Welcome to the Qatar 2022 World Cup!
posted by The Blue Devil @ 9:31 AM
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Contributors
Previous Posts
- Qatar 2022 Preview - Group H
- Qatar 2022 Preview - Group G
- Qatar 2022 Preview - Group F
- Qatar 2022 Preview - Group E
- Qatar 2022 Preview - Group D
- Qatar 2022 - Group C Preview
- Premiership Plus Predictions Week 15 Update
- Qatar 2022 Preview - Group B
- A Final Sunday Doubleheader Before the World Cup
- Qatar 2022 Group A Preview
314 Comments:
I am here!!
22nd version of the World Cup in '22
15 seconds away from the opening ceremony
We are off... WC 22 has started
Morgan Freeman with the opening monologue
Good morning Bob and Dave. Here for the matches, but not the ceremonies. Good way to spend our wedding anniversary.
Happy Anniversary to you both!!
I won't be commenting too much during England matches. I want to concentrate on the match and not the computer screen
Morning, boys - hope you're enjoying the opening ceremonies. Camels? Morgan Freeman?
Lots of friends are boycotting this iteration of the greatest sporting event in world sport, because of FIFA corruption, the absurd timing of the tournament, and abysmal human rights record of the host nation and a host of other reasons. Yet, I'm still watching, because it is the World Cup. Imagine that your least favorite celebrity suddenly bought the exclusive rights to your favorite holiday (say, Elon Musk now owned Thanksgiving). You'd still eat the turkey, wouldn't you?
I aint boycotting nuttin
I am here for the games
Thanks Dave. Greatly appreciated. Will be leaving shortly after the match to pick up Melanie from the Atlanta airport.
Good point, Bob. I'm watching the matches, but made not as much this week because we will be going places with Melanie and Thanksgiving will be tough because I'm helping with meal preparations. The reasons you're listing is why I was originally thinking of boycotting the tournament, but I do love turkey
I totally get your take on the England matches, Dave. I'll be on the blog with whoever comes by. I always hope that these tournaments are a way to build the LOB. What you might do is chip in with some comments at half time and full time as I'd love to hear your views on the England performance.
Here's an interesting fact I heard yesterday. No host team has ever lost their opening match. I hope Qatar get hammered today, but my head says a 0-0 draw.
I'm with you, Bob. I'll be commenting . Not sure if I'll be around for England vs the U.S. because I may be driving Melanie back to the Atlanta airport
I saw that stat yesterday and was thinking that Qatar may be the first host nation to lose.
I'm a big fan of turkey, too, David. Our Thanksgiving plan this year is a Shepherd's Pie variation with turkey and sweet potato. Looking forward to it.
There was a link on my phone that said FIFA warned that Qatar awarded too many penalties in the warmup matches. If that happens during the WC then that may cause me to boycott the matches. FIFA probably could care less.
That's sounds like a great Thanksgiving dinner. I have never sen that variation of Thanksgiving dinner, but am interesting in trying that
The team news for the opener:
Qatar (5-3-2) Saad Alsheeb; Pedro Miguel, Boualem Khoukhi, Bassam Hisham, Abdelkarim Hassan, Homam Ahmed; Abdulaziz Hatem, Hassan Alhaydos, Karim Boudiaf; Akram Afif, Almoez Ali.
Ecuador (4-4-2) Galindez; Preciado, Torres, Hincapie, Estupinan; Plata, Mendez, Caicedo, Ibarra; Valencia, Estrada.
Referee Daniele Orsato (Italy).
I haver never head of any of the Qatar players, but didn't like the fact that during the Gold Cup they were always involved in gamesmanship and referee intimidation. I am familiar with a few of the Ecuador players. A couple of Seagulls and former Hammer, Enner Valencia, who I picked to score the tournament's first goal.
According to my predictions this is the wooden spoon match of the group.
Qatar have been criticized for naturalizing three Brazilians that are part of their World Cup squad
Three MLS players are in the Ecuador WC squad, two of them teammates with Monkey Boy at LAFC. One of them, Jhegson Mendez, starting today.
I just turned on the coverage and it's sickening how they're falling over Qatar like they would Pool or Citeh. I disagree about their top players being superstars
Totally agree, David - the Fox hacks are bending over backward to appease the Qataris.
Oh lord, somebody’s given Infantino the mic again.
Back from a quick jog to Tom's place and back
How many years is it David?
Infantino speaking . He should really be talking about fair play and refs not being biased towards the host nation.
