This begins a couple of weeks from now.

I am boycotting this event because of the ridiculous “FIFA Peace Prize” awarded to the orange Dunny Trumpet.

Plus the last one was awarded to Qatar in spite of their poor human rights record, and the one before that to Russia even though they were under sanctions for invading Crimea and the shooting down of MH 17.

Brazil was a non-starter for me because of the time zone delay. I suspect the Canada and Mexico matches will be the same inconvenient hours.

So, fuck it. Another arena of world popular culture that I can’t participate in.

party_pants said:

I am boycotting this event because of the ridiculous “FIFA Peace Prize” awarded to the orange Dunny Trumpet.

Plus the last one was awarded to Qatar in spite of their poor human rights record, and the one before that to Russia even though they were under sanctions for invading Crimea and the shooting down of MH 17.

Brazil was a non-starter for me because of the time zone delay. I suspect the Canada and Mexico matches will be the same inconvenient hours.

So, fuck it. Another arena of world popular culture that I can’t participate in.

Ditto, FIFA has been a giant corrupt shithole of liars and thieves for decades.

The love of sport seems to overcome geopolitical challenges, as evidenced by this table from https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianquillen/2026/05/19/as-world-cup-resale-ticket-prices-fall-major-uncertainty-remains/

However, better facilities for hosting the event surely come into play, as well as general higher interest in the games.

The Forbes article also notes, “The U.S. government has taken some steps to try and avoid this process (travel restrictions), creating a FIFA Pass system to expedite visa reviews for ticket holders, and removing the requirement for a $15,000 travel bond for travelers from Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Tunisia.”

SCIENCE said:

Of course they are. It’s just been proven…

FIFA has made a late change to its stadium code of conduct, banning World Cup ticket holders from bringing reusable water bottles into matches.

The change comes just over a week before the tournament begins on June 11, with Vancouver’s first match scheduled for June 13 between Australia and Türkiye at BC Place.

FIFA notified ticket holders of the change by email on Wednesday, citing safety concerns — specifically, that the bottles could be used as projectiles.

However, some people are concerned about the risk of dehydration, especially if a match takes place on a particularly hot day.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/article/fifa-bans-reusable-water-bottles-from-world-cup-matches/

A Somali referee, who was set to become the first person from his country to officiate at a World Cup, has been denied access to the US and will not work at the tournament.

Fifa confirmed that Omar Artan “will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026” in a statement issued to media on Monday. The governing body passed responsibility for the situation to the US government, saying that they were “informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present”.

—
Artan was refused entry to the US at Miami international airport this past weekend, despite allegedly having a valid travel visa. Somalia is one of several countries currently under a broad travel ban imposed by the Trump administration and while the reasons behind any decision to deny Artan entry to the US have not been made clear, representatives of the Somali government said the decision had “undermined football’s commitment to fair play”.

Somali officials called for the footballing world to rally in support. “Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” said Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and a former national team captain, in a statement first shared with Agence France-Presse.

—

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/08/top-african-referee-omar-artan-refused-access-to-the-united-states

dv said:

A Somali referee, who was set to become the first person from his country to officiate at a World Cup, has been denied access to the US and will not work at the tournament.

Fifa confirmed that Omar Artan “will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026” in a statement issued to media on Monday. The governing body passed responsibility for the situation to the US government, saying that they were “informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present”.

—
Artan was refused entry to the US at Miami international airport this past weekend, despite allegedly having a valid travel visa. Somalia is one of several countries currently under a broad travel ban imposed by the Trump administration and while the reasons behind any decision to deny Artan entry to the US have not been made clear, representatives of the Somali government said the decision had “undermined football’s commitment to fair play”.

Somali officials called for the footballing world to rally in support. “Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” said Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and a former national team captain, in a statement first shared with Agence France-Presse.

—

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/08/top-african-referee-omar-artan-refused-access-to-the-united-states

Fk Trump.

dv said:

A Somali referee, who was set to become the first person from his country to officiate at a World Cup, has been denied access to the US and will not work at the tournament.

Fifa confirmed that Omar Artan “will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026” in a statement issued to media on Monday. The governing body passed responsibility for the situation to the US government, saying that they were “informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present”.

—
Artan was refused entry to the US at Miami international airport this past weekend, despite allegedly having a valid travel visa. Somalia is one of several countries currently under a broad travel ban imposed by the Trump administration and while the reasons behind any decision to deny Artan entry to the US have not been made clear, representatives of the Somali government said the decision had “undermined football’s commitment to fair play”.

Somali officials called for the footballing world to rally in support. “Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” said Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and a former national team captain, in a statement first shared with Agence France-Presse.

—

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/08/top-african-referee-omar-artan-refused-access-to-the-united-states

At the risk of victim-blaming, I kinda think Somalia knew they were under these sweeping travel bans and they thought they’d send an official anyway hoping it would be overlooked.

However I do agree with the statement that it undermines fairness in sport, as if that was a thing anyway.

Divine Angel said:

dv said:

A Somali referee, who was set to become the first person from his country to officiate at a World Cup, has been denied access to the US and will not work at the tournament.

Fifa confirmed that Omar Artan “will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026” in a statement issued to media on Monday. The governing body passed responsibility for the situation to the US government, saying that they were “informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present”.

—
Artan was refused entry to the US at Miami international airport this past weekend, despite allegedly having a valid travel visa. Somalia is one of several countries currently under a broad travel ban imposed by the Trump administration and while the reasons behind any decision to deny Artan entry to the US have not been made clear, representatives of the Somali government said the decision had “undermined football’s commitment to fair play”.

Somali officials called for the footballing world to rally in support. “Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” said Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and a former national team captain, in a statement first shared with Agence France-Presse.

—

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/08/top-african-referee-omar-artan-refused-access-to-the-united-states

At the risk of victim-blaming, I kinda think Somalia knew they were under these sweeping travel bans and they thought they’d send an official anyway hoping it would be overlooked.

However I do agree with the statement that it undermines fairness in sport, as if that was a thing anyway.

The man has a valid visa. I think issuing a visa and then refusing entry suggests dysfunction.

dv said:

Divine Angel said:

dv said:

A Somali referee, who was set to become the first person from his country to officiate at a World Cup, has been denied access to the US and will not work at the tournament.

Fifa confirmed that Omar Artan “will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026” in a statement issued to media on Monday. The governing body passed responsibility for the situation to the US government, saying that they were “informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present”.

—
Artan was refused entry to the US at Miami international airport this past weekend, despite allegedly having a valid travel visa. Somalia is one of several countries currently under a broad travel ban imposed by the Trump administration and while the reasons behind any decision to deny Artan entry to the US have not been made clear, representatives of the Somali government said the decision had “undermined football’s commitment to fair play”.

Somali officials called for the footballing world to rally in support. “Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” said Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and a former national team captain, in a statement first shared with Agence France-Presse.

—

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/08/top-african-referee-omar-artan-refused-access-to-the-united-states

At the risk of victim-blaming, I kinda think Somalia knew they were under these sweeping travel bans and they thought they’d send an official anyway hoping it would be overlooked.

However I do agree with the statement that it undermines fairness in sport, as if that was a thing anyway.

The man has a valid visa. I think issuing a visa and then refusing entry suggests dysfunction.

Dysfunction is a given under the Trump regime.

dv said:

A Somali referee, who was set to become the first person from his country to officiate at a World Cup, has been denied access to the US and will not work at the tournament.

Fifa confirmed that Omar Artan “will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026” in a statement issued to media on Monday. The governing body passed responsibility for the situation to the US government, saying that they were “informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present”.

—
Artan was refused entry to the US at Miami international airport this past weekend, despite allegedly having a valid travel visa. Somalia is one of several countries currently under a broad travel ban imposed by the Trump administration and while the reasons behind any decision to deny Artan entry to the US have not been made clear, representatives of the Somali government said the decision had “undermined football’s commitment to fair play”.

Somali officials called for the footballing world to rally in support. “Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” said Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and a former national team captain, in a statement first shared with Agence France-Presse.

—

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/08/top-african-referee-omar-artan-refused-access-to-the-united-states

He’s a terrorist, and they caught him just in time.

Peak Warming Man said:

dv said:

A Somali referee, who was set to become the first person from his country to officiate at a World Cup, has been denied access to the US and will not work at the tournament.

Fifa confirmed that Omar Artan “will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026” in a statement issued to media on Monday. The governing body passed responsibility for the situation to the US government, saying that they were “informed by authorities that Mr Artan’s status will not be changed at present”.

—
Artan was refused entry to the US at Miami international airport this past weekend, despite allegedly having a valid travel visa. Somalia is one of several countries currently under a broad travel ban imposed by the Trump administration and while the reasons behind any decision to deny Artan entry to the US have not been made clear, representatives of the Somali government said the decision had “undermined football’s commitment to fair play”.

