World Cup- Are Americans Excited?

[SirDuff]

I’m staying with friends in the US and have been warned that the Argentina games will be being played (at lIke 2am since we’re on the West coast).

 

[Buzz Rules]

Ah, make sense.

World Cup tv schedule in the USA if he needs it:
https://www.mlssoccer.com/competitions/fifa-world-cup/2022/schedule/#date=2022-11-21

 

[Buzz Rules]

I’m staying with friends in the US and have been warned that the Argentina games will be being played (at lIke 2am since we’re on the West coast).

I unfortunately believe Messi and Ronaldo’s teams are going out in the group stage (though I hope I’m wrong).

 

[WEDWDW]

The UK is 4 countries as someone has said. Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales, so like everywhere else, each country has its own football team.
United Kingdom basically is these separate countries, united under one Kingdom.
Gets more complicated in that there is also ‘Great Britain’ which is the Island comprising England, Wales and Scotland, excluding Northern Ireland. This as formed in the 1707 Acts of Union when England (which also encompassed Wales at the time) joined with Scotland to form Great Britain in Union.
Yet more complication- for example in the Olympics we compete as ‘Team GB‘ so not as separate countries, and in this context ‘Team GB’ is ‘Team GB and Northern Ireland’. Not sure why they just don’t call it the United Kingdom team

Great explanation-that has always confused me.

Is "Great Britain" the same as "Britain"?

 

[Buzz Rules]

Great explanation-that has always confused me.

Is "Great Britain" the same as "Britain"?

Yes.

 

[WEDWDW]

VERY disappointing that Messi and Ronaldo(generally considered 2 of the top 4 players of all time) will have to compete in their last World Cup in such a controversial location!

Takes away a lot of the spotlight they should be receiving.

HUGE Messi fan here-meeting many Guests from Argentina over the years and learning about Football(Soccer) and Messi from them made me a fan.

To Argentina,Messi is Babe Ruth,Michael Jordan,Tiger Woods,Tom Brady,etc. all put together!

And throw in Elvis!lol

With a 36 game unbeaten streak for the National Team including the Copa America and Finalissima titles,I feel pretty good about "our" chances.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I’ll watch the first 3 US matches, and possibly bits of others. If the US advances I’ll continue to watch. If not, I’ll probably skip everything except the final.

I really don’t even know which countries are playing other than the US England Iran Wales group.

Besides Qatar, the host. If the tournament was elsewhere, is there a snowball’s chance that Qatar would qualify?

They nationalized a bunch of Brazilians, was criticized by FIFA, and then got a pass in theory for what they did. We beat them in the 2021 Gold Cup (they bought themselves a spot in our regional tournament and also for the next one in 2023).

 

[Buzz Rules]

Awarding the tournament to a country with such a poor human rights record should end FIFA as an organization.

I agree but keep in mind that the USA and possibly other allies have military bases there and in neighboring countries as well. Things aren’t always so black and white.

 

[robinb]

Even David Beckham is drinking the kool-aid.

He's being paid $178 million to drink the kool-aid.

 

[Jrb1979]

I will be tuning in to see one of the favorites, the Dutch team.

 

[kdonnel]

I agree but keep in mind that the USA and possibly other allies have military bases there and in neighboring countries as well. Things aren’t always so black and white.

You know the only reason Qatar was awarded the World Cup was due to bribery.

FIFA is as corrupt as an organization can possible be. I wonder if anyone in FIFA ever makes a decision based on what is good for the sport or players.

 

[Buzz Rules]

I will be tuning in to see one of the favorites, the Dutch team.

I hope their manager is able to beat his cancer. He’s retiring after the tournament. Praying for LVH.

 

[Colleen27]

Beer has just been banned for sale at the stadiums with just two days notice.

FIFA officials and other VIPs will still be allowed alcohol but not regular attendees.

Hopefully AB InBev destroys FIFA in court and they cease to exist.

Journalists have been struggling to report from Qatar as broadcasts are interrupted by security forces stopping all filming.

15000 slave laborers were killed during construction of the stadiums.

