OT: World Cup

[Drivesaitl]

I appreciate the inclusion of Sweden, but it is more probable that we'll crash out of the group without any wins this time.

What is true though is that they need to play a system to perfection to have a chance, and if they do manage to do just that then they could be dangerous. Germany is impossible though, Sweden never beats Germany. Spain, Italy, Netherlands, mighty Belgium , Brazil, Argentina we have beaten them all in tournaments before, Germany, never... And they are in our group.

Germany is susceptible though to subpar clubs that are just interested in numbers back and shutting it down. Swedens best chance, goes without saying, is a low scoring game. Anything can happen and the thing is Germany is facing no weakest links in their group. Several of the groups feature teams that are not all that good.

Didn't Germany beat Saudi Arabia 8-1 in 2002? Seem to recall that blow out. Saudi's seem to be like a gift matchup to anybody. Do they pay their way in?

 

[rboomercat90]

I can see the scheduling of games and reported vs when they are actually on is going to be infuriating for this WC. The game which is already completed was not even showing up on my Shaw listings, was not supposed to be played until early tomorrow morning, and this is utterly discombobulated. Looked through the EJ and Sun listings and neither had the Russia game on. WTF?

TSN for some reason has been impossible to access at times. must be overloaded.

Is it too much to expect channel listings to have the actual games listed so that a person can program record? I sense this is going to be a programming mess.

I can’t believe anybody who has lived in Edmonton as long as you have still uses Shaw.

I ditched them for Telus as soon as their monopoly was busted in this city. Twenty five years of being treated like garbage was enough for me. Telus had the proper game time and day in their listings.

 

[rboomercat90]

I’m fine with the number of teams, as it is now anyway. I do enjoy the extra games and there are still some surprises. I’d rather have more teams, even if it means some aren’t as competitive, than see a “World Cup” tournament where teams are filled by players from different countries. Not sure how I’ll feel about 48 teams, that may be pushing it too far.

 

[Drivesaitl]

I can’t believe anybody who has lived in Edmonton as long as you have still uses Shaw.

I ditched them for Telus as soon as their monopoly was busted in this city. Twenty five years of being treated like garbage was enough for me. Telus had the proper game time and day in their listings.

I have a business and have a sweet email that I don't want to give up and which is super easy to remember and nothing where I need to use 5 numbers and two capital letters and etc. That's the thing is if you have one of the early emails with just your first name on it and without it being bobisacat349629 you prefer to keep it. So I do. Then I just get lazy and get the whole package through Shaw, Expense is really no object for me.
I know people that have had lots of trouble with Telus too and I have as well. Not saying Shaw is good, but..

 

[Jaeger03]

Germany for the win!

Anyone got insight on the best places to watch this time around? Generally have gone to Urban Tavern for Euro and WC2014.

 

[booyakasha]

Germany for the win!

Anyone got insight on the best places to watch this time around? Generally have gone to Urban Tavern for Euro and WC2014.

I watched the last Euro at the Pint on Whyte which was pretty good.

 

[booyakasha]

ronaldo has skill. No doubt about that. But his personality or that what he shows on the field (he could be another person at home i know) is not very good, from my perspective.
He looks selfish, arrogant and a like bad loser. And he is not realy a team player. Again that is his field personality. A Mask if you want. Something he only shows the outside world.
Other players have other personalities. messi is a teamplayer, of course he is a silent one, who don't speaks that often but he passes more and i did not see him be angry or annoyed about not scoring himself that often. last season (16-17) he was close to his 300 goal. What did he? He let Suarez shoot penalty shots, assisted more and after 10 chances or so in diffrent games he finally scored himself. It think messi is not a person who is so fixated on scoring and being the best, i think that he is more about "what is best for my teammates and my team". Again that is only my opinion and if everything is wrong that is ok.

On a personal perspective i don't like ronaldo. He might be a very good player but i don't like his field-personality. It's like he never went trough puberty. He is like a 14 year old only-child who gets what he wants.
Still i respect his skills. And i know one should not try to analyse the character and psyche of a person from afar. That is not the way we should work (psychology-student).


PS: I hope Jogi kicked the butt of our players. They were so unmotivated last game. the only ones who where fresh and "spritzig" where Reus, Werner and Gomez. The rest? needs someone with a whip.
They play so complicated (there is a saying in germany: "Why do it simple, when you could do it complicated?") and that is the same thing i am criticising bayern münchen for. They are not able to adapt to an opponent who is ver defensive. They try to dribble the ball into the goal. I don't get that. try counter play, try 4-4-2 (Vfb Stuttgart against Bayern münchen 4-1) or simply shot from afar. My god is it that hard to play basic football? Sometimes the basics are what wins games. And not that complicated posassion based play style.

one of the most misunderstood players of any sport, and most envied.
Ronaldo is probably the most easily accesible and fan friendly athletes out there



and here is another reason that blows that "selfish" misconception

http://www.sportbible.com/football/...fuses-to-get-any-tattoos-on-his-body-20180326

Cristiano Rinaldo is not only the greatest player of our time, but the greatest player of all time.
what he is doing now, is what Gretzky was doing to hockey in the 80's....people hated Wayne and trashed him regularly, becuase fans are afraid of change, and are threatened when their heroes of old are challenged.
They won't appreciate what CR7 is, until he is retired and removed from the sport before they truly realize just what
he did to the sport

Five titles: what records does Ronaldo hold?

