Qatar Hero - The World Cup 2022 thread

[6ft Kerplunk]

you'd have to have 6 games a day in the groups to fit it in.

IN!

[Stranded]

you'd have to have 6 games a day in the groups to fit it in.

IN!

TBF with North American time zones in '26 , that would be very possible esp. if split equally East West. 9pm West Coast would be a 6am game for most of Europe.

[fartdad]

Hooters opening early for World Cup on Saturday 9am

[Conservative_dad]

Absolutely delighted that Germany, Belgium and Denmark are out

[From Despair To Where?]

Fantastic last moments. Last group games kicking off at same time scenes make for compelling viewing but the FIFA maifioso totally shit all over this perfect setup (thanks Germany and Austria circa 1982) by introducing 16 groups of three for a 48-team World Cup in 2026. Cu nts.

Just seen this post.

I think top 2 will go through in the 3 team groups so in theory every game unless the third game is a dead rubber, there should be sometbing to play for both teams.

Team A draws 0-0 with Team B
Team A then draws 0-0 with Team C

Teams B and C then know a 1-1 sees them both through.

Or all 3 sides win a game 1-0 and cannot be split by any tie break, so lots. Over a 3 game group, this will happen a lot.

Plus you have scheduling, A & B play first. C has a week to wait for first game. They have to play a team with a game under their belt who will know what they have to do to qualify.

Team A done after 2 games, then unless they've lost both need to wait and see what happens 4 days later before potentially just going home - so 4 days training etc for poss no good reason.

Then in final game, one side will be off a 4 day turnaround the other a week. It is too lopsided and open to too many issues, plus 48 games just to lose 1/3 of the sides.

It is a crap format. If they must go to 48 then go 12 x 4 groups and have 8 3rd place sides but that is too many games, you'd have to have 6 games a day in the groups to fit it in.

Oh, I agree it's a shit format and I also think having 48 teams will dilute the quality of the tournament. If you're going to extend it to 48, you're going to have to offer at least 1 place to Oceania so that's basically a free pass for New Zealand unless Australia leave the Asian Confereration and return.

I personally think 32 is the ideal number. Every team is of a decent standard (Maybe not Qatar in this instance but they ordinarily wouldn't get anywhere near the tournament through qualifying) and obviously it divides down neatly.

[hiro]

Kick off was 4AM in Japan against Spain. So everyone are pretty sober to watch it here.
Same tactics we took against Germany.
We can't break down defensive team especially relatively weaker side in Asia, but some of indivisual skill of Japan can beat the goal of likes of Germany and Spain.
Likes of Doan, Mitoma, they are pretty much unnoticed and cheap in transfer market couple years ago.
Hope Reading look into hard working skillful Japanese player in near future.
When I suggested Keisuke Honda in late 2000's in this Hob Nob, some replied to me if it is Toyota or Nissan.
One day, I hope Network of Hob Nob influence to the recturuitment of hidden International player to Royals.

After European Nations League started, Non-european team have less chance to play against European team in friendly, so I hope European team pay attention to Japan now and give us an opportunity for a friendly match time to time after World Cup.
Dream of Japan challenging to England in World Cup to be carried to next time....

[Sutekh]

Fantastic last moments. Last group games kicking off at same time scenes make for compelling viewing but the FIFA maifioso totally shit all over this perfect setup (thanks Germany and Austria circa 1982) by introducing 16 groups of three for a 48-team World Cup in 2026. Cu nts.

Just seen this post.

I think top 2 will go through in the 3 team groups so in theory every game unless the third game is a dead rubber, there should be sometbing to play for both teams.

Team A draws 0-0 with Team B
Team A then draws 0-0 with Team C

Teams B and C then know a 1-1 sees them both through.

Or all 3 sides win a game 1-0 and cannot be split by any tie break, so lots. Over a 3 game group, this will happen a lot.

Plus you have scheduling, A & B play first. C has a week to wait for first game. They have to play a team with a game under their belt who will know what they have to do to qualify.

Team A done after 2 games, then unless they've lost both need to wait and see what happens 4 days later before potentially just going home - so 4 days training etc for poss no good reason.

Then in final game, one side will be off a 4 day turnaround the other a week. It is too lopsided and open to too many issues, plus 48 games just to lose 1/3 of the sides.

It is a crap format. If they must go to 48 then go 12 x 4 groups and have 8 3rd place sides but that is too many games, you'd have to have 6 games a day in the groups to fit it in.

Exactly. Why on Earth fiddle and change it and leave yourself open to possible colluded games and nations moaning about unequal rest periods. Utterly stupid. 12 groups of 4 is the correct approach though why increase the tournament numbers at all in the first place is beyond me (no doubt done so more of the no hopers could feel included in a World Cup)

But then this is FIFA who seem to go out of their way to change, clarify and fix things that really don’t need to be changed, clarified or fixed.

