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Zykon TheLich

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Tough break for England, but they should have known that parking the bus against Argentina was a stupid idea. I was in the middle of remarking that Argentina should stop crossing in for headers when that screamer of a goal was scored. Keeper didn't expect it, defenders didn't expect it. Then they almost immediately score again with a cross into a header. Two brilliant assists from Messi.
I didn't watch the game. I heard some very loud shouting and remembered the match was on. Checked the score...goal in 55 minutes, and knew exactly what England were going to do. Be boring as fuck, play it safe and try to eke out a 1-0 victory.
 

Gordon_4

The Big Engine
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I didn't watch the game. I heard some very loud shouting and remembered the match was on. Checked the score...goal in 55 minutes, and knew exactly what England were going to do. Be boring as fuck, play it safe and try to eke out a 1-0 victory.
And all it earned them was a 2-1 loss and international embarrassment. Whoopsie.
 

Zykon TheLich

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And all it earned them was a 2-1 loss and international embarrassment. Whoopsie.
Well, I assumed Argentina would go 2-0 up, England would score 1 in the second half to give them a bit of hope and then Argentina would seal the deal with a 3rd.

It's not that embarrassing when you expect to lose. When you see France, Spain and Argentina as the other 3 teams, you're not expecting a win as England.
 

Xprimentyl

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It's not that embarrassing when you expect to lose. When you see France, Spain and Argentina as the other 3 teams, you're not expecting a win as England.
It's not that embarrassing; just look at the real Dallas Cowboys fans. By "real," I mean delusional: every year is "their year," and it's been +30 years since it was actually their year.

But I did watch the England v. Argentina match; congrats Argentina! I'm not a fan of soccer, but the last few minutes were actually exciting enough that I was invested. When Argentina scored that tying goal, my house would have had to have caught fire for me to look away. I think the passion of the fans is infectious. I will watch the final game Sunday, and I will be sad when it's over since the one event that brings the world together will go away for another 4 years.

@Johnny Novgorod, while you wait for Sunday, watch Balls Up. It's not a good movie, but it's funny enough and apropos.
 

Johnny Novgorod

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Anxious about Sunday. On paper Spain is golden: they've gone through the whole world cup with only one goal against, they get an extra day of rest before the final match (13 of the last 14 winners have had the extra day) and technically they have yet to lose a single world cup final - the only other one was 2010 and they won. Everywhere you check, the odds are for them. No country has won two in a row since 1962.

Also the Americanization of the half time (30 minutes of Madonna and Justin Bieber instead of the usual 15 minute pause) isn't going to help the more geriatric team of the two.

Whatever happens Spain's a homie and watching Argentina beat England with friends and family is a lifetime highlight.

@Johnny Novgorod, while you wait for Sunday, watch Balls Up. It's not a good movie, but it's funny enough and apropos.
I saw that earlier. Anything like that happens Sunday, I'd be more scared for the Argentine team at this point.
 

Bob_McMillan

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I guess Mbappe didn't care about reaching the all time goal record in a 3rd place match that clearly everyone hates to be in. 4 scored by England in the first half, then 3 by France in the second? What a joke. Might as well just take turns dribbling the ball into the net.
 

Bob_McMillan

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Good God that was excruciatingly boring. Spain deserved to win, but could they not have won a friggin hour ago??? Stats-wise, this is a comically one-sided game. Argentina played with a lot of energy but crossed the line with really stupid fouls. Although the 10-man disadvantage didn't really seem to change much honestly.

Bit of an anti-climax for this World Cup, but overall it was really fun. Made my summer honestly, watch parties and pub watches were the most socializing I've done in a year.
 

Hades

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After the Argentinian team gloated about wanting to steal British land after the win they deserved to lose. That and FIFA carrying water for them all cup long.
 

Johnny Novgorod

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Disappointing but hardly surprising. Spain outclassed Argentina the whole match. Goalkeeper carried until he couldn't. Incredible we didn't lose by way more, especially after Enzo's red card.

In many ways this is pretty much the perfect Hollywood ending just about everyone wanted. France and England get their consolation prizes, and Argentina is bested by Spain after being villainized the whole tournament.

If nothing else, it was a privilege to play two finals back to back, and a moment of bliss to knock out England in the semis (las Malvinas son argentinas). Y felicitaciones a España por la segunda.
 

Xprimentyl

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We went to a World Cup watch party yesterday. I was intending on supporting Argentina (it was a coin flip,) but I set one foot in the door, and was surrounded by Spanish flags, so it was clear who I needed to root for to keep the atmosphere kosher. It was fine; I didn't actually have a dog in the fight, and from what little I know of soccer, it didn't look like Argentina would have given me much to cheer for.

