My work schedule this time of year has been brutal, thus the sparse posting. I did want to comment on a few developments in the world’s most popular sport.
I’m not really troubled at all by the choice of Qatar for the 2022 World Cup. Yes it will be hot, but the 1994 World Cup had games in Dallas and Orlando. In addition, the organizers have made assurances that the stadia will be air-conditioned. It’s certainly feasible. The 2002 World Cup featured games at the Sapporo Dome, which is the only stadium in the world with a retractable field and a fixed roof. God knows the Qataris have the financial means to accomplish similar sorts of stadia. The idea of breaking the stadia down to send to poorer countries has a certain appeal.
That being said, I am disturbed about the prospect of the games taking place in Russia. It’s not that I doubt their means to make the improvements, at least on paper. I just fear that a lot of the money will be spread into hands that have nothing whatsoever to do with the World Cup.
There’s precious little reason to have confidence in most decisions FIFA makes. In addition to selecting Russia, there’s this. Look, I’m about as big a fan of FC Barcelona as anyone who doesn’t speak Catalan fluently, to leave Wesley Sneijder out of the shortlist for the FIFA World Player is unconscionable. He played major roles in both club and national squads, leading the former, Inter Milan to the Scudetto (the Italian Serie A Championship), the Copa Italia and the Champions League Championship and scoring five goals for the Netherlands in the World Cup, including two against Brazil. It boggles the mind, frankly.
It is worth noting, however, that all three finalists are five feet seven inches tall or, in the case of Leo Messi, less. Of course Sneijder would have fit right in, but it is one of the characteristics of this sport that I love: you don’t have to be physically imposing to be one of the greats.
Chelsea’s recent poor form is somewhat surprising to me. Yes, I know that Frank Lampard is injured, but the squad is dripping with talent. I thought they were unstoppable early on, I’m cerrtainly less impressed now.
Arsenal’s recent success appears as if it’s being done with smoke and mirrors. Cesc Fabregas is chronically injured, Thomas Vermaelen is out for a while and they are still managing to keep pace. Which brings me to the opportunity to again pile on Raymond Domenech, France’s “coach” in this year’s World Cup. The man did not even select Samir Nasri for the squad. Nasri’s two goals on Saturday’s 2-1 win against Fulhamwere breathtaking in their skill, mature in their patience and exquisite in their creativity. So yet again, Mr. Domenech: Sydney Gouvou? Really?
While France’s Ligue 1 doesn’t get a lot of attention, it’s worth noting that only eight points separate first from thirteenth place. Compared to some of the other leagues, especially Spain, it’s refreshing to see an actual competitive race involving so many clubs.
Show of hands: did anyone think that Bayern Munich would be seventeen points out of first place at nearly the halfway point in the season with a measly goal differential of plus 6 after fifteen games?
One housekeeping note: many of these posts have drawn their share of people who hate this sport and feel compelled to declaim their hatred in the comments. I can accept the fact that the sport is not for everyone; so be it. I would ask, however, that you kindly keep it to yourself or take it elsewhere. It’s tiresome.
Thanks!
Corner Stone
I like your stories about Adriana Lima. Is that good enough?
eponymous
Randinho,
Glad you are still posting – more stuff about the beautiful game is always welcome…
Also, just curious if you are familiar with Bobby McMahon (transplanted Scot living in Canada – I’m familiar with him via Fox Soccer Channel; he also posts regularly here):
http://www.soccerreportextra.com/author/bobbymcmahon/
Mental Lint
In other futebol news, I think something good happened for Fluminense this past weekend in Brazil…
Michael D.
I have a problem with America not getting the World Cup. But not because I think we deserve it or we’re entitled to it. Clearly we are not. But dammit, we’re getting into soccer and I want kids to have something to strive for. And I wanted us to get it for THAT.
Admittedly, maybe people in Qatar feel the same way though. I have no way of knowing. It will be cool to see their A/C system though!
The Dangerman
I found it somewhat surprising that Russia got the World Cup so soon after hosting the Winter Olympics. Not that either has shit to do with the other, but I’d like to see these major events spread around to share the wealth.
Hal
I like your optimism. I don’t have plans past next week, let alone 11 years from now.
P.S. I think it’s cool we are now looking into 2020’s and beyond. It’s so sci-fi. Minus all the cool technology and Alien Overlords.
Randinho
@Mental Lint: That it did, but I’m a Cruzeiro fan and still peeved.
@eponymous: I like Bobby McMahon on FSC. Didn’t know about his online presence. I’ll have to check it out.
