2022 FIFA World Cup Official Thread

[Who]

Ah, well that is the game there. 2-0 Argentina.

Does this mean that Argentina plays Holland in the quarter finals?

[Who]

Oh my god!!! what a chance right at the end!

Oh so close. Australia were so close to an equalizer.

[Kuberski33]

Other than a brief stretch in the middle of the first half , the US played really well. Young teams make mistakes, and several of those cost them, especially the goal late in the first half. They put a ton of pressure on the Dutch and had plenty of chances. I expect them to be a tough out in the next world cup.

I thought that goal was the killer. The fact that it was similar to the first goal made it extra frustrating. That said, we came back and after our goal it seemed to me like there was one more goal left in the match and either side could get it. Unfortunately for us, Robinson was gassed - he played I think every minute of every match in a position where you have to do a ton of running. Getting tired leads to mental breakdowns and he had one on the 3rd goal.

Overall, I thought we did fine. In 4 years our key players will all be in their primes and playing here. That will be the best chance we've ever had of competing to actually win it. But we need a top level coach and a decent striker. 

[RodyTur10]

Netherlands - Argentina. A game with some history.

1974 Group stage, total football (Cruijff!!!) Net-Arg 4-0: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYPS5JuBmdc&ab_channel=FIFA

1978 World Cup final highlights Net-Arg 1-3 (after extra time): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe1se2P6sxI&t=263s&ab_channel=alexZr74

1978 Rob Rensenbrink hitting the post in the 90th minute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N35FMLJkF58&ab_channel=VoetbalvanOranje-FootballofOrange

1998 World Cup quarter final highlights Net-Arg 2-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK4PCWZpvS4&ab_channel=DELPIERO10

1998 Dennis Bergkamp goal (legendary, must watch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZkCFoqSBs&ab_channel=FrankdeJong

2014 World Cup semi final, Argentina wins penalty shootout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooZLYNQOqk4&ab_channel=FIFA

2014 Mascherano tackle on Robben's shot, where he literally tore his anus (no joke): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n8Y3w0DUoI&ab_channel=Heronumberone

[ozgod]

The US needs to find a top level scorer. It was a real problem all tournament. Dutch have 3 top level scorers and it showed immensely.

Taylor Twellman also tweeted that apparently in the U.S. roster of 26, they had just 3 forwards

Umm... 

We've never had world class strikers though. Even Landon Donovan was mainly deployed as a winger or a false 8. Clint Dempsey was probably our best ever traditional 9 even though he also played on the wing a lot. It's a position we've always lacked depth in.

[ozgod]

Netherlands - Argentina. A game with some history.

1974 (Second) Group stage Net-Arg 4-0: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYPS5JuBmdc&ab_channel=FIFA

1978 World Cup final highlights Net-Arg 1-3 (after extra time): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe1se2P6sxI&t=263s&ab_channel=alexZr74

1978 Rob Rensenbrink hitting the post in the 90th minute: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N35FMLJkF58&ab_channel=VoetbalvanOranje-FootballofOrange



1998 World Cup quarter final highlights Net-Arg 2-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK4PCWZpvS4&ab_channel=DELPIERO10

1998 Dennis Bergkamp goal (legendary, must watch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZkCFoqSBs&ab_channel=FrankdeJong

2014 World Cup semi final, Argentina wins penalty shootout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooZLYNQOqk4&ab_channel=FIFA

2014 Mascherano tackle on Robben's shot, where he literally tore his anus (no joke): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n8Y3w0DUoI&ab_channel=Heronumberone

One of the best WC games I ever watched was Netherlands - Argentina in 1998. I will never forget Bergkamp's goal, amazing first touch and buried it.

[RodyTur10]

Netherlands - Argentina. A game with some history.

1974 (Second) Group stage Net-Arg 4-0: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYPS5JuBmdc&ab_channel=FIFA

1978 World Cup final highlights Net-Arg 1-3 (after extra time): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe1se2P6sxI&t=263s&ab_channel=alexZr74

1978 Rob Rensenbrink hitting the post in the 90th minute: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N35FMLJkF58&ab_channel=VoetbalvanOranje-FootballofOrange



1998 World Cup quarter final highlights Net-Arg 2-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK4PCWZpvS4&ab_channel=DELPIERO10

1998 Dennis Bergkamp goal (legendary, must watch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZkCFoqSBs&ab_channel=FrankdeJong

2014 World Cup semi final, Argentina wins penalty shootout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooZLYNQOqk4&ab_channel=FIFA

2014 Mascherano tackle on Robben's shot, where he literally tore his anus (no joke): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n8Y3w0DUoI&ab_channel=Heronumberone

One of the best WC games I ever watched was Netherlands - Argentina in 1998. I will never forget Bergkamp's goal, amazing first touch and buried it.

Legendary goal (and commentary). That Dutch team was amazing and has so much depth. Could easily have won the World Cup. Full of legends like Van der Sar, Stam, brothers De Boer, Davids, Cocu, Seedorf, Overmars, Bergkamp and Kluivert. However Argentina was also close to winning that game with Batistuta (legendary striker) hitting the post.

As a treat, Dutch total football (pressing) in 1974: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_fSAeRTz3E&ab_channel=JohanCruijff

[Jvalin]

Netherlands - Argentina. A game with some history.

