Football World Cup - Qatar 2022

Indeed, Mr bucket (re: post count).

"Footy" is Rugby League in NSW and Qld, and allegedly AFL in the smaller States. But you can't seem to settle for that.

And when did I get personal?

I said your opening post about AFL being "football" in Australia was a tad pompous, which it was, and Nerkles inferred you were a numpty suffering relevance anxiety (and I didn't disagree). No shot at embee or Nerkles who posted counterpoints to your logic?

So disagreeing with you is "personal"? Sheesh.

You made out that I was pompous by speaking for Dubbers and Billies when I wasn’t speaking for them at all. Want there some class insult as well? There’s this thing called the overall majority, and it’s the undeniable fact that a significant majority of winter leather-kicking spirt supporters in Australia support AFL that I was commenting on. I’m well aware that those comprising the small crowds and memberships of League in two of the geographically larger states consider themselves superior in every way to the bogan AFL supporters who outnumber them by an order of magnitude; I merely point out that those League supporters are now outnumbered in their own towns, and are thus numerically illiterate and/or deluded.

Surely we can disagree amicably on this?

Worldwide I am happy to concede that ‘soccer’ has a far wider supporter base than either of the parochial codes we are discussing. Where’s your national perspective?

Agree to disagree.

Rumours of large bribes being offered to the Ecudorian side to throw the opening game v hosts Qatar where either erroneous or rejected as Ecudor put Qatar to the sword 2-0.

Remarkably, they were the first ever hosts to be beaten in the opening game of the Cup.

Yeah, even the Yarps avoided that, though they didn’t get through their group…

I was more concerned about dodgy refereeing as per South Korea 2002 than opponents actually throwing a game. I can’t believe a team would have so little professional and national pride that they’d actually throw a live World Cup game, even if some players might feasibly be tempted by spot fixing or letting a dead rubber match/friendly go.

Aus thoroughly outclassed by the Frogs.

Tunisia seemed to have the better of the chances v Denmark.

Fancy the Saudis knocking off the Argies!!!

So, we suck at Association Football and Rugby Football.

You’re OK at Aussie Rules (and rugby league which at least a couple of other countries play to a reasonable level…)

When soccer is your fourth winter sport, at best, and your first game is against a champion nation, you’re possibly going to struggle.

I say ‘at best’ because adult participation in (field) hockey in Oz is possibly greater than in soccer, and if shows in results there too.

Obviously loads of kids, male and female, play soccer here before moving on to other codes as they grow older (grow a pair ...)

Two cracking goals by the Saudis.

Our defenders looked like children trying to outjump Mbappe and Co.

Argies had 3 goals disallowed for offside in 1st half.
So marginal, i think in 1, it was by a nose.

Oz looked ok til they gifted a goal by faffing about
trying to play out from the back. England did the same thing but got away with it vs iran.

And 2 great goals by the hair stylists to upset the heavy mob who missed loads of chances.

lardbucket wrote:When soccer is your fourth winter sport, at best, and your first game is against a champion nation, you’re possibly going to struggle.

I say ‘at best’ because adult participation in (field) hockey in Oz is possibly greater than in soccer, and if shows in results there too.

Obviously loads of kids, male and female, play soccer here before moving on to other codes as they grow older (grow a pair ...)

Hosting it would probably give a boost… was it this one that Australia bid for? Would be a good host nation, crap kickoff times for European audiences aside (we get used to that with cricket and rugby anyway!)

Impressive win by Iran over Wales.

Ecuador looked the better side in the 1-1 with the Dutch.

USA were very good v a sluggish England in 0-0.

Tonight it's Tunisia v Australia. The former was impressive v Denmark. I expect them to smash Aus.

The other game is Poland v the over-achieving Saudis. I think Lewandowski might cut loose for the Poles.

skully wrote:Tonight it's Tunisia v Australia. The former was impressive v Denmark. I expect them to smash Aus.

The other game is Poland v the over-achieving Saudis. I think Lewandowski might cut loose for the Poles.

He needs some service to do so… been a bit of a thankless task for him over the years, having to carry a mediocre national team. A decade of the same no doubt awaits Haaland, even if Norway will probably start qualifying for some tournaments off the back of his ability. And then you compare with so many stronger nations seemingly just missing a number 9!

Geez, bugger me, Aus beat Tunisia 1-0 via a cracking skidding header by Mitch Duke.

Tunisia came out hard in the 2nd half, but Aus held firm.

It might not stick but we are currently 2nd in our Group.

We need Les Bleus to march through this Group undefeated and somehow we must snaffle a draw v Denmark.

They did damn well, defended hard without kicking anybody's legs out from under them. Matt Ryan was unbelievable in goal - and goalkeepers are a breed I generally find hard to warm to. Now all that & more is needed v the Danes.

France did the right thing and beat the Danes 2-1, leaving us 2nd in the Group with the game v Denmark remaining. A draw would see us through, presuming France beats Tunisia.

You’d take a potential last 16 clash with the Saudis…

Yup.

And LOL @ Japan. Dominated the game v Costa Rica but faffed about for far too long in the midfield without threatening the last 3rd anywhere near enough. Then they made a late error in defence and Costa Rica pounced for a winning goal from their only attempt.

Geez, and now the Belgians fall to Morocco.

skully wrote:Yup.

And LOL @ Japan. Dominated the game v Costa Rica but faffed about for far too long in the midfield without threatening the last 3rd anywhere near enough. Then they made a late error in defence and Costa Rica pounced for a winning goal from their only attempt.

They'll be kicking themselves. A win and they probably top the group - now they are are unlikely to make it.

Yeah, they need to at least sneak a draw v Spain but you'd think Germany should smash Costa Rica to possibly eliminate Japan on GD.

SPain and Germany seem to be the likely top finishers in Group E.

Cameroon v Serbia 3-3. Very entertaining.