Somali officials called for the footballing world to rally in support. “Omar Artan is among Africa’s most respected referees and deserves the support of the entire football community,” said Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and a former national team captain, in a statement first shared with Agence France-Presse.

—

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/08/top-african-referee-omar-artan-refused-access-to-the-united-states

He’s a terrorist, BLACK and they caught him just in time.

Fixed.

“The smallest nation ever to reach a FIFA World Cup has arrived with all the glamour of a school excursion.
As football’s biggest stars prepare to travel across North America in luxury coaches and private jets, Curacao’s players have gone viral after being filmed crammed into an old-school bus with no windows as they continued preparations for their historic World Cup debut.
The footage sparked a flood of reactions online, with many fans comparing the Caribbean underdogs to the legendary Jamaican bobsled team immortalised in the movie Cool Runnings.”

Hand up everyone who has never heard of it.

Peak Warming Man said:

“The smallest nation ever to reach a FIFA World Cup has arrived with all the glamour of a school excursion.
As football’s biggest stars prepare to travel across North America in luxury coaches and private jets, Curacao’s players have gone viral after being filmed crammed into an old-school bus with no windows as they continued preparations for their historic World Cup debut.
The footage sparked a flood of reactions online, with many fans comparing the Caribbean underdogs to the legendary Jamaican bobsled team immortalised in the movie Cool Runnings.”

Hand up everyone who has never heard of it.

Never heard of Curacao or Cool Runnings?

It’s a great movie, starring the late, great John Candy.

Also what kind of bus has no windows? Surely that’s a safety issue as well as a comfort one.

Divine Angel said:

Peak Warming Man said:

“The smallest nation ever to reach a FIFA World Cup has arrived with all the glamour of a school excursion.
As football’s biggest stars prepare to travel across North America in luxury coaches and private jets, Curacao’s players have gone viral after being filmed crammed into an old-school bus with no windows as they continued preparations for their historic World Cup debut.
The footage sparked a flood of reactions online, with many fans comparing the Caribbean underdogs to the legendary Jamaican bobsled team immortalised in the movie Cool Runnings.”

Hand up everyone who has never heard of it.

Never heard of Curacao or Cool Runnings?

It’s a great movie, starring the late, great John Candy.

Also what kind of bus has no windows? Surely that’s a safety issue as well as a comfort one.

Must be driven by AI I suppose, unless the driver sits on a platform outside.

Divine Angel said:

Peak Warming Man said:

“The smallest nation ever to reach a FIFA World Cup has arrived with all the glamour of a school excursion.
As football’s biggest stars prepare to travel across North America in luxury coaches and private jets, Curacao’s players have gone viral after being filmed crammed into an old-school bus with no windows as they continued preparations for their historic World Cup debut.
The footage sparked a flood of reactions online, with many fans comparing the Caribbean underdogs to the legendary Jamaican bobsled team immortalised in the movie Cool Runnings.”

Hand up everyone who has never heard of it.

Never heard of Curacao or Cool Runnings?

It’s a great movie, starring the late, great John Candy.

Also what kind of bus has no windows? Surely that’s a safety issue as well as a comfort one.

Kingy said:

Divine Angel said:

Peak Warming Man said:

“The smallest nation ever to reach a FIFA World Cup has arrived with all the glamour of a school excursion.
As football’s biggest stars prepare to travel across North America in luxury coaches and private jets, Curacao’s players have gone viral after being filmed crammed into an old-school bus with no windows as they continued preparations for their historic World Cup debut.
The footage sparked a flood of reactions online, with many fans comparing the Caribbean underdogs to the legendary Jamaican bobsled team immortalised in the movie Cool Runnings.”

Hand up everyone who has never heard of it.

Never heard of Curacao or Cool Runnings?

It’s a great movie, starring the late, great John Candy.

Also what kind of bus has no windows? Surely that’s a safety issue as well as a comfort one.

OK, I suppose they might have just meant there were no windows down the back, and when they called it a school bus, that was just a typo.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Kingy said:

Divine Angel said:

Never heard of Curacao or Cool Runnings?

It’s a great movie, starring the late, great John Candy.

Also what kind of bus has no windows? Surely that’s a safety issue as well as a comfort one.

OK, I suppose they might have just meant there were no windows down the back, and when they called it a school bus, that was just a typo.

They could have meant that it used to have windows but they’d all been knocked out.

Peak Warming Man said:

“The smallest nation ever to reach a FIFA World Cup has arrived with all the glamour of a school excursion.
As football’s biggest stars prepare to travel across North America in luxury coaches and private jets, Curacao’s players have gone viral after being filmed crammed into an old-school bus with no windows as they continued preparations for their historic World Cup debut.
The footage sparked a flood of reactions online, with many fans comparing the Caribbean underdogs to the legendary Jamaican bobsled team immortalised in the movie Cool Runnings.”

Hand up everyone who has never heard of it.

Curacao or Cool Runnings?

I’ve heard of both.

Michael V said:

Peak Warming Man said:

“The smallest nation ever to reach a FIFA World Cup has arrived with all the glamour of a school excursion.
As football’s biggest stars prepare to travel across North America in luxury coaches and private jets, Curacao’s players have gone viral after being filmed crammed into an old-school bus with no windows as they continued preparations for their historic World Cup debut.
The footage sparked a flood of reactions online, with many fans comparing the Caribbean underdogs to the legendary Jamaican bobsled team immortalised in the movie Cool Runnings.”

Hand up everyone who has never heard of it.

Curacao or Cool Runnings?

I’ve heard of both.

TIL:
Curacao is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Kingy said:

Divine Angel said:

Peak Warming Man said:

“The smallest nation ever to reach a FIFA World Cup has arrived with all the glamour of a school excursion.
As football’s biggest stars prepare to travel across North America in luxury coaches and private jets, Curacao’s players have gone viral after being filmed crammed into an old-school bus with no windows as they continued preparations for their historic World Cup debut.
The footage sparked a flood of reactions online, with many fans comparing the Caribbean underdogs to the legendary Jamaican bobsled team immortalised in the movie Cool Runnings.”

Hand up everyone who has never heard of it.

Never heard of Curacao or Cool Runnings?

It’s a great movie, starring the late, great John Candy.

Also what kind of bus has no windows? Surely that’s a safety issue as well as a comfort one.

I wouldn’t want to travel in that either

Michael V said:

Peak Warming Man said:

“The smallest nation ever to reach a FIFA World Cup has arrived with all the glamour of a school excursion.
As football’s biggest stars prepare to travel across North America in luxury coaches and private jets, Curacao’s players have gone viral after being filmed crammed into an old-school bus with no windows as they continued preparations for their historic World Cup debut.
The footage sparked a flood of reactions online, with many fans comparing the Caribbean underdogs to the legendary Jamaican bobsled team immortalised in the movie Cool Runnings.”

Hand up everyone who has never heard of it.

Curacao or Cool Runnings?

I’ve heard of both.

Not heard of Cool Runnings.

roughbarked said:

Michael V said:

Peak Warming Man said:

“The smallest nation ever to reach a FIFA World Cup has arrived with all the glamour of a school excursion.
As football’s biggest stars prepare to travel across North America in luxury coaches and private jets, Curacao’s players have gone viral after being filmed crammed into an old-school bus with no windows as they continued preparations for their historic World Cup debut.
The footage sparked a flood of reactions online, with many fans comparing the Caribbean underdogs to the legendary Jamaican bobsled team immortalised in the movie Cool Runnings.”

Hand up everyone who has never heard of it.

Curacao or Cool Runnings?

I’ve heard of both.

Not heard of Cool Runnings.

Great feel-good movie.

:)

Michael V said:

roughbarked said:

Michael V said:

Curacao or Cool Runnings?

I’ve heard of both.

Not heard of Cool Runnings.

Great feel-good movie.

:)

ta. :)

The Rev Dodgson said:

Michael V said:

Peak Warming Man said:

“The smallest nation ever to reach a FIFA World Cup has arrived with all the glamour of a school excursion.
As football’s biggest stars prepare to travel across North America in luxury coaches and private jets, Curacao’s players have gone viral after being filmed crammed into an old-school bus with no windows as they continued preparations for their historic World Cup debut.
The footage sparked a flood of reactions online, with many fans comparing the Caribbean underdogs to the legendary Jamaican bobsled team immortalised in the movie Cool Runnings.”

Hand up everyone who has never heard of it.

Curacao or Cool Runnings?

I’ve heard of both.

TIL:
Curacao is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Yeah, I looked at this recently thinking only about the liqueur..