Welcome back Bob and Dave. Today is our 29th anniversary.
Alright, then - the teams are coming out and the footer is about to start.
Fabulous - happy anniversary, mate!
Qatar is the first WC debut team to host the WC since Italy in 1934. That would make Qatar only the third debut hosts ever.
Thanks Bob and Dave. Greatly appreciated.
In terms of the Predictions Game, several of us have picked Ener Valencia to score the first goal.
Congrats again!
Three days before the Final....will be 32 for Kathy and I! Best decision I ever made!!! Second....becoming a United fan!
I saw a link that said Blatter stated Qatar never should have been awarded the WC. Why didn't he do anything about int? He had plenty of opportunities as he was only the Bloody President.
I picked John Stones!
This one to be nil nil!!
Is there a point available for the first scorer of our pool?
Happy early congratulations even though I will do so ton the actual day. Same with Elizabeth
Stones with a towering header from our first corner!
My birthday is the day of the Third place match.
I suppose that FIFA make for countries like Qatar hosting is to spread the game's appeal, but I would be happy if they just rotated between Europe and South America.
If this is 0-0 then Dave you should have every chance of getting a point or two.
Arriving late because I didn't want to view a second of Qatar's and Infantino's victory lap this morning. I've read that Rob Stone has once again cemented his deserved reputation as sport's Fox's friend with his obsequious commentary.
Come on Ecuador. Fill your boots today and send this undeserving lot packing. C'mon.
That works for me, Dave! I've got this one as a 0-0 draw and Raheem Sterling scoring the first goal.
I agree, Bob. That's probably the reason even though I'm okay with the three CONCACAF nations hosting. They should do a good job.
Morning, Steve - welcome! Yes, the Fox hacks including Stone have outdone themselves with shameless pandering.
Good Morning Steve. Those are my exact feelings. I tuned in about five minutes ago.
Happy anniversary MUR.
US gave the captaincy to Tyler Adams....will he be Leeds captain next season?
Well, I can't deny that I'm looking forward to seeing matches in the US next time around. I thoroughly enjoyed '94.
Bob, I think Dave is more likely than you to get points due to Sterling's poor form with Chelsea, but I may be wrong.
Morning Steve
WE ARE OFF
COME ON ENGLAND
Thanks Steve. Greatly appreciated
The countdown was too late!!
I wouldn't be surprised, mate. Liam Cooper is on borrowed time right now. Tyler is already a firm fan favorite.
I like that Qatar goes forward with speed
We're away in the 2022 World Cup! Come on!
The WC is underway
Just downloaded Fox Sports app...all games can be watched on it
I think also the COCK, but don't think anyone will exercise that option.
You picked Chelsea's wingback to score first....he stinks!
A couple of tasty challenges already.
I think the COCK is only Spanish
Not sure how the Qatar fullback escaped a booking. The Italian ref being biased?
The tackling is of the take no prisoners school
Razza tends to score a lot for England - that's all I care about. Harry Maguire to chip in with a header from a corner, as well.
GOAL....VALENCIA GIVES THE VISITORS THE LEAD
Let's have goals!!!
Wahay! Enner Valencia nods Ecuador into the lead within three minutes. Points all round in our Predictions Game!
Get-in! Quids-in for Ener! And the Gooner's LOB stakes
Just tuned in the COCK.....GOOOOOOOOLLLLL
Spanish
WAY HAY ENNER VALENCIA GIVES ECUADOR AN EARLY LEAD .THE GOALKEEPER COMPLETELY MISSED A LOING FREE KICK THEN TWO DEFENDERS FAILED TO CLEAR THEN ENNER VALENCIA WITH A CLOSE RANGE FREE HEADER OFF A CROSS FROM FELIX TORRES.
I guess our smart picks are wrong...
VAR checking for something...let's not have this crap!!
Nothing was wrong with that!
That will take the air out of the Qatari balloon. I wouldn't want to be the Qatari keeper right now.
IT IS OFFSIDE!!
No goal
Bloody hell
I HATE VAR
May the comedy-keeper keep it up.
That is VAR checking? It looked a perfectly good goal. Disallowed for offside
Oh my goodness - that is a VAR travesty.
I didn't see it but it must have been when the goalkeeper missed the ball. That's what Doc Joe said.
That was never offside!!
Agreed, Dave. Are the refs on the take?
I don't get it... I know the keeper was out...where was it
Bullshit VAR decision not advancing the idea that this the Qatar team is playing on a level surface.
Qatar look pumped up but hopeless.