 

[booyakasha]

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I've watched some videos about him and he's a good guy off the ice in terms of helping impoverished people and people in need. IIRC he paid for cancer treatment for someone as well.

 

[booyakasha]

I've watched some videos about him and he's a good guy off the ice in terms of helping impoverished people and people in need. IIRC he paid for cancer treatment for someone as well.

a small sample size of what he can do, but what he does at 3:05 of the video is genius, and how someone can improvise, especially under pressure and in game situation..

 

[Bryanbryoil]

a small sample size of what he can do, but what he does at 3:05 of the video is genius, and how someone can improvise, especially under pressure and in game situation..

Absolutely incredible display of ball control and skill.

 

[EchoesoftheEighties]

CR7 is a genuine dude and ultra competitive. The guy wants to win. I respect that. He's less of a whining baby as he used to be, he's matured. No ill will towards him, he's a legend of the game.

 

[Fishy McScales]

Still, until a golden generation actually wins something meaningful I don't think they can be called a golden generation.

I think you have to put it into perspective.

When a country the size of Belgium has a golden generation it means they get to play with the big boys for a precious few tournaments.

When Germany or Brazil has a golden generation, watch the **** out.

 

[Cloned]

I think you have to put it into perspective.

When a country the size of Belgium has a golden generation it means they get to play with the big boys for a precious few tournaments.

When Germany or Brazil has a golden generation, watch the **** out.

Norway has had a golden generation in a lot of Winter Sports for a while now and they actually win.

I am not arguing that this isn’t Belgium’s best generation. It isn’t a golden generation yet though.

 

[Fishy McScales]

Norway has had a golden generation in a lot of Winter Sports for a while now and they actually win.

I am not arguing that this isn’t Belgium’s best generation. It isn’t a golden generation yet though.

My point is that it is semantics.

It is a "golden generation" for them in the sense that it is pretty much the best generation they've ever had, not because it means they have to win a bunch of gold medals. However this generation is good enough that they could actually go all the way which would be an insane accomplishment for a country like Belgium.

Portugal also had a "golden generation" in the 90s that didn't win anything. Yugoslavia had one too in the late 80s to early 90s (and then we all know what happened in Yugoslavia).

 

[Cloned]

My point is that it is semantics.

It is a "golden generation" for them in the sense that it is pretty much the best generation they've ever had, not because it means they have to win a bunch of gold medals. However this generation is good enough that they could actually go all the way which would be an insane accomplishment for a country like Belgium.

Portugal also had a "golden generation" in the 90s that didn't win anything. Yugoslavia had one too in the late 80s to early 90s (and then we all know what happened in Yugoslavia).

I was about to bring up Portugal because I wanted to use them as an example of where the term "golden generation" shouldn't be used. There shouldn't be any additional qualifications to the term to make it fit as wide of a definition as possible. Doing so lessens the meaning of the term.

I don't think it's semantics. Just call them the best generation the country has ever had. Doesn't mean their golden, though.

 

[Fishy McScales]

I was about to bring up Portugal because I wanted to use them as an example of where the term "golden generation" shouldn't be used. There shouldn't be any additional qualifications to the term to make it fit as wide of a definition as possible. Doing so lessens the meaning of the term.

I don't think it's semantics. Just call them the best generation the country has ever had. Doesn't mean their golden, though.

But "golden" usually is a word that is used for superlatives, i.e. the best someone has ever come up with. Apparently there's even a Wiki page for the term, even though even I must admit there are some stupid examples in there (look no further than the irrelevant hockey section): Golden generation - Wikipedia

But my point still stands: it is semantics.

So agree to disagree I guess.

 

[Zaddy]

I used to love Ronaldo back in his United days. He was a super-entertaining player back then. Now he's all about effectiveness and not so much about flash anymore. I guess it's only natural to go towards that style as you get older and your game matures, but I still miss that flair in his game. Anyway it's moot since he went to Real Madrid I can't support him anymore (I'm a Barca fan for over 20 years).

After Ronaldo I was a huge fan of Neymar. The young, innocent Neymar of Santos FC was a joy to watch and I laughed at all the people saying he was too small, too weak and that his style wouldn't work in European top football. I have his shirt from his time in Barca, it's actually the only sports jersey I own these days, although now I might as well burn it because unfortunately it seems like all the money and fame went to his head and he has turned into a pretty bad and toxic dude. And now there's rumours he's headed to Real Madrid, sigh...

