Futbol

[Vrede too]

Trick question. MLS has Messi, the GOAT.

20 years ago:
When Teenage Messi scored a hat-trick against Real Madrid



Messi Legendary Solo Goals That Can’t Be Repeated!
At some point in his career, "His 21st hat trick." Most really good strikers never get one.


I hated these:

Leo Messi INSANE Long Shot Goals

Fortunately, at the level of play I achieved there weren't many opponents who could deliver with that kind of power and precision.

[O Really]

Who or in what leagues do most players on World Cup teams play for during regular seasons?

[Vrede too]

Who or in what leagues do most players on World Cup teams play for during regular seasons?

The European clubs pay the most, followed by South American clubs and some Middle East poaching. Other than superstars like Messi, North American clubs can't compete . . . yet. National teams play qualifiers mostly in the 2 years before the WC.

[Vrede too]

Wow.

Took luck for USA USA USA to win the group.

I'm 19-19-13 so far

Fri 6/26

3:00 PM Boston Stadium
Go Norway > France (-0.5)
Norway's camp is in Greensboro, NC
1-4 France has 3 wins, Norway qualifies with 6 points.

3:00 PM Toronto Stadium
Go Senegal (-1.5) > Iraq
5-0 Iraq goes home with 0 points.
I'm 20-20-13 so far

8:00 PM Estadio Guadalajara
GO Spain (-1.5) > Uruguay
1-0. Spain wins the group with 7 points.

8:00 PM Houston Stadium
GO Cape Verde (-0.5) > Saudi Arabia
0-0. Cape Verde advances with 3 points on 3 ties Saudi Arabia is sent home
I'm 21-20-14 so far, back in the black.

11:00 PM BC Place Vancouver
Go Belgium (-2.5) > New Zealand. Strategic choice
5-1. Belgium wins Group G with 5 points. New Zealand is sent home.

11:00 PM Seattle Field
Simultaneous games within easy driving distance?
GO Iran > Egypt (-0.5)
1-1. Egypt takes Group G 2nd, also with 5 points.
I'm 22-20-15 so far

Sat 6/27

5:00 PM New York New Jersey Stadium
GO England (-2.5) > Panama. GoO Really's MumGo

5:00 PM Philadelphia Stadium
Again, simultaneous games within reasonable driving distance.
GO Ghana > Croatia (-0.5)

7:30 PM Miami Stadium
GO Portugal (-0.5) > Colombia

7:30 PM Atlanta Stadium
Congo DR (-0.5) vs Uzbekistan, go futbol

[GoCubsGo]

[Vrede too]

https://x.com/tjmanotoc/status/2070681475952119930

, but using their height advantage to score is unfair.

I'm 22-20-15 so far

Sat 6/27

5:00 PM New York New Jersey Stadium
GO England (-2.5) > Panama. GoO Really's MumGo
2-0 Congrats, Mum! Harry Kane becomes England's all-time leading World Cup goal scorer
England barely wins the group with 7 points. Panama goes home.

5:00 PM Philadelphia Stadium
Again, simultaneous games within reasonable driving distance.
GO Ghana > Croatia (-0.5)
1-2 Croatia takes 2nd with 6 points.
I'm 23-21-15 so far

7:30 PM Miami Stadium
GO Portugal (-0.5) > Colombia
0-0 Ronaldo gets skunked
Colombia wins the group with 7 points, Portugal takes 2nd with 5 points.

7:30 PM Atlanta Stadium
Congo DR (-0.5) vs Uzbekistan, go futbol
3-1
Uzbekistan goes home
I'm 23-22-16 so far

10:00 PM Dallas Stadium
Go Jordan > Argentina (-2.5) Yeah, right
1-3 Argentina wins the group with 3 victories. Team Jordan and fans go home to face USA USA USA bombs.

10:00 PM Kansas City Stadium
Go Algeria (-0.5) > Austria
3-3, exciting. Austria wins the tiebreaker for 2nd.

Iran , South Korea, Scotland and Uruguay are 3rd Place teams who go home.

I'm 23-23-17 so far

Knockout Games

3:00 PM Los Angeles Stadium
Amandla South Africa (1-1-1) vs O Canada (1-1-1, -0.5), go futbol. Good luck, O Really.

[Vrede too]

I'm 23-23-17 so far

Knockout Games

3:00 PM Los Angeles Stadium
Amandla South Africa (1-1-1) vs O Canada (1-1-1, -0.5), go futbol. Good luck, O Really.