Divine Angel said:

Kingy said:

Divine Angel said:

Never heard of Curacao or Cool Runnings?

It’s a great movie, starring the late, great John Candy.

Also what kind of bus has no windows? Surely that’s a safety issue as well as a comfort one.

I wouldn’t want to travel in that either

or have it have windows.

captain_spalding said:

LOL

captain_spalding said:

:)

dv said:

That’s the problem, once they get a taste of the good life they wont want to leave, ICE is going to be buisy after the World Cup make no mistake pilgrims.

dv said:

A song from my high school days in the UK.

A million housewives every day
Pick up a tin of beans and say

Oh no, not beans again.

Peak Warming Man said:

dv said:

That’s the problem, once they get a taste of the good life they wont want to leave, ICE is going to be buisy after the World Cup make no mistake pilgrims.

Trumps crack down on the Dems open border policy has worked a treat, sometimes you need to be tough for the greater good.

Peak Warming Man said:

Peak Warming Man said:

dv said:

That’s the problem, once they get a taste of the good life they wont want to leave, ICE is going to be buisy after the World Cup make no mistake pilgrims.

Trumps crack down on the Dems open border policy has worked a treat, sometimes you need to be tough for the greater good.

The Jews will not replace them.

dv said:

Yeah who knows, in the US the Europeans might even get to try some of that French, Italian, Spanish and Greek food they’ve heard about, plus all the other fine foreign cuisines.

Bubblecar said:

dv said:

Yeah who knows, in the US the Europeans might even get to try some of that French, Italian, Spanish and Greek food they’ve heard about, plus all the other fine foreign cuisines.

or

They could be eating steaks tthat fall over the edge of the plate and all that cornstarch etc., and wind up looking like the average American.

Bubblecar said:

dv said:

Yeah who knows, in the US the Europeans might even get to try some of that French, Italian, Spanish and Greek food they’ve heard about, plus all the other fine foreign cuisines.

The French……….don’t get me started on the Franch, they have a croissant, a small cup of black coffee and a packet of cigarettes for breakfast, a bottle of wine for lunch and its only dinner that they have something resembling life sustaining.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/11/iran-world-cup-tijuana-security-camp-mexico

Straya’s first match will be on Sunday, versus Turkey, to give Johnny a bit of what for.

An Andrea Bocelli – David Guetta collab was not what I was expecting for the official song.

dv said:

Straya’s first match will be on Sunday, versus Turkey, to give Johnny a bit of what for.

Live streaming on SBS on Demand at 1pm eastern Australian time.

Scotland leading Haiti 1-0, with a few minutes to go.

Australia & Turkey don’t kick off until 2pm.

Bubblecar said:

Scotland leading Haiti 1-0, with a few minutes to go.

Australia & Turkey don’t kick off until 2pm.

Scotland win a WC match for the first time since 1990.

…and the game is underway.

Bubblecar said:

…and the game is underway.

Australia already looking outclassed. Very little possession.

Bubblecar said:

Bubblecar said:

…and the game is underway.

Australia already looking outclassed. Very little possession.

Aussie Aussie Aussie

Pretty cautious start to Sträye v Türkiye

It looks like Scotland v USA final

“Hydration break” man it’s 21 deg C

Woot!

Oz score!

Ye boy

Fine goal from Irankunda, lovely finish.

dv said:

“Hydration break” man it’s 21 deg C

Craziness gone mad.

So much possession the Aussie goal mouth, Touorkiya are bound to score eventually.

Couple minutes of normal time left in the first half.

Bubblecar said:

Oz score!

Öz is a moderately common Turkish name. Dr Oz, obv, but also Öz Yilmaz, a famous figure in my field.

4 minutes stoppages.

dv said:

Bubblecar said:

Oz score!

Öz is a moderately common Turkish name. Dr Oz, obv, but also Öz Yilmaz, a famous figure in my field.

Yes but I was in a hurry, couldn’t write out the whole Australasia.

Half time whistle. Australia in the lead, however improbably.

Bubblecar said:

dv said:

Bubblecar said:

Oz score!

Öz is a moderately common Turkish name. Dr Oz, obv, but also Öz Yilmaz, a famous figure in my field.

Yes but I was in a hurry, couldn’t write out the whole Australasia.

just write au like every other auian on the internet

Bubblecar said:

Half time whistle. Australia in the lead, however improbably.

I think we need another to be safe.

Peak Warming Man said:

Bubblecar said:

Half time whistle. Australia in the lead, however improbably.

I think we need another to be safe.

It’ll be surprising indeed if Türkiye don’t equalise. And then it’s game on.

Who’s doing these stats.
Australia leads 1 0 and yet they haven’t had a shot on goal.
Shakes head.

Bubblecar said:

dv said:

Bubblecar said:

Oz score!

Öz is a moderately common Turkish name. Dr Oz, obv, but also Öz Yilmaz, a famous figure in my field.

Yes but I was in a hurry, couldn’t write out the whole Australasia.

Of course, I was just adding some colour

Brazil’s one all draw with Maghreb is perhaps the biggest surprising result of the tournament so far.

Twooot!!

It’s two for Au!

Our group is one of the more even groups. No superpowers, no genuine minnows. In the Elo Ratings, the three non-Türkistani teams in the group (Aust, USA, Paraguay) are pretty much level.

Oh, you’ll all know my wee brother
And his name is Jock McGraw
And he’s lately joined a football club
For he’s mad aboot football
And he’s got two black eyes already
And teeth knocked frae ‘is gob
Since oor Jock became a member o’
That terrible football club

Oh, he’s football crazy!
He’s football mad!
And the football, it has robbed him o’
The wee bit o’ sense he had
And it would tak a dozen skillies
His claes to wash and scrub
Since our Jock became a member o’
That terrible football club

Oh, the first match he took part in
I was there me-sеl’, and saw
He had two half bricks for the goal posts
And a tin can for the ball
And thе Provost o’ Glasgow, he was there
With lords and ladies fair…
And oor Jock ran out and kicked the football
Two miles in the air!

In the middle o’ the field at Hampden Park
The captain says “McGraw!
Would ye kindly take this penalty kick
Or we’ll never win at all!”
So he took fifty paces backwards
Shot off for the mark
And the ball went sailing o’er the stand
And it landed in New York

Oh, he’s football crazy!
He’s football mad!
And the football, it has robbed him o’
The wee bit o’ sense he had
And it would tak a dozen skillies
His claes to wash and scrub
Since oor Jock became a member o’
That terrible football club

Oh, his wife she says she’ll leave him
If he disnae keep
Away from football kickin’
At nighttime, in his sleep
For he calls her Charlie Tully
And other names so droll
Last night he kicked her out of the bed
And shouted “It’s a goal!”

Oh, he’s football crazy!
He’s football mad!
And the football, it has robbed him o’
The wee bit o’ sense he had
And it would take a dozen skillies
His claes to wash and scrub
Since our Jock became a member o’
That terrible football club

14 minutes normal time left.

Brilliant save by Beach.

dv said:

Our group is one of the more even groups. No superpowers, no genuine minnows. In the Elo Ratings, the three non-Türkistani teams in the group (Aust, USA, Paraguay) are pretty much level.

JudgeMental said:

Oh, you’ll all know my wee brother
And his name is Jock McGraw
And he’s lately joined a football club
For he’s mad aboot football
And he’s got two black eyes already
And teeth knocked frae ‘is gob
Since oor Jock became a member o’
That terrible football club

Oh, he’s football crazy!
He’s football mad!
And the football, it has robbed him o’
The wee bit o’ sense he had
And it would tak a dozen skillies
His claes to wash and scrub
Since our Jock became a member o’
That terrible football club

Oh, the first match he took part in
I was there me-sеl’, and saw
He had two half bricks for the goal posts
And a tin can for the ball
And thе Provost o’ Glasgow, he was there
With lords and ladies fair…
And oor Jock ran out and kicked the football
Two miles in the air!

In the middle o’ the field at Hampden Park
The captain says “McGraw!
Would ye kindly take this penalty kick
Or we’ll never win at all!”
So he took fifty paces backwards
Shot off for the mark
And the ball went sailing o’er the stand
And it landed in New York

Oh, he’s football crazy!
He’s football mad!
And the football, it has robbed him o’
The wee bit o’ sense he had
And it would tak a dozen skillies
His claes to wash and scrub
Since oor Jock became a member o’
That terrible football club

Oh, his wife she says she’ll leave him
If he disnae keep
Away from football kickin’
At nighttime, in his sleep
For he calls her Charlie Tully
And other names so droll
Last night he kicked her out of the bed
And shouted “It’s a goal!”

Oh, he’s football crazy!
He’s football mad!
And the football, it has robbed him o’
The wee bit o’ sense he had
And it would take a dozen skillies
His claes to wash and scrub
Since our Jock became a member o’
That terrible football club

I love Robbie Burns.

