Quincy Abeyie wrote:

MistaT wrote:

Certainly not

I think I forgot how much time was spent reviewing the 2nd goal by Japan....when I posted I was only thinking of the goals (2 mins for them), and there wasn't much else to add time for (no injuries).

Yeah, but that's par for the course because of the new way to calculate stoppage time (to get more effective playing time). Here's the added time from the games in the first two rounds:

Android. Ew.

Imagine using iPhones and being proud about it to tell others. For shame young Willie

invisibleman18 wrote:

What a glorious day of football. If only Costa Rica had been able to hold on. People can go on about "easy" draws for different teams as much as they want but there are no easy games in these tournaments as a number of big teams have now found out. The games still need to be won despite what rankings or things on paper might say.

Unless you're playing Qatar. Then it's s walkover.

jones wrote:

Imagine using iPhones and being proud about it to tell others. For shame young Willie

I was just taking the piss out of people who genuinely do that. Personally I've been using android since 2016 when my partner wanted my branch new iPhone 6s. Bought myself a galaxy S7, then an S10 followed by an S21 Ultra.

I haven't been able to go back to iOS since switching tbh. I mean I have bought an iPhone XS max at one point and couldn't get back into it. Just sits on a desk 90% of the time. One thing I give apple is their battery life is much, much better than Samsung.

Big Willie wrote:

invisibleman18 wrote:

What a glorious day of football. If only Costa Rica had been able to hold on. People can go on about "easy" draws for different teams as much as they want but there are no easy games in these tournaments as a number of big teams have now found out. The games still need to be won despite what rankings or things on paper might say.

Unless you're playing Qatar. Then it's s walkover.

I'm still bewildered at how bad Qatar looked, they are a far better team than they showed. I mean they beat Japan, Korea etc en route to winning the Asian Cup ffs.

Anyway, just saw the highlights of the Germany Costa Rica match. What a ball by Joel Campbell to break through the German defence and then the cross for free kick.

Unfortunate he doesn't have the intensity or stamina for top level football but his ball playing skills is never in doubt

Clrnc wrote:

Big Willie wrote:

Unless you're playing Qatar. Then it's s walkover.

I'm still bewildered at how bad Qatar looked, they are a far better team than they showed. I mean they beat Japan, Korea etc en route to winning the Asian Cup ffs.

Anyway, just saw the highlights of the Germany Costa Rica match. What a ball by Joel Campbell to break through the German defence and then the cross for free kick.

Unfortunate he doesn't have the intensity or stamina for top level football but his ball playing skills is never in doubt

One of the worst teams I've seen at a WC, and that includes Saudi 2002.

Qatar just lacked skill, strength and intensity. It reminds me of some of our really bad Europa or FA Cup opponents. A top level footballer in 2022 is an athletic monster. Qatar should’ve just bought Brazilians and West Africans like European teams.

Claudius wrote:

Qatar just lacked skill, strength and intensity. It reminds me of some of our really bad Europa or FA Cup opponents. A top level footballer in 2022 is an athletic monster. Qatar should’ve just bought Brazilians and West Africans like European teams.

Wasn't it a few years ago when that was the case. I'm sure I remember them having a whole team of Brazilians and other foreigners.

Yeah their initial strategy years ago was to do that. When they offered Ailton $1m to play for them (top scorer in the Bundesliga, had never lived in Qatar) Fifa changed the rules so that there had to be a connection between player and country. Qatar changed focus to their Aspire academy, which I think is where most of their players come from.

Actually most of their players currently are not Qataris if you guys didn't realise

It's not the same as before though. They went into the Qatari academy at a young age, compared to paying off players who weren't getting time for their own national team. 

Big Willie wrote:

Claudius wrote:

Qatar just lacked skill, strength and intensity. It reminds me of some of our really bad Europa or FA Cup opponents. A top level footballer in 2022 is an athletic monster. Qatar should’ve just bought Brazilians and West Africans like European teams.

Wasn't it a few years ago when that was the case. I'm sure I remember them having a whole team of Brazilians and other foreigners.

I remember this about 10 or 15 years ago. But they poured a ton of money into the Aspire Academy. They should just roll through like France with 15 Africans. 

Claudius wrote:

Big Willie wrote:

Wasn't it a few years ago when that was the case. I'm sure I remember them having a whole team of Brazilians and other foreigners.

I remember this about 10 or 15 years ago. But they poured a ton of money into the Aspire Academy. They should just roll through like France with 15 Africans. 

If you think about it what's the difference really. Is it really better that the French players with African heritage have an actual connection to France because the latter colonised and pillaged their home countries until their parents fled for France?

Whenever you think deeper about these questions the only real answer to them is to abandon intl football (and nation states altogether :coombs

Clrnc wrote:

Big Willie wrote:

Unless you're playing Qatar. Then it's s walkover.

I'm still bewildered at how bad Qatar looked, they are a far better team than they showed. I mean they beat Japan, Korea etc en route to winning the Asian Cup ffs.

Yeah I saw some games too they looked actually good. Occasion probably got to them because they were atrocious, not that anyone cares really their entire population probably fits in their new stadiums

Yeah I'm shocked how little Qataris I met in 1.5 weeks here. Other than the police, I haven't met a single Qatari everywhere I went. Absolutely sparse place, I will never set foot again there's nothing to do here.

Shame they spent so much money building world class infrastructure for nothing though. Good on them for giving stadium 974 to Tunisia.

Big Willie wrote:

jones wrote:

Imagine using iPhones and being proud about it to tell others. For shame young Willie

 

I was just taking the piss out of people who genuinely do that. Personally I've been using android since 2016 when my partner wanted my branch new iPhone 6s. Bought myself a galaxy S7, then an S10 followed by an S21 Ultra.

I haven't been able to go back to iOS since switching tbh. I mean I have bought an iPhone XS max at one point and couldn't get back into it. Just sits on a desk 90% of the time. One thing I give apple is their battery life is much, much better than Samsung.

Depends on the device, some of the new iPhones have actually awful battery life. Haven't used a Samsung device for a while either, haven't forgiven them for ditching the 3.5mm jack and SD card slot.

Clrnc wrote:

Yeah I'm shocked how little Qataris I met in 1.5 weeks here. Other than the police, I haven't met a single Qatari everywhere I went. Absolutely sparse place, I will never set foot again there's nothing to do here.

Shame they spent so much money building world class infrastructure for nothing though. Good on them for giving stadium 974 to Tunisia.

Go to the souk and buy a hunting falcon. You can get really beautiful birds for the price of a Lamborghini. Great deal if you’re into hunting. And have a perch in your house

How the fuck is Leao not starting ahead of Horta?

That's a pathetic penalty