In 2030 is it going back to 32 teams or will we be left with this stupid format forevermore? For real fun why don’t they increase it to 64 teams and have 16 groups of 4?

[Sutekh]

Kick off was 4AM in Japan against Spain. So everyone are pretty sober to watch it here.
Same tactics we took against Germany.
We can't break down defensive team especially relatively weaker side in Asia, but some of indivisual skill of Japan can beat the goal of likes of Germany and Spain.
Likes of Doan, Mitoma, they are pretty much unnoticed and cheap in transfer market couple years ago.
Hope Reading look into hard working skillful Japanese player in near future.
When I suggested Keisuke Honda in late 2000's in this Hob Nob, some replied to me if it is Toyota or Nissan.
One day, I hope Network of Hob Nob influence to the recturuitment of hidden International player to Royals.

After European Nations League started, Non-european team have less chance to play against European team in friendly, so I hope European team pay attention to Japan now and give us an opportunity for a friendly match time to time after World Cup.
Dream of Japan challenging to England in World Cup to be carried to next time....

I quite like the little I’ve seen of Ritsu Doan (currently with Freiburg) which brings about a general question of if you were a Reading scout who from this current World Cup finals would you be putting on the summer wish list? Think I’d also have a look at Canada’s Ismael Kone of Montreal.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Happy for Japan, they've got some decent players in that squad actually and are well capable of being competitive against some of the bigger sides if their results against Spain and Germany don't prove that already, but even at the last WC they got through the groups and were unfortunate against Belgium, so they are certainly an improving side.

I really wanted Costa Rica to win, what a novelty to see the two unfancied sides qualify and two bigger nations get dumped out, it would have been a sight to see and, at one point, it was happening.

It's a bit unfortunate for both Japan and Morocco that they've both won the groups as, if one finished 2nd, they'd have faced each other and one would have been a WC quarter finalist which would have been good to see. Instead, Morocco have a difficult game against Spain and Japan against Croatia, so still very much the underdogs going into their Last 16 ties. I hope one of, if not both, progress.

[6ft Kerplunk]

In 2030 is it going back to 32 teams or will we be left with this stupid format forevermore? For real fun why don’t they increase it to 64 teams and have 16 groups of 4?

Have they increased the number of teams to counter the fact that there's three host nations to include in 2026?

[South Coast Royal]

Coming back to 2022.
Watching Spain last night I was waiting for the commentator to say that they have no plan B, a comment that often appears on here when discussing games and teams struggle to make a breakthrough.

My take on it is that top teams like Spain, Man city, Liverpool and Barcelona have absolute belief in the way that they play and all of the players buy into it.
They will try to pass the opposition to defeat and have a number of quick players to make the final move.

Until City got Harland what would have been the point of plan B in hoofing the ball to a central striker, you are just giving away possession, the same possession that is their mantra.

Now and again there will be a cock-up such as your keeper messing up the possession but generally that doesn't happen as the success of these sides above show.

BTW, having looked at an England route to the final it could be, assuming we beat Senegal, successive games against France, Spain and then Brazil.
Do that and it would be some feat and put to bed our "jammy" draws description when it comes to big competitions.
The one way that we can do that IMHO is to go all out for free-kicks and corners with the height of Bellingham, Kane, Stones and Maguire being an advantage against all of those.
The only problem is getting hold of the ball enough to create those set pieces.

The way this tournament is going we could end up playing Poland ,Uruguay and USA in the final, or Senegal could do the same.

It is all building up nicely.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Coming back to 2022.
Watching Spain last night I was waiting for the commentator to say that they have no plan B, a comment that often appears on here when discussing games and teams struggle to make a breakthrough.

My take on it is that top teams like Spain, Man city, Liverpool and Barcelona have absolute belief in the way that they play and all of the players buy into it.
They will try to pass the opposition to defeat and have a number of quick players to make the final move.

Until City got Harland what would have been the point of plan B in hoofing the ball to a central striker, you are just giving away possession, the same possession that is their mantra.

Now and again there will be a cock-up such as your keeper messing up the possession but generally that doesn't happen as the success of these sides above show.

BTW, having looked at an England route to the final it could be, assuming we beat Senegal, successive games against France, Spain and then Brazil.
Do that and it would be some feat and put to bed our "jammy" draws description when it comes to big competitions.
The one way that we can do that IMHO is to go all out for free-kicks and corners with the height of Bellingham, Kane, Stones and Maguire being an advantage against all of those.
The only problem is getting hold of the ball enough to create those set pieces.

The way this tournament is going we could end up playing Poland ,Uruguay and USA in the final, or Senegal could do the same.

