World Cup 2026

[celedhring]

Congratulations to Languish' cannucks

[Zoupa]

Deserved win overall I think. Although as soon as Davies came on, 90% of the play was "try to pass him the ball". That'll have to change for the next game.

RSA seemed to be waiting for penalties, so screw them. To dare is to do!

[Norgy]

Canada's 24 striker would've lost his place in my team for general incompetency, but it was a deserved win. Nice strike, too. Canada's 7 man of the match for me. I do question both teams' tactical choices, though, but in the end Canadian pluck beat South Africa's rather negative and cynical time-wasting/counter-attacks (that were poorly executed despite having 5 or 6 players against 3 or 4).

South Africa's right back, 20, he looked so much older than a lot of the players. I imagined him being a homicide police in Cape Town, nearing retirement. I am sure he had a Marlboro after the game.

[Jacob]

As a fan I rate pluck fairly high. If they're working hard and trying to attack, then we can hold our heads high - win or lose.

That said, Canada could really use a proper striker or two. Someone who can get the ball and finish accurately without having to touch the ball a couple of times first.

[Josephus]

As a fan I rate pluck fairly high. If they're working hard and trying to attack, then we can hold our heads high - win or lose.

That Saud, Canada could really use a proper striker or two. Someone who can get the ball and finish accurately without having to touch the ball a couple of times first.

Yeah this has been Canada's issue for the last year or so. A healthy Davies, although not a striker, can provide better balls into the box though.

In any case, realistically Canada is not going to win v Holland or Morocco, so the next game is a bonus

[mongers]

All any team now needs to do to be world champions is win their next five games. 

[HVC]

All any team now needs to do to be world champions is win their next five games. 

All someone needs to do is flap their arms fast enough and anyone can fly

[mongers]

All any team now needs to do to be world champions is win their next five games. 

All someone needs to do is flap their arms fast enough and anyone can fly

 

I might give your idea more consideration.

[Valmy]

Canada winning a knock out round match? Never though I would see the day.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I see that if England beat DRC they are highly likely to face Mexico in Mexico City. Which is at an altitude sufficiently high to favour Mexico (home ground too of course) 

Looks like a really tough tie.

[celedhring]

All any team now needs to do to be world champions is win their next five games. 

Oddly enough, the WC doesn't have many cases of a true underdog team just getting hot/lucky enough to carry the trophy home. It's just 4 games under the old format and football is a game with a decent amount of variance.

Granted, it's once every 4 years so you don't get many rolls of the dice, but I can think of the Greece year in the EC for example.

You have popular upsets like the Maracanazo, but Uruguay was a damn good team on its own. Maybe West Germany in 1954? First time it participated since WW2, very few pros on the team - but then... It's Germany.

[Maladict]

Maybe Morocco? They went far last time and they're still a very good team.
I'd love to see an African team take the title. Even if Mono wouldn't survive that.

[HVC]

I always thought Japan had the best chance to unseat the euro and South American teams. Perhaps not now but sooner than one expects. African teams crest and fall on too short a time line to make a team that can get to the finals, I think.

[celedhring]

I always thought Japan had the best chance to unseat the euro and South American teams. Perhaps not now but sooner than one expects. African teams crest and fall on too short a team line to make a team that can get to the finals, I think.

I don't see Asian teams amounting to much in the near term. Their leagues and federation tournaments are just too low-level, and their players don't move to Europe the way African players do.

[Sheilbh]

I see that if England beat DRC they are highly likely to face Mexico in Mexico City. Which is at an altitude sufficiently high to favour Mexico (home ground too of course) 

Looks like a really tough tie.

Yes and Mexico have an incredible record at the Azteca too. On the DRC though, I'd note that the guy doing the Lumumba statue will not be at the England-DRC game because he wasn't allowed into/couldn't get a visa for the US

Maybe Morocco? They went far last time and they're still a very good team.
I'd love to see an African team take the title. Even if Mono wouldn't survive that.

Same and I think 9 of the 10 CAF qualifers have got through to the knockouts. Having said that I am strongly anti-Morocco and pro-Senegal because of the AFCON shenanigans. So I don't want them to go too far, although I think Morocco would probably have the best change - and they're a very solid team (with a lovely kit).

I don't see Asian teams amounting to much in the near term. Their leagues and federation tournaments are just too low-level, and their players don't move to Europe the way African players do.

I also think there's less of a diaspora to tap into with players like Semenyo, Mbaye, Hakimi etc. I think African federations have become a lot more interested in scouting for eligible players in Europe and basically making a pitch for those players to declare for them. I think Morocco made a new record in Brazil-Morocco when not one of their players on the pitch was born in Morocco.

You've got brothers playing for different teams (Cote d'Ivoire and France or Ghana and Netherlands). And I think there's a particular story of how good France and the Netherlands are at producing good young players as I think they're the country of origin for half of the foreign-born players at this World Cup (followed, as you'd expect, by Germany, England, Sweden, Belgium and Spain - European countries with disapora communities).