***Official 2026 World Cup Thread***

[coolerifyoudid]

Overturned....correctly. But man, that was an amazing run

 

[FriendlySpartan]

I agree to a degree. But I think the primary issue is the kids that have this skill, have already moved onto another sport in the U.S. by ages 10. Not because we don’t have the athletes.

Kind of a chicken/egg type thing. Part of the reason the U.S. doesn’t have the developmental resources Europe does, is there isn’t the demand for it like there is with football, basketball, baseball, golf, track, even hockey in the northern states.

Where there is more demand for it, on the women’s side, we have the best program in the world.

Hard to tell the demand when it’s behind such a paywall I don’t think anyone believes we don’t have the athletes for it.

The women’s side doesn’t get more money or more resources it’s just the rest of the world hasn’t supported women’s sports in anyway for decades when the US was

 

[nfrine]

Officials working hard to get Argentina back in the game...

 

[jdoggivjc]

Sub rules.
Pitch size are two elementary factors.

Yeah, I think substitutions are infinite, or, at the very least, players that have been subbed out can come back in later in the game. That alone makes it a completely different game, especially in terms of game strategy and skill level at various levels of stamina consumption (someone could be an adequate player at the beginning of the game but total dogwater at the end because their skill has great variance depending on their stamina)

 

[FriendlySpartan]

Overturned....correctly. But man, that was an amazing run

It’s valid call but I hate VAR being used for that

 

[jcf817]

It’s valid call but I hate VAR being used for that

I get letting it play out, but not to that degree.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

Officials working hard to get Argentina back in the game...

I mean, the ball was won by Egypt cleating the Argentinian player's foot. Odd use of VAR, but a foul should definitely have been given when it happened.

 

[SolterraCyclone]

Hard to tell the demand when it’s behind such a paywall I don’t think anyone believes we don’t have the athletes for it.

The women’s side doesn’t get more money or more resources it’s just the rest of the world hasn’t supported women’s sports in anyway for decades when the US was

But the U.S.’ best women’s athletes are going into soccer at a much higher rate than the best U.S. men’s athletes. That, to me, is why the U.S. isn’t competitive. It’s cultural more than anything.

I would also argue all youth sports are crazy expensive. Not exclusive to soccer. But I don’t really have data on that, just anecdotal

 

[JP4CY]

YES!

 

[vdub4cy]

Egypt!

 

[theshadow]

2-0 Egypt 68'

 

[jdoggivjc]

Egypt sending Argentina to..... BFE

 

[JP4CY]

Argentina is getting worked

 

[coolerifyoudid]

It’s valid call but I hate VAR being used for that

Egypt just responded how a good team was supposed to repond.

 

[dafarmer]

Goal! And no take away .

 

[apiaryaviary1]

Mo Salah my king!

 

[vdub4cy]

Now get hydrated and prepare for an onslaught of attacks from Argentina.

 

[Nor'MidWester]

All the giants of the sport are falling, USA, Argentina, etc.
But seriously heck yeah, get f*cked FIFA. Corrupt mofos

 

[AppleCornCy]

You're correct, but it feels like Olympic basketball is about to get much more interesting now that Steph, Bron, etc. have aged out. Canada probably has as much talent as the US team at this point, and France will be good for many years too (though not as deep).

I think the reality with all of these sports is that countries with high immigrant populations tend to have the most talent. France isn't winning soccer matches with a bunch of Pepe LePeu's. They're almost all children of African immigrants.

New Marine Le Pen hat just dropped:

 

[BigJCy]

That side of the Bracket opening up for England???