So… has it been a good World Cup?

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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by Puff Daddy »

Yes . I would say it has, but Dickenson's Real deal, better than some of the early matches
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by thamesideiron »

Politically No......Coruption at the highest level...FIFA...what can you say,dislike them immensely,nothing worse in my book than
having the power to do tons of good for those that really need it worldwide...then Totally abusing the chance you have,for personal
financial gain....Google Jack Warner(FIFA Vice Pres,while back) if you've never heard of him...sums them up.

Football wise...just didn't seem like a world cup somehow,prob cos of the above...But saying that did enjoy a lot of it,especially
group stages..and was a cracking final for excitment.
It's always a treat watching the worlds best players...
Great seeing the Smaller Countries (Footie Wise) giving the big guys a scare, matching and even beating them.
The Passion Footie Brings is I don't think matched in any other sport,it's amazing..Players and Fans...crying for joy and sadness,
don't get that anywhere else.
When get to the quarters you need luck on your side, Just didn't fall Englands way...another day/game maybe it would,disappointing
we went out,but no Blame Game on anyone...Dec can mix it at top table,but we knew that anyway.

Betting wise just scrapped a break even...thanks to Croatia,backed them from the off...so had a win/win bet on French game,saved my
bacon cos was well down...had both team to score to day,so maybe ended a fiver up... a beer at the Bowl or maybe a half..:lol:
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by Diogenes »

Bearing in mind the WC should never have been awarded to Qatar in the first place, I believe the football itself has been on the whole very entertaining. The Stadiums and pitches look good and no hint of crowd trouble. I very much enjoyed the emergence of the 2nd/3rd tier teams and generally 75% of the matches were very, very good.
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by WebmasterFF »

The football has been entertaining, especially with some of the big shocks.

As others have pointed out, that it was held in Qatar will always taint this tournament but lets not lose sight of the following reasons why:

- You had the corruption that led to the tournament being awarded in the first place
- The thousands of Migrant deaths in building the stadiums and lack of human rights
- The lack of Human rights towards those above, women and the LGBT community amongst others (including Jewish supporters)
- FIFA threatening to discipline players for wearing 'one love' armbands, leading to them being the bully boys of the Qatari Regime
- Infantino's speeches and tone deaf statements
- The fake fans being given shirts and paid to make noise as the tournament began
- The 'Real' fans being paid through accommodation and hospitality to be ambassadors for the tournament, including being the spies of the Qatari Regime to grass on fans who posted negative remarks
- The backtracking on any promises made to FIFA and the above paid fans (shame to them both) by the Qatari Regime
- The assault and intimidation of Journalists, including the Danish reporter on camera.
- The luxury accommodation provided to fans which ended up being shipping containers/tents with a desktop fan in them and no drinking water

Good Tournament but the ends do not justify the means, especially when MEP Eva Kaili, who hailed Qatar as a “frontrunner in labour rights”, has been arrested for corruption involving the Qatari state whilst the Tournament has been in progress.
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by Shabu »

I missed seeing videos of semi naked drunk English blokes tossing beer in the air in pub gardens.

Didn't feel like a real world cup.

I even went so far as to go to the local Turkish Bath for men of a certain lifestyle & throwing pints of Stella over them whilst shouting "Waistcoat" but it just didn't feel right. I'm also now banned from every Turkish Bath House in San Diego County.

On the plus side I've been invited to several fabulous parties this Christmas.
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Reflections of 2022 World Cup

Post by Puff Daddy »

Once the dust has settled, the spotlight will begin to focus on USA/Canada and Mexico 2026 and a 48 team tournament. So, what are your memories of Qatar? Argentina, were probably, overall, deserved winners, but who will de-throne them next time around, because somebody will. Belgium, now face a massive re-build, as will Germany, at least 6 of England's 2022 squad will be nowhere in the reckoning and Italy will be there in 2026
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by fjthegrey »

It is being overrated by those reporting on it. Despite the media desperation to label it the World Cup of upsets, the quarter finals were played out between 7 of the clear favourites and a Morocco side that had been underrated by many before the tournament started, after the round of 16 saw 7 routine victories. The semi finals were dull and one sided. The final was absolutely **** until the last 15 minutes of normal time though it did end superbly.

The group stages didn't deliver many premium fixtures outside a few upsets, which don't necessarily make for great games by default. The knockout stages similarly were fairly forgettable though the final did (eventually) deliver and the Argies and Dutch played out a fun game in the quarters.

Overall for me it's a 6/10 tournament. It was fine. The quality was good, the games were quicker and more physical than they often are due it being mid season for European based players. But it didn't deliver enough classic matches for me to rate it higher.
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by Clacton-ammer »

Away from bribery, corruption, political, human right side of FIFA/Qatar and concentrating purely on the football/games/crowds it was better than I expected.

