World Cup 2026

RunningBum said:
I'd compare it more to the hockey offside rule. The rationale is (I assume) to prevent someone from hanging around the net behind the defense to try for a relatively easy score. They use a different method, with hockey using a fixed blue line that the offense can't cross without the puck, and soccer having a floating line established by the defender furthest back. In soccer they can go behind the defender once a pass to them has been made. That's probably easier to enforce then watching for the ball to get behind a defender. The sports are different enough that different offside rules probably make sense for each sport.

Football is different in that they have to start each play onsides, while soccer and hockey are much more fluid and continuous. A football receiver can't hang out behind the defense before the play.

Another example of different rules is that the sideline is in play for soccer and baseball, but out for football and basketball. Should they be standardized? Which sport should yield and change their rule? Why do they need to be the same, other than to be easier for a newbie to understand.
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A minor correction it is the second to last defender not the last defender. The last defender is usually the goalkeeper but not always...
 
FD1000 said:
It was pretty simple: the Belgians were taller, stronger, faster, and more technically skilled. They controlled the ball better, and when you play against a superior opponent, your own weaknesses become much more apparent. It was a reality check.
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Agreed. Belgium was a better team, on paper (FIFA ranking) and in reality. I was hoping that the home advantage would give the US a slight edge. No such luck. Worse yet, the final score line was hard to take.
 
I have to say I think the way the USA team handled the red card controversy was all class, through and through. I hope they get some credit and recognition for taking the next step for professional soccer in the USA. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

I don’t know that much about soccer since I never played it. I’ve watched it and learned, but unlike football, baseball, and basketball I never played it myself. I missed the most important part of the learning experience.
 
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To me, the low point of this World Cup has been the conduct of the Egypt coach. First, injecting politics into the game in a way that is, at best, divisive. Second, being a sore loser. Sure, there are some arguably wrong calls during a game -- in any sport. But this coach's tantrum, following the game, was embarrassing. If he had more class, he would have said something like "Tonight's loss was a tough one for us, especially after being up 2-0. But I am proud of what our team accomplished in this World Cup, and I congratulate the Argentine side on a hard-fought win." There is no shame in losing a game to Argentina. But there is a lot of shame in having your coach act like an idiot after the loss.
 
World Cup referee quality has ranged from good to awful. It makes me appreciate how good NHL referees are in a faster sport. Even NFL referees do a better job IMO. In this World Cup, there has been an absurd amount of jersey-pulling and other physical restraining of opposing players that mostly hasn't been called.
 
As to performance, the USMNT did not take the next step. Round of 16 has been there wall.

Until the youth soccer pay-to-play approach goes modern, we're topped out.

Belgium result was embarrassing, especially given recent 5-2 friendly result.

We did have a step-up in coaching and coverage. Streaming all the games has kept us very entertained.
 
target2019 said:
As to performance, the USMNT did not take the next step. Round of 16 has been there wall.

Until the youth soccer pay-to-play approach goes modern, we're topped out.

Belgium result was embarrassing, especially given recent 5-2 friendly result.

We did have a step-up in coaching and coverage. Streaming all the games has kept us very entertained.
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Not too familiar with the youth soccer system in this country but essentially, soccer is a sport for kids from relatively affluent families.

By contrast, look at the players from South America and Africa, they come from poor neighborhoods or even villages outside the big cities. For many of these families, futbol is their ticket out to upper social mobility.

So the kids are encouraged to make futbol their whole life, from a very young age. Many families send their boys away as young teens to live and train near clubs but this system has led to widespread abuse, including sexual abuse as kids crowd into these boarding houses with appalling conditions. ESPN.com has a story as well as a documentary.

In the US, kids play soccer as kids and then by the time they're in high school, the best athletes will be funneled towards basketball and baseball for the affluent families and football for the lower middle class families.

To the extent that a kid has promise in sports, the goal is to get a college scholarship and potentially a pro career. That means football, basketball and baseball will always be ahead of soccer.

