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119923713#Comment_119923713

In fairness each to their own. I wouldn't be able to sit through a rugby game watchimg inceasingly pumped up lads mauling each other for 80 minutes. Likewise I can't get my head around cricket or golf for that matter. Even F1, which I used to watch, is pretty monotonous these days

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119924000#Comment_119924000

Its strong for the same reasons almost every sport is strong.

Because it's the one that area grew up with. Its nothing to do with entertainment factor.

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119924209#Comment_119924209

To paraphrase Eamonn Dunphy 'if you want entertainment, go to the pictures'.

It's very subjective - different strokes for different folks, just because you don't understand the attraction doesn't mean it's not entertaining to a lot of people. Approaching these things with an open mind often broadens one's horizons - personally although having no links to either place, I'll be watching the Buckeyes play the Wolverines in front of 110000 people in The Big House this evening, and throwing an odd eye on Dänemark /France. Don't mock it until you try it 😁. I don't know if my heart could stand the intense entertainment of 4 games like this Aus/Tunisia snooze fest today.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119924252#Comment_119924252

I do understand the attraction. All I was saying is this American held idea of soccer being boring compared to their sports is bollix.

A better level of entertainment/excitement is not the reason why US sport does better than soccer in the US.

theoneeyedman

Anyway, back to the soccer, two very limited sides in show here, Tunisia dross in the first half, a little more lively in the second half but no real quality in show. Mooy looks the best footballer on the field, which says a lot really.

Xander10

Tunisia have been woeful to watch. Never looked like scoring in two games. Diving to the ground too easily. They won't be missed.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119923465#Comment_119923465

Southgate reminds me a lot of Brian Kerr when he was with Ireland.

A quietly spoken very knowledgeable ‘football man’ with a fantastic record most of their contemporaries can only dream of, bar a few. They are an easy target because their approach to football is conservative and results based.

Yet they are still unfavourably compared to those few ‘more successful managers’ of their respective teams - Charlton - McCarthy1 (ROI) and Ramsey (England).

I would argue that Southgate and Kerr are/were the best tactical managers either country has had. As both managers approach to the game meant better teams rarely beat them handy. And poorer teams never won against them. A set up which is ideal for tournament football.

Kerr (disgracefully IMO) was not given more chances to qualify for senior tournament football. Likewise I think the criticism Southgate gets is equally harsh look at the fellas record! All the criticism seems perception based.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119924287#Comment_119924287

France in the last game doesn't bode well for a heroic exit or even a goal.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119924293#Comment_119924293

Think the criticism will be there for Gareth until they can beat the teams around their level more often. They have a final and semi final to their name, but with their respective paths in each, I think the only decent side they beat were a particularly poor Germany? Lost to Italy, Belgium twice, and Croatia.

And that image of not being able to compete with the big teams was really strengthened by the last Nations League… they always blitz through qualifying when they’re the big dogs, but in a nations league campaign of relatively similar teams they were abysmal. (Not that nations league matters thaaat much, but it doesn’t help). So I think a lot of people would point towards Gareth’s conservatism and see that as him not getting everything out of his strongest players, who are all attacking. Which is a fair enough point.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119924363#Comment_119924363

I understand those points but Southgate is very close to success with his approach. How many times in the past have we seen good English teams let down by gung ho arrogance?

The Italians played a similar conservative approach to Southgate and they won a Euros because of it. When you could argue most would have picked other teams ahead of the Italian side.

Mr.Nice Guy

Surprised the Aussies picked up the win. That was a brilliant header to win it.

Saudis not going to win again, surely? I'll go Poland by 2 goals. Lewandowski to get his World Cup goal.

ShamoBuc

Tournamnet football is different though. First task is to get out of the group and you Adapt as results change. Southgate does that well. Conservative last night, a draw was quite a good result in essence, because they won their first game so well. Had they lost the first game, the last 30 minutes could well have been different. Once they get to the knock out stage, he will continue to be conservative as it has served him well.

His problem will arise when they need to go for it. Transforming to all out attack by bringing off his defensive players for his far more offensive players could well see them go further behind or stay in the tournament. That 'Gamble' will nearly be a last resort for him, such is his conservatism but it is when England could play some very entertaining attacking football before going back to the basics Southgate prefers.