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

Feels like one of the more likely scenarios today.

 

Wow, that guy went coast to coast! Argentina up 2-0.

 

Second time I've heard a Fox analyst use "rumbling, bumbling, stumbling. " Somewhere, Keith Jackson is smiling. If he's watching soccer.

 

I did not expect a 3-0 romp.

 

France-Argentina is going to be crazy (with respect to Morocco)

 

That probably has to do with the fact that MLS announced its linear TV package for national broadcasts and Fox is the only English-language outlet, which is too bad both because Fox's soccer coverage is stupid and because Jon Champion came all the way over the pond to do it for ESPN. And since Fox has the next World Cup and the next two? Euros, the WWL is all but frozen out of elite soccer for the rest of the decade save for the leagues it has on ESPN+, which I don't think they do a hell of a lot of studio resources on.

 

Yeah, I realized that was the cause after I saw people posting about losing their jobs. Sucks all the way around.

Also, since the WC has started, every time they show Argentina fans I look for people wearing jerseys that don't have the "Messi 10" on the back. I've seen a couple without any name or number, but I haven't seen any other player's kit in the stands. I can't think of another player who has that kind of hold on a fanbase. Even during the Beckham era, you'd see other England player jerseys in the stands. But I guess when the GOAT is on your team, you get his shirt.

 

Curious if some not-so-young fans have another No. 10 ... Diego Maradona.

 

Ho Visto Maradona.

 

I wondered that too. Some of the shirts just had a 10 on them, without a name. So those might be double-dipping for both of them.