The Official 2022 FIFA World Cup Thread

[MAD]

FIFA World Cup fixtures
Group stage kick-off times and venues for all games will be confirmed in due course.

All times shown are local

TIMEZONE CONVERSION:
1 p.m. local: 10 a.m. GMT, 6 a.m. ET
6 p.m. local: 3 p.m. GMT, 11 a.m. ET
10 p.m. local: 7 p.m. GMT, 3 p.m. ET

GROUP STAGE

Monday, Nov. 21
Group A: Qatar vs. Ecuador (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; 1 p.m.)
Group A: Senegal vs. Netherlands
Group B: England vs. Iran
Group B: United States vs. Wales or Scotland / Ukraine

Tuesday, Nov. 22
Group C: Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia
Group C: Mexico vs. Poland
Group D: France vs. Peru or Australia / United Arab Emirates
Group D: Denmark vs. Tunisia

Wednesday, Nov. 23
Group E: Spain vs. Costa Rica or New Zealand
Group E: Germany vs. Japan
Group F: Belgium vs. Canada
Group F: Morocco vs. Croatia

Thursday, Nov. 24
Group G: Brazil vs. Serbia
Group G: Switzerland vs. Cameroon
Group H: Portugal vs. Ghana
Group H: Uruguay vs. South Korea

Friday, Nov. 25
Group A: Qatar vs. Senegal
Group A: Netherlands vs. Ecuador
Group B: England vs. United States
Group B: Wales or Scotland / Ukraine vs. Iran

Saturday, Nov. 26
Group C: Argentina vs. Mexico
Group C: Poland vs. Saudi Arabia
Group D: France vs. Denmark
Group D: Tunisia vs. Peru or Australia / United Arab Emirates

Sunday, Nov. 27
Group E: Spain vs. Germany
Group E: Japan vs. Costa Rica or New Zealand
Group F: Belgium vs. Morocco
Group F: Croatia vs. Canada

Monday, Nov. 28
Group G: Brazil vs. Switzerland
Group G: Cameroon vs. Serbia
Group H: Portugal vs. Uruguay
Group H: South Korea vs. Ghana

Tuesday, Nov. 29
Group A: Netherlands vs. Qatar
Group A: Ecuador vs. Senegal
Group B: Wales or Scotland / Ukraine vs. England
Group B: Iran vs. United States

Wednesday, Nov. 30
Group C: Poland vs. Argentina
Group C: Saudi Arabia vs. Mexico
Group D: Tunisia vs. France
Group D: Peru or Australia / United Arab Emirates vs. Denmark

Thursday, Dec. 1
Group E: Japan vs. Spain
Group E: Costa Rica or New Zealand vs. Germany
Group F: Croatia vs. Belgium
Group F: Canada vs. Morocco

Friday, Dec. 2
Group G: Cameroon vs. Brazil
Group G: Serbia vs. Switzerland
Group H: South Korea vs. Portugal
Group H: Ghana vs. Uruguay

 

[DocVOLiday]

The euro play in will be Wales or Scotland/Ukraine

could be tough depending on who gets through

 

[FLVOL_79]

Lol. Iran again? Pretty sure we got matched up with them in a previous cup.

That being said, US has a decent chance to punch their ticket to the second round if they can get a solid lineup built.

 

[VolunteerHillbilly]

I think Scotland is our best matchup and Ukraine would be toughest out. Wales somehow has Belgium’s number but otherwise isn’t any better than Scotland IMO. At least we have a chance to get out of group. Canada is going home early. Mexico has a tough draw too.

 

[ArmchairQB]

We're in a challenging group with all kinds of back story. We get a rematch with Iran after the 1998 debacle. We get a rematch with England after the draw in 2010. As much as England probably remembers Robert Green gifting that goal to Deuce, what I remember most about that game is Cherundolo just repeatedly destroying James Milner so badly that they subbed him off after a half hour. And then we get either Wales or Scotland or the team that basically the entire planet will be pulling for if they make it. But probably Wales. Advance and face either the Netherlands or Senegal probably, and frankly with those two I don't think it especially matters a whole heck of a lot who finishes first or second in Group B. Either way the first knockout match is a solid challenge. The Netherlands are the Netherlands and Senegal is just loaded. PS I don't think Ecuador or Qatar get out of the group stage.

 

[Persian Vol]

Take away the continental rules about playing the same continent and we would have potentially had

England
USA
Iran
Saudi Arabia

Can’t imagine a better foursome

 

[Nash_Vol97]

 

[bleedorange0037]

Lol, opening fifth favorite to win the group, behind England and three teams who have yet to qualify.

