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OT: World Cup Draw Friday morning

USA vs England on Black Friday. Not bad.
We might take an ass beating, but the US tied England and won the group in 2010 that also had an English team loaded with superstars.
 
Not sure what the schedule will look like in November, but Qatar is 7 hours ahead of us I believe. A Thanksgiving day with World Cup football will be 100X better than a Thanksgiving day with Detroit Lion Football.
uh, no, it would not to 80% of the country...Lions football on Thanksgiving (no matter how putrid they are) is an American tradition. International kickball is not.
 
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uh, no, it would not to 80% of the country...Lions football on Thanksgiving (no matter how putrid they are) is an American tradition. International kickball is not.
Do you ever really watch it? Sure, maybe we turn it on as background noise, but honestly, Lions on Thanksgiving is the worst game of the year. I'd gladly watch ANYTHING else or NOTHING over Lions Football.
 
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uh, no, it would not to 80% of the country...Lions football on Thanksgiving (no matter how putrid they are) is an American tradition. International kickball is not.
Ahh. So you think it’s kickball. Now it’s starting to make sense.
 
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Do you ever really watch it? Sure, maybe we turn it on as background noise, but honestly, Lions on Thanksgiving is the worst game of the year. I'd gladly watch ANYTHING else or NOTHING over Lions Football.
No one watches it. No one.
 
USA vs England on Black Friday. Not bad.
We might take an ass beating, but the US tied England and won the group in 2010 that also had an English team loaded with superstars.
College football schedule on Black Friday.
 
No one watches it. No one.
But I'm sure the ratings are high, simply because like I said, we're programmed to put it on as background noise, if I'm with my extended family it's on the TV as nobody really pays attention, people are talking, eating, drinking etc. nobody is focused on that game. And we have the big meal in the middle of it. In our case, the exception is, once every 20 years if the Steelers are playing in it, then we pay attention.
 
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That’s a rough draw. That euro winner won’t be easy and the world will be rooting for Ukraine.


If Wales wins, and they are a large favorite, the US's group will have no teams worse than 21 in the FIFA rankings in it. Contrast that to group A, where there is only one team ranked above 20.

I'm not sure there really is one, but if there is a group of death it's ours.

Again.
 
Yeah dammit, we were one off from Group A, which the Oranje will have a walk through to the round of 16.
Yeah the draw is what it is. But I treat it like Pitt hoops. If you have no shot at winning it, why fret it? Just hope for a decent showing. I honestly think they have a 40/60 chance of advancing, and that’s ok. They’re they youngest team by far in the tourney with a jabroni for a coach.
 
uh, no, it would not to 80% of the country...Lions football on Thanksgiving (no matter how putrid they are) is an American tradition. International kickball is not.
Early prediction: USA/England outdraws the Lions game.
 
If Wales wins, and they are a large favorite, the US's group will have no teams worse than 21 in the FIFA rankings in it. Contrast that to group A, where there is only one team ranked above 20.

I'm not sure there really is one, but if there is a group of death it's ours.

Again.
Iran sucks. I don't care what their ranking is. If you cant beat them, you might as well cancel the program.

Wales will be tough but we have more talent. The group could have been a lot worse.
 
Iran sucks. I don't care what their ranking is. If you cant beat them, you might as well cancel the program.

Wales will be tough but we have more talent. The group could have been a lot worse.
They’re the best team in Asia, so they got there somehow. We aren’t even the best team in Concacaf.

Imagine if the USA had played their last 25 concacaf matches undefeated, except for two meaningless matches. That’s what Iran has done. And the WC is close to home for them and their fans. They have a way of playing that has made them successful. We will have to break them down. Not sure what this USMNT has done to make you disrespect our opponents. I wouldn’t poo poo them. That’s exactly what the other countries in the group are doing to us. And for good reason.
 
They’re the best team in Asia, so they got there somehow. We aren’t even the best team in Concacaf.

Imagine if the USA had played their last 25 concacaf matches undefeated, except for two meaningless matches. That’s what Iran has done. And the WC is close to home for them and their fans. They have a way of playing that has made them successful. We will have to break them down. Not sure what this USMNT has done to make you disrespect our opponents. I wouldn’t poo poo them. That’s exactly what the other countries in the group are doing to us. And for good reason.


He thinks drawing England is no big deal and we are much better than Iran. In real life, England will be a very large favorite to beat us, and we will probably be a very small favorite to beat Iran, and a lose or a draw will be the far more likely outcome based on the odds.
 
He thinks drawing England is no big deal and we are much better than Iran. In real life, England will be a very large favorite to beat us, and we will probably be a very small favorite to beat Iran, and a lose or a draw will be the far more likely outcome based on the odds.
Of course England will be a large favorite. However there is no team in the world that is effected as much by headlines as England. All the pressure is on them and the compassionate English media will be so kind and gentle on them. Yeah, on paper no chance we beat them. However circumstances could be different in reality.