Randinho
@The Dangerman: Rio got the Summer Olympics not long after Brazil got the 2014 WC.
sherifffruitfly
“I’m not really troubled at all by the choice of Qatar for the 2022 World Cup….
That being said, I am disturbed about the prospect of the games taking place in Russia…. I just fear that a lot of the money will be spread into hands that have nothing whatsoever to do with the World Cup.”
Am I missing something, or is that as stupid as it sounds?
cmorenc
@Randhino:
That, exactly! We futbol aka soccer fanatics don’t waste our time complaining about what a crawling bore American football is over in threads about e.g. the Steelers, but are rather content to peacefully let those of you fanatical about that game enjoy your passionate conversations about that sport, its players, its games, and its foibles, your heads and emotions all wrapped up in it in ways that we soccer folk can understand, even if your sport isn’t our cup of tea whatever.
I just spent two out of the past three weekends (skipping Thanksgiving in-between) refereeing first some of the finest older teenage boys club teams from across the U.S., and this past weekend, some of the finest older girls teams, including last Friday the U16g team that won the USYSA national championship last summer as U15s vs an excellent team from Washington state, on a fine winter afternoon down here in Raleigh. I had to work to keep my concentration on refereeing the game, to keep from getting too caught up in the sublime skill and athleticism of the players flowing around me manipulating the ball with their feet, legs, and bodies like it was another appendage loosely attached with elastic. I wouldn’t have traded being CR at that game last Friday, or the two superb games before it as AR, for being anywhere else in the world doing anything else at those moments.
Randinho
@sherifffruitfly: I think you’re missing something. I’m referencing the amount of corruption and crony capitalism taking place there
Ija
Who would you take out of the World Player shortlist to put in Sneijder? Was Iniesta that impressive during the World Cup? Messi certainly bombed there.
Randinho
@Ija: I’d probably take out Iniesta. Messi didn’t score any goals in the WC, but he set up a lot of goals. His form lately is very impressive, but I’d like to see Xavi win.
Yutsano
@Randinho: You got me wondering though: wasn’t there a similar concern about hosting in South Africa? The weather is actually fairly unpredictable in the summer and I didn’t hear of any heat-related injuries.
Mental Lint
@Randinho: I recall you had an MG connection. Cruzeiro almost won it. My impression is that the quality of the Campeonato Brasileiro has improved a lot in the last few years. What’s your take?
BGinCHI
Randinho, great to see you post again. The futbol haters can just go back to their video games.
Watched a good UEFA ManU-Valencia match tonight: MU played well but an overmatched Valencia squad played really well and was excellently organized. I was impressed with them.
Looking forward to the knockout round.
Now, if my Reds can play as well as they did against Villa against the rest of the league they should be able to put together a good run. And that’s without Gerrard, so whinging about Lampard can suck my ass.
wengler
The FIFA bid process needs to be massively revamped. It’s not so much that the wrong people won(though Qatar in the summertime is baffling), it’s that our Federation had to spend millions of dollars that could have been put into more important things into a bid that clearly never had a chance.
We had the best technical report of any country in either 2018 or 2022. And yet we lost to the worst technical bid. If the whole process is guided by this desire to bring the Cup to places it has never been and build 10-12 new stadiums that will later be given to the countries of FIFA executive committee members, then what is the point of bidding?
Sepp Blatter and company can’t even bother to make sure that balls over the line count as goals(see Germany vs. England), so why should anyone think that these geniuses can impose professional standards to World Cup bidding?
Ija
Since the award is voted by other players and coaches, maybe there’s some lingering disapproval over Holland’s supposedly rough play at the World Cup. Although I don’t understand why Sneijder should be penalized for what is essentially van Bommel’s thuggery.
xyzxyzxyz
Comment about Nasri is spot on….he’s perhaps the central reason for Arsenal’s success. That said, I’m a huge Bacary Sanga fan, and I think his form has been excellent in the first part of the season.
Never mind the “haters”. This might make you feel better. My 9 year old daughter watched the recent Real Madrid vs. Barcelona game with me on ESPN3…and immediately went out with her friends to play and try to recreate some of what she saw. Any dad or soccer fan would be proud.
robertdsc-PowerBook
Yeah, that seems all wrong for me, too.
Violet
Was in England last Thursday, the day the World Cup hosting countries for 2018 and 2022 were announced. England thought they had a good shot at 2018, but in the end got only two votes and went out in the first round of voting.
You’d think the world had ended. Outside of the unusually cold and snowy weather, the World Cup hosting loss was the only thing being covered on the BBC. Over and over and over again they analyzed it, interviewed various people who were involved in the final presentation (David Beckham, Prince William, etc.), and tried to figure out How They Weren’t Chosen.
