FIFA World Cup: Qatar 2022 • Page 16

Argentina just got beat by a team ranked 51st

 

Biggest upset I remember since Senegal beat champions France in ‘02.

Saudi Arabia deserved it. Committed, well organised defence, and they had an effective game plan that worked.

Argentina were a mess.

 

The second goal was a banger

 

Messi must right now be like "Eff all this, let me retire somewhere warm"

 

Holy shit this is some wild news to wake up to lol

 

Argentina were on a 36 games unbeaten run. Today's not to be taken for granted!

 

That's the same number as when the US upset Spain in 09 and North Macedonia upset Italy earlier this year, isn't it?

 

I know he’s been playing club since then, but after the Euros, it really is absolutely special to see Eriksen back out there with Denmark at the World Cup.

 

Absolutely no idea on that one, bud.

 

Turns out Italy was 37 and Spain was 35.

 

nice timing Dillon haha

 

That was a fun half. Tunisia are playing well.

 

'People say we don't have backbone' - Van Dijk on OneLove armband row

"We just want to play football. I would have loved to play with that band, but not at the expense of a yellow card."

 

Again, I don’t think the players should be entirely blameless, but they are 100% being made a scapegoat for the decisions of FIFA and the cowardice of the national Football Associations.

For instance, if Bale has worn it and gotten a yellow yesterday, he would have gotten sent off in the biggest, most important, most emotionally charged match of his entire career.

We can talk about how that is still small stuff to sacrifice in comparison to the issues LGBTQ+ people face in Qatar, but it’s easy for us to say this from a position where we don’t have to give it up.

Hell, we’re all still watching, aren’t we? If we wanted, we could turn off. But we aren’t doing so.

By all means, be disappointed, but we should be aware of the pressures placed on them from above to bow to a crooked, horrible system.

 

Whilst I think FIFA have really passed the buck on this, I thought this was a really strange quote when I saw it. It would have been far better to say nothing.

I do wonder if two teams could stick two fingers up at FIFA by having all 22 players wear an armband. Are they really going to make a total farce of a match by booking all players immediately? What rule are they even breaking?

I heard somewhere (maybe it was in here) that they'd be booked for wearing it and potentially a second time if they refused to remove it. Again, would love for two teams to test the theory together.

 

After some of the other decisions already at this tournament, I'm surprised that handball wasn't called.

 

I agree with large parts of what you wrote, but corrupt organizations like sports governing bodies aren't going to make good choices ever, and they'll only be swayed when their commodity (players/managers) actively push back. Laborers are always the cause of change, never the owners/oppressors. So, I do kind of think it's up to the players and, yes, I believe that I would wear the arm band.

 

Also on the arm band thing, it's a really dirty tactic by FIFA. I know with English players (and I'm sure this will apply other places too) that if any player is seen to fuck up a good campaign, the media and a good chunk of the fans will be absolutely awful. You can see from England (and Southgate's) support of the knee that they aren't worried about the right wingers getting pissy, but that's very different from the sort of pile on that would happen if a player ends up a scapegoat because they get suspended over this.

 

I wrote my other message without having seen yours, but this is why I'd advocate the whole team wear one. It makes a mockery of FIFA and thier terrible decisions and rules, whilst also giving individual players a bit of protection from the backlash they'd likely get at home if people do get sent off and/or suspended.