World Cup 2026

[The Sultan]

What was the Australian coach bitching about?  It looked like a clear 2nd goal to me on replay.

He likely was bitching that there WAS an American offsides and he was impacting the play. But, while he was offsides, he had no impact. It was a correct call.

[brewcity77]

Great performance yesterday. If the Aussies don't put in the own goal, Pepi would've finished it. And the header was clearly the right call. Balogun was off, but once the ball deflected he was never in position to impede the keeper. Those are just sour grapes calls.

Incredible to have the group secured already. This means we already know the USA path and all possible dates between now and the final:

• 6/25 - Türkiye
• 7/1 - Round of 32
• 7/6 - Round of 16
• 7/10 - Quarterfinals
• 7/14 - Semifinals
• 7/18 - Third Place Game
• 7/19 - Final

At least 10 more days to dream, and staying on the West Coast until the semis is an advantage. Also means we can sit down anyone with an injury or yellow against Türkiye. That'll clear cards and put us at full strength for the knockouts.

[JWags85]

Not to excuse Almiron, but that's quite likely the dumbest rule in sports.

I agree to an extent, but it's also kind of indicative of how bad the racism issues still are in global soccer.  That's what it's in response to because that's what they will be using video to read your lips about after the fact.  Nobody cares if you call your opponent a b**** or a stupid motherunnatural carnal knowledgeer, in whichever language you choose.

But also, while it's dumb and a ham handed way of addressing a very real issue...it's also INSANELY easy to abide by and not get dinged.  If you're saying crap you don't want the cameras to see, you're an idiot at best, a racist POS at worst, see ya!  If you're saying something that's not racist or culturally offensive and you're still saying behind your hand, especially at this point, you're still an idiot and deserve to be tossed. You're not getting a red for low talking behind your hand to a teammate or coach about tactics. 

Related, I don't think it's possible to have a worse showing than Turkey and Guler. Going from dark horse pick to getting blanked by Australia and a 10 man Paraguay and your star boy, who has been running his mouth and chirping at every one all year, was absolutely atrocious.

[jesmu84]

Great performance yesterday. If the Aussies don't put in the own goal, Pepi would've finished it. And the header was clearly the right call. Balogun was off, but once the ball deflected he was never in position to impede the keeper. Those are just sour grapes calls.

Incredible to have the group secured already. This means we already know the USA path and all possible dates between now and the final:

• 6/25 - Türkiye
• 7/1 - Round of 32
• 7/6 - Round of 16
• 7/10 - Quarterfinals
• 7/14 - Semifinals
• 7/18 - Third Place Game
• 7/19 - Final

At least 10 more days to dream, and staying on the West Coast until the semis is an advantage. Also means we can sit down anyone with an injury or yellow against Türkiye. That'll clear cards and put us at full strength for the knockouts.

Sit every starter except Freese

[Shaka Shart]

I wish we got more crowds noise from the broadcast but even on TV the place looked like it was rocking. World Cup is pretty much the only time I tune in and really just USA games but I wish I was there.

Credit to Fox they kept the broadcast on the stadium post match and the announcers kept their mouths shut while we got to enjoy listening to the stadium belt out Country Roads.

Some of the loudest crowds I've heard outdoors. It was impressive

[JWags85]

Sit every starter except Freese

Park the bus.  I want Turkey to get blanked again so Guler's cocky ass can go into his first camp with mental master Mourinho off an absolute flop

[The Sultan]

Great performance yesterday. If the Aussies don't put in the own goal, Pepi would've finished it. And the header was clearly the right call. Balogun was off, but once the ball deflected he was never in position to impede the keeper. Those are just sour grapes calls.

