World Cup - Qatar 2022

[Pablo Bonvin]

Lots of other threads abounding but I thought we needed one central point to discuss the tournament.

 

I usually am quite giddy about World Cups but this one is at risk of passing me by. Possibly because of the bad press it has attracted (there are other threads about that point of course) and also the timing of the thing.

 

England’s poor recent form has also dampened my spirits but I think they should at least get to the quarter finals.

 

I have no idea who will win. Germany will probably go far and I don’t expect Spain to be far off, but truth be told I’ve rather lost touch with what’s what in international football. 
 

If not England then I’d like Holland or Croatia to win, because I like their kits.

 

What are your thoughts, hopes, fears?

[Whitechapel Owl]

I'm looking forward to it, and I'm refusing to be as miserable about England's chances as almost everyone else seems to be. I think they'll prove the doubters wrong again.

 

Lots of hype for Brazil and Argentina, will be interesting to see if they turn up after both being pretty shiite for quite a while now. I struggle to enjoy watching Brazil these days as I despise Neymar. Everyone in the media being unable to talk about Argentina without mentioning Messi in every sentence has also become tiresome over the last 10/15 years.

 

It's a shame Norway haven't qualified as it would have been good to see Haaland at a major tournament.

 

Bit of a stinker for the opener (Qatar v Ecuador) but 3 decent games the following day, England v Iran, Senegal v Netherlands and Wales v USA.

Edited November 13, 2022 by Whitechapel Owl

[Pablo Bonvin]

3 minutes ago, Whitechapel Owl said:

I'm looking forward to it, and I'm refusing to be as miserable about England's chances as almost everyone else seems to be. I think they'll prove the doubters wrong again.

 

Lots of hype for Brazil and Argentina, will be interesting to see if they turn up after both being pretty shiite for quite a while now. I struggle to enjoy watching Brazil these days as I despise Neymar. Everyone in the media being unable to talk about Argentina without mentioning Messi in every sentence has also become tiresome over the last 10/15 years.

 

It's a shame Norway haven't qualified as it would have been good to see Haaland at a major tournament.

 

Bit of a stinker for the opener (Qatar v Ecuador) but 3 decent games the following day, England v Iran, Senegal v Netherlands and Wales v USA.

Agree. A dreadful opening match. Does Qatar have any players who may be considered world class or who I might even have heard of?

[Whitechapel Owl]

2 minutes ago, Pablo Bonvin said:

Agree. A dreadful opening match. Does Qatar have any players who may be considered world class or who I might even have heard of?

 

I don't think they're actually as bad I first imagined when they won the bid. I think they won the Asia Cup not long since.

 

 

[fudge27]

I am going to go out with a couple of predicitions. 

 

Germany to not make the quarters 

Portugal to be semis at least 

Brazil to not be great (maybe 1/4s)

[Whitechapel Owl]

4 minutes ago, fudge27 said:

I am going to go out with a couple of predicitions. 

 

Germany to not make the quarters 

Portugal to be semis at least 

Brazil to not be great (maybe 1/4s)

 

Good chance you'll be right about Germany with them most likely to be playing Belgium in the last 16. Spain (In Germany's group) have become unpredictable at tournaments though, and Costa Rica are in there, who inexplicably won a group containing England, Italy and Uruguay. 

One of the big boys always has a nightmare, I'd love it to be France again like in 2002, really can't stand so many of their players, 

[Geedee]

If  we get to the knockout stage I will be happy.

 

Then it's just one off football anything can happen.

 

I think we have a solid outside chance

 

[Ever the pessimist]

Brazil to win.

England to reach 1/4 finals.

Dark horses: Denmark 

[DarOv]

For me, the most interesting one is Group B. Iran and the English-speaking countries are in it. It will be interesting to watch! Some confrontation from the world of politics

[Kopparberg]

Saw some videos online which were either locals giving travelling fans of each country a warm ‘welcome’ by wearing their national team shirts etc and face paint…. Or it suggests that they're making ‘fake’ supporters, or using the workers as stadium fillers. 
 

Making it like I’ve said before, a bit like Eurovision but bigger. 
 

On TV I think it’ll come across fine.. but no more exciting than the Nations League   

[Maddogbob]

Just now, Kopparberg said:

Saw some videos online which were either locals giving travelling fans of each country a warm ‘welcome’ by wearing their national team shirts etc and face paint…. Or it suggests that they're making ‘fake’ supporters, or using the workers as stadium fillers. 
 

