Cal88 said:

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There is a distinct possibility of you not making it to Greece this summer due to the energy crisis, not sure how the Greek economy would operate if the Hormuz Strait remains blocked.

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A little more soccer and a little less reality, okay?

Fine, just keep in mind that reality might interfere with your WC travel plans.

https://bearinsider.com/forums/6/topics/133502/replies/2676537

final play-in games for the WC later today:
World Cup Qual. | UEFA Playoffs

ITALY vs. BOSNIA
TURKIYE vs. KOSOVO ------ winner gets in US group
SWEDEN vs. POLAND
DENMARK vs. CZECHIA

Also intercontinental qualifiers
Congo-Jamaica
Iraq-Bolivia

Cal88 said:

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Fine, just keep in mind that reality might interfere with your WC travel plans.

https://bearinsider.com/forums/6/topics/133502/replies/2676537

final play-in games for the WC later today:
World Cup Qual. | UEFA Playoffs

ITALY vs. BOSNIA
TURKIYE vs. KOSOVO ------ winner gets in US group
SWEDEN vs. POLAND
DENMARK vs. CZECHIA

Also intercontinental qualifiers
Congo-Jamaica
Iraq-Bolivia

---

Many thing could also interfere with the WC even happening. But I try to block that all out.

Did not realize the final play-in games were today. Thanks.

Kickoff in 45min, both the Italians and Turks are playing on the road, no givens here.

concordtom said:

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PAC-10-BEAR said:

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Speaking of 0-0 scores, here's my favorite US World Cup memorable moment and my only memorable moment.

Andres Cantor on the call.

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Tim Howard's distribution
Contraataque
El mejor jugador en la historia de los estados unidos.

I was freaking out

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Ian Darke was all over it on his call. "Distribution, brilliant, Landon Donovan . . . there are things on here for the USA . . ."



I was hoping that this current USA team would have developed into a potential top squad (or at least one that could be very threatening to the top squads), but it's not looking like it. They seem to be about on the same level as they were at the last World Cup.

sluggo said:

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dajo9 said:

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I will be in Greece around the time of the quarterfinals. I dont really follow soccer or the US team but it is fun to be around international people during the World Cup. I envision being at a sunny island bar with foreigners just soaking it in.

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I will be in Rome, Palermo, and Athen during the middle of the World Cup. I was in Italy for the last Euro. It is amazing to watch the games in the public square. Every bar has a TV and they are welcoming, it is not like American bars where you are being watched for how much you spend. I very much hope Italy makes it. Sadly Greece did not make it, but I assume the bars will still be interested.

I am also going to the US/Australia game and the QFs in Boston. I do not deserve so much good fortune.

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Good for you!
I hope you have a great time.
Perhaps this thread can stay open and serve as the official World Cup thread!

sluggo said:

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Cal88 said:

---

Fine, just keep in mind that reality might interfere with your WC travel plans.

https://bearinsider.com/forums/6/topics/133502/replies/2676537

final play-in games for the WC later today:
World Cup Qual. | UEFA Playoffs

ITALY vs. BOSNIA
TURKIYE vs. KOSOVO ------ winner gets in US group
SWEDEN vs. POLAND
DENMARK vs. CZECHIA

Also intercontinental qualifiers
Congo-Jamaica
Iraq-Bolivia

---

Many thing could also interfere with the WC even happening. But I try to block that all out.

Did not realize the final play-in games were today. Thanks.

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Like, NOW!!!

sycasey said:

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concordtom said:

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PAC-10-BEAR said:

---

Speaking of 0-0 scores, here's my favorite US World Cup memorable moment and my only memorable moment.

Andres Cantor on the call.

---

Tim Howard's distribution
Contraataque
El mejor jugador en la historia de los estados unidos.

I was freaking out

---

Ian Darke was all over it on his call. "Distribution, brilliant, Landon Donovan . . . there are things on here for the USA . . ."



I was hoping that this current USA team would have developed into a potential top squad (or at least one that could be very threatening to the top squads), but it's not looking like it. They seem to be about on the same level as they were at the last World Cup.

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Yes, from a US (Men's) perspective, has there ever been a bigger moment?

sluggo said:

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Cal88 said:

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Kickoff in 45min, both the Italians and Turks are playing on the road, no givens here.

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Strongly rooting for Kosovo. The Turks have two world class players, Guler in the midfield and Yildiz on the wing. I don't know any of Kosovo's players so I assume they are worse.

And Italy so they will be more interested when I am visiting. Plus it just does not feel like the WC when Italy is not there.

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My friend (with whom I'm always complaining that matches are determined on luck as much as quality of play because of the low scoring nature of the game) said:

"Kosovo is going to get killed!
At least 1-0!"

The upset of Figo's Portugal was pretty big.

concordtom said:

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sluggo said:

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Cal88 said:

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Kickoff in 45min, both the Italians and Turks are playing on the road, no givens here.

