So the warm up games are happening, England look awful.
It's being hosted by America, so I guess the one thing we can guarantee is that Trump will do his best John Terry impression and lift the trophy.
The fans will be rinsed out of any spare money.
And despite myself and my current lack of interest I know I'll get sucked in to watching it.
It's a tough one. As a Scotland fan I'm so pleased for the team to finally qualify and to do so playing some entertaining football. But FIFA and the USA are absolutely rinsing the fans. History tells me we'll get knocked out on goal difference after the first three games. I'll probably watch the England games, they'll help me get to sleep.
I don't follow football so I'm blissfully unaware of what is going on. Office talk seems to be revolving around the cost of everything and lack of visas, which feels a bit odd as in previous years it has been chat about which team is going to do well and who might be a surprise.
Happily have the day off work, but I won't be following it and hopefully won't hear too much chat about it once it starts (as I don't follow it, I don't understand it very well, so happy not to hear about it).
Saying all that, it would be good if Scotland do well.
Much more into football than I was until a few years ago, thanks to my youngest. I turned over from last night’s game as it was boring. I know it was a warm up so they’d not be playing to full capability but that was awful representation of the team.
I wouldn't read to much into the New Zealand game , it was a glorified training session with the most important thing being all the players getting through unscathed. Although the fact that England's best player today isn't in the squad made an interesting aside .
England are in with a chance but im trying not to get my hopes up to much . I think Southgate was great for England but he had some luck with the draws and Tuchel is a definite step up in terms of tactics and game management. Kane , Bellingham , Saka , Rice , Reece james are all very good players and I think Anderson will be worth a few more million after the world cup . I dont think we're as strong defensively as I would like although Pickford has never let england down . Thing is there's a fair few teams with probably stronger squads than England .France , Spain , Portugal , Argentina and a couple more would be unsurprising winners .
As for the poliitics of it FIFA and Trump seem to make perfect bed fellows and i find them both abhorrent but I'll still be watching the football. I know its not the players fault but I'd love to see the USA get battered in all their group games .
People in Norway are very , very excited but lack the painful experience of struggling to beat teams with funny names and stil have that naive idea that all those games will be easy.
All England warmups are painful. I'm curious. Southgate did a great job compared to the 30+ years before that so I hope that what we gain with Tuchel we don't lose overall by pandering to commentators, pundits and fans by trying to squeeze in allthat team favourite players. We'll see in a few days
And I don't kow anyone who's actually going although some have tried to get tickets
It's a tough one. As a Scotland fan I'm so pleased for the team to finally qualify and to do so playing some entertaining football. But FIFA and the USA are absolutely rinsing the fans. History tells me we'll get knocked out on goal difference after the first three games. I'll probably watch the England games, they'll help me get to sleep.
Great news! I'll be scanning the game schedule carefully to take advantage of quiet roads.
They're usually pretty quiet in the early hours of the morning anyway
Scotland's World Cup Group C games
Haiti vs Scotland - Sunday June 14, Boston, 2am (UK time)
Scotland vs Morocco - Friday June 19, Boston, 11pm (UK time)
Scotland vs Brazil - Wednesday June 24, Miami, 11pm (UK time)
England's World Cup Group L games
England vs Croatia - Wednesday June 17, Dallas, 9pm (UK time)
England vs Ghana - Tuesday June 23, Boston, 9pm (UK time)
Panama vs England - Saturday June 27, New York-New Jersey, 10pm (UK time)
Won't be watching Scotland's first game as I have an early start at work that day. I might watch the other 2 group games. If they are available free. I didn't think the world cup should have been in Russia in 2018 or Qatar in 2022 so since Scotland didn't qualify I didn't watch . There's every chance that Trump or his regime will do something that puts me off watching this one ... even while Scotland is still involved.
Would love Scotland to do well, but won't be watching any of it out of principle.
Glad to see at least one other person with some commitments to principles. I find it so sad that people would support the various abhorrent regimes in charge of the WC.
Predictions.
No controversy or questionable refereeing.
Trump to score the winner in the final with a diving header.
Glad to see at least one other person with some commitments to principles. I find it so sad that people would support the various abhorrent regimes in charge of the WC.