Incredible to have the group secured already. This means we already know the USA path and all possible dates between now and the final:

• 6/25 - Türkiye - LA
• 7/1 - Round of 32 - Santa Clara
• 7/6 - Round of 16 - Seattle
• 7/10 - Quarterfinals - LA
• 7/14 - Semifinals - Arlington
• 7/18 - Third Place Game - Miami
• 7/19 - Final - NY

At least 10 more days to dream, and staying on the West Coast until the semis is an advantage. Also means we can sit down anyone with an injury or yellow against Türkiye. That'll clear cards and put us at full strength for the knockouts.

Thanks brew. Just added the locations to your list.

[jesmu84]

+ times

[wadesworld]

Kansas City is fun and cool. Arrowhead is a dump and in a terrible location with sketchy transportation. If you are patient and give yourself enough time, you will be fine.

Yeah we like KC and have been 4-5 times. It just sounds like they were entirely unprepared for the first game. Sounds like a lot of the giant parking lot isn't even available for parking. We bought shuttle tickets that take us from park and ride to stadium before the first game played, and there's reports of people buying shuttle tickets (you have to select a time as well), and then waiting for 2 hours with the line not moving at all, ditching that and paying absurd rates for an Uber to get them 2 miles from the stadium, and walking from there. And once at the stadium, having two very slow moving, crowded security checkpoints you have to get through.

We're planning on being in KC all day ahead of it so I'm sure it'll all work out one way or another, but hoping they have things running smoother for the next two games.

[MU82]

Yesterday's game started at noon Seattle time. I had an 11 a.m. doctor's appointment, the office is about a mile north of Seattle's stadium complex, and we had to take I-5 (the only viable north/south route) to get there. The night before, my wife and I probably sounded obsessed as we talked about not getting caught in nightmare traffic. But as we monitored the situation via Google Maps, we were pleasantly surprised to see no traffic snarls at all on GPS. Sure enough, our drive took only 15 minutes, the same as it would have taken on a non-game day.

Turns out that most out-of-town visitors already were staying relatively close to the stadium, and that most locals going to the game were taking public transportation; the commuter rail lets out close to the complex.

I've heard only good things about the way the city handled the crowds in the two games Seattle has hosted so far, and also about the way fans are interacting with each other.

[JWags85]

I feel like there are always players who turn up differently for their national teams, compared to club performance.  But it's always a good reminder of how important fit at the club level can be (whether due to manager or formation or tactics) when you get very good players who have a down year or two who look completely different back on the national team.

Gakpo was really good for Liverpool under Klopp, good under Slot in year one, and then an absolute flop all this past season.  Then less than a month after ending the PL season with a handful more spotty performances, he was the Dutch team's clear best player in their final friendly, was good against Japan, and has been an absolute MENACE today

[The Sultan]

The Guardian accurately rips Alexi to shreds.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/21/thierry-henry-alexi-lalas-fox-world-cup

[JWags85]

The Guardian accurately rips Alexi to shreds.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/21/thierry-henry-alexi-lalas-fox-world-cup

Idk, Lalas is far from immune to criticism and nobody is confusing him for an elite analyst, but that was frankly an obnoxious article dripping with Eurosnobbery and condescension written by a writer who LOVES the sound of his own voice.  The first half of the article basically hates on Lalas for being an American who dares to speak about soccer while not being an all time great and then slobbers all over Henry to an embarrassing extent (that breathless retelling for Henry messing around with the dribble in studio was particularly pathetic.  It was a funny moment in a very entertaining sequence with Zlatan, not some grand metaphorical dismembering).  And again, I love Henry as an analyst and TV personality and raved about him multiple times here, so I have no problem with people given him well deserved praise.  But not when it's just cause he's some suave cultured European, not some "hurr durr American no talk soccer only know finance bro work".

He hated Lalas, I'm sure not in small part due to his political leanings (as he made obvious within the first paragraph), well before this coverage ever started and nothing he said in the studio would change that.  The actual critique of Lalas's actual work so far is so minor.  A lot of it is him daring to cater his commentary and viewpoint to an American audience...on an American broadcast for a World Cup on American soil. 