It looks like being an Australia v Scotland final.

Another fine save by Beach.

6 minutes extra time.

And that’s done

Nicely Nicely

Australia win 2-0.

Bubblecar said:

Australia win 2-0.

good-o

dv said:

“Hydration break” man it’s 21 deg C

“However, Klopp sees the three-minute interruptions as ‘nothing more than a gilded cage built for sponsors’ while they have been badged up as a ‘noble sword against the heat’.
The former Liverpool boss was in eloquent mood, saying: ‘Football is being held hostage by executives ensconced in air-conditioned offices.’
Klopp feels the interruptions are a serious problem for the flow of the match and he is convinced they are not there primarily to help the players.”

Well said that man.

Peak Warming Man said:

dv said:

“Hydration break” man it’s 21 deg C

“However, Klopp sees the three-minute interruptions as ‘nothing more than a gilded cage built for sponsors’ while they have been badged up as a ‘noble sword against the heat’.
The former Liverpool boss was in eloquent mood, saying: ‘Football is being held hostage by executives ensconced in air-conditioned offices.’
Klopp feels the interruptions are a serious problem for the flow of the match and he is convinced they are not there primarily to help the players.”

Well said that man.

you mean, it’s an excuse for more frequent commercial breaks during the telecast?

party_pants said:

Peak Warming Man said:

dv said:

“Hydration break” man it’s 21 deg C

“However, Klopp sees the three-minute interruptions as ‘nothing more than a gilded cage built for sponsors’ while they have been badged up as a ‘noble sword against the heat’.
The former Liverpool boss was in eloquent mood, saying: ‘Football is being held hostage by executives ensconced in air-conditioned offices.’
Klopp feels the interruptions are a serious problem for the flow of the match and he is convinced they are not there primarily to help the players.”

Well said that man.

you mean, it’s an excuse for more frequent commercial breaks during the telecast?

Aye.

Peak Warming Man said:

party_pants said:

Peak Warming Man said:

“However, Klopp sees the three-minute interruptions as ‘nothing more than a gilded cage built for sponsors’ while they have been badged up as a ‘noble sword against the heat’.
The former Liverpool boss was in eloquent mood, saying: ‘Football is being held hostage by executives ensconced in air-conditioned offices.’
Klopp feels the interruptions are a serious problem for the flow of the match and he is convinced they are not there primarily to help the players.”

Well said that man.

you mean, it’s an excuse for more frequent commercial breaks during the telecast?

Aye.

Hydration breaks are probably justified in a Mexican Summer which probably entitles all matches to a similar standard.

How often does cricket have hydration breaks when the players wear ice vests?

party_pants said:

Peak Warming Man said:

dv said:

“Hydration break” man it’s 21 deg C

“However, Klopp sees the three-minute interruptions as ‘nothing more than a gilded cage built for sponsors’ while they have been badged up as a ‘noble sword against the heat’.
The former Liverpool boss was in eloquent mood, saying: ‘Football is being held hostage by executives ensconced in air-conditioned offices.’
Klopp feels the interruptions are a serious problem for the flow of the match and he is convinced they are not there primarily to help the players.”

Well said that man.

you mean, it’s an excuse for more frequent commercial breaks during the telecast?

It’s all about the KERCHING $$$$$$$$$ 💰💰💰💰💰

I’ll say no more.

Witty Rejoinder said:

Peak Warming Man said:

party_pants said:

you mean, it’s an excuse for more frequent commercial breaks during the telecast?

Aye.

Hydration breaks are probably justified in a Mexican Summer which probably entitles all matches to a similar standard.

Anyway I’m not complaining. I use it as a quick weewee break.

Woodie said:

party_pants said:

Peak Warming Man said:

“However, Klopp sees the three-minute interruptions as ‘nothing more than a gilded cage built for sponsors’ while they have been badged up as a ‘noble sword against the heat’.
The former Liverpool boss was in eloquent mood, saying: ‘Football is being held hostage by executives ensconced in air-conditioned offices.’
Klopp feels the interruptions are a serious problem for the flow of the match and he is convinced they are not there primarily to help the players.”

Well said that man.

you mean, it’s an excuse for more frequent commercial breaks during the telecast?

It’s all about the KERCHING $$$$$$$$$ 💰💰💰💰💰

I’ll say no more.

So much cocaine and hooker’s arses are needed to stage such a big tournament… and the alimony when the wives find out. It all adds up, and before you know it the money is all gone.

party_pants said:

Woodie said:

party_pants said:

you mean, it’s an excuse for more frequent commercial breaks during the telecast?

It’s all about the KERCHING $$$$$$$$$ 💰💰💰💰💰

I’ll say no more.

So much cocaine and hooker’s arses are needed to stage such a big tournament… and the alimony when the wives find out. It all adds up, and before you know it the money is all gone.

LOL

wonder how Venezuela Terror are going right now

Witty Rejoinder said:

Peak Warming Man said:

party_pants said:

you mean, it’s an excuse for more frequent commercial breaks during the telecast?

Aye.

Hydration breaks are probably justified in a Mexican Summer which probably entitles all matches to a similar standard.

Great big WOOSERS…. the lotta them.

Woodie said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Aye.

Hydration breaks are probably justified in a Mexican Summer which probably entitles all matches to a similar standard.

Great big WOOSERS…. the lotta them.

New World Cup match format:

EVERYBODY hydrates like mad before kickoff, have to drink litres and litres of water.

Game ends when the first player runs off the field to go to the toilet.

Whoever’s in front then, they win.

captain_spalding said:

Woodie said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Hydration breaks are probably justified in a Mexican Summer which probably entitles all matches to a similar standard.

Great big WOOSERS…. the lotta them.

New World Cup match format:

EVERYBODY hydrates like mad before kickoff, have to drink litres and litres of water.

Game ends when the first player runs off the field to go to the toilet.

Whoever’s in front then, they win.

this was an actual Japanese TV game show in the 1980s.

party_pants said:

captain_spalding said:

Woodie said:

Great big WOOSERS…. the lotta them.

New World Cup match format:

EVERYBODY hydrates like mad before kickoff, have to drink litres and litres of water.

Game ends when the first player runs off the field to go to the toilet.

Whoever’s in front then, they win.

this was an actual Japanese TV game show in the 1980s.

Really?

I know that the Japanese have some truly bizarre TV competitions, some of which, i think, cross the line into actual cruelty, but i didn’t know about that one.

captain_spalding said:

party_pants said:

captain_spalding said:

New World Cup match format:

EVERYBODY hydrates like mad before kickoff, have to drink litres and litres of water.

Game ends when the first player runs off the field to go to the toilet.

Whoever’s in front then, they win.

this was an actual Japanese TV game show in the 1980s.

Really?

I know that the Japanese have some truly bizarre TV competitions, some of which, i think, cross the line into actual cruelty, but i didn’t know about that one.

I don’t know if they played a whole game of soccer first, but they were required to do some physical exertion.

It was ages ago I saw it. Probably on one of Clive James’s documentaries. Or it might have been Michael Palin or John Cleese or someone like that. I remember it because my Mum was laughing at, and then she had to go to the loo next commercial break, and we all mocked her saying no, stay to the end of the show and see if you can hold out.

I mean, you had to be there at the time, but it was a piss-funny and memorable bit of family life.

The Switzerland- Qatar match involved the teams with flags on opposite ends of the aspect ratio spectrum

From Adam Kinzinger’s Facebook…

Hey everyone, happy Sunday. Are you ready for some good news? I know I am.

We are told, over and over, that America has gone cold on the rest of the world. That we have decided the people on the other side of the ocean are a threat to be kept out. That the welcome mat got rolled up and put away for good.

Then a soccer team from the North African nation of Algeria showed up in Lawrence, Kansas, and within a week the whole town was wearing green.

For today’s Good News Sunday, I want to tell you about one of the best things happening in this country right now. It is happening at a soccer tournament, and it has almost nothing to do with soccer.

The World Cup is here, 48 teams playing across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Each team in the tournament picks a base camp, one town to live and train in between matches. Germany set up shop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Spain is training in Chattanooga, Tennessee. And Algeria, playing two of its games up the road at Arrowhead, picked Lawrence and made it home for the summer.

What the people of Lawrence did with that is the part I can’t stop thinking about.

It started small, with a whole town of people who had never given Algeria much thought deciding, more or less overnight, that this was their team now. Flags went up in shop windows. Folks pulled on the green jerseys. People drove over just to catch a glimpse of the players. And then a local news crew stopped an older gentleman on a Lawrence sidewalk, standing in front of a storefront draped in a whole row of Algerian flags he had clearly just gone out of his way to find.

