AIBU to hope the USA crash out the World Cup because of this FIFA corruption?

[Namingbaba]

I'm no fan of Trump, but until this red card nonsense I hoped the USA would do well. I always think it's good when the tournament hosts do well.
But now it's come out that Trump personally called FIFA to get the red card removed? Absolute joke. It’s blatant corruption. I really hope Belgium absolutely humiliate them.

I think whether it should have been a red card isn't the main point. There are plenty of decisions that could be challenged. That's just the nature of the game.

On the plus side, if England do stagger through to the finals (I know, I know! ), the chants about Trump will be epic.

It's hard to suppress an angry crowd of football fans who have had a life time's training in taking the piss out of unpopular figures.

Anyway, I was so pleased to see USA got hammered!

Viva Belgium is what I say. I would say that though as I am half Belgian lol!

It's like an angry Dad shouting at the ref and putting the kids off, isn't it?

Trump will surely say something graceless and demeaning about whoever wins, won't he... 🙄

It's still sleepy time in the US, he has plenty of time to decide that all 4 goals were 'off side', if someone tells him those words, and get his besty Infantino to reverse the decision, he could also now give Ronaldo an American passport before the next match they no doubt win!
Roll on the Olympics where the OOOESSAYY win biggly, 105% of all the medals, and Trump dons a new wig to win the November election, taking 105 of the Senate seats and 108% of the other lot.

FIFA is even more corrupt than Trump. It's probably why Infantino and Trump get on so well.

It’s all exposed in such an open way how corrupt it all is.

I think Trump's done the world a favour. He's exposed just how fixed and corruptible FIFA is, which many have suspected for some time, and now we indisputably know and have evidence. Now, what are people going to do about it?

It does happen at other times, I’m not a massive fan but was listening to the punditry yesterday. Ronaldo is just a big (controversial) example that happened during this world cup so it’s fresh.

In this instance the ref was first inclined to let it go, then after review carded, FIFA reviewed the review but they never say the ref made a mistake they just commute the punishment. Everyone screams corruption/ favourable treatment (apart from team for whom the decision went their way). So far I’ve heard FIFA favour host nations/ U.S. particularly/ South America/ Portugal/ France/ Argentina / Messi / /europeans in generalIt’s a beautiful lesson in hypocrisy 🤣

I do think there should be a more transparent process for reviewing decisions to make it fairer. The big issue is Trump ‘s behaviour imo. it’s a shame for the U.S. team as it overshadows the game and makes it all about him.

Remember in 2015 when the USA went after FIFA for corruption and got many guilty pleas and seized more than $200 million? I was cheering the USA on then.

Yeah but wasn’t it decided that FIFA had been a victim of the employees corruption? Despite benefiting from that corruption the organisation wasn’t in itself corrupt.

Convoluted I know.

I’m bloody glad. Trump should not be interfering with sport nor the president of FIFA shouldn’t have caved in with Trump’s toddler tantrums.

If Trump still lingering on to dear life in two years (he’s sicker than White House say) time it will be the Olympics in LA. Dread to think what Trump do. More nationalities, more athletes.

Another event that Trump will ruin with his interference.

The Trump Touch - the opposite to the Midas Touch. Everything he touches, turns to disaster, embarrassment etc

He’s busy posting about the Obamas…again.

He will get round to the football eventually.

He has already joked he won’t run for a third term. That would be unfair or something.
Which I would interpret to mean he is seriously thinking about it.

He will be president in July 2028, if he is still lingering.

Dementia, circulation issues, breathing badly, obese (he’s not 225lb that White House says - more like 300lb), plus whatever he’s having injected via IV - bruises on back of hands.

The ‘FIFA Peace Prize’ was awarded to Trump. Now FIFA have overturned a USA player’s suspension purely based on a phone call from the orange buffoon.

I’m in the US too and definitely behind Belgium!

I do find it amusing that some posters were insinuating that an ‘intervention’ from the president could make a sub-par team win against Belgium, then in the same breath also complain that Americans don’t understand football. The irony!

Really looking forward to Spain v Belgium 🔥

That was because he didn’t get to win the Nobel Peace Prize

Doesnt warrant that at all

@Crushed23 Hmm! Belgium aren’t that great right now! The USA team were undermined by this intervention. It should never have happened. The USA team played very flat and the spirit was gone. I have a great deal of sympathy for them and they accepted the rules. The fact huge numbers of Americans don’t understand the rules or the affect this row could have on the team, means they maybe should not get involved with football. They aren’t cut out for a game they did not “invent” or have any interest in until 2 weeks ago.

2 weeks ago? You know soccer has been around for much, much longer than that lol. And no one is trying to undermine the myriad of other countries whose ‘interest in football’ is relatively new, are they. I wish people would leave politics, xenophobia and god knows what else out of football - it cheapens the beautiful game FFS.

Anyway, the (much) better team won, and bring on Spain v Belgium!

I don't think it was a foregone conclusion that Belgium would win. They got out their group with just one win (against New Zealand). Their first knockout game was against Senegal (the lowest ranking 3rd place team to qualify for knockouts). They only won that match after a controversial penalty in extra time.

The US played shite from the off. It was a foregone conclusion to me! I sat there biting my tongue as I was next to American DP with our American neighbours all around (we live here). Wanted to scream haha.

Any bets Trump will now make some belittling comments about ‘soccer’ not being a proper game for bigly true American men or suchlike anyway?

Then Infantino got involved in 2016. Interesting.

My money is on Spain in the next match, but Lukaku won’t make it easy for them.