Football (Soccer) Thread

[celedhring]

Yeah, Luís Enrique is always complaining how the tournament clashes with the necessary prep for the WC.

FWIW, I didn't even know how Spain was doing in it until Jacob mentioned it :p - we are top of our group but Portugal is just one point below.

[Josquius]

Surprised more countries haven't just outright sent their under 23s or more of a firm b squad.

[Duque de Bragança]

I wonder if the UEFA Nations League is going to become something people care about... seems like a legit competition.

So far I'd say it's just in the "people only care when they win it" tier of trophies.

That may be true for the top teams (say les Bleus) for but for smaller teams, even more so in the lower divisions (B, C & D) it's taken seriously.
I agree with Sheilbh, about this saturated season and the rest.

As for the last games :

Portugal played twice Switzerland, first a 4-0 in Clandestino's place than a 1-0 defeat away in Calvin's city.  Czechia was beaten 2-0 previously, also in Clandestino's lair (Sporting stadium Alvalade in Lisbon).
B-team aligned for the away game in the first half, classic Bruno Fernandes incompetence, Nuno Mendes nowhere near his level with PSG, Leão even less so after this great season with A.C Miland.
Add in realist Swiss (first shot first goal) and the goalkeeper doing the game of his life.
Uninspired Portuguese attacking and Cancelo still sucks at his defensive duties as a lateral/wing-back.
Felt like playing away for the Swiss (huge Portuguese community in Geneva/Romand Switzerland), as a game involving Porto, Benfica or the Selecção in Paris. 

In the meantime, Spain won twice, against Czechia and Switzerland, but tied once as well with Czechia.

Great Marca journalism, see the comparison for the Portuguese victory vs Czechia by the way  :

Portugal sofoca la sublevación Checa
El combinado luso ha logrado lo que no pudo hacer el ejército alemán en 1945, sofocar la insurrección de la República Checa.

https://www.marca.com/futbol/nations-league/portugal-vs-republica-checa/cronica/2022/06/09/62a25ca946163f6c808b461c.html

Apples and oranges? 

[celedhring]

Christ 

For the Spanish-impeded, the quote says "The Portuguese team achieved what the German army failed to do in 1945: to quash the Czech insurrection"

[Sheilbh]

Saw a rumour someone's trying to buy Everton from some journalist. Searched for the guy and the first result was headlined "the most despicable man in football", which sounds sub-optimal

Although that article was over 15 years ago and it'd be a big shout now we're all thinking a little bit more about Saudi, Emirati, Qatari and Russian oligarch owners....

No idea if it'll happen but our owner was very closely associated with Usmanov and we were heavily sponsored by Usmanov's companies - there were always rumours that he was basically the shadow owner. It would be nice to move away from "rumoured to be controlled by a sanctioned oligarch".

Edit: Oh FFS:

Farhad Moshiri's disastrous ownership of Everton has taken a surreal twist, with news the eccentric billionaire is in talks to sell the club to close associates of Donald Trump and Steve Bannon.

[FunkMonk]

WTF 

Everton to become the MAGA club

[Zoupa]

Someone please explain to me how that was a penalty in the France-Croatia game. Baffling.

Croatia looked exhausted and weren't running at all. France played for maybe 10 minutes towards the end of the game, and probably because Deschamps was playing benchwarmers.

I don't even remember what the point of the Nation's League is. Is it to qualify for the Euros?

[Zoupa]

Nvm, found it. Look how easy and intuitive this crapfest is 

UEFA European Championship link
Main article: UEFA European Championship qualifying
The UEFA Nations League is linked with the UEFA European Championship qualifying, providing teams another chance to qualify for the UEFA European Championship.

There were play-offs for each of Leagues A, B, C, and D in October and November 2020. Each group winner earned a spot in the semi-finals. If the group winner was already one of the 20 qualified teams, rankings were used to give the play-off spot to another team of that league. If fewer than four teams in the entire league remained unqualified, play-off spots for that league were given to teams of the next lower league. This determined the four remaining qualifying spots for the European Championship (out of 24 total).[8][9][15]

FIFA World Cup link
Main article: FIFA World Cup qualification § Europe
The Nations League is linked with European qualification for the FIFA World Cup, although to a lesser degree than the UEFA European Championship qualifying play-offs. The first round of the World Cup qualification consists of ten groups. The winner of each group will directly qualify for the World Cup. Then, the second round (which follows a play-off format) will be contested by the ten group runners-up, plus the best two Nations League group winners (based on the Nations League overall ranking) that finished outside the top two of their qualifying group. The play-offs will be split into three play-off paths, played in two semi-finals (hosted by the six best-ranked runners-up of the qualifying group stage) and the final (with the home teams to be drawn), from which an additional three teams will also qualify.[16]

[Zanza]

Qatar does not allow alcohol. Anheuser-Busch is one of the big FIFA and World Cup sponsors. Oops.

[Barrister]

Qatar does not allow alcohol. Anheuser-Busch is one of the big FIFA and World Cup sponsors. Oops.

Will the World Cup convince them to change it?

I remember hearing that Brazil for the longest time didn't allow alcohol in soccer stadiums due to the increased risk of violence / hooliganism.  But one of the requirements of FIFA when they held the World Cup there was to allow alcohol at games, precisely because of the sponsors.

[celedhring]

Fully expecting FIFA to push back hard on this, while having ignored the much more worrying things Qatar does 

[Barrister]

Fully expecting FIFA to push back hard on this, while having ignored the much more worrying things Qatar does 

It would be on-brand for FIFA...

[Sheilbh]

I believe - and I could be wrong here - that for the World Cup stadiums become FIFAland. Just like the IOC has some weird jurisdiction over the Olympics sites.

I think partner venues like hotels also have to meet FIFA rules which will, I imagine, include selling the sponsors' products. Which I think is probably how Qatar functions anyway - like Dubai or Abu Dhabi you can drink in hotels and bars for expats/tourists. I think the hotels even have to be "non-discriminatory" to openly gay fans (not that I imagine many will be going to Qatar).

The whole thing is just going to be so grim

[Barrister]

I believe - and I could be wrong here - that for the World Cup stadiums become FIFAland. Just like the IOC has some weird jurisdiction over the Olympics sites.

I think partner venues like hotels also have to meet FIFA rules which will, I imagine, include selling the sponsors' products. Which I think is probably how Qatar functions anyway - like Dubai or Abu Dhabi you can drink in hotels and bars for expats/tourists. I think the hotels even have to be "non-discriminatory" to openly gay fans (not that I imagine many will be going to Qatar).

The whole thing is just going to be so grim

I mentioned this years ago...

The Women's World Cup was held in Canada in 2015.  Some of the games were held in Edmonton.

As per FIFA rules my then 5 year old could not play his scheduled soccer game one day because it was scheduled for the same time as a World Cup match.  Because obviously I would then turn around and take a 5 year old to an expensive World Cup game, instead of him kicking a ball around at the local park.

[Josquius]

Qatar will be a mess even without considering alcohol.. Complete lack of hotel availability.