They asked him what he actually knew about the country whose colors he was flying. He grinned, paused for a beat, and said something along the lines of: not much yet — but we want to welcome you here. There is no agenda in that man. Nothing performative. Just a neighbor, thrilled to his bones that these strangers chose his town, and perfectly at ease with the fact that he has a lot left to learn about them.

The welcome only got bigger from there.

The University of Kansas, the state’s flagship school that calls Lawrence home, sent its marching band out to the training ground. They had spent the previous days learning Algeria’s national anthem, note for note, and they played it as the players walked out for practice. Think about what that means for a moment.

These men are thousands of miles from their families, living out of a hotel in the American Midwest, preparing for the biggest sporting event of their professional lives. And the first thing they hear when they step onto the grass is the sound of their own country’s song, played by a hundred American college kids in red and blue who learned it just for them. Several of the players stopped walking. A few of them looked like they weren’t sure what to do with themselves.

Algeria did its part, too. The team opened a training session to the public and spent the afternoon out on the grass with neighborhood kids, walking them through drills, signing autographs, posing for pictures. There are children from small-town America who are going to be telling the story of the day they trained with a World Cup team for the rest of their lives. And the Algerians have spent the last week calling themselves honorary Kansans, falling hard for a corner of a state most of them could not have found on a map two months ago.
But it’s not just Lawrence.

This is happening all over the country, in towns you would never expect.

The city of Alexandria, Virginia threw a street festival with an evening of Croatian food and music, and wrapped a city bus in the team’s red and white. After crowds in Spokane, Washington flocked to watch Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah, a brand-new Egyptian restaurant in town suddenly had locals lining up for food most of them had never tasted. All told, 19 American communities that are not hosting a single match still raised their hand to take in a national team and call them neighbors for a month.

There is a story we get told constantly about who we have become. That Americans have soured on outsiders. That we have decided the rest of the world is a threat. That we look at people who do not talk like us or pray like us or come from where we come from and see a problem instead of a person.

And then a college town in Kansas goes and learns every note of a North African country’s national anthem, just so a group of strangers feel at home for a few weeks. An old local stands in front of a row of its flags and tells them, in so many words: we don’t know much about you yet, but we are awfully glad you came.

That is who we actually are when nobody is telling us to be afraid. The band on the field, playing somebody else’s song as if it were their own. The neighbor who knows next to nothing about you and waves you in anyway. We forget it sometimes. The good news is that it takes about one afternoon to remember.

That, my friends, is good news for your Sunday.

— Adam

kii said:

From Adam Kinzinger’s Facebook…

Hey everyone, happy Sunday. Are you ready for some good news? I know I am.

We are told, over and over, that America has gone cold on the rest of the world. That we have decided the people on the other side of the ocean are a threat to be kept out. That the welcome mat got rolled up and put away for good.

Then a soccer team from the North African nation of Algeria showed up in Lawrence, Kansas, and within a week the whole town was wearing green.

For today’s Good News Sunday, I want to tell you about one of the best things happening in this country right now. It is happening at a soccer tournament, and it has almost nothing to do with soccer.

The World Cup is here, 48 teams playing across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Each team in the tournament picks a base camp, one town to live and train in between matches. Germany set up shop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Spain is training in Chattanooga, Tennessee. And Algeria, playing two of its games up the road at Arrowhead, picked Lawrence and made it home for the summer.

What the people of Lawrence did with that is the part I can’t stop thinking about.

It started small, with a whole town of people who had never given Algeria much thought deciding, more or less overnight, that this was their team now. Flags went up in shop windows. Folks pulled on the green jerseys. People drove over just to catch a glimpse of the players. And then a local news crew stopped an older gentleman on a Lawrence sidewalk, standing in front of a storefront draped in a whole row of Algerian flags he had clearly just gone out of his way to find.

They asked him what he actually knew about the country whose colors he was flying. He grinned, paused for a beat, and said something along the lines of: not much yet — but we want to welcome you here. There is no agenda in that man. Nothing performative. Just a neighbor, thrilled to his bones that these strangers chose his town, and perfectly at ease with the fact that he has a lot left to learn about them.

The welcome only got bigger from there.

The University of Kansas, the state’s flagship school that calls Lawrence home, sent its marching band out to the training ground. They had spent the previous days learning Algeria’s national anthem, note for note, and they played it as the players walked out for practice. Think about what that means for a moment.

These men are thousands of miles from their families, living out of a hotel in the American Midwest, preparing for the biggest sporting event of their professional lives. And the first thing they hear when they step onto the grass is the sound of their own country’s song, played by a hundred American college kids in red and blue who learned it just for them. Several of the players stopped walking. A few of them looked like they weren’t sure what to do with themselves.

Algeria did its part, too. The team opened a training session to the public and spent the afternoon out on the grass with neighborhood kids, walking them through drills, signing autographs, posing for pictures. There are children from small-town America who are going to be telling the story of the day they trained with a World Cup team for the rest of their lives. And the Algerians have spent the last week calling themselves honorary Kansans, falling hard for a corner of a state most of them could not have found on a map two months ago.
But it’s not just Lawrence.

This is happening all over the country, in towns you would never expect.

The city of Alexandria, Virginia threw a street festival with an evening of Croatian food and music, and wrapped a city bus in the team’s red and white. After crowds in Spokane, Washington flocked to watch Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah, a brand-new Egyptian restaurant in town suddenly had locals lining up for food most of them had never tasted. All told, 19 American communities that are not hosting a single match still raised their hand to take in a national team and call them neighbors for a month.

There is a story we get told constantly about who we have become. That Americans have soured on outsiders. That we have decided the rest of the world is a threat. That we look at people who do not talk like us or pray like us or come from where we come from and see a problem instead of a person.

And then a college town in Kansas goes and learns every note of a North African country’s national anthem, just so a group of strangers feel at home for a few weeks. An old local stands in front of a row of its flags and tells them, in so many words: we don’t know much about you yet, but we are awfully glad you came.

That is who we actually are when nobody is telling us to be afraid. The band on the field, playing somebody else’s song as if it were their own. The neighbor who knows next to nothing about you and waves you in anyway. We forget it sometimes. The good news is that it takes about one afternoon to remember.

That, my friends, is good news for your Sunday.

— Adam

Gosh that is brilliant writing. What a talent.

My eyes are leaking tears of joy.

Thank you very much for posting this supremely uplifting, beautiful piece of writing.

Michael V said:

kii said:

From Adam Kinzinger’s Facebook…

Hey everyone, happy Sunday. Are you ready for some good news? I know I am.

We are told, over and over, that America has gone cold on the rest of the world. That we have decided the people on the other side of the ocean are a threat to be kept out. That the welcome mat got rolled up and put away for good.

Then a soccer team from the North African nation of Algeria showed up in Lawrence, Kansas, and within a week the whole town was wearing green.

For today’s Good News Sunday, I want to tell you about one of the best things happening in this country right now. It is happening at a soccer tournament, and it has almost nothing to do with soccer.

The World Cup is here, 48 teams playing across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Each team in the tournament picks a base camp, one town to live and train in between matches. Germany set up shop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Spain is training in Chattanooga, Tennessee. And Algeria, playing two of its games up the road at Arrowhead, picked Lawrence and made it home for the summer.

What the people of Lawrence did with that is the part I can’t stop thinking about.

It started small, with a whole town of people who had never given Algeria much thought deciding, more or less overnight, that this was their team now. Flags went up in shop windows. Folks pulled on the green jerseys. People drove over just to catch a glimpse of the players. And then a local news crew stopped an older gentleman on a Lawrence sidewalk, standing in front of a storefront draped in a whole row of Algerian flags he had clearly just gone out of his way to find.

They asked him what he actually knew about the country whose colors he was flying. He grinned, paused for a beat, and said something along the lines of: not much yet — but we want to welcome you here. There is no agenda in that man. Nothing performative. Just a neighbor, thrilled to his bones that these strangers chose his town, and perfectly at ease with the fact that he has a lot left to learn about them.

The welcome only got bigger from there.

The University of Kansas, the state’s flagship school that calls Lawrence home, sent its marching band out to the training ground. They had spent the previous days learning Algeria’s national anthem, note for note, and they played it as the players walked out for practice. Think about what that means for a moment.

These men are thousands of miles from their families, living out of a hotel in the American Midwest, preparing for the biggest sporting event of their professional lives. And the first thing they hear when they step onto the grass is the sound of their own country’s song, played by a hundred American college kids in red and blue who learned it just for them. Several of the players stopped walking. A few of them looked like they weren’t sure what to do with themselves.

