[theo_luddite]

Ah yes, well the Qatar guvinmint is buying all the unsold tickets (it's not like they can't afford them), including those of the now 900 unemployed Bud sellers down in the concessions, even though they wouldn't have seen a ball kicked in anger. You've already covered the other 100 or so that fell off the dodgy scaffolding.

[WakeyTerrier]

Evening all, just a little update for you all.

Everyone has been very welcoming to us, locals and supporters of other nations….even the Welsh. Plenty of places to eat and drink with as far as I have seen everyone getting on together despite supporting different nations. Saudi’s will be partying long into the night after that cracking result today. Didn’t see much of it but every shop you went past someone was watching on the phone…the locals are really pleased to be hosting this and I’m talking the working man not the top end of society.

Iran fans we met on the way to the game were loud and proud, kept asking for photos with me, got asked so many times I was thinking of charging them by the end

It truly is a world party over here.

Got another game to attend tomorrow Spain v Costa Rica. I’ll be backing the underdogs.

See you all soon

[0762]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/fifa-wor...90e121d77a

This is the closest you'll get to match-fixing eh!! What a VAR embarrassment, totally unacceptable and certainly concerning all the way through this tourney that has already been fraught with so many multi-stranded criticisms. Who is gonna be the next victim? It could be any participating national team, such is this threat to the integrity of the sport itself!

[theo_luddite]

Not that match and VAR officials could ever combine to fix a result in this country could they?

[Lord Snooty]

Crusader costumes banned now. What is the world coming to when you can't bring a sword into a football stadium?

Madness it is. Madness.

[themaclad]

Finally relented with the phrase nowt on TV at 10am on a Friday, so Wales v Iran, btter side deservedly won, no idea what Hennessy was doing, keepers are cluless though. As for the Welsh pony tail, I would have contributed more on that pitch than he contributed. Senegal v Qatar I may possibly regret this one

[0762]

England 0 USA 0 and this was the most tempting bet today at 3-1 with the bookies no doubt thinking this was a "stroll in the park" for England! Not so!! One thing that has definitely transpired after this match is "England are not as good as many of the footie media pundits (and others) have been irritatingly uttering since their 1st game v Iran"!!! They were "rank rotten", single dimensional in their forages towards the USA goal and should've been beaten by at least two clear goals tonight. How refreshing to watch a young USA team taking chances and "playing fitba" through the lines while stifling England's/Southgate's game plan with their own strategy. In the past few days, I've occasionally listened to a number of English pundits (plus Poole-based Souness!!) "spouting off" how better England can be v other observed top six footie nations during matches that England were not even participating in. I wonder if a sudden reality has set in for these people and other footie observers are retrospectively realising the exact opposite re England's footie potential and weaknesses (quite a few btw - anybody watch their recent Nations League shambles??) in this tourney plus the fact there are a good number of vg participating teams that are definitely superior balanced sides and of course they are not playing at Wembley either i.e. no home games and no stadium full of England fans.

[hibeejim21]

Maguire moves like he is towing a 747. Their whole england team has no drive to get them up the park.

The usual slow, boring, predictable pish from Southgate.

[WakeyTerrier]

Last night was dreadful, football was poor, the ground location was poor and the transport to and from the ground was terrible.

Last night was just like watching Town, slow and laboured passing the ball around the back for the sake of just passing the ball around the back, not enough bravery on the ball.

It was gone 02:30 in the morning by the time I got back to our digs. Fancy playing a game out in the desert at 10pm with the only way of getting in and out being by bus, with bus drivers who don’t know the way.

[theo_luddite]

Belgium were given a similar if not worse run around by Canada the other night (and Canada even managed to pick out Courtois from a penalty). Belgium showed how to beat the high press with a "Route 1" goal from a free kick scored by Michy Batshuayi. Route 1 football was beyond Southgate and Maguire et al last night. I agree, at times it was like watching Town with England shirts on.

By the way Wakey - we've got taxi drivers in Wolverhampton like those Qatari bus drivers, even with Sat Nav and phone apps on the dashboard and windscreen. Clueless.