2018 World Cup running thread

Great result for Iceland. That was fucking awesome.

That, plus yesterday Spain v. Portugal—what a fabulous game... This World Cup has had an electric start. Hope it continues into the knockout rounds for once.

 

They don't even have 500k people in the country. You think the commentators don't know they went to the quarters in 16? Think the point is just for them to reach the WC
is still kind of Cinderella, especially when countries like Italy and the Netherlands didn't.

 

It's the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup playing its first ever WC match against big bad Argentina and arguably the greatest player ever.

The Cinderella spin was justified on those grounds alone.

 

I am wandering around Tirana and there is a huge-ass tv, like concert-sized, set up in the town center. It’s raining but lots of people are watching.

 

It's also worth bearing in mind most Americans haven't spared a moment's thought for Iceland since the last time they saw Mighty Ducks 2, so the facts stated by Mr. Gee are likely lost on them.

 

I thought the same thing

 

I hate these arguments. If we go by population, India and China should dominate every sport.

Iceland made the quarters of the Euros 2 years ago. They are very good.

And I hate shoehorning American sports analogies to international teams. Michigan State - Notre Dame from 50 years ago? Didn't like it.

 

Went on my usual long Saturday ride. On the way back home, I spun through downtown and past two bars. Both were open early. Both had chalkboards out advertising World Cup (and CWS) on the TVs. Pretty decent crowds for 10 am.

 

The Peru-Denmark announcer is like Ray Hudson on meth.

 

This is their first World Cup. There have been numerous teams who have done well in qualifying only to flame out in the group stage. And there have been Euro runs in the past.

 

Broadcasters for the World Cup tend to treat the group stage as broadcasts for casual fans, not people who would be aware of Iceland's run in the Euros in 2016.