As a general sports fan, I was okay with it going either way: Spain's first WC in 60 years or Argentina becomes the first back-to-back winner in 60 years; both are good sports stories. Congrats to Spain; sorry, @Johnny Novgorod.
 

Johnny Novgorod

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With the falkland thing and grabbing a winning player by the neck its likely more villainy than villainized
Argentina has been villainized the whole tournament and relentlessly portrayed and ridiculed by every conceivable narrative as the most awful country in the world since the word go. Do not tell me we had it coming because some players picked up a Malvinas banner in the semis, as is their right, or got into a scuffle after the final match. I say that as someone who thinks dragging politics into a football match is gauche and pointless. Scaloni said it best. And if you want to talk violence, explain Jude Bellingham sucker punching an Argentine player who didn't even interact with him or play in that match.

Samuel L. Jackson, who has yet to set foot in Argentina, and probably couldn't pick it out in a map if his next million depended on it, is now calling it historically the most racist country in the world. He would've been denied access to banking, insurance, healthcare, supermarkets, schools, bus seats, toilets, marriage and freedom at different points in the history of his own motherfucking country. Not here. Argentina never had racial segregation, any form of apartheid, and abolished slavery long before the US did without having to go through a bloody civil war to achieve so.

Argentina ranks 20th in racial equality around the world, above (ie.) France, Brazil and Egypt. US ranks 45th.

Conversely, I've never experienced this metrick fuckton of racism directed towards me and my country since USA hosted the world cup and the media decided they needed a villain. I've been called slurs and threatened and god knows what else "but it's ok, it's online, none of it is real". We were the bad guys for defeating the cute little island nation/meme team famous for parking the bus and not much more, we were the bad guys (and racist!) for turning around a match against Egypt, we were the bad guys for having the gall to defeat a colonial power and now we're the bad guys simply for losing the final match. If we do well, it's never by our own merit, it's always FIFA. But if we do poorly, that's karma. It's all scripted until it isn't. It's never about football.

I'm leaving this up for you and any other ignoramus running a basic Google search 4 years from now.
 

Xprimentyl

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Argentina has been villainized the whole tournament and relentlessly portrayed and ridiculed by every conceivable narrative as the most awful country in the world since the word go. Do not tell me we had it coming because some players picked up a Malvinas banner in the semis, as is their right, or got into a scuffle after the final match. I say that as someone who thinks dragging politics into a football match is gauche and pointless. Scaloni said it best. And if you want to talk violence, explain Jude Bellingham sucker punching an Argentine player who didn't even interact with him or play in that match.

Samuel L. Jackson, who has yet to set foot in Argentina, and probably couldn't pick it out in a map if his next million depended on it, is now calling it historically the most racist country in the world. He would've been denied access to banking, insurance, healthcare, supermarkets, schools, bus seats, toilets, marriage and freedom at different points in the history of his own motherfucking country. Not here. Argentina never had racial segregation, any form of apartheid, and abolished slavery long before the US did without having to go through a bloody civil war to achieve so.

Argentina ranks 20th in racial equality around the world, above (ie.) France, Brazil and Egypt. US ranks 45th.

Conversely, I've never experienced this metrick fuckton of racism directed towards me and my country since USA hosted the world cup and the media decided they needed a villain. I've been called slurs and threatened and god knows what else "but it's ok, it's online, none of it is real". We were the bad guys for defeating the cute little island nation/meme team famous for parking the bus and not much more, we were the bad guys (and racist!) for turning around a match against Egypt, we were the bad guys for having the gall to defeat a colonial power and now we're the bad guys simply for losing the final match. If we do well, it's never by our own merit, it's always FIFA. But if we do poorly, that's karma. It's all scripted until it isn't. It's never about football.

I'm leaving this up for you and any other ignoramus running a basic Google search 4 years from now.
Yeesh, and here I was celebrating how the World Cup brought the world together in healthy competition and sportsmanship; I had no idea this level of vitriol existed in the seedy underbelly. I mean, I guess as with anything that demands people pick a side, there's going to be zealots who take things to an unhealthy and unnecessary extreme, but didn't know it was this serious against Argentina; I thought it was like the New England Patriots and how people tend to hate on the winners, but it sounds like some have taken their passion out the realm of sport and turned it into rage focused on innocent fans of opposing teams. I'm sorry to you and any who might have had to deal with anything like what you've described; it's dumb and not fair.
 

