World Cup

[Dukasaur]

No one posted YET..??

Argentina 3-0 over Croatia

Ah well. Can’t win ‘em all.

[bigtoughralf]

So, now that England is OUT (and Palestine did not make it) who is your team NOW, ralph?

One of the advantages of being from a country with a proper football team is not feeling the need to support other countries

That said of the remaining teams I'd like Morocco to win. They have their work cut out for them but they've beaten Belgium, Spain and Portugal already so they're no pushovers.

[jusplay4fun]

France 2 Morocco nil

France vs. Argentina on Sunday

[jusplay4fun]

Messi, the Magician of the Pitch, really put on a show vs. Croatia yesterday. His assist on the 3rd and final goal was AMAZING.

Mbappe' of France looked good today. The team from Morocco had chances to score, but the French Defense was good enough.

This will be a good show down (battle) on Sunday for the World Cup.

[ConfederateSS]

Messi, the Magician of the Pitch, really put on a show vs. Croatia yesterday. His assist on the 3rd and final goal was AMAZING.

Mbappe' of France looked good today. The team from Morocco had chances to score, but the French Defense was good enough.

This will be a good show down (battle) on Sunday for the World Cup.

-------------Just watched...Oh..well.....I was hoping for a Non-European World Cup....Not since 1950 A.D....Now it is up to SOUTH AMERICA...DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA.....Just beat the crap out of France...... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...
--------- The Final is Sunday.... Between Argentina vs France........
-------------------- But the Bronze./ 3rd place game is Morocco vs Croatia....Who thinks it will be 0-0 through regular time,extra time???....You start with 5 chances in Penalty kicks....I say it takes at least 8 kicks to decided the winner...

[jusplay4fun]

Messi, the Magician of the Pitch, really put on a show vs. Croatia yesterday. His assist on the 3rd and final goal was AMAZING.

Mbappe' of France looked good today. The team from Morocco had chances to score, but the French Defense was good enough.

This will be a good show down (battle) on Sunday for the World Cup.

-------------Just watched...Oh..well.....I was hoping for a Non-European World Cup....Not since 1950 A.D....Now it is up to SOUTH AMERICA...DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA.....Just beat the crap out of France...... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

Delayed watching? Game ended about 5-6 hours ago.

[ConfederateSS]

------------Work...... ... ConfederateSS?out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)... ....I will watch the games live...Sat. and Sun....

[ConfederateSS]

------------- Croatia 2.... Morocco 1.....Final.... Croatia Bronze medal.....
----------------- Morocco 4th place Certificate....??? Couldn't they make a Copper Medal....Oh , well....See You at Rick's...Louie is already there....He has drinks for everyone.... .... Everyone on the Moroccan team that is.... THANK YOU KINDLY for one hell of a World Cup ... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

[ConfederateSS]

-------------------------------------OOOOOOOOH!!!!!....Penalty shot....for Messi.....ARGENTINA 1 ---- France 0....21st min...... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

[ConfederateSS]

-------------36 min....BREAKAWAY...DeMaria...GOAL ....ARGENTINA 2....France 0....... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

[ConfederateSS]

--------------France penalty kick 79 min...France breaks the shutout.....2-1.....THEN EMPAPE SCORES AGAIN 82ND MIN.....IT IS ALL EVEN AT 2......ARGENTINA 2......France 2....with 7 min. plus stopage...... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

[ConfederateSS]

-----------OVER/EXTRA TIME....ARGENTINA 2 ...France 2...We get 30 minutes more of wild action.. ...maybe...a shoot out....time will tell as the two superstars of each team...doing what they do.... ... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

[ConfederateSS]

------------MESSI SCORES IN THE 108TH MIN...EXTRA TIME ....ARGENTINA BACK ON TOP...3 to 2..... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

[ConfederateSS]

-----------France (MBAPAPE HAT TRICK)TIES IT 3 TO 3 ON A PENALTY KICK ..117th min..PLAY ON ... O:)ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

[mookiemcgee]

I don't watch alot of soccer and usually find it boring, but this has been by far the most exciting and dramatic game I've ever watched. to end in free kicks, wow just epic

[ConfederateSS]

-------------RIGHT AT THE END....ARGENTINA'S GOALIE...KICK SAVE ONE ,ON ONE....SHOOT OUT THE FINAL WILL BE DECIDED ON A SHOOTOUT .... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...


----------FRANCE IS STUFFED AND MISSES....ARGENTINA WINS 4 to 2 on pks

[ConfederateSS]

I don't watch alot of soccer and usually find it boring, but this has been by far the most exciting and dramatic game I've ever watched. to end in free kicks, wow just epic

---------TWO GREAT PLAYERS...WILD GAME...YOU ARE RIGHT MOOKIE....BEST EVER....... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)... ....

[Pirlo]

I've been dreaming of this moment for over three decades!!! Thank you football for being fair with the GREATEST OF ALL TIMES, and thank you nature for bringing me in the LEO MESSI's era!