If you follow the European or South American process, that means the kids are routed into futbol when they're like 12-14 and that means they've pretty much given up going to university. I think most American parents would not want their kids to give up the prospects of college. Maybe if the kid shows potential in tennis or golf, they will send them away to the tennis academies or for golf maybe hire pro to coach them.
 
anethum said:
World Cup referee quality has ranged from good to awful. It makes me appreciate how good NHL referees are in a faster sport. Even NFL referees do a better job IMO. In this World Cup, there has been an absurd amount of jersey-pulling and other physical restraining of opposing players that mostly hasn't been called.
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Is jersey pulling and holding actually illegal in soccer as it’s played by the entire world? I would think not. It happens every few minutes from what I can see. IMO, it takes away from the game since it’s easy to neutralize real skill by pulling on a jersey, graphing at an arm, etc.
 
Chuckanut said:
Is jersey pulling and holding actually illegal in soccer as it’s played by the entire world? I would think not. It happens every few minutes from what I can see. IMO, it takes away from the game since it’s easy to neutralize real skill by pulling on a jersey, graphing at an arm, etc.
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it’s like most other sports. it’s mostly ignored unless it markedly impedes movement. which is is very subjective of course.
 
mh said:
it’s like most other sports.
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NBA comes to my mind. I don't know about other sports. At the professional level in soccer, the obvious fouls (pulling jerseys, pushing with hands, ...) are mostly ignored. However, video replay on goals has cleaned up things a lot.
 
target2019 said:
Until the youth soccer pay-to-play approach goes modern, we're topped out.
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It's already here, but in the USA it's backwards, the parents pay for their kid to play. Youth soccer in the USA is a criminal organization. They keep telling parents how awesome their sons are at soccer all the way up until those kids receive no ECNL invite or NCAA D-I scholarship offer due to the fact that there are very few spots to fill so you have to be the best of the best of the best, not just average. If they didn't do that their club would go bankrupt because parents would pull their kids out of the club by age 14 otherwise.
 
France were by far the better team in todays game. Especially the first half.

Although he's one of my favorite players, that penalty miss by Mbappe was just embarrassing though.
 
Soccer in the US would be better off if it were run like the Little League Baseball of my youth, where kids played in an age based league, and then an "All Star Team" was put together that played a few other local town's "All Star Teams". But soccer and hockey are completely different, and I understand baseball has gone the same way.

I have known people who FLY AROUND THE COUNTRY with their 10-16 year old kids on a soccer "Club Team" thinking they would become the next Pele. None even ended up getting a college scholarship. The club teams are there to milk money out of parents living vicariously through their kid's slightly-above-average athletic skills.

I knew other families doing the same with hockey, which has the same structure. Of all the kids, ONE ended up playing at the Canadian Junior League level, which is a lot like minor league baseball. He is still there, but unlikely to rise any higher.

Of all of the competitive baseball kids we knew, ONE got a college scholarship to play Division II, and he ruined his arm his freshman year.

Both of our kids played soccer for a few years, one of them was quite good, but really didn't like to play team sports, and both gave it up after 10 years old. They each went on to their glories in individual sports, and did quite well. Thank goodness they didn't want to play soccer or hockey or baseball.
 
Koogie said:
France were by far the better team in todays game. Especially the first half.

Although he's one of my favorite players, that penalty miss by Mbappe was just embarrassing though.
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I agree France is a better team, but No! to the penalty, It was simply good goal keeping, anticipating the correct direction (Almost impossible) and saving the ball.
 
