Soccer: General Discussion

[Kel Varnsen]

[Kel Varnsen]

The podcast I referenced earlier gives unique nicknames to each team, and Spain’s was “Possession is 9/10ths of the law FC.” I about spit out my drink.

[Kel Varnsen]

One interesting thing to watch: Switzerland and Serbia are in the same group again. Very poignant as Xerdan Shaquiri and Granit Xhaka of Switzerland are both of Albanian descent, and their display of the eagle gesture in the last World Cup as they scored against Serbia was an homage to the Kosovar Albanians who were killed and/or relocated by Serbian forces during the late 90s. The match is the final group match for each team and takes place on December 2. Must watch.

[WuDrWu]

A plethora of friendlies greet the dedicated football fan this Saturday. Turned into the Kosovo v Faroe Island match for a bit to see a pitch worthy of the war-torn region.

The west Wichita refuse depository is more capable of hosting this match. Probably safer too.

[SubGod22]

I didn't want to put this in the World Cup 2022 thread since it is about 2026. Personally, I hadn't given much thought to how the increase in teams will play out when North America hosts in '26, but ESPN has put out a piece that seems to have some good information for how things will breakdown moving forward.

ESPN - What the World Cup will look like in 2026: 48 teams, more groups, more venues, more games

Who gets the extra places at the 2026 World Cup?


There are 16 additional slots at the 2026 World Cup, and this is where the 46 automatic places will go (increase from 2022 in brackets):

• Asia: 8 (+4)
• Africa: 9 (+4)
• North, Central America and Caribbean: 6 (+3)
• Europe: 16 (+3)
• South America: 6 (+2)
• Oceania: 1 (+1)

United States, Mexico and Canada will be included within the six places allocated to North, Central America and Caribbean (CONCACAF.)
.....
Who would qualify for a 48-team World Cup?


Let's take the 2022 World Cup and expand it to 48 teams (which at one point was being strongly considered by FIFA.)

For the purposes of this illustration, additional qualification places have been handed to the next-best nations in the qualifying competition for each confederation. (As Italy failed to even make the UEFA playoff finals, they still miss out.)

The teams in bold are the additional 16.

• Africa: Algeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, Egypt, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Tunisia
• Asia: Australia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, UAE
• North, Central America and Caribbean: Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, United States
• Europe: Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Poland, Portugal, Ukraine, Wales
• Oceania: New Zealand
• South America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay

The two best FIFA-ranked teams eligible for the intercontinental playoffs (Chile and DR Congo) are given the last places. (The other countries in the playoffs would have been El Salvador, Honduras, Solomon Islands, Syria.)

The article makes it sound as though FIFA is rethinking the initial plan of groups of three, and may opt for keeping groups of four but allowing some of the third place teams to advance to fill out a 32 team knockout bracket. This would still allow for the excitement of the last games of the group stage and mostly prevent collusion in results to knockout the team that isn't playing in the three team group scenario. Apparently this method has been used in Europe.

I guess a final decision is to be made in March of '23. I'm excited.

[WuDrWu]

Also off topic, if you really want to feel sick, go to ESPN and read their article about the NWSL or whatever it's called. I cannot even begin to describe the dysfunctionality that exists in that world.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

Speaking of soccer. Watch the video of this Brazilian kid Endrick in the below article. My goodness! 16 years old.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/soccer-transfers/story/4832522/real-madrid-agree-deal-to-sign-endrick-from-palmeiras

[Kel Varnsen]

Also off topic, if you really want to feel sick, go to ESPN and read their article about the NWSL or whatever it's called. I cannot even begin to describe the dysfunctionality that exists in that world.

Trying to read this stuff. Is it basically the fact that the supposed inclusion approach is failing and people are dissatisfied with the fact that no one wants to watch absolute poop?

If so, I will laugh my ass off for a while.

[WuDrWu]

One of the other real tragedies they haven't fully addressed is that one player felt that her current team wasn't promoting the teaching of all the hate and racism that exists in the world and her previous team talked about it all the time and so that team had a better understanding of their privileges (the white ones).

Also, the real heroes are the ones talking about it.

[Kung Wu]

Trying to read this stuff. Is it basically the fact that the supposed inclusion approach is failing and people are dissatisfied with the fact that no one wants to watch absolute poop?

If so, I will laugh my ass off for a while.

I'm thinking he's referring to the sexual misconduct stuff being reported?

Edit: Nvm he posted right before me. I don't see that article for some reason.

[Kung Wu]

Speaking of soccer. Watch the video of this Brazilian kid Endrick in the below article. My goodness! 16 years old.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/soccer-t...from-palmeiras

OMG. The movement. The touch. The body positioning. It's literally shades of Pele like I have never seen before. If you go back and watch old footage of Pele, and then watch this kid, it's uncanny.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

OMG. The movement. The touch. The body positioning. It's literally shades of Pele like I have never seen before. If you go back and watch old footage of Pele, and then watch this kid, it's uncanny.

That was my thought as well. If you didn't know any better you would think it was the great Pele. Magnificent body control.

[WuDrWu]

I'm thinking he's referring to the sexual misconduct stuff being reported?

Edit: Nvm he posted right before me. I don't see that article for some reason.

NWSL investigation finds 'ongoing misconduct' at more than half of clubs (espn.com)

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

RIP to the original GOAT. Pele passed away this morning.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/brazil-bra/story/4840126/peleking-of-beautiful-game,-dies-aged-82

[Kel Varnsen]

USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter releases statement about violent 1991 incident with wife Rosalind

Apparently someone tried to blackmail Berhalter during the World Cup from this.

I'm just sick of the faux, performative, and predictable outrage that comes from incidents like this.