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Strongly rooting for Kosovo. The Turks have two world class players, Guler in the midfield and Yildiz on the wing. I don't know any of Kosovo's players so I assume they are worse.

And Italy so they will be more interested when I am visiting. Plus it just does not feel like the WC when Italy is not there.

---

My friend (with whom I'm always complaining that matches are determined on luck as much as quality of play because of the low scoring nature of the game) said:

"Kosovo is going to get killed!
At least 1-0!"

---

0-0 after 120min / 5-4 on penalties

Cal88 said:

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concordtom said:

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sluggo said:

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Cal88 said:

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Kickoff in 45min, both the Italians and Turks are playing on the road, no givens here.

---

Strongly rooting for Kosovo. The Turks have two world class players, Guler in the midfield and Yildiz on the wing. I don't know any of Kosovo's players so I assume they are worse.

And Italy so they will be more interested when I am visiting. Plus it just does not feel like the WC when Italy is not there.

---

My friend (with whom I'm always complaining that matches are determined on luck as much as quality of play because of the low scoring nature of the game) said:

"Kosovo is going to get killed!
At least 1-0!"

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0-0 after 120min / 5-4 on penalties

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Gee. What a just way to decide.

concordtom said:

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sycasey said:

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concordtom said:

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PAC-10-BEAR said:

---

Speaking of 0-0 scores, here's my favorite US World Cup memorable moment and my only memorable moment.

Andres Cantor on the call.

---

Tim Howard's distribution
Contraataque
El mejor jugador en la historia de los estados unidos.

I was freaking out

---

Ian Darke was all over it on his call. "Distribution, brilliant, Landon Donovan . . . there are things on here for the USA . . ."


I was hoping that this current USA team would have developed into a potential top squad (or at least one that could be very threatening to the top squads), but it's not looking like it. They seem to be about on the same level as they were at the last World Cup.

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Yes, from a US (Men's) perspective, has there ever been a bigger moment?

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Biggest moments in USMNT history:
A) Winning the group and making the semis in the first World Cup in 1930. There were 13 teams. (I had to look this one up.)
B) Beating England in the 1950 WC.
C) The shot heard around the world, Paul Caliguiri scored in 1989 in T&T to make the WC for the first time in 40 years.
D) 1994 own goal to beat Colombia and make the second round in 1994. Tragic for the scorer.
E) 2002 beat Mexico to make the QFs. Robbed in QFs against Germany.
F) 2010 Landon Donovan's goal against Algeria.

Cal88 said:

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The upset of Figo's Portugal was pretty big.

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Yeah this and then dos-a-cero to beat Mexico and make the quarterfinals. Still the high water mark for modern US soccer. (I feel like the 2010 team might have actually been better but they got beat by Ghana.)

Not sure if anyone cares but Esmir Bajraktarevic who is playing right wing for Bosnia was born in Wisconsin and raised and learned his soccer here. He even played in a friendly for us before switching his allegiance. He might be our starting right wing if he did not switch.

We have also recently lost players to England, Germany, and Mexico. Most of our best young players are from recent immigrant families, so they have a choice as to whether to play for us. We have gotten Balogun (raised in England), Weah (France and USA), Dest (Netherlands, and they actually wanted him), and A. Robinson (England, might have wanted him but he committed young to us).

The MLS is actually pretty high up, if the revenues keep increasing, there is hope for the future:

Top 10 Richest Football Leagues (by revenue)
[ol]

English Premier League (England)

La Liga (Spain)

Bundesliga (Germany)

Serie A (Italy)

Ligue 1 (France)

Major League Soccer (USA/Canada)

Brasileiro Srie A (Brazil)

Saudi Pro League (Saudi Arabia)

Eredivisie (Netherlands)

Liga MX (Mexico)

[/ol]
source:
https://www.spond.com/news-and-blog/the-top-10-richest-football-leagues/

The MLS could surpass Ligue 1 as Qatari investment is going to crater thanks to Trump's war.


Italy, Turkey, up 1-0 with 10min left in regulation, Sweden-Poland, Czechia-denmark tied up.

Bosnia ties it up! 1-1, 80th min Italy on the ropes, down a man (red card)

It is going to be Turkiye in the US group. I hope they have a better plan for Yildiz, who is fantastic, than they did for Doku, who is even better.

Bosnia and Italy going to PKs, let's see if Italy can blow another World Cup qualification.

Bosnia wins on penalties! Italy out again!

losing 4-1 on penalties = big time choke.

US-Portugal starting right now. Our best central defender Chris Richards is playing as is goalie Matt Freese. I hope the defensive effort is better than against Belgium. Belgium will not win the WC but Portugal might. Their talent is outstanding.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2026/mar/31/usmnt-portugal-live-updates-analysis

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/mar/31/bosnia-herzegovina-italy-world-cup-2026-qualifying-playoff-match-report



~ quote from above live US-Port game feed, relevant to CMS re-do cluster-f* --

"00.28 BST
From Jeff Rueter: For all the aspiring stadium designers or ticket pricers following along …might I recommend not pricing the midfield sections quite so lavishly above the rest of the field? In a very packed house, the only sections with broad swathes of empty seats are the ones that stare back at broadcast viewers."

