FIFA Discussion Thread (The Road To Russia 2018)

[inte]

i thought we were going to talk about corruption and other fun stuff
:/

Just watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXyWCQeLxrc

Go 'Murika!

There is a second FIFA video, which actually goes over the scandal a bit

[Majiffy]

Don't call it the fucking Fifa thread. Liking sport shouldn't sound so corporate.

It's widely recognized and also

Also

Not as easily confused with other sport for American users.

also Germany v Brazil 2014

Hahaha that was such an amusing match.

[N]

Go the Matildas!

[Majiffy]

Tbh I'm kinda rooting for Sweden I think they're a stronger team and deserve it more.

If we're talking about this particular game. Otherwise, go US.

[N]

Australian soccer teams have the best names.

[Majiffy]

True

[Majiffy]

Perth Glory is fucking awesome

[quadz08]

nigerian team had 'esther sunday' which i thought was pretty entertaining

Seriously though, the Nigerian keeper played utterly out of her brains tonight. Made at least 4 ridiculous saves.

[Zachrulez]

nigerian team had 'esther sunday' which i thought was pretty entertaining

Seriously though, the Nigerian keeper played utterly out of her brains tonight. Made at least 4 ridiculous saves.

Still won though. It was funny to watch people on TV talk about what was wrong with the U.S. because they didn't plunk like 5 past Nigeria despite the fact that the U.S. did in fact largely outplay them and won the group.

[quadz08]

I mean, we outplayed Nigeria, but we're supposed to clobber Nigeria. In terms of equivalent rankings right now, that's Belgium vs Bosnia and Herzegovina on the men's side (and the women's 33 is definitely less competitive than the men's 33, due to underdevelopment of women's soccer programs outside of a handful of countries). I don't think Belgium walks away from beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0 super happy, goalkeeper heroics nonwithstanding.

I see your point - we won, we won the group, we're in a good spot going forward (obviously) - but that doesn't mean we look like the 2nd best team in the world, which we supposedly are.

[Glork]

I mean it was evident we were playing a possession game in the second half and didn't really push in the last 20 minutes once they went down a player. There's no reason to either. The only way we don't win our group is if we let them go for broke on a counter attack.

[Majiffy]

I watched the Aus/Sweden match instead, which, despite all the goals being in the first half, was a very entertaining show.

Real nail-biter rooting for the Swedes in the last 20 minutes, too. Shame they couldn't pull off a win.

[Zachrulez]

I mean, we outplayed Nigeria, but we're supposed to clobber Nigeria. In terms of equivalent rankings right now, that's Belgium vs Bosnia and Herzegovina on the men's side (and the women's 33 is definitely less competitive than the men's 33, due to underdevelopment of women's soccer programs outside of a handful of countries). I don't think Belgium walks away from beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0 super happy, goalkeeper heroics nonwithstanding.

I see your point - we won, we won the group, we're in a good spot going forward (obviously) - but that doesn't mean we look like the 2nd best team in the world, which we supposedly are.

Sometimes you just aren't going to light it up on the scoreboard. A win is a win no matter how you get it. The good teams pull out the win. The not so good ones let Nigeria back in that game.

[quadz08]

we very nearly did, is my point

I'm not complaining about lack of goals (though I can see why you'd read my post that way, I probably wasn't clear enough). I'm more saying that we just don't look good enough. We aren't passing effectively enough in the attacking third. Julie Johnston played defense for the entire back 4, and Megan Rapinoe was our entire midfield. The first half was the Solo, Johnston, Rapinoe, and 8 Extremely Mediocre Players Show.

[LlamaFluff]

So USA ends up with a Colombia first round and it would be a winner of China/Cameroon after that. Then comes a Germany/Sweden/France game and what would likely be a final against Brazil.

[Majiffy]

The first half was the Solo, Johnston, Rapinoe, and 8 Extremely Mediocre Players Show.

Wait until Solo, Wambach & Rapinoe retire, then we completely shit the bed. Morgan is good, but she's really not performing to the level she needs to when the vets go.

Hell, I thought Solo was supposed to retire after the

last

world cup.

[Flameaxe]

meanwhile clint dempsey getting a yellow card for grabbing the ref's book, then a red for tearing it up in protest of a call.

#AMERICA #MLSHASARRIVEDINUSOC

[Majiffy]

Lol

[quadz08]

The first half was the Solo, Johnston, Rapinoe, and 8 Extremely Mediocre Players Show.

Wait until Solo, Wambach & Rapinoe retire, then we completely shit the bed. Morgan is good, but she's really not performing to the level she needs to when the vets go.

Hell, I thought Solo was supposed to retire after the

last

world cup.

I'm most concerned about Solo, tbh - the field players will find people to pick up the pieces the retirees drop, newer folks to the team will step up and become leaders, etc. It is the way of things. Replacing Solo is going to be a goddamn nightmare, though - IMO, she's one of the best keepers in the world of either gender, and her backups just aren't of the same quality.

[Majiffy]

I'm most concerned about Solo, tbh - the field players will find people to pick up the pieces the retirees drop, newer folks to the team will step up and become leaders, etc. It is the way of things. Replacing Solo is going to be a goddamn nightmare, though - IMO, she's one of the best keepers in the world of either gender, and her backups just aren't of the same quality.

Agree 100%

[Zachrulez]

So USA ends up with a Colombia first round and it would be a winner of China/Cameroon after that. Then comes a Germany/Sweden/France game and what would likely be a final against Brazil.

Not gonna be Brazil!

[quadz08]

US-Japan rematch, then?

[T S O]

Do people actually watch women's soccer? It seems so mind-numbingly mediocre.

[quadz08]

I like watching women's soccer better once you get to the really quality teams - so much less flopping and whining than you get in the men's game. It's really nice.

And the only reasons women's soccer is generally worse than men's is because there's no money put into women's soccer - you'll note that all the best women's soccer teams are from rich countries (or Brazil, but Brazil is a weird exception and Marta is basically Messi). Julie Foudy actually wrote an article on it this morning - I haven't read it myself, but it's getting some rotation amongst the soccer folk on twitter and such.

[shaft.ed]

so much less flopping and whining than you get in the men's game. It's really nice.

p much this