So, come on, we've got to have a World Cup thread in this forum. I know, I know, the USA won't be there. But IT'S THE FREAKING WORLD CUP, MAN. The World Cup in 1990 was the birth of my life as a soccer fan and I will never, ever forget it. If you can suspend your cynicism towards all things FIFA for one month, the magic of the Cup cannot be matched in any other event. Opening match is June 14 at 11:00 a.m. EDT, Russia vs Saudi Arabia. Complete schedule with TV info: https://www.mlssoccer.com/2018-world-cup/schedule # of MLS Players named to World Cup squads per team CLB - 1 HOU - 1 LAF - 4 LAG - 2 MNU - 1 NYC - 2 NYR - 2 ORL - 2 POR - 2 SJE - 2 SEA - 3 VAN - 1 ATL, CHI, COL, DCU, FCD, MON, NER, PHI, RSL, SKC, TOR - 0 https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/05/14/mls-players-named-2018-fifa-world-cup-squads
My allegiances lay with (in decreasing order): Colombia (of Course) Other SA teams Germany Brazil Argentina Any Asian Team Any African Team Any Concacaf team Any other European team Chernobyl
So when the US failed, I started picking my other teams to pull for. And basically every one of them ended up in group D. Croatia is my wifes heritage, Argentina is my bandwagon, I flew with the Nigerian team to Brazil and have kinda followed them since...and obviously everyone in the world is going to cheer for Iceland. Other teams I have interest in: Switzerland (my heritage), and the CONCACAF teams, though I always have a tough time rooting for Mexico. I would love for Panama to keep England from going through for the luls.
I think I'm rooting for: Hasselhoff's unironic music stardom The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Van Halen's 2nd biggest hit of 1984
I dunno. Without the US, I'm kind of meh about the whole thing. Actually bummed MLS is taking the two week break (which translates into my Loons having a month between home games...thanks Don). Hope Panama goes out in the first round because of the Blas Perez phantom goal that never crossed the line. Hope Costs Rica goes out in the first round so we can get Calvo back into our lineup. Hope Mexico loses every match 7-0 because, well, it's Mexico. Really don't care who wins, but I'll probably enjoy what I watch more since I'm neutral...more or less...
I'll be a neutral just hoping for entertainment value. In the past couple of years I've been feeling some soccer viewing fatigue aside from MLS and Champions League knockouts, so hopefully the spectacle draws me back.
I'm actually looking forward to this. Of course, when the USMNT didn't qualify, I was crushed. And angry. And embarrassed. And naturally, I feel bad that I'm not going to get that live-or-die moment that comes every four years. But it's still a wonderful event, with soccer being the focal point of the world for a month. And we can watch it without the pressure of wondering how everything affects us. Plus, I've got a feeling that VAR is going to be a gigantic mess, and we don't have to worry about getting screwed by it.
I'm all for VAR. I think it's going to be a great addition for the game. But right now, it's still so new, and there are still so many competitions around the world that don't use it yet, that saying "there are kinks to iron out" would be the understatement of the year. I also don't understand this impulse FIFA has every four years that they have certain points of emphasis they want to stress, and they want to start those changes at the biggest tournament on the planet, as opposed to giving everyone a couple years to figure it out first.
Geography wise, we may never have a closer World Cup group. The only way it could have been closer is if Saudi Arabia was involved instead of Iran. The only other close groups would be (if they all had qualified) - Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. I am pretty sure this group would cause wars. (I know there are other countries that could count and make it closer, but the chances of those teams qualifying are difficult.)
So Salah is out for sure? Man that's a bummer if true...hate seeing great players not play because of injury, and as a result I probably won't watch any Egypt games.
I am totally excited for the World Cup. The tournament I least enjoyed wasn't one of the ones I watched in which we didn't participate, but the one in 1998 when we were more or less pitiful - and I think things were shaping up for a pitiful tournament if we had managed to make it this time around, so I am less disappointed than I expected. Mostly just excitement. Who to root for though? I have some affiliation from living in Portugal for a year and a half, Spain half a year, Mexico for a summer, and Sweden for a summer. I studied the Argentine national team for my MA thesis. I knew a couple of players from the Super Eagles back in the day. I "fell in love" with the Beautiful Game watching Belgium play in 1986. I have a soft spot for underdogs and more especially for countries where this really matters to a populace, but where hooliganism is all but non-existent. I want CONCACAF to do well so we merit whatever spots we get in a given tournament's allocations. I prefer beautifully played soccer, and I prefer teams with heart (which are often competing preferences, but whatever). One of my favorite-ever moments was watching Colombia tie West Germany late in 1990, with the announcer screaming that it was "PROOF THAT GOD. IS. COLOMBIAN!" I like upsets. I have good friends in/from several of the competing countries. So who to root for? I am going to root for . . . Peru!
I will not be watching the World Cup. It is completely about Putin. He's at the level of a Bond villain in my mind. The attempt to reform FIFA didn't even get a chance to take two steps before Putin shut it down... http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/23714076/inside-battle-russian-influence-fifa I'm fortunate in that I don't have to be torn between the US team competing vs. my repulsion at the corruption of international soccer. I can just ignore it. I won't completely ignore it, of course. I'll read news reports and such. But, I won't watch it on TV. I've got a good bit of binge watching on Netflix I can do.
As a cord cutter, I'm going to enjoy watching nearly every game on free OTA Telemundo, even though my Spanish is worse than elementary.