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

Nah, I was spent after the Final. I had the KC game on (since I didn't get Sunday Ticket this season), but I was reading during the second half. I wasn't riveted to the screen like I was with the soccer. YMMV.

 

One of the few times I believe going over the top was justified.

https://www.theringer.com/world-cup...ce-world-cup-final-lionel-messi-kylian-mbappe

 

Soccer is odd to us Americans because we don’t get the constant replays. I probably forgot half of the great plays.

But, near the end Messi just teed up a howitzer that was some how saved. Holy fuck. That was amazing on both sides.

 

Holy hell, what a great match that was today.

 

Eh, nothing happened in Vegas today.

 

I was going to make a Qatar statement with this, but decided to leave it off. Just keep with the games that were played for this comment.

There is a whole other topic with where the games took place. It definitely is a conflict to how great this World Cup was actionwise. I am sure FIFA and Qatar will use it to claim how much of a success and appropriate everything else was.

 

I also was going to mention this, but sometimes the back and forth with people who don't like the sport is just nonsensical. I feel like it is just as bad to an extent. They aren't going to like it, we need to stop worrying about it!

Even the ending it on PKs. I get the argument against it, especially when we have things like Stanley Cup playoff OTs that go on for hours, but it isn't apples to apples and if you look at how PKs are played, and especially in this World Cup, the argument kind of goes away. Keepers have gotten really good at them. They aren't gimmes. The pressure too. Like France's second miss (that would have been saved even if it was on target). There is beauty in how it is decided that way as well. Again, they aren't going to get it, so ...

But I bet there were some converts with this World Cup.

 

This was one of the great World Cups of all time on the pitch, but too bad it was played in winter with so much competition for attention in the U.S., mainly from the NFL.

There won't be another winter WC ever. Full stop. Even if the Saudis money-whip FIFA for 2034 or whatever, show me the air-conditioned domes first.