Anyone following the world cup?

[chiver78]

wow, the last 15min of Portugal/Ghana just now! fireworks! all five goals were scored in that span, and there was very nearly a sixth with a goof by the Portugal goalie. what a solid game! 

[ken a.k.a OMK]

The last time I saw a goalie goof like that it was a boys under 10 game. I told my team to stand their ground when the goalie got the ball and if he put it on the ground again to kick it into the goal. We scored twice before the other coach told him to hold onto the ball.  

[Artemis Windsong]

To the beer.  So Budwiser is not allowed to bring their beer to Qutar.  The beer goes to the winner of the world cup. I'm sure this will be a write off.

[weltschmerz]

I have the UK-US game on. Why is one guy on the field wearing red? Anybody know?

[dondub]

Why didn’t Pulisic that free kick into the box with only seconds to play?🤬

Nil-nil final.

[chiver78]

Nov 25, 2022 15:40:58 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

I have the UK-US game on. Why is one guy on the field wearing red? Anybody know?

that was the referee

[Ava]

Uruguay plays versus Portugal on Monday. I know I won't like the results 

[Tennesseer]

The shadow over the World Cup
The global soccer tournament is being hosted by Qatar, a theocratic petrostate with a terrible track record on human rights

Why Qatar?
FIFA, the governing body of professional soccer, decided in 2010 to award the tiny Middle Eastern nation the right to host the world's most-watched sporting event. This week, Qatar — which is smaller than Connecticut in size and population — welcomes 32 national teams and an estimated 1.2 million fans for the monthlong tournament. Some fans will stay in neighboring countries and on cruise ships docked in the Persian Gulf. About 5 billion people will be watching worldwide. But the games will be played under a cloud — a massive corruption scandal, deadly working conditions, and Qatar's repression of women and LGBTQ people. Even Sepp Blatter, the former FIFA chief banned from the organization five years after Qatar won hosting rights, recently called the choice of that country "a mistake."

Why was it a mistake?
Bribery clearly played a role. Russia and Qatar were among the nine countries vying in 2010 for the 2018 and 2022 games; the U.S. Justice Department has found that both countries paid millions in bribes to buy off FIFA executives. A former Qatari bid worker claimed she witnessed her colleagues directly offer three FIFA officials $1.5 million each in exchange for their votes. Several soccer officials have been convicted of crimes connected to the corruption scandal. Though Qatar still denies paying bribes, it has spent lavishly to make itself a name in global sports as a form of public relations — a practice called "sportswashing." Since winning the 2022 World Cup, Qatar has sunk more than $220 billion into a massive construction campaign. Some of the seven World Cup stadiums now built are air-conditioned, because summer temperatures can reach 120 degrees and threaten athletes' health. To avoid the impact of that heat on fans, FIFA eventually moved the start of the Qatar games from June to November. But that was of little comfort to the 2 million migrant workers who built the stadiums by spending long, grueling days working in the extreme heat.

What were their working conditions?
Abysmal. Until August 2020, Qatar's kafala system forbade migrants from leaving their jobs or the country, effectively rendering them indentured servants. Despite that system's formal abolition, some companies still exert near-total control over workers. Poor migrants from Asia and Africa have performed hard labor in sweltering heat for little or no pay, enduring squalid living conditions, infrequent water breaks, and physical assaults. Last year, The Guardian reported that more than 6,500 workers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have died since Qatar won hosting rights. The government disputes that figure, but it categorizes nearly 70 percent of the deaths of South Asian laborers as "natural" — even though they were mostly young men who all had to pass health screenings to get visas. Doctors in Nepal have noticed high rates of organ damage among returning migrants. Amit Ali Magar was 22 when he left the country to help construct a World Cup stadium in the capital Doha in 2018; after working shifts of up to 20 hours and enduring nosebleeds and vomiting spells, he returned home. He suffered extensive kidney damage and must undergo dialysis for the rest of his life. "It was really torture to work there," he said.

How does Qatar treat its own citizens?
The state's sharia-based legal code limits women's rights and outlaws homosexuality. Young women need a male guardian's permission to marry, leave the country, or work in certain jobs. Sex outside of marriage is outlawed. Women who file rape charges can find themselves prosecuted and flogged if authorities decide the encounter was consensual. Hospitals have reported unwed mothers to the police. Qatar is one of 11 countries that make homosexuality potentially punishable by death, though gay and lesbian people are more commonly imprisoned or beaten.

Are visitors immune from these laws?
That isn't entirely clear. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said in May that, while "all people are welcome" to the games, "we also expect and want people to respect our culture." FIFA claimed in a recent presentation that it was directing Qatari authorities to allow peaceful protests, LGBTQ symbols, and public kissing by fans and athletes — but a Qatari official said that no such policy had been approved. So no one knows how Qatar will respond. The U.K. is sending "engagement officers" to protect British fans from overzealous police.