Algeria did its part, too. The team opened a training session to the public and spent the afternoon out on the grass with neighborhood kids, walking them through drills, signing autographs, posing for pictures. There are children from small-town America who are going to be telling the story of the day they trained with a World Cup team for the rest of their lives. And the Algerians have spent the last week calling themselves honorary Kansans, falling hard for a corner of a state most of them could not have found on a map two months ago.
But it’s not just Lawrence.

This is happening all over the country, in towns you would never expect.

The city of Alexandria, Virginia threw a street festival with an evening of Croatian food and music, and wrapped a city bus in the team’s red and white. After crowds in Spokane, Washington flocked to watch Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah, a brand-new Egyptian restaurant in town suddenly had locals lining up for food most of them had never tasted. All told, 19 American communities that are not hosting a single match still raised their hand to take in a national team and call them neighbors for a month.

There is a story we get told constantly about who we have become. That Americans have soured on outsiders. That we have decided the rest of the world is a threat. That we look at people who do not talk like us or pray like us or come from where we come from and see a problem instead of a person.

And then a college town in Kansas goes and learns every note of a North African country’s national anthem, just so a group of strangers feel at home for a few weeks. An old local stands in front of a row of its flags and tells them, in so many words: we don’t know much about you yet, but we are awfully glad you came.

That is who we actually are when nobody is telling us to be afraid. The band on the field, playing somebody else’s song as if it were their own. The neighbor who knows next to nothing about you and waves you in anyway. We forget it sometimes. The good news is that it takes about one afternoon to remember.

That, my friends, is good news for your Sunday.

— Adam

Gosh that is brilliant writing. What a talent.

My eyes are leaking tears of joy.

Thank you very much for posting this supremely uplifting, beautiful piece of writing.

In case you didn’t know MV Adam Kinzinger is a former GOP Congressman whose never Trump stance led him to lose his primary election. He’s one of the few honourable members of the Republican party and hopefully once America comes to its senses he will no one again enter politics.

Witty Rejoinder said:

Michael V said:

kii said:

From Adam Kinzinger’s Facebook…

Hey everyone, happy Sunday. Are you ready for some good news? I know I am.

We are told, over and over, that America has gone cold on the rest of the world. That we have decided the people on the other side of the ocean are a threat to be kept out. That the welcome mat got rolled up and put away for good.

Then a soccer team from the North African nation of Algeria showed up in Lawrence, Kansas, and within a week the whole town was wearing green.

For today’s Good News Sunday, I want to tell you about one of the best things happening in this country right now. It is happening at a soccer tournament, and it has almost nothing to do with soccer.

The World Cup is here, 48 teams playing across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Each team in the tournament picks a base camp, one town to live and train in between matches. Germany set up shop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Spain is training in Chattanooga, Tennessee. And Algeria, playing two of its games up the road at Arrowhead, picked Lawrence and made it home for the summer.

What the people of Lawrence did with that is the part I can’t stop thinking about.

It started small, with a whole town of people who had never given Algeria much thought deciding, more or less overnight, that this was their team now. Flags went up in shop windows. Folks pulled on the green jerseys. People drove over just to catch a glimpse of the players. And then a local news crew stopped an older gentleman on a Lawrence sidewalk, standing in front of a storefront draped in a whole row of Algerian flags he had clearly just gone out of his way to find.

They asked him what he actually knew about the country whose colors he was flying. He grinned, paused for a beat, and said something along the lines of: not much yet — but we want to welcome you here. There is no agenda in that man. Nothing performative. Just a neighbor, thrilled to his bones that these strangers chose his town, and perfectly at ease with the fact that he has a lot left to learn about them.

The welcome only got bigger from there.

The University of Kansas, the state’s flagship school that calls Lawrence home, sent its marching band out to the training ground. They had spent the previous days learning Algeria’s national anthem, note for note, and they played it as the players walked out for practice. Think about what that means for a moment.

These men are thousands of miles from their families, living out of a hotel in the American Midwest, preparing for the biggest sporting event of their professional lives. And the first thing they hear when they step onto the grass is the sound of their own country’s song, played by a hundred American college kids in red and blue who learned it just for them. Several of the players stopped walking. A few of them looked like they weren’t sure what to do with themselves.

Algeria did its part, too. The team opened a training session to the public and spent the afternoon out on the grass with neighborhood kids, walking them through drills, signing autographs, posing for pictures. There are children from small-town America who are going to be telling the story of the day they trained with a World Cup team for the rest of their lives. And the Algerians have spent the last week calling themselves honorary Kansans, falling hard for a corner of a state most of them could not have found on a map two months ago.
But it’s not just Lawrence.

This is happening all over the country, in towns you would never expect.

The city of Alexandria, Virginia threw a street festival with an evening of Croatian food and music, and wrapped a city bus in the team’s red and white. After crowds in Spokane, Washington flocked to watch Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah, a brand-new Egyptian restaurant in town suddenly had locals lining up for food most of them had never tasted. All told, 19 American communities that are not hosting a single match still raised their hand to take in a national team and call them neighbors for a month.

There is a story we get told constantly about who we have become. That Americans have soured on outsiders. That we have decided the rest of the world is a threat. That we look at people who do not talk like us or pray like us or come from where we come from and see a problem instead of a person.

And then a college town in Kansas goes and learns every note of a North African country’s national anthem, just so a group of strangers feel at home for a few weeks. An old local stands in front of a row of its flags and tells them, in so many words: we don’t know much about you yet, but we are awfully glad you came.

That is who we actually are when nobody is telling us to be afraid. The band on the field, playing somebody else’s song as if it were their own. The neighbor who knows next to nothing about you and waves you in anyway. We forget it sometimes. The good news is that it takes about one afternoon to remember.

That, my friends, is good news for your Sunday.

— Adam

Gosh that is brilliant writing. What a talent.

My eyes are leaking tears of joy.

Thank you very much for posting this supremely uplifting, beautiful piece of writing.

In case you didn’t know MV Adam Kinzinger is a former GOP Congressman whose never Trump stance led him to lose his primary election. He’s one of the few honourable members of the Republican party and hopefully once America comes to its senses he will no one again enter politics.

no one=once

Michael V said:

kii said:

From Adam Kinzinger’s Facebook…

Hey everyone, happy Sunday. Are you ready for some good news? I know I am.

We are told, over and over, that America has gone cold on the rest of the world. That we have decided the people on the other side of the ocean are a threat to be kept out. That the welcome mat got rolled up and put away for good.

Then a soccer team from the North African nation of Algeria showed up in Lawrence, Kansas, and within a week the whole town was wearing green.

For today’s Good News Sunday, I want to tell you about one of the best things happening in this country right now. It is happening at a soccer tournament, and it has almost nothing to do with soccer.

The World Cup is here, 48 teams playing across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Each team in the tournament picks a base camp, one town to live and train in between matches. Germany set up shop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Spain is training in Chattanooga, Tennessee. And Algeria, playing two of its games up the road at Arrowhead, picked Lawrence and made it home for the summer.

What the people of Lawrence did with that is the part I can’t stop thinking about.

It started small, with a whole town of people who had never given Algeria much thought deciding, more or less overnight, that this was their team now. Flags went up in shop windows. Folks pulled on the green jerseys. People drove over just to catch a glimpse of the players. And then a local news crew stopped an older gentleman on a Lawrence sidewalk, standing in front of a storefront draped in a whole row of Algerian flags he had clearly just gone out of his way to find.

They asked him what he actually knew about the country whose colors he was flying. He grinned, paused for a beat, and said something along the lines of: not much yet — but we want to welcome you here. There is no agenda in that man. Nothing performative. Just a neighbor, thrilled to his bones that these strangers chose his town, and perfectly at ease with the fact that he has a lot left to learn about them.

The welcome only got bigger from there.

The University of Kansas, the state’s flagship school that calls Lawrence home, sent its marching band out to the training ground. They had spent the previous days learning Algeria’s national anthem, note for note, and they played it as the players walked out for practice. Think about what that means for a moment.

These men are thousands of miles from their families, living out of a hotel in the American Midwest, preparing for the biggest sporting event of their professional lives. And the first thing they hear when they step onto the grass is the sound of their own country’s song, played by a hundred American college kids in red and blue who learned it just for them. Several of the players stopped walking. A few of them looked like they weren’t sure what to do with themselves.

Algeria did its part, too. The team opened a training session to the public and spent the afternoon out on the grass with neighborhood kids, walking them through drills, signing autographs, posing for pictures. There are children from small-town America who are going to be telling the story of the day they trained with a World Cup team for the rest of their lives. And the Algerians have spent the last week calling themselves honorary Kansans, falling hard for a corner of a state most of them could not have found on a map two months ago.
But it’s not just Lawrence.

This is happening all over the country, in towns you would never expect.

