First Game At The World Cup

[snipe_pie]

Germany would have gone into double figures.

[upthemaggies]

Back in the days when the World Cup was just 16 teams you had four World Cup opening games in a row (1966 - 1978) that ended in goalless draws.

No opening goal of a World Cup tournament in an opening match was seen live on British television until 1986!!!

[navypie]

Back in the days when the World Cup was just 16 teams you had four World Cup opening games in a row (1966 - 1978) that ended in goalless draws.

No opening goal of a World Cup tournament in an opening match was seen live on British television until 1986!!!

Wow, 16 teams ! Ilkeston might have a chance by the end of the next century.

[Frigiliana Pie 1]

Politics.

You’re probably right - one of their players is called Faraj.

[the_anticlough]

Agree with most of the above, Saudi were abysmal. They qualify a lot out of Asia, football just doesn't seem to make any progress there

[Notts78]

Maybe if all the billionaires in the Middle East invested heavily in improving the football structure more local to them instead of buying clubs and pumping them full of money, we wouldn’t see this standard for long.

If you think this opening game was bad, Qatar currently ranked 30 places lower than the Saudis will contest in the next one. 😔

[LaxtonLad]

Dreadful game, opening games usually are with neither team wanting be the first to lose, but this was naffer than naff. Some of the media are saying how good Russia was but it was more like how hopeless SA was. I reckon a confident Notts team could have beaten them Russkies.

[LaxtonLad]

Maybe if all the billionaires in the Middle East invested heavily in improving the football structure more local to them instead of buying clubs and pumping them full of money...

Maybe if the Yanks had helped the UK and France during the Suez Crisis instead of hindering us and backing the Arabs, WE would be the billionaires.

[Airborn Pie]

And potentially 16 worse sides to be added going in to future World Cups.
Why can’t FIFA just do a World Cup Equivolent for nations who are piss poor? Cricket and Rugby do it

You could say the same of the FA Cup but people seem to enjoy the prospect of an upset.

[Airborn Pie]

I agree 100%

It is supposed to be the pinnacle of the best, for the title.
But as Navy says, politics and satisfying the 3rd world takes priority over purity.
Every game, could be an entertainment fest. Instead, you have to endure this **** for a world cup opener.

The Canada /USA/Mexico World cup is a joke, only Mexico have football as their national sport. We'll have three host nations who qualify automatically and two will be crap.