World Cup 2022

#1
This is NOT a good look by any stretch of the imagination...

'Qatar World Cup is a mistake' - former FIFA president Sepp Blatter

Not for Qatar
Not for FIFA
Not for the fans
Not for the players
And definitely not for the world

I'll still watch, but primarily because I have a vested interest in seeing how the boys wearing the Red, White, and Blue perform, but I may not be as interested in this year's version as much as I have in the past.

It will be interesting to see what the overall ratings look like when the smoke eventually clears.
 
#5
To name a few out of many that have been identified and discussed ever since the announcement was made that Qatar would be hosting.

However, to aid in having this thread be less of a political-based discussion, and more of a World Cup-based discussion, I won't dive into the finer details. A simple Google search surrounding the 2022 World Cup SHOULD be able to give one all the information they need to understand.
 
#6
There have been a number of participating countries who have spoken out against human rights violations, especially migrant workers used to build the stadiums, and also violence and criminalization of non-traditional sexual orientations. Like Qwerty, I am not going to say more, since this is all widely available online. FIFA's response was the most interesting; when countries started complaining, FIFA's response was to ask the countries to "focus on football."

There is also the whole history of Qatar bribing FIFA officials to get the World Cup awarded for 2022 instead of the US, but that is a different story.
 

kb02

All-Star
#8
The most talented USA team in a decade will be going.
Have all the pieces, except for the striker/#9 spot. I personally think they should play Aaronson or Weah there. Not traditional, but work rate n speed are going to cause issues. Personally love watching Leeds this year.
Going to announce the team tmw. Will pick the youngest squad in the tourney.
 
#9
The most talented USA team in a decade will be going.
Have all the pieces, except for the striker/#9 spot. I personally think they should play Aaronson or Weah there. Not traditional, but work rate n speed are going to cause issues. Personally love watching Leeds this year.
Going to announce the team tmw. Will pick the youngest squad in the tourney.
Yeah- I like the idea of Aaronson, Weah, or even Reyna at the #9. Get the best guys out there. The regular strikers have just not been good when playing for the national team. I'd personally start Pulisic/Aaronson/Reyna left to right, and then let Weah come on as a sub and use his speed to get behind tired defenses. Or you could even run more of a 4-2-1-3, and play Musah/Adams in the midfield, Reyna as an attacking mid, and then Pulisic/Aaronson/Weah up front, with McKennie as a sub.

But I am guessing we trot out Ferreria at 9. Even so, there are a lot of attacking options on this roster, and there will be some pretty good attacking talent coming off the bench. Not sure we have ever been able to say that.

But that defense though. We might need the offense to be scoring 2-3 goals a game because I am not sure there are a lot of clean sheets for us. Sort of like the Kings!
 
#10
Also, taken directly from the article mentioned in my first post...

"The Qatar decision has been marred by controversy, including allegations of corruption and human rights violations, since it was announced."
Find one country that does not have these allegations, it is sad yes but a lot of Western Countries are far worse and do it in a far more underhanded way while preaching they are bringing "democracy". FIFA corruption makes boxing judges looks normal, FIFA is the last organization to be criticizing anyone.
 
#11
Yeah- I like the idea of Aaronson, Weah, or even Reyna at the #9. Get the best guys out there. The regular strikers have just not been good when playing for the national team. I'd personally start Pulisic/Aaronson/Reyna left to right, and then let Weah come on as a sub and use his speed to get behind tired defenses. Or you could even run more of a 4-2-1-3, and play Musah/Adams in the midfield, Reyna as an attacking mid, and then Pulisic/Aaronson/Weah up front, with McKennie as a sub.

But I am guessing we trot out Ferreria at 9. Even so, there are a lot of attacking options on this roster, and there will be some pretty good attacking talent coming off the bench. Not sure we have ever been able to say that.

But that defense though. We might need the offense to be scoring 2-3 goals a game because I am not sure there are a lot of clean sheets for us. Sort of like the Kings!
I would go for a 4-2-1-3 with Reyna as the CAM. He has a steady, two way game that would play well there. Would consider Musah as the CAM as well. He has the ability to carry the ball and break lines with his dribble that none of the other mids do. I haven't watched Tillman much. I think he'll get picked. He might be able to play the CAM as well.

