ChaoticMusings

Maddog wrote:

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Vam wrote:

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Maddog wrote:

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That's a wrap from North Texas. I'm glad that everyone had a good time, and I think most folks here are glad they did (there's a few assholes everywhere). 

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 😊 👏🏻👏🏻 For me, the best World Cup overall presentation from pretty much every perspective - except for when 🇮🇹 Italia won (4 times 😜)

Credit where it’s due. Your country is beautiful. Your vast, state-of-the-art stadiums are magnificent. You’ve perfected the art of service with a smile, which can make shopping/dining out in the US a fabulous experience.

Most importantly, and as I’ve always thought, Americans are among the most welcoming, friendly, generous-spirited, vibrant people I’ve ever personally encountered.

No wonder you got game, Dawg  I just wish you guys could finally purge that loathsome, squalid rabble of parasites currently squatting in Washington.

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 We are quite the dichotomy. The friendlier the people, the more likely they are to wear red hats, symbolizing support for quite an unfriendly human.

What gets me is that a lot of Europeans that came here were expecting unfriendly people. How did that get started? I always thought the knock on Americans was a lack of culture? 🤷

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  Are you kidding? All I‘ll say is where have you been in the 11 years, since we saw that crass golden escalator descending? The illusion of isolationist discord and divisiveness started then, and continues to this day.

In terms of ‘culture’… when a foreigner admires your country and compliments your fellow Americans, it’s usually quite cultured to simply say  ‘thanks’ 

Vam wrote:

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Maddog wrote:

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Vam wrote:

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Maddog wrote:

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That's a wrap from North Texas. I'm glad that everyone had a good time, and I think most folks here are glad they did (there's a few assholes everywhere). 

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 😊 👏🏻👏🏻 For me, the best World Cup overall presentation from pretty much every perspective - except for when 🇮🇹 Italia won (4 times 😜)

Credit where it’s due. Your country is beautiful. Your vast, state-of-the-art stadiums are magnificent. You’ve perfected the art of service with a smile, which can make shopping/dining out in the US a fabulous experience.

Most importantly, and as I’ve always thought, Americans are among the most welcoming, friendly, generous-spirited, vibrant people I’ve ever personally encountered.

No wonder you got game, Dawg  I just wish you guys could finally purge that loathsome, squalid rabble of parasites currently squatting in Washington.

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 We are quite the dichotomy. The friendlier the people, the more likely they are to wear red hats, symbolizing support for quite an unfriendly human.

What gets me is that a lot of Europeans that came here were expecting unfriendly people. How did that get started? I always thought the knock on Americans was a lack of culture? 🤷

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  Are you kidding? All I‘ll say is where have you been in the 11 years, since we saw that crass golden escalator descending? The illusion of isolationist discord and divisiveness started then, and continues to this day.

In terms of ‘culture’… when a foreigner admires your country and compliments your fellow Americans, it’s usually quite cultured to simply say  ‘thanks’ 

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 But why would you associate our level of friendliness with our leader? 

Are you saying Europeans thought our general level of friendliness ebbs and flows depending who our president is?

Vam wrote:

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Magica wrote:

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Very true Vams 

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 Then this quick clip will give you a laugh….Jude has run out of fucks to give  I love that lad!

https://x.com/babeweezy55/status/2077542074866426295?s=61

The Spanish are reporting that Jude told Messi the whole world knows he’s still there because the Argy team, and Messi especially, are protected. Jude then laughed at Messi and told him ‘Ronaldo is better than you.’ as he walked away.
Followed by Messi immediately running to the ref to complain like a little Diva 

 

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  yes Messi loves. himself.  Jude is right, I've always said Ronaldo is better than Messi. 

Good on Jude!.😄

Loved the game, 6 goals, we played better than in the semi final.

We ran rings round France in the first half, and got 4 goals. Second half France started to play and scored 4 in all, always attacking our goal.   We got a penalty which Saka took, my heart was in my mouth, but he owned it. They they brought Jude on who scored the 6th goal.

