The Rounded Keeper - FPL Pub Talk & Matchday Banter 25/26

[blahblah]

Scottish pundits talking about the need for goals, sowing the seeds for a Haiti win

Sutton saying it's not an easy game. I totally agree, but they have history.... The last win will help with the complacency and looking to getting something for Morocco and 2nd place...

[blahblah]

Ref banded by Dump Land Rot:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... v9drg0qzgo

[forestfan]

Where would Colombia be?

It's strange that venues aren't being included in the fixture lists.

Colombia game would be in Toronto, followed by Spain in Arlington (Dallas) - racking up the air miles there…

[blahblah]

I think the middle non Mexico game in the Mexico Group is in Atlanta - apparently 3.5km each way

[forestfan]

I think the middle non Mexico game in the Mexico Group is in Atlanta - apparently 3.5km each way

3.5km? That’s a walk to the next village, maybe check your units

It is all a reminder that the last WC was in a country the size of Norfolk, and this one’s spread over an entire continent. The infinite wisdom of FIFA…

[blahblah]

I'm sure that I got it from Vickery.

Czechia fly (I'd like to think) from Guadalajara to Atlanta and back to Mexico City; and I assume that South Africa are doing something similar.

[forestfan]

I'm sure that I got it from Vickery.

The rugby player? The chef?

[Jok57]

Tbh, I'd do Mbappe off like PSG did until he'll play a 1-2 with thout jerking off over the ball
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[Jok57]

Olise in everyone’s team after last night……and maybe au revoir Mbappe.?

[Maldini]

Olise in everyone’s team after last night……and maybe au revoir Mbappe.?

Was coming into my team in MD2 and think I’ll be sticking with that plan. Senegal are half decent.

[Jok57]

Olise in everyone’s team after last night……and maybe au revoir Mbappe.?

Was coming into my team in MD2 and think I’ll be sticking with that plan. Senegal are half decent.


What about Monsieur Mbappe?

[Maldini]

Olise in everyone’s team after last night……and maybe au revoir Mbappe.?

Was coming into my team in MD2 and think I’ll be sticking with that plan. Senegal are half decent.


What about Monsieur Mbappe?

He’ll be coming in as well.

[Maldini]

Can highly recommend this on BBC iPlayer to get the World Cup juices flowing…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002xb10


Not really a fan of Kevin Bridges but he comes across pretty well on it.

[forestfan]

Just been working out England’s potential paths…

Group L winners:
Last 32 - third-placed team

From the spreadsheet of permutations, most likely opponents here would be Group K (DR Congo?) or Group I (Senegal?).

[raoul]

Pre tournament warm up games so far...

Mexico have 3 wins.

Spain drew against Iraq, France lost to Ivory Coast, Netherlands lost to Algeria and needed an injury time winner to get past Uzbekistan.

Shocks on the cards perhaps?

[forestfan]

Pre tournament warm up games so far...

Mexico have 3 wins.

Spain drew against Iraq, France lost to Ivory Coast, Netherlands lost to Algeria and needed an injury time winner to get past Uzbekistan.

Shocks on the cards perhaps?

It’s a bit like pre-season NFL games in terms of genuine meaning… but I do think a few big guns could be caught cold (or hot…) and despite the forgiving format we’ll see at least one big name fall at the first hurdle.

[raoul]

Pre tournament warm up games so far...

Mexico have 3 wins.

Spain drew against Iraq, France lost to Ivory Coast, Netherlands lost to Algeria and needed an injury time winner to get past Uzbekistan.

Shocks on the cards perhaps?

It’s a bit like pre-season NFL games in terms of genuine meaning… but I do think a few big guns could be caught cold (or hot…) and despite the forgiving format we’ll see at least one big name fall at the first hurdle.

Hmmm but is it? Initial warm up games maybe but the final ones would be expected to involve mostly first choice starting line-ups in a genuine attempt to dress rehearse the real thing.

And then there's the issue that unlike NFL many of these players have had almost no time off and have a very short window to get back up to game speed as well as gel with people they have not played with in weeks or months.