Iran is always that scary team that can be trouble for the U.S. in any match.

it will most likely be Wales (unless they fall apart under slightly less media pressure) and I do not want to face a team with that type of scorer.

Pulisic has to show up like Landon or Clint. Like it or not he HAS to carry the team.
 
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If Wales wins, and they are a large favorite, the US's group will have no teams worse than 21 in the FIFA rankings in it. Contrast that to group A, where there is only one team ranked above 20.

I'm not sure there really is one, but if there is a group of death it's ours.

Again.
I thought most soccer fans say those rankings are BS and USA is ranked too high?
 
Iran sucks. I don't care what their ranking is. If you cant beat them, you might as well cancel the program.
Why? Because they don't have exciting stars that you recognize and play a boring team game with players from their domestic league :) ?
 
He thinks drawing England is no big deal and we are much better than Iran. In real life, England will be a very large favorite to beat us, and we will probably be a very small favorite to beat Iran, and a lose or a draw will be the far more likely outcome based on the odds.
Iran has very few players who would make the US team. I don't care that they beat a bunch of Asian teams. They suck. I also dont care that Iran isnt very far from Qatar. The crowd will be 50/50 if not more US.

Also, England was the 2nd or 3rd team I wanted out of Pot 1. Them or Portugal after Qatar. They are good but the others are better. I agree they will be a big favorite but I believe we have a chance. No chance vs Bra, Arg, Fra
 
Why? Because they don't have exciting stars that you recognize and play a boring team game with players from their domestic league :) ?
Yes. Iranian League players suck. They even had an MLS player from Detroit playing for them at one point. He had an Iranian parent and would have had 0 shot at making the US team
 
Aren't the Iranians one of the teams that execute their players if they lose? They might have more motivation because it's life and death for them.
 
Iran has very few players who would make the US team. I don't care that they beat a bunch of Asian teams. They suck. I also dont care that Iran isnt very far from Qatar. The crowd will be 50/50 if not more US.

Also, England was the 2nd or 3rd team I wanted out of Pot 1. Them or Portugal after Qatar. They are good but the others are better. I agree they will be a big favorite but I believe we have a chance. No chance vs Bra, Arg, Fra
If I had to rank the teams in pot 1, I’d have France #1 and England #2 and maybe Brazil #3. Those are 3 of the top 5 teams in the world and there really isn’t much separation, other than France has the 2 best players in the world (Mbappe and Kante), and the #9 who might be in the best form (Benzema). But then England might be better 1-11 and deeper at each position.

oddly for me, I always liked Belgium but I don’t fear them anymore because I think their window has closed. But soccers a funny game. They could get the breaks that take them the whole way through the knockout stages. But they no longer have an argument for being the best team in the world.
 
Aren't the Iranians one of the teams that execute their players if they lose? They might have more motivation because it's life and death for them.
ironsheik_508.jpg
 
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I thought most soccer fans say those rankings are BS and USA is ranked too high?


The FIFA rankings are better than they used to be. They completely changed the way that they do them a few years ago. I wouldn't say they are perfect (I'm not sure how that would even be possible) but they are better.

As to the US specifically, they might be a little high, but not egregiously so. FIFA has the US 15. Maybe they should be 20 or so instead, but they certainly aren't 40 or something like that.
 
If I had to rank the teams in pot 1, I’d have France #1 and England #2 and maybe Brazil #3. Those are 3 of the top 5 teams in the world and there really isn’t much separation, other than France has the 2 best players in the world (Mbappe and Kante), and the #9 who might be in the best form (Benzema). But then England might be better 1-11 and deeper at each position.

oddly for me, I always liked Belgium but I don’t fear them anymore because I think their window has closed. But soccers a funny game. They could get the breaks that take them the whole way through the knockout stages. But they no longer have an argument for being the best team in the world.

Based on talent, maybe. But Scotland drew England at Wembley.

If I had to rank the teams based on the USA's likelihood of winning or drawing

1. Qatar
2. England - this has a lot to do with me thinking England are tissue paper soft choke artists. This generation seems a little different. Not the group of underachieving rock stars who preceded them but England always play below expectations.

3. Portugal - Last go round for CR7. Have a feeling they may do something

4. Netherlands

5. Belgium

6. Argentina - we aint drawing Messi

7. Brazil

8. France
 
Based on talent, maybe. But Scotland drew England at Wembley.

If I had to rank the teams based on the USA's likelihood of winning or drawing

1. Qatar
2. England - this has a lot to do with me thinking England are tissue paper soft choke artists. This generation seems a little different. Not the group of underachieving rock stars who preceded them but England always play below expectations.

3. Portugal - Last go round for CR7. Have a feeling they may do something

4. Netherlands

5. Belgium

6. Argentina - we aint drawing Messi

7. Brazil

8. France
Messi has scored as many club goals as Ricardo Pepi this year.
 
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