Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales

[TyphooToffee]

I'll be cheering on the USA today if only to see vD go out. The Neds and the RS - A pox on both his houses.

Not only that, we have our American Everonians to consider.

USA! USA!

 

[TyphooToffee]

A man can be born in a stable, it doesn't make them a horse.

Than 'born in a stable' thing is getting a bit hackneyed now, Dave.

 

[davek]

No, he’s still a human. But if the stable is in England, it does make him English.

I am not ethnically English. I'm Celtic.

 

[carolinablue232]

I am not ethnically English. I'm Celtic.

Yes. Ethnicity and Nationality are two different things. Your nationality is English. You can’t still hate England. It just is what it is.

 

[davek]

To be fair, Marina Hyde in The Guardian has it about right:

"Anyway, all that is for another day, because England play Senegal in the round of 16 on Sunday, and the buildup finds The Country That Gave Football To The World TM managing its expectations like it manages its economy."

England doesn’t expect much these days: except when it comes to the World Cup | Marina Hyde

The country is riven by political incompetence and economic distress so expectations are low for everyone bar Gareth Southgate and his players

www.theguardian.com

I hate the Guardian with a passion that's dangerous.

They are a scumbage paper whose hand wringing over human right's is grist to the mill for British neo-imperialism.

 

[davek]

Yes. Ethnicity and Nationality are two different things. Your nationality is English. You can’t still hate England. It just is what it is.

Nationality is a concept. I reject it. I self-identify as an internationalist.

 

[TyphooToffee]

It's a pretty balanced article by Wilson. England definitely have a chance - but they need more to go for them than, say, Brazil will need to win it. England's biggest problem is they will, in all likelihood, have to beat what many would say are the three best sides in the competition: France, Spain, and Brazil. Now, I like England, and think they have a decent squad, but I don't think they are beating Mbappe, Griezmann, and Giroud in the last eight, following up by defeating the tiki-taka-teens in the semi, and then upstaging Neymar and Co in the final. That kind of run is legend making - and I don't see the English midfield getting even parity in any of those games, let alone John Stones avoiding a catastrophic blunder somewhere along the line.

But, but, but... If France take the Poles for granted and Lewandowski gets a chance...then maybe they don't need to face the champions. If Spain become impotent against Morocco or even Portugal, they might not be in the last four to face Gareth's Greats. Sure, you'd still fancy Portugal over England, but not by the same margin as you might fancy Spain. And who knows, Brazil might come a cropper and it might be a very beatable Netherlands or Argentina in the final.

So, in my view, "it's coming home"...until it isn't. It's best to psychologically prepare oneself for the worst possible scenario so one can drink the delicious tears of dashed dreams when the glory night of this World Cup finally arrives: the night the BBC play their sad montage of demise.

Don't disappoint me, England.

Excellent evaluation. Personally I can't see past Spain as winners. Unlucky for England that they, and Portugal, ended up on our side of the draw.

 

[MikeH72]

View attachment 194418

lol lol lol lol lol

 

[carolinablue232]

Nationality is a concept. I reject it. I self-identify as an internationalist.

Do you vote? If you reject your nationality I imagine you’d reject that privilege as well then?

Money is also a concept. Doesn’t mean you can reject/ignore that it exists. Go steal a tv and tell the judge you don’t have to pay because reject the concept of money. Let me know how it goes.

 

[davek]

Do you vote? If you reject your nationality I imagine you’d reject that privilege as well then?

Money is also a concept. Doesn’t mean you can reject/ignore that it exists. Go steal a tv and tell the judge you don’t have to pay because reject the concept of money. Let me know how it goes.

I dont live in a socialist vacuum within a declining capitalist system.

All what you say is true, but wrong at the same time. That's because I dont recognise the legality of those institutions.

 

[TyphooToffee]

Nationality is a concept. I reject it. I self-identify as an internationalist.

I identify as an intelligent human being and, as such, don't follow any religion or discriminate against any man nor beast. I may not like a particular person but it will only because of their personality.

 

[TyphooToffee]

Boo!

Good goal though

 

[sdk]

Pulisic looks to be moving fairly well considering he's just been outfitted with a new pair of prosthetic testicles.

 

[davek]

I identify as an intelligent human being and, as such, don't follow any religion or discriminate against any man nor beast. I may not like a particular person but it will only because of their personality.

That's what I said.

 

[TyphooToffee]

That's what I said.

Was it?