I can see a fair few wobbling into the last 16 before they really start to get going. And some will wobble a bit too much, no doubt.

[forestfan]

The new format along with weather conditions etc. makes it tough to call, I suspect the last 32 round could be quite chaotic and we always seem to get a lopsided draw due to favoured teams ending up out of position by not winning their groups.

Straight knockout from 32 probably makes it more random but then again, someone’s got to win five consecutive knockout games and hard to see an outsider managing that without the strength in depth of the big guns - they’ll probably need a very efficient strategy and a keeper who’s good on penalties!

Two of the last four winners have lost a game early on, anyway.

[blahblah]

Spain had a lot of "not in the 26" bods playing and looked very disjointed tbh.

France weren't good vs NI, with the 2 DMs being a tad shite and Mbappe a lazy, greedy .... The ghost of Senegal is looming and while far from expecting them to win, I wouldn't be surprised.

Argentina seem old and maybe stale, so again I don't expect, but wouldn't be surprised.

It would be something if all 12 Favourites won their Groups, so it's just a matter of who fook up?

[forestfan]

Oh yeah, I forgot about that rematch. “And Bouba Diop is there!” (RIP both him and Motty.)

I still miss the old traditional opener of the holders being out there to be shot at. I think that was the last time it happened, in fact…

[blahblah]

And probably why, I don't think it was the first time and certain people didn't like the tradition

[forestfan]

And probably why, I don't think it was the first time and certain people didn't like the tradition

I think they did it at the same time as they removed automatic qualification for the holders, as they would potentially be setting the fixtures/group schedule before knowing if they would be there (though no defending champion has yet failed to qualify).

Host nations probably wanted to participate in the opening game to boost immediate interest and it was already happening in the Euros (not sure about other continental championships). Those two defeats for Argentina and France probably meant future holders were happy to give up the privilege too!

[Pirlo's Beard]

Host nations probably wanted to participate in the opening game to boost immediate interest and it was already happening in the Euros (not sure about other continental championships).

It's a nice little quirk that in 2010, the hosts South Africa opened the tournament with a game against Mexico, and now in 2026 the hosts Mexico will open the tournament with a game against South Africa.

[raoul]

Host nations probably wanted to participate in the opening game to boost immediate interest and it was already happening in the Euros (not sure about other continental championships).

It's a nice little quirk that in 2010, the hosts South Africa opened the tournament with a game against Mexico, and now in 2026 the hosts Mexico will open the tournament with a game against South Africa.

and the referee that day was Uzbek (refereed more WC games than anyone else apparently), and this year they have their team qualified for the first time.

Not sure that is a quirk. Just seemed mildly interesting.

To me at least.

Gets coat...

[raoul]

in other exciting news, I finally got hold of a WC wallchart today (442 Magazine).

It is almost too big for the door I always use...

[forestfan]

Host nations probably wanted to participate in the opening game to boost immediate interest and it was already happening in the Euros (not sure about other continental championships).

It's a nice little quirk that in 2010, the hosts South Africa opened the tournament with a game against Mexico, and now in 2026 the hosts Mexico will open the tournament with a game against South Africa.

Yeah, I noticed that one when first drawn! Must be the first repeat opener…

[raoul]

For my own amusement - and because I have a lot of work to do but need a distraction from it - I was minded to set up a spreadsheet with all the various qualification rules built in so that it would show where the best 8 third place teams would be placed for the final 32 the whole way through the group stages as the results happen.

Completely pointless but for some reason it feels like a challenge I must undertake ... despite my poor Excel skills.

So many combinations for the 3rd place teams so whether I will see it through is another matter.

[forestfan]

Sage set for Palace. They’ll hope he knows his onions, so they won’t get a stuffing too often

[raoul]

Mexico have appeared in the opening game of the Finals 5 times in the past - which seems a lot.

They have not won any of them, and have a combined 2-16 record in goals.

Ominous

[blahblah]

They're due a win