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Post by Paul on Apr 3, 2022 18:14:22 GMT
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first shall we? Should we be playing the World Cup in Qatar given its human rights issues and the horrific number of deaths in the construction of the stadiums? No, we shouldn’t but given that we’ve had Olympics Games in China and Russia in recent years not to mention F1 Grands Prix in those countries and also Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar itself perhaps that argument has already been had? Let’s try to keep away from the politics and enjoy what looks like being a competitive World Cup
Let’s also ponder at the unique circumstances which means most of us will be watching the World Cup with the Christmas decorations up! It’s going to be very different watching the World Cup in November and December but they say a change is as good as a rest so let’s embrace that
The groups have been drawn although there are still three playoff games to come and strangely there is no real Group of Death - indeed most groups are looking very even although I do wonder if the English FA got the opportunity to choose their group 😉😉😉 England have undoubtedly been very lucky in the draw - which does mean we will once again have to put up with the ‘easy draw’ comments….
And so to the groups:
Group A - Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Group B - England, Iran, USA, Wales/Scotland/Ukraine
Group C - Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D - France, Denmark, Tunisia, UAE/Australia/Peru
Group E - Spain, Germany, Japan, Costa Rica/New Zealand
Group F - Belgium, Morocco, Canada, Croatia
Group G - Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H - Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
Very competitive groups and if you had to pick a Group of Death it would probably be Group H - any two of those four could conceivably qualify. My early picks for the Round of 16 would be Netherlands, Senegal, England, Wales (if they qualify), Argentina, Mexico, France, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Canada (there’s always a surprise nation), Brazil, Switzerland, Portugal and Ghana
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Post by vjaska on Apr 3, 2022 18:59:00 GMT
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first shall we? Should we be playing the World Cup in Qatar given its human rights issues and the horrific number of deaths in the construction of the stadiums? No, we shouldn’t but given that we’ve had Olympics Games in China and Russia in recent years not to mention F1 Grands Prix in those countries and also Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar itself perhaps that argument has already been had? Let’s try to keep away from the politics and enjoy what looks like being a competitive World Cup Let’s also ponder at the unique circumstances which means most of us will be watching the World Cup with the Christmas decorations up! It’s going to be very different watching the World Cup in November and December but they say a change is as good as a rest so let’s embrace that The groups have been drawn although there are still three playoff games to come and strangely there is no real Group of Death - indeed most groups are looking very even although I do wonder if the English FA got the opportunity to choose their group 😉😉😉 England have undoubtedly been very lucky in the draw - which does mean we will once again have to put up with the ‘easy draw’ comments…. And so to the groups: Group A - Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands Group B - England, Iran, USA, Wales/Scotland/Ukraine Group C - Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland Group D - France, Denmark, Tunisia, UAE/Australia/Peru Group E - Spain, Germany, Japan, Costa Rica/New Zealand Group F - Belgium, Morocco, Canada, Croatia Group G - Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon Group H - Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea Very competitive groups and if you had to pick a Group of Death it would probably be Group H - any two of those four could conceivably qualify. My early picks for the Round of 16 would be Netherlands, Senegal, England, Wales (if they qualify), Argentina, Mexico, France, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Canada (there’s always a surprise nation), Brazil, Switzerland, Portugal and Ghana Am I allowed to comment? |
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Post by Paul on Apr 3, 2022 19:42:01 GMT
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first shall we? Should we be playing the World Cup in Qatar given its human rights issues and the horrific number of deaths in the construction of the stadiums? No, we shouldn’t but given that we’ve had Olympics Games in China and Russia in recent years not to mention F1 Grands Prix in those countries and also Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar itself perhaps that argument has already been had? Let’s try to keep away from the politics and enjoy what looks like being a competitive World Cup Let’s also ponder at the unique circumstances which means most of us will be watching the World Cup with the Christmas decorations up! It’s going to be very different watching the World Cup in November and December but they say a change is as good as a rest so let’s embrace that The groups have been drawn although there are still three playoff games to come and strangely there is no real Group of Death - indeed most groups are looking very even although I do wonder if the English FA got the opportunity to choose their group 😉😉😉 England have undoubtedly been very lucky in the draw - which does mean we will once again have to put up with the ‘easy draw’ comments…. And so to the groups: Group A - Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands Group B - England, Iran, USA, Wales/Scotland/Ukraine Group C - Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland Group D - France, Denmark, Tunisia, UAE/Australia/Peru Group E - Spain, Germany, Japan, Costa Rica/New Zealand Group F - Belgium, Morocco, Canada, Croatia Group G - Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon Group H - Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea Very competitive groups and if you had to pick a Group of Death it would probably be Group H - any two of those four could conceivably qualify. My early picks for the Round of 16 would be Netherlands, Senegal, England, Wales (if they qualify), Argentina, Mexico, France, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Canada (there’s always a surprise nation), Brazil, Switzerland, Portugal and Ghana Am I allowed to comment? England are lucky/not very good/got a good draw/I don’t support England Your usual bit is out of the way now so comment all you like 😉😉😉 |
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Post by YX10FFN on Apr 3, 2022 20:31:45 GMT
I'd say Group E should be just as thrilling and could go any way, besides the fourth spot.
