World Cup 2026

[Uncle Rico]

The biggest question is: How much would the Sexual Abuser In Chief and his cultists be losing their sh!t if a player on the USMNT's opponent had his suspension overturned after the opposing country's president interceded on that player's behalf?

"The World Cup is RIGGED! This is The MOST Crooked Tournament in HISTORY!! Thank you for your attention to this matter."

Well, tbf, the World Cup is rigged and crooked

[panda]

Santi was absolutely dreadful.  Frankly he has been all tournament.  I don't think he's had a rating above 7 in a game for club or country since coming back from injury in March.

Full credit to England for how they defended, absolutely brilliant.  By the 80-85 min mark, Mexico was clearly and obviously getting frustrated and out of ideas.  Spence was an absolute demon after he came on as a substitute at LB

He's really, really struggled since his move from feyenoord. Simply hasn't been up to the level.

Him coming on offered absolutely nothing different or dynamic for Mexico which, again, is why i was so shocked when England took such a negative approach to kill the game. The gulf in quality between the two teams is so wide so sitting that deep and opening themselves up to opportunity after opportunity was surprising.

[panda]

The biggest question is: How much would the Sexual Abuser In Chief and his cultists be losing their sh!t if a player on the USMNT's opponent had his suspension overturned after the opposing country's president interceded on that player's behalf?

"The World Cup is RIGGED! This is The MOST Crooked Tournament in HISTORY!! Thank you for your attention to this matter."

lol - that is not the question

[The Sultan]

The biggest question is: How much would the Sexual Abuser In Chief and his cultists be losing their sh!t if a player on the USMNT's opponent had his suspension overturned after the opposing country's president interceded on that player's behalf?

"The World Cup is RIGGED! This is The MOST Crooked Tournament in HISTORY!! Thank you for your attention to this matter."

Can you just stop please? There are plenty of topics where you are apparently allowed you use your dumb little nicknames to make political points, but this one has been largely clear of that nonsense.

[JWags85]

He's really, really struggled since his move from feyenoord. Simply hasn't been up to the level.

Him coming on offered absolutely nothing different or dynamic for Mexico which, again, is why i was so shocked when England took such a negative approach to kill the game. The gulf in quality between the two teams is so wide so sitting that deep and opening themselves up to opportunity after opportunity was surprising.

Mexico looked incredibly dangerous and fired up, especially right after Kane's penalty.  I think that's what precipitated England sitting so deep cause it was relentless for awhile.  But for some reason, after the Jimenez penalty, they seemed way less aggressive, potent, and dangerous leading to them just chucking in the crosses.  England didn't seem to change their strategy to counter that, but they had aerial dominance and size completely covered so maybe Tuchel was content in that.

[Its DJOver]

Mexico looked incredibly dangerous and fired up, especially right after Kane's penalty.  I think that's what precipitated England sitting so deep cause it was relentless for awhile.  But for some reason, after the Jimenez penalty, they seemed way less aggressive, potent, and dangerous leading to them just chucking in the crosses.  England didn't seem to change their strategy to counter that, but they had aerial dominance and size completely covered so maybe Tuchel was content in that.

Yea, I very quickly went from "I don't think England can maintain this for another 20 minutes" to "Mexico looks like they've run out of ideas and everyone is just gassed".

[panda]

Yea, I very quickly went from "I don't think England can maintain this for another 20 minutes" to "Mexico looks like they've run out of ideas and everyone is just gassed".

I don't like admitting I'm wrong but you took the words right out of my mouth.

[The Sultan]

After England packed it in, Mexico didn't come close to scoring really. Yeah, that tactic isn't going to work against the likes of Norway, but I don't think it was terribly risky against Mexico.

[#UnleashThePortal]

There's some kind of poetry that Trump went this hard to ensure that a birthright citizen was able to play.

 

[MU82]

There's some kind of poetry that Trump went this hard to ensure that a birthright citizen was able to play.

 

Marquette's own Nancy Armour columnized on this subject in USA Today.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/nancy-armour/2026/07/05/donald-trump-birthright-citizenship-hypocrisy-folarin-balogun/90815525007/

[GB Warrior]

After England packed it in, Mexico didn't come close to scoring really. Yeah, that tactic isn't going to work against the likes of Norway, but I don't think it was terribly risky against Mexico.

Not when Mexico insisted on ramming their head into a wall

[JWags85]

Yea, I very quickly went from "I don't think England can maintain this for another 20 minutes" to "Mexico looks like they've run out of ideas and everyone is just gassed".

The swings in my expectations of the match (rooting against Mexico obviously) was so wild in 10 minute chunks.

55-60 min mark after Quansah got sent off: "my god, Mexico might put 3 past them"
60-70 min mark after the Kane penalty: "Mexico still looks dangerous as hell, but if they can stretch it to the 80ish min mark at 3-1, the pressure on Mexico may be too much"
Immediately after the Jimenez penalty: "They can probably hold them to a single goal and get to FT at 3-3, but I don't know how they survive extra time"
70-80 min mark: "Where the hell did Mexico's aggression and dynamism go?"
After Quinones subbed off: "Well, short of a fluke header by Jiminez off a missed cross, I think England are clear favorites in regular time..."