Awarding the tournament to a country with such a poor human rights record should end FIFA as an organization.

This. All of this.

LGBTQ people are routinely arrested in Qatar for PDA or flying rainbow flags. The government - the same government that said beer will be allowed and then abruptly reversed course - claims that won't happen during the World Cup, but how trustworthy are they at this point?

Even the few people I know who are very into soccer have mixed feelings about watching this year because of the host country and all the abuses associated with this year's event. My daughter's girlfriend is first-generation American, born to Iranian parents, and usually follows Iran's team closely but they don't plan to watch this year because of Qatar's LGBTQ rights record.

 

[Buzz Rules]

You know the only reason Qatar was awarded the World Cup was due to bribery.

FIFA is as corrupt as an organization can possible be. I wonder if anyone in FIFA ever makes a decision based on what is good for the sport or players.

I know that, I’m just saying not everything the country does is wrong (I’m not talking about human rights issues). I don’t blame the innocent people for their government’s mistakes.

 

[kdonnel]

I know that, I’m just saying not everything the country does is wrong (I’m not talking about human rights issues). I don’t blame the innocent people for their government’s mistakes.

I don't completely blame the citizens, but they do share some blame.

I have come to accept that inaction often makes you just as culpable as action.

 

[Jrb1979]

I don't completely blame the citizens, but they do share some blame.

I have come to accept that inaction often makes you just as culpable as action.

Can we just enjoy the tournament? I know there are issues in Qatar and they should be dealt with. But the World Cup is not the place for it. It's a shame that every major sporting event has to be overshadowed by things that have nothing to do with the sport.

 

[kdonnel]

Can we just enjoy the tournament? I know there are issues in Qatar and they should be dealt with. But the World Cup is not the place for it. It's a shame that every major sporting event has to be overshadowed by things that have nothing to do with the sport.

15000 slave laborers who died building the stadiums for this sports event would disagree if they had a chance but they died so people could drink beer and watch sports.

It should overshadow the event. It should dominate the event.

Edited to add:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportswashing

Sports Washing is what Qatar is attempting.

Sports Washing is what China has done.

Sports Washing is what Saudi Arabia is trying with golf.

The 1936 Summer Olympics are viewed as one of the first attempts of Sports Washing. Doing something that can easily be compared to something done by HItler should probably be a sign that something nefarious is taking place.

 

[Buzz Rules]

15000 slave laborers who died building the stadiums for this sports event would disagree if they had a chance but they died so people could drink beer and watch sports.

It should overshadow the event. It should dominate the event.

Edited to add:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportswashing

Sports Washing is what Qatar is attempting.

Sports Washing is what China has done.

Sports Washing is what Saudi Arabia is trying with golf.

The 1936 Summer Olympics are viewed as one of the first attempts of Sports Washing. Doing something that can easily be compared to something done by HItler should probably be a sign that something nefarious is taking place.

The UN could step in to stop the tournament and they did nothing. When we host the event in 2026 and the Olympics in 2028, will issues be raised then? I’m not saying those lives don’t matter but no sponsor, millionaire, or country has boycotted the tournament. 7 billion are going to watch and these issues will still be there on December 19th. We can still speak out (as England, the USA, and Canada have done), but our governments have to force their hand if we want change in the world. I don’t want this to be political but the truth is most around the world only care what effects them and not what is happening 10,000 miles away.

 

[kdonnel]

The UN could step in to stop the tournament and they did nothing. When we host the event in 2026 and the Olympics in 2028, will issues be raised then? I’m not saying those lives don’t matter but no sponsor, millionaire, or country has boycotted the tournament. 7 billion are going to watch and these issues will still be there on December 19th. We can still speak out (as England, the USA, and Canada have done), but our governments have to force their hand if we want change in the world. I don’t want this to be political but the truth is most around the world only care what effects them and not what is happening 10,000 miles away.

Dollars talk, lives are worthless.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

I’m under the weather at the moment so I’m praying for 3 wins. Rooting for Canada too by the way. If they score it will be an historic sports moment.

Feel better soon Buzz!

I hear we won a friendly yesterday against Japan, not a bad way to start!