Despite having lived my whole life in England my entire extended family is American so I do have some tough choices to make... I did awkwardly chuckle at the thought of the US facing Iran.
In all seriousness, supporting England at the last few tournaments and being faced with disappointment after disappointment I'll believe it when I see it when it comes to England. We will see what happens.
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Post by greenboy on Apr 3, 2022 21:29:10 GMT
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first shall we? Should we be playing the World Cup in Qatar given its human rights issues and the horrific number of deaths in the construction of the stadiums? No, we shouldn’t but given that we’ve had Olympics Games in China and Russia in recent years not to mention F1 Grands Prix in those countries and also Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar itself perhaps that argument has already been had? Let’s try to keep away from the politics and enjoy what looks like being a competitive World Cup Let’s also ponder at the unique circumstances which means most of us will be watching the World Cup with the Christmas decorations up! It’s going to be very different watching the World Cup in November and December but they say a change is as good as a rest so let’s embrace that The groups have been drawn although there are still three playoff games to come and strangely there is no real Group of Death - indeed most groups are looking very even although I do wonder if the English FA got the opportunity to choose their group 😉😉😉 England have undoubtedly been very lucky in the draw - which does mean we will once again have to put up with the ‘easy draw’ comments…. And so to the groups: Group A - Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands Group B - England, Iran, USA, Wales/Scotland/Ukraine Group C - Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland Group D - France, Denmark, Tunisia, UAE/Australia/Peru Group E - Spain, Germany, Japan, Costa Rica/New Zealand Group F - Belgium, Morocco, Canada, Croatia Group G - Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon Group H - Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea Very competitive groups and if you had to pick a Group of Death it would probably be Group H - any two of those four could conceivably qualify. My early picks for the Round of 16 would be Netherlands, Senegal, England, Wales (if they qualify), Argentina, Mexico, France, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Canada (there’s always a surprise nation), Brazil, Switzerland, Portugal and Ghana I haven't really given it too much thought, it's going to be totally surreal watching a World Cup tournament in the depths of winter, but I'm sure I'll get into it when it arrives. Personally I think it's a shame there's no Italy again and it does seem a bit bizarre Qatar being in pot one as the host nation. I wouldn't disagree with any of your predictions although I thought G had a bit a group of death feel, obviously Brazil are pretty much nailed on but I think any of the other three could qualify. Could it finally be coming home? |
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Post by southlondon413 on Apr 3, 2022 22:31:47 GMT
I'd say Group E should be just as thrilling and could go any way, besides the fourth spot. Despite having lived my whole life in England my entire extended family is American so I do have some tough choices to make... I did awkwardly chuckle at the thought of the US facing Iran. In all seriousness, supporting England at the last few tournaments and being faced with disappointment after disappointment I'll believe it when I see it when it comes to England. We will see what happens. I don’t think it matters as it will be the same story as every football competition involving England. I’ll have to endure weeks of “it’s coming home” to the point where I want to blow my brains out all because no one wants to face the reality that England will lose as always. At least it’ll be winter so I won’t be faced with screaming fans outside the pub down the road from my flat. I will just say once and for all it’s not coming home, so lets stop hoping. Support the USA, because it’s likely no one else will. |
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Post by Paul on Apr 4, 2022 0:59:04 GMT
I'd say Group E should be just as thrilling and could go any way, besides the fourth spot. Despite having lived my whole life in England my entire extended family is American so I do have some tough choices to make... I did awkwardly chuckle at the thought of the US facing Iran. In all seriousness, supporting England at the last few tournaments and being faced with disappointment after disappointment I'll believe it when I see it when it comes to England. We will see what happens. Not sure about Group E - should be pretty straight forward for Spain and Germany although should they qualify I’d love to see New Zealand do well I’ll take the disappointment of losing semifinals and finals over the disappointment of being rubbish. Success in international football is measured differently because there is so little to actually win and making appearances in semi finals and finals has to be considered success, however minor. The real kicker is turning a finals loss into a finals win and I see no reason that this England team with this England manager cannot deliver a tournament win |
