sluggo said:

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Quck Belgium Preview:

This is a rematch of the round of 16 game in 2014. In that one Belgium outclassed the USA, but keeper Tim Howard stood on his head to get the game into extra time. In extra time Belgium won 2-1 with the US goal on a lucky bounce.

In 2022 in the round of 16 the USA lost 3-1 to the Netherlands with the US goal on a lucky bounce. The Netherlands were better, but they did not completely outclass the US like Belgium had in 2014. The Orange coach made fun of the US coach for poor strategy.

So now it is 2026 and the US is back in the round of 16, just where they were supposed to get. Belgium is not as good as they were in 2014, and they have a number of players from that team for are in their 30s. (I am not sure if Tim Ream was on the US team but I don't think so, for sure none of the other US players were.)

Belgium is led by 2014's Kevin deBruyne, who left Man City a year ago for Italy. Five years ago I think he was a top 5 in the world player. Now he is still very good, but he moves less well. He will pull the strings from the midfield.

The star player to me if Jeremy Doku. He is a current Man City player, and he is a menace. Built low to the ground like Barry Sanders, he is quick, fast, and has fantastic footwork. In the 5-2 friendly win a few months ago he destroyed Freeman, who is not a great 1v1 defender. The US will need a midfielder to get back every time to help Freeman out, while still not opening up too much of the rest of the field. It can be done but was not done in the friendly.

Belgium has a couple other good attackers in Arsenal's Trossard, who is small and tricky, and de Ketalaare (sp?), a player who I had not seen before but was very good against Senegal.

In Belgium's last match they were outplayed for the first 75 minutes by a good but not great Senegal team. They scored one lucky goal followed by an excellent goal late and won in extra time. I was not impressed. They were too slow for Senegal. The US may not be as quick as Senegal, but they are not that much slower.

I could see this game going a number of ways. The US could pressure Belgium and have 60% possession. Or Belgium could push back and the possession could even favor them. Either team could score multiple goals. The key to the game is how the US covers Doku, and whether they can at all. It will be interesting to see how the first 15 minutes look.

In the end, I think Belgium will win 3-2 in a hard fought game. But a US win would not shock me.

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BearlySane88 said:

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oski003 said:

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BearlySane88 said:

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Cal88 said:

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oski003 said:

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BearNIt said:

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He couldn't help himself and put his chubby thumb on the scale, called the head of FIFA and got a red card lifted. This will taint the U.S. national team's run in the World Cup going forward. Will the team's hard work be celebrated or will this World Cup be remembered for US presidential interference?

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As a non-TDS afflicted soccer fan, I am glad our president made the call asking for the red card to be reviewed. The card should never have been called based on slow mo and still images that made the incident look way worse than it was, which is illegal VAR procedure by FIFA rules. Hopefully, others can also look past their bias and see the facts for what they are.

---

FYI - Governments have been strictly prohibited from directly interfering with FIFA on things like referee decisions, with penalties being dished out to soccer federations whose government interfered.

AI Overview

Under FIFA Statutes, national governments are strictly prohibited from directly interfering in the internal operations, elections, or disciplinary decisions of football associations. Member states that violate this rule face immediate penalties, including bans on national teams and club participation in all international competitions. [1, 2]

Enforcement of the Rule
FIFA requires all member associations to manage their affairs independently and without political influence (Articles 2(2) and 15(c)). If a government dissolves a federation board, attempts a hostile takeover, or overrides refereeing decisions, FIFA regularly steps in to suspend the offending country. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Nations that have historically faced World Cup or international bans due to political meddling include: [1]

• Nepal (Suspended over government interference in the football federation)
• Pakistan and Chad (Banned for government interference and hostile takeovers)
• Mali (Suspended after its sports minister dissolved the executive committee of the national federation)
• Kenya (Suspended by FIFA when the government dissolved the football federation board)
• Kuwait, Indonesia, Iraq, and Nigeria (All previously sanctioned for government attempts to control or dissolve their football associations) [1, 2, 3, 4]

Recent Controversies
While FIFA enforces these guidelines globally, the strictness of the rule occasionally sparks controversy. High-profile interventionssuch as when the White House directly lobbied FIFA to suspend an automatic red-card ban for U.S. striker Folarin Balogunhave led to accusations of political favoritism and inconsistency in how FIFA applies its disciplinary rules. [1, 2, 3, 4]

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It was a decision made by an 18 person board. Not Trump. Who cares, let's beat Belgium.