The city of Alexandria, Virginia threw a street festival with an evening of Croatian food and music, and wrapped a city bus in the team’s red and white. After crowds in Spokane, Washington flocked to watch Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah, a brand-new Egyptian restaurant in town suddenly had locals lining up for food most of them had never tasted. All told, 19 American communities that are not hosting a single match still raised their hand to take in a national team and call them neighbors for a month.

There is a story we get told constantly about who we have become. That Americans have soured on outsiders. That we have decided the rest of the world is a threat. That we look at people who do not talk like us or pray like us or come from where we come from and see a problem instead of a person.

And then a college town in Kansas goes and learns every note of a North African country’s national anthem, just so a group of strangers feel at home for a few weeks. An old local stands in front of a row of its flags and tells them, in so many words: we don’t know much about you yet, but we are awfully glad you came.

That is who we actually are when nobody is telling us to be afraid. The band on the field, playing somebody else’s song as if it were their own. The neighbor who knows next to nothing about you and waves you in anyway. We forget it sometimes. The good news is that it takes about one afternoon to remember.

That, my friends, is good news for your Sunday.

— Adam

Gosh that is brilliant writing. What a talent.

My eyes are leaking tears of joy.

Thank you very much for posting this supremely uplifting, beautiful piece of writing.

+1

Witty Rejoinder said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Michael V said:

Gosh that is brilliant writing. What a talent.

My eyes are leaking tears of joy.

Thank you very much for posting this supremely uplifting, beautiful piece of writing.

In case you didn’t know MV Adam Kinzinger is a former GOP Congressman whose never Trump stance led him to lose his primary election. He’s one of the few honourable members of the Republican party and hopefully once America comes to its senses he will no one again enter politics.

no one=once

Thanks for that information.

Michael V said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

In case you didn’t know MV Adam Kinzinger is a former GOP Congressman whose never Trump stance led him to lose his primary election. He’s one of the few honourable members of the Republican party and hopefully once America comes to its senses he will no one again enter politics.

no one=once

Thanks for that information.

we thought it might be a clever play on that whole pence vance dunce nonce ponce thing again

Germany v Curaçao 7-1, a big blow to Curaçao as this means they are no better than Brazil

Witty Rejoinder said:

Michael V said:

kii said:

From Adam Kinzinger’s Facebook…

Hey everyone, happy Sunday. Are you ready for some good news? I know I am.

We are told, over and over, that America has gone cold on the rest of the world. That we have decided the people on the other side of the ocean are a threat to be kept out. That the welcome mat got rolled up and put away for good.

Then a soccer team from the North African nation of Algeria showed up in Lawrence, Kansas, and within a week the whole town was wearing green.

For today’s Good News Sunday, I want to tell you about one of the best things happening in this country right now. It is happening at a soccer tournament, and it has almost nothing to do with soccer.

The World Cup is here, 48 teams playing across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Each team in the tournament picks a base camp, one town to live and train in between matches. Germany set up shop in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Spain is training in Chattanooga, Tennessee. And Algeria, playing two of its games up the road at Arrowhead, picked Lawrence and made it home for the summer.

What the people of Lawrence did with that is the part I can’t stop thinking about.

It started small, with a whole town of people who had never given Algeria much thought deciding, more or less overnight, that this was their team now. Flags went up in shop windows. Folks pulled on the green jerseys. People drove over just to catch a glimpse of the players. And then a local news crew stopped an older gentleman on a Lawrence sidewalk, standing in front of a storefront draped in a whole row of Algerian flags he had clearly just gone out of his way to find.

They asked him what he actually knew about the country whose colors he was flying. He grinned, paused for a beat, and said something along the lines of: not much yet — but we want to welcome you here. There is no agenda in that man. Nothing performative. Just a neighbor, thrilled to his bones that these strangers chose his town, and perfectly at ease with the fact that he has a lot left to learn about them.

The welcome only got bigger from there.

The University of Kansas, the state’s flagship school that calls Lawrence home, sent its marching band out to the training ground. They had spent the previous days learning Algeria’s national anthem, note for note, and they played it as the players walked out for practice. Think about what that means for a moment.

These men are thousands of miles from their families, living out of a hotel in the American Midwest, preparing for the biggest sporting event of their professional lives. And the first thing they hear when they step onto the grass is the sound of their own country’s song, played by a hundred American college kids in red and blue who learned it just for them. Several of the players stopped walking. A few of them looked like they weren’t sure what to do with themselves.

Algeria did its part, too. The team opened a training session to the public and spent the afternoon out on the grass with neighborhood kids, walking them through drills, signing autographs, posing for pictures. There are children from small-town America who are going to be telling the story of the day they trained with a World Cup team for the rest of their lives. And the Algerians have spent the last week calling themselves honorary Kansans, falling hard for a corner of a state most of them could not have found on a map two months ago.
But it’s not just Lawrence.

This is happening all over the country, in towns you would never expect.

The city of Alexandria, Virginia threw a street festival with an evening of Croatian food and music, and wrapped a city bus in the team’s red and white. After crowds in Spokane, Washington flocked to watch Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah, a brand-new Egyptian restaurant in town suddenly had locals lining up for food most of them had never tasted. All told, 19 American communities that are not hosting a single match still raised their hand to take in a national team and call them neighbors for a month.

There is a story we get told constantly about who we have become. That Americans have soured on outsiders. That we have decided the rest of the world is a threat. That we look at people who do not talk like us or pray like us or come from where we come from and see a problem instead of a person.

And then a college town in Kansas goes and learns every note of a North African country’s national anthem, just so a group of strangers feel at home for a few weeks. An old local stands in front of a row of its flags and tells them, in so many words: we don’t know much about you yet, but we are awfully glad you came.

That is who we actually are when nobody is telling us to be afraid. The band on the field, playing somebody else’s song as if it were their own. The neighbor who knows next to nothing about you and waves you in anyway. We forget it sometimes. The good news is that it takes about one afternoon to remember.

That, my friends, is good news for your Sunday.

— Adam

Gosh that is brilliant writing. What a talent.

My eyes are leaking tears of joy.

Thank you very much for posting this supremely uplifting, beautiful piece of writing.

In case you didn’t know MV Adam Kinzinger is a former GOP Congressman whose never Trump stance led him to lose his primary election. He’s one of the few honourable members of the Republican party and hopefully once America comes to its senses he will no one again enter politics.

MV – I read it and felt the same. His words lifted me out of a gloomy mood.

Kitzinger was on the House Select Committee tasked with investigating January 6. I watched those proceedings and it he presented as a pretty smart dude. I liked him, even though he had done some shitty things re: COVID-19 pandemic.

Today I learned that Kitzinger’s birthday is also 7 days after mine.

Thank you, Rejoined Wit, for providing further information.

England wont win as long as they are still basking in the glory of their 1966 win and as long as at least one of the team in still alive. I think Geoff Hurst is still obove ground.

Who are we beating next?

Peak Warming Man said:

Who are we beating next?

Next Australian match is against USA, to be broadcast at the inconvenient hour of 4am on Saturday.

Bubblecar said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Who are we beating next?

Next Australian match is against USA, to be broadcast at the inconvenient hour of 4am on Saturday.

Good good.

Peak Warming Man said:

Bubblecar said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Who are we beating next?

Next Australian match is against USA, to be broadcast at the inconvenient hour of 4am on Saturday.

Good good.

We should make short work of them, I’ll set the alarm.

Spain v Capo Verde (who you ask)
0 – 0

Ian said:

Spain v Capo Verde (who you ask)
0 – 0

I suppose a scoreless draw can’t be an “upset” but it is pretty amazing to see one of the lowest ranked teams in the comp shut out the top ranked team in the world.

dv said:

Heh!

New Zealand v Iran is just kicking off.
rubs hands

Peak Warming Man said:

New Zealand v Iran is just kicking off.
rubs hands

NZ 1 Iran yet to trouble the scorers.

Peak Warming Man said:

New Zealand v Iran is just kicking off.
rubs hands

I’m probably only going to watch the Australia ones.

Bubblecar said:

Peak Warming Man said:

New Zealand v Iran is just kicking off.
rubs hands

I’m probably only going to watch the Australia ones.

Watch them all on your big NASA screen dam it.

Peak Warming Man said:

Bubblecar said:

Peak Warming Man said:

New Zealand v Iran is just kicking off.
rubs hands

I’m probably only going to watch the Australia ones.

Watch them all on your big NASA screen dam it.

People with big NASA screens are using all the electricity and there will be none left for data centers.

Peak Warming Man said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Bubblecar said:

I’m probably only going to watch the Australia ones.

Watch them all on your big NASA screen dam it.

People with big NASA screens are using all the electricity and there will be none left for data centers.