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Post by Paul on Apr 4, 2022 1:02:38 GMT
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first shall we? Should we be playing the World Cup in Qatar given its human rights issues and the horrific number of deaths in the construction of the stadiums? No, we shouldn’t but given that we’ve had Olympics Games in China and Russia in recent years not to mention F1 Grands Prix in those countries and also Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar itself perhaps that argument has already been had? Let’s try to keep away from the politics and enjoy what looks like being a competitive World Cup Let’s also ponder at the unique circumstances which means most of us will be watching the World Cup with the Christmas decorations up! It’s going to be very different watching the World Cup in November and December but they say a change is as good as a rest so let’s embrace that The groups have been drawn although there are still three playoff games to come and strangely there is no real Group of Death - indeed most groups are looking very even although I do wonder if the English FA got the opportunity to choose their group 😉😉😉 England have undoubtedly been very lucky in the draw - which does mean we will once again have to put up with the ‘easy draw’ comments…. And so to the groups: Group A - Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands Group B - England, Iran, USA, Wales/Scotland/Ukraine Group C - Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland Group D - France, Denmark, Tunisia, UAE/Australia/Peru Group E - Spain, Germany, Japan, Costa Rica/New Zealand Group F - Belgium, Morocco, Canada, Croatia Group G - Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon Group H - Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea Very competitive groups and if you had to pick a Group of Death it would probably be Group H - any two of those four could conceivably qualify. My early picks for the Round of 16 would be Netherlands, Senegal, England, Wales (if they qualify), Argentina, Mexico, France, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Canada (there’s always a surprise nation), Brazil, Switzerland, Portugal and Ghana I haven't really given it too much thought, it's going to be totally surreal watching a World Cup tournament in the depths of winter, but I'm sure I'll get into it when it arrives. Personally I think it's a shame there's no Italy again and it does seem a bit bizarre Qatar being in pot one as the host nation. I wouldn't disagree with any of your predictions although I thought G had a bit a group of death feel, obviously Brazil are pretty much nailed on but I think any of the other three could qualify. Could it finally be coming home? I did mean to make a point about Qatar in my original post. Obviously the hosts are always seeded and the hosts doing well generally makes for a better tournament - certainly Russia doing well four years ago helped make that tournament a success. I hope I’m wrong but I fear Qatar may end being the World Cup’s most embarrassing hosts Group G should certainly be very competitive but as you say, Brazil aren’t really in any danger of missing out on the next round |
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Post by Paul on Apr 4, 2022 1:05:33 GMT
I'd say Group E should be just as thrilling and could go any way, besides the fourth spot. Despite having lived my whole life in England my entire extended family is American so I do have some tough choices to make... I did awkwardly chuckle at the thought of the US facing Iran. In all seriousness, supporting England at the last few tournaments and being faced with disappointment after disappointment I'll believe it when I see it when it comes to England. We will see what happens. I don’t think it matters as it will be the same story as every football competition involving England. I’ll have to endure weeks of “it’s coming home” to the point where I want to blow my brains out all because no one wants to face the reality that England will lose as always. At least it’ll be winter so I won’t be faced with screaming fans outside the pub down the road from my flat. I will just say once and for all it’s not coming home, so lets stop hoping. Support the USA, because it’s likely no one else will. Wow! Who peeed on your chips? The current England team are far better than England teams in recent memory. How dare you suggest that fans simply don’t bother hoping England can finally end all those years of hurt? England have as good a chance as any team in the tournament and I’ll definitely be cheering them on ITS COMING HOME!!!! 🦁🦁🦁🏴🏴🏴 |
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Post by busman on Apr 4, 2022 11:06:52 GMT
I'd say Group E should be just as thrilling and could go any way, besides the fourth spot. Despite having lived my whole life in England my entire extended family is American so I do have some tough choices to make... I did awkwardly chuckle at the thought of the US facing Iran. In all seriousness, supporting England at the last few tournaments and being faced with disappointment after disappointment I'll believe it when I see it when it comes to England. We will see what happens. Whilst I support England, I’m really looking forward to the Iran vs USA game more to see if it kicks off on the pitch than anything else. Fully expecting some tackles to fly in during that game. Big screen with Arabic commentary for maximum entertainment: m.youtube.com/watch?v=6rvTOScJwPw |
