2026 FIFA World Cup

[donlever]

So justice prevailed then?

Good.

...and there is egg on your favourite Prez's face.

Even better.

[5thhorseman]

I doubt Trump cares about the results of the game. He just likes throwing his weight around.

The US team definitely has egg on their collective faces though. I was out all day so only watched the highlights but what a comedy of errors that was. It's just too bad they weren't eliminated by a shithole country.

[Topper]

Soccer returned to from the hype

World Cup losses
US 1 - Belgium 4
US 2 - Turkey 3

Leading into the World Cup against European opponents
June 6/26 US 1 - Germany 2
Mar 31/26, US 0 - Portugal 2
Mar 28/26, US 2 - Belgium 5

Maybe Paraguay, Bosnia and Australia weren't very tough competition.

[donlever]

They're not.

The success was an illusion.

[Topper]

https://x.com/BelgiumTouch/status/20744 ... 64247?s=20

[Cookie La Rue]

This Trumfantino move did the damage instead of an advantage. Like always.
Kind of sorry for the players of the US team.

[2Fingers]

USA was not good, they had an easy ride to get to the 16 and then they played a real team and was completely dominated. What their goalie did on the 3rd goal was unbelievable at this level to see that.

Egypt almost beat Argentina today, did not see the game but Argentina score 3 goals after the 80' minute mark. That would have been huge if Egypt was able to hold on to the win.

[Per]

So justice prevailed then?

Good.

...and there is egg on your favourite Prez's face.

Even better.

”Look, we all know the USA won that game. By a lot. I just need you to find four more goals.”

[Topper]

Grope and Wail story today

If the red card had been allowed to stand, the US would have been soundly beaten by Belgium, held their heads high at achieving the round of 16 and been beaten by a better team.

Instead, political interference throws a cloud over the suspension of the red card, they are soundly beaten by a clearly better Belgian squad and become the laughing stocks of the tournament.

[UWSaint]

It's just too bad they weren't eliminated by a shithole country.

Have you been to Belgium lately?

[UWSaint]

USA was not good, they had an easy ride to get to the 16 and then they played a real team and was completely dominated. What their goalie did on the 3rd goal was unbelievable at this level to see that.

I don't disagree in the main, but let me add some subtlety.

The US came out absolutely lacking confidence, on its back heel. Not good for a team for a team built on pressuring the opponent. But it wasn't just that or most importantly that -- the fact 3 players passively watched the ball fall to the ground on goal #1 was emblematic of the type of nervousness that filled the team in the first half. I think we've seen sports teams seize up when the stakes get higher -- its sort of the worst thing a team can do. Underdogs can play like "what do we have to lose" or they can play like "I don't want to make a mistake." The latter always leads to mistakes. The former is how Cape Verde took their bracket opponent to the 85th minute.

Belgium had a game plan the US wasn't prepared for -- long balls requiring consistency by an underwhelming back four. Superior first half tactics by Belgium.

I thought the US did well in the second half -- they made strategic adjustments and the playing field was leveled. Still not a better team, still no margin for error being a goal down (and needing something good to happen), but (1) they weren't giving up high quality chances and (2) they were controlling the ball. I actually am surprised at the blame on the coach, because he did his job at half time -- he put the team in a position to have a chance. But Belgium did a good job keeping the US a pass away from a good chance -- playing exactly as a team with a one goal team should be playing. But it looked like two fairly closely matched teams playing their parts given the 2-1 score -- with 30-45 minutes left in a game. It wasn't time for the US to play desperately; Belgium wasn't making critical errors that would allow a goal in "structured" time.

Pusilic's injury takes away one of their playmakers (and he gimps around for 5 minutes), and that goalie error is an individual mistake that is equivalent to saying "take a goal." Changed what should have been a very typical script of a somewhat superior and experienced team holding on a one goal lead -- possession for the losing team but without being able to break through, then a final flurry in the last 10 minutes plus extra time after making a few subs and getting some fresh legs where either the winning team holds, scores a counter, or gives one up.

But that goalie error. Wow. Again, lack of intention, second guessing. And it was a horrible play that you really almost never see at that level, and probably the kind of play that player never makes again (though to be sure he was also passive on balls he should have been punching out). Its Buckner not scooping up a slow roller. Its Luongo turning into Cloutier in game 3 (or was it game 4?). This is a devastating individual error.

The goal in extra time, well, that happens when you are pressing at the end. Its the equivalent of an empty netter when you are down 2 with a minute left and you know if the puck leaves the zone you lose anyway.

I'm not saying the game was close or that the better team lost. Clearly not. Even without the goalie error, the typical script results in the team with the lead winning the game -- because even if there's an equal chance holding on to the lead, expanding the lead with a counter, or the US tying it up -- that's a 2/3rd chance of the US never tying it up, and a tie merely resets the clock and Belgium had better sub talent to put in the mix if they needed a goal to prevent extra time or penalty kicks. Belgium wins that game without the goalie error 90% of the time. But it wouldn't have been a laughable loss for the US.

The individual play by the goalie is part of the game (and how good a team is), the initial passivity that allowed that ball to drop in the box when any of 3 players could have headed it out? It is part of the game and speaks to the quality of the team. For Belgium to convert those mistakes is also a credit to their relative skill -- they played for the mistakes, ran their ass off on the assumption that the US would make mistakes (and they did), they had a good plan going into the game. And then when they had the 2-1 lead, they played solidly in the back third. But I am saying that the unforced errors by the US seem psychological, and that one would think that's easier to clean up than the lack of depth or top level talent that generally plagues the US team. Depth and talent is coming along -- there's stuff for the team to build on.

[2Fingers]

USA was not good, they had an easy ride to get to the 16 and then they played a real team and was completely dominated. What their goalie did on the 3rd goal was unbelievable at this level to see that.

I don't disagree in the main, but let me add some subtlety.

The US came out absolutely lacking confidence, on its back heel. Not good for a team for a team built on pressuring the opponent. But it wasn't just that or most importantly that -- the fact 3 players passively watched the ball fall to the ground on goal #1 was emblematic of the type of nervousness that filled the team in the first half. I think we've seen sports teams seize up when the stakes get higher -- its sort of the worst thing a team can do. Underdogs can play like "what do we have to lose" or they can play like "I don't want to make a mistake." The latter always leads to mistakes. The former is how Cape Verde took their bracket opponent to the 85th minute.

Agree they really did lack confidence and it surprised me. When I pointed out they played weak teams it was meant to say that so far they did not face any tough teams that really challenged them. Sometimes this causes you to be complacent.

Question UW - if the whole fiasco did not occur would they have come out this way?

[Topper]

From X

Argentina vs Switzerland - winner gets to keep Hitlers gold