World Soccer XXXI: Golden Generation?

[Jimjamesak]

Re: Hydration breaks

I’m not really bothered by them too much. They’re not really anything particularly new, at least in the US, having been used as far back as 2007 for me. And it’s not out of order either for a tournament organizer to mandate them be used in all matches in the interest of competitive balance (which is a good thing!). Unfortunately, like many things in the world today, it’s being abused for profit.

 

[Slap Shot]

I see zero chance they expand past the current total # of teams allowed, but I've been wrong once before.

 

[RaceBoarder]

All of England currently:

 

[ticapnews]

I see zero chance they expand past the current total # of teams allowed, but I've been wrong once before.

¥€$, ¥ou'₽€ ₱₽o฿؋฿£¥ ₽i₲₴৳

 

[Jimjamesak]

I see zero chance they expand past the current total # of teams allowed, but I've been wrong once before.

It’s coming, it’s just a matter of when. The “best 3rd place teams advancing” situation is not very popular.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

All of England currently:

View attachment 2548

Poor England...


...said no one, ever.

 

[ticapnews]

Ghana win it in the 95th minute

 

[ticapnews]

That cameraman is lucky the game is in Mexico and he can get emergency attention. If this game was in the USA he'd already be setting up a gofundme to pay his medical.

 

[ticapnews]

UZB 0 - 1 COL
Munoz 41'

 

[ticapnews]

UZB 1 - 1 COL
Fayzullaev 60'
First World Cup goal.

 

[ticapnews]

UZB 1 - 2 COL 65'
Luis Diaz restores Columbia's lead

 

[ticapnews]

UZB 1 - 3 COL
Campaz 90+9'

 

[Jimjamesak]

And just like that, we’ve reached the end of Matchday 1. We finally start the second round of games tomorrow.

 

[Jimjamesak]

Shoutout to Tori Penso, Brooke Mayo, and Kathryn Nesbitt from the US as the referee crew for this Czechia-South Africa match.

 

[ticapnews]

CZE 1 - 0 RSA
Sadilek 6'

 

[Spartanforlife4]

Due to head-to-head now being the first tiebreaker, there are teams that can be eliminated starting today. Well, maybe not today since there were draws in A and B last week, but the US group can have teams eliminated tomorrow.

In the old format all four teams would usually still be mathematically alive for the final game.

 

[Jimjamesak]

Due to head-to-head now being the first tiebreaker, there are teams that can be eliminated starting today. Well, maybe not today since there were draws in A and B last eeek, but the US group can have teams eliminated tomorrow.

In the old format all four teams would usually still be mathematically alive for the final game.

USMNT can clinch top of their group if they beat Australia and the other game between Paraguay and Turkiye is a draw.

 

[ticapnews]

RSA penalty...

CZE 1 - 1 RSA
83rd minute

 

[RaceBoarder]

I'm more curious how the new format changes things for Game #3. You will have very few teams playing for their lives. Instead it will be for seeding. With the group matchups already predetermined for the knockout round, I think we may see some gamesmanship being done to avoid certain matchups...

 

[Russell Jaslow]

I'm more curious how the new format changes things for Game #3. You will have very few teams playing for their lives. Instead it will be for seeding. With the group matchups already predetermined for the knockout round, I think we may see some gamesmanship being done to avoid certain matchups...

If I'm not mistaken, the knockout round matchups have always been predetermined. So, gamesmanship will not be new this year.