The Official FIFA World Cup 2022 Megathread

[jd1981]

So - reference to the comments that it has been a poor tournament .

The standard of International football has fallen in general over the last 10 - 15 years . At present we have Germany at a fairly low point for them when you consider that they have been one of the powerhouses for many years . Brazil are a long way short of standards they used to set themselves .
Italian football in general has fallen way down . The recent win in the Euros was a surprise , they had momentum coming into to it and held onto it , just . However their word cup campaign was disappointing , failing to qualify for a finish .
The Spanish have become boring to watch and have no finisher , a big issue for them . Even their creativity is lacking .
The African teams as a whole have not made the progress you would have expected .
Portugal need to move on the older generation and sweep the broom wide while they are at it .
France are still up there , but they do have two world class players in Mbappe and Greizmann - tends to help .

It therefore should have been a great opportunity for England to make progress , but it was a chance spurned once again , against a French team operating at a far lower level than 2018 , with no Kante , Pogba or Benzema .

It should be a golden opportunity for England to emerge and win something . Time is moving on and the teams mentioned above won't be as average for a lot longer one suspects .

Still the top level players playing international football however the standard of coaching at international sides is poor compared to their club counterparts. Coaches you’ve got in charge of certain nations at this World Cup are way below club management.

Southgate
Enrique
Frick
Santos
Deschamps
Tite
Martinez

All in charge of good groups of players but most would struggle for another top job outside international management

 

[Donegal Wolf]

Always more entertaining to have a dog in the fight. I backed Argentina at the start but think France will win, the two headliners will be cancelled out but France have a better supporting cast (especially Grizeman).

Qatar come up trumps final involves the two stars of their European outpost, conspiracy theorists will be out on force.

 

[Donegal Wolf]

Don't think it has been a poor tournament, more like all the teams now play a very similar way, nearly all the main players of every team play in Europe and the sides all play a very European way, Someone said earlier in the week that Pep was the biggest influence on the England team, would go further and say is influence on most teams and teams not only know how to play thst way but also stop the opposition playing that way.
In the past South American, African, Asian sides etc would have their own style and idiosyncrasies.
Don't think I am alone when saying the most entertaining 20 mins of the tournament was when the Dutch turned into 1988 Wimbledon, as Argentina didn't know how to cope.
Not saying for a second we should all go back to that (fuck be Italia 90 again), but like boxing certain meeting of styles produces either great or bad fights, possibly same with football in this tournament.

 

[Johnny75]

Still the top level players playing international football however the standard of coaching at international sides is poor compared to their club counterparts. Coaches you’ve got in charge of certain nations at this World Cup are way below club management.

Southgate
Enrique
Frick
Santos
Deschamps
Tite
Martinez

All in charge of good groups of players but most would struggle for another top job outside international management

Apart from Flick who has won everything in the German game as a manager that's probably about right.

Edit, and of course Enrique who has done the same in Spain.

 

[Dire Wolf]

Don't think it has been a poor tournament, more like all the teams now play a very similar way, nearly all the main players of every team play in Europe and the sides all play a very European way, Someone said earlier in the week that Pep was the biggest influence on the England team, would go further and say is influence on most teams and teams not only know how to play thst way but also stop the opposition playing that way.
In the past South American, African, Asian sides etc would have their own style and idiosyncrasies.
Don't think I am alone when saying the most entertaining 20 mins of the tournament was when the Dutch turned into 1988 Wimbledon, as Argentina didn't know how to cope.
Not saying for a second we should all go back to that (fuck be Italia 90 again), but like boxing certain meeting of styles produces either great or bad fights, possibly same with football in this tournament.

I think there's an element of truth to this, today's football is very much based on being coached to play a certain way, it's about finding ways to 'break the lines' (am I alone in finding that an overused and annoying phrase)? But for me the most exciting and entertaining moments are still the individual moments of brilliance and skill that make that happen. And there have been enough exciting bits of brilliance to make most of these games enjoyable.

The ones that haven't been are the games that have lacked those moments of spontaneity and ingenuity that have broken down the systems. The games involving the teams that have rigidly stuck to their system have been the dull ones. Take yesterday's Morocvo v France game, it was entertaining in the 2nd half mainly because Morocco basically just went for it and threw everything they had at France. Sadly, in the end it wasn't enough, partly because France had 1 or 2 players who were able to create something out of not very much.

 

[1986]

Has the timing of the tournament anything to do with the standard - a Winter World Cup - where the Managers had far less time with their players in advance than normal ?

Personally I think the standard overall at International level has dropped . Look at the likes of De Bruyne who never seems to make an impact for Belgium .

Do the players care less for International football than they used to ?

I have still enjoyed the matches mind you . There will always be poor matches in a tournament of this size - and the more teams they allow in the worse it will get .

 

[Wellen Wolf]

Forgive me for being myopic but in my view the World Cup has been a complete waste of time for players connected with our great club now and recently apart from Romain Saiss and on a much lower level, Hwang. Apart from the 'been there, done that' thing and playing 'Where's Wally?' while sitting on the bench, what a complete let down for Neves, Nunes, Sa and our former friends, Coady and Patricio.