He rarely plays the full 90 so I get why he was subbed off, but the minute Quinones was off, I felt like that might be it.  The 10 min before that after the Jimenez penalty suddenly lacked any sort of planned attack or meaningful danger.  They had already started lobbing hopeless crosses in.  Quinones had easily and clearly been Mexico's best player all tournament, IMO...by far their best option for dynamism and creativity.  All respect to Jimenez who played a hell of a match, but Mexico got to a point where they needed someone capable of one of those moments of individual brilliance and skill to break apart a better team who was bunkered, and that's not him.  From a USMNT lens, Jimenez is the wily rugged veteran in the Brian McBride mold, Quinones the explosive talismanic natural striker like Balogun.  Bringing on Martinez, who isn't even that prolific in Liga MX much less for Mexico, felt like curtains.

2 other interesting notes from the England side for me...

1) Belligham was absolutely unreal, top 3 individual performance in the World Cup so far, easily for me.  Beyond what he did offensively, he had at least a half dozen critical clearances in the box and was everywhere in the second half when needed.  But even more, I don't think Ive ever seen a superstar player so completely gassed.  After he chased down a free ball towards the Mexican back line at like the 100 min mark, he literally could barely make it back to the box.  He was walking slowly, a deflected ball came out, he barely was able to jog before it got booted and he immediately doubled over, hands on knees.  Just completely tapped.

2) He's only logged 5 min in the tournament against Panama and Eze/Mainoo would still slot ahead of him if needed, but what a brutal fluke injury for Jordan Henderson.  Hopped the banner boards onto the field after the match, slipped on the rain on top of it, and landed/snapped his forearm, had to be stretchered off.  Just gnarly and unlucky.

[The Sultan]

70-80 min mark: "Where the hell did Mexico's aggression and dynamism go?"

When England decided to sit back in the 5-3-1, Mexico had no answer. They were winning in the midfield most of the night, but that formation just completely shut that off.  I think Tuchel just said, "alright let's see if they can actually do something with this"...and they just couldn't.

[Jockey]

Do we think that Trump actually impacted this or that he's just taking credit for things as usual

Of course he did. And it gives the world one more reason to hate us.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Well, tbf, the World Cup is rigged and crooked

I'm just glad that FIFA's corruption and lack of transparency benefits the US for once.

[panda]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjwgggp28dlo

Just an absolutely pathetic abuse of power. In no way shape or form should any head of state intervene in an independent competition. This just gives more reason for the world to hate the citizens of England. Shocking

[Uncle Rico]

I'm just glad that FIFA's corruption and lack of transparency benefits the US for once.

It's great theater.  Soccer is one of the great fake sports.  The scripts are incredible.  The graft and corruption is incredible.  Remarkable that America has taken this long to understand the graft.  That they allow folks to wager on these phony contests is amazing.

[GB Warrior]

I'm just glad that FIFA's corruption and lack of transparency benefits the US for once.

Would have benefited the US a long time ago if they had a USMNT worth a damn the last few decades

[Uncle Rico]

Would have benefited the US a long time ago if they had a USMNT worth a damn the last few decades

We didn't know how to play the game and I'm not talking about soccer.

[Jockey]

Expel every team whose government interferes in the World Cup. Cheating should be done by FIFA - not the US and England.

This was a very likable US team until now - easy to root for. Now, I hope the cheaters get blown out.

[panda]

Expel every team whose government interferes in the World Cup.

Cheating should be done by FIFA - not the US and England.

Explain the cheating process which occurred please.

[The Sultan]

Expel every team whose government interferes in the World Cup. Cheating should be done by FIFA - not the US and England.

This was a very likable US team until now - easy to root for. Now, I hope the cheaters get blown out.

LOL. Calm down. I doubt you were really rooting for them before.

Trump is taking credit for something that had already been started by US Soccer hours after the game. I heard a theory is that FIFA waited to announce their decision so that Belgium didn't have the time to appeal to CAS - I think that makes some sense.

[The Sultan]

Explain the cheating process which occurred please.

He can't. It's just another of his mindless political rants.

[rocky_warrior]

Can you just stop please? There are plenty of topics where you are apparently allowed you use your dumb little nicknames to make political points, but this one has been largely clear of that nonsense.

First, I agree, @MU82 and others, please stop.

"Apparently allowed" - I know the Iran thread was off the rails, and yes I allowed plenty of political commentary on that subject.    But I've not spent more that a few minutes on scoop the past few months, so I don't know of any others (nobody has reported anything)

[The Sultan]

First, I agree, @MU82 and others, please stop.

"Apparently allowed" - I know the Iran thread was off the rails, and yes I allowed plenty of political commentary on that subject.    But I've not spent more that a few minutes on scoop the past few months, so I don't know of any others (nobody has reported anything)

It's mostly the Iran thread, which has become a catch-all politics thread.