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2022 World Cup... gonna ruin the European Season

Jurgen the German said:
I think 3rd/4th favourites would have been about right. France are still the team to beat IMO even though we outplayed them. I’d have had Argentina 2nd favourite personally given their Copa America triumph. Not littered with class players but they are very hard to beat. Brazil don’t have a world class striker. Admittedly I was surprised they lost to Croatia, didn’t see that coming. I just think Europe is way head of South America at the moment and we have dominated the last four world cups.
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I think all that's certainly fair. But there was quite a bit of uncertainty around France too before the World Cup. Injuries, more or less a brand new midfield, Lloris not at his previous level, Giroud getting on a bit. So can understand people rating Brazil ahead of them. But close, and impossible to know before the tournament actually starts.

For me it's rarely a team that's the favourite, it's several teams. And being the one favourite team only means a somewhat higher likelihood of winning it, still a low probability chance overall. I think the likelihood of whoever one sees as the favourite actually winning gets overstated a lot of the time.
 
Jurgen the German said:
I think 3rd/4th favourites would have been about right. France are still the team to beat IMO even though we outplayed them. I’d have had Argentina 2nd favourite personally given their Copa America triumph. Not littered with class players but they are very hard to beat. Brazil don’t have a world class striker. Admittedly I was surprised they lost to Croatia, didn’t see that coming. I just think Europe is way head of South America at the moment and we have dominated the last four world cups.
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Coming into this tournament France's form was as follows:
France 1 Denmark 2
Croatia 1 France 1
Austria 1 France 1
France 0 Croatia 1
France 2 Austria 0
Denmark 2 France 0
 
I think the fact that the tournament was played in December didn't play as big a part as I thought it would, although it's probably too early to measure the consequences.

For one, I was hoping it would reduce the gap between continents in terms of preparation. Even with an average staff and less money to spend, African teams should have been on a par with bigger European/South American countries. Turned out Ghana and Cameroon didn't have the quality to make any kind of impact and losing Mané was too big of a blow for Senegal. At the end of the day, we got roughly the usual suspects in the last 8. The only real surprise would be Morocco for me, as they changed their manager three months before the tournament.

Four games left to change my mind but it's been a very 'meh' World Cup for me. I realise I'm more indulgent when the games are played in the summer because you can actually round a few friends for the games, have a couple of drinks and watch the action in patches. When you're on your own, some games absolutely dreadful to watch (England vs USA for instance) and tend to sour the whole 'supporter experience' (as FIFA call it now) for me.
 
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NaijaSpurs said:
Coming into this tournament France's form was as follows:
France 1 Denmark 2
Croatia 1 France 1
Austria 1 France 1
France 0 Croatia 1
France 2 Austria 0
Denmark 2 France 0
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Are they competitive matches or just Nations League/friendlies? Our form wasn’t great coming into the tournament but we were rightly considered as one of the top 4 favourites.
 
braineclipse said:
I think all that's certainly fair. But there was quite a bit of uncertainty around France too before the World Cup. Injuries, more or less a brand new midfield, Lloris not at his previous level, Giroud getting on a bit. So can understand people rating Brazil ahead of them. But close, and impossible to know before the tournament actually starts.

For me it's rarely a team that's the favourite, it's several teams. And being the one favourite team only means a somewhat higher likelihood of winning it, still a low probability chance overall. I think the likelihood of whoever one sees as the favourite actually winning gets overstated a lot of the time.
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I guess I’m surprised the bookies and pundits haven’t learned their lesson when it comes to Brazil as they have been favourites for the last 3 World Cups. Fair enough being favourites in 2014 when they hosted but they still got smashed as soon as they came up against top European opposition. They are overdue so maybe that played a part. Am I right in thinking this is their longest drought since the inception of the tournament? I don’t think they’ve ever gone more than 20 years between titles since it began in the 1930s.
 
Jurgen the German said:
Can anyone give any insight into why Brazil were favourites again for this tournament? They were the favourites 4 years ago also. They’re a good team but the days of them being the best team in the world are long gone. They always lose to European opposition. It must be reputation. Something tells me they will be favourites in 2026 as it is being played in their home continent.
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There was an expectation Royal would be in the squad.
 
All I've given the first flying fcuk about at this WC is that Spurs players do well and come home healthy, handsome and ready to roll when the PL resumes. What is it, 72 hrs. after the cup is awarded?

So, Perisic, Romero and Lloris still remain in Qatar meaning one of the former two will make the final, Lloris with a strong chance of facing him. Here's hoping Romero and Perisic don't get into any unpleasant moments.

Highly unlikely any of this three would play in a third place match. But all have played well and taken a lot from this event so far.

All in all, it's been a pretty decent World Cup for Spurs. Richarlison has had time to recover form after his injury absence and only gone and scored the two best goals so far.

Hard working midfielders Hojbjerg and Bentancur and defender Ben Davies arrived home early for well deserved breaks after the group stage. Kane's been decent and that missed last PK will haunt him, but hopefully only just enough to offer strong motivation for the remainder of the PL season.