[karel]

glad france lost

[jusplay4fun]

I don't watch alot of soccer and usually find it boring, but this has been by far the most exciting and dramatic game I've ever watched. to end in free kicks, wow just epic

IT WAS indeed a GREAT game. I watched it as a re-play at 5:30 EDT, USA. WoW. I am so glad I watched it that way and NOT by a game summary. WILD Action, Great comeback by France after being down 2-0 until minute 70 or so. And then BOTH teams got a scoring chance at the END of the EXTRA 30 minutes. And then the Shoot-Out. WoW.

Both Messi and Mbappe were GREAT in the game and in the Shoot-Out, too.

Lionel Messi cements his place among the greats after winning epic duel against Kylian Mbappé
Analysis by Matias Grez, CNN
Updated 8:00 PM EST, Sun December 18, 2022

Now there can be no arguments. Now there should be no debate.

In the most dramatic, nerve-shredding way imaginable, Lionel Messi finally got his hands on the World Cup and with it cemented his place in the pantheon of soccer greats, alongside Diego Maradona and Pelé.

The final was as good as soccer gets. A match for the ages with a fairytale ending.

Messi and Kylian Mbappé, the game’s two superstars went toe-to-toe in arguably the greatest World Cup final in history. Soccer may be a team game, but this was a prize fight between two players who will be remembered as all-time greats.

Mbappé scored a remarkable hattrick, making him just the second man in history to do so in a World Cup final, and won the Golden Ball – awarded to the tournament’s top scorer – but fell agonizingly short in his effort to single-handedly retain the trophy for France.

Aged just 23, Mbappé’s astonishing performance further confirmed his status as the future of the sport. He has now scored four goals in World Cup finals, the most of any player in history, and he is level with Pele on a total of 12 World Cup goals. He has time to surpass all-time World Cup scorer Miroslav Klose on 16.

But for all the history Mbappé created on an intoxicating floodlit night in Doha, this was Messi’s final. The Argentine captain was not ready to hand over the torch just yet.

The 35-year-old was relentlessly brilliant throughout this tournament, playing with a steely grit and determination that stemmed from an innate belief that this trophy was his destiny, a glorious World Cup farewell that was written in the stars.

After Gonzalo Montiel rolled in the winning penalty, Messi sank to his knees and buried his face in his hands. The moment he had always dreamed of was finally here.

His teammates flocked to him, sinking to their knees to embrace their captain; they had wanted to win this as much for him as for themselves.

Together, they stood and went towards their adoring fans to join the celebrations. Around 40,000 Argentine fans were estimated to have traveled to Qatar and were vociferous in their support throughout the tournament.

The players had the Argentine flag draped over their shoulders and tied around their waists, jumping in unison with the wall of white and blue shirts in the Lusail Stadium’s main stand.

They’ve had to be patient and endured their share of heartbreak since last winning the World Cup in 1986, but it was worth the wait.

More here, if you want to read:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/18/football ... index.html

[TrafalgarLaw01]

♩ Muchachos ahora nos volvimo a ilusionar
Ya ganamos la Tercera
Otra vez campeon mundial ♩

[Pirlo]

Lionel Messi cements his place among the greats after winning epic duel against Kylian Mbappé
Analysis by Matias Grez, CNN
Updated 8:00 PM EST, Sun December 18, 2022

I believe Messi had already cemented his place a long time ago. In my opinion, the FIFA World Cup trophy was just the missing gem from his well deserved crown. He should thank Cristiano Ronaldo for the long-time competition he gave to him and the rivalry that kept driving him to remain at the top level of competitiveness and glory hunger.

Kylian Mbappé is already a superstar of course. All he needs now is to keep going. He seems to have some ego though. I hope he can learn how to stay humble and let that attitude affect him.

[jusplay4fun]

Lionel Messi cements his place among the greats after winning epic duel against Kylian Mbappé
Analysis by Matias Grez, CNN
Updated 8:00 PM EST, Sun December 18, 2022

I believe Messi had already cemented his place a long time ago. In my opinion, the FIFA World Cup trophy was just the missing gem from his well deserved crown. He should thank Cristiano Ronaldo for the long-time competition he gave to him and the rivalry that kept driving him to remain at the top level of competitiveness and glory hunger.

Kylian Mbappé is already a superstar of course. All he needs now is to keep going. He seems to have some ego though. I hope he can learn how to stay humble and let that attitude affect him.

There have been many great athletes who never win the ultimate TEAM game in their sport. In major sports in the USA, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone of the NBA come to my mind. So do Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox of MLB and Jim Kelly of the Buffalo Bills in the NFL. There are many, many more, and not just in the USA.

Yes, Messi did very well in his sport. But in a TEAM sport, not winning the ultimate trophy or title in that team sport is a rather significant omission. Most of the athletes in that position will lament that missing championship. Messi finally got his, in his 5th World Cup. Since, like the Olympics, the game is only played every 4 years, it is a difficult to achieve; ask Cristiano Ronaldo.