I'll try my hardest to avoid it, also out of principle, but I said that last time also, and probably the time before that.
The way I see it, the likes of Infantino and Trump are just parasites leeching off an otherwise fairly legitimate spectacle, I'm sure the players, teams and crowds would rather they weren't all getting fleeced for tickets and over-priced Dasani as well 🤮
Also, I've never actually understood TV viewing figures, if I surreptitiously turn on a match in the evening, does this contribute to figures that Trump can somehow claim and gloat over? I'd always thought viewing figures were just extrapolations of a 'representative sample'...
Would usually enjoy the World Cup and watching teams I wouldn’t normally see but given the time a lot of the matches are on I can’t see me staying up for many of them.
I'll not be watching - unless somebody posts up a good pirate streaming link
Sports washing is not exclusive to football. That borefest F1 takes place in some pretty abhorrent regimes. At least with football ultra poor countries such as Haiti have representation.
With Haiti, the ban on their fans travelling to the US to support their team (along with other countries) is another great example of why this WC stinks like its namesake.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx212p8r28eo
It's odd - I have definitely tried to watch all the games at previous tournaments, expanding this tournament to 48 teams is too much. You might as well do away with qualifying.
The times are all off it's going to be too hot to play.
I remember Mexico 86 & watching the highlights at 5.30pm on BBC2.
It's a tough one. As a Scotland fan I'm so pleased for the team to finally qualify and to do so playing some entertaining football. But FIFA and the USA are absolutely rinsing the fans. History tells me we'll get knocked out on goal difference after the first three games. I'll probably watch the England games, they'll help me get to sleep.
I thought that was the sole purpose of football these days
Im expecting to see more St George’s flags on cars and buildings than you see at a reform party convention
cyclists with principles.eh? Whoda thunk?
Fifa will probably now go bust
I thought the idea of having it in Qatar was repellent and that was it for me, but at the end of the day it's the World Cup and I know I'll revert to being 11 years old because the World Cup is amazing.
Pre-tournament I'm always "it should only ever be staged in Europe or South America" and "Italy, Germany, Brazil and Argentina should be exempt from having to qualify (Spain can take care of themselves) because not having Italy there demeans the whole thing"
Then the Guardian guide lands and I get sucked into reading about all the stadiums.
Then I start thinking "actually wouldn't mind it if England did well - likable manager, likable players etc"
Then the TV coverage starts and within 10 seconds I think "GET ENGLAND PUMPED!"
Then the frequency of texts between me and my mate in Germany increases by 1000%
Then I start praying for Holland and Argentina meeting each other in the latter stages.
Then the sun comes out and you get to watch a brilliant knockout game featuring France or Spain while drinking beer outside somewhere one glorious summer evening.
Yeah, grumble grumble!
FIFA really are screwing the fans - or anyone they can get to show an interest - on this. In Toronto apparently the opening match isn't sold out; and I'm hoping to see half empty stadia throughout the tournament.
It's not just the money though - which absolute * decided to schedule all of Scotland's matches after 11pm BST? Sure, with the time difference they'd all be evening time, but that's the most obvious * you of all to the fans. Infantino is absolute scum
(edit: I seem to have found a new forum feature, red text!)
I hope the commercial aspect of this years tournament is a disaster, as a big FU to Trump and to FIFA. Half empty stadiums, low viewing figures etc might make them realise that it shouldn't be about the money, and quality rather than quantity.
I do hope Scotland get through the group stage though, just so we get to enjoy their fans being their usual amazing selves
Given that most games of international football are dreadful borefests anyway, the expanded nature of this tournament will lead to even more tedious nil nil draws.
There may be the vaguest possibility of a decent match breaking out by accident in the 9,000 games in the group stages, but I doubt it.
Wake me up in a few months when the horrific meeting of minds that is Trump and Infantino is eventually over and we can get back to the proper footy
Great news! I'll be scanning the game schedule carefully to take advantage of quiet roads.
This was my thought too until MrsIHN pointed out what the schedule actually was...
She'll be watching it, I might if I'm in the same room.
Boring football isn't limited to internationals, look at most cup finals for example. Has there been a more dull team than Arsenal this season?
