Qualifying stage and knock out are not equivalent. I can trust you wouldn't feel the same way if the roles were reversed in the knock out phase. It's not a problem if you choose to ignore it. If you're choosing to ignore it, have fun!
The decision criteria is the exact same between the qualifying and knockout rounds. There is no difference. I’m not ignoring anything. I fully understand FIFA is corrupt. It just doesn’t really have much to do with Trump.
Qualifying stage and knock out are not equivalent. I can trust you wouldn't feel the same way if the roles were reversed in the knock out phase. It's not a problem if you choose to ignore it. If you're choosing to ignore it, have fun!
The decision criteria is the exact same between the qualifying and knockout rounds. There is no difference. I’m not ignoring anything. I fully understand FIFA is corrupt. It just doesn’t really have much to do with Trump.
This would be reasonable evidence of Trump’s influence in FIFA’s decision to reinstate our player if there wasn’t dozens and dozens of examples of FIFA’s inconsistency and corruption independent of Trump, including the reinstatement of players after red cards.
1. FIFA is/has been corrupt independent of Trump
2. The likelihood of this red card getting suspended was enhanced by the powerful president of the host nation pulling some strings?
If this same scenario happened to the US under Biden in 2022 in Qatar, I'd be truly shocked at this outcome. Given the context now, not so much
1. FIFA is/has been corrupt independent of Trump
2. The likelihood of this red card getting suspended was enhanced by the powerful president of the host nation pulling some strings?
If this same scenario happened to the US under Biden in 2022 in Qatar, I'd be truly shocked at this outcome. Given the context now, not so much
FIFA will make inconsistent decisions when it stands to benefit them financially. Improving the USA’s chances of going deeper in the tournament benefits them.
FIFA even updated their regulations just before the tournament started to allow players who were facing bans to participate in the tournament to allow countries to “compete with their strongest possible squads.” This benefited players on Portugal, Argentina, and Ecuador.
Qualifying stage and knock out are not equivalent. I can trust you wouldn't feel the same way if the roles were reversed in the knock out phase. It's not a problem if you choose to ignore it. If you're choosing to ignore it, have fun!
The decision criteria is the exact same between the qualifying and knockout rounds. There is no difference. I’m not ignoring anything. I fully understand FIFA is corrupt. It just doesn’t really have much to do with Trump.
I think what you are saying is fine... I'd also add that we only have so much information to go off of and make assumptions... and it could be equally true that the formerly corrupt ref was biased in his red card for Balogun and the process was incorrectly used to show him slow motion shots when they weren't supposed to... Trump's call probably pressured Infantino, we could also be giving Trump too much credit here... but word probably got to the committee that Trump called and that could have also swayed them, or they could already have made up their mind... and we may never truly know. Its also true FIFA is historically corrupt and this was an easy decision for them... I just don't think its so black and white in either direction.
I prefer the line, 'let's hope we go out there and beat Belgium 3-0 and leave no doubt!"
Made the trip to KC for Holland v Tunisia –
We stayed in OPKS – got a good deal on the room – Close to my college friends place, one of the guys went to college in Kansas and had a lot of friends nearby.
We had shuttle tickets to the fan fest and from there on to Arrowhead. This was the disaster that I feared. The bus from the Oak Park Mall was supposed to run every 15 to 20 minutes. We waited an hour before a bus came. The staff there were friendly enough but had no answers for us. By the time we got to fanfest it was closed due to rain and we had missed the march. We decided to just head to the stadium. Unfortunately, they were concerned about lightning with the metal stockades that they used to queue for the buses, so they were not letting anyone go. The line to get on the buses ran down and across Grand all the way west to Main. They finally allowed boarding; we were in that line for another hour. Got to Arrowhead about 5:00 – four hours after leaving the hotel, every bit the problem I was concerned about.
Getting in went smooth, the game was great. Leaving went much better than arriving. We boarded a bus very quickly, got back to OP and watched the second half of the US game at a local bar there with friends. Connect KC did refund us the money for the shuttle because of delays, we did not have to ask.
Got up on Friday and headed back downtown. Fanfest did not open till 2:00 so we walked around the Plaza, got something to eat and took the streetcar from Plaza to the riverfront.
The new development around the riverfront is impressive and St. Louis should take note. The new buildings look nice and will open to what looks like a promenade that runs along the river. The buildings are all brick and really looked awesome. When it is completed, it could be one of the better large urban developments in the country. The Current stadium itself is kind of raw. Looks OK but does not have near the same level of finish as Energizer. There is a beer garden there, but there were no people around.
