FIFA World Cup 2022: Qualification Stage

Towering header from Torres
1-1

well deserved by Ecuador

Ali received a 2nd yellow card. But Ali got to the ball first. How could it be a foul?

Going through VAR now…would it be a stoppage time penalty against Brazil.

Edit: After spending ages at the VAR screen, the ref cancelled the yellow card against Ali. No pen.

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Watching the match highlight, this match between Ecuador and Brazil was so bizarre.

Was the Ref a Liverpool fan :rofl:

Now the Argie Chile game is a card fest.

The ref has it covered with the biggest biceps on the field.

The refs in these South American games have guts.

They look like rugby hookers as they are surrounded by a scrum of players after every decision.

Oh and who would have predicted some play acting…

The first red card reprieve for Ali shouldn’t even have been a yellow. Ali gets there WAY ahead of the player, who basically runs into Ali’s foot on the way down (that still picture above is like cherry picking a quote out of context)

The penalty incident Ali gets there first, albeit in an ungainly way.

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Iran has qualified for Q22 :clap:

I know it’s the weakest qualifying group in the world, but…

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That was a big win for Canada yesterday, at a venue that has been brutal in the past.

It may be the weakest, but we haven’t managed to qualify since 1986, so tough enough. UEFA qualifying is not exactly difficult over the years, so many spots available.

I presume that everyone still has 5 games to play? How many qualify directly and who do Canada still have to play?

Edit: I see its four from 8! Fuck me that is generous. And looks like Canada just have to play the 4,5,6,7 placed teams and USA. Really should be qualifying from here!!

yep, of course it’s the one tournament in Qatar I’ve no interest in watching due to what’s happening there with the incredible numbers of dead migrant workers. at least 6000, but I’ve seen reports of 15,000. that’s madness.

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Yes absolutely understand that

It’s 3+1 actually. Top three qualifies directly while the fourth-placed team goes to an intercontinental play-off.

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It really isn’t four from eight, that is 8 in the final stage of qualification - there are two previous rounds. It is actually 3 from 35, with 4th place getting a spot in a play-off.

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Yeah, I have had that thought myself. Not sure I will be able not to watch. Blows my mind that the last Canada World Cup match was Canada giving Platini’s France a scare.

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Yeah I realised it was not the only round but just thought that 4/8 was quite high - 3.5/8 makes things a bit more competitive. Anyway the point of my comment was that Canada really should be able to ensure qualification from here and make only their second WC appearance.

Who knew Ali was a massive Simpsons fan??

vTw5i-

This is actually a tough round of games, Canada was in Honduras earlier this week, today in Hamilton, then down to El Salvador on Wednesday. Even leaving aside the travel, those Central American games are brutal, worse fan behaviour than the nastiest Turkish crowd. The key game is today against the US, who face a much easier round this break, two home games with the away leg in Hamilton being nothing more than a commuter flight.

The interesting thing is the US chose to train and host in the north (Minnesota, I think), I suspect knowing that getting something from the game in Hamilton is key for them.

I do think it is amusing how Canada and now the US, after decades of dodging bags of urine being thrown at them in the Central American venues with stewards going nothing, have started to make them come to play in bitter cold conditions.

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Was just visiting some friends of ours last night whose eldest is with the Whitecaps organization. Got got a 2 week release to go train with the Grenada national team in Florida at 18yo. I don’t know if it affects his eligibility with Canada NT, but he has two older cousins already in the Grenada squad so getting a little exposure to the next step.