MNVillan Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 us pesky Yanks are back! Even though I know USA soccer can be a punching bag, I finally feel excited about our national team 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hornso Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 1 hour ago, MNVillan said: us pesky Yanks are back! Even though I know USA soccer can be a punching bag, I finally feel excited about our national team Fair play. I couldn't feel less excited about Australia. Play-off against UAE coming up, Peru waiting if we're good enough to get past them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow1988 Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 On 26/03/2022 at 09:15, sne said: Think Italy should come out with a statement that they boycott the WC, their population sure will Would make them look silly but would still makes waves. Italy do have previous in not handling World Cup exits well, what with Pergugia cancelling Ahn Jung Hwan's contract after he scored in extra time knocking them out of the 2002 World Cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 6 hours ago, Hornso said: Fair play. I couldn't feel less excited about Australia. Play-off against UAE coming up, Peru waiting if we're good enough to get past them. It's a shame with the general interest in game in Australia now and you making regular world cups that your talent pool is dismal compared to the squads you had in late 90s/early 2000s when you had top tier players in premier league and Serie A. Now with all due respect to him you're getting excited about Bruno Fornaroli joining the squad. Fantastic record in the A league but he is 34. Could actually see UAE beating Aussies in one off game as they'll be incredibly motivated to make the world cup in Qatar. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post El Zen Posted March 31, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted March 31, 2022 Newly elected president of the Norwegian FA, Lise Klaveness (a woman), properly laid into both FIFA and Qatar today from the podium at the FIFA congress. Good. Won’t change a thing, but still. Good. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 7 hours ago, Hornso said: Fair play. I couldn't feel less excited about Australia. Play-off against UAE coming up, Peru waiting if we're good enough to get past them. If somehow Australia does qualify, I think I will have at most a passing interest in it. With the blatant corruption, and disruption to national leagues, I really hate this world cup. I would be happier if it didn't happen. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Steve Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 This is straight up indentured labour and forced the most vulnerable into huge debt. Shameful. Evil practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hornso Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 11 hours ago, VillaChris said: It's a shame with the general interest in game in Australia now and you making regular world cups that your talent pool is dismal compared to the squads you had in late 90s/early 2000s when you had top tier players in premier league and Serie A. Now with all due respect to him you're getting excited about Bruno Fornaroli joining the squad. Fantastic record in the A league but he is 34. Could actually see UAE beating Aussies in one off game as they'll be incredibly motivated to make the world cup in Qatar. The administration of the game down here is a big mess and has been for a long time. Plus the sport gets nowhere enough support from the Government based on junior participation numbers compared to sports like AFL, rugby & cricket so talented kids who could progress in the game get hit with ridiculous registration fees compared to the other sports...sorry I'm getting off track. The Fornaroli call up reeked of desperation. I can see us losing too. They've only conceded 7 goals in their group so I can see us losing 1-0 or going out on penalties. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 15 minutes ago, Hornso said: The administration of the game down here is a big mess and has been for a long time. Plus the sport gets nowhere enough support from the Government based on junior participation numbers compared to sports like AFL, rugby & cricket so talented kids who could progress in the game get hit with ridiculous registration fees compared to the other sports...sorry I'm getting off track. The Fornaroli call up reeked of desperation. I can see us losing too. They've only conceded 7 goals in their group so I can see us losing 1-0 or going out on penalties. What happened to institute of sport, that provided some good players for your NT in late 90s. Did it get disbanded or still going in some form? Felt like Australia winning Asia cup in 2015 was actually end of an era rather than another springboard as this is the poorest pool of players you've had in over 20 years. Hardly any of them bar Matt Ryan play at good levels in europe now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 6 hours ago, VillaChris said: What happened to institute of sport, that provided some good players for your NT in late 90s. Did it get disbanded or still going in some form? Felt like Australia winning Asia cup in 2015 was actually end of an era rather than another springboard as this is the poorest pool of players you've had in over 20 years. Hardly any of them bar Matt Ryan play at good levels in europe now. I think the revamped and improved domestic league has actually hindered talent development rather than helped. It used to be that any promising young players would get talent spotted by the institute of sport and sent over to Europe as teenagers to develop in the top leagues, because there was no professional pathway for them in the domestic competition. Now they just stay in the mediocre local leagues where they can earn a living but not develop. The A-League sides don’t put a lot into youth development. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 Probably one of the least most exciting world cups in history. A world cup in December. Utter pants 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rodders Posted April 1, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted April 1, 2022 well a world cup in qatar - utterly disgraceful. But, I feel like I'm genuinely getting close to being done with football at long last. Have no interest with the villa match tomorrow really anymore. Everything about football is so unrelentingly shit, the constant stories of fans being just unbelievable rocket polishers, the booing, the abuse, at the day to day level, up to the excuses made for the **** saudis by geordie clearings in the woods, the chelsea fans chanting for roman, during the minutes applause for ukraine, just words removed every which way you look, the corruption, the obsession with money the discarding with any value whatsoever as soon as the sight of more money for a transfer comes into view. the booing of "marxist" knee-takers, shit bags everywhere you look. **** football, **** international football, **** the world cup and **** the fans. But how's your Friday? 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 57 minutes ago, Demitri_C said: Probably one of the least most exciting world cups in history. A world cup in December. Utter pants At the Christmas markets... The euros was a great one for me personally, covid rules relaxed, bars open, weather was decent enough (last world cup was brilliant weather) beer was flowing This one maybe will get away with it as a novelty and if they can somehow tie it in to Christmas and end of year buzz (not a clue how they do that tbf) might be some early Xmas parties around England games, it'll be too early but walking home from an England World Cup game in snow could be awesome, unfortunately with climate change I think its more likely it will be wet windy and about 8° which is shit weather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andykeenan Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 Draw Friday 5pm BBC 1 Pots Pot 1 (seeded teams): Qatar, Brazil, Belgium, France, Argentina, England, Spain, Portugal. Pot 2: Mexico, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Uruguay, Switzerland, USA, Croatia. Pot 3: Senegal, Iran, Japan, Morocco, Serbia, Poland, South Korea, Tunisia. Pot 4: Cameroon, Canada, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Wales/Scotland/Ukraine, Costa Rica/New Zealand, UAE/Australia/Peru. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 England, Germany, Senegal and Canada be a tasty group and Southgate can play all his defensive players 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
og1874 Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 2 hours ago, Rodders said: well a world cup in qatar - utterly disgraceful. But, I feel like I'm genuinely getting close to being done with football at long last. Have no interest with the villa match tomorrow really anymore. Everything about football is so unrelentingly shit, the constant stories of fans being just unbelievable rocket polishers, the booing, the abuse, at the day to day level, up to the excuses made for the **** saudis by geordie clearings in the woods, the chelsea fans chanting for roman, during the minutes applause for ukraine, just words removed every which way you look, the corruption, the obsession with money the discarding with any value whatsoever as soon as the sight of more money for a transfer comes into view. the booing of "marxist" knee-takers, shit bags everywhere you look. **** football, **** international football, **** the world cup and **** the fans. But how's your Friday? I'm not a million miles off this to be honest, but I find it's a decent tonic just to change your mindset with relation to footie. Firstly, just don't pay any attention to the football media if it's not analysis (even then most is hit and miss, but at least it's somewhat fact based). It seems that 95% of fans see tenuous links or rumours, and immediately take them to be accurate. They're probably not. Just acknowledging that nothing is fact until there's a signature on a contract is surprisingly beneficial to how you enjoy things. Secondly, accept that the vast majority of football fans on the internet are morons who know nothing about the game beyond what they read on Twitter or watch on YouTube. Thirdly, ignore international football. Fourthly, disconnect politics from the sport. If it's political or politically linked, just ignore it. Don't read it, don't click it, don't engage with it, don't get worked up about it. Finally, just watch the game at the weekend. If we win, watch the analysis afterwards and enjoy the interviews and replays. If we lose, turn it off at full time. I did all the above and I find it's a lot easier to stomach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimzk5 Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 Qatar a seeded team? I get they automatically qualify as host nation but seeded as well? Wtf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 22 minutes ago, Jimzk5 said: Qatar a seeded team? I get they automatically qualify as host nation but seeded as well? Wtf Hosts are seeded top to give the home fans a better chance of progressing rather than going out in the pool stage. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferguson1 Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 (edited) So who do we think will win the tournament? I already have a few free bets used on Argentina, purely because there was no value on the others. Edited April 1, 2022 by ferguson1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 22 minutes ago, LondonLax said: Hosts are seeded top to give the home fans a better chance of progressing rather than going out in the pool stage. Completely normal I thought The host is team A1 so they play the opening game The champions are then also automatically seeded, then the next top 6 teams according to fifa ranking So it'll be Qatar, France, Brazil, Belgium, Argentina, England, spain, Portugal Could be interesting if Portugal don't make it or Mexico get ahead of them in the rankings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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