By Friday it wasn’t the absolute only thing on the TV, but the whinging level had gone up a notch. Gone was the shock of the previous day and they were on to outrage and accusations of being lied to, cries for the voting system to be reformed, and blaming the media.
It was all rather much. I know England is the birthplace of football and home of the most popular league, but FIFA wants to open up new markets. England is exactly the opposite of that. Why they ever thought they’d get it is hard to understand.
BTW, to whoever recommended the book Soccernomics during the World Cup last summer, thank you. I’m in the middle of it and I’m really enjoying it.
PS
Hey, good to see this. Indeed, Chelsea’s tumble is surprising. My guess is that it’s related to the firing of Ray Wilkins, not directly but in the sense that something is deeply confused in the hierarchy there; firing Wilkins being a symptom rather than a cause. Meanwhile my team, Man U, is stumbling along unbeaten in the league and very well positioned for a traditionally second-half team. And the English FA has egg all over its collective face, which is never a bad thing. Any insights would be welcome …
NobodySpecial
@robertdsc-PowerBook: Honest question to both you and Randy – how is this going to be different from Qatar running the Cup?
BGinCHI
@PS: Why do you say that about the FA Cup?
Phineas Phang
If you look at the talent Arsenal will likely have coming back from injury after Xmas (Fabregas, Theo Walcott, a fully fit van Persie) I think the EPL championship is their’s for the taking. Which of course means they’ll probably blow it, but it’s hard to be sure to whom. I don’t know what’s ailing Chelsea, but I’m not seeing anything even in their wins that should give fans much hope. And you can stick a fork in Man U. They’ve become a collective head case. Liverpool is looking better but is too far off the pace to really challenge and Spurs are still pretenders.
Ija
@Violet:
I don’t know, it’s been so long since England hosted, I can understand the whining. The thing is, if everyone knows that FIFA is looking for new market, why would other countries bother wasting the money bidding anyway? Spend the money on the team development so you can win the damn Cup.
mark boggs
The first of Nasri’s two goals was amazing in the patience he had. He juked not just the first guy, but sensed the second guy coming and juked him, too. All that while dancing around ten feet in front of the goal face. As an amateur keeper, I had nothing but sympathy for Schwarzer getting yanked around like that.
BGinCHI
@Phineas Phang: Please. Walcott is useless. Probably the weakest player on the ball on this thread, no matter who gets named. Arsenal also weak in the back, and that’s going to catch up with them by the end of the season. They’ll be lucky to finish ahead of Tottenham. I doubt they will.
ManU, like it or not, will finish 1 or 2. Liverpool is the wildcard, as they could come on late if confident but hard to say.
We’ll see what changes take place in January. Could be some interesting moves.
Oh, and forgot to say: FUCK Bayern Munich. Bremen fan here too.
mark boggs
Phineas,
I’m with you if Arenal can keep their back line from giving up the goals in bunches. I think I heard that Arsenal has more goals allowed than Chelsea and Man U. combined. And I wouldn’t be so quick about Spurs, they did just win their group in the Chapmions League. And that group included Inter.
Morbo
As someone who requested a thread on this topic, no, thank you!
I’ve heard/read that the US will never again get an international sporting event because of immigration laws and the fifth degree athletes and international journalists have to go through just to play and report on the games. Any thoughts on whether or not this is true? Can Qatar really be any better (I guess the Israeli team will be allowed in at least)?
PS
@BGinCHI: Not the FA Cup, the FA itself, the Football Association. I assume they were deeply involved in the absolutely failed attempt to host the World Cup, and they’ve always been a bunch of out-of-touch grandees. The Cup, however, is a fine institution of which I completely approve, except for some of the new-fangled improvements.
SRW1
@Yutsano:
You got me wondering though: wasn’t there a similar concern about hosting in South Africa? The weather is actually fairly unpredictable in the summer and I didn’t hear of any heat-related injuries.
Ahem, South Africa is still in the Southern hemisphere and technically speaking WC2010 therefore took place during the cold part of the year there. I recall a game involving Brazil in which the temperatures were barely above the freezing point.
For comparison, the heroic stuff is something like the Europa League game last week in Norway between Rosenborg Trondheim and Bayer Leverkusen which took place at -15 °C.
Oh and apropos Quatar: Paradise for the fans, and a national team that is not among the first 100 in the World. Is FIFA planning to introduce the mercy rule for WC2022?
The Claw
I disagree with Randinho’s thesis here. I don’t think he is being nearly cynical enough about the players here. Even at the best of times, FIFA is an upscale version of the bar in Star Wars. The (now regretted) decision to do both bid processes at the same time made the cesspool of villainy and corruption gold-plated rather than helping.
