World Cup

[Brass Cannon]

[8bucks]

The World Cup has been great all around. The US team played good except for Belgium. A B for them and hopefully they can build off it. The game experience A’s all around. I think having games in cities like Indy where you could enjoy a walk to several pubs/bars after could have made it an A+.  The international fans experience has been awesome. Many expressed great enthusiasm for outreach country and it was great to see how people are great when you get politics out of things and just enjoy different cultures and their people. And the best part, it provided a fun distraction while we wait for our version of football.  What a great summer. Let’s land a local 5* receiver, start summer camp (we have that right?) and get this 3.0 version of Cignetti ball started. 

[LamarCheeks]

Down to eight ... 

[jermhoosierfan]

https://awfulannouncing.com/soccer/landon-donovan-usmnt-fed-up-christian-pulisic-camp.html

Wow, I know that Landon Donovan and Pulisic aren't exactly friends, but he is airing it out.  It sounds like they are calling Pulisic soft which he kinds comes across that way.

[Pagoda]

Classic FIFA.

If you ask nicely England we’ll help you with some tips and tricks for an appeal ;-)

 

[jermhoosierfan]

3 minutes ago, Pagoda said:

Classic FIFA.

If you ask nicely England we’ll help you with some tips and tricks for an appeal ;-)

 

I didn't think his tackle that dangerous to get a 2 game ban.  I see some sort of rule adjustment for this stuff that will probably not happen.

[Stuhoo]

17 minutes ago, Pagoda said:

Classic FIFA.

If you ask nicely England we’ll help you with some tips and tricks for an appeal ;-)

 

[LamarCheeks]

I bet when Harry Kane did his pregame walk through for today's match against Norway, he went to the west end of the field and said, "Wow. This is where Fernando had that 12-yard, spinning touchdown run against Miami ..."  

 

[LIHoosier]

1 hour ago, LamarCheeks said:

I bet when Harry Kane did his pregame walk through for today's match against Norway, he went to the west end of the field and said, "Wow. This is where Fernando had that 12-yard, spinning touchdown run against Miami ..."  

 

Just facts.

 

[Brass Cannon]

11 minutes ago, LIHoosier said:

Just facts.

 

Jesus Christ that’s sad 

[Demo]

8 minutes ago, LamarCheeks said:

The FIFA rankings before the World Cup. Guess who's in the semifinals ... 

Watching a decent amount of this event, watched both games today, reminds me why soccer at the international level completely blows and I’ll never be a fan. Between the nonstop flopping and embellishment and the officiating pretty shamelessly putting it’s thumb on the scale from game to game it feels stunningly like the WWE. Doubt I’ll watch any more. 

[WayneFleekHoosier]

10 hours ago, Demo said:

Watching a decent amount of this event, watched both games today, reminds me why soccer at the international level completely blows and I’ll never be a fan. Between the nonstop flopping and embellishment and the officiating pretty shamelessly putting it’s thumb on the scale from game to game it feels stunningly like the WWE. Doubt I’ll watch any more. 

Almost every game has a controversy, Besides Belgium beating a sleeping dog of the US. And the controversies never seem to favor the underdog.  I know many don’t want to believe in conspiracies but at some point you have to acknowledge some chicanery going on. 
 

Last night I swore I saw a ref wearing an Argentinian jersey at one point. Lol

[Brass Cannon]

2 hours ago, WayneFleekHoosier said:

Almost every game has a controversy, Besides Belgium beating a sleeping dog of the US. And the controversies never seem to favor the underdog.  I know many don’t want to believe in conspiracies but at some point you have to acknowledge some chicanery going on. 
 

Soccer

 

Last night I swore I saw a ref wearing an Argentinian jersey at one point. Lol

I literally can’t remember the last World Cup where I didn’t hear about a ref at the World Cup currently investigated for corruption. 
 

It’s not a good look that there are either an) not enough refs who aren’t under investigation to get a full crew. Or b) they allow the ones under investigation to participate 

[BtownStrength]

For at least a couple decades, it seems clear that while the matches might not be outright "fixed", the rules and refs are being used to give one side an advantage. And in a sport where the margins are razor thin, that can be the difference. It is unfortunate because the WC is such an incredible event with an atmosphere that is difficult to replicate elsewhere. As much as I ***** about cbb and NBA refs, FIFA is on a completely different level of corruption.  England and Argentina seem to have benefitted from this in the most obvious ways so far. I am now on the "anyone but England" train, so let's hope FIFA wants to put Messi into the finals. 

Side note: Why the hell were Darke and Donovan defending Embolo last night? Dude had a yellow and made the most obvious flop I have seen in years (at least at the professional level). Absolute brain dead move and probably cost them a shot at taking the game to PKs. 

[8bucks]

On 7/12/2026 at 3:00 PM, BtownStrength said:

For at least a couple decades, it seems clear that while the matches might not be outright "fixed", the rules and refs are being used to give one side an advantage. And in a sport where the margins are razor thin, that can be the difference. It is unfortunate because the WC is such an incredible event with an atmosphere that is difficult to replicate elsewhere. As much as I ***** about cbb and NBA refs, FIFA is on a completely different level of corruption.  England and Argentina seem to have benefitted from this in the most obvious ways so far. I am now on the "anyone but England" train, so let's hope FIFA wants to put Messi into the finals. 

Side note: Why the hell were Darke and Donovan defending Embolo last night? Dude had a yellow and made the most obvious flop I have seen in years (at least at the professional level). Absolute brain dead move and probably cost them a shot at taking the game to PKs. 

Kind of the same excuse where at the end of a basketball game where you can’t call some fouls cuz you have to let them play. It was a definite flop where the flopper did not care if his caused someone to get a card erroneously. Certainly a tough thing in soccer to have to go down a player though at any point.