 

[MSUDuo]

Take away the continental rules about playing the same continent and we would have potentially had

England
USA
Iran
Saudi Arabia

Can’t imagine a better foursome

If they had done the draw after the playoffs we potentially could've had New Zealand too

 

[MAD]

No respect

 

[orangebloodgmc]

I hope Scotland makes it in, for various reasons. And then, us and them advance out of our group. Just what I would LIKE to see.

 

[The Dog]

Nah, I want Wales and my boy, Gareth Bale. What could possibly piss England off more than losing to Wales, the USA and failing to advance to the next round ? It will be a monumental breakdown and the British press will crucify 'em

 

[bleedorange0037]

No respect

It’s definitely a case of SSDD from the British press, as they do this before pretty much every tournament.

That said, what exactly have the US done to earn any respect from a them? They’re coming off a European final and WC semifinal in their last two tournaments, while we missed the last one altogether and only qualified by the skin of our teeth on goal differential this time. That’s not to say we aren’t capable of at least competing with them if we play well, but they also aren’t wrong to feel like they’ve gotten a favorable draw because they’re the most talented team in the group by a considerable margin.

 

[orangebloodgmc]

Nah, I want Wales and my boy, Gareth Bale. What could possibly piss England off more than losing to Wales, the USA and failing to advance to the next round ? It will be a monumental breakdown and the British press will crucify 'em

That would work for me, almost as well.

 

[MAD]

 

[NorCalVol67]

U.S., Mexico pre-World Cup plans take shape

 

[05_never_again]

It’s definitely a case of SSDD from the British press, as they do this before pretty much every tournament.

That said, what exactly have the US done to earn any respect from a them? They’re coming off a European final and WC semifinal in their last two tournaments, while we missed the last one altogether and only qualified by the skin of our teeth on goal differential this time. That’s not to say we aren’t capable of at least competing with them if we play well, but they also aren’t wrong to feel like they’ve gotten a favorable draw because they’re the most talented team in the group by a considerable margin.

There are only a few other fanbases who consistently overestimate the strength of their team more than the USMNT. One of them being England, lol.

If you knew nothing about soccer other than what USMNT fans say about the team, you'd think they were a top 5 team all-time with about 2 or 3 WCs under their belt. I don't know what the team has ever done to warrant the amount of hype they get; I assume the hype is a US-centric thing, and the rest of the world doesn't think all that much about them.

 

[n_huffhines]

There are only a few other fanbases who consistently overestimate the strength of their team more than the USMNT. One of them being England, lol.

If you knew nothing about soccer other than what USMNT fans say about the team, you'd think they were a top 5 team all-time with about 2 or 3 WCs under their belt. I don't know what the team has ever done to warrant the amount of hype they get; I assume the hype is a US-centric thing, and the rest of the world doesn't think all that much about them.

This is not my experience.

 

[bleedorange0037]

This is not my experience.

Not really my experience either with true MNT fans, who tend to be fairly realistic about our place in the food chain. The trouble is the casual fans who come around every four years (or whenever we manage to qualify for the WC) and think it’s our birthright to dominate at everything, simply because…’Murica.

 

[05_never_again]

This is not my experience.

All the ones I know who are into it expect WC runs.

They know we are not Brazil, France, etc., but speak as though we are in some tier right underneath them, and think that in fairly short order we'll be competing with them. I've been hearing it for 20 years and tell them "Wake me up when we have 7-8 guys of Pulisic's caliber in our starting 11."

 

[NorCalVol67]

This is not my experience.

Mine neither.

 

[05_never_again]

Maybe I know a uniquely unrealistic group of fans, then.

 

[NorCalVol67]

Not really my experience either with true MNT fans, who tend to be fairly realistic about our place in the food chain. The trouble is the casual fans who come around every four years (or whenever we manage to qualify for the WC) and think it’s our birthright to dominate at everything, simply because…’Murica.

They just don't have the reasonable expectations that Vol fans do.

 

[NorCalVol67]

All the ones I know who are into it expect WC runs.

They know we are not Brazil, France, etc., but speak as though we are in some tier right underneath them, and think that in fairly short order we'll be competing with them. I've been hearing it for 20 years and tell them "Wake me up when we have 7-8 guys of Pulisic's caliber in our starting 11."

25 years ago one of my roommates and I had the same argument over and over. He was a rugby guy, not soccer. He always said we would win the WC sooner rather than later, and I would say I didn't think we would win it in my lifetime. To simplify his reasoning, bleed said it above, cause 'Murica.

This was as we were nearing our last place finish in the '98 WC.

 

[05_never_again]

@n_huffhines What was that rubric you were talking about once that had 3 criteria for national team soccer dominance? Wasn't it wealth, population, and soccer history/tradition?

If that's what it was, the US only lacks that last one. How long does it take to build history? When would you say the US truly started building towards a history? It seems like it has been all fits and starts since 1990.