WC 2022

[jknezek]

Not looking good for CONCACAF. U.S. goes through 2nd in group, Canada second team eliminated after the host that had no business hosting, Mexico is eliminated, depending on tie breakers it was on a stoppage time goal by Saudi Arabia, not digging deep enough to find out if they or Poland would have progressed if the score had stayed 2-0. Costa Rica sits at -6 in goal differential, 3 pts, with a game against Germany to go. Japan, Germany, or Costa Rica can all still progress depending on results.

CONCACAF looks weak as usual. And yet, I'm still always happy when Mexico is eliminated.

[Flying Weasel]

Mexico is eliminated, depending on tie breakers it was on a stoppage time goal by Saudi Arabia, not digging deep enough to find out if they or Poland would have progressed if the score had stayed 2-0.

If both games had stayed 2-0, Mexico and Poland would still have been tied after the first 5 tie-breakers and Mexico would have been eliminated on the basis of the Fair Play (they had more yellow cards than Poland).  That's why they needed to push for a third goal (or hope Argentina scored one more).  Thing is, after Saudi Arabia scored, a last minute goal by Mexico would have seen them advance ahead of Poland on the basis of the 2nd tie-breaker: goal scored.  Wild stuff.

A lot easier to enjoy the craziness today as a neutral than if this had involved the U.S.!!!

[Saint of Old]

I respect Mexico. They have had the regional crown now for quite some time, maybe forever. A strange thing started happening about 6 or so years ago, the US began to have better players and younger players in the national team.
I think Canada came out of no where and surprised people, but this World Cup showed that there is a new king in CONCACAF ...they are young and good.  George Weah's son, Pulicic, Mckinney, Musah is incredible, maybe the most underrated player at the World Cup and the Captain is just a straight beast in the 6 position.
Who knows, there might be a generation of Canadians and Mexicans waiting to hit the stage, but these boys will take some beating, atleast in the region.

[Hopkins92]

What was wild to me is that it took so long for the production booth to figure out the tie-break situation.

Landon was funny about it, but you don't want your analyst trying to tally up the 3rd and 4th tiebreaks on the fly like that.

And it's not that difficult, when you're not in the middle of calling the game. Points-->GD-->GS-->Head to Head (pts, gd, gs)-->Fair Play

[Hopkins92]

I respect Mexico. They have had the regional crown now for quite some time, maybe forever. A strange thing started happening about 6 or so years ago, the US began to have better players and younger players in the national team.
I think Canada came out of no where and surprised people, but this World Cup showed that there is a new king in CONCACAF ...they are young and good.  George Weah's son, Pulicic, Mckinney, Musah is incredible, maybe the most underrated player at the World Cup and the Captain is just a straight beast in the 6 position.
Who knows, there might be a generation of Canadians and Mexicans waiting to hit the stage, but these boys will take some beating, atleast in the region.

While I respect their overall results, I don't have a lot of time for their antics. And they sure don't respect us, I'll tell you that.

Would've been quite poetic if they'd gone out due to Fair Play.

[Saint of Old]

I respect Mexico. They have had the regional crown now for quite some time, maybe forever. A strange thing started happening about 6 or so years ago, the US began to have better players and younger players in the national team.
I think Canada came out of no where and surprised people, but this World Cup showed that there is a new king in CONCACAF ...they are young and good.  George Weah's son, Pulicic, Mckinney, Musah is incredible, maybe the most underrated player at the World Cup and the Captain is just a straight beast in the 6 position.
Who knows, there might be a generation of Canadians and Mexicans waiting to hit the stage, but these boys will take some beating, atleast in the region.

While I respect their overall results, I don't have a lot of time for their antics. And they sure don't respect us, I'll tell you that.

Would've been quite poetic if they'd gone out due to Fair Play.

Speaking of how they went out, that was great calm on the Saudi finish. Then he ran with the ball and spotted it. They wanted the equalizer. Maybe the 1 team eliminated that really did their countries most proud on the field.

[EnmoreCat]

Happy to declare my bias up front, but Leckie's goal for Australia today was one of the best I have seen an Australian score, particularly when you take into account the game and the keeper he beat.  His skill in the box was mesmerising.