0-1. O Canada makes first-ever round of 16 with stoppage time goal. Phew, congrats! SWEET 16! Good on Amandla South Africa for getting so close.

I'm still 23-23-17 so far

Mon 6/29
(wins-draws-losses)

1:00 PM Houston Stadium
Brazil (2-1-0, -0.5) vs Japan (1-2-0), go futbol

4:30 PM Boston Stadium
Go Germany (2-0-1, -1.5) > Paraguay (1-1-1)

9:00 PM Estadio Monterrey
Netherlands (2-1-0, -0.5) vs Morocco (2-1-0), go futbol

[O Really]

It's all win or go home from here out, isn't it? No more advancing with scoreless ties or a loss?

[Vrede too]

It's all win or go home from here out, isn't it? No more advancing with scoreless ties or a loss?

Yep, knockout rounds. O Canada dodged a bullet.

No more scoreless ties. OTs, then the dreaded penalty kicks until a winner is decided, if necessary.

[Vrede too]

I'm 23-23-17 so far. My draws will end at 17, so I'll stop tallying them.

Mon 6/29
(wins-draws-losses)

1:00 PM Houston Stadium
Brazil (2-1-0, -0.5) vs Japan (1-2-0), go futbol
"Brazil caps wild comeback with dramatic stoppage-time goal"
Japan: 29'
Brazil: 56', 90'+6'
2-1

4:30 PM Boston Stadium
Go Germany (2-0-1, -1.5) > Paraguay (1-1-1)

9:00 PM Estadio Monterrey
Netherlands (2-1-0, -0.5) vs Morocco (2-1-0), go futbol

[Vrede too]

I'm 23-23-17 so far. My draws will end at 17, so I'll stop tallying them.

Mon 6/29
(wins-draws-losses)

1:00 PM Houston Stadium
Brazil (2-1-0, -0.5) vs Japan (1-2-0), go futbol
"Brazil caps wild comeback with dramatic stoppage-time goal"
Japan: 29'
Brazil: 56', 90'+6'
2-1

4:30 PM Boston Stadium
Go Germany (2-0-1, -1.5) > Paraguay (1-1-1)
UPSET!!!
Penalty Shootout
Germany 1(3), Paraguay 1(4)
All of Paraguay is celebrating. Germany is in stunned mourning.
I'm 23-24

9:00 PM Estadio Monterrey
Netherlands (2-1-0, -0.5) vs Morocco (2-1-0), go futbol
Another Penalty Shootout, another UPSET!
Netherlands 1(2), Morocco 1(3)
All of Africa is celebrating. Northern Europe suffered huge blows.

I'm 23-24 so far.

Tue 6/30

1:00 PM Dallas Stadium
GO Ivory Coast (2-0-1) > Norway (2-0-1, -0.5)
Go.Oomba.Go

5:00 PM New York New Jersey Stadium
Go Sweden (1-1-1) > France (3-0-0, -1.5) Yeah, right

9:00 PM Mexico City Stadium, home edge
GO Mexico (3-0-0, -0.5) > Ecuador (1-1-1)

[Vrede too]

I'm 23-24 so far.

Tue 6/30
(wins-draws-losses)

1:00 PM Dallas Stadium
GO Ivory Coast (2-0-1) > Norway (2-0-1, -0.5)
Go.Oomba.Go
1-2 I like Norge, too.
I'm 23-25 so far.

5:00 PM New York New Jersey Stadium
Go Sweden (1-1-1) > France (3-0-0, -1.5) Yeah, right
France leading 1-0 at HT 0-3 FT, yup. Oh well, I don't hate France. It's just that it's had 2 wins in the last 28 years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_F ... Cup_finals
I'm 23-26 so far.

Changed to 10:00 PM 9:00 PM Mexico City Stadium, home edge
GO Mexico (3-0-0, -0.5) > Ecuador (1-1-1)
2-0
I'm 24-26 so far.

[Vrede too]

It's all win or go home from here out, isn't it? No more advancing with scoreless ties or a loss?

2026 FIFA World Cup Bracket

O Canada (1-1-1) plays Mo' Morocco (2-1-0, -0.5) on Jul 4. I'm leaning towards being neutral.

Also,
Go Norge (2-0-1) > Brazil (2-1-0, -0.5) on Jul 5.
Go France (3-0-0, -2) > Paraguay (1-1-1) on Jul 4

[Vrede too]

Nightly, I've been enjoying:
FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours with James Corden
Video clips, commentary, games, humor, athletes and celebrity guests, etc.

