The Soccer Thread (Version 13) — Winter World Cup Edition

This just sounds frigging miserable
Qatar warns fans about sneaking alcohol at WC

 

It does, but it kind of squares with a thought I've had several times once it became apparent this Qatar thing was really going to happen.

Is this a "World" Cup or a Parts of the World That Are OK With Alcohol Cup? Largely, how do you effectively hold Qatar and the tournament organizers responsible for their many and varied offenses without punishing the rank and file Middle Eastern soccer fan or just resorting to racism?

 

Sport in the UK will be shuttered for a few days of mourning. EPL weekend likely off.

 

You don't. You studiously look the other way and let the money roll in, and if anyone complains you mumble something about respecting differences and not "politicizing sport". Soccer is a vehicle for change and bettering the world when it can get you a Nobel Peace Prize but only a game and not a political matter when it ruffles the feathers of your biggest donors.

 

Ten-day mourning period ends Sunday week, so that could mean two matchdays cancelled.

Combined with the World Cup pause, this will create a real scheduling crunch in the rest of the pyramid, as well as the EPL.

 

Not just the Premier League, every level of the EFL is bagged for the weekend. To Twirling's point, there are Championship/L1/L2 fixtures scheduled for midweek next week. There are 46 matches in the lower leagues compared to 38 in the Prem, so you really can't squeeze the schedule more than it already is. We shall see.

EDIT: Just saw a post from Watford saying that fixtures will resume on Tuesday.

 

The Figo Affair on Netflix about him moving from Barca to Real Madrid was pretty good. Soccer is such a sleazy business.

 

Excuse me while I add a bunch of vowels to my name and run through a wall.

 

The Wrexham show is a bit heavy handed and staged. Those women sitting outside a cafe perfectly shot with perfectly relevant commentary? Come on.

And how does the team get a manager and a forward to drop down two leagues?

 

I'm $ure they had $ome good rea$on$.

 

I'm enjoying the Wrexham show but it's definitely not written for diehards.