World Cup Soccer

[Liza]

Russia

Qatar

 

 

Discuss.

[fentona]

Qatar seems like a mistake; I don't know how fans can be expected to make it through an entire soccer game sober.

[TheMatt]

Qatar seems like a mistake; I don't know how fans can be expected to make it through an entire soccer game sober.

The fans? What about the athletes before and after a game? They aren't known for being teetotalers. And then there are the 100+ degree temperatures they could face...

[Liza]

Someone asked me if there was grass (field grass, mind you) in either location. Tundra and sand, right?

[SLBunge]

Although Qataris seem to be tolerant of what visitors wear, I worry that the progress made by Ms. Riquelme to define the role (and attire) of the lingerie-model/fan might be set back if Qatar hosts.

[Suzanne F]

Twelve years to work on that, though.

[Daisy]

Information that follows is from a friend who has put in significant time working in Qatar. It's not completely illegal to drink alcohol in Qatar although it's not easy to come by (swanky nightclubs, bars in the top hotels, low profile private clubs, etc. and these few and far between especially outside of Doha). But, public drunkenness is a crime with fairly harsh penalties. No doubt over the next few years some 'accomodation' will be made, some work-around engineered, for the World Cup.

[StephanieL]

Allegedly, all the stadiums will be covered and air conditioned.

[mongo_jones]

then let's hope france doesn't make it.

 

you see, they don't bathe, and so their fans would make the stadiums smell rather strong.

[hollywood]

Information that follows is from a friend who has put in significant time working in Qatar. It's not completely illegal to drink alcohol in Qatar although it's not easy to come by (swanky nightclubs, bars in the top hotels, low profile private clubs, etc. and these few and far between especially outside of Doha). But, public drunkenness is a crime with fairly harsh penalties. No doubt over the next few years some 'accomodation' will be made, some work-around engineered, for the World Cup.

Perhaps they can pass a law against vuvuzelas.

[Wilfrid]

I can hardly wait to see if Brazil or Germany wins in 2022.

[prasantrin]

Canada. That would carry on the tradition of weird.

[Wilfrid]

So it comes around again, that month where it's impossible to watch a game of baseball in a bar because everywhere is crowded with American "soccer" fans, mangling the language of the game, befuddled by the US team's zero chance of glory, and desperately pretending that we don't already know who's going to win.

[Stone]

I find that it's the hipsters who really love soccer. It's one of the truly artisanal sports. Last time around I was invited down to the City Winery to watch a game. It was a gingham explosion.

 

I look forward to all the newspaper reports about how America is finally getting interested in soccer as something more than the game children-of-over-protective-parents play. And then another bunch of millionaires will throw their millions into the black hole that is MLS.

 

[Wilfrid]

It's very difficult for the US media to cover this, in the absence of a narrative of US success, or US narrow but noble failure.