Making it like I’ve said before, a bit like Eurovision but bigger. 
 

On TV I think it’ll come across fine.. but no more exciting than the Nations League   

Be interesting to see how forced and fake it is.

 

Might be worth waiting for your average England fan opinion first though.

[FreshOwl]

One of France, Argentina or Brazil 

 

England - 2nd round or QF

 

Dark horses - Uruguay 

[Bannofan]

It's been covered in all the previous threads, but suffice it to say this is not as ' buzzy' as previous World Cups. 

 

Football wise, it's written in the stars that Messi wins it before it retires, so he can then be up there with Maradona and Pele. 

 

Dark horses I would say Uruguay , but I also think Senegal or Ghana will get to the QF's or even further. I'm also interested in what South Korea and Japan do. 

 

I think the European based players will be distracted with it being mid season and no build up, so maybe there will be some surprise individual packages.  

 

England - I'm conflicted, I want them to do well in some respects, but I also hate what the to$$er general public gets like if we show a sniff of doing something. Technically anything can happen, we could easily go out in the group stage or we could get to the semis again. I can't see us getting anything from a decent side, just like WC2018. 

 

 

[IWEDFM]

Don't care who wins it as long as it's not Argentina. The Argies are unbearable. They're just so arrogant and already think they have it in the bag. Every country would love to win the World Cup don't get me wrong but over here it's almost like an unhealthy obsession 

 

As for England can't see us getting very far unfortunately. Having said that we do tend to go further when the expectation is low. Hopefully a win against Iran will build confidence and momentum for the rest of the tournament 

 

[Whitechapel Owl]

After Ronaldo's behaviour this week, it'd just be typical if Portugal went and won wouldn't it? Then having to listen to loads of idiots say "He's been proved right" about the shiit he's been talking.

[Charles Clegg]

I'd urge all who share my contempt for both corruption at the highest level in football (not least FIFA and its current overlord, Don Infantino) and  disgusting human rights abuses by Qatar (legalised slavery) to please sign this petition.

 

https://actions.sumofus.org/a/fifa-justice-and-accountability-for-abused-migrant-workers/?akid=a213169720.15298726.aJypvs&aktmid=tm18886125.7Z53ZD&rd=1&source=conf&t=3

 

David Beckaham should sign it but then he'd lose his 10million pieces of silver.

[Eaton_Swfc]

Serbia dark horses for me, can see them going quite far and they have enough match winners to cause problems 

[Kopparberg]

13 hours ago, Maddogbob said:

Be interesting to see how forced and fake it is.

 

Might be worth waiting for your average England fan opinion first though.

I just can’t get up for it with it being in a none typical football country… we’ll obviously see positive reports from England fans… but them saying the breakfast buffet was amazing won’t be enough. 
 

I’m aware it sounds a bit snidey but that’s why the vibe just isn’t right. 
 

As for the football, it could go either way, England could do average and go home - or they could actually play like it’s a load of fun, friendly matches where we don’t have that usual in ground and national pressure to win. 

[marconi]

Just watched an interesting documentary on C4 about the theft of the Jules Rimet trophy in ‘66.

 

During WW2 the trophy was hidden under an Italian’s bed to stop the Nazis from stealing it.

 

We made a replica in case the original cup wasn’t returned.

 

The real cup after it was presented to Bobby Moore was exchanged by the police for the replica in the dressing room after the match. The cup remained in a police safe until it was returned to FIFA for the 1970 World Cup.

 

Any photographs of England players holding the cup after they had left the dressing room, were with the replica cup.

 

The dog who found the cup, Pickles, was strangled by his own lead after chasing a cat up a tree and died in 1967.

 

The Jules Rimet trophy owned by Brazil after winning it three times, was stolen in an armed robbery.

[Maddogbob]

1 hour ago, Kopparberg said:

I just can’t get up for it with it being in a none typical football country… we’ll obviously see positive reports from England fans… but them saying the breakfast buffet was amazing won’t be enough. 
 

I’m aware it sounds a bit snidey but that’s why the vibe just isn’t right. 
 

As for the football, it could go either way, England could do average and go home - or they could actually play like it’s a load of fun, friendly matches where we don’t have that usual in ground and national pressure to win. 

I'm just interested to see the opinion from your average England fan first, with regards to the experience.

 

From the outside looking in (did see that they have ordered the movement of alcohol sale) it looks like it's going to be a bit on the boring side tbh. Away from the games anyway.