OT: The 2026 World Cup Thread

[OldEngland]

Maybe so, I didnt know that rule einher; … but the offsides BS is out there too.

Maybe just on free Kicks & Not on corners, but it seems like D Manipulation and not „fair Play“ to me (the non-Fan Soccer Fan).

….All the defenders run away from own goal at last minute to leave any possible scorers in offsides.

Sorta like NED did to SWE (or SWE did to themselves ) yesterday.

Cant find a real good video view, but as I recall live it was like 5 NED guys were all within 50 cm of the SWE line but just kind of stayed or moved a little bit faster than the swedes away from goal. Just enough to make them ALL offsides.

Neth was clearly 1-2 skill Levels above sweden ( looked Like Pros playing div II College to my-unknowledgeable-self.

But I think other than a 2-3 m region from the goal line and the area outside the Penalty Box, it should be on the D to match up with the O and not the O to stay behind the D.

The offside rule is always fun and is a skill for both attack and defence.
As an attacker you know a defence may try this, and you have to time your run accordingly, either at a free kick or in open play. A well organised defence with excellent communication can step up together and pull it off very effectively. However a crafty attacker can time a run to beat the offside trap, and travel through the line just after the ball is passed and be clean through on goal with just the keeper to beat. It helps to have a really intelligent passer in the midfield as well.

 

[DoubleDeluxe]

The thing that makes baseball more exciting is the anticipation on every single pitch, which could be nothing or a big hit or play.

I would say that’s the same for soccer.
Every breakout could be thwarted, or end in a spectacular strike. The problem is 95% of the time it ends in nothing, but the anticipation is still there.

 

[OldEngland]

Nobody in their right mind thinks the Americans can win this. But Poch is doing what Herb Brooks did. We are not playing to make the quarters, we are not playing to make the semis. We are playing to win the whole damn thing. Poch keeps telling them they can. They might just start to believe it.

Poch is an excellent coach and manager. The main criticism has always been that he has never really won anything,

A host nation has only won the world cup once in the last 40 years, but reaching the semis is relatively common in the laat 20 years.

Looking at the draw (which isn't finalised) the US might get Norway or Belgium in the last 16, Spain in the quarters, and one of France, Germany or Netherlands in the semis. It's a gauntlet of high quality european sides. Brazil, Argentina, England and Portugal all sit on the other side of the draw if matches go with the favourites.