Group C (Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland)

Zabaleta doing an Henry on Carragher with Rio there.

 

Setting up for a big quarter final if the expected winners get through the next round. All the "big boys" qualifying top so far.

 

México will come back stronger in the 2026 World Cup

 

Why? They're not a super young squad

 

Result
1. Argentina
2. Poland
3. Mexico
4. Saudi Arabia

 

Just seen the decision for the penalty, that's absolutely disgusting.

 

All that penalty does is encourage diving and encourage crowding around the referee. If Messi reacts to that normally, and just gets up and gets on with the game there's zero chance they have a second look at it, and similarly if the Argentinian players don't crowd around the referee and milk the appeal, they don't have a look at it either.

VAR is flawed, in that it'll decide to scrutinise certain incidents based on things that influence referees - diving, appeals, home crowds - and when it starts to scrutinise an incident in slow motion and the smallest amount of contact is seen to have been made in slow-motion a penalty gets given.

It encourages fans and players alike to just make the most out of everything, appeal for absolutely anything and in doing so takes away so much of the sport. Yet they're absolutely adamant that it's here to stay, because some big wigs think it's the way forward. Fortunately, it's still not in the Championship, and hopefully that'll be the way for some time.

 

Was at a City supporters club meeting so missed the game, soad Argentina would win whole thing so am glad they've finally woke up, great goal by Alvarez, what a player he's gonna be.

 

Agree. xG statistics really show this.
On average, a penalty is 4 times more likely to be scored than if the ball was in the place where the person was fouled.
This video explains it better than me.

 

In other words, you were alone at home?

Thank God he only got this "Budweiser Cup" and not the Beer .

edit. Too bad that the Argies didn't qualify as 2nd in their group. A France vs Argentina match right in the first k.o round would've been a cracker match.

 

Definitely no penalty but I think if Messi controlled the ball then it's a pen. I mean if a defender goes for a ball and misses and takes out a player it's a penalty. I don't think any penalties should be given if the ball I'd going to rum out of play or into the keepers hands. And as someone said above maybe an indirect freekick for those

 

Expext better from you haha. We had Andy Morrison and Kevin Horlock there doing Q and A, without them guys we wouldn't be where we are now , we'd if been down along time , rolled out at 1am and up at 6am with sore head.

France 4 Argentina 3 in last world cup was brilliant game , end to end.

 

. Only a lame joke, I know. Hope you don't mind.

 

No in return hopefully Gundugen flying back to Manchester by tomorrow

 

Gundugen can fly back to Manchester, no problem. As long as Gündogan stays in Qatar (SCNR)