Also, I found it amusing he mentioned Dempsey, cause there is ZERO chance that Dempsey's swagger, cockiness, and genuine LOVE for US soccer...not to mention his rough and slang filled way of speaking  is also a complete contrast to (insert one of his fawning paragraphs describing Titi)...would not be met with the same level of disgust or American-derived resentment if Dempsey was in studio instead.

I've not looked at the writer's past Tweets or articles, but I'd be willing to wager a fair sum that he was one of the types of Europeans I mentioned who was horrified that the WC was in the US and felt it would be one of the worst WCs EVER, and now that it's been largely successful, entertaining, and full of vibes...focusing on Lalas was one of the few complaint angles he could muster so far. It's less of a defense of Lalas and his performance and more that this writer is clearly a jagoff.

[The Sultan]

Idk, Lalas is far from immune to criticism and nobody is confusing him for an elite analyst, but that was frankly an obnoxious article dripping with Eurosnobbery and condescension written by a writer who LOVES the sound of his own voice.  The first half of the article basically hates on Lalas for being an American who dares to speak about soccer while not being an all time great and then slobbers all over Henry to an embarrassing extent (that breathless retelling for Henry messing around with the dribble in studio was particularly pathetic.  It was a funny moment in a very entertaining sequence with Zlatan, not some grand metaphorical dismembering).  And again, I love Henry as an analyst and TV personality and raved about him multiple times here, so I have no problem with people given him well deserved praise.  But not when it's just cause he's some suave cultured European, not some "hurr durr American no talk soccer only know finance bro work".

He hated Lalas, I'm sure not in small part due to his political leanings (as he made obvious within the first paragraph), well before this coverage ever started and nothing he said in the studio would change that.  The actual critique of Lalas's actual work so far is so minor.  A lot of it is him daring to cater his commentary and viewpoint to an American audience...on an American broadcast for a World Cup on American soil. 

Also, I found it amusing he mentioned Dempsey, cause there is ZERO chance that Dempsey's swagger, cockiness, and genuine LOVE for US soccer...not to mention his rough and slang filled way of speaking  is also a complete contrast to (insert one of his fawning paragraphs describing Titi)...would not be met with the same level of disgust or American-derived resentment if Dempsey was in studio instead.

I've not looked at the writer's past Tweets or articles, but I'd be willing to wager a fair sum that he was one of the types of Europeans I mentioned who was horrified that the WC was in the US and felt it would be one of the worst WCs EVER, and now that it's been largely successful, entertaining, and full of vibes...focusing on Lalas was one of the few complaint angles he could muster so far. It's less of a defense of Lalas and his performance and more that this writer is clearly a jagoff.

The writer is an American based in the United States. And he is 100% right about Lalas.

[The Sultan]

If Cape Verde beats Saudi, they are in the knockout rounds. They can still get in with a draw if Spain beats Uruguay. That's pretty incredible.

[JWags85]

The writer is an American based in the United States. And he is 100% right about Lalas.

Nope, he's Australian.  So I was a bit off in origin, but not off on sentiment, especially after what we heard from Down Under leading up to the match on Friday.  And after a cursory glance through his previous work, it's filled with shots at American sports fans and a lot of "this is why this sports thing is bad" articles on sports culture.

You hate the Fox studio show, so of course you have no issue with his angle, that's not surprising.

I stand by what I said.  It was clearly a pre-cooked article from before the WC began peppered with a few minor examples from the week to make whatever points he had.  Of all the stuff to comment on from the first 10 days of the WC, griping about Lalas and the Fox coverage is so laughably low on the list unless it was a pre-conceived grievance. Lalas hasn't been great, but he hasn't been offensive, he hasn't unnatural carnal knowledgeed up a bunch of names/players/etc..., and it's overall been fine, not taking anything away from or negatively impacting coverage or the viewing experience.  It's just a lazy story idea to appeal to people who already don't like Lalas and allow him to write overly indulgent flowery paragraphs about "Lalas Bad Henry So Good" with nothing otherwise new.

