Thread: FIFA World CUP Russia 2018

England Belgium Tunisia...

Saudia Arabia open the World Cup against Russia on 14th June....

Oh Gary.... to the Italian doing the draw: "It's great to have an Italian involved in the World Cup".


*snigger*

Belgium Panama Tunisia England.

On paper not so bad but we'll find a way to fuck it up I'm sure.

No real Group of Death.

Group A: Russia, Uruguay, Egypt, Saudi Arabia
Group B: Portugal, Spain, Iran, Morocco
Group C: France, Peru, Denmark, Australia
Group D: Argentina, Croatia, Iceland, Nigeria
Group E: Brazil, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia
Group F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea
Group G: Belgium, England, Tunisia, Panama
Group H: Poland, Colombia, Senegal, Japan

In an aside, but related ...

Football brings the community together for Darwin's Refugee World Cup



Football a constant for refugee communities

It's 33 degrees when a group of refugees, immigrants and Darwinites with diverse backgrounds gather for a final training session before Saturday's tournament.
"We are training every Thursday here so we're getting used to the weather," Juan Carlos Marquez from the Footballers Without Borders team said.


More Here

The Socceroos will start their 2018 World Cup campaign against former champions and tournament fancies France, with group matches to follow
against Denmark and Peru.

Australia has avoided another group of death in Russia but will be doing well to reach the knockout rounds after being drawn against three teams
ranked in the world's top 12 nations.

Socceroos' schedule in Russia

• Australia v France (Kazan Arena, Kazan), Saturday June 16, 8pm AEST
• Australia v Denmark (Cosmos Arena, Samara), Friday June 22 1am AEST
• Australia v Peru (Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi), Tuesday June 26 12am AEST

France are the most formidable opponents.
Les Bleus are ranked as one of the favourites in 2018 — behind only Germany and Brazil — and were responsible for knocking out heavyweights
the Netherlands in qualifying.
But the Socceroos will rate their chances of progressing past both Peru (world number 11) and Denmark (12) given their struggles to reach Russia.

Oh ... I can't neglect the image below.

Originally Posted by David48atTD

The Socceroos will start their 2018 World Cup campaign against former champions and tournament fancies France, with group matches to follow
against Denmark and Peru.

Gotta love that phrase.

A bye to the 2nd round for Belgium and Tunisia then.

Originally Posted by Luigi

A bye to the 2nd round for Belgium and Tunisia then.

If England could go out after one game, they would.

So ... have a look at this ... https://teakdoor.com/world-news/18139...ml#post3674807 (Russia banned from competing at 2018 Winter Olympics)

IOC ban on Russia raises questions for 2018 FIFA World Cup




The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to ban the Russian team from February's Winter Olympic Games is big news; the decision
to ban for life Russia's Deputy Prime Minister is even bigger news.




Vitaly Mutko was the sports minister from 2008 to 2016 and the man guilty of overseeing the state-sanctioned doping program
at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

He was rewarded with a promotion. Mutko now sits at the right hand of Vladimir Putin.

---

FIFA boss must face off with Mutko

From the Olympics to world football, international sport is being shaken to its core.
FIFA is already mired in scandal. Just last year it sacked its president, Sepp Blatter, after investigations revealed widespread
corruption in the sport.

It is at the centre of an ongoing corruption and bribery trial in the US Federal Court after dozens of FIFA members were
arrested in 2015.

In 2016, new FIFA boss Gianni Infantino promised a new beginning.

Football he said had gone through a "moment of crisis", but he pledged "those times are over".
Really? Now Russia has presented him with his biggest test.

The Olympics has acted, what will football do?
Staring them down is one of Russia's most powerful men, about to host world football's biggest event.
Will he go or will he stay?
Will the Russian team be banned from the World Cup in its own country?

Russia is a nation of drug cheats. We know that.

What we still don't know is what Infantino's new supposedly moral FIFA is going to do about it.


More here

Originally Posted by David48atTD

What we still don't know is what Infantino's new supposedly moral FIFA is going to do about it.

Nothing. As long as the trough is full, they'll have their snouts in it.

The whole winter Olympics could be moved to Qatar over this.

Heh...Might be interesting...

Related ...

Socceroos coach Bert Van Marwijk to take Australia to the World Cup, but he's
not your traditional Dutch coach



His coaching career

After an unspectacular playing career that featured only one cap for his native Holland, Van Marwijk began to make waves
as a coach in the Dutch Eredivisie with Fortuna Sittard, and then with Feyenoord.

It was there in Rotterdam that Van Marwijk would claim his greatest club success — a UEFA Cup victory in 2002 — before
moving to Borussia Dortmund for three unspectacular seasons.


What does he know about Australia?

Potentially a fair bit. Saudia Arabia, of course, finished above Australia in their Asian qualifying group thanks to a 1-0 win over
Japan in the last match of the campaign.

Van Marwijk's Green Falcons played Australia twice in qualifying, the first a 2-2 draw in Jeddah, the second a crazy 3-2 Aussie
win in Adelaide.


How does he like to play?

Van Marwijk's footballing philosophies and style of play have been a point of contention throughout his career, especially during
his time as Holland boss.

The history of Dutch football is built on revolutionary attacking play, positionless formations and the prioritisation of possession — Total Football.


Is he right for the Socceroos?

In appointing Van Marwijk, the FFA seems to be trying to strike a balance between the physical, pragmatic football that served Australia
well through the 2000's and the progressive, possession-based play of Ange Postecoglou.

The danger is the team becomes lost somewhere in between, or puts too much stock into the defensive side of the game and loses
what has made it sporadically great since 2014.

Postecoglou faced criticism when he was said to have put style ahead of results. This is not a complaint that will be thrown at Van Marwijk,
as his experiences with Oranje often brutally proved.

But the potential is there for this to be a fruitful — if likely only temporary — marriage between a footballing nation that hasn't yet
fully decided what it wants to be and a coach able to appease both sides.

Here

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Total Football

as opposed to partial?

Good luck to yer Socceroos , they've as much chance as Ireland and Italy

England and Ireland fans have long learned to be disappointed the default mode in Scotland and therefore if their boys win it's like just a bonus a dawn ambush bj.

More stunts due..



While van Marwijk was not a star a player that never guarantees success, I was excellent lego organiser, this did not translate into adult prowess as my "manageress will confirm"

The certain winners ...the bookies

Anyone seen this Euro Nations shit? And if so, does anyone understand it?

Ruse to give little states a chance, not sure it'll be popular with clubs

My 66/1 on England looks tits up

Johnson suggests England could boycott the World Cup

The Boris Johnson urgent question has now finished. Near the end Johnson suggested that, if Russia were found to be involved in the Skripal case, England would boycott the World Cup. In those circumstances, he said: “I think it will be difficult to see how UK representation at the World Cup can go ahead.”

Updated at 1.38pm GM

Originally Posted by david44

My 66/1 on England looks tits up

Johnson suggests England could boycott the World Cup

The Boris Johnson urgent question has now finished. Near the end Johnson suggested that, if Russia were found to be involved in the Skripal case, England would boycott the World Cup. In those circumstances, he said: “I think it will be difficult to see how UK representation at the World Cup can go ahead.”

Updated at 1.38pm GM

Well it was only a short trip anyway...

Countdown is on.

100 days to go...

Found this looking for something else ...

I wonder if they will do something similar ... but with Russian Lassies (of the night)