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Since Belgium is being a scared, whiny *** about this, let's rename Belgian Waffles to Freedom Waffles!

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I've always felt that I want my teams to play and beat the best version of the other team, not a water downed or injured version. Never understand people complaining about things like this

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sluggo said:

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No Doku or deBryune. This is nuts.

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BearNIt said:

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BearlySane88 said:

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oski003 said:

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BearlySane88 said:

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Cal88 said:

---

oski003 said:

---

BearNIt said:

---

He couldn't help himself and put his chubby thumb on the scale, called the head of FIFA and got a red card lifted. This will taint the U.S. national team's run in the World Cup going forward. Will the team's hard work be celebrated or will this World Cup be remembered for US presidential interference?

---

As a non-TDS afflicted soccer fan, I am glad our president made the call asking for the red card to be reviewed. The card should never have been called based on slow mo and still images that made the incident look way worse than it was, which is illegal VAR procedure by FIFA rules. Hopefully, others can also look past their bias and see the facts for what they are.

---

FYI - Governments have been strictly prohibited from directly interfering with FIFA on things like referee decisions, with penalties being dished out to soccer federations whose government interfered.

AI Overview

Under FIFA Statutes, national governments are strictly prohibited from directly interfering in the internal operations, elections, or disciplinary decisions of football associations. Member states that violate this rule face immediate penalties, including bans on national teams and club participation in all international competitions. [1, 2]

Enforcement of the Rule
FIFA requires all member associations to manage their affairs independently and without political influence (Articles 2(2) and 15(c)). If a government dissolves a federation board, attempts a hostile takeover, or overrides refereeing decisions, FIFA regularly steps in to suspend the offending country. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Nations that have historically faced World Cup or international bans due to political meddling include: [1]

• Nepal (Suspended over government interference in the football federation)
• Pakistan and Chad (Banned for government interference and hostile takeovers)
• Mali (Suspended after its sports minister dissolved the executive committee of the national federation)
• Kenya (Suspended by FIFA when the government dissolved the football federation board)
• Kuwait, Indonesia, Iraq, and Nigeria (All previously sanctioned for government attempts to control or dissolve their football associations) [1, 2, 3, 4]

Recent Controversies
While FIFA enforces these guidelines globally, the strictness of the rule occasionally sparks controversy. High-profile interventionssuch as when the White House directly lobbied FIFA to suspend an automatic red-card ban for U.S. striker Folarin Balogunhave led to accusations of political favoritism and inconsistency in how FIFA applies its disciplinary rules. [1, 2, 3, 4]

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It was a decision made by an 18 person board. Not Trump. Who cares, let's beat Belgium.

---

Since Belgium is being a scared, whiny *** about this, let's rename Belgian Waffles to Freedom Waffles!

---

I've always felt that I want my teams to play and beat the best version of the other team, not a water downed or injured version. Never understand people complaining about things like this

---

BALCO, Barry Bonds, and Steroids. Putting your thumb on the scale is putting your thumb on the scales. No athlete who believes in fairness and his own ability would be proud of this. This is a stain on U.S. Soccer when it didn't need to be.

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DiabloWags said:

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#2 Dest just stood there.
Horrible.

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Cal88 said:

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Both Belgium goals came in from the left side.

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dajo9 said:

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Belgium too fast and physical for the U.S., which is a funny thing to type.

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Cal88 said:

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Both Belgium goals came in from the left side.

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BearlySane88 said:

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BearNIt said:

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BearlySane88 said:

---

oski003 said:

---

BearlySane88 said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

oski003 said:

---

BearNIt said:

---

He couldn't help himself and put his chubby thumb on the scale, called the head of FIFA and got a red card lifted. This will taint the U.S. national team's run in the World Cup going forward. Will the team's hard work be celebrated or will this World Cup be remembered for US presidential interference?

---

As a non-TDS afflicted soccer fan, I am glad our president made the call asking for the red card to be reviewed. The card should never have been called based on slow mo and still images that made the incident look way worse than it was, which is illegal VAR procedure by FIFA rules. Hopefully, others can also look past their bias and see the facts for what they are.