Yeah, cup finals are normally bloody awful affairs too.
But I reckon that some teams in this World Cup will end up making the present Arsenal squad look like vintage, Pep-era Barca in comparison.
Can't wait for the England games. We've got a successful manager and some good players heading into a World Cup in good shape. Doubt we'll win it but hopefully we'll get to the latter stages and not go out on penalties.
I'll probably only watch England and maybe two or three of the bigger knockout games. Not a fan of the expanded tournament nor FIFA/Trump but not going to let politics spoil my enjoyment of the spectacle, particularly as I'm not spending a penny on it that I wouldn't have spent anyway.
The problem with watching a plethora of games at the world cup is you are condensing your footie quota - I can imagine if I had to watch 25 Reading games in 3 weeks it's possible to get the odd boring game.
Cant get exited for this due to all the reasons above. Usually head into one of the big pubs in town to watch the big England tournament games with the FIL but doubt I'll bother this time round due to the silly late KO times (I'm up early for work) The Saturday night game would be tempting but they'll be lots of drunken/coked up dickheads due to the late KO (more so than usual anyway)
I'll probably get sucked into it though!
Despite always saying I hate international football, there’s a great pub down the road, with a massive beer garden with big screens. I know full well that resistance is futile, I’ll get sucked in and I’m end up in there with all my mates, half pissed, cheering on Engerland. No point trying to fight it really, is there?
I hate that FIFA, Infantino and Blatter before him, know all this and know this means they can do whatever the **** they like and we’ll all inevitably end up buying into it. And with Trump in the mix to, it’s even worse.
*sigh*
Despite always saying I hate international football, there’s a great pub down the road, with a massive beer garden with big screens. I know full well that resistance is futile, I’ll get sucked in and I’m end up in there with all my mates, half pissed, cheering on Engerland. No point trying to fight it really, is there?
I hate that FIFA, Infantino and Blatter before him, know all this and know this means they can do whatever the **** they like and we’ll all inevitably end up buying into it. And with Trump in the mix to, it’s even worse.
*sigh*
Knew you'd come round. Intrigued to know how Blatter, Infantino and FIFA know about your big local.
I'd love it if all the other World Cup refs refused to ref!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cnv9drg0qzgo
Caher - the bastards at FIFA know that even miserable, grumpy, cantankerous old bastards like me, the world over, are going to end up watching it, whether their local had a massive screen-filled beer garden or not 😉
Apart from in Italy, obviously 😂
Mind you… Trump and the other MAGA nobheads are going to ruin the whole thing even more effectively than FIFA, aren’t they?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8286nqz87o
Hmmm, the bi-annual (when we actually get there!) triumph of optimism over reality. England, somehow, get through the early stages, the optimism builds .. ..
Still makes me smile remembering watching Archie Gemmill's goal against Holland in '78 with my dad, a magic moment. England didn't do so well in that tournament, again.
Hoping both England and Scotland have a really good run in this World Cup.
Shame Craig Bellamy did not quite get Wales over the line. His approach as Wales manager has impressed me.
If we get a goal with a build up as sensational as Alberto Carlos's for Brazil in 1970, I'll be happy.
As for Infantino, Trump and their organisations approach to the World Cup 🤐
You just know that at the final, detached from reality and devoid of any sense of Irony that they both are, Trump and Infantino are going to end up parading his FIFA Peace Prize while everyone looks on mystified, Trump in John Terry full kit ****er mode
Top African Somali referee with all relevant paperwork sent back from the border.
And so it begins.
Given his reception at the NBA match the other night, the crowd reaction if he turns up at a game will be amazing - if there is a crowd, of course
Pitch side dining has to now be a thing. Although I'd like to see a stray cannonball send the beef wellington into row zeee
I feel really sorry for that referee .When it was in Russia they at least tried to hide the reality of the regime . Trump and his minions can't even manage that .
Feels quite partridge for my next paragraph to be about how good England looked against Costa Rica and Im starting to get my hopes up . Old enough to know its the hope that kills you .
Im starting to get my hopes up . Old enough to know its the hope that kills you
And on that this Scotland fan can heartily agree