1974 (Second) Group stage Net-Arg 4-0: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYPS5JuBmdc&ab_channel=FIFA

1978 World Cup final highlights Net-Arg 1-3 (after extra time): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe1se2P6sxI&t=263s&ab_channel=alexZr74

1978 Rob Rensenbrink hitting the post in the 90th minute: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N35FMLJkF58&ab_channel=VoetbalvanOranje-FootballofOrange



1998 World Cup quarter final highlights Net-Arg 2-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK4PCWZpvS4&ab_channel=DELPIERO10

1998 Dennis Bergkamp goal (legendary, must watch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsZkCFoqSBs&ab_channel=FrankdeJong

2014 World Cup semi final, Argentina wins penalty shootout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooZLYNQOqk4&ab_channel=FIFA

2014 Mascherano tackle on Robben's shot, where he literally tore his anus (no joke): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n8Y3w0DUoI&ab_channel=Heronumberone

One of the best WC games I ever watched was Netherlands - Argentina in 1998. I will never forget Bergkamp's goal, amazing first touch and buried it.

Legendary goal (and commentary). That Dutch team was amazing and has so much depth. Could easily have won the World Cup. Full of legends like Van der Sar, Stam, brothers De Boer, Davids, Cocu, Seedorf, Overmars, Bergkamp and Kluivert. However Argentina was also close to winning that game with Batistuta (legendary striker) hitting the post.

As a treat, Dutch total football (pressing) in 1974: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_fSAeRTz3E&ab_channel=JohanCruijff

What a player Bergkamp was! Possibly the most technically-gifted Center Forward of all time! If only he were a bit faster / more explosive as well. Will always remember that goal against Argentina, plus his dribble against Dabizas of Newcastle Utd. Have never seen anybody else attempting a dribble like that ever again. What's even more impressive is he actually wanted to do that exact move. It wasn't a fluke.



Btw, he participated in only 1 World Cup (France 1998) throughout his career cause he's afraid of airplanes! He would have definitely made the Netherlands squad in 1994, yet he was unwilling to travel to the US. The Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, but I highly doubt he would have traveled to Japan/South Korea anyway.

[Kuberski33]

The US needs to find a top level scorer. It was a real problem all tournament. Dutch have 3 top level scorers and it showed immensely.

Taylor Twellman also tweeted that apparently in the U.S. roster of 26, they had just 3 forwards

Umm... 

We've never had world class strikers though. Even Landon Donovan was mainly deployed as a winger or a false 8. Clint Dempsey was probably our best ever traditional 9 even though he also played on the wing a lot. It's a position we've always lacked depth in.

The cupboard is bare. Josh Sargent was probably our hottest option coming in to the WC and I thought he was decent. But he plays for a 2nd Division club in England and was a total non-factor last year when Norwich was in the Premier League.

The rest? Fereira had a decent season in MLS but was by no means dominant. He can improve but he's not world class. Hadji Wright's heavy touch when he had the keeper out of position today sums up his ability. Then you have guys like Jordan Peefok and Ricardo Pepe who I think are at the same level as all these other guys. One was just as good as another so if you're the manager you pick 3 and hope for the best.

We need someone at the level of guys like Pulisic, McKennie, Dest - that level of player - who's a striker. That guy would be able to score goals against any level of opponent.

Right now he doesn't exist. The hope is that one of the names I mentioned can kick it up a couple of levels in the next 4 years - or some pheenom comes along who's 14 or 15 years old right now.

[Who]

Netherlands - Argentina. A game with some history.

1978 World Cup final highlights Net-Arg 1-3 (after extra time): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe1se2P6sxI&t=263s&ab_channel=alexZr74

1978 Rob Rensenbrink hitting the post in the 90th minute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N35FMLJkF58&ab_channel=VoetbalvanOranje-FootballofOrange

I love Mario Kempes from that 1978 Argentina team. Size, speed, skill, scored goals, setup goals. Total package.

[Moranis]

America has the same soccer problem it has had for ever i.e. the best athletes just don't grow up playing soccer.  That is why most of the best players the US has have dual citizenship and don't grow up in the states.

[Birdman]

America has the same soccer problem it has had for ever i.e. the best athletes just don't grow up playing soccer.  That is why most of the best players the US has have dual citizenship and don't grow up in the states.

100% right

[Phantom255x]

Argentina-Netherlands is very, very interesting, and hard to predict honestly.

If I had to predict, I'd say Netherlands wins. They are on a mission to win a WC after a long time, and I just think Argentina at times are more reckless than Netherlands who are more tactically sound and strategically sound. NED are like "silent killers" which sadly the U.S. had to find out yesterday

[Who]

I don't understand why Poland are not better at football. They are a big nation. They love football. They make a few spectactular footballers and have long done so but ... the rest of their teams are so ... workmanlike.


You never get a full team of high talented players. Just a couple of them and then a bunch of hole-pluggers. Why? It makes no sense to me.

[PAOBoston]

I don't understand why Poland are not better at football. They are a big nation. They love football. They make a few spectactular footballers and have long done so but ... the rest of their teams are so ... workmanlike.


You never get a full team of high talented players. Just a couple of them and then a bunch of hole-pluggers. Why? It makes no sense to me.

The same reason why Holland and its population of 17 million people crank out good players non stop: soccer infrastructure and youth development.

It’s an area the USA has lacked as well until recently tbh. It’s gotten much better here but still has long way to go.