Russia is a least a footballing country with a well-followed league and some international pedigree in the game. Qatar has no league, no domestic anything and no history. Both of the countries are horrible cesspools of corruption and misery for the politically weak, but then again it’s FIFA. I assure you that the money that has already changed hands from the bidding countries to the FIFA executive board has already ended up in the hand of hardened career criminals who are at least as rotten and heartless as the petro-oligarchs who won the rights to dip their snouts into the trough last week.
Since two cups were awarded at once, it was possible not only to buy victory for a given bid for one cup, it was also possible to sell that influence in the other. Both of these decisions were bought and paid for. The two countries with the most cash rattling around won, and decisively.
frosty
I became something of a futbol fan watching my kids play.
And I had a much better time watching the World Cup this summer than watching the Ravens lose in the last 2 minutes to the Pats and the Wretched Steelers.
Women’s World Cup next year? Is that right? Let’s go!!
Jim C
Randinho, post when you can, we’ll always welcome your thoughts.
I think it will depend on exactly where those Qatari-built (ha!) stadia end up before we can determine just how magnanimous the gesture was. Alan Davies was hilariously cynical in his podcast this week when he said he expected those to turn up in the various back-gardens of FIFA officials for their sons to use with their mates. I may not go that far, but I am pretty wary of trickle-down proposals.
I’m an Arsenal supporter, but I think you have more confidence in their ability to claim the league trophy than I do. I’ve seen them just not show up, offensively and defensively, in too many games despite the depth of talent on the squad. The talent, both real and potential, is certainly there but can they necessarily put it all together at the right times?
You are right about those two Nasri goals, though. My favorite moment in the first is when he is holding the ball in front of the goal, just before he shoots – just look at how much space he has created, and how wary the defenders are to commit to anything at that point. I believe Domenech’s decision was influenced by senior members of this squad – namely, William Gallas.
Annelid Gustator
@Randinho: “There” could just as well be referring to Qatar, you know.
Annelid Gustator
For current U16s in the US, there has always been a widespread domestic pro league. The next 5 years will see some serious improvement in our professional and international play. And we’ve already come a long way, if you ask me.
Tractarian
Neither Dallas nor Orlando reached 120 degrees, which is what Qatar gets in June and July.
They do now, but the tournament is 12 years away. What if there are major advances in renewable energy between now and then, driving down the price of oil?
In any case, you are ignoring the other strong reasons for FIFA to have rejected Qatar. The nation is tiny, and cannot possibly handle thousands of fans and media from 32 countries. The nation has never qualified for the World Cup; however, it will get an automatic bid in 2022, ensuring that a very weak team gets to participate in the tournament. The nation is in a (ahem) volatile area of the world; what if tensions flare up?
I can understand Russia. But Qatar? I’m sorry, but bribery is the only explanation I can come up with for FIFA’s decision. Yeah, I said it.
LGRooney
As long as Liverpool can maintain their slow crawl up the table, I don’t care about anything else.
Randy Paul
@Tractarian: It’s not the heat there, but the humidity.
penpen
@mark boggs: As much as I love my Spurs, their excitement-first wide-open attacking mentality (more goals scored for and against than any other team in the CL group stages; just look at yesterday’s 3-3 draw at Twente) tells me just netting another 4th place finish would be quite the accomplishment. But to repeat the Spurs-fan’s fingers-crossed mantra, if our key people get fit and stay that way (VDV, King, Huddlestone, Dawson) and we can snag an upgrade at striker in January…
Vico
I was a friend of Tony Banks, who resigned as minister of sport to lead the English effort to be awarded the 2006 World Cup. He complained that the London hotel industry did not cooperate with the bid by assuring sufficient lodging during the games. That was perceived as at least one reason the bid failed.
This year, the talk in the media is that the newspaper media’s blunt treatment of FIFA and its corruption worked against England’s effort. I wouldn’t be surprised, even given the universal penchant for blaming the media for everything gone wrong.
burnspbesq
@BGinCHI:
Nice to see some signs of life at Anfield.
Ian Darke cracked me up, talking about Reina’s kids speaking Spanish with a Scouse accent.
burnspbesq
Everton look like crap right now. It sounds bizarre, but they really need Donovan to come in and jump-start their season.
Randy Paul
@penpen: Gareth Bale is a revelation. I have no doubt there are many English fans who wish he was born in London or Manchester instead of Cardiff.
dollared
I’m optimistic about the US hosting in the 2030s. President-for-life Koch will be able to promise drum tight security, no scrutiny of any cash entering or leaving the country, and endless supplies of beautiful, desperately poor women to service all the FIFA voting delegates.
