Football (Soccer) Thread

[Josquius]

Awful timing for Forest to suddenly start playing.
Thankfully I forgot that particular game was on and watched something else last Friday.


Looks good in the Premier League anyway with either Spurs or West Ham probably going down.
West Ham are the more contemptable team, but Spurs are so much bigger and really are the posterchild for football as a business..... Just a shame Burnley couldn't knock them both down.



At the other end of football South Shields suffered a end of season drop in form and failed to win the National League North so are now set for the playoffs. Really got my fingers crossed for them. They've been rising through non-league a lot in recent years. We need more local teams in the football league.

[Norgy]

Awful timing for Forest to suddenly start playing.
Thankfully I forgot that particular game was on and watched something else last Friday.

I am sorry, I have no other explanation that the players finally understand what's at stake.

Also, it seems that Pereira is better at keeping players happy than Dyche was.

[Maladict]

PSA - never host the World Cup in your city. On top of the exorbitant cost, FIFA is now demanding that long cherished city events be cancelled. So no Jazz festival, no dragon boat races (which is a popular community event), and the list of cancellations goes on.

Isn't it a bit late to make demands? What are they going to do if we don't cancel those events? Move the games to the US?

FIFA is taking the position that it is their contractual right to insist on exclusivity.  I have not read the contract, and I am not sure it is publicly available, so I have no idea how valid their position is. But it is now being reported that the events are being cancelled, so I infer the obligation exists - and whoever is responsible for bringing this to town didn't do their due diligence before agreeing to be a host.

I'm sure they knew. This has been standard practice for FIFA.

However, I'm reading that Vancouver has turned down Infantino's request for a motorcade. 

In more typical news, FIFA recently opened a new office in Trump Tower in New York and  decided to introduce a 'Super Bowl-style halftime show'.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

Quebec's Tourism/Sport minister at the time said she couldn't fanthom telling F1 that Montreal couldn't host the race in 2026.

FIFA vs. FIA is a cage match I'd pay to see.

[crazy canuck]

PSA - never host the World Cup in your city. On top of the exorbitant cost, FIFA is now demanding that long cherished city events be cancelled. So no Jazz festival, no dragon boat races (which is a popular community event), and the list of cancellations goes on.

Isn't it a bit late to make demands? What are they going to do if we don't cancel those events? Move the games to the US?

FIFA is taking the position that it is their contractual right to insist on exclusivity.  I have not read the contract, and I am not sure it is publicly available, so I have no idea how valid their position is. But it is now being reported that the events are being cancelled, so I infer the obligation exists - and whoever is responsible for bringing this to town didn't do their due diligence before agreeing to be a host.

I'm sure they knew. This has been standard practice for FIFA.

However, I'm reading that Vancouver has turned down Infantino's request for a motorcade. 

This is a municipal election year in the province, and folks around here are pretty pissed off with FIFA so it would've been political suicide to give in to FIFA's further requests.  Well, even greater political suicide because I suspect that those who were responsible for bringing FIFA to town are going to pay a very heavy political price.

[Norgy]

In more typical news, FIFA recently opened a new office in Trump Tower in New York and  decided to introduce a 'Super Bowl-style halftime show'.

Football is in need of more theatrics? 

Half time is when you go to pee, and buy an over-priced sausage of some kind. So you can regret it during the second half.

Given how heavily associated with Trump Infantino has gotten, I can imagine what type of half time shows there will be. 

[Sheilbh]

In more typical news, FIFA recently opened a new office in Trump Tower in New York and  decided to introduce a 'Super Bowl-style halftime show'.

I saw this: "For the first time in history the World Cup Final will have a halftime show. It will be organized by Chris Martin & Coldplay and could take up to 25 minutes."

Somehow it kept getting worse with every word.

[Jacob]

Disgusting

[HVC]

Yeah, because the World Cup really needs a spectacle to draw in the viewers 

[crazy canuck]

It needs to appeal to the American audience that will be watching the final.

[Sheilbh]

I didn't know they liked Coldplay that much. Is there no end to American depravity.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I am shocked, even though I'm barely aware of Coldplay (extraordinarily lucky in that I believe).

[Syt]

In more typical news, FIFA recently opened a new office in Trump Tower in New York and  decided to introduce a 'Super Bowl-style halftime show'.

I saw this: "For the first time in history the World Cup Final will have a halftime show. It will be organized by Chris Martin & Coldplay and could take up to 25 minutes."

Somehow it kept getting worse with every word.

Starting to feel like I did with the Russia and Qatar World Cups, i.e. it's getting quite likely I'll just ignore the whole sorry affair. That it coincides with Trump's/MAGA's 250 Year celebrations doesn't help.

[crazy canuck]

I am shocked, even though I'm barely aware of Coldplay (extraordinarily lucky in that I believe).

Where were you in the late 90s?

[HVC]

I am shocked, even though I'm barely aware of Coldplay (extraordinarily lucky in that I believe).

Are you saying you had a conscious uncoupling with Coldplay?