Match Thread: World Cup Group F - Matchday 1 - Belgium v Canada - November 23, 2022 - 10pm local time / 2pm ET / 11am PT

[SoCalTransport]

20 minutes ago, Kent said:

Yeah, I think all of us would be happy to play Belgium again this tournament, since the only way to play a team from your group a 2nd time is to play them in the 3rd place game or the final. I would take a top 4 finish no questions asked!

I know I have high hopes 😜

[Free kick]

On 11/23/2022 at 2:54 PM, JAVIERF said:

Canucks wasn't that a ref big hole mistake?

Well,  the ref was a Big hole.   I agree 100%

[Free kick]

On 11/23/2022 at 2:55 PM, rydermike said:

Following on reddit, so many people are shocked at how good we are

This was something I had heard a lot while in Doha on the day after the match from most of the non-Canadian fans.   

Edited December 20, 2022 by Free kick

[Free kick]

On 11/23/2022 at 3:04 PM, jonovision said:

Kaye was right about De Bruyne -- he's not very fast. But they still can't leave him that much space. Eventually he might make a good play.

In the end De Bruyne was not at all a factor in this world cup.   The other high profile Belgian (Thibaut Courtois) definitely was a factor (as I thought he would) but we rarely if ever heard much concern about Courtois (who back stopped his club to champions of Europe title last year)  from the Canadian media, podcasters and pundits..   

One of my take aways from this world cup is that DeBruyne is not even in the same universe as Mbappe and Messi.  or even maybe Courtois.    Contrary to some beliefs from all the Canadian pundits out there in Cnd media and podcast world who reiterated the name "DeBruyne"  so many times leading up to WC that he must have become more famous in Canada than Chris Hatfield.    This is an issues when our media in Canada has this tunnel vision of looking at the world of soccer through the eyes of only the UK and the EPL specifically.  

Edited December 20, 2022 by Free kick

[jonovision]

25 minutes ago, Free kick said:

In the end De Bruyne was not at all a factor in this world cup.   The other high profile Belgian (Thibaut Courtois) definitely was a factor (as I thought he would) but we rarely if ever heard much concern about Courtois, who back stopped his club to champions of Europe title last year,  from the Canadian media, podcasters and pundits..   

One of my take aways from this world cup is that DeBruyne is not even in the same universe as Mbappe and Messi.  or even maybe Courtois.    Contrary to some beliefs from all the Canadian pundits out there in Cnd media and podcast world who reiterated the name "DeBruyne"  so many times leading up to WC that he must have become more famous in Canada than Chris Hatfield.    This is an issues when our media in Canada has this tunnel vision of looking at the world of soccer through the eyes of only the UK and the EPL specifically.  

He was indeed a factor. His gaffe was a big reason for their loss to Morocco.

[Free kick]

Just now, jonovision said:

He was indeed a factor. His gaffe was a big reason for their loss to Morocco.

Ok Fair point.  I missed that game as i wasnt in the country.   so i dont know what happened there.    But, in my comments,  I was thinking specifically of the Canada v Belgium game

[BearcatSA]

That was a pretty miserable Belgian camp in Qatar.  The most disappointing team of the tourney, ahead of Germany and Denmark.

[BearcatSA]

I see that Janny the ref retired, at 43.  I was hoping his RAs and the VAR team for this match would follow his example and call it quits, too.

[Free kick]

9 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

I see that Janny the ref retired, at 43.  I was hoping his RAs and the VAR team for this match would follow his example and call it quits, too.

I wonder if there is anyway to know if the referee ignores the calls from the VAR team to review a play.   I dont know if this is what happened on those two non-calls for PK's.   One in particular,  the foul on Laryea,  seemed like a pretty clear candidate for (at least) a review.  

[BearcatSA]

12 minutes ago, Free kick said:

I wonder if there is anyway to know if the referee ignores the calls from the VAR team to review a play.   I dont know if this is what happened on those two non-calls for PK's.   One in particular,  the foul on Laryea,  seemed like a pretty clear candidate for (at least) a review.  

Considering the very similar plays in subsequent matches that resulted in penalties, these non-calls warrant more intensive review and accountability.  Well, the latter may actually have happened behind the scenes for Janny with the powers that be telling him that his time reffing at the highest level is over.

I think he only did this one match at Qatar; not sure about the head VAR or the RAs, however.

[Free kick]

I dont get FIFA.   Its not the first time that they award a world cup finals assignment to a referee with a history horrendous work.   Benito Archundia royally botched a semi final match in the gold cup that resulted in a US win over Canada and also a world cup qualifier versus Honduras in Edmonton.   In the subsequent WC, he gets awarded an assignment at the finals.  

[BearcatSA]

37 minutes ago, Free kick said:

I dont get FIFA.   Its not the first time that they award a world cup finals assignment to a referee with a history horrendous work.   Benito Archundia royally botched a semi final match in the gold cup that resulted in a US win over Canada and also a world cup qualifier versus Honduras in Edmonton.   In the subsequent WC, he gets awarded an assignment at the finals.  

Just the usual corruption.  All in a day's work at FIFA!

[Unnamed Trialist]

17 hours ago, Free kick said:

I dont get FIFA.   Its not the first time that they award a world cup finals assignment to a referee with a history horrendous work.   Benito Archundia royally botched a semi final match in the gold cup that resulted in a US win over Canada and also a world cup qualifier versus Honduras in Edmonton.   In the subsequent WC, he gets awarded an assignment at the finals.  

It's not just FIFA, it is a lot of leagues. 

We get Mateu Lahoz, of Argentina-Netherlands fame, for the Barça-Espanyol match this weekend. It is always a shit-show, gets to be you watch to see how the ref screws up. 

Last night the ref for Betis-Athletic Club went to his pocket for a yellow on a foul, watched the rival players crowd the culprit, then changed to a red feeling pressured. When it was a yellow, and not even a terrible one, and nothing more. That was Hernández Hernández, who once famously overrode his linesman calling offide on a deep throw-in that led to a goal.

Edited December 30, 2022 by Unnamed Trialist

[jonovision]

On 12/30/2022 at 4:14 AM, Unnamed Trialist said:

It's not just FIFA, it is a lot of leagues. 

We get Mateu Lahoz, of Argentina-Netherlands fame, for the Barça-Espanyol match this weekend. It is always a shit-show, gets to be you watch to see how the ref screws up. 

Last night the ref for Betis-Athletic Club went to his pocket for a yellow on a foul, watched the rival players crowd the culprit, then changed to a red feeling pressured. When it was a yellow, and not even a terrible one, and nothing more. That was Hernández Hernández, who once famously overrode his linesman calling offide on a deep throw-in that led to a goal.

Man, you're not kidding. 15 cards and a penalty!

[Unnamed Trialist]

23 minutes ago, jonovision said:

Man, you're not kidding. 15 cards and a penalty!

Think it was 17 cards ... he's a madman.