Was it a foul on the keeper perhaps?
Qatar goalkeeper looking shaky again, but his indecisive punch clears the danger
According to the Beeb, FIFA says it was for offside...I wish they'd tell us WHERE
Enner Valencia wins Qatar free kick. They should cross it in again as they did for the disallowed goal
Agreed, Dave. I didn't see it either
Ecuador are starting to dominate possession. We’re yet to see much of Qatar’s front two, Akram Afif and Almoez Ali.
The VAR referee probably said to the ref....there is a gun pointed at my head....it is offside
I am really disappointed that the fix seems to be in here. But this Qatar keeper may be so awful that they cannot be saved even if they've bought the officials.
Ecuador long throw results in a corner
Spot on Bob and Dave. I agree 100%
Corner headed away at the near post
Ecuador really enjoying these set piece chances, with the Qatari defenders and keeper all over the shop.
Rob Stone thought we had the fastest opening goal of the World Cup. We did too
Oh please. That's not offside.
Now I see it. Felix Torres was offside with his right foot. VAR has made those decisions before , so that makes sense. It's VAR being poor.,
PENALTY!!! Give it to Ener!
PENALTY ECUADOR. THE KEEPER TRIPS ENNER VALENCIA AS HE WAS CLEAN THROUGH OFF A NICE THROUGH BALL.
Wahay! Penalty to Ecuador! Hilarious foul by the keeper.
Penalty!
They showed the offside...that is not in the spirit of the offside
NO ADVANTAGE!
So, Valencia has a chance to get us some points again. Come on, mate!
Keeper booked , which I think is the correct decision under the rules. Would be red if it were outside the box.
Valencia to take.
Valencia will get another chance to get points for LOBers
ONE NIL!
Or will it be offside again!
Valencia slides it home with ease. Alsheeb not even on the same planet.
We are seeing some chances in this game...hope it is like this for the whole tournament
GOAL! VALENCIA WITH THE STUTTER STEP THEN PLACES IT IN THE CORNER, SENDING THE KEEPER THE WRONG WAY
There it is Ener. Now fill your boots with more.
Two pints for several of us.
I picked Ecuador to go through
Has Qatar been inside the box?
Are there chances b due to the tactics or because Qatar is that horrible
Nice one, Dave! LOL!
Qatar just now in the box, but fail to win a corner
I don't think any of us should be drinking two pints this early!!
Boom boom
I think Qatar will sit back even if they're losing 5-0
Saad gets a yellow. He should also be a shoo-in for the People's Choice best performance in a comedy award.
The Qatar goalkeeper win the golden glove in the Asina Cup[ in 2019. He will be butterfingers this tournament
ooh...almost number two!!
So far...this is the OFFSIDE World Cup
Oh - nearly a second goal for Ecuador. They could run riot here. Why couldn't England get into this group!
Offside called as the Qatar goalkeeper and an Ecuador player collide.
LOL, Steve. He should be called the Fall Guy
Stay down Saad. You're in way over your head.
There were complaints that Qatar had been awarded too many penalties in their moist recent friendlies. Today the opposite that they concede one.
Another Qatar player is booked.
It is unfair that one second seeded team(Holland) get Qatar as their #1 seed
Throw-in directly to an Ecuadoran player followed up with a hack-down and Qatari yellow. Hah!
Long free kick cleared then the return cross desperately cleared
England Iran not good enough for proper Fox...we get FS1
I heard an interview from Ramsdale that he ball isn't doing crazy stuff in the air. He likes it
Yeah - they're going all out for the US v. Wales coverage in the afternoon.
Honestly, this mob of Qataris are much much worse than the lot that they sent to the Gold Cup that were impressive. Are we going to read later that their team included a bunch of Crown Princes drafted in to make the Emir happy?
Senegal vs the Dutch also on the local FOX. Just the England match on FS1 tomorrow.
I haven't heard too much about the heat today. Apparently, England have been training at mid-day 90F+ weather to get accustomed to it.
I know that three Brazilians . Were they non league players or are they on the bench?
The goalkeeper Alsheeb must be fearing a future in some dank detention camp at this point. He's had a shocker.
Felix Sanchez, Felix Sanchez, You're not at La Massa anymorrrrr. You're not at La Massa anymorrrrr.
It's seven in the evening so the heat bus probably not a factor , but I thought it would be cooler in November
Yellow cards are given out so much these days. Some are just fouls!
75 degrees at night. Very nice.
