World Cup 2022 Thread

I try not to read his posts.
Paddy won't answer not because he has a limited vocabulary , lesser powers of articulation & an even lesser intellect to grasp the issue at hand - all of which he does but he simply fails to understand power politics for all the reasons described above & more , it's implications & the fallacy of bringing in moral arguments to justify power politics.

But as regards his question, "when was the last time England entered the QFs?" Well, they got to the SFs in the last World Cup.
Ah you took the bait didn't you ?! Well let' discuss England's journey to the final . It was placed in a group with 2 of the minnows of the entire list of 32 countries there along with Belgium the only other potential qualifier for the QF & quality team in that group.

As expected England beat the minnows & lost to Belgium taking second place in the group qualifying for the QF where to it's good fortune it runs into Columbia - the weakest of all teams to have qualified for the pre QFs.

So what happens now ? It draws the game 1-1 & since it's a knock out stage the game goes into sudden death. England being the less than mediocre team it is huffs & puffs it's way to the QFs with a 1 goal victory margin where it runs into another of the weakest team of those who made it to the QF - Sweden to win 2-0 , the only convincing win England had over decent opponents .

Long story short it gets booted out in the SF by Croatia & gets hammered by old foes Belgium to take 4th spot . Talk about the undeserving reaching as far as they did .
 
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AS I thought Poland was not good and was in a weak group. Congrats to France and it really should be the powerhouse futbol nations that advance....

England your turn to impress us.
 
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Coupe du monde 2022 : à Doha, les Indiens du Kerala, fans inattendus de l’équipe de France

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

World Cup 2022: in Doha, Indians from Kerala, unexpected fans of the French team


The 260 fans in Qatar who praise Antoine Griezmann's science of the game and Kylian Mbappé's dribbling skills are one of the oddities of the World Cup.

By Benjamin Barthe(Doha, special correspondent)

French team supporters in front of the French national team's hotel in Doha on November 16, 2022, ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Among them, members of the French Football Fans Club India.

They are Indians, mostly from the state of Kerala, football fans and unconditional supporters of the French team. In Doha, these fans who praise Antoine Griezmann's science of the game and Kylian Mbappé's art of dribbling in a cheerful Indian English, are one of the oddities of the World Cup.

Their presence in front of the Bleus' hotel, when the players' bus arrived two days before the start of the competition, had raised some doubts among journalists. On social networks, these supporters with an unusual profile were then compared to the "pseudo-fans" paid by Qatar to animate the pre-World Cup.

But by dint of hearing them talk about Zidane's two winning heads in the 1998 final against Brazil or his less happy headbutt in the 2006 final against Italy, observers have had to face the facts. The French Football Fans Club India is a genuine association of football enthusiasts.

It was founded in 2013 in Kerala, one of the few Indian states, along with West Bengal, where football has a cult following on a par with cricket, India's national sport. In Malabar Coast cities such as Calicut and Malappuram, seven-a-side football matches played on clay pitches draw enthusiastic crowds.

e618ba7_1670151592757-000-32nn6uh.jpg

Its founding president, Thoufeer Kaitha Valappil, is a 30-year-old who works for a Dubai-based trading company. From his smartphone, he pulls out a series of selfies with Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud, taken during a recent visit to Clairefontaine, the training centre of Les Bleus. According to him, 260 of his club's 3,000 members are in Doha. Some have travelled from India, but most live in Doha, or have come from the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia, where they live.

From India, Saudi Arabia or the UAE

While the Brazil and Argentina teams are usually favoured by local fans, Thoufeer has fallen in love with the French team. He fell in love with the 1998 final, which he watched on his uncle's television set, and then with Les Bleus' victory two years later at the Euro. Zidane, Trezeguet, Henry, Vieira and the others were magicians, legends," he says. There was no other choice.

In addition to helping its members follow the French team, the supporters' club organises tournaments for children, match screenings on the big screen and numerous charity actions, such as distributing sports equipment in underprivileged areas.
 
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Can't wait for Limeys vs Frogs! :ROFLMAO:

Should be a good game with the French favored somewhat. I think Nederlands will beat the Argies.
 
Either game could go either way, but I'm happy with that result for the last 16. 3-0 was was as good as could be expected, and one more that Netherlands scored against them. Senegal were also 8 places ahead of Poland in the FIFA rankings.


PS: Did you know, the US leads the women's rankings?


When was the last time England entered the QFs Paddy ? Last century ?
:ROFLMAO: 🤡
 
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Coupe du monde 2022 : à Doha, les Indiens du Kerala, fans inattendus de l’équipe de France

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

World Cup 2022: in Doha, Indians from Kerala, unexpected fans of the French team


The 260 fans in Qatar who praise Antoine Griezmann's science of the game and Kylian Mbappé's dribbling skills are one of the oddities of the World Cup.

By Benjamin Barthe(Doha, special correspondent)

French team supporters in front of the French national team's hotel in Doha on November 16, 2022, ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Among them, members of the French Football Fans Club India.

They are Indians, mostly from the state of Kerala, football fans and unconditional supporters of the French team. In Doha, these fans who praise Antoine Griezmann's science of the game and Kylian Mbappé's art of dribbling in a cheerful Indian English, are one of the oddities of the World Cup.

Their presence in front of the Bleus' hotel, when the players' bus arrived two days before the start of the competition, had raised some doubts among journalists. On social networks, these supporters with an unusual profile were then compared to the "pseudo-fans" paid by Qatar to animate the pre-World Cup.