Cal88 said:

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losing 4-1 on penalties = big time choke.

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🚨JUST IN: Footage leaked of the Italian team celebrating after watching Bosnia and Herzegovina win on penalties...

Italy will now play Bosnia for a final World Cup spot.pic.twitter.com/ZXBBlBahkd

— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) March 27, 2026

Italy celebrated when they found out they were going to play Bosnia Herzegovina instead of Wales. They also released their new World Cup kits prior to the game.

Mamma Mia!

sycasey said:

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Bosnia wins on penalties! Italy out again!

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Italy out for the 3rd straight time!

Mamma Mia!

🗣️ "I am from Bosnia, take me to America!"

Bosnia & Herzegovina are just one game away from the World Cup. Italy are their visitors. These fans are more than ready 🇧🇦 pic.twitter.com/QHE22BcW9r

— Ultras Clips (@ultras_clips) March 31, 2026

PAC-10-BEAR said:

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sycasey said:

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Bosnia wins on penalties! Italy out again!

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Italy out for the 3rd straight time!

Mamma Mia!

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Kind of unthinkable for them. What is going on?

sycasey said:

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PAC-10-BEAR said:

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sycasey said:

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Bosnia wins on penalties! Italy out again!

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Italy out for the 3rd straight time!

Mamma Mia!

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Kind of unthinkable for them. What is going on?

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Their talent is the lowest I have ever seen going back to the 70s. IMO no one on their team would be a top 50 player in the world except maybe their goalie. The game has become more about speed and less about control and that does not favor them.

Of course they won the covid Euro, but those players are gone.

Dude is a clown.
I've meet him a couple times, though he doesn't know it.

When you start posting sexy female pics and saying that's going to make a kid choose cal, but then your daughter chooses local ASU and tries to dress up like the sexy girls you post, I'll let you know you're a clown, too.

concordtom said:

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Dude is a clown.
I've meet him a couple times, though he doesn't know it.

When you start posting sexy female pics and saying that's going to make a kid choose cal, but then your daughter chooses local ASU and tries to dress up like the sexy girls you post, I'll let you know you're a clown, too.

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Funny, as I met him once and he did not know it. I was at the Big Game at Stanford. He came to where I was sitting wearing a hat that said Shocky on it. He asked me who was kicking off to start the second half, and after I answered, he left.

He has actually been nice to me by PM, so I don't dislike him, but his shtick is so tiresome. But lots of people find me tiresome, so I guess we are even.

sycasey said:

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PAC-10-BEAR said:

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sycasey said:

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Bosnia wins on penalties! Italy out again!

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Italy out for the 3rd straight time!

Mamma Mia!

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Kind of unthinkable for them. What is going on?

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Italian demography, their talent pool is half the size it was a couple of decades ago, and things are getting worse. Relatively lower immigration than France, Germany, England, Holland.

https://chartingtheglobe.com/region/italy/demographics/population-pyramid?indicator=population-pyramid

sluggo said:

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concordtom said:

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Dude is a clown.
I've meet him a couple times, though he doesn't know it.

When you start posting sexy female pics and saying that's going to make a kid choose cal, but then your daughter chooses local ASU and tries to dress up like the sexy girls you post, I'll let you know you're a clown, too.

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Funny, as I met him once and he did not know it. I was at the Big Game at Stanford. He came to where I was sitting wearing a hat that said Shocky on it. He asked me who was kicking off to start the second half, and after I answered, he left.

He has actually been nice to me by PM, so I don't dislike him, but his shtick is so tiresome. But lots of people find me tiresome, so I guess we are even.

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Yeah, he used to PM me too. We were cheerleaders together for bb recruits. You remember. You were there then too.

But when I objected to his nonstop sexy gal crap, his yoga pants, and then his roasting of player wardrobes and posting of their girlfriends, complete with critiques of their figures, he and I became enemies.

So glad I don't have to argue with him anymore. He stays over there (shifted to football) and I stay over here.

dajo9 said:

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I will be in Greece around the time of the quarterfinals. I dont really follow soccer or the US team but it is fun to be around international people during the World Cup. I envision being at a sunny island bar with foreigners just soaking it in.

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I was in a pub in Munich when Germany beat Argentina to win the 1990 WC. My buddy was Mexican-American and kinda short with medium-long hair, so "naturally" the guys in the pub called him Maradona (Europe being somewhat less multi-cultural back then).

When Germany scored, everybody took their beers and doused the ceiling of the pub. We didn't want to waste our beer, but "When in Munich... "

Afterwards, we went out onto the boulevard, where literally tens of thousands of people were packed like sardines. Claustrophobic but fun.