The energy rating for this monitor is only 2.5 stars out of 6, so it’ll be interesting to see if it makes a tangible difference to my electricity bills.

Peak Warming Man said:

Peak Warming Man said:

New Zealand v Iran is just kicking off.
rubs hands

NZ 1 Iran yet to trouble the scorers.

One apiece.

As yet none of the Asian Federation teams have lost a match.

Peak Warming Man said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Peak Warming Man said:

New Zealand v Iran is just kicking off.
rubs hands

NZ 1 Iran yet to trouble the scorers.

One apiece.

You must be watching on delay. It’s already half time on live streaming online (SBS On Demand).

The Cabo Verde goalie who had a clean sheet v España is 40 fkn years old.

dv said:

The Cabo Verde goalie who had a clean sheet v España is 40 fkn years old.

Makes me wonder about the heavily defence oriented approach of many teams. And the resulting low scoring, boring play resulting.

dv said:

The Cabo Verde goalie who had a clean sheet v España is 40 fkn years old.

Kudos to him!

:)

Peak Warming Man said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Peak Warming Man said:

New Zealand v Iran is just kicking off.
rubs hands

NZ 1 Iran yet to trouble the scorers.

One apiece.

Two apiece.

Peak Warming Man said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Peak Warming Man said:

NZ 1 Iran yet to trouble the scorers.

One apiece.

Two apiece.

Hot Cross Buns…

dv said:

As yet none of the Asian Federation teams have lost a match.

And with Iran 2 NZ 2 , this remains the case.

Peak Warming Man said:

Peak Warming Man said:

Peak Warming Man said:

NZ 1 Iran yet to trouble the scorers.

One apiece.

Two apiece.

Hot cross buns.

Ian said:

dv said:

The Cabo Verde goalie who had a clean sheet v España is 40 fkn years old.

Makes me wonder about the heavily defence oriented approach of many teams. And the resulting low scoring, boring play resulting.

That’s fairly standard for the WC, unfortunately. But there are always a few livelier matches.

NZ still undefeated in WC matches since 1982

dv said:

NZ still undefeated in WC matches since 1982

A much better record than Italy.

dv said:

NZ still undefeated in WC matches since 1982

Wow!

I had no idea. I thought teams from South America and Europe usually won the World Cup. But I don’t follow the sport, really.

Michael V said:

dv said:

NZ still undefeated in WC matches since 1982

Wow!

I had no idea. I thought teams from South America and Europe usually won the World Cup. But I don’t follow the sport, really.

Um, NZ have only played three WC matches :)

Bubblecar said:

Michael V said:

dv said:

NZ still undefeated in WC matches since 1982

Wow!

I had no idea. I thought teams from South America and Europe usually won the World Cup. But I don’t follow the sport, really.

Um, NZ have only played three WC matches :)

Why didn’t they progress through the tournaments then?

Michael V said:

Bubblecar said:

Michael V said:

Wow!

I had no idea. I thought teams from South America and Europe usually won the World Cup. But I don’t follow the sport, really.

Um, NZ have only played three WC matches :)

Why didn’t they progress through the tournaments then?

Not enough points. Draws aren’t usually enough.

Bubblecar said:

Michael V said:

Bubblecar said:

Um, NZ have only played three WC matches :)

Why didn’t they progress through the tournaments then?

Not enough points. Draws aren’t usually enough.

I see. Thanks for the explanation.

I should keep my gob shut when I don’t know anything.

I am sure these Americans are being performatively stupid because the feeds are full of them saying they haven’t heard of some of these countries…

Bubblecar said:

Michael V said:

dv said:

NZ still undefeated in WC matches since 1982

Wow!

I had no idea. I thought teams from South America and Europe usually won the World Cup. But I don’t follow the sport, really.

Um, NZ have only played three WC matches :)

They’ve played 7 WC matches.

They’ve appeared at the finals three times which is probably what you meant.

Bubblecar said:

Ian said:

dv said:

The Cabo Verde goalie who had a clean sheet v España is 40 fkn years old.

Makes me wonder about the heavily defence oriented approach of many teams. And the resulting low scoring, boring play resulting.

That’s fairly standard for the WC, unfortunately. But there are always a few livelier matches.

In fairness that was pretty exciting 0-0

dv said:

I am sure these Americans are being performatively stupid because the feeds are full of them saying they haven’t heard of some of these countries…

No. Their geography brains are completely full of their 50 states. They learn very little about other countries at school.

dv said:

Bubblecar said:

Ian said:

Makes me wonder about the heavily defence oriented approach of many teams. And the resulting low scoring, boring play resulting.

That’s fairly standard for the WC, unfortunately. But there are always a few livelier matches.

In fairness that was pretty exciting 0-0

Excitingly weird, ya

Michael V said:

dv said:

I am sure these Americans are being performatively stupid because the feeds are full of them saying they haven’t heard of some of these countries…

No. Their geography brains are completely full of their 50 states. They learn very little about other countries anything at all at school.

/fixed

Woodie said:

Michael V said:

dv said:

I am sure these Americans are being performatively stupid because the feeds are full of them saying they haven’t heard of some of these countries…

No. Their geography brains are completely full of their 50 states. They learn very little about other countries anything at all at school.

/fixed

Yeah. I was simplifying.

dv said:

As yet none of the Asian Federation teams have lost a match.

Well so much for that
Norway 4 Iraq 1

dv said:

dv said:

As yet none of the Asian Federation teams have lost a match.

Well so much for that
Norway 4 Iraq 1

A Norway V Australia final.

I remember when there were only 32 teams in the World Cup.
Now everyone who can afford a soccer ball is allowed to play except Italy, and it takes years.

England 4 Croatia 2

Peak Warming Man said:

England 4 Croatia 2

Looks like ghanapanama is heading to a scoreless draw.

kii said:

LOL

dv said:

Peak Warming Man said:

England 4 Croatia 2

Looks like ghanapanama is heading to a scoreless draw.

Well I’ll be darned, Ghana scored 5 minutes into stoppage time

Sports lovers

Colombia score.

Uzb have been on the margins of qualification for a couple of decades, finally qualified with the expansion to 48 teams. These are their first moments of world cup finals play. Bon chance.

Uzb equalise.

Colombia quickly ahead again.

Colombia wrap it up with goal number 3.

kii said:

I want them to sing the first one to the tune of So Long Farewell.

dv said:

kii said:

I want them to sing the first one to the tune of So Long Farewell.

Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye.

roughbarked said:

dv said:

kii said:

I want them to sing the first one to the tune of So Long Farewell.

Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye.

Du bist der schwächste fliegt; sehen tschuss!

SCIENCE said:

roughbarked said:

dv said:

I want them to sing the first one to the tune of So Long Farewell.

Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye.

Du bist der schwächste fliegt; sehen tschuss!

Hören Sie auf, Ihr Spiegelbild in Ihren gut lackierten Fingernägeln zu betrachten

roughbarked said:

SCIENCE said:

roughbarked said:

Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye.

Du bist der schwächste fliegt; sehen tschuss!

Hören Sie auf, Ihr Spiegelbild in Ihren gut lackierten Fingernägeln zu betrachten

Fortune Cookie post.

kii said:

roughbarked said:

SCIENCE said:

Du bist der schwächste fliegt; sehen tschuss!

Hören Sie auf, Ihr Spiegelbild in Ihren gut lackierten Fingernägeln zu betrachten

Fortune Cookie post.

No idea what the fuck that is.
I’ve never seen inside a fortune cookie.

Senegal and France still nil all into the second half.

dv said:

Too easy for the brane teaser thread eh?

The Rev Dodgson said:

dv said:

Too easy for the brane teaser thread eh?

But anyway, the answer is that there were 50 Australians in the original group, but we don’t know how many Socceroo supporters there were.

Quite possibly the Australian who left was forced to leave by the others when he was caught cheering for the Merkins.

The Rev Dodgson said:

dv said:

Too easy for the brane teaser thread eh?

I mean it is basically a rehash of one we’ve seen before and is also very easy

dv said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

dv said:

Too easy for the brane teaser thread eh?

I mean it is basically a rehash of one we’ve seen before and is also very easy

I’ve given it my best shot.

Bit of a drubbing in canadaqatar, 6 – 0, Qataris hardly ever had the ball even.

American and Scottish commentators, odd combination.

Bubblecar said:

American and Scottish commentators, odd combination.

Also, the American one, Josh Eastern, is gay, which is quite unusual for a feetball commentator.

Mexico score.

Canada scraped home against Guitar.

NEARLY a Korean goal but a fine save by the keeper.

And that’s that, Mexico win 1 nil.

Aaaand that’s full time and Mexico becomes the first team to qualify for round 2