How have other nations reacted?
The U.S. team has incorporated rainbow colors into its badge in a show of LGBTQ solidarity, with goalkeeper Sean Johnson calling the move "a sign of our values and what we represent." Australia's players released a video criticizing Qatar for its treatment of gay people and migrant workers. Some cities in France and the U.K. have canceled broadcasts of the games in public places. But in most of the soccer-obsessed world, the World Cup is just too important to boycott or ignore. Magar, the Nepali construction worker on dialysis, grew up idolizing players such as Neymar and Lionel Messi. Despite the lasting damage his time in Qatar did to his health, he still plans to watch. "The great players will be playing there," he said. "So I'll be proud to say that this is the stadium I helped construct."

Bracing for rowdy crowds
The World Cup tends to be a raucous affair, with fights, binge drinking, and wild parties — all normally taboo in Qatar's deeply conservative society. Alcohol is banned outside a few restaurants and hotels. FIFA had initially struck an agreement with Qatar to have beer sold in World Cup stadiums and in nearby tents. Last week, though, talks with the government fell apart, and it announced that alcohol would be banned in the buildings and their grounds. Still, to create an impression of an open society, Qatar has sought to enliven sleepy Doha's nightlife with multiple giant electronic music festivals. Many Qataris are well aware that they could be punished if they respond to these superficial gestures toward liberalization for foreign visitors by speaking their minds. "If a citizen thinks to criticize," said 38-year-old Qatari citizen Mohammed al-Kuwari, "a [prison] sentence awaits him."

The shadow over the World Cup

[weltschmerz]

That's a very informative article, Tenn.  Thank you.

[Tennesseer]

This is interesting.

Iranians Take to the Streets to Celebrate Loss to United States at 2022 World Cup

Iran's run at the 2022 World Cup came to an end Tuesday, as it fell to the United States 1-0 and failed to advance from group play. The Iranians played well in Qatar and just missed advancing. You would think the team's countrymen would be devastated by their defeat. It appears the opposite is true.

Images are emerging from across Iran showing citizens celebrating Iran's loss and elimination from the World Cup. Masses of people are taking to the streets to celebrate, dance, shoot off fireworks and more.

Check these videos out:

Link to article and videos here:   Iranians Take to the Streets to Celebrate Loss to United States at 2022 World Cup

[chiver78]

Nov 29, 2022 18:22:30 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

This is interesting.

Iranians Take to the Streets to Celebrate Loss to United States at 2022 World Cup

Iran's run at the 2022 World Cup came to an end Tuesday, as it fell to the United States 1-0 and failed to advance from group play. The Iranians played well in Qatar and just missed advancing. You would think the team's countrymen would be devastated by their defeat. It appears the opposite is true.

Images are emerging from across Iran showing citizens celebrating Iran's loss and elimination from the World Cup. Masses of people are taking to the streets to celebrate, dance, shoot off fireworks and more.

Check these videos out:

Link to article and videos here:   Iranians Take to the Streets to Celebrate Loss to United States at 2022 World Cup

if this is actually the case, I applaud it. I'll acknowledge that I missed the first half, but some of the louder crowd protests in the 2nd weren't warranted after review. 

wait, does your post refer to Iranians celebrating the loss as a testament to Iran suffering punishment for their country's civil rights record? b/c I'm on board for that as well. 

[Tennesseer]

Nov 29, 2022 19:26:21 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Nov 29, 2022 18:22:30 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

This is interesting.

Iranians Take to the Streets to Celebrate Loss to United States at 2022 World Cup

Iran's run at the 2022 World Cup came to an end Tuesday, as it fell to the United States 1-0 and failed to advance from group play. The Iranians played well in Qatar and just missed advancing. You would think the team's countrymen would be devastated by their defeat. It appears the opposite is true.

Images are emerging from across Iran showing citizens celebrating Iran's loss and elimination from the World Cup. Masses of people are taking to the streets to celebrate, dance, shoot off fireworks and more.

Check these videos out:

Link to article and videos here:   Iranians Take to the Streets to Celebrate Loss to United States at 2022 World Cup

if this is actually the case, I applaud it. I'll acknowledge that I missed the first half, but some of the louder crowd protests in the 2nd weren't warranted after review. 

wait, does your post refer to Iranians celebrating the loss as a testament to Iran suffering punishment for their country's civil rights record? b/c I'm on board for that as well. 

Your second paragraph is corect. The Iran team refused to sing their national anthem the other day. Protesting for much more freedom in the country, including for women's rights.

[weltschmerz]

Nov 29, 2022 20:09:25 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Nov 29, 2022 19:26:21 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

if this is actually the case, I applaud it. I'll acknowledge that I missed the first half, but some of the louder crowd protests in the 2nd weren't warranted after review. 

wait, does your post refer to Iranians celebrating the loss as a testament to Iran suffering punishment for their country's civil rights record? b/c I'm on board for that as well. 