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Post by Paul on Apr 4, 2022 13:59:55 GMT
I'd say Group E should be just as thrilling and could go any way, besides the fourth spot. Despite having lived my whole life in England my entire extended family is American so I do have some tough choices to make... I did awkwardly chuckle at the thought of the US facing Iran. In all seriousness, supporting England at the last few tournaments and being faced with disappointment after disappointment I'll believe it when I see it when it comes to England. We will see what happens. Whilst I support England, I’m really looking forward to the Iran vs USA game more to see if it kicks off on the pitch than anything else. Fully expecting some tackles to fly in during that game. Big screen with Arabic commentary for maximum entertainment: m.youtube.com/watch?v=6rvTOScJwPwObviously the States and Iran are not the best of friends but they met in the group stage back in 1998 and while there were tensions surrounding the game and some politicking surrounding the pregame ceremonies, the game passed off without too much fuss. I’d expect similar this time around |
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Post by greenboy on Apr 4, 2022 14:29:02 GMT
Whilst I support England, I’m really looking forward to the Iran vs USA game more to see if it kicks off on the pitch than anything else. Fully expecting some tackles to fly in during that game. Big screen with Arabic commentary for maximum entertainment: m.youtube.com/watch?v=6rvTOScJwPwObviously the States and Iran are not the best of friends but they met in the group stage back in 1998 and while there were tensions surrounding the game and some politicking surrounding the pregame ceremonies, the game passed off without too much fuss. I’d expect similar this time around From what I remember of the 1998 game both sets of players behaved impeccably and it was said they had done more to bring peace between the two countries in 90 minutes than politicians had done in years. |
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Post by Paul on Apr 4, 2022 14:39:32 GMT
Obviously the States and Iran are not the best of friends but they met in the group stage back in 1998 and while there were tensions surrounding the game and some politicking surrounding the pregame ceremonies, the game passed off without too much fuss. I’d expect similar this time around From what I remember of the 1998 game both sets of players behaved impeccably and it was said they had done more to bring peace between the two countries in 90 minutes than politicians had done in years. I do recall that comparison being made. I do, however, recall a little fuss in the pregame ceremonies regarding which set of players would walk to whom but it was settled with the minimum of disruption |
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Post by Paul on Nov 29, 2022 17:17:45 GMT
I did mean to make a point about Qatar in my original post. Obviously the hosts are always seeded and the hosts doing well generally makes for a better tournament - certainly Russia doing well four years ago helped make that tournament a success. I hope I’m wrong but I fear Qatar may end being the World Cup’s most embarrassing hosts Apologies for resurrecting an old thread (and duplicating the other World Cup thread!) but way back in April I said Qatar may end up being the World Cup’s most embarrassing hosts. It gives me no pleasure that I’ve been proven correct However, even though their team has somewhat embarrassed themselves, I am rather enjoying the competition. It feels wide open to me and while France, Spain and Brazil are the favourites I don’t think they are unbeatable |
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Post by greenboy on Nov 29, 2022 18:00:49 GMT
I did mean to make a point about Qatar in my original post. Obviously the hosts are always seeded and the hosts doing well generally makes for a better tournament - certainly Russia doing well four years ago helped make that tournament a success. I hope I’m wrong but I fear Qatar may end being the World Cup’s most embarrassing hosts Apologies for resurrecting an old thread (and duplicating the other World Cup thread!) but way back in April I said Qatar may end up being the World Cup’s most embarrassing hosts. It gives me no pleasure that I’ve been proven correct However, even though their team has somewhat embarrassed themselves, I am rather enjoying the competition. It feels wide open to me and while France, Spain and Brazil are the favourites I don’t think they are unbeatable Whilst I still think it was ridiculous having it in Qatar I have enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting to. As for tonight's game I think we'll do enough to qualify, a four goal defeat seems pretty unlikely, but I expect Gareth Southgate will be extra cautious whilst Wales have nothing to lose and may as well just go for broke. I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up 0-0. |
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