Here we go World - one month of the beautiful game -countdown to opening ceremony and the first game

[malaise]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2018/jun/14/world-cup-2018-opening-ceremony-first-game-live

[jberryhill]

1. No, Le Tour doesn't start until July 7

Although I understand some folks in Russia will be chasing a ball around a field

[malaise]

8. Le Tour de

steroids?

[jberryhill]

14. .

[Tipperary]

81. Lol!

They should do one of those for rugby vs soccer too!

[malaise]

83. LOL

[BeyondGeography]

2. And what a first game it is

Rooting for a 0-0 tie with both teams subsequently disqualified for lack of artistic merit.

Anyway, bring on the Cup and Allez les Bleus!

[jcgoldie]

3. Love the world cup but...

Seems rigged like everything else remotely connected to Putin. Russia has the worst group in world cup history. Uruguay, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia... wtf? I hope Russians go down in better defeat and humiliation on home soil, but hard to see them not winning Group A.

Go Mexico!

[BritVic]

4. They are ranked 66 in the world at the moment though...

...so these opponents probably reflect that.

[malaise]

10. Sorry - this is FIFA's World Cup

not Putin's. Russia is merely the host country. Uruguay is a very good football country. Clearly you don't know their history.
Based on World Rankings, no one expects Russia to be among the last four.

[jberryhill]

16. Ah, well then, that's better... no corruption at FIFA

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/article23152416.html

[malaise]

18. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Andrew Jennings and I would disagree - all of corporate sports is full of thieves

[jcgoldie]

36. Yeah

Was America's election too...

[malaise]

103. Well given how many elections across the globe the US orchestrated

maybe I should stop watching all sport in the US.

[jcgoldie]

106. WTF does that have to do with Putin making Trump president?

United States isn't innocent so must be ok... wut?

[rso]

102. World Cup

No, no, Uruguay is a top notch team, much better than Russia. Uruguay has perhaps the top strikers in the World and one of the best defenses.

[BuddhaGirl]

24. Don't discount Uruguay!

They will win their group

[Codeine]

42. Uruguay are a good team.

Hell, they once managed to win the whole thing.

[malaise]

104. Twice n/t

[Codeine]

105. Yeah, you're right.

Must have been a senior moment.

[lunamagica]

6. Artistic merit? Is that a joke?

[BeyondGeography]

9. Yes

Chapeau!

[eissa]

32. Sadly, Russia is ahead 2-0

I was hoping for a zero-tie game as well.

Let's go Argentina!!

[BeyondGeography]

33. Well, if someone had to win...

This way their less savory fans will hopefully keep their crap under wraps for a few days. When France beat them in a friendly at St. Petersburg a couple of months ago, some of them made monkey sounds when one of the black French players (Pogba) scored.

[eissa]

34. Not surprised at the racism

It's why most Russians are so fond of trump. It's too bad the first match was of two awful teams, but glad those are out of the way. Looking forward to Spain-Portugal tomorrow!

[BeyondGeography]

35. Me too

Love the Cup. Even if I have to wake up at 6 am on Saturday for France/Australia. I’ll be there.

[nocoincidences]

51. Argentina is my fave, too! :D

[eissa]

52. I want it for Messi

He's had Maradona's cloud hanging over him forever, I want to see Messi get his due.

[lunamagica]

5. K&R. Not only the beautiful game, but also the most popular game in the world, by far

[malaise]

11. Yes indeed

and by some distance

[mcar]

7. Despite its location

I'm looking forward to it. Go Iceland!

[malaise]

12. LOL

[mcar]

13. ...

[sarisataka]

19. Skol!

[malaise]

25. Spoiler

Russia 1 Saudi Arabia 0 - 11 minutes 1st half

[3catwoman3]

46. I loved Iceland's run of victories...

...in the last Cup.

[SaintLouisBlues]

15. I'm rooting for Mexico. Annoy the deplorables

[malaise]

17. Don't rule them out

I always root for CONCACAF but seven of the eight all time winners are competing here.

I have a feeling there will be a major upset this time around.
If Mexico win, they will have to build the wall

[johnp3907]

27. Build the four-man wall!!

[malaise]

28. Hehehehehhe

Good one

Saudi Arabia looks completely disorganized and weak.

[johnp3907]

26. Good plan.

I’ll root for Mexico too.

[mac56]

20. Sorry. The World Series isn't until October.

[malaise]

21. The rest of the world laughs at the madness of that series name

An all US competition calling itself a world series - that takes a higher level of arrogance

[jberryhill]

22. Oh, come on, there are teams in Canada

It's an international competition.