Your second paragraph is corect. The Iran team refused to sing their national anthem the other day. Protesting for much more freedom in the country, including for women's rights.

Maybe they lost on purpose.

[Tennesseer]

Nov 29, 2022 21:46:22 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Nov 29, 2022 20:09:25 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Your second paragraph is corect. The Iran team refused to sing their national anthem the other day. Protesting for much more freedom in the country, including for women's rights.

Maybe they lost on purpose.

Could very well be. Lose in protest against their home country.

[chiver78]

Group E today.   if these current scores hold.....wow! 

[tallguy]

I know Germany is not as good as they have been in the past, but still a surprise they are out.  Shocked that Belgium is out.  Weren't they the second overall seed?   

[chiver78]

all the talk after this morning's match was about how the team is just simply too old, that they should have refreshed the roster before this Cup and they didn't. I'd been hearing that during their first two as well. 

[tallguy]

Nov 29, 2022 18:22:30 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

This is interesting.

Iranians Take to the Streets to Celebrate Loss to United States at 2022 World Cup

Iran's run at the 2022 World Cup came to an end Tuesday, as it fell to the United States 1-0 and failed to advance from group play. The Iranians played well in Qatar and just missed advancing. You would think the team's countrymen would be devastated by their defeat. It appears the opposite is true.

Images are emerging from across Iran showing citizens celebrating Iran's loss and elimination from the World Cup. Masses of people are taking to the streets to celebrate, dance, shoot off fireworks and more.

Check these videos out:

Link to article and videos here:   Iranians Take to the Streets to Celebrate Loss to United States at 2022 World Cup

Reports now that at least one Iranian man was shot in the head and killed by security forces in northern Iran for celebrating the U.S. victory. 

[Tennesseer]

Dec 1, 2022 16:18:14 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Nov 29, 2022 18:22:30 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

This is interesting.

Iranians Take to the Streets to Celebrate Loss to United States at 2022 World Cup

Iran's run at the 2022 World Cup came to an end Tuesday, as it fell to the United States 1-0 and failed to advance from group play. The Iranians played well in Qatar and just missed advancing. You would think the team's countrymen would be devastated by their defeat. It appears the opposite is true.

Images are emerging from across Iran showing citizens celebrating Iran's loss and elimination from the World Cup. Masses of people are taking to the streets to celebrate, dance, shoot off fireworks and more.

Check these videos out:

Link to article and videos here:   Iranians Take to the Streets to Celebrate Loss to United States at 2022 World Cup

Reports now that at least one Iranian man was shot in the head and killed by security forces in northern Iran for celebrating the U.S. victory. 

I read that this morning. Violence like that only infuriates much of the country's citizens more.

[Spellbound454]

It's really weird...... We are used to watching the World Cup in the summer months, in the pubs and clubs... This is just before Christmas and in the middle of the Winter league season.

England haven't gone out yet...... think they are playing tomorrow.

It's not my favourite thing........ but its normally on because the lads like to watch it.

I'll fetch the beer from the fridge and make sandwiches

[Tennesseer]

The USA lost today.

[Spellbound454]

I've got Switzerland on my sweepstake so I'm hoping for them.

[hurley1980]

Dec 3, 2022 17:44:07 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

The USA lost today.

While the US team is far better than they have been in the past, they are still not a top tier team.  I'm not surprised they are out, but Germany....ya that one had me scratching my head. 

The four teams moving forward so far are all pretty good.  Hoping it gets a little more exciting and unpredictable.

[dondub]

Dec 4, 2022 22:20:11 GMT -5 hurley1980 said:

Dec 3, 2022 17:44:07 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

The USA lost today.

While the US team is far better than they have been in the past, they are still not a top tier team.  I'm not surprised they are out, but Germany....ya that one had me scratching my head. 

The four teams moving forward so far are all pretty good.  Hoping it gets a little more exciting and unpredictable.

The US always lacks scoring threats.

[Spellbound454]

USA aren't a bad team but the Netherlands are looking pretty good at the moment.

The good thing about football (soccer)..... is that kids from even very poor Countries play it in the streets and parks all over the World (and pick up insane skills) 
They end up putting together really good National teams.

Saturday's game for England is against France and that will be a tall order........ but you never know.  We could get lucky.

[Spellbound454]

Wow are you watching Brazil?.... they have just put 4 goals in against Korea....... one after the other

[dondub]

Dec 5, 2022 14:44:20 GMT -5 Spellbound454 said:

Wow are you watching Brazil?.... they have just put 4 goals in against Korea....... one after the other

Yes. They are always a great side.

[Tennesseer]

It appears the great Brazillian player Pele may be in his final days.

Pelé transferred to palliative care in Brazil: Reports

[chiver78]

no, not from a bunch of sources.. here's one - link

[chiver78]

I think I just watched the match of the tournament so far, wow. Morocco over Spain, 3-0 on PKs.