Watching Mbappe's vs. Messi made this World Cup final EVEN more compelling. It was a great game to watch and I am grateful to have the chance to watch it, even if it was on a delayed basis.

[Pirlo]

Lionel Messi cements his place among the greats after winning epic duel against Kylian Mbappé
Analysis by Matias Grez, CNN
Updated 8:00 PM EST, Sun December 18, 2022

I believe Messi had already cemented his place a long time ago. In my opinion, the FIFA World Cup trophy was just the missing gem from his well deserved crown. He should thank Cristiano Ronaldo for the long-time competition he gave to him and the rivalry that kept driving him to remain at the top level of competitiveness and glory hunger.

Kylian Mbappé is already a superstar of course. All he needs now is to keep going. He seems to have some ego though. I hope he can learn how to stay humble and let that attitude affect him.

There have been many great athletes who never win the ultimate TEAM game in their sport. In major sports in the USA, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone of the NBA come to my mind. So do Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox of MLB and Jim Kelly of the Buffalo Bills in the NFL. There are many, many more, and not just in the USA.

Yes, Messi did very well in his sport. But in a TEAM sport, not winning the ultimate trophy or title in that team sport is a rather significant omission. Most of the athletes in that position will lament that missing championship. Messi finally got his, in his 5th World Cup. Since, like the Olympics, the game is only played every 4 years, it is a difficult to achieve; ask Cristiano Ronaldo.

I agree, although this way of judging an athlete can be unfair for some reasons. For example, Andriy Shevchenko was a superstar but he didn't have solid national team at his time. In other words, you cannot control who plays in your team. Cristiano Ronaldo suffered this too, so did Messi over the past decade; and if his 2022 FIFA World Cup teammates, who played like real warriors, were not found by the coach during the past 3-4 years, Messi wouldn't have achieved this glory and dream.

Dibo Martinez, their hero goalkeeper, was not known because he was an Arsenal's bench warmer until the regular keeper was injured, so he got his chance then was bought by Aston Villa where he became regular and developed. If it wasn't for that injury, he would have remained unknown. I've always said that you need a lot of luck to win a tournament like World Cup. As you said, it's a once per 4-year event, and you have to be in the best form when that time comes.

[jusplay4fun]

Lionel Messi cements his place among the greats after winning epic duel against Kylian Mbappé
Analysis by Matias Grez, CNN
Updated 8:00 PM EST, Sun December 18, 2022

I believe Messi had already cemented his place a long time ago. In my opinion, the FIFA World Cup trophy was just the missing gem from his well deserved crown. He should thank Cristiano Ronaldo for the long-time competition he gave to him and the rivalry that kept driving him to remain at the top level of competitiveness and glory hunger.

Kylian Mbappé is already a superstar of course. All he needs now is to keep going. He seems to have some ego though. I hope he can learn how to stay humble and let that attitude affect him.

There have been many great athletes who never win the ultimate TEAM game in their sport. In major sports in the USA, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone of the NBA come to my mind. So do Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox of MLB and Jim Kelly of the Buffalo Bills in the NFL. There are many, many more, and not just in the USA.

Yes, Messi did very well in his sport. But in a TEAM sport, not winning the ultimate trophy or title in that team sport is a rather significant omission. Most of the athletes in that position will lament that missing championship. Messi finally got his, in his 5th World Cup. Since, like the Olympics, the game is only played every 4 years, it is a difficult to achieve; ask Cristiano Ronaldo.

I agree, although this way of judging an athlete can be unfair for some reasons. For example, Andriy Shevchenko was a superstar but he didn't have solid national team at his time. In other words, you cannot control who plays in your team. Cristiano Ronaldo suffered this too, so did Messi over the past decade; and if his 2022 FIFA World Cup teammates, who played like real warriors, were not found by the coach during the past 3-4 years, Messi wouldn't have achieved this glory and dream.

Dibo Martinez, their hero goalkeeper, was not known because he was an Arsenal's bench warmer until the regular keeper was injured, so he got his chance then was bought by Aston Villa where he became regular and developed. If it wasn't for that injury, he would have remained unknown. I've always said that you need a lot of luck to win a tournament like World Cup. As you said, it's a once per 4-year event, and you have to be in the best form when that time comes.

And ALL those thing that you mention, Pirlo, make such championships, once every 4 years, that SPECIAL. Evening winning one available each year is special. Those are the reasons a guy like Quarterback (NFL) Tom Brady is held is such esteem. He now has more team championships (7) than Michael Jordan (6). And the Quarterback in American football is such a key player in the game, making decisions and executing plays very quickly that can be THE difference between a win and a loss.

AND you are correct, that things came together so well for Messi and Argentina, after their initial loss to Saudi Arabia.