[malaise]

23. Hehehehehhehehe

Come to think about it - it's not even Continental like UEFA

[mac56]

49. Not so.

Every single country with baseball calls its championship tournament "The World Series."

See, baseball fans know that.

That's what happens when you play a sport that has TRADITIONS.

[Elwood P Dowd]

58. Correct, and the college baseball tournament is called a World Series.

The women's softball tournament is called a World Series. The 11 & 12-year-olds play the Little League World Series.

[Elwood P Dowd]

55. The best baseball players in the world play in the Major Leagues.

Just ask any great young 16-year-old baseball player in The Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Canada, Mexico, or other countries with baseball talent, where they would like to play pro ball. There is no other professional baseball league in the world even remotely close. The ultimate goal of young baseball players, regardless of country, is to play in the Major Leagues. There are players from dozens of countries other the the USA playing in the Majors. Also, it was named the World Series 115 years ago when the USA was the only country in the world with an organized professional league playing at a high level. The National League was formed in the 1870s, and The American League came few years later. They took various versions/rules of an old, crude stick and ball sport and turned it into a professional sport similar to what is played today.

If the rest of the world really laughs at the World Series, then they are ignorant fools when it comes to the sport of professional baseball.

[awesomerwb1]

29. FIFA rankings are a joke

That said, this Russia team is a pretty awful.

[oberliner]

38. They are ahead 3-0 in their first match

[awesomerwb1]

47. Yes and?

Saudi Arabia are even worse.

[ExciteBike66]

30. Can't wait to see people get kicked in the shin and immediately grab their face!

[malaise]

31. Well we have the first injury - hamstring

no one close - that's bad news for Russia.

[bluecollar2]

41. Manchester United aren't playing....n/t

[ExciteBike66]

50. LOL, but their players are!

[bluecollar2]

54. I know...

As a Liverpool fan I'm really anxious to see Mo Salah on the world stage.

As an Englishman I'm resigned to the inevitable.

As far as diving goes....Harry Kane may be the winner of this tournaments award...or maybe Raheem Sterling.

[oberliner]

37. Russians looking good

3 goal lead already.

[malaise]

40. Host countries do quite well

But Saudi Arabia are lousy.

[oberliner]

43. How did Saudi Arabia qualify for the WC if they are lousy?

[malaise]

44. We qualified in 1998

Just saying

[bluecollar2]

39. I think the officiating crew has done a good job

Typically boring commentary from Fox commentators.

Give Fox credit for at least allowing the crowd to be heard and thankfully we haven't had to listen to anything like those Godawful vuvuzelas like in South Africa.

Russia deserves the win.

[malaise]

45. 5-0

That's an opening game record

[Ron Obvious]

48. That was surprisingly good for an opening game considering my expectations

I came in late, but saw the last 3 goals. Those last two were beauts.

Sure, Saudi Arabia are awful and yeah, it's Russia, but a good win for the hosts is good for the tournament. Expectations in Russia were so low, this may unleash veritably World Cup fever.

I'd raise a glass of Vodka to them if I were still drinking.

[malaise]

61. Agree - great start to the competitions

Fans want good football but they really want lots of goals.

[suffragette]

53. Many of the games will be on too damn early here. I miss when I could watch them on Canadian

tv, but the one Canadian station I get in Seattle isn’t showing them.

Yeah, I’m a bit grumpy this morning.

[Awsi Dooger]

56. I'll watch every game

Albeit most of them on tape. Currently I am 59 minutes into the Russia game at 2-0 in favor of Russia.

Once there are several games every day I'll fall multiple days behind.

I love the World Cup and was fortunate enough to have been in Europe twice while it was going on -- 1974 and 1990. Incredible atmosphere. I'll never forget watching the games in campgrounds on small televisions at night with hundreds of people on lawn chairs gathered around to watch.

There was stunned total silence during that campground setting in 1974 when East Germany upset Germany 1-0 in a preliminary game, although Germany went on to win the title. They picked up the lawn chairs and walked away. But with so little energy given the result they seemed incapable of doing anything else at the moment.

[Ron Obvious]

59. Ha, I was at that game in 1974

I only realised much later that by losing, W. Germany wound up in the easier second round group, avoiding Holland, Brazil, and Argentina.

Crafty buggers!

[Awsi Dooger]

60. Hey, you told me something I didn't know

At that age I wasn't aware of bracket realities.

We camped from city to city and I remember being surprised that the German team that looked so impotent against East Germany continued to advance.

Years later as a Miami resident I saw Gerd Muller at the end of his career play for the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers.

[dembotoz]

57. Ohh the other foot ball

[bluecollar2]

62. Half time in the Egypt-Uruguay match

Very entertaining first half.

