Football (Soccer) Thread

[Tamas]

An opinion I read and agree with is that as bad as this Qatar WC is from how it was awarded to how it was prepared, the world should really feel ashamed for the 2018 one. Letting Russia proceed with it after 2014 and just everyone ignoring what was going on in Ukraine at the time not to mention the Russian regime (which in a lot of ways ain't exactly better than the Qatar one) was already a low and they should have received as much criticism as Qatar has.

[Sheilbh]

I am totally not in world cup mood. Not even sure who is in Germany's group or who plays for the team.

Same - I've also not seen a single car, van or home with an England flag out which is normally what starts to happen in the run up to a tournament.

An opinion I read and agree with is that as bad as this Qatar WC is from how it was awarded to how it was prepared, the world should really feel ashamed for the 2018 one. Letting Russia proceed with it after 2014 and just everyone ignoring what was going on in Ukraine at the time not to mention the Russian regime (which in a lot of ways ain't exactly better than the Qatar one) was already a low and they should have received as much criticism as Qatar has.

I agree but I think that is why the BBC, for example, are going in so hard this time. My understanding is that as well as getting training sessions for all commentators and pundits with Amnesty, LGBT+ groups, women's groups etc. Several have already mentioned Amnesty's proposal of a FIFA $400 million compensattion scheme for the families of dead migrant workers - a bit like FIFA's $200 million compensation scheme for clubs having to release their players at this time of year.

I think they covered the issues with Russia in the run up to the tournament and then it all disappeared in the coverage once it started. I think they've made very conscious efforts to avoid that this time. I read that they had a big review of 2018 and think they made mistakes which they're now trying to fix (and might go too far in the other direction this time? ).

[Josquius]

BBC started on a good note talking a lot about the shit and not just showing the clichéd fan introductions /tourism advert that I believe Qatar wanted.

Football wise not getting where that was offside.

Same - I've also not seen a single car, van or home with an England flag out which is normally what starts to happen in the run up to a tournament.

Metropolitan liberal elite bubble I fear there.
I've seen a bunch. Albeit less than would be normal I think, largely just in really scummy pubs, garages, the odd car, etc...

[FunkMonk]

Qatar getting absolutely played off the park by Ecuador. 

[Josephus]

Lol. Qatar not off to a great start.

*edit* or not.

It must be one of those special Host Country Offsides.

I thought they'd do something new and bribe the team. Guess they just decided to stay with the classics.

It was offside. A close call. But it was offside. Ecuador also got awarded a penalty and the second  goal could also have been called offside, so let's do away with the bribes conspiracy. 

[HVC]

Lol. Qatar not off to a great start.

*edit* or not.

It must be one of those special Host Country Offsides.

I thought they'd do something new and bribe the team. Guess they just decided to stay with the classics.

It was offside. A close call. But it was offside. Ecuador also got awarded a penalty and the second  goal could also have been called offside, so let's do away with the bribes conspiracy. 

Pfft, that's no fun

[Sheilbh]

Metropolitan liberal elite bubble I fear there.
I've seen a bunch. Albeit less than would be normal I think, largely just in really scummy pubs, garages, the odd car, etc...

Maybe - you normally see plenty driving round

[Duque de Bragança]

De facto pro-Qatari whataboutism fails to note that as bad as the Putin régime is, it did not enslave in peace time (war time is another matter as we can see now) "imported" South Asians by the thousands, killing a lot in the process (some North Koreans got exported by their regime however), did not impose Wahhabi puritanism on foreign supporters (maybe for the foolhardy ones dropping though Chechnya but no games there) and its world cup is still much greener (sorry) with all those free trains for supporters and some stadia which can still find a use after the competition.

And that was the most expensive World Cup up to date, with lots of money lost to Russian oligarch graft, a factor which would cause even more trouble later on.

Not to mention Russia is a real football country and has hotel capacity, at least in most cities.
And that's from the hateful Putin régime which wanted the World Cup for PR reasons after the international bad press  of Russian hooligans in EURO France 2016 (attributed in 2010 at the same time as Qatar before the war in Ukraine which started in 2014 in a pseudo-covert way), or simply the covert war in Ukraine.

Also, the coverage before the World Cup in Russia even claimed Russian hooligans would target foreign fans and claimed homosexuals would be at risk in Russia (sounds familiar? nobody heard of the Bolshoi ballet dancers I guess). The former something even people opposed to Putin in Russia never believed. It  would be promptly used by the Putin narrative as proof that Western media = propaganda lies!

Opening tourism to places in Russia outside of Moscow and St-Petersburg even did some good to the average Russian mentality, lowering xenophobia, and discovering the virtues of tourism outside of big centres, with Fan IDs tourist visas extended freely for 2019, whereas "fans" going to Qatar have to pay every time they stay more than 24 hours in the country.
So, if you want to compare Putin's WC with another one, try Galtieri's or even Mussolini's in 1934, possibly Berlin Olympics (we get no Leni Riefenstahl's propaganda masterpiece however).

Wahhabi Cup is another dimension, a whole new one.

Of course, now in 2022 Putinistan is now back in full backwards and murderous mode...

As for the metropolitan bubble, I can't really comment living in Paris (ahem), a city not exactly fond of football in a country not known for its football fervor, but it's really the lowest I can remember, and it's not just an autumn weather matter.

[Duque de Bragança]

Lol. Qatar not off to a great start.

*edit* or not.

It must be one of those special Host Country Offsides.

I thought they'd do something new and bribe the team. Guess they just decided to stay with the classics.

It was offside. A close call. But it was offside. Ecuador also got awarded a penalty and the second  goal could also have been called offside, so let's do away with the bribes conspiracy. 

Pfft, that's no fun

Wait, the Sheik forgot to pay the right persons when the pay of foreign "fans" was cancelled? 

[Duque de Bragança]

Qatar getting absolutely played off the park by Ecuador. 

CONMEBOL team superior to an AFC team, which never qualified for the World Cup previously?!     

[Duque de Bragança]

French commentators claim the statistics system on their screen is not working well, with ball possession being described as 46 % vs 41 %. 

[Josephus]

So no water breaks, so obviously the a/c is doing it's job

[Duque de Bragança]

So no water breaks, so obviously the a/c is doing it's job

Some French football site perfidiously noted the stadium A/C was on despite only +23°C. 

[Maladict]

FIFA introduced new captain bands at the last minute, presumably to get rid of the One Love bands several teams will wear. 

[Duque de Bragança]

Ecuador is happy with 2-0 (humiliating the host might be risky after all) and is waiting for the game to end.
They just missed a big chance however.

Maladict 

  or  take your pick.