# World Cup 2022 - discussion, predictions, and thoughts **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-soccer-fifa\ **Created:** [November 6, 2022, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476 "2022-11-06T20:37:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 77
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1521 "2022-12-10T15:22:13Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > The ref is awful, I know him well from La Liga, he is Spanish. I will never understand why the Spanish Federation has been sending him to international tournaments for so long. But in the quarter-final he was awful for both sides I’m just going to note that the failures were not equal for both sides, and that Argentina should’ve been down a couple of players by the end, including Messi. Just a failure on many levels for the refereeing. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1522 "2022-12-10T15:29:22Z")
In other news Mar Por on the go and CR on the bench again ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1523 "2022-12-10T15:31:44Z")
I was just coming in here to figure out of CR7 was on the bench again. I missed the beginning of the match and I’m catching up. He must be seething. Eh, screw him. I always held him a bit of contempt because of his arrogance but I still liked him because of his skill. Now that he’s completely whoring himself out to a Saudi team for a billion dollars - or whatever it is - I kind of hate him. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1524 "2022-12-10T15:36:38Z")
Rooting for Morocco here, Por have most of the possession, but Mor keeping the pressure on for sure ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1525 "2022-12-10T15:37:49Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > He must be under a lot of pressure, he isn’t usually like this. Don’t tell **Frodo** , he would worry even more if he heard me… Oh I know he (Messi) is not usually like that, he’s being posessed by the spirit of El Diego, let’s hope only for good and not for ill. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1526 "2022-12-10T15:38:48Z")
So how to overcome the Moroccan defense? Spain tried it with tiki-taka and short passes and failed miserably. Now Portugal tries with wide passes and looks almost just as helpless. ---
**Author:** ![FurloeRoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@FurloeRoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FurloeRoth)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1527 "2022-12-10T15:40:29Z")
The ref was actually correct to not give Messi a yellow card for that handball. It’s only a yellow if it stops a “promising attack.” Doesn’t matter that is was deliberate. It was in the middle of the pitch in a non-threatening situation. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1528 "2022-12-10T15:41:15Z")
Remarkable. Morocco with the far better chances so far. If they only had a finisher. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1529 "2022-12-10T15:42:01Z")
Goal for Morocco! ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1530 "2022-12-10T15:42:09Z")
And Morocco score! ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1531 "2022-12-10T15:42:50Z")
Awesome ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1532 "2022-12-10T15:43:40Z")
A leap that reminds me of Ronaldo himself. His head looked to be above the crossbar. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1533 "2022-12-10T15:46:42Z")
What a great goal. But my God, has Portugal had some chances. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1534 "2022-12-10T15:48:07Z")
great goal, looks like Bruno Fernandes is in the sniper’s sights. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1535 "2022-12-10T15:59:07Z")
This is not exactly correct. This type of infraction falls more into the category of “[shows a lack of respect for the game](https://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/lawsandrules/laws/football-11-11/law-12---fouls-and-misconduct)”. Basically, you can’t just decide you don’t like what’s happening in the game and just spike the ball with your hand to express your contempt. It’s more of a judgment call and Messi probably gets more benefit of the doubt than most, but it clearly could have been a yellow. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1536 "2022-12-10T16:06:06Z")
Right, as I learned it, a clearly intentional handball is an automatic booking, no matter where or how it happened. But they changed so many rules since I’ve begun to immerse in football that this may be dated. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1537 "2022-12-10T16:06:19Z")
I’ve always disliked this Portuguese team because of their diving and playacting. Now they are losing it’s all coming back to the fore. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1538 "2022-12-10T16:09:06Z")
Yes, they are very delicate! ---
**Author:** ![FurloeRoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@FurloeRoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FurloeRoth)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1539 "2022-12-10T16:09:09Z")
Law 12 has specific entries covering various handball situations, so I don’t believe the notoriously vague “lack of respect for the game” is intended to cover handball. That clause is more about behavioural offences such as aggressive taunting of an opponent. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2022, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476/1540 "2022-12-10T16:13:52Z")
CR just subbed on for Portugal, hoping it makes no difference. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476.md?page=76) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-cup-2022-discussion-predictions-and-thoughts/974476.md?page=78)