PBP: 2022 FIFA World Cup Group Stage PBP Thread

Cameroon grabs a goal and the goal scorer just took his shirt off while sitting on a yellow.

 

Oh no... second yellow red for shirt removal after the goal.

 

Intensifying handbags between Serbia and Switzerland.

 

More handbags in the S&S game.

 

Headbutt thrown by Swiss?

 

US now the only team in the tournament that has not allowed a goal in the run of play.

 

Is FOX not showing with their graphics package that Cameroon is down a man?

 

The Swiss need to take a more neutral attitude towards this game.

 

I thought that Brazilian attempt was a defender clearing the ball from the box. Damn.

 

We’re the best!

 

Lukaku-itis has hit the Brazilian team.

 

CMR did what they needed, and managed to prevent there being ANY 3-0 team this tournament. Sadly they don't get the help they needed from SRB... SUI through

 

I hate staring at stoppage and thinking I can't do math.

 

So if the US go on a miracle run to the final they’ll most likely have to go through both Argentina and Brazil. Fun.

 

Sorry Clint. But even if the rule is stupid, it isn't that hard to just keep your shirt on. Why a player's first response to scoring is to start stripping is beyond me to begin with. Plus, the rule has been around long enough that players should just know better by now.

 

Interesting note: we already knew if SRB scored one more (or SUI one less) then CMR would've been through - but if SUI scored one more (or SRB one less) then SUI would've won the group over BRA, setting up POR-BRA in the R16.

 

I'm holding out for a USA-AUS quarterfinal with the winner getting either South Korea or Switzerland! Argentina has shown some vulnerability. Brazil might have had some pressure taken off by losing today, but maybe their confidence is shaken a bit? On the other side of the bracket, Morocco, Japan, Senegal, and Poland would make for a wacky set of quarterfinalists too!

 

In the end:

0 teams won all 3 of their group games.
2 teams lost all 3 of their group games (Qatar, Canada).
5 teams went undefeated in group play (Netherlands, England, USA, Morocco, Croatia)

 

No fuel better than generational hatred. Well done, Switzerland.

 

And 5 winless teams (Qatar, Wales, Denmark, Canada, Serbia), the fewest of the 32-team era.

1998: 11
2002: 7
2006: 11
2010: 8
2014: 9
2018: 6
2022: 5

 

no subs graphics either unless my old blind self is failing again

 

I don't know if this was a 'Fox Sports thing' or not. Like the video feeds and replays, all the graphics used to designate subs and disqualified players may have been a FIFA-based deal. I don't know though....just a guess on my part.

 

Group stage combs in the 32-team era:

1998 - 4 (FRA-RSA, ESP-BUL, NED-KOR, ARG-JAM)
2002 - 3 (BRA-CHN, POR-POL, GER-KSA)
2006 - 3 (ARG-SRB, ESP-UKR, UKR-KSA)
2010 - 2 (GER-AUS, POR-PRK)
2014 - 3 (CRO-CMR, NED-ESP, GER-POR)
2018 - 2 (RUS-KSA, ENG-PAN)
2022 - 2 (ENG-IRN, ESP-CRC)

2022 is tied for fewest, and both of the teams combed in 2022 came back to win their next game.

Some interesting notes from past World Cups:
* Ukraine in 2006 is the only team in the 32-team era to be on both sides of combs in the group stage of the same World Cup.
* In 2014, two of the three teams that suffered combs were considered to be major title contenders. But unlike the teams that got combed in 2022, their underperformance continued: Spain then lost their next game to Chile, while Portugal needed a 94th minute goal to rescue a point against the United States. Cameroon also lost their following game, to Brazil.

 

Saw this on youtube and figured it might be of some interest to this thread:

 

Just checked. The Korean team had two former mls players (lafc and Vancouver) that started today against Portugal. Pretty cool stuff.