Why you aren't watching the world cup

[Immeril]

I 100% blame the USA team!!! Having the President intercede on your behalf? Any victory for them going forward is completely tainted in the eyes of the rest of the world. Talk about terrible sportsmanship!!!

“Questionable” (especially from one side’s perspective) calls are part of every sport. The President of the host country bullying the tournament into changing their ruling in the USA’s favour is appalling and an embarrassment for everyone involved. If the US team had any honour they’d decline it.

If they win now they’re the team who cheated to do it. They should be horrified.

Couldn't agree more!
The worst part is that anyone could've seen this coming 7 months ago (3 words: FIFA Peace Prize)..

 

[Dioltach]

If even Sepp Blatter says you've crossed a line, you've crossed a line.

 

[Marc Radle]

… especially considering who asked FIFA to review it.

Yeah, that person does seem to ruin everything he touches :/

 

[Clint_L]

Imagine if the US was to go on to “win” the tournament now. It would be considered illegitimate by anyone but them. I get that someone like Trump doesn’t see this as a problem, but most Americans have to be ashamed.

What about all the other red cards issued? Do political leaders now intercede for those? If a team has a player suspended before a match with the US, does the suspension need to be lifted to keep things consistent? Or does it only matter how powerful and rich your country is?

Adversity, including dealing with what your side sees as bad calls, is part of sport. Had the US simply accepted the ruling and fought through like every other team is required to do, they’d have been heroes. Now?

 

[Old Fezziwig]

What about all the other red cards issued? Do political leaders now intercede for those? If a team has a player suspended before a match with the US, does the suspension need to be lifted to keep things consistent? Or does it only matter how powerful and rich your country is?

The press already asked Tuchel about this and Quansah's red card last night. What a bummer that we're taking about this nonsense instead of stuff like Cabo Verde and Norway and last night's match on the Azteca.

 

[trappedslider]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/soccer/article/world-cup-2026-belgium-to-appeal-after-fifa-reversed-usmnts-folarin-balogun-1-game-ban-after-red-card-123613835.html

The last time a reversal happen was back in 1962. when Brazil’s star attacker Garrincha was allowed to play in that year’s final only after the intervention of the Brazilian government. He had been sent off in a semifinal, and officials including the prime minister, Tancredo Neves, who would later become president, petitioned FIFA to allow him to play.

 

[Mannahnin]

I 100% blame the USA team!!! Having the President intercede on your behalf? Any victory for them going forward is completely tainted in the eyes of the rest of the world. Talk about terrible sportsmanship!!!

What on Earth leads you to think they asked for this? I think their sportsmanship is fine. Blaming FIFA's or a political leader's awful behavior on them seems inappropriate, though I share your dismay and disgust.

 

[Clint_L]

What on Earth leads you to think they asked for this? I think their sportsmanship is fine. Blaming FIFA's or a political leader's awful behavior on them seems inappropriate, though I share your dismay and disgust.

I disagree. If they didn’t ask for it (they may well have; we don’t know) they nevertheless have accepted special treatment that no other team is getting. Are celebrating the outcome, in fact.

Sportsmanship would be to demand the same treatment as everyone else. That just seems like the basic premise of sportsmanship: everyone plays by the same rules. You yourself agree that this event should cause dismay and disgust. Apparently team USA disagrees.

From The Guardian: Sources have told the Guardian that Trump made three calls to Fifa, starting from Wednesday, to ensure the change was made. The White House has not responded to a request for comment. Fifa declined to comment.

There were further reports on Sunday night that the White House World Cup taskforce, chaired by Andrew Giuliani, had in effect launched a legal challenge against Balogun’s suspension focused on the use of slow-motion replays in making VAR decisions. If accurate then the implications of such an appeal could be significant and open the floodgates for multiple legal challenges to the disciplinary process in future. Again the White House has not responded to a request for comment.

 

[Dioltach]

FIFA: Fixing It For America
(I can't claim credit for that one, my wife just read it online.)

 

[Clint_L]

Let’s be clear: Trump’s ego demands that winning is all that matters, cheating is irrelevant (in fact, you’re a sucker if you don’t cheat), consequences be damned. And now we are seeing that directly imposed onto the World Cup. It’s a travesty, a mockery.