Seagulls Caicedo booked for his first foul, but Qatar given several warnings for similar challenges
Agreed. This ref doesn't know the difference between a simple foul and a dangerous one. Modern officiating sucks
TWO NIL!!
VALENCIA!!
Of course, we have to wait
Wahay! Valencia has his brace - should have been a hat-trick!
WAY HAY !VALENCIA AT THE DOUBLE AS HE HEADS ECUADOR INTO A TWO GOAL LEAD
He could win the Golden Boot before half time!
Waheeeeeey! Find a reason to disallow that you corrupt b****ds.
Stunning...it counts
Nice run by Caicedo off poor defending then played out back for the right back to put in a tasty cross for Valencia to head in
Qatar with their first shot and it looks like Johnny Wilkinson was recruited as it made it halfway to Turkey
Their team is pretty naive. Maybe the bribers only paid for one disallowed goal instead of a brace or two.
I should have picked a Dutch player for the GB.!
Their number 2 is making a strong run at first early bath. He's a bruiser, but who would have known to pick him?
No chance for Alsheeb to bollix that one up. Just a great header from the Ecuadoran.
Didn't Qatar play in the US a year or so ago. They looked pretty decent going forward
Three Qataris into the book already. Wouldn't it be lovely for them to end up playing with ten men (or nine)?
Ecuador shirts look a lot like Colombia's....what a great time that was at the Cottage!!
Nice contrast there between a couple of pissed off looking Qataris and the Ecuadoran fans going bouncy bouncy in the stands.
The Qatari took out Valencia's standing leg! That's a red.
Aren't the unsmiling Princes a gratifying sight?
are they taking a drinkies break. Is it that hot? Another Qatar player booked.
Long free kick from stupid Jan straight to the keeper.
Catching practice for poor Saad.
It's been a really Saad first half performance, not a happy one for the joke of a keeper.
Qatar's supposed superstar striker took a 40- minutes to get his first touch then tackled a second later.
Enner Valencia is a left-footed strike away from a perfect hat trick in the opening match of a World Cup!
Great pic Bob...get dressed for crying out loud!
Another Qatar doulas Valencia is down. I think they have committed more fouls than have had touches of the ball.
Valencia down hurt.... Of course...the the stretcher comes out....and the player gets up
It is a Python sketch!
The stretcher wa out but then immediately removed. Seems like he will be able to continue
Nice python reference, Dave
It's Sunday, mate. I'm in my robe most of the day!
doesn't sound like this Spanish coach is well qualified. With all their money and the fact that Qatar is hosting a WC they could have done better
I don't blame him. The Qatari defenders have marked his card now that he's scored 3 and been allowed 2.
A quintet of stoppage time minutes
I agree, Steve. Qatar is so bad they're being thrashed even with the refs on the take.
Just a reindeer that Brazil, of all countries ,is the host nation with the record defeat in a WC match
Felix Sanchez is a Barca graduate, well thought of. Qatari dinars turned his head but his reputation won't suffer because the players are demonstrably rubbish.
Half-time - well, that was a laugh, mainly how comically bad the Qataris are at football.
Bob's snowed in with two kids under 6 months old. I wasn't always showered by 3pm in those days. And I only had one.
Not yet....Qatar almost get a gaol
Now it is half time
OH! Qatar with a great chance to get a goal back. Free header from two yards out and completely misses it and Ecuador is two up at the half.
I know Steve! I give Bob and Kate so much credit!
Rob Stone.... can't make the first half with his voice going!
Oh, sitter! He elected to put his face on that cross instead.
They're shockers, but entertainingly bad.
I see that FS1 goes straight to Women's Basketball at 1 o'clock!
World Cup Today is on at 9 pm
Pregame for England Iran on at 7am
Looks like they have shows around 10-1030 nightly
That's never offside, you numpties.
I hope I'm up in time for the England match tomorrow . I will probably walk Trooper at halftime , so not sure if I will see 100% of the match, but will try to see as much as possible.
Lexi is an idiot
I agree. Valencia should have had a a first half hat-trick. Lineker did in 1986.
Brazil's 1-7 loss to Germany in the 2014 WC semi is the record defeat for a host nation. Is that record in jeopardy?
I still don't know how that Spanish coach got the job. IO would think WC host nation and endless budget would equal a top manager, especially to avoid being embarrassed.
Was the original pass headed on? It wasn't offside from the long ball
Not sure. I know the player's foot was offside, but I don't recall the cross being headed on
Valencia back on
Rob Stone said that Enner Valencia could become the first player to score a hat-trick in the opening match of a WC
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