A 4-1-2-3 would work as well, if GGG (Gregg) wants to play Adams, McKennie, and Musah at the same time. Where Adams anchors as the CDM and Musah and McKennie operate higher up as CMs. Musah with his dribbles and McKennine would play closer to the front and would then be able to use his header (probably the best header on the team).

All of that being said, yea, I think he'll start Ferreria and likely picks Sargent, who should be the starting 9, since he has the best combo of physicality and skills, but zero, real production when given his opps. Too bad Dike got hurt and didn't get a chance to earn a spot. The idea of having a beast #9 (an American Drogba) would've been fun. I still think the best, recent #9 was Charlie Davies (came after McBride), but dude went out with two girls, got drunk, in a car accident, and killed his explosion.
 
#12
Shaq Moore, Haji Wright, and Jordan Morris were surprises for me. Think Moore squeezed in because of Richards' injury. Pefok > Wright. Morris has always looked like a US Football player, who happens to play soccer. Not a fan of his first touch and his passing. Guess GGG is going to use him for the last 15 mins of games where they need speed and physicality.

Happy Tim Ream is on the team. Left footed defender, probably the best or second best passer amongst the CBs, and is accustomed to the PL pace.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-...-world-cup-usmnt-roster-inside-the-qatar-team
 
#14
Shaq Moore, Haji Wright, and Jordan Morris were surprises for me. Think Moore squeezed in because of Richards' injury. Pefok > Wright. Morris has always looked like a US Football player, who happens to play soccer. Not a fan of his first touch and his passing. Guess GGG is going to use him for the last 15 mins of games where they need speed and physicality.

Happy Tim Ream is on the team. Left footed defender, probably the best or second best passer amongst the CBs, and is accustomed to the PL pace.

https://www.espn.com/soccer/united-...-world-cup-usmnt-roster-inside-the-qatar-team
I agree that Pefok should be on the team. I'm also happy that Tim Ream is on the team. I'm a Fulham supporter, and he and Antonee Robinson are the left side of their defense. I'd like to see the 2 of them playing together in Qatar.
 
#15
I agree that Pefok should be on the team. I'm also happy that Tim Ream is on the team. I'm a Fulham supporter, and he and Antonee Robinson are the left side of their defense. I'd like to see the 2 of them playing together in Qatar.
I think Ream and Robinson will be the starters, if they're both healthy. Robinson's been in and out of the lineup this year, right? I watch a decent amount of the PL, because I bet on PL games. Would love to have an in his prime McBride leading the line for this USMNT.
 
#16
I think Ream and Robinson will be the starters, if they're both healthy. Robinson's been in and out of the lineup this year, right? I watch a decent amount of the PL, because I bet on PL games. Would love to have an in his prime McBride leading the line for this USMNT.
Robinson missed 3 games (I think) but has been back for a couple and has looked good.

McBride is why I started following Fulham in the first place. They've had at least 1 American on the team for a long time. Clint Dempsey had some great years there.
 
#23
A point is good, but man is that the least satisfying point of all time. Game there for the taking. I know people are rightfully down on Zimmerman for a terrible (and needless) foul, but conceding a goal seemed inevitable by that point. Once again, Gregg failed to make any halftime adjustments. You can't just assume that your opponent will play the same way in the second half as they did in the first. Who is he, Luke Walton???
 
#24
Saudi Arabia super-charged by their fans earlier on looked better than Argentina...however they get away with sitting on their lead....can't stand that kind of play.
 
#25
A point is good, but man is that the least satisfying point of all time. Game there for the taking. I know people are rightfully down on Zimmerman for a terrible (and needless) foul, but conceding a goal seemed inevitable by that point. Once again, Gregg failed to make any halftime adjustments. You can't just assume that your opponent will play the same way in the second half as they did in the first. Who is he, Luke Walton???
They looked low on gas for 25 min. They poured in the energy the 1st half...