Chuckanut said:
Is jersey pulling and holding actually illegal in soccer as it’s played by the entire world? I would think not. It happens every few minutes from what I can see. IMO, it takes away from the game since it’s easy to neutralize real skill by pulling on a jersey, graphing at an arm, etc.
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Of course jersey pulling and holding an opponent is not permitted. Enforcement varies enormously, unfortunately, to the detriment of the game, IMO.

www.thefa.com

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct

IFAB Laws of the Game
www.thefa.com www.thefa.com

1. Direct free kick

A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:
  • charges
  • jumps at
  • kicks or attempts to kick
  • pushes
  • strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)
  • tackles or challenges
  • trips or attempts to trip
If an offence involves contact it is penalised by a direct free kick or penalty kick.
  • Careless is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed
  • Reckless is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned
  • Using excessive force is when a player exceeds the necessary use of force and endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off
A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences:
  • a handball offence (except for the goalkeeper within their penalty area)
  • holds an opponent
  • impedes an opponent with contact
  • bites or spits at someone on the team lists or a match official
  • throws an object at the ball, opponent or match official, or makes contact with the ball with a held object
See also offences in Law 3

(bolded by me)
 
I have told my wife that this is just a BIG money grab... expanding to 48 teams is stupid... sure, some countries were able to play that would not have on the old version...

BUT, if thing turn out like I think... the last 4 teams will be ranked #1,2,3 and 4!!!

Yep, the best teams are going to be in the semis and the final...

Sure, some good teams were knocked out early and some got really lucky to advance... but they did...
 
Texas Proud said:
I have told my wife that this is just a BIG money grab... expanding to 48 teams is stupid... sure, some countries were able to play that would not have on the old version...

BUT, if thing turn out like I think... the last 4 teams will be ranked #1,2,3 and 4!!!

Yep, the best teams are going to be in the semis and the final...

Sure, some good teams were knocked out early and some got really lucky to advance... but they did...
Click to expand...

What big sports spectacle isn't a money grab?

In this case, the FIFA president wanted to maximize revenues and Americans have a reputation for overpaying for these kinds of events, so the ticket prices are much higher than any previous WCs by a good margin, even the last WC in the Middle East where they just put up a bunch of stadiums for the event, even though the tiny country really can't support all that infrastructure outside of the WC.

FIFA president is voted on by member countries so he's in essence buying their votes. He's increased payments to individual countries by almost 100% in the time he's been in office.
 
I was originally unhappy with the expansion, but after watching those additional 16 teams play I think they brought a new level of emotion and excitement to the World Cup, along with such unexpected outcomes. The motives for the expansion are irrelevant, but for me it’s a good move.
 
Texas Proud said:
I have told my wife that this is just a BIG money grab... expanding to 48 teams is stupid... sure, some countries were able to play that would not have on the old version...

BUT, if thing turn out like I think... the last 4 teams will be ranked #1,2,3 and 4!!!

Yep, the best teams are going to be in the semis and the final...

Sure, some good teams were knocked out early and some got really lucky to advance... but they did...
Click to expand...

What big sports spectacle isn't a money grab?

In this case, the FIFA president wanted to maximize revenues and Americans have a reputation for overpaying for these kinds of events, so the ticket prices are much higher than any previous WCs by a good margin, even the last WC in the Middle East where they just put up a bunch of stadiums for the event, even though the tiny country really can't support all that infrastructure outside of the WC.

FIFA president is voted on by member countries so he's in essence buying their votes. He's increased payments to individual countries by almost 100% in the time he's been in office.
 
I was watching a recent game and one of the announcers said that there must be a body double of the FIFA president... he seems to be at almost every game!!

Must have a private jet...
 
Yes, I liked the round-robin Group games. I think the expanded field is good for a tournament that is only held every 4 years. Kind of like the Olympics - lots of huge underdogs there too. If it was an annual championship a more restricted field would be appropriate.
 
6 of the 8 teams in the quarter finals are from Europe. Unusual I think when the tournament is not in Europe or maybe my memory is failing? 1 team from South America and 1 team from Africa make up the 8.
 
Alan said:
6 of the 8 teams in the quarter finals are from Europe. Unusual I think when the tournament is not in Europe or maybe my memory is failing? 1 team from South America and 1 team from Africa make up the 8.
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+1

It’s not bad luck. South American teams had a poor showing, especially Brazil, but also Mexico and Colombia.
 
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