---

FYI - Governments have been strictly prohibited from directly interfering with FIFA on things like referee decisions, with penalties being dished out to soccer federations whose government interfered.

AI Overview

Under FIFA Statutes, national governments are strictly prohibited from directly interfering in the internal operations, elections, or disciplinary decisions of football associations. Member states that violate this rule face immediate penalties, including bans on national teams and club participation in all international competitions. [1, 2]

Enforcement of the Rule
FIFA requires all member associations to manage their affairs independently and without political influence (Articles 2(2) and 15(c)). If a government dissolves a federation board, attempts a hostile takeover, or overrides refereeing decisions, FIFA regularly steps in to suspend the offending country. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Nations that have historically faced World Cup or international bans due to political meddling include: [1]

• Nepal (Suspended over government interference in the football federation)
• Pakistan and Chad (Banned for government interference and hostile takeovers)
• Mali (Suspended after its sports minister dissolved the executive committee of the national federation)
• Kenya (Suspended by FIFA when the government dissolved the football federation board)
• Kuwait, Indonesia, Iraq, and Nigeria (All previously sanctioned for government attempts to control or dissolve their football associations) [1, 2, 3, 4]

Recent Controversies
While FIFA enforces these guidelines globally, the strictness of the rule occasionally sparks controversy. High-profile interventionssuch as when the White House directly lobbied FIFA to suspend an automatic red-card ban for U.S. striker Folarin Balogunhave led to accusations of political favoritism and inconsistency in how FIFA applies its disciplinary rules. [1, 2, 3, 4]

---

It was a decision made by an 18 person board. Not Trump. Who cares, let's beat Belgium.

---

Since Belgium is being a scared, whiny *** about this, let's rename Belgian Waffles to Freedom Waffles!

---

I've always felt that I want my teams to play and beat the best version of the other team, not a water downed or injured version. Never understand people complaining about things like this

---

BALCO, Barry Bonds, and Steroids. Putting your thumb on the scale is putting your thumb on the scales. No athlete who believes in fairness and his own ability would be proud of this. This is a stain on U.S. Soccer when it didn't need to be.

---

It's really not. Nothing against the rules happened. Move on.

---

BearNIt said:

---

BearlySane88 said:

---

BearNIt said:

---

BearlySane88 said:

---

oski003 said:

---

BearlySane88 said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

oski003 said:

---

BearNIt said:

---

He couldn't help himself and put his chubby thumb on the scale, called the head of FIFA and got a red card lifted. This will taint the U.S. national team's run in the World Cup going forward. Will the team's hard work be celebrated or will this World Cup be remembered for US presidential interference?

---

As a non-TDS afflicted soccer fan, I am glad our president made the call asking for the red card to be reviewed. The card should never have been called based on slow mo and still images that made the incident look way worse than it was, which is illegal VAR procedure by FIFA rules. Hopefully, others can also look past their bias and see the facts for what they are.

---

FYI - Governments have been strictly prohibited from directly interfering with FIFA on things like referee decisions, with penalties being dished out to soccer federations whose government interfered.

AI Overview

Under FIFA Statutes, national governments are strictly prohibited from directly interfering in the internal operations, elections, or disciplinary decisions of football associations. Member states that violate this rule face immediate penalties, including bans on national teams and club participation in all international competitions. [1, 2]

Enforcement of the Rule
FIFA requires all member associations to manage their affairs independently and without political influence (Articles 2(2) and 15(c)). If a government dissolves a federation board, attempts a hostile takeover, or overrides refereeing decisions, FIFA regularly steps in to suspend the offending country. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Nations that have historically faced World Cup or international bans due to political meddling include: [1]

• Nepal (Suspended over government interference in the football federation)
• Pakistan and Chad (Banned for government interference and hostile takeovers)
• Mali (Suspended after its sports minister dissolved the executive committee of the national federation)
• Kenya (Suspended by FIFA when the government dissolved the football federation board)
• Kuwait, Indonesia, Iraq, and Nigeria (All previously sanctioned for government attempts to control or dissolve their football associations) [1, 2, 3, 4]

Recent Controversies
While FIFA enforces these guidelines globally, the strictness of the rule occasionally sparks controversy. High-profile interventionssuch as when the White House directly lobbied FIFA to suspend an automatic red-card ban for U.S. striker Folarin Balogunhave led to accusations of political favoritism and inconsistency in how FIFA applies its disciplinary rules. [1, 2, 3, 4]

---

It was a decision made by an 18 person board. Not Trump. Who cares, let's beat Belgium.