Gordon_4

The Big Engine
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Argentina has been villainized the whole tournament and relentlessly portrayed and ridiculed by every conceivable narrative as the most awful country in the world since the word go. Do not tell me we had it coming because some players picked up a Malvinas banner in the semis, as is their right, or got into a scuffle after the final match. I say that as someone who thinks dragging politics into a football match is gauche and pointless. Scaloni said it best. And if you want to talk violence, explain Jude Bellingham sucker punching an Argentine player who didn't even interact with him or play in that match.

Samuel L. Jackson, who has yet to set foot in Argentina, and probably couldn't pick it out in a map if his next million depended on it, is now calling it historically the most racist country in the world. He would've been denied access to banking, insurance, healthcare, supermarkets, schools, bus seats, toilets, marriage and freedom at different points in the history of his own motherfucking country. Not here. Argentina never had racial segregation, any form of apartheid, and abolished slavery long before the US did without having to go through a bloody civil war to achieve so.

Argentina ranks 20th in racial equality around the world, above (ie.) France, Brazil and Egypt. US ranks 45th.

Conversely, I've never experienced this metrick fuckton of racism directed towards me and my country since USA hosted the world cup and the media decided they needed a villain. I've been called slurs and threatened and god knows what else "but it's ok, it's online, none of it is real". We were the bad guys for defeating the cute little island nation/meme team famous for parking the bus and not much more, we were the bad guys (and racist!) for turning around a match against Egypt, we were the bad guys for having the gall to defeat a colonial power and now we're the bad guys simply for losing the final match. If we do well, it's never by our own merit, it's always FIFA. But if we do poorly, that's karma. It's all scripted until it isn't. It's never about football.

I'm leaving this up for you and any other ignoramus running a basic Google search 4 years from now.
Well, if it means anything to you, based on what I saw: Argentina won its matches playing good football and only lost because Spain played better, which logically one of them had to do.
 

Thaluikhain

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Samuel L. Jackson, who has yet to set foot in Argentina, and probably couldn't pick it out in a map if his next million depended on it, is now calling it historically the most racist country in the world. He would've been denied access to banking, insurance, healthcare, supermarkets, schools, bus seats, toilets, marriage and freedom at different points in the history of his own motherfucking country.
One might also note the whole ICE thing going on at the mo.

IIRC, he's another celeb who wen off the rails recentlyish.
 

Hades

Elite Member
Mar 8, 2013
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Argentina has been villainized the whole tournament and relentlessly portrayed and ridiculed by every conceivable narrative as the most awful country in the world since the word go. Do not tell me we had it coming because some players picked up a Malvinas banner in the semis, as is their right, or got into a scuffle after the final match. I say that as someone who thinks dragging politics into a football match is gauche and pointless. Scaloni said it best. And if you want to talk violence, explain Jude Bellingham sucker punching an Argentine player who didn't even interact with him or play in that match.

Samuel L. Jackson, who has yet to set foot in Argentina, and probably couldn't pick it out in a map if his next million depended on it, is now calling it historically the most racist country in the world. He would've been denied access to banking, insurance, healthcare, supermarkets, schools, bus seats, toilets, marriage and freedom at different points in the history of his own motherfucking country. Not here. Argentina never had racial segregation, any form of apartheid, and abolished slavery long before the US did without having to go through a bloody civil war to achieve so.

Argentina ranks 20th in racial equality around the world, above (ie.) France, Brazil and Egypt. US ranks 45th.

Conversely, I've never experienced this metrick fuckton of racism directed towards me and my country since USA hosted the world cup and the media decided they needed a villain. I've been called slurs and threatened and god knows what else "but it's ok, it's online, none of it is real". We were the bad guys for defeating the cute little island nation/meme team famous for parking the bus and not much more, we were the bad guys (and racist!) for turning around a match against Egypt, we were the bad guys for having the gall to defeat a colonial power and now we're the bad guys simply for losing the final match. If we do well, it's never by our own merit, it's always FIFA. But if we do poorly, that's karma. It's all scripted until it isn't. It's never about football.

I'm leaving this up for you and any other ignoramus running a basic Google search 4 years from now.
Oh I can agree rants about Argentina being supposedly so racist as being silly. Especially because people gloated so much over Nazi immigrants fleeing there as revealing rather than a mere curiosity of history(and ignoring the Jewish refugees that also got accepted by Argentina). We can agree there. We can also say the conspiracies about FIFA boosting them say more about FIFA's reputation than it does about Argentina.

But the complaints about the Argentinian team refusing to be sportsmanlike are valid and that is the big problem. If you win a match and then go around gloating about wanting to steal the losing team's land you are a bad winner and if they show their backs to the winning team and one of them even assaults a winner then they are as sore losers as they are bad winners.

Their antics after beating England showed they did not deserve the win and their antics after getting defeated by Spain confirmed it. A bit of grace would have cost them literally nothing.