That is Putin’s offer, isn’t it? The conditions aren’t quite ripe here yet, but it’s just a matter of time.
dollared
@tractarian
I love your optimism. But do you think the price of oil will be going down by 2016? Because of the prevalence of alternatives?
Wow. Just. Wow.
lol chikinburd
Guess this is the topic to say FUCKING MIKE ASHLEY. He needs to die in a broad selection of fires. I mean, why? WHY?
cartbran
@The Claw: You are exactly correct in identifying the key problems with Randinho’s thesis. First of all, the corruption issue is with the bid process itself. The fact that petrodollars won lends serious credibility to claims that selection process was rife with shenanigans and pay offs. Then there is the “official” corruption in the process, e.g. FIFA demaning that countries provide FIFA with exemptions from money laundering laws and Qatar providing an exemption to its public drinking laws only for FIFA “Fan Zones”, where the only beverage available with be the official FIFA beer sponsor, etc.
Post selection, I am really having a hard time seeing how money is going to be misappropriated in Russia and by whom. Putin is forcing the oligarchs to pony up to pay for the stadiums and infrastructure improvements. The Russian economy will theoretically get a boost from the tourism dollars spent by the influx of perhaps 300,000 foreigners (how many FIFA estimated for South Africa), spending their money at hotels, restuarants and shops. Maybe I am missing something, but where is the potential for corruption now?
I also agree that Russia had a pretty strong case for hosting and have little beef with that decision generally because they are a sporting nation with a football history, a big population and a large, growing economy. I think a strong case could be made for both England and Russia, as well as reasonable criticisms for both. Racism, hooliganism, security, infrastructure and travel distance between sites for Russia, and affordability, visas and security for England.
Qatar on the other hand has no case at all, other than their plan to waste billions of dollars and natural resources. While Dallas and Orlando can get hot in the summer, they do not average 105 degrees, not including Doha’s massive urban heat island effect. And just for a second consider the climate change impacts. If FIFA or Qatar had committed to carbon offsets for the ridiculous amount of energy that is going to be wasted for this scheme, it would be one thing. The idea that they are going to exacerbate climate change, which will predominantly affect the poor in developing countries, and justify it by buidling, then tearing down and shipping across the ocean, then rebuilding stadiums for same developing countries is ridiculous.
In addition, if 300,000 people did come, which is about equal to the current number of Qatari nationals, where the hell would they stay? A generous estimate is that they currently have about 20,000 hotel rooms and they plan to increase that number to 90,000 by 2022 (which is a bout 10% more than in NYC proper). Throw in a couple cruise ships and they will still not have enough to accomodate 300,000. So by their own projections, they either don’t think a lot of people will come or they have no idea where they will stay. And then afterwards, will they dismantle these new hotels as well and reconstruct them in developing countries?
Selecting the city of Doha to host the World Cup is momumentally stupid from just a logistical perspective, not to mention every other reason. It is the selection of Qatar that reeks the most in all of this, not Russia. And I have not even addressed the issue of personal freedom and the fact just being homosexual is illegal there. Wonder if FIFA is going to warn gay football fans around the world that they risk arrest and imprisonment if they want to attend this World Cup?
Randy Paul
Post selection, I am really having a hard time seeing how money is going to be misappropriated in Russia and by whom.
You should take a look at reports on corruption in Russia including Transparency International’s recent rankings (Russia slips to 154th) or consider this:
MikeB
@PS: I agree that there is more
to the Wilkins dismissal than meets the eye, but I also believe
that the absence of Lampard is a huge factor. Besides scoring 20+
goals per season, he runs the offense with his passing and assists,
and he’s a good defender as well. For all their star power, Chelsea are
simply not the same team without him.
Bill Murray
Qatar does have 10 years to find the best 2nd-tier Brazilians and Argentines and make them citizens. or maybe some of their “guest” workers will have kids good enough at soccer for their family to get citizenship
van Persie getting healthy — I give that about 5-10 games
One name to remember for the future Romelu Lukaku. Top scorer in Belgium at 16. Now at 17 a full international and has scored internationally. Has the potential to be the top striker in the world
Ian
Aren’t you writing for a blog whose tagline used to be something like “wrong about everything, since…”?
Founded by a man who was for the Iraq war, unlike most of the “professional” left.
Just askin’
vanya
I will just suggest that Randinho learn something about Russia’s long football pedigree. The idea that Qatar (or the USA for that matter) deserves the World Cup more is farcical and insulting.