Excluding Qatar, every team showed something with some nice shocks in the group stages. Morocco & Japan were a joy to watch, the football "excellence" in game play/goals was arguably down a little on previous WC's - that could well be that the so called "lesser" sides are more clued up now, better players/tactics/managers etc which already said I did enjoy.

The South American & African support was fantastic, but we lacked the numbers from Europe to really make every game full of atmosphere, in fact, crowd atmosphere overall was well down excluding the continents mentioned.

I liked the winter WC, was a nice change, but wouldn't want another for at least 3 more WC's.

Overall, really enjoyed it.

Messi signing off his WC's with the trophy, the romance of football, footballing gods, however you describe it still exists, I like that. The last 40 or so minutes of game play, plus penalties was an incredible watch as well. Argentina up to that point were brilliant, you have to hand it to the French to find a way back in as they did. A great final to end it all.
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by Kermit »

Overall yes, topped off by the best final I've seen in my lifetime. Albeit it had been very one sided until France scored their first. However what came afterwards more than made up for the one horse race it had been.

Nice to see a competition without tales of boozed up Englishmen looking for a tear up, and although England didn't go deep into the competition at least, imo, the national team is now watchable. Which is a nice change from the tripe served up during Roy Hodgson's time at the helm.

And, at least for me, it was fitting the best footballer in the world at the moment completed his medals set.

Human rights issues ? Some will doubtless complain but world cups have been held in unsavoury places before. Argentina won it in 1978 in their own country which at the time was run by a military dictatorship, more recently Putin's Russia held the last one and if we move away from football the Olympic Games has been staged in recent years in China. So playing sport in a country with different rules and ideologies to the ones we have is nothing new.
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by Puff Daddy »

Yeah I'd say. We didn't leave Qatar empty handed. By jove we didn't - we won the FIFA Fair play trophy. There was never any doubt, we wouldn't win that. Keep up this sterling work chaps
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by Puff Daddy »

Yeah I'd say. We didn't leave Qatar empty handed. By jove we didn't - we won the FIFA Fair play trophy. There was never any doubt, we wouldn't win that. Keep up this sterling work chaps
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by Puff Daddy »

PS - I take it, Wales came second
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by alf git »

Trebles all round as far as FIFA are concerned, i would think.
More winter tournaments incoming.
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by Eastcote »

thamesideiron wrote: Sun Dec 18, 2022 7:35 pm Politically No......Coruption at the highest level...FIFA...what can you say,dislike them immensely,nothing worse in my book than
having the power to do tons of good for those that really need it worldwide...then Totally abusing the chance you have,for personal
financial gain....Google Jack Warner(FIFA Vice Pres,while back) if you've never heard of him...sums them up.

Football wise...just didn't seem like a world cup somehow,prob cos of the above...But saying that did enjoy a lot of it,especially
group stages..and was a cracking final for excitment.
It's always a treat watching the worlds best players...
Great seeing the Smaller Countries (Footie Wise) giving the big guys a scare, matching and even beating them.
The Passion Footie Brings is I don't think matched in any other sport,it's amazing..Players and Fans...crying for joy and sadness,
don't get that anywhere else.
When get to the quarters you need luck on your side, Just didn't fall Englands way...another day/game maybe it would,disappointing
we went out,but no Blame Game on anyone...Dec can mix it at top table,but we knew that anyway.

Betting wise just scrapped a break even...thanks to Croatia,backed them from the off...so had a win/win bet on French game,saved my
bacon cos was well down...had both team to score to day,so maybe ended a fiver up... a beer at the Bowl or maybe a half..:lol:
Try listing to this https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0dfg11h

Powerplay: The House of Sepp Blatter
Radio 5 Live
The gripping story of Sepp Blatter's spectacular rise and fall from power - told by David Morrissey.

Goes on for a while buit episode 10 is Qatar the rest is this how we made "loads of money!"
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by Clacton-ammer »

It's been a super-duper smashing wonderful financial WC for the corrupt barstewards at FIFA, billions made, 1 Billion more than expected on what I read today. Like many huge organisations, corrupt to buggery!
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by vietnammer »

What future for the stadiums now?
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by fjthegrey »

vietnammer wrote: Sat Dec 24, 2022 8:46 am What future for the stadiums now?
Camel racing.

Genuinely.
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Re: So… has it been a good World Cup?

Post by vietnammer »

fjthegrey wrote: Thu Dec 29, 2022 10:21 am Camel racing.

Genuinely.
Was my thought too, it's a very lucrative sport in the gulf
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