Well, my latest footballer crush if you can call it that is Kylian Mbappe. Just a terrific mix of speed, skill and creativity and the kid is only 19. He's legitimately one of the fastest and most explosive players I've ever seen and he's combining that with excellent technique and eye for the game. Just needs to work a little bit on his finishing. He's so inspiring to watch, everytime I see him play I'm reminded of how much I miss playing myself.

Just check this out and enjoy:



Rooting hard for him and France to win this whole tournament.

 

[Drivesaitl]

My point is that it is semantics.

It is a "golden generation" for them in the sense that it is pretty much the best generation they've ever had, not because it means they have to win a bunch of gold medals. However this generation is good enough that they could actually go all the way which would be an insane accomplishment for a country like Belgium.

Portugal also had a "golden generation" in the 90s that didn't win anything. Yugoslavia had one too in the late 80s to early 90s (and then we all know what happened in Yugoslavia).

Use a different term then.

Golden specifically infers gold, it infers winning. Theres other terms that are more apt, for instance best, zenith, halcyon, peak, etc. So many English terms would connote much better. But people specifically selling Belgium over the top the last decade have used the term golden while also saying such things as "Belgium are the best team in the tournament" I've sat though the last 3 hfboards analysis of the tournament and Belgium has tons of supporters saying they are the best team everytime. They've been dead wrong everytime.

I think what kind of annoys some purists is that Belgium just appeals more to younger or newer fans of the sport. That want the theatrics, the moments of excitement and care less to see a well balanced squad or one that plays a complete impenetrable game. So that its a matter of wanting Belgium to win rather than this having been a golden club.

 

[OilersaretheMcBest]

one of the most misunderstood players of any sport, and most envied.
Ronaldo is probably the most easily accesible and fan friendly athletes out there



and here is another reason that blows that "selfish" misconception

http://www.sportbible.com/football/...fuses-to-get-any-tattoos-on-his-body-20180326

Cristiano Rinaldo is not only the greatest player of our time, but the greatest player of all time.
what he is doing now, is what Gretzky was doing to hockey in the 80's....people hated Wayne and trashed him regularly, becuase fans are afraid of change, and are threatened when their heroes of old are challenged.
They won't appreciate what CR7 is, until he is retired and removed from the sport before they truly realize just what
he did to the sport

Five titles: what records does Ronaldo hold?

This would be the case if Messi wasn't alive. Forgot who said this but: Ronaldo the best of the humans, Messi is from another planet

 

[Fishy McScales]

Use a different term then.

Golden specifically infers gold, it infers winning. Theres other terms that are more apt, for instance best, zenith, halcyon, peak, etc. So many English terms would connote much better. But people specifically selling Belgium over the top the last decade have used the term golden while also saying such things as "Belgium are the best team in the tournament" I've sat though the last 3 hfboards analysis of the tournament and Belgium has tons of supporters saying they are the best team everytime. They've been dead wrong everytime.

I think what kind of annoys some purists is that Belgium just appeals more to younger or newer fans of the sport. That want the theatrics, the moments of excitement and care less to see a well balanced squad or one that plays a complete impenetrable game. So that its a matter of wanting Belgium to win rather than this having been a golden club.

I didn't come up with the term. You might as well say it infers a superlative, it doesn't need to be so literal.

Maybe it's a Euro thing, I dunno.

 

[Drivesaitl]

This would be the case if Messi wasn't alive. Forgot who said this but: Ronaldo the best of the humans, Messi is from another planet

Prefer Ronaldo. Of the two Ronaldo appears to be the one that can elevate more at the WC level. As much as Messi is absolved of never winning a WC due to suggestions he plays on an inferior Argentina side this isn't really accurate either. Argentina have often been among the strong sides in our hemisphere and sometimes even better than Brazil. Indeed with German beating Argentina in two of their WC wins.

Anyway as a German fan I fear Ronaldo more than I have ever feared Messi. That said I don't see a lot of the league play in which Messi is at his best. I've found something wanting in the player in WC play.

Not saying I'm right. Just that Ronaldos talent and ability leap right off the screen almost anytime. So that its easy to perceive. It could be that those that are immersed more in the game see Messi as the better player but at least on the surface it doesn't look like it. What is Messi better at?

 

[Drivesaitl]

I didn't come up with the term. You might as well say it infers a superlative, it doesn't need to be so literal.

Maybe it's a Euro thing, I dunno.

Just saying its a fandom thing. People purposely use the "golden generation" term while simultaneously stating Belgium are the best National team in the world. This was a plurality of opinion expressed in the hf WC thread in the last 2 WC's. Its mostly just people cheering for Belgium and wanting them to win which is fine. Still remains that "best ever Belgium side" probably doesn't warrant all the golden platitudes.

cheers

 

[rboomercat90]

Oops for Morocco.

 

[Beerfish]

tragic loss for Morocco, they were the better team for most of the game.