One Mailbox discusses how he plans to watch the World Cup in good conscience. Others are laughing at Qatar and seething with Gianni Infantino…
Watch England and Wales (if you choose to) and get your views in to theeditor@football365.com…
Offsetting the World Cup
I agree with so many of the sentiments from Saturday’s mailbox. But I am one bald man from South London, and not watching the World Cup won’t change anything. I also don’t want to deny my football-mad 8 year-old son the first World Cup he’ll be able to remember, or taint his enjoyment of the game with my (justified!) disgust at bribery, abuse and corruption.
So I’m going to offset- A donation to amnesty international for every game I watch, and not buying any sponsored/advertised products for the duration of the tournament. A token effort in the grand scheme of it all… but whatever helps you sleep at night…
Phil (Sutton United/Spurs)
Qat-ha-ha
Imagine being in a position where you are relying on England the kick some life into the tournament by playing some good football in the second game.
Is it mean-spirited to be taking such perverse pleasure in this FIFA/Qatari World Cup clusterf*ck?
Scott – Melbourne Australia.
Phew-S-A!
I agree with just about everything you’ve written today about the World Cup. But I’d just like to express my relief as an American that Qatar has become the first host nation to lose its opener. I recall 1994, when the whole world seemed to expect the USA to be the first such host, and the relief of the smallish American soccer community that we weren’t. If it weren’t for Qatar’s loss, we still might have been, so I’ve got something to be thankful for during the upcoming American holiday.
Chris C, Toon Army DC
Offside?
Been playing and watching football since the 70s and always thought I understood the basics of the game quite well.
I accepted that I didn’t understand handball anymore after Sadio Mane broke it.
I guess I kind of accepted that I missed that you could no longer be offside through either a deflection or the pass going backwards (both of which I thought kept you onside until the Harry Kane no goal)
But now Im stumped. For the disallowed Ecuador goal the TV in the US showed 3 replays each focusing on the first header, the one the goalie missed. That they said was offside, every reply showed him offside as he headed it. Not a single replay showed it when the ball was struck. At which time of course he was about 10 yards onside.
I would be much happier with this being a Qatar conspiracy than me not understanding another rule.
Please help.
Matt, Man Utd(Confused in NY)
…I feel like I am losing my mind.
I missed the disallowed goal, not because I am boycotting it, but because I was playing football in the garden with my 7 year old son.
My 7 year old son who has literally just leaned the offside rule.
We caught half time and heard the pro corruption rhetoric prior to the replay from the ex footballers that were sure there was not one person watching who would understand the decision. I waited with baited breath for a dubious offside call, only to see a goal correctly ruled put for offside.
He was literally offside. By a knee. Even my newly acquainted (with the rule, not with me) 7 year old son could understand why it was offside.
So why in the hell are the beeb so insistent on making it look like corruption?
Why is 99% of football twitter (the cess pit that keeps on giving) either oblivious to the rules (I have seen so many people cite the player behind the ball, obviously unaware that the keeper usually automatically makes up one of the 2 players necessary), or they do know but they’d rather stir this corruption pot
Please, f365 do your usual and talk some sense to your readers. Help them understand that whilst (as Lineker said) this may not be the kind of thing the rule was brought in to protect against, it was still the correct decision!
Will somebody please think of the kids!
Dom Littleford
Cool for Qats
As much as I dislike myself I for it I find myself flipping channels and watching a very short bit of Qatar versus Ecuador.
And I find myself wondering, that after 12 (?, can’t be bothered to check) years nobody on the BBC commentary team, punditry panel and so on can pronounce Qatar correctly.
It’s really quite bizarre.
A.
Ukraine wouldn’t have caved like Qatar
A few months ago I suggested that, rather than morally oblige Scotland and Wales into standing aside, Ukraine could take Qatar’s place as an easy PR win, but also for actual football reasons. I took some stick in the comments, but…
Let’s just leave that one there.
Gareth Dix, Sutton
Celebration police
Something I’ve been pondering, as we near the start of the WC, in light of the host country’s stance on same-sex relationships: what happens when the players start hugging and kissing after each goal, as has been the norm for many years? Will they be arrested and thrown in jail or deported? Or have they been given strict instructions by FIFA on how to conduct their celebrations?
Jon
Infantino’s bullsh*t
Hancock: I shall be the greatest bullshitter of them all by claiming to champion causes like dyslexia whilst: ditching my constituents; publicising a book; and getting all the money…
Infantino: Hold my Bud Zero…
Aidan, Lfc (to be fair, it can’t taste any worse without alcohol)
…Whether he wrote that speech himself, or read a draft and thought “this seems reasonable”, Infantino is a [more expletives than fit in the mailbox].
Aidan, Lfc (Cartman might’ve been right)
…I bet my gazillionaire mate the other day £1,000,000 (a figure that I would never have spare in my life unless I won the lottery) that we wouldn’t hear an interview as bad as Ronaldo’s in the same week as it is a guaranteed win and will set me and my family for lifeand I am just about to collect my winnings… oh wait? What? F****k sake nice one Gianni
Ryan, Liverpool
Unlucky Mexico
I am a bit late to respond to Mike, LFC’s question regarding Mexico at the World Cup.
While others have made a lot of good points, I would just like to point out Mexico’s recent history at the World Cup:
They have made the Round of 16 seven times in a row between 1994 – 2018.
But a closer look at each of those results and their opponents might reveal more:
1994: Lost on penalties to eventual semi finalists and surprise package Bulgaria
1998: Lost to Germany through an 86th minute winner by Bierhoff
2002: Lost to USA (I’ll ignore this one – though I guess it could be argued these are their local rivals)
2006: Lost to Argentina in extra time
2010: Lost to Argentina again
2014: Lost to the Netherlands through a 94th minute penalty
2018: Lost to Brazil
Other than the USA, that is a list of some of the toughest opponents in the World Cup, many of which were last minute/extra time/penalty losses.
There is an argument to be made about bad luck too.
Ali Ezz, LFC, Lebanon
Read more: Here we go: F365’s World Cup predictions foresee glory for Brazil and last-eight exit for England