A good advertisement for the game.

[malaise]

63. I'm quite surprised at Egypt's defense

Let's see how it holds up in the second half.
Competitive first half - I don't know where the Egyptian goal will come from-they may surprise me.

[bluecollar2]

64. Agreed

The Egyptians have defended well and have been quick to break forward.

Wonderful to watch.

[malaise]

65. Nine minutes to go

What a stop by the keeper

[malaise]

66. Ah well - too sad - they did so well for 90 minutes

great header

[bluecollar2]

67. Excellent header.

Uruguay was favoured to win so no surprises but Egypt can be proud of their performance.

[arenean]

68. Putin, Spain and the World Cup 2018 kick-off

[link:https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2018/jun/15/david-squires-on-putin-spain-and-the-world-cup-2018-kick-off|]

[malaise]

69. Thanks. N/t

[bluecollar2]

70. Morroco - Iran

Very entertaining

[malaise]

74. Was on the road

Iran is off and running - what shoes did they wear?

[bluecollar2]

75. They bought their own

And some of the other teams donated boots.

[malaise]

76. Lovely

That was shameful

[bluecollar2]

71. Next up Spain - Portugal

Ronald vs. Ramos

Can't stand either one of them.

Should be a good match.

I predict lots of diving, falling over and rolling around in pain.

Also lots of protestations of innocence.

3-2 Spain?

5 yellows.

[malaise]

72. Fabulous so far

Spain back in front

[bluecollar2]

73. 30 to go

Could get chippy if Another goal gets scored.

[malaise]

77. Exquisite is the word

Hattrick for Ronaldo.

[bluecollar2]

78. Loved watching Costa

Get the wind sucked out of his sails.

[malaise]

79. Ha

Let's go Iceland - I love underdogs

[bluecollar2]

88. Agreed

Plus I've no love for Argentina....

It's part of being English.

[malaise]

89. Argentina plays great football

Check this out
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210740772

[bluecollar2]

90. LOL

Iceland is unimpressed...

[malaise]

91. What a miss

Still Iceland is under severe pressure here

[bluecollar2]

92. If Klopp is looking for a replacement for Karius

He may want to look at this guy...

[malaise]

93. What a match - unbelievable

1-1
0 from 9 tries for Messi

[bluecollar2]

94. Excellent entertainment

This match explains why there is so much passion for the "beautiful game"

Underdogs...

Loving it...

And yesterday, Iran getting a win with bought and borrowed boots.

Reminds me of when Japanese women won the WWC after the tsunami.

[malaise]

96. So true

I am cheering on Denmark for my big sis, her hubby, their kids and grandkids.
That said Peru should have had at least two by now.

[bluecollar2]

97. Peru

Can't finish.

They get down field but give the ball away.

[malaise]

98. That's why they just brought on the old man

[bluecollar2]

99. Times running out

I don't think they'll get one going down the sidelines...

May be better off looking to play a through ball....

[malaise]

100. Yep

five minutes left

[bluecollar2]

101. Peru looked ok but couldn't finish it

When they needed to.

Schmeikel did well but Peru reminded me of Arsenal a few years ago...look great headed downfield but one too many "pretty" passes in the final third.

Germany - Mexico tomorrow might be another good one.

[oberliner]

80. What is wrong with Spain's goalie?

He was awful.

[malaise]

82. He sure made a crucial error but De Gea is one of the best keepers on the planet

Spain has serious issues - all politics

Here's his response.
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/world-cup-2018-david-de-gea-mistake-spain-portugal-a8401591.html
<snip>
David de Gea believes he has the full backing of his Spain team-mates and manager Fernando Hierro after his costly World Cup error against Portugal, but has bemoaned a lack of support from his home country in general.

The Manchester United goalkeeper - rated by many as the world’s best in his position - was left red-faced when he allowed Cristiano Ronaldo’s speculative shot at the end first half to ricochet off his left hand and trickle over the goalline.

---------------------------------------------------

Oh My - Iceland strikes back - too sweet 1-1

[oberliner]

84. Best on the planet but let a goal get through his legs in the WC

Pretty crazy.

[malaise]

86. That's why we watch

As we say the ball is round - there would be no goals if there were no errors. Why we're talking about this error is because he's one of the best around.

[pwb]

85. It's in Putins Russia , I won't be watching many games because of him.

He has hurt our country for a long time. I know it's world soccer but it's in Russia and that bothers me. My personal tariff on Putin. But you all enjoy. Me nyet.

[malaise]

87. Whatever n/t

[pwb]

95. Yea, we all do our own thing.