It is all building up nicely.

I don't think this is just the case with top teams, but with most teams/managers. If they have a defined way of playing, they stick to that through thick and thin. Sometimes it's a detriment to managers because it eventually means they lose their jobs, but I like the principle of a team/nation having a set way of playing that's built into their culture and they stick to it. Swansea I've always kind of admired for sticking to their principles of possession football.

[Mr Angry]

Kick off was 4AM in Japan against Spain. So everyone are pretty sober to watch it here.
Same tactics we took against Germany.
We can't break down defensive team especially relatively weaker side in Asia, but some of indivisual skill of Japan can beat the goal of likes of Germany and Spain.
Likes of Doan, Mitoma, they are pretty much unnoticed and cheap in transfer market couple years ago.
Hope Reading look into hard working skillful Japanese player in near future.
When I suggested Keisuke Honda in late 2000's in this Hob Nob, some replied to me if it is Toyota or Nissan.
One day, I hope Network of Hob Nob influence to the recturuitment of hidden International player to Royals.

After European Nations League started, Non-european team have less chance to play against European team in friendly, so I hope European team pay attention to Japan now and give us an opportunity for a friendly match time to time after World Cup.
Dream of Japan challenging to England in World Cup to be carried to next time....

I totally agree; I would love it for England and other European teams to play against non-European teams in friendlies - that would be as good a way of spreading football around the Globe as any, as well as giving our players different playing experiences.

Sadly however, it is unlikely to happen; the Premier League Managers hate their players playing in any International matches, let alone Friendlies; you can imagine the outcry if some of the precious luvvies were made to travel to, for example, the Far East or the Caribbean for 2 or 3 friendlies............

[South Coast Royal]

Kick off was 4AM in Japan against Spain. So everyone are pretty sober to watch it here.
Same tactics we took against Germany.
We can't break down defensive team especially relatively weaker side in Asia, but some of indivisual skill of Japan can beat the goal of likes of Germany and Spain.
Likes of Doan, Mitoma, they are pretty much unnoticed and cheap in transfer market couple years ago.
Hope Reading look into hard working skillful Japanese player in near future.
When I suggested Keisuke Honda in late 2000's in this Hob Nob, some replied to me if it is Toyota or Nissan.
One day, I hope Network of Hob Nob influence to the recturuitment of hidden International player to Royals.

After European Nations League started, Non-european team have less chance to play against European team in friendly, so I hope European team pay attention to Japan now and give us an opportunity for a friendly match time to time after World Cup.
Dream of Japan challenging to England in World Cup to be carried to next time....

I totally agree; I would love it for England and other European teams to play against non-European teams in friendlies - that would be as good a way of spreading football around the Globe as any, as well as giving our players different playing experiences.

Sadly however, it is unlikely to happen; the Premier League Managers hate their players playing in any International matches, let alone Friendlies; you can imagine the outcry if some of the precious luvvies were made to travel to, for example, the Far East or the Caribbean for 2 or 3 friendlies............

....as they do now for pre-season but regrettably just to play other European sides..

[Conservative_dad]

Needs to be some two-tier system for qualification. Too many shit games against minnows like San Marino.

Can't be gr8 for their fans either, watching your team get battered EVERY time!

English teams have to be in the prem to have a chance to qualify for the CL

[Zammo]

lol at that Ghana pen

[Loafer]

oxf*rd sake you oxf*rd twat Ayew

oxf*rd suarez and urugay

[Sutekh]

lol at that Ghana pen

Utterly dreadful penalty, really don’t know what Ayew was thinking. Run up (more like a ponderous walk up) was ridiculous and easily telegraphed to the keeper what way to go. To be fair to Ayew though the unsportsmanlike delaying tactics by Uruguay can’t have helped.

On the brightside Ronaldo has just gifted South Korea an equaliser

[6ft Kerplunk]

This current trend of slow walk up waiting for the keeper to move is bullshit. You're the designated penalty taker, show some belief in your ability. Run up properly and stick it right into a corner. If the keeper saves it'll be a brilliant save not just a flop onto the slow moving pea dribbler.

Do manager\coaching staff yellow and red cards count towards the tally if teams are level on points and goals?

[South Coast Royal]

lol at that Ghana pen

Utterly dreadful penalty, really don’t know what Ayew was thinking. Run up (more like a ponderous walk up) was ridiculous and easily telegraphed to the keeper what way to go. To be fair to Ayew though the unsportsmanlike delaying tactics by Uruguay can’t have helped.

On the brightside Ronaldo has just gifted South Korea an equaliser

Have never liked either of the Ayews going back to when we were supposedly interested in both of them.
Both are divers so was delighted to see the casual penalty missed.

I don't mind Uruguay, for such a small country they do produce some really good players.