FIFA World Cup: Qatar 2022

[The-AllMightyReds]

Tbf Olmo went straight through the back of Amrabat there.

[koptician]

Ah jeez! Nearly suicidal from Morocco.

[The-AllMightyReds]

Miles off but the keeper very fortunate there.

[koptician]

Morocco just need to keep their shape and play on the break and they’ll get their chances

[jgw_geneseo]

@El-Cuchillero

I (finally/legally) moved to the U.S. a couple of weeks ago. My wife is from New York and we spent some months here when we first met, during the '07/'08 season; I remember at that time finding the coverage awkwardly patronising, especially when delivered by people who really didn’t seem to have too strong a grasp of the game themselves, but I just assumed that was the national standard.

Fourteen years later, the coverage is more or less the same. Whether the average U.S. fan is more knowledgeable now than in '08, I don’t know, but certainly the media seem to have stayed dead fucking still and, having talked about football in the interim with Americans in bars or online, it’s not really a fair representation in 2022, if it ever was.

NBCs coverage of premier league is pretty good imho. Fox’s coverage of anything ‘soccer’ related is awful and when the tv deals come up they should face an automatic ban and not be able to bid. It’s awful. Going back to fox sports world and then fox soccer Channel in the 1990s. They’ve had rights to games for ~ 30 years and still have no idea how to do it.

[RedOpium]

Is it a good game? Just got in.

[The-AllMightyReds]

Not particularly, very tactical from both sides.

It’s gone how you’d have thought, Spain possession Morocco organisation and solid rearguard as they’ve shown all tournament…very few chances created.

[Limiescouse]

@jgw_geneseo

Going back to fox sports world and then fox soccer Channel in the 1990s. They’ve had rights to games for ~ 30 years and still have no idea how to do it.

The Guardian piece raises the insightful point that they still seem stuck in the period in the early 00s when they first got the prem rights and, maybe justifiably, focused their coverage on a viewership they might have to explain the game to.

There has long been a debate in the US on how to cover the game - should they cover it with American people geared to an American sports watching community, or should they cover it like the rest of the world does, which might include using foreigners with funny sounding voices. Fox have clearly staked their position in the former camp and so as a result treat it more as sports entertainment (the commentator might not know what is happening or who the people are, but he can raise his voice at the right time and goes a mean “GOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL”) than authentic sporting competition.

[mattyhurst]

Another one for pens?

[RedOpium]

Neco Williams is on.

[The-AllMightyReds]

West Ham got a player in this Aguerd.

[Arminius]

Spain with 75% possession but just 2 shots?!? Like tiki-taka took a step backward

[Semmy]

@jgw_geneseo

NBCs coverage of premier league is pretty good imho. Fox’s coverage of anything ‘soccer’ related is awful and when the tv deals come up they should face an automatic ban and not be able to bid. It’s awful. Going back to fox sports world and then fox soccer Channel in the 1990s. They’ve had rights to games for ~ 30 years and still have no idea how to do it.

true story. NBC signing Peter Drury didn’t hurt them either.

[mattyhurst]

There is a guy who looked the spit of him for another team as well as his name sakes.

[The-AllMightyReds]

Spain playing this as if it were a friendly, taking no risks, no one breaking the line, no one looking to distort the shape of the Moroccan defence…it’s all very left right right left back and sideways.

[RedOpium]

Spain with a short corner and Morata in the box.

[Arminius]

The purpose of the game is to keep the ball from going into that box at the end…

That pass map is just wild, almost no penetration

[The-AllMightyReds]

Belgium and Croatia also had very little success against them so credit has to go to Morocco, they’ve picked off every loose pass/heavy touch.

[RedOpium]

Can we just go straight to penalties please.

[Arminius]

Relatively speaking, an absolutely frenzied finish. Four shots each now, up from 1 and 2.

Still just the 1 each on goal, mind you.

Penalties will be the least gut-punching way for either side to lose at this point.