GENERAL World Cup Thread

Was only saying to someone that that's something that seems a good addition. Not sure if it's just for a team's opening game or not - no reason it should be mind you so hopefully that's not the case.

Bit of razmatazz that'll really kick in when in the later rounds. Just as long as they don't start bringing out Powerade banners and merch with them of course....

Even more shrugging of shoulders then normal her from the French lads.

Well thats that. I would have liked to see Senagal draw.

TBH, it's a hard situation for Iran and from a football competition point of view you feel a level of sympathy, but it is a very unusual situation. That said, the team/coach themselves are dressing up a bit what happened the other day all the same, or at least leaving out existing detail - the terms of the visa that they were provided with stipulated entry to the US a max of a day before a US-based game with an exit the evening of the match. That was the visa condition laid out for the US agreeing to host the games of a nation they are currently at war with last month. They were never staying overnight - so this expectation of staying in Los Angeles and having a recovery session was never on the cards and I think being used to just reiterate the logistical problems. Which I think is fine, like I said, I do have sympathy from a footballing perspective of a team having it's plans interferred with in the month ahead of the finals.

That said, they aren't backpacking across the American mid-west either to get to their games. They are flying in and out from a border city about 140 miles away for two games 5-6 days apart, with only their final group game requiring extended travel. Obviously not as simple as just rocking up to the airport with visa checks and such, but not exactly hod-carrying either. If they progress, then they'll obviously have to accomodate that. There are other teams playing who have far bigger distances to travel within the US overall, even PL teams have had far longer distances to travel in short timeframes with fixture congestion. So, I think some perspective is also required.

Personally, I think if the US are hosting them they should have their base onsite and should be responsible, but it is a unique situation that presents certain challenges. All teams require security measures both on base and to/from games and the yanks clearly don't feel it is their remit to be responsible for an enemy country's football team. We're not talking some Hollywood thriller scenario whereby the team are smuggling a dirty bomb into the US or some nonsense like that - there are a huge number of situations that they would prefer not to have to deal with of which only one happening would cause an international incident. I mean take your pick from a player or two trying to defect all the way to some mad Zionist or Iranian dissident trying something at their well known in advance original base ? That's even without taking into account it being little more than a petty bureaucratic move to just make things as awkward as possible.

I would hazard a guess that, in 1 single game, Messi has already outscored Ronaldo’s entire tournament…

(Unless Portugal get awarded loads of penalties)

The only tournament I can think of that reminds me of this is Afcon. It's the only tournament till now where there are this many stories about petty, inept or corrupt goings on. Proper banana republic stuff and it would be great to see a team abandon mid tournament to give Infantino the embarrassment he deserves.

At least no one has started shooting at team buses . Like what happened the Togo team in Angola 2010 AFCON.

him & everyone else people on boards complain about not wearing socks are wearing no show socks

The last two are real graveyard shift games.

last line; called it

**** you RTE and your ads at the water break .**** you guys..even ITV haven't the cheek for that.