Football (World Cup 26)

[xxialac]

2 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Well it's quite something Spain have been able to carry him to an extent and still get the wins. Though I thought he was good last night - not the star player but still pretty productive. 

Yeah. He couldn't quite dictate the game and got crowded out but was still decent. 
His disallowed goal was expertly taken.

 

I'd be amazed if he doesn't have a brilliant assist or goal in the final. It's due.

[xxialac]

On 26/05/2026 at 12:48, kaosmark2 said:

I wonder how tired that Argie team will be, Alexis McAllister and Enzo Fernandez have had a big drop off this season, and they've not got much depth in midfield or defense. Absolute class goalie and frontline but I have less belief in them than usual.

 

I fancy Spain, insanely class midfield and with such depth and they know how to balance their lack of a top no 9. It'd also be quite funny if they win without a single Real player in that squad.

Speaking of predictions. This has been a blinder of one...

[lost]

37 minutes ago, balti-pie said:

 if England do get there then the last four finals in Mens and Womens World Cups and Euros would all be England v Spain - which is quietly fascinating and a clear indicator that investment in youth development and across all forms of football does pay off! 

 

I actually think both teams are weaker than the Euro's 2 years ago but I'd still probably go with Spain if that happens.

[kaosmark2]

11 minutes ago, xxialac said:

Speaking of predictions. This has been a blinder of one...

There's still 2 games to go!

 

I do have later down that page England as my 3rd favourites, and Scotland to go out on 3 points because they couldn't get their GD high enough though....

[charlierc]

7 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

There's still 2 games to go!

 

I do have later down that page England as my 3rd favourites, and Scotland to go out on 3 points because they couldn't get their GD high enough though....

I had France, Spain, Argentina and England as the 4 likely winners so... I guess I can say I called the semis right. As I said, I wasn't sure how a hypothetical Brazil v England quarter would go but Norway answered the question for me. 

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, Skip997 said:

Have a scan through the BBC sports pages if you dare. The hyperbole and nonsense is off the scale, and no we’re not “all in it together”, there’s plenty who don’t want England to win, for a multitude of reasons, including the presumption that the whole country are supporting them.

 

 

 

At the risk of scratching a bit more at this, are you sure you're not underestimating the amount of people who simply want Argentina to lose? I've even seen the odd Scot say they can accept England winning if it means they lose. 

 

Admittedly I've also seen quite a few people saying they're expecting the Argies to get another debatable VAR call go their way. So there's that. 

[steviewevie]

So...just want to check...it's fine to call them Argies?

[charlierc]

41 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

So...just want to check...it's fine to call them Argies?

Tbf I wasn't aware it took off in use as a slang term among Brits during/after 1982 and thought it was fairly common like referring to Aussies, which is apparently a common misconception. So... maybe it's just one of those things people do without thinking. Though from browsing a Reddit thread asking people of Argentina as I was curious, some hate the term and some just don't care. 

 

Said research found there's an Argentine ska band called Argies who were formed just after that (1984) and who are still acclaimed and playing gigs. So there's that I guess. 

[Skip997]

57 minutes ago, charlierc said:

At the risk of scratching a bit more at this, are you sure you're not underestimating the amount of people who simply want Argentina to lose? I've even seen the odd Scot say they can accept England winning if it means they lose. 

 

Admittedly I've also seen quite a few people saying they're expecting the Argies to get another debatable VAR call go their way. So there's that. 

Ah, the increasingly nonsensical paranoid conspiracy theory that FIFA have already decided that Argentina will win. It’s also a ready excuse 

[balti-pie]

Argentina have got 20 penalties in their last 28 international games - thats an absolute madness, i do think theyve been reffed differently.

But then i thought it would be for a Mbappe v Messi final and that France would equally benefit when they needed to, til they were a bit crap last night and ruined my paranoid nonsenses! 

[lost]

I mentioned it right at the start. The game against the Netherlands in 2022 I thought the ref had a right shocker in favour of Argentina. There have also been a few controversial ones so far, I think both the Egypt and Switzerland coaches went the "scripted reality" explanation to keep Messi in the limelight.

 

Thing is we can't really complain with how the prem is run. They do exactly the same thing protecting their main revenue generators. You only have to look at the punishments handed out to clubs like chelsea.

[xxialac]

38 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Said research found there's an Argentine ska band called Argies who were formed just after that (1984) and who are still acclaimed and playing gigs. So there's that I guess. 

Gay people call themselves queer. Black people call themselves by the N word. So I'm not sure that proves it's ok!

 

That said, I think it's fine to use that term, just as long as not said with malice.

[charlierc]

47 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Ah, the increasingly nonsensical paranoid conspiracy theory that FIFA have already decided that Argentina will win. It’s also a ready excuse 

Name me a football fan base who don't indulge in this kind of thinking and I'll say you haven't looked hard enough. The fact Trump has been boasting about getting FIFA to overturn Balogun's red hasn't helped, even if it probably did more harm than good to the US team in the end. 

 

Admittedly I did think some of Egypt's reaction to what happened in their last 16 tie bordered on the extreme even allowing for the usual moaning football fans do when close refereeing calls don't go in their favour. 

[charlierc]

24 minutes ago, xxialac said:

Gay people call themselves queer. Black people call themselves by the N word. So I'm not sure that proves it's ok!

 

That said, I think it's fine to use that term, just as long as not said with malice.

I just thought it was interesting there was a successful Argentine band with that name tbf. But I'd agree with both assessments. 