Could have done with Sonny playing a little longer but hopefully there's been no aggravation to his broken orbital bone and it's had time to heal up properly.

Jed Spence, home to bitch, bark, boo-ga-loo and bar-bah-cue, has played several blinders now on FIFA 23. COYMFS.
 
Jurgen the German said:
I guess I’m surprised the bookies and pundits haven’t learned their lesson when it comes to Brazil as they have been favourites for the last 3 World Cups. Fair enough being favourites in 2014 when they hosted but they still got smashed as soon as they came up against top European opposition. They are overdue so maybe that played a part. Am I right in thinking this is their longest drought since the inception of the tournament? I don’t think they’ve ever gone more than 20 years between titles since it began in the 1930s.
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Them being overdue one may have played a part in what people were thinking, but it's obviously not a good reason to back them.

I think they were up there, perhaps somewhat overrated because they're Brazil. But I don't think there were many better teams on paper going into this tournament. But being up there still means a relatively small chance of actually winning it. You can be rightly favourites and get knocked out by Croatia in the quarter finals.
 
Jurgen the German said:
I guess I’m surprised the bookies and pundits haven’t learned their lesson when it comes to Brazil as they have been favourites for the last 3 World Cups. Fair enough being favourites in 2014 when they hosted but they still got smashed as soon as they came up against top European opposition. They are overdue so maybe that played a part. Am I right in thinking this is their longest drought since the inception of the tournament? I don’t think they’ve ever gone more than 20 years between titles since it began in the 1930s.
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They went 24 years without winning the World Cup between the great side of 1970 and the not-so-great side of 1994, if I remember correctly. And, of course, they had to wait until 1958 before winning it for the first time.
 
Looking forward to the game tonight. Very interesting match up and two interesting teams.

To me Argentina seem like favourites. Croatia doesn't seem to have a lot there to really put a somewhat shaky Argentine back line in real difficulties. Croatia are solid and very good at keeping possession, but keeping Messi and Argentina out for 90/120 minutes is a really difficult challenge.

Could easily be tight, somewhat cagey, "dull", but will be nervy and most likely dramatic in one way or another.

I'm usually wrong about what will happen though, so who knows?
 
I’m not watching Argentina after the other night. Somethings wrong in my opinion.

Good luck to Croatia.
 
Weird that Argentina and Italy have this stigma of being cheats, but everyone in this country still adores Brazil and Holland who cheat just as much. Doesn’t stick to them nearly as much as it does to Argentina. Brazil have had some horrible cheats over the years; Neymar, Rivaldo, Dani Alves just to name a few. Even our own Richarlison is one of the most cynical players in the league.
 
Jurgen the German said:
Weird that Argentina and Italy have this stigma of being cheats, but everyone in this country still adores Brazil and Holland who cheat just as much. Doesn’t stick to them nearly as much as it does to Argentina. Brazil have had some horrible cheats over the years; Neymar, Rivaldo, Dani Alves just to name a few. Even our own Richarlison is one of the most cynical players in the league.
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Started in the 70s. Stuck ever since.

Leeds will always be known as dirty leeds whatever they do.
 
Jurgen the German said:
Weird that Argentina and Italy have this stigma of being cheats, but everyone in this country still adores Brazil and Holland who cheat just as much. Doesn’t stick to them nearly as much as it does to Argentina. Brazil have had some horrible cheats over the years; Neymar, Rivaldo, Dani Alves just to name a few. Even our own Richarlison is one of the most cynical players in the league.
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Historically we have a dim view of the Orange men, I certainly do from way back including Koemans antics to Dennis "I ain't getting on no plane" leaving his boot in.

I would even chuck the Germans in with them too personally.

But conversely I was speaking to my old man and we said that we lack that edge that probably has weirdly stopped up winning more, as the English we prefer the whiter, plucky, unlucky, cheated side and bitch and moan when going out where personally I would have taken a hand of GHod, Simeone or Ronaldo antic and been on that side if it meant progression than the side we have been on. Like it or not, there is a reason we have been on the other side of those decisions and have nothing to show for it whilst those that conjured up the dark arts have won truck loads
 
Grays_1890 said:
Historically we have a dim view of the Orange men, I certainly do from way back including Koemans antics to Dennis "I ain't getting on no plane" leaving his boot in.

I would even chuck the Germans in with them too personally.

But conversely I was speaking to my old man and we said that we lack that edge that probably has weirdly stopped up winning more, as the English we prefer the whiter, plucky, unlucky, cheated side and bitch and moan when going out where personally I would have taken a hand of GHod, Simeone or Ronaldo antic and been on that side if it meant progression than the side we have been on. Like it or not, there is a reason we have been on the other side of those decisions and have nothing to show for it whilst those that conjured up the dark arts have won truck loads
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It's a win at all costs mentality. Need a few clams in the team if you want to win something.
 
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