Personally I thought it was a great game. France did get abit dirty, but the
game was entertaining and more importantly, WE WON!!!!

Hope you liked my commentary! 😅😅 

Red Okktober wrote:

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It was like a kickabout in the school playground with no tactics.

6-4 was good light entertainment though.

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  Red, it’s sure not everything, but at least it’s something. Right?

…. & @ Mags… way to go with your post-match commentary! 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Magica wrote:

Hope you liked my commentary! 😅😅 

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 Loved it 

What a bonkers game. I think my wife and I woke up the entire neighbourhood cheering when Jude scored his last minute goal. It was very enjoyable to see how a game can unfold with free-flowing football which isn't stopped every five minutes by the use of tactical fouls to break up a game (*cough Argentina.) 

Deschamps must have done his nut at halftime when France were down 4-0. The game obviously meant something to the degree France didn't want to be humiliated as the Deschamps brought on a lot of France's best players who had been benched. Felt a little sorry for Cherki though. 

I'll watch the final tonight but it will obviously be a very different type of match. 

Vam wrote:

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  Red, it’s sure not everything, but at least it’s something. Right?

…. & @ Mags… way to go with your post-match commentary! 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻

-- Edited by Vam on Sunday 19th of July 2026 11:09:54 AM

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France didn't even bother turning up until the second half, and as Avon said, it was only the fear of humiliation that made them play better. 

It's a bit meh to take any pleasure out of coming 3rd after that woeful semi-final display. France's initial 'not giving a shit' attitude somehow seemed more dignified.

This bloke sums it up for me 'Throw it in the bin'. 

https://x.com/Jamin2g/status/2078741327101988915

I may be in the minority here but I am pleased with England's performance in this World Cup and it matched my expectations. I expected us to reach the semi-finals with a good chance of reaching the finals which is what played out. Yes, the match yesterday did not count for anything but 3rd place is factually the best outcome we have achieved since 1966. It is something that the ex-players and pundits, some of which are laying into Tuchel, never achieved. 

Some foreign football fans accuse English fans of being entitled, and sadly I think they sometimes have a point. There is this idea that because we have a long footballing heritage, a strong domestic league and have won it before that with time it will simply be our turn, and we will lift the trophy. We all know it doesn't work that way. To win at the the highest level requires constant effort, using every opportunity to improve and obtain real-world feedback, to play elite opposition as much as possible to raise standards, to go out with the intention to win no matter how lowly the occasion (such as yesterday's game.) We are an excellent side, but we are not yet elite. There is a gap we need to close but it is definitely bridgeable. To do so requires no opportunity should be wasted. I view yesterday's game in that context. This is elite level football, not tiddlywinks. Every aspect matters.

We didn't reach the finals and the most likely reason was Tuchel's tactics, which were especially hard to see as an England fan as they haven't worked in the past. However, they were not negligent, reckless or foolhardy in the context of the games that had preceded the Argentina one (Mexico & Norway.) Before kick off a match is a game of chess, when the game starts it becomes a game of poker. In poker, you play the hand with the highest probable chance of winning but accepting sometimes you fall on the opposite side of the odds and lose. What is important to be competitive is not the individual result but a commitment to the quality of your decision making. If your decision making process is solid you win more times than you lose over time.

With the Argentina game and think Tuchel's tactics had a 55/45 chance of success given how advanced the game was and what we saw in preceding games etc. Yes, we could have made more attacking subs to close out the game but then we could have left ourselves wide open on the counter and lost 2-1 as we did or 3-1. Tuchel gambled but found himself on the wrong side of the odds. The decision making process does not seem fundamentally flawed however which is perhaps why he doesn't have regrets. 

Anyway, this was much longer than I thought it would be but I am optimistic for England in the future if Tuchel stays (unless as I said before Pep wants the job as I rate him.)