World Cup 2022

[Arneb]

You need to, and should be able to, beat Costa Rica easily enough.

Did you just say, South Korea?

[Lianachan]

Tomorrow...

Nov 29th

Netherlands v Qatar

Ecuador v Senegal (draw)

Wales v England

Iran v USA

[Lianachan]

You need to, and should be able to, beat Costa Rica easily enough.

Did you just say, South Korea?

Hey, we can’t get them all right!

[Lianachan]

The day the day:

Cameroon 3 v 3 Serbia

South Korea 2 v 3 Ghana

Brazil 1 0 v Switzerland

Portugal 2 v 0 Uruguay

[Arneb]

I tuned in to thr last few mimutes of the Uruguay - Portugal game, and oh God, did that shitty penalty for the DDDs turn me off watching this stuff.

[Lianachan]

I tuned in to thr last few mimutes of the Uruguay - Portugal game, and oh God, did that shitty penalty for the DDDs turn me off watching this stuff.

Yeah, that was a shocking penalty.

[Lianachan]

So far:

Netherlands 2 v 0 Qatar

Ecuador 1 v 2 Senegal (draw)

[Lianachan]

Later results (both expected but booooooo):

Wales 0 v 3 England

Iran 0 v 1 USA

[Lianachan]

Nov 30

Tunisia v France

Australia v Denmark

Poland v Argentina

Saudi Arabia v Mexico (draw I reckon)

[Lianachan]

Wellity!

Tunisia 1 v 0 France

Australia 1 v 0 Denmark

[Arneb]

Dear oh dear. And it is a former Herthan, Matthew Leckie, who defuses my Danish Dynamite. This is just wrong. Can't they just play Rugby or something?

[Richard A]

Well, I have to say I cheered at USA's win over Iran. Not sure what skin Scotland had in that game, but I'm sure Lianachan can tell me.

Only saw the 2nd half of the Saudi Arabia v Mexico game - shame it wasn't quite enough to put Mexico through but it was still a great 2nd half. And if the land of Arneb's father's birth - albeit its flag has changed in the meantime - goes through as a result, I guess that's OK.

[Richard A]

As for my views on 1 December - adopting Lianachan's notation.

Croatia v Belgium (I want Belgium to win, but can't call it, one way or the other.)

Canada v Morocco - really no preference or view

Japan v Spain

Costa Rica v Germany - OK, Germany haven't been brilliant this World Cup but nor have Costa Rica been. If Germany go into the match with a reasonable amount of belief, particularly after the Spain match, they should win this.

[Lianachan]

Well, I have to say I cheered at USA's win over Iran. Not sure what skin Scotland had in that game, but I'm sure Lianachan can tell me.

Ach, I’m not speaking for all of Scotland. I’m thinking of merkin warmongering and regime interference in the Middle East .

Poland 0 v 2 Argentina

Saudi Arabia 1 v 2 Mexico (draw I reckon).

Happy to see Mexico win, but thought the Saudis might have had enough defensive ability to grind out an undeserved draw.

[Lianachan]

Dec 1st

Croatia v Belgium (draw)

Canada v Morocco

Japan v Spain

Costa Rica v Germany

[Arneb]

I watched the Poland - Argentina match, and I think they have shown they are, after all, seripus contenders. Poöand aren't some bunch of dupes, and all they had on the Argentine goal was one free kick.

[Lianachan]

I watched the Poland - Argentina match, and I think they have shown they are, after all, seripus contenders. Poöand aren't some bunch of dupes, and all they had on the Argentine goal was one free kick.

Yup, they are good - and it isn't all channeled through Messi, either. They should be there or thereabouts at the end of the tournament.

[Lianachan]

Another couple of accurate predictions

Croatia 0 v 0 Belgium (draw)

Canada 1 v 2 Morocco

[Lianachan]

Cool, this is the referee for the Germany match.

[Lianachan]

This world cup is F’d. F’d in the A.

Japan 2 v 1 Spain

Costa Rica 2 v 4 Germany

[Arneb]

'Let's beat Costa Rica by two and hope Spain don't lose.' Precisely.

[Lianachan]

Commiserations my friend. Germany and Belgium both out in the first round? Pah.

[Lianachan]

Well we may as well pull the results out of a fucking tombola, but....

Dec 2nd

Korea v Portugal

Ghana v Uruguay

Cameroon v Brazil

Serbia v Switzerland (draw)

[Lianachan]

Holy shit, I’ve just seen Japan’s winning goal....... no way that should have counted! And it put Germany out

[Arneb]

Well, as always, if your fate hangs on a thread, a few mm's worth of white powder painted on grass in this case, you were in trouble lomg before. The hard truths are, we have a football nation that doesn't train three important type of player anymore: The tough, sturdy and stoic yet capable central defender, the fast, aggressive wingback who can rip apart a defense with a deadly curved cross, and the unpredictable lighthouse no. 9. We don't have a grub-grass type figure of authority on the pitch who can prevent the sudden loss of pressure we experience after every 1 -0 lead. And we don't have a coach who makes the whole better than its parts.

I don't think many people in Germany thought we were in for a top spot. Except, and there is the next problem, the people leading and managing our national football team.