2026 FIFA World Cup Thread

#52      
AssemblyHallForever
Illini92and96 said:
That was the best I can remember us playing. Lots of quick passing in tight spaces. Historically that was not our MO or our skill set.
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Agreed, passing, flow, crosses, control. A complete match. Paraguay never got over the own goal and Pulisic made great pass after great pass. Balogun was a man among boys tonight. Best player on the field. Most goals in a WC match in US history.
 
#54      
TentakilRex
Maybe I am overhyping the US, but this is what teams like Germany do to teams like Paraguay... Heck if England did this, social media would be filled with :Football is Coming Home" memes lol.
 
#56      
OrangeBlue98
I think the rest of the world is going to get quite a surprise when it comes to a soccer environment in the US next Saturday. The US-Australia game is in Seattle. I’d say Seattle is this nation’s best soccer city (apologies to Portland and St. Louis). In that stadium after last night’s performance, it may be the closest thing we’ll ever see to a college football atmosphere at a soccer game. I cannot wait.
 
#57      
Illini92and96
OrangeBlue98 said:
I think the rest of the world is going to get quite a surprise when it comes to a soccer environment in the US next Saturday. The US-Australia game is in Seattle. I’d say Seattle is this nation’s best soccer city (apologies to Portland and St. Louis). In that stadium after last night’s performance, it may be the closest thing we’ll ever see to a college football atmosphere at a soccer game. I cannot wait.
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I went to sounders soccer games when I lived there and watched a gold cup or some tourney game there. It compares to a premier league crowd when it gets going.

I just came back from San Diego and the New Zealand team was training in the hotel gym the same time I was. nice chaps.
 
#58      
Illini92and96
TentakilRex said:
Maybe I am overhyping the US, but this is what teams like Germany do to teams like Paraguay... Heck if England did this, social media would be filled with :Football is Coming Home" memes lol.
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At one point I said to my son we actually look like Argentina-Germany-France, etc. I’ve never felt that way. Hardly any kick and run, which has always been the American soccer way from youth up. I haven’t watched any games leading up to the cup. I assume pochetta (sp) has got them playing this way?
 
#59      
IlliniFaninHoosierLand
I know FIFA has rules about stadium sponsorships during the tournament but I just had to lol at there being a white sheet over the Levi's part of the Levi's Stadium signage at the top of the stadium.
 
#63      
Metal Bat
Piotyr said:
Fun article about the World Cup as explained by college basketball: https://www.basketunderreview.com/the-2026-world-cup-explained-by-college-basketball/

TLDR: Each team is compared to a college basketball program

Group A
Mexico - Tennessee (always in the tournament, never goes deep)
South Africa - Towson (makes the tournament more than you'd think but never wins)
South Korea - VCU (remember that one time they made the Final Four?)
Czech Republic - Utah (they used to be more relevant than they are now)

Group B
Canada - Northwestern (recently relevant after 40+ years of not taking the sport seriously)
Bosnia and Herzegovina - UCF (made the tournament after beating much more relevant teams to get there)
Qatar - Grand Canyon (pay to win fake franchise that nobody heard of 15 years ago)
Switzerland - Iowa State (strong defensive team, not pretty to watch)

Group C
Brazil - Duke (flashy, wins regularly, rooted against by everyone that isn't them)
Morocco - Iowa (competent program with good coaching that punches above their weight class)
Haiti - Prairie View A&M (just happy to be here, ready to be trounced)
Scotland - Belmont (middling team whose fans believe every year is the year they'll break through)

Group D
USA - Wisconsin (somehow always competitive despite no blue-chip players, but never gets over the hump)
Paraguay - Wake Forest (used to be relevant, only here now because they expanded the tournament)
Australia - Montana (minnow who occasionally sneaks up and wins a game or two in the tournament)
Turkiye - George Mason (remember 2002 when they made the semis? How did that happen?)

Group E
Germany - Kentucky (historically great, struggling recently due to poor coaching)
Curacao - Queens (NC) (nobody knows where they are, just surprised to see them in this tournament)
Ivory Coast - Davidson (still coasting off their one big name)
Ecuador - UC Irvine (defensive team that revolves around one big man)

Group F
Netherlands - Houston (always good numbers, just can never win the championship)
Japan - Texas Tech (investing an insane amount of money to be relevant on the big stage)
Sweden - Oregon (always hanging around, but not as relevant as they once were)
Tunisia - Iona (always makes the tournament these days, never does anything once they do)

Group G
Belgium - Ohio State (talent is always there, but they can never do anything with it)
Egypt - South Dakota State (whole team feels past their prime this year)
Iran - Utah Valley (better than you think, very religious team)
New Zealand - Eastern Washington (always forget they exist, but someone keep making the tournament)

Group H
Spain - Gonzaga (Dominating the sport the last 30 years, but can never win the big one)
Cape Verde - SIU Edwardsville (couldn't tell you what or where this is, sorry)
Saudi Arabia - Liberty (extremely problematic but still somehow fun to watch)
Uruguay - Marquette (a couple superstar players in the past propelled them far, but now they're mostly an afterthought)

Group I
France - UConn (not really a threat until the 80s but now are consistently winning championships)
Senegal - Saint Mary's (appealing underdog, but never seems to actually win in the tournament)
Iraq - Seattle (well, they're here)
Norway - Nebraska (the best they've ever been this year, just gotta get that first win)

Group J
Argentina - Michigan (been to the championship seemingly a billion times but not as many cups as you would think)
Algeria - Ohio (good once every 20 years or so)
Austria - Washington (not sure how they aren't better than they are with the talent they have)
Jordan - William & Mary (first timers, stunned they're in the field)

Group K
Portugal - Florida (irrelevant until the 2000s but now always there, not popular unless you're specifically a fan)
DR Congo - Cal Poly (play a very exciting style that will probably get them throttled)
Uzbekistan - Merrimack (newer team that nobody knows much about)
Colombia - Cincinnati (had better teams in the 90s)

Group L
England - UCLA (sure, historically great but super boring and annoying to put up with their fans)
Croatia - Illinois (the team photo shoot was guys in track suits, purely entertaining, never won the big one)
Ghana - Wichita State (once upon a time they were the future, but now basically irrelevant)
Panama - Furman (finally broke through recently, and have a fun coach)
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Netherlands should be illini, orange and blue, best footballing nation to never win the cup.
 
#66      
Mr. Tibbs
blackdog said:
The Dutch coach looks like he could be BU's brother 🤣
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I thought he looked like BU as well .

i’m 100% dutch ethnicity. most of my cousins and relatives look just like BB (who is dutch ) and BU (who is obviously northern european
 
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