Host Mexico: 1st knockout win in 40 years!

Wed 7/1
(wins-draws-losses)

I'm 24-26 so far.

12:00 PM Atlanta Stadium
GO England (2-1-0, -1.5) > Congo DR (1-1-1)
GoO Really's MumGo

4:00 PM Seattle Field
Go Senegal (1-0-2) > Belgium (1-2-0, -0.5)
GoAfricaGo!

8:00 PM San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Go Bosnia and Herzegovina (1-1-1) > USA USA USA (2-0-1, -1.5 )

[supesalemgr2]

Nightly, I've been enjoying:
FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours with James Corden
Video clips, commentary, games, humor, athletes and celebrity guests, etc.

Host Mexico: 1st knockout win in 40 years!

Wed 7/1
(wins-draws-losses)

I'm 24-26 so far.

12:00 PM Atlanta Stadium
GO England (2-1-0, -1.5) > Congo DR (1-1-1)
GoO Really's MumGo

4:00 PM Seattle Field
Go Senegal (1-0-2) > Belgium (1-2-0, -0.5)
GoAfricaGo!

8:00 PM San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Go Bosnia and Herzegovina (1-1-1) > USA USA USA (2-0-1, -1.5 )

Vrede's anti-American sentiment is noted. I would be interested in the "why" for Vrede's feelings.

[O Really]

America isn't really the same place as it has been in the past - not in culture, moral and legal standards, "personality", expectations of leaders, and yada on. "Anti-American" is a reasonable point of view for actual patriots. Plus, it's a term left over from the McCarthy dark days and even that ended with a "Sir have you no shame". Now, it's clear that most do not have shame. And nevermind Trump personally - he's clearly an aberration. But when a well-known but garden variety personality like Megyn Kelly spouts racism on the air (or online) and everybody yawns, it's fershure not the America most of us loved. Not that there haven't always been racists, but up until the last 10 years or so, even if you were a racist you would've known it wasn't culturally acceptable to proudly broadcast it. Lots of racists started their comments with "I'm not racist but..." and then made racist statements. But the overall culture did not accept racism. Nor did it accept attempts to usurp the Constitution and tear down the government by the government leaders themselves. That we collectively now accept such things as normal pretty much proves we're not the "shining city on the hill" of Reagan's imagination. And what did Reagan see?

I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it, and see it still.

Nope. Nowhere close to today's pretense of "America."

[Vrede too]

America isn't really the same place as it has been in the past - not in culture, moral and legal standards, "personality", expectations of leaders, and yada on. "Anti-American" is a reasonable point of view for actual patriots.

Thanks. Plus, overt racism is just one example. The ever-widening wealth gap, the international surveillance state, support for Israeli Apartheid and constant military interventions are others that transcend Moron Don.

Besides, SoupySales, it's just a sports match. Only a rabid dumb American would consider it a legitimate test of pride, patriotism or loyalty.

[Vrede too]

Nightly, I've been enjoying:
FIFA World Cup on FOX After Hours with James Corden
Video clips, commentary, games, humor, athletes and celebrity guests, etc.

Host Mexico: 1st knockout win in 40 years!

Wed 7/1
(wins-draws-losses)

I'm 24-26 so far.

12:00 PM Atlanta Stadium
GO England (2-1-0, -1.5) > Congo DR (1-1-1)
GoO Really's MumGo
2-1, Mums rule!
I'm 25-26 so far.
England plays Mexico. Sorry, O Really, GoMexicoGo!

4:00 PM Seattle Field
Go Senegal (1-0-2) > Belgium (1-2-0, -0.5)
GoAfricaGo!
2-3 on a Belgium goal in OT, 120'+5 PK . Oh well, I don't hate Belgium.
I'm 25-27 so far.

8:00 PM San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
Go Bosnia and Herzegovina (1-1-1) > USA USA USA (2-0-1, -1.5 )
2-0
I'm 25-28 so far.
USA USA USA plays Belgium Belgium Belgium on 7/6
GoBelgiumGo

Thu 7/2

3:00 PM Los Angeles Stadium
GO Spain (-1.5) > Austria

7:00 PM Toronto Stadium
Go Portugal (-0.5) > Croatia

11:00 PM BC Place Vancouver
Go Algeria > Switzerland (-0.5)

[GoCubsGo]

Bullshit red card.

[Vrede too]

Bullshit red card.

Not that it matters. 2-0 USA USA USA at 82'.