---

Since Belgium is being a scared, whiny *** about this, let's rename Belgian Waffles to Freedom Waffles!

---

I've always felt that I want my teams to play and beat the best version of the other team, not a water downed or injured version. Never understand people complaining about things like this

---

BALCO, Barry Bonds, and Steroids. Putting your thumb on the scale is putting your thumb on the scales. No athlete who believes in fairness and his own ability would be proud of this. This is a stain on U.S. Soccer when it didn't need to be.

---

It's really not. Nothing against the rules happened. Move on.

---

Did you ever compete in sports at the college or pro level? You want to compete based on your own skill and not because a politician or administrator decided to put his thumb on the scales. That is the difference.

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BearNIt said:

---

BearlySane88 said:

---

BearNIt said:

---

BearlySane88 said:

---

oski003 said:

---

BearlySane88 said:

---

Cal88 said:

---

oski003 said:

---

BearNIt said:

---

He couldn't help himself and put his chubby thumb on the scale, called the head of FIFA and got a red card lifted. This will taint the U.S. national team's run in the World Cup going forward. Will the team's hard work be celebrated or will this World Cup be remembered for US presidential interference?

---

As a non-TDS afflicted soccer fan, I am glad our president made the call asking for the red card to be reviewed. The card should never have been called based on slow mo and still images that made the incident look way worse than it was, which is illegal VAR procedure by FIFA rules. Hopefully, others can also look past their bias and see the facts for what they are.

---

FYI - Governments have been strictly prohibited from directly interfering with FIFA on things like referee decisions, with penalties being dished out to soccer federations whose government interfered.

AI Overview

Under FIFA Statutes, national governments are strictly prohibited from directly interfering in the internal operations, elections, or disciplinary decisions of football associations. Member states that violate this rule face immediate penalties, including bans on national teams and club participation in all international competitions. [1, 2]

Enforcement of the Rule
FIFA requires all member associations to manage their affairs independently and without political influence (Articles 2(2) and 15(c)). If a government dissolves a federation board, attempts a hostile takeover, or overrides refereeing decisions, FIFA regularly steps in to suspend the offending country. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Nations that have historically faced World Cup or international bans due to political meddling include: [1]

• Nepal (Suspended over government interference in the football federation)
• Pakistan and Chad (Banned for government interference and hostile takeovers)
• Mali (Suspended after its sports minister dissolved the executive committee of the national federation)
• Kenya (Suspended by FIFA when the government dissolved the football federation board)
• Kuwait, Indonesia, Iraq, and Nigeria (All previously sanctioned for government attempts to control or dissolve their football associations) [1, 2, 3, 4]

Recent Controversies
While FIFA enforces these guidelines globally, the strictness of the rule occasionally sparks controversy. High-profile interventionssuch as when the White House directly lobbied FIFA to suspend an automatic red-card ban for U.S. striker Folarin Balogunhave led to accusations of political favoritism and inconsistency in how FIFA applies its disciplinary rules. [1, 2, 3, 4]

---

It was a decision made by an 18 person board. Not Trump. Who cares, let's beat Belgium.

---

Since Belgium is being a scared, whiny *** about this, let's rename Belgian Waffles to Freedom Waffles!

---

I've always felt that I want my teams to play and beat the best version of the other team, not a water downed or injured version. Never understand people complaining about things like this

---

BALCO, Barry Bonds, and Steroids. Putting your thumb on the scale is putting your thumb on the scales. No athlete who believes in fairness and his own ability would be proud of this. This is a stain on U.S. Soccer when it didn't need to be.

---

It's really not. Nothing against the rules happened. Move on.

---

Did you ever compete in sports at the college or pro level? You want to compete based on your own skill and not because a politician or administrator decided to put his thumb on the scales. That is the difference.

---

Anarchistbear said:

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Lucky to be down one. They are winning every battle. Game has a JV vs Varsity vibe.

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bearister said:

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*Sports is about honor. There was nothing honorable about the interaction between Trump and Infantino and the entire world knows it.

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