World Cup 2026

[Phishfan]

I'm surprised baseball wouldn't have the largest homefield advantage.  One would think the ability to score and win without the opponent getting a chance to respond would be quite significant.

I really don't know what you mean by this. Everyone gets 27 outs in baseball. The home team just doesn't always need them.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I really don't know what you mean by this. Everyone gets 27 outs in baseball. The home team just doesn't always need them.

I think it is similar to the argument that is better to kick in NFL OT.  In the nineth inning and beyond the visiting team starts each inning blind.  Whereas the home team knows exactly what must be done to win or get another inning.  You might be more willing to do a sacrifice fly if you know one run wins the game than if you know you need at least 5 runs to go to one more inning or if you don't know what the inning requires.  

But in reality, baseball has the smallest. 

This might be the article I was thinking of....its what came up when I did a search

https://www.chicagobooth.edu/review/home-field-advantage-facts-and-fiction

[Phishfan]

Yes, but if home field in baseball was that big of an advantage the home team should already be up and not need the bottom of the inning in most instances.

[masterfins]

I don't presume to speak for the millions of fans worldwide but I expect most would agree with me in saying thank you for your suggestion but we really don't feel that the beautiful game needs to be changed in order to draw a few fans with the possibility of alienating more fans that the sport already has.

LOL.  Very well stated.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Bald Eagles 1

Kangaroos 0

USA USA USA

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Feet/lbs 2

Meters/grams 0

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

 USA clinched advancing

A Paraguay win or draw clinchs winning the group

[Phishfan]

Nice!

[Downunder Dolphan]

USA clinched advancing

A Paraguay win or draw clinchs winning the group

Congratulations to the USA for winning today and advancing to the next stage. Just way too good for us, and deserved to top the division.

Australia needs to beat or draw with Paraguay to advance now. Just got to hope our coach doesn't repeat his idiotic idea of leaving our two goal scorers from game one on the bench for the first half again.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Australia needs to beat or draw with Paraguay to advance now.

Win or draw Australia advances as the #2.  If you lose you still have a shot at advancing as a #3, depending on the other #3s. 

Coach must have had the BIG BRAIN idea, "The USA is going to spend all their effort leading up to the game focusing on how to defend the two guys who scored goals against Turkey.  We'll confuse them by not playing those two guys."

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

In case anyone wants to plan out future USA watching:

Thur 6/25 10 pm LA the US will play a completely meaningless game against Turkey.  US already has the 1 seed; Turkey has been eliminated.

Wed 7/1 8 pm SF vs TBD 3 seed, SF

If they win, Mon 7/6 8 pm Seattle

If they win, Fri 7/10 3 pm LA

if they win, Tue 7/14 3 pm Dallas.

If they win on 7/14 Sun 7/19 3 pm NJ.

if they lose on 7/14 Sat 7/18 5 pm Miami. 

So even if the US does play Mexico or Canada, it will be a home game for USA. 

[Downunder Dolphan]

Win or draw Australia advances as the #2.  If you lose you still have a shot at advancing as a #3, depending on the other #3s. 

Coach must have had the BIG BRAIN idea, "The USA is going to spend all their effort leading up to the game focusing on how to defend the two guys who scored goals against Turkey.  We'll confuse them by not playing those two guys."

If we don't win or draw against Paraguay, we really don't deserve to progress. I don't like our chances if that happened anyway... we're back to a zero goal average now, if we lose we're in the minus column by x goals. The tournament is really rewarding mediocrity when it rewards a team with a losing record and a losing goal average.

As far as what our Coach was thinking... Was it just playing for the draw to go through and going all defensive from the kick-off, or thinking we'd try and confuse our opponent? Either way, it was just plain dumb, and our press over here has let rip about just how stupid it was. Hopefully he got the message, and won't be such a pussy.   

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

As far as what our Coach was thinking... Was it just playing for the draw to go through and going all defensive from the kick-off, or thinking we'd try and confuse our opponent? Either way, it was just plain dumb, and our press over here has let rip about just how stupid it was. Hopefully he got the message, and won't be such a pussy.   

My earlier comment was a joke.  I think USA still wins even if the Aussie coach plays those two players.  But playing for a draw is a lot like playing a prevent defense in NFL, it typically backfires.  The best defense in soccer is having a very strong counterattack.  If you are in a purely defensive posture the other team can take more chances on offense because you don't have a strong counterattack.  If you spend the entire game defending your own goal eventually the other team will score and you won't. 

If I was an Aussie fan I would be pissed, not at the loss (most folks were expecting that anyway) but that the team wasn't playing to win. If the team is as pissed at the coach as the rest of Australia, that doesn't bode well the game against Paraguay.   

FIFA is definitely rewarding mediocre teams in the new format.  Eight of the twelve teams that come in 3rd in their group will advance. 

[CF DolFan]

Just a heads up for anyone who doesn't know ... Alex Freeman, who currently has 1 goal and 1 assist in the World Cup, is a South Florida product. He grew up playing in Weston, graduated from American Heritage in Plantation, and started his career with Orlando City in their Academy before making their pro team. His father is Packers HOFer Antonio Freeman.

[Pappy13]

FIFA is definitely rewarding mediocre teams in the new format.  Eight of the twelve teams that come in 3rd in their group will advance. 

More teams advancing means more matches, which means more TV revenue. Can't expect FIFA to buck the current trend when everyone else is doing it.