[jknezek]

CONCACAF finishes the group stage:

U.S.  1-0-2, 2 goals scored, 1 conceded  ADVANCE

Mexico 1-1-1, 2 goals scored, 3 conceded ELIMINATED (3rd)

Costa Rica 1-2-0, 3 scored, 11 conceded ELIMINATED (4th)

Canada 0-0-3, 2 scored, 7 conceded ELIMINATED (4th)


Total: 3-3-6, 9 scored, 22 conceded


That's... ugly.

[coach analytics]

The US results looks like Williams!

[jknezek]

So... an interesting look at the World Cup by Confederation, along with my grades.

Asia (AFC) A -- 5 qualified, 3 progressed Australia, Japan and South Korea went through, Iran and Saudi Arabia lost (Qatar qualified only as host and clearly had no business being on the field). Japan topped a group with 2 recent Champions, Spain and Germany. South Korea finished second in a credible group behind Portugal but ahead of Uruguay and Ghana, both teams that have advanced in the past. Australia was a surprise to me, as Denmark had to have been favored to progress in that group and instead just fell apart.

CONCACAF D -- 4 qualified, 1 progressed U.S. went through, Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada lost. The less said the better. Costa Rica played one of the worst games of the tournament, Mexico and U.S. don't seem to know what the thing with the net on it is for, and Canada folded under the pressure of their first World Cup in almost 40 years. Good luck to the U.S., but as a region, this was pitiful.

South American (CONMEBOL) B- -- 4 qualified, 2 progressed Brazil, Argentina are through, Ecuador and Uruguay lost. The heavyweights are through, both of them topping their groups, which is more than CONCACAF can claim. But I think Ecuador was a favorite to move on, especially against a Senegal team missing Mane, and Uruguay probably liked their chances to win the group when it was announced or to at least finish second. Going out on goal differential is tough.

Africa (CAF) C+ -- 5 qualified, 2 progressed Senegal and Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Cameroon lost. Just on the numbers this isn't pretty. But I'll give Senegal credit for winning without Mane and I think most would be surprised that Morocco won a group with Croatia and Belgium. Cameroon taking an already progressing Brazil for a win is a nice moral victory, but too little too late.

Europe (UEFA) A -- 13 qualified, 8 progressed. The Netherlands, England, France and Portugal all won their groups. Poland, Spain, Croatia, and Switzerland all finished second. Every group had one UEFA qualifier. While Germany and Belgium were both a bit of a surprise to not go through, Poland blocking out Mexico, Croatia sneaking past Belgium, and Switzerland sliding in over Cameroon and Serbia definitely made up for it.

Oceania (OFC) ungraded -- 0 qualified

UEFA and AFC overqualified for the Sweet 16 based on their number of participants. CONCACAF and CAF underqualified. I think CONMEBOL underqualified based on quality. Biggest surprise is how well the AFC did. UEFA is always the biggest bully in the room, so it is less of a surprise how well they did. But they started with fewer than half the teams in the tournament and enter the knockout rounds with half the teams still standing. 2 of the Round of Sixteen games feature 2 UEFA teams, and 2 games don't feature a UEFA team at all. It has almost become the rest of the world versus Europe...

[Ejay]

Will be watching the game tomorrow with the American Outlaws Nashville at Tailgate Brewery. Go USA!!!!

[Saint of Old]

Just saying Aboubakar is a legend.
Never seen a referee shake a man's hand in respect before giving him a red.
That goal against Brazil was icing on the cake, the chop and Scoop against Serbia is not just goal of the World cup, but one of the best in World Cup history.

[SimpleCoach]

If the US Men's Team played more like Williams, they would have tied.

[Saint of Old]

Dutch are no joke man... they invented total football  Louis Van Gaal was coaching Rivaldo at Barcelona in 1998 when Berthalter was doing Keggers in college.

[EnmoreCat]

I think of the two teams that lost today, the US got beaten by the better team, but Australia lost to the team with the best player, sometimes that's enough.  I did think the build up to the first Dutch goal was super impressive, the amazing confidence they displayed was quite something.  I definitely wouldn't be disheartened as a US supporter, that team has the capacity to improve and be better for the experience.

As for Australia, I was pessimistic going in and to win two games was a massive overachievement, but says a lot for the spirit in the squad.  We don't have anywhere near the calibre of leagues being played in that the US does, but there is a decent cohort in the sub 22 bracket emerging, so that might have changed by 2026.