2026 World Cup thread

[Huggy]

Nobody will ever convince me that all that stutter step bull**** improves your chances of scoring.

Has always reminded me of guys who come in WAY too slow on shootouts/penalty shots in hockey. Exhibit A of a guy who has no clue what he's going to do.

 

[Chet Lemon]

Imagine the flameout the first time a betting site or predictions platform slaps an ad on a jersey stateside. It’s as common as brushing your hair in Britain.

And definitely more common than brushing your teeth.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

I want us to win as well, but I don’t want to do so by cheating. And overturning the suspension without explanation in a situation without precedent is cheating. Especially from an inherently corrupt organization like FIFA, which has bent its knee to Trump in order to fatten its already obese coffers.

How are either the USMNT or US Soccer cheating in that circumstance? They're not. The lifting of the suspension was entirely FIFA.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

I want us to win as well, but I don’t want to do so by cheating. And overturning the suspension without explanation in a situation without precedent is cheating. Especially from an inherently corrupt organization like FIFA, which has bent its knee to Trump in order to fatten its already obese coffers.

Overturning the suspension without explanation and without precedent is not proof of cheating. But the lack of explanation leaves the door open for that interpretation.

US Soccer had begun working on getting the red card overturned almost immediately after the match ended. They focused on the improper use of VAR slow-motion and freeze-frame. FIFA appears to have split the baby by letting the red card stand, but suspending the one match ban.

For all we know, Trump's phone calls may not have moved the needle.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Leaving Trump out of it, the problems for the US team and FIFA are twofold.
1. As the Norwegian coach said, the decision means that if the US beats Belgium, the accusation they cheated to do so will become part of the permanent record, rightly or not.
2. If England doesn't get its red card overturned, or there's another red card that stands, the belief the US got special treatment due to corruption will be backed up by evidence.

 

[Webster]

How are either the USMNT or US Soccer cheating in that circumstance? They're not. The lifting of the suspension was entirely FIFA.

After pressure from the US government. Or just FIFA twisting the rules to favor a host nation. The overturning of a red card suspension has never happened in the history of the tournament and, while I didn’t like the call at all, it wasn’t a miscarriage of justice worthy of unprecedented action.

 

[brn623cl]

Remember back in the simple olden days when the biggest issues for our national teams were Reyna/Berhalter shenanigans and Hope Solo being Hope Solo.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

After pressure from the US government. Or just FIFA twisting the rules to favor a host nation.

Without any proof? That could've been the White House bloviating. You will have noticed they do that.

The overturning of a red card suspension has never happened in the history of the tournament and, while I didn’t like the call at all, it wasn’t a miscarriage of justice worthy of unprecedented action.

Unless it was. And I thought it was.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

In non-kerfuffle news ...

 

[Meat Slapping Sound]

I was in the stadium when Cape Verde started its World Cup run against Spain in 2026. That will forever be my international soccer claim to fame.

(Sorry, wasn't posting over the weekend, so just catching up now.)

 

[Meat Slapping Sound]

The Balogun/Red Card/Trump thing reminds me of the 2024 Georgia-Texas game (because everything reminds me of a Georgia game somehow). The most memorable moment of that game came when a Texas interception was overturned because of pass interference. Then, while Texas fans were throwing **** on the field and the play was shown on the jumbotron over and over, the refs decided to wave off the interference call and the interception stood, despite ball already being set for play.

Ultimately, it was the right call, but the process to get there was 100 percent wrong. If Texas had come back to win that one, would any Longhorn fans claim it was a tainted win? (Georgia fans absolutely would have, but that's beside the point)

I am as bothered by Trump's involvement in this, no matter how small, as anyone. But I'm choosing to let the game happen on the field and to let the players decide the outcome. I can compartmentalize for two hours and change and not let Trump ruin yet another thing I enjoy about this country.

 

[Meat Slapping Sound]

I'll add, Belgium complaining about having to play the US at full strength is some real loser behavior.

 

[MileHigh]

Live updates: Belgian federation to challenge FIFA’s decision to let Folarin Balogun play in World Cup match

Asked about his role in getting Balogun’s red-card penalty suspended, Trump acknowledged calling Infantino and asking that FIFA take a second look.

The president said he didn’t initially know what a red card was or what its consequences were. When he found out that it could keep Balogun out of Monday’s match against Belgium, Trump said he felt compelled to intervene.

“All I did was ask for a review,” Trump said to press at the White House. “I didn’t think it was a foul,” he added. “I thought it was two great athletes that crashed each other and got entangled.”

He said the red card was a “horrible” call, arguing that the slowed-down video review made it look worse than it was.

“That’s very unfair,” he said. “How do you penalize them for a game that hasn’t been played?”

 

[SixToe]

That’s very unfair,” he said. “How do you penalize for a game that hasn’t been played?”

(so so so on-brand for him)

 

[Webster]

At least so far, has there been a star of the Cup who was previously an unknown? I guess the Cape Verde GK, although I think he was a better story than a player.

 

[Chet Lemon]

Was the U.S. going to have to play with 10 the whole game, or could he be replaced in the lineup?

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Was the U.S. going to have to play with 10 the whole game, or could he be replaced in the lineup?

They would have fielded 11. The man advantage is only for the remainder of the match following the red card.

 

[Bubbler]

I'll add, Belgium complaining about having to play the US at full strength is some real loser behavior.

For **** sake. Reverse the beneficiaries of this and add in the shambolic process and we’d be screeching to high hell about it. And rightfully so.

And while I am not necessarily rooting for us to lose tonight and I also don’t hold this against any of the players (Pochettino and US Soccer on the other hand …), my enjoyment of any success we do have is ruined. It’s tainted by a corrupt, non-transparent process.

You can Stretch Armstrong your way into weak justifications, predictable whataboutism, tired pedantism and misplaced and inaccurate “historic precedents” if you like for the ole USA. Me? I like my sporting events without corruption and interference from government thank you.

And you know what the ***** of it is? We could have competed with Belgium just fine without Balogun. So complaining about having to compete against Belgium without him is “some real loser behavior”.

 

[daytonadan1983]

**** Belgium. It's not even a real country.

**** FIFA. It's more corrupt than the International Olympic Committee.

**** the United States government, which is not the same as the people of the United States of America.

If you can't root for your own actual country to win tomorrow night, then that's your problem.

I can and will root for them. It's just that the joy has been taken out of it.

Is there any joy left in any sport anymore? I'm living and dying by the Danville Dans of the Prospect League these days,..

 

[Driftwood]

I'd just like to see the leaders of others countries start making public appeals to FIFA just to rub their noses in it.