Downtown proper looked good and was buzzing with all kinds of fans. The streetcar was busy. Took around 40 minutes to go from riverfront back to the Plaza, seemed like a long time for about 5 miles. The streetcar stops at lights, the trams are probably a bit larger than the Grand Ave articulated bus. My friend pointed out the infrared eye above the doors, since it is un-ticketed that is how they count riders. My question was do they take the number and divide by 2? He had no idea, not sure how they calculate riders. The streetcar is OK, based on reports I thought it moved faster and carried more. One of the guys in the group has Current tickets and said that they limit parking at the stadium with the expectation that fans will use the streetcar, but it has not worked out well.
The route along Main was popping with fans, the restaurants were all full. The area was clean, the street was new, It looked like everyone was having a good time. It has been 10 years since my last visit to KC, downtown looks nice and areas like Martini Corner have improved.
We had to split early so really did not get an opportunity to enjoy fanfest.
Some observations:
There were some fans wearing “Base Camp Capital of the United States” t-shirts, which I found hilarious – STAY ON MESSAGE. The “Soccer Capital” was on some banners, but FIFA controls all the stuff at the stadium so nothing there.
Ran into a girl I knew from college, she and her husband were both wearing orange shirts with the KC heart on them, were out just soaking up the energy. Neither one of them knew much about the sport and did not realize the Dutch wear orange till this year, they were just super jazzed about everything, I think that represents about 95% of KC.
The shops had literally more than double the amount of Current stuff vs Sporting.
Never was really familiar with East KC, but it looks terrible. The bus weaved through the East neighborhoods and they look bad. Out by the stadium the area could pass for rural Missouri. Did not look as bad as the worst parts of N St Louis but did look worse than anything on the South Side.
There was no sidewalk on grand when people were queuing there for the bus. Crown Center feels more suburban than Clayton. Valentine where my friend lived until moving to OP always felt like suburban Webster Groves to me, but it is 5 minutes to downtown. Johnson County is growing like crazy since my last visit.
Overall – KC is an OK venue; the city itself is good host and the Dutch fans we talked with were enjoying it. The logistics and coordination as expected were terrible in part due to the rain and part to KC Connect not being prepared.
Well at least our President made us a global villain before we lost humiliatingly. Belgium let it motivate them. Very honorable.
He. Ruins. Everything.
While you're not wrong, I'm pleasantly surprised that the whole thing seems to be going off well anyway, and mostly people seem to be enjoying it. At the end of the day, I live in hope that this will mostly leave people from outside the US with a decent impression of the US, save for leadership, and that this will mostly leave people inside the US with a better impression of, and a bit more excitement about soccer. (Which I am mightily tempted to simply bow to international pressure and call football. At the end of the day, it's a simple, honest name. And I VERY much prefer it to the American rules alternative.)
We have pretty much all of the venues needed across STL, SLU, Mizzou, Lake of the Ozarks, KC, Kansas University, etc. with some sports probably needing to be farmed out (soccer, white water sports, surfing, etc).
We have pretty much all of the venues needed across STL, SLU, Mizzou, Lake of the Ozarks, KC, Kansas University, etc. with some sports probably needing to be farmed out (soccer, white water sports, surfing, etc).
After seeing how much KCMO people had a fit anytime Kansas was mentioned for the WC, I’m not sure putting stuff at Kansas would go over well for a Missouri Olympics.
We have pretty much all of the venues needed across STL, SLU, Mizzou, Lake of the Ozarks, KC, Kansas University, etc. with some sports probably needing to be farmed out (soccer, white water sports, surfing, etc).
After seeing how much KCMO people had a fit anytime Kansas was mentioned for the WC, I’m not sure putting stuff at Kansas would go over well for a Missouri Olympics.
I think this will be going out day one with a Missouri-Kansas bid. It would be impossible to host the entire Olympics in Missouri given the new arrowhead will be in Kansas.
I would not support a Missouri-Kansas bid. Hosting the WC (one sport, one stadium) is not comparable to hosting the Olympics. Kansas City does not have the infrastructure for that. Lets get real.
Between KU's facilities in Lawrence, the arenas/stadiums in KC (including essentially two NFL stadiums and two MLB stadiums), facilities at Mizzou, arenas/stadiums in Stl, and the LOZ, I think there are a lot of venues that can be used for Olympic games.
It's not about stadiums/facilities. A St. Louis-Kansas City bid has no stadium/facility advantage that 23 other states/corridors can claim to have. Its about MASS transportation, not a street car or even MetroLink. Its about millions of hotel rooms, larger percent need to be high quality. Its about global air service, not just BA/LH. Its about remaining taxing authority to build many new facilities, neither STL/KC/Mo have. Getting this corridor ready for the Olympics would be a $5-10B investment.
Chicago & Detroit, Chicago & Minneapolis, Chicago & Indianapolis, Chicago & St. Louis (ie Illinois), Detroit & Ann Arbor, the Ohio C's (Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus), Colorados front range, Nashville & Atlanta. All better qualified bids if the Olympics are going to choose Midwestern USA.