Funny enough, Lalas had a legitimately clever burn tonight on Zlatan looking like he's dressed for Fantasy Island that made Henry stop dead in thought and turn to give him props. A Pyrrhic victory in banter

[JWags85]

If Cape Verde beats Saudi, they are in the knockout rounds. They can still get in with a draw if Spain beats Uruguay. That's pretty incredible.

Incredibly impressive resilience from them.  Giving up 2 goals in 3 min right before half is brutal after they hung tough for 4 min.  But to not only hold Uruguay off for the second half but also pull one back and get a result? Very very impressive.


Back to back matches this afternoon showing the ugly aftermath after Golden Generations age out for smaller nations. 

Belgium still has Lukaku and a past his prime KDB, but former mainstays of that millennial generation like Mertens, Witsel, Vertonghen, Vermalean, Alderweireld, and Hazard are all gone.  And their next gen hasn't shown the same ability.

Uruguay too.  They still have talent, but they haven't been able to replace the experience and performance of Suarez, Cavani, Godin, and Caceres/Coates.

[The Sultan]

Nope, he's Australian.  So I was a bit off in origin, but not off on sentiment, especially after what we heard from Down Under leading up to the match on Friday.  And after a cursory glance through his previous work, it's filled with shots at American sports fans and a lot of "this is why this sports thing is bad" articles on sports culture.

You hate the Fox studio show, so of course you have no issue with his angle, that's not surprising.

I stand by what I said.  It was clearly a pre-cooked article from before the WC began peppered with a few minor examples from the week to make whatever points he had.  Of all the stuff to comment on from the first 10 days of the WC, griping about Lalas and the Fox coverage is so laughably low on the list unless it was a pre-conceived grievance. Lalas hasn't been great, but he hasn't been offensive, he hasn't unnatural carnal knowledgeed up a bunch of names/players/etc..., and it's overall been fine, not taking anything away from or negatively impacting coverage or the viewing experience.  It's just a lazy story idea to appeal to people who already don't like Lalas and allow him to write overly indulgent flowery paragraphs about "Lalas Bad Henry So Good" with nothing otherwise new.

Funny enough, Lalas had a legitimately clever burn tonight on Zlatan looking like he's dressed for Fantasy Island that made Henry stop dead in thought and turn to give him props. A Pyrrhic victory in banter

You use a lot of words here that don't really say anything to counter what he wrote.

[MuggsyB]

I apologize to Lionel Messi for thinking he was getting old. 

[Shaka Shart]

I apologize to Lionel Messi for thinking he was getting old. 

He's almost good enough to excuse him for being short

[CreightonWarrior]

He's almost good enough to excuse him for being short

Let's not get carried away here

[JWags85]

Welp, Ronaldo didn't give people very long to get off more jokes about him compared to other greats who have been scoring so far.

[Shaka Shart]

Thank you Uzbekistan for facilitating a sex pest make a wish game.

[pbiflyer]

Thank you Uzbekistan for facilitating a sex pest make a wish game.

Could someone translate that into English?

[JWags85]

Could someone translate that into English?

I assume its about Ronaldo given how he scored 2 after bad he was in their first match and how much the internet had been mocking him for being washed after that, coupled with Messi's strong start to the tourney.

As for the sex pest stuff, like 10 years ago, a woman came forward to accuse Ronaldo of rape in Las Vegas back in 2009. 

LVPD found a lack of evidence to prosecute it and there was a 6 figure out of court settlement.  Then the woman filed a civil suit for a ton (like $50MM+?) but then that was dismissed, not in small part cause she and her attorney did a bunch of sheisty and unethical legal stuff with hacked documents and got busted for lying about details from the settlement.

I think Ronaldo in general is a bit of a socially abnormal weirdo and certainly wouldn't be the first wealthy and powerful athlete to get away with sexual improprieties...but the woman and her claims came off as pretty unhinged and financially driven the longer it went on.