World Cup 2022 - Team and Match Discussion

What confused me isn't whether it's over the line or not today but I'm sure I have seen a million throw ins called as soon as the ball touches anything over the line

True, anything a little over half way over is always a throw in

Japan’s new flag.

Should there be a seperate thread for the “what is your current fear level for England winning World Cup”

I actually don’t care really, it’s just you know we will never hear the end of it, it’s all a bit of fun to hate them.

But Iam currently at a 7….lol Every team is very beatable at this World Cup, England haven’t overly impressed but have a lot of experience at tournament level and will be hard to beat

At this stage, 99% of people here support English clubs.

But

I have a fear. "Special Fright Rice" and "I wear kids socks" Grealish winning.

I completely forgot big Sam was a England manager at one point lol

So, are we to believe that the ball is 100% spherical there, or where is the contact from the boot?

I have only now woken up to the fact that the Germans twice made "silent" protests about this tournament!!!!

Unlike @Osmosis Jones I can't let this sink in!

Wow. I just looked to the right of my screen and there was an ad from Yamaha. My brain is melting !

Yeah I think England are very good at beating the teams below them and pretty poor when it comes to beating any of the top teams. Since Southgate has been in charge for their international tournaments they've only beaten one team that ranked Top 10 in the FIFA ranking coefficient at the time of playing, and that was a Denmark team who had just lost their best player in the most traumatic way possible.

In 2018 they beat Tunisia (FIFA coefficient at the time: 38), Panama (58), Colombia (on penalties) (17), and Sweden (21) while losing to Belgium (5) and Croatia (12). They themselves were 7th in the coefficient rankings.

In Euro 2020/1 they were 5th in the rankings and beat Croatia (14), Czech Republic (40), Germany (12), Ukraine (24), and Denmark (10), while drawing with Scotland (44) and losing to Italy (7).

Then for this year they've beaten Wales (19), Iran (20), and drawn with USA (16).

That's not to say they won't win it, but fingers crossed.

I wouldn't begrudge them winning it. At the end of the day, they were born and raised in England so I can understand them wanting to play for their national team, regardless of family connections.

I'm glad (somewhat) I live in Spain and don't get as much of the English media noise but I do dread that they could win it.

As ever, it depends where you are and what media you consume. Ireland's obsession with English football and media means we get a lot of the English narrative (which is prepared for an English audience).

That said, the Spanish media are quite obnoxious as well. I'm sure Marca were furiously typing up rabid rants about being robbed (a constant Spanish excuse) if Japan's second goal had knocked them out.

They'll not reflect properly on what's not working (an obsession with passing the ball around that goes far beyond the national set up, play a kickabout with Spaniards and they are loathe to attempt any kind of risky pass, they always go for the safe and patient approach). Instead, they'll lament that other teams stand up to them and refuse to be played through. It wouldn't surprise me if Luis Enrique leaves after the WC and Roberto Martinez is hired because he plays the Spanish way.

As countries, Spain and England are similar in that they are both at the heart of former empires and don't seem to accept that their glory days are behind them. This seeps through into a lot of things about both societies (both have hints of exceptionalism) and, inevitably, is also reflected in the support of their national teams. Humility is a quality that can be lacking at times and there is often too much focus on how good they perceive themselves to be as opposed to considering the strengths of others.

Jayus what was the distance to the line?

It doesn’t bother me at all. I don’t say ‘we’ for an English PL team. I find the people who are most worried about England winning either support a PL team - without hint of irony.

Or secondly their main expression of ‘Irishness’ is hating the English.

Personally I found it gas that many on boards were in cold sweat of worry during the euros 2020

Bur I do understand how annoying the English media can get - very jingoistic when their ‘notions’ look like coming home.

If I had a choice I would like a first time winner of the WC a real underdog. Like Greece in Euro 2004 that was magic. No fuss style as well. A well run outfit.

I think most people's issue with England winning would be the media reaction more than anything else and having to listen to that one then for the next 150 years.

No issue with Grealish, I'd be happy to see him lift the trophy, same goes for Saka, Rashford, Shaw, Maguire.....that's probably about it tbf I wouldn't give a **** about the rest of them either way.

They won't win it though, so there's no need for anyone to worry.

Yeah I think any football fan who doesn't understand the very basic idea of rivalries in this context is being a little obtuse.

This is it. I don't want England to win, I'm completely unapologetic about it and I don't need to explain myself. It's football - hating your rival is as much a part of it as loving your own team.

I'd only cheer on England if they were playing Mayo

But it is a question of WHY you get a laugh off it I think. If you are just laughing at how the English can be arrogant and lose the run of themselves that is fairly harmless. But if it is other reasons it is a bit odd IMO.

If there was something similar to McClaren making an eejit of himself when commenting on Iceland v England in 2016 - that would be funny. If they do start loosing the run of themselves and get 'notions' too early.

That clip is still funny even now, the boasting, overconfident talk then - bang, Bubble bursts.