oldtype

We co-hosted because politicians in both countries decided they couldn’t handle the domestic political fallout if they lost the bid to the other. That’s how much we like each other.

Elitist

Guarantees some form of riot in two separate countries. Brazil, and whoever loses the QF.

If Japan win our match goes from “eh, I hope we don’t embarrass ourselves” to the biggest must-win in the history of Korean football. Would be chuffed if I were you. Pressure will kill us.

Half the forum celebrating this like it’s a Newcastle goal come on. Am I nothing to you.

Fuck right off

Oh come on, you’re not losing. As long as we give a good account of ourselves and these Croatians wake up and score some goals, I’m happy.

Ali is probably on that tier as well. Was only thinking about team sports. Remains to be seen if Messi and Ronaldo stand the test of time in the public conscience. If someone told me when I was a kid that fat Ronaldo wouldn’t even be the most famous footballer named Ronaldo in twenty years, I wouldn’t have believed them. Those two are on another tier in terms of achievements, obviously, but there’s also a lot of recency bias.

When I first started watching football in the early 90s, I learned his name before I knew the name of any active non-Korean footballer. Nobody I knew had ever seen him play, but nobody ever doubted that he was the best ever. When I was playing PES all day in high school, I remember him being on the “Classic Brazil” team and being so comically overpowered even relative to the best of that era (Ronaldo/Ronaldinho etc.), but we were all okay with it because… well, he’s Pele. Of course he is. To this day, young Korean men who dominate their Sunday leagues still call themselves the “neighborhood Pele.” I’m sure that’s the case in many other countries as well. It is the lot of all athletes to have their legacies diminished as the generations pass. It’s simply absurd that Pele’s semi-mythical status as the greatest of all time has largely persisted in the popular conscience a half Century after his prime, when the vast majority of humanity has never even seen him play. Michael Jordan is probably the only athlete who can even come close in terms of global cultural influence, but he is of a much more recent vintage. Who knows how much we’ll be talking about MJ in 2050. An objectively better footballer will exist some day, (maybe he already does), but it’s hard to imagine anyone ever having a larger legacy.

Dubai is basically Las Vegas with no gambling and difficult to access booze. Abu Dhabi has a much more “lived in” feel to it and at least feel like a real city. Some good good too if you know where to look.

47 qualify and then six teams play for the final spot. It’s going to be fun.

Shearer celebrating a South Korea goal. This content was custom built for me.

It is oddly liberating to be paired against the one team I can’t even vaguely envision us beating. If we had England or something I’d be like “eh… they’re better but maybe…” the hope would be agonizing.

Yes, clearly we are headed towards a USA v. England finals.

Still buzzing. Really don't know what I'm supposed to do with all this energy, just sitting in my office watching Youtube videos and smiling like an idiot.

Used to think players going to the Middle East or MLS in their twenties was shit, but now that I'm older, I'll never fault a footballer for securing his and his family's future. Especially the ones that aren't at the absolute top of the pile and won't have much income after their playing career is over.

I think I actually prefer this. Attenuated risk of the entirety of Northeast Asia going up in flames aside, if we're going out at some point anyway I'd much rather have it be after a good showing against Brazil. Annoying how we always get eliminated by shit teams.

Would have avoided Brazil if the Swiss took that chance like they should have.

Not anymore

Yeah give the man some slack he's not going to have to pay for a drink in Cameroon for the rest of his life.

Bruno getting all of his misses out of the way before he scores a hat-trick against us

Referee looked extremely apologetic

Christ, if Switzerland scores again we play them instead.

Getting yourself sent off for that

Holy fuck