To be underwhelmed by the World Cup so far

[Glasgew1770]

This is obviously aimed at those, like me, who are football fans. So please no unoriginal comments about overpaid players, kicking a bag of air about, etc.

I’m a football fan and I just can’t get into the World Cup. Usually it feels like a big event but whilst I’ve watched some I’m not really getting into the vibe.

I’ve got a school meeting tomorrow at the same time as the England game and I was surprisingly unconcerned. Like I didn’t give a shit.

Just me? Or are others finding this too?

The Dutch/Morocco penalties were some of the worst I’ve ever seen! It’s been a weird World Cup for sure with lots of surprises and upsets.

I’m just trying to ignore all the silly ‘hydration’ breaks and countdowns 🤦🏻‍♀️ and just focus on the football.

I know what you mean about supporting other team’s players. It does feel wrong cheering when Harry Kane scores 😆 The Dutch had the highest concentration of LFC players so I’m sad they’re out… but overall that’s better for England so 🤞🏻

No. Am enjoying it and the tennis. Great Summer of Sport.

Really interesting to hear someone else say that as well, my partner and I were talking and wondering why we felt a bit flat about the World Cup this year as we’re both massive football fans, and we put it down to the fact that we now have two children aged one and two and don’t have the capacity to be able to sit and watch the matches, stay up for the later ones etc. Perhaps though it just really is a bit different this year, I’m not enjoying the US element of it (viewed Paris Hilton presenting the match ball 😭) but I’m hoping it’ll change now we’re in the latter rounds. Having so many teams compete as well just felt like the group stages went on forever!

I am Irish and gutted we are not there but I am really enjoying the matches only seeing the early evening ones anything past 10pm are too late for me. We have a big Brazilian and Spanish population here so bars packed for their matches and places in Dublin going all out for their watch parties.

The hydration breaks give me the rage. They should be decided on a game by game basis, there was a match the other day in a closed roof air conned stadium and commentator said it was about 19 degrees I mean come on! They are also ridiculous in length and should have no team talks either. I coach u14 ladies Gaelic football. I asked ref for a water break a few weeks ago as it is was very warm, he said they can have 60 seconds to run off get their water and get back on he will be timing it and throwing in the ball whether they are back on the pitch or not. I mean if kids can mage that so can grown professionals.

The peace prize rubbish and all the past and current corruption has completely turned me against fifa so that does have an impact for me. They seem incapable of getting anyone with morals to lead them

As someone whose English, the hype around the team puts me off to start with, but the biggest problem has simply been the time factor, I’m just not engaged enough with the whole thing to want to sit up into the early hours, I’ll watch the game today because it’s on at five, but I’ll just watch the game not the two hours of utter drivel telling us the English team is the greatest footballing team ever to walk the planet

I have to say, whilst I have not watched any matches yet, I have enjoyed reading all the headlines and seeing some heartwarming videos. Strangely I feel less ‘pressure’ to watch the matches this year which is actually quite nice. It’s a fun bonus to catch up on if I am bored rather than something I have to watch.

I think the expansion of the number of teams has made the group stages a bit predictable. But so far the majority of the knockout games have been closer and more exciting.

I don't get "the matches are on at the wrong time".

There is normally one match at day on early, say between 5 and 8, and another slightly later that can sometimes push the boundaries of my sleeptime.

But you can generally watch 2 matches a day without pushing the limits too far.

If you want to watch more than that I can accept it gets a bit tough. But more than 2 matches a day is pretty hardcore.

When one of the better matches is on late it is a bit annoying though.

Germany were knocked out because of an appalling VAR decision for their second 'goal', the goalkeeper's dying swan act when someone breathed on him reminded me of the original master of the dive, Jurgen Klinsmann of Germany! Oh, the irony! Now want to see Portugal knocked out to wipe the smug sneer off Ronaldo's face. Tonight's game is difficult for me, I have the DRC in a sweepstake!

Or maybe it's because of the self righteous who are too thick to understand why they're being flown at the moment and would feel justified in damaging cars carrying them.

No member of a team's management or training group should be allowed to approach their team during the water breaks.

As someone who is NOT a football fan, I have to agree with you! It feels like this time around I've been hearing a lot less about the world cup, whereas usually it's everywhere and you can't escape it. The most I've seen is the sweepstakes and flags at work! It's weird, it feels very muted.

Maybe it is the time of day of the matches?

I don't get "the matches are on at the wrong time".

Nor do I! Wherever in the world the WCs are held other parts of the world will find the timing awkward. I remember sitting outside a cabin in Colorado at about 2am listening the England play in the Rugby WC in, I think, Japan at 9pm the same day!

I'm also an LFC fan so we're probably going to have another winners medal for MacAllister! I do always struggle when I'm supposed to start cheering for say Wayne Rooney/Lampard (back in the day) and now Declan Rice or John Stones.

To be honest I'm never that fussed about the group stages, especially lately when we (and most other predicted teams) go through at a stroll. Now the times are a bit more varied I expect to get more into it and I love a good knockout match as a neutral.

perhaps there is less flag waving as we have no Tune
nor much hope perhaps?

We (well England) need a ‘rowing’ gesture of our own like Norway have. My son suggested pretending to drink a cup of tea, but I felt waving like the departed queen might be more symbolic of England.

Maybe lifting a pint, dialling for a takeaway or pretending to shove crisps in our mouths ?

Yes it’s felt a bit flat so far - too many teams so already feels like it’s been going on forever, plus time of matches are often too late for UK viewers.

Quite the opposite for me, I've loved this world cup. I wouldn't say I'm a football fan, I sometimes watch if DH or kids have a match on. But I've watched and enjoyed more football in the last few weeks than I have in the last few yrs. We're watching 2 games most evenings. While a few have been a bit boring on the whole I've really enjoyed it. Makes a difference that it's our time zone advantage for a change, it's always middle of the night games for someone during the WC. I think many people (especially mn) were going to criticize it because well America/Americans!!. I think it's been great, The fans, The stadiums, The Soccer 😁😁. I'm off to make coffee for the breakfast time England match..

Honestly the Americans have been wonderful but yes it's not a big sport here so they are just trying to get on board. Having been in Miami you cannot understand the heat and humidity, my son was complaining the ocean was too warm and genuinely it was roasting, the hydration breaks are absolutely essential and those were started in Saudi, the timing of the games cannot be dictated by European times for every tournament, there are teams from across the Globe playing for God sakes and it's totally small minded (not you brunch) to think a world cup is being ruined because it's not to suit our particular region, and a classic 'me first' mindset.

Too many teams, time difference, hydration breaks.

Haven't been able to get into at all. Granted I haven't watched close to every game but I know I have watched a lot less than I do usually for WC / Euro.

Every match in the evenings puts me to sleep, while my husband and son watch them I have a good bloody sleep without fail. I think the hydration breaks don’t help.

What happened to all the talk that as Trump is so hated, nobody would watch it, and nobody would dare to travel to the US, in case they are arrested because they once liked a social media post criticising Trump? Or has all that fuss died down?

Totally died down. I think most world cups seem to be preceded by scandal and complaining about fifa. Remember last time in Qatar when no one was going to watch it because of all the human rights violations? Then once the games begin it becomes about the football and the fans