 

[1986]

Forgive me for being myopic but in my view the World Cup has been a complete waste of time for players connected with our great club now and recently apart from Romain Saiss and on a much lower level, Hwang. Apart from the 'been there, done that' thing and playing 'Where's Wally?' while sitting on the bench, what a complete let down for Neves, Nunes, Sa and our former friends, Coady and Patricio.

There are a huge number of players who spend most of a Premier League season sitting on a bench too - is that a complete waste of time ?
Only 11 players can start with 5 more ( maximum ) coming on , with a squad size of 26 I think .

All players know this when they head out there .

 

[Alan]

If a player is ambivalent about representing their country, especially at a World Cup, they shouldn’t be called up. Period.

IMO.

 

[Jinky]

Portugal 3-2 Ghana
Cameroon 3-3 Serbia
South Korea 2-3 Ghana
Costa Rica 2-4 Germany
Japan 2-1 Spain
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
Cameroon 1-0 Brazil
Netherlands 2-2 Argentina
England 1-2 France

There have been enjoyable games in this World Cup and anyone saying it's been "shit" have obviously watched the wrong games. Morocco finishing top of their group and progressing to the semi finals. Japan finishing top of theirs above Spain. Germany getting knocked out at the group stage. Australia somehow getting out of their group with two wins. There have been some genuinely big surprises, from an entertainment perspective.

That said, I do agree with the overall sentiment that the quality, in general, has dropped from a few years back. There's so much on the line that quite often, instead of teams really going for it, the managers set up their sides to not lose. There were also a hell of a lot of shite games in tournaments highlighted in the past as "better", so lets not rewrite history.

We all know the serious question marks surrounding the tourmanent being where it is and when it is, but I don't want to open that can of worms again. In terms of the football, there's been some good and bad.

I do think the winner is going to be a side that, if the tournament was played again tomorrow, probably wouldn't win it again. Genuinely not a lot between 6-7 countries.

 

[Kenny]

Netherlands 2-2 Argentina

I would add to this, the game was 80 mins of utter shit then 10 mins + added time of insane madness which = entertainment, followed by 30 mins of more utter shit.

The period when Holland went full Pulis was superb though

 

[Wellen Wolf]

There are a huge number of players who spend most of a Premier League season sitting on a bench too - is that a complete waste of time .
Only 11 players can start with 5 more ( maximum ) coming on , with a squad size of 26 I think .

All players know this when they head out there .

Sure. No problem with your point. I just couldn't imagine doing what people like John Ruddy have done. Soul destroying and paid ridiculous amounts of money to do it.

 

[Kenny]

Sure. No problem with your point. I just couldn't imagine doing what people like John Ruddy have done. Soul destroying and paid ridiculous amounts of money to do it.

All comes down to what you view about the role as a footballer. Keepers especially, can only ever be 1 on the pitch (more if Dave Jones is in charge or less if its Stuart Pearce).

Saw a great thing on Scott Carson. He is 3rd choice at City, decent wage and will get a game once every blue moon (ideal scenario for a City player). Yes he is at the end of his career but he has made his "job" more about what he does inbetween match days. He works extra time on the training pitch to help out Ederson and other keepers across the club. So he feels his job is worth it as he is contributing something to the club and earning that money.

Ruddy seemed to adopt a similar approach and would have done again if we had offered him a deal. Just read up on our young keeper (Moulden) who calls out Ruddy for what he was doing for him last season.

For the squad members of a World Cup, even if you are not playing it must still be fucking ace. The 2nd best seat in the World if your country has success.

The ones who can get in the sea are the ones who feel similar to you and say so and retire from things like international football....and then a World Cup comes along and they want in. Looking at you Ben Foster and Jamie Carragher

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Portugal 3-2 Ghana
Cameroon 3-3 Serbia
South Korea 2-3 Ghana
Costa Rica 2-4 Germany
Japan 2-1 Spain
Serbia 2-3 Switzerland
Cameroon 1-0 Brazil
Netherlands 2-2 Argentina
England 1-2 France

There have been enjoyable games in this World Cup and anyone saying it's been "shit" have obviously watched the wrong games.

9 games there out 62 (at least a couple of which I'd argue with).

I could pick out 9 times Wolves played well under Bruno Lage in fewer than 62 games under him, we were absolutely shit on the whole.

 

[Law's Bus]

I could pick out 9 times Wolves played well under Bruno Lage in fewer than 62 games under him, we were absolutely shit on the whole.

Nah..... Surely not. 9 is about 8.5 too many!

 

[jd1981]

Underdogs doing well doesn’t make a tournament a vintage one. To many heavily one sided matches or teams happy for the draw or penalties.
I don’t blame teams for being pragmatic especially if they’re the underdog but it doesn’t make a great spectacle.

 

[Alan]

Old argument, but for those who hail from traditionally "underdog" nations (like me), just seeing my compatriots suited up at a Final is the greatest possible spectacle.

I want to see guys like Pulisic and Saiss give absolutely everything they have in pursuit of a hopeless cause. That's the World Cup to me.

 

[Dire Wolf]

What a brilliant free kick.

 

[Kenny]

Can't wait for big game this weekend....the losers play off.

Should be a cracker

Called it...

 

[Alan]

Both sides seem to give a shit about this. Fair play.