[Crazyfool01]

3 hours ago, Skip997 said:

Have a scan through the BBC sports pages if you dare. The hyperbole and nonsense is off the scale, and no we’re not “all in it together”, there’s plenty who don’t want England to win, for a multitude of reasons, including the presumption that the whole country are supporting them.

 

 

 

it's not worked yet 

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

Tbf I wasn't aware it took off in use as a slang term among Brits during/after 1982 and thought it was fairly common like referring to Aussies, which is apparently a common misconception. So... maybe it's just one of those things people do without thinking. Though from browsing a Reddit thread asking people of Argentina as I was curious, some hate the term and some just don't care. 

 

Said research found there's an Argentine ska band called Argies who were formed just after that (1984) and who are still acclaimed and playing gigs. So there's that I guess. 

I've definitely known it as closer to "Aussies" than "Pakis". It's also in the international common vernacular in ways that other pejoratives aren't, and I'd heard it was common in Scotland before the Falklands war.

 

It's probably worse coming from Brits though.

 

21 minutes ago, xxialac said:

Gay people call themselves queer. Black people call themselves by the N word. So I'm not sure that proves it's ok!

 

That said, I think it's fine to use that term, just as long as not said with malice.

Queer has been actively reclaimed over the past 30 years. It's also a more popular term with gay/bi people under ~40 because it's more inclusive. I'd also say that black people calling themselves the N word is much more of a thing in the US than UK.

[Skip997]

6 minutes ago, Crazyfool01 said:

it's not worked yet 

Maybe this will 

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, Skip997 said:

Ah, the increasingly nonsensical paranoid conspiracy theory that FIFA have already decided that Argentina will win. It’s also a ready excuse 

From highlights, I did think the reffing in their match against Egypt was inconsistent, but I've put that down to one ref rather than any conspiracy. I think the stuff going around the internet about Argentina being favoured by FIFA is almost all conspiratorial nonsense. 

[charlierc]

2 hours ago, xxialac said:

Speaking of predictions. This has been a blinder of one...

 

2 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

There's still 2 games to go!

 

I do have later down that page England as my 3rd favourites, and Scotland to go out on 3 points because they couldn't get their GD high enough though....

Tbf the energy level question is one of the reasons why I feel whoever wins tonight is going to New York as underdogs in the final. Both England and Argentina have had chaotic knockout games, phases in those games where they've been second best, key players looking knackered, played more extra time than Spain and are playing the day after Spain. And that's before the fact tonight's contest is going to be a very intense match by itself. 

[charlierc]

12 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Maybe this will 

Eh. I'd save it for Sunday. 

[kaosmark2]

6 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Tbf the energy level question is one of the reasons why I feel whoever wins tonight is going to New York as underdogs in the final. Both England and Argentina have had chaotic knockout games, phases in those games where they've been second best, key players looking knackered, played more extra time than Spain and are playing the day after Spain. And that's before the fact tonight's contest is going to be a very intense match by itself. 

Yeah absolutely. I think England have more chance against Spain than Argentina in the final, but I'd still have Spain as favourites regardless. It's a bit of a shame that their football has looked less electric than at the Euros 2 years ago though - which I put quite heavily down to Nico Williams being even less fit than Saka.

 

If England beat Argentina and lose to Spain with Rice going off knackered/unfit/injured - or even just having a bad game, I think questions have to be asked about the Mainoo + Henderson picks. It's clear now that Tuchel doesn't actually trust them, so the question has to be where's the likes of Wharton/Garner/Scott who could have played that deeper midfield role without shoehorning Bellingham/Rogers out of position, or having one of our only natural full-backs who's also only half-fit play there. I think during the tournament, and in management of the key players, Tuchel's done very very well (even if England lose tonight), but the issues of not enough full-backs and the wrong midfield back-ups have been exposed through the tournament.

[Skip997]

4 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Eh. I'd save it for Sunday. 

It’s some kind of double bluff jinxing. A presumption that England will win tonight, thus jinking them 

[charlierc]

15 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

Yeah absolutely. I think England have more chance against Spain than Argentina in the final, but I'd still have Spain as favourites regardless. It's a bit of a shame that their football has looked less electric than at the Euros 2 years ago though - which I put quite heavily down to Nico Williams being even less fit than Saka.

 

If England beat Argentina and lose to Spain with Rice going off knackered/unfit/injured - or even just having a bad game, I think questions have to be asked about the Mainoo + Henderson picks. It's clear now that Tuchel doesn't actually trust them, so the question has to be where's the likes of Wharton/Garner/Scott who could have played that deeper midfield role without shoehorning Bellingham/Rogers out of position, or having one of our only natural full-backs who's also only half-fit play there. I think during the tournament, and in management of the key players, Tuchel's done very very well (even if England lose tonight), but the issues of not enough full-backs and the wrong midfield back-ups have been exposed through the tournament.

Henderson was there for vibes anyway, right? Pretty sure his main thing was trying to maintain dressing room harmony. 

 

Given the headaches England have had with full backs, I'm surprised it hasn't caused more bother to this point than it has. 

[kaosmark2]

9 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Henderson was there for vibes anyway, right? Pretty sure his main thing was trying to maintain dressing room harmony. 

 

Given the headaches England have had with full backs, I'm surprised it hasn't caused more bother to this point than it has. 

I mean sure, but given Rice's predictable fitness struggles it then adds to the "why wasn't there a midfielder who'd play actual minutes" question.

[charlierc]

23 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

It’s some kind of double bluff jinxing. A presumption that England will win tonight, thus jinking them 

You do you eh?

 

I think tonight's 50/50 anyway. Both sides have players capable of seizing the moment and both have had phases in the knockout rounds where they've been second best. Depends which one is better able to take advantage of the other's passive moments.