But by dint of hearing them talk about Zidane's two winning heads in the 1998 final against Brazil or his less happy headbutt in the 2006 final against Italy, observers have had to face the facts. The French Football Fans Club India is a genuine association of football enthusiasts.

It was founded in 2013 in Kerala, one of the few Indian states, along with West Bengal, where football has a cult following on a par with cricket, India's national sport. In Malabar Coast cities such as Calicut and Malappuram, seven-a-side football matches played on clay pitches draw enthusiastic crowds.

e618ba7_1670151592757-000-32nn6uh.jpg

Its founding president, Thoufeer Kaitha Valappil, is a 30-year-old who works for a Dubai-based trading company. From his smartphone, he pulls out a series of selfies with Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud, taken during a recent visit to Clairefontaine, the training centre of Les Bleus. According to him, 260 of his club's 3,000 members are in Doha. Some have travelled from India, but most live in Doha, or have come from the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia, where they live.

From India, Saudi Arabia or the UAE

While the Brazil and Argentina teams are usually favoured by local fans, Thoufeer has fallen in love with the French team. He fell in love with the 1998 final, which he watched on his uncle's television set, and then with Les Bleus' victory two years later at the Euro. Zidane, Trezeguet, Henry, Vieira and the others were magicians, legends," he says. There was no other choice.

In addition to helping its members follow the French team, the supporters' club organises tournaments for children, match screenings on the big screen and numerous charity actions, such as distributing sports equipment in underprivileged areas.
Saturday 19:00 GMT.
 
I feel bad for Nippon. They had it and couldn't hang on. I kept telling myself don't go to PK'! Don't go to PK! Don't go to PK! I knew if they went to penalty kicks it was pretty much over for Japan. Penalty kicks is where the much bigger and stronger players/goalies do better.
 
I feel bad for Nippon. They had it and couldn't hang on. I kept telling myself don't go to PK'! Don't go to PK! Don't go to PK! I knew if they went to penalty kicks it was pretty much over for Japan. Penalty kicks is where the much bigger and stronger players/goalies do better.
Penalty kicks is where football stops and quantum probabilities take over. There's no point even practising them beforehand because you can't, practice making sure it doesn't go to penalties instead.
 
Either game could go either way, but I'm happy with that result for the last 16. 3-0 was was as good as could be expected, and one more that Netherlands scored against them. Senegal were also 8 places ahead of Poland in the FIFA rankings.


PS: Did you know, the US leads the women's rankings?

Somehow I had an inkling the US female soccer team would be better than the males.It was when sweetie started rooting for his team I got this epiphany. I think it was PJ O'Rourke who wrote that soccer was considered a women's game in the US around the time the US hosted the World Cup.

So Sweetie like every other hormonally charged teen would have blow ups ( pun unintended) of all those female players in the walls of his room & his closet filled with the dresses they wear right down to their singlets, lingerie & g strings. Hence the hairless culo. Isn't it sweetie? @Innominate

Congratulations Paddy. You make it to the QF once more I see where you run into your brother in arms les francais aka les bleus - the current world champions.

You're but 3 matches away from lifting the WC i.e the World Cup.

You think you deserve to win?

Either way, all the best to you & les francais.

May the best team L-O-S-E.
 
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Oh dear, Switzerland... that was painful to watch... no pun.
 
Pathetic performance by Brazil. You cannot get into a PK situation with these tall Euro nations especially Croatia. Argentina also cannot get into a PK situation against Nederlands... would have been nice to see an Argie vs Brazil and England vs Argies for finals.

Congrats to Croatia for its win and continuing Brazil's Euro jinx.
 
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That result was a real surprise, nobody saw that coming.
 
Pathetic performance by Brazil. You cannot get into a PK situation with these tall Euro nations especially Croatia. Argentina also cannot get into a PK situation against Nederlands... would have been nice to see an Argie vs Brazil and England vs Argies for finals.

Congrats to Croatia for its win and continuing Brazil's Euro jinx.
Talk about an American yokel larping about soccer with the kind of authoritative air only a poseur can muster when if asked what's offside he / she / xe / xhe 'd jump to google it .
In the event I wasn't wrong in my assessment of him / her / xim / xer at all when I wrote every post has to conform to his / her / xis / xer conscious / sub conscious desire to thrust himself / herself / ximself / xerself into the limelight & kiss his / her / xis / xer hairless culo in every post he / she / xe / xhe makes irrespective of the subject matter discussed.
 
That result was a real surprise, nobody saw that coming.
I this point Brazil is nothing but reputation and aren't as good as the world thought it was.

Friggin Argies almost blew it and thought for sure they'd lose the PK. The beginning of PK it looked like the opposite happened from Brazil but even then the PK came to the last kick. I hope Frogs vs Limeys is that good. My wish for English vs Argies is almost there with one team lets see if the Brits can do it tomorrow.
 
I this point Brazil is nothing but reputation and aren't as good as the world thought it was.

Friggin Argies almost blew it and thought for sure they'd lose the PK. The beginning of PK it looked like the opposite happened from Brazil but even then the PK came to the last kick. I hope Frogs vs Limeys is that good. My wish for English vs Argies is almost there with one team lets see if the Brits can do it tomorrow.
FIFA had Brazil ranked number 1.