| Our World Cup coverage 17:58 - May 25 with 80858 views | KeithHaynes |
Keep the comments on the competition here folks đź‘Ź
Our Swedish writer Olle Söderholm will be the man right in the middle of this years reports.
Opening fixtures.
Thursday, June 11:
Group A: Mexico vs. South Africa (Mexico City), 1 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET
Group A: South Korea vs. Czechia (Zapopan, Mexico), 8 p.m. local / 10 p.m. ET
Friday, June 12:
Group B: Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (Toronto), 3 p.m. ET
Group D: United States vs. Paraguay (Inglewood, Calif.), 6 p.m. local / 9 p.m. ET
Saturday, June 13:
Group B: Qatar vs. Switzerland (Santa Clara, Calif.), noon local / 3 p.m. ET
Group C: Brazil vs. Morocco (East Rutherford, New Jersey), 6 p.m. ET
Group C: Haiti vs. Scotland (Foxborough, Mass.), 9 p.m. ET
Group D: Australia vs. TĂĽrkiye (Vancouver, Canada), 9 p.m. local / 12 a.m. ET (June 14)
Sunday, June 14:
Group E: Germany vs. Curaçao (Houston), noon local / 1 p.m. ET
Group F: Netherlands vs. Japan (Arlington, Texas), 3 p.m. local / 4 p.m. ET
Group E: Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (Philadelphia), 7 p.m. ET
Group F: Sweden vs. Tunisia (Guadalupe, Mexico), 8 p.m. local / 10 p.m. ET
The real World Cup squad. Free the 56
This post has been edited by an administrator |  |
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| Our World Cup coverage on 19:35 - Jul 1 with 1629 views | RodgerTheDodger |
| Our World Cup coverage on 18:56 - Jul 1 by Whiterockin |
Altitude will kill England. |
I've ridden in the Alpes, 1st and Hors category cols all day, hours of solid effort with heart rate at 175, up to 2700M and often higher than Mexico City.
The effect of height is overrated. |  | | |
| Our World Cup coverage on 19:39 - Jul 1 with 1608 views | EagleEye |
Don’t know what the pundits expect. England dominated 75% of the match yet they are all so downbeat as if they had a right to beat D R Congo just by turning up.
England are not on the same level as France, Argentina, Spain but the English media are deluded. I still think that on a good day for England and a bad day for some of the others they can beat anyone. Harry Kane is a world class finisher.
The Azteca stadium is going to be a cauldron. Win that & who knows what could happen |  | | |
| Our World Cup coverage on 19:49 - Jul 1 with 1569 views | union_jack |
| Our World Cup coverage on 19:35 - Jul 1 by RodgerTheDodger |
I've ridden in the Alpes, 1st and Hors category cols all day, hours of solid effort with heart rate at 175, up to 2700M and often higher than Mexico City.
The effect of height is overrated. |
I’m impressed! |  |
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| Our World Cup coverage on 20:35 - Jul 1 with 1485 views | trampie |
| Our World Cup coverage on 19:39 - Jul 1 by EagleEye |
Don’t know what the pundits expect. England dominated 75% of the match yet they are all so downbeat as if they had a right to beat D R Congo just by turning up.
England are not on the same level as France, Argentina, Spain but the English media are deluded. I still think that on a good day for England and a bad day for some of the others they can beat anyone. Harry Kane is a world class finisher.
The Azteca stadium is going to be a cauldron. Win that & who knows what could happen |
Brazil in Miami ? |  |
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| Our World Cup coverage on 20:36 - Jul 1 with 1479 views | KeithHaynes |
| Our World Cup coverage on 19:39 - Jul 1 by EagleEye |
Don’t know what the pundits expect. England dominated 75% of the match yet they are all so downbeat as if they had a right to beat D R Congo just by turning up.
England are not on the same level as France, Argentina, Spain but the English media are deluded. I still think that on a good day for England and a bad day for some of the others they can beat anyone. Harry Kane is a world class finisher.
The Azteca stadium is going to be a cauldron. Win that & who knows what could happen |
England in Mexico City.
I’m not sure they will win that one. | |
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| Our World Cup coverage on 20:46 - Jul 1 with 1462 views | raynor94 |
| Our World Cup coverage on 20:36 - Jul 1 by KeithHaynes |
England in Mexico City.
I’m not sure they will win that one. |
Welcome back Keith it certainly is going to be a tough one for them |  |
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| Our World Cup coverage on 21:33 - Jul 1 with 1408 views | ReslovenSwan1 |
| Our World Cup coverage on 20:46 - Jul 1 by raynor94 |
Welcome back Keith it certainly is going to be a tough one for them |
This will be a beautiful event. Echos of past events I watched in black and white.
A clash of cultures. You would have to give the English credits if they came through that one. |  |
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| Our World Cup coverage on 21:38 - Jul 1 with 1395 views | onehunglow |
| Our World Cup coverage on 21:33 - Jul 1 by ReslovenSwan1 |
This will be a beautiful event. Echos of past events I watched in black and white.
A clash of cultures. You would have to give the English credits if they came through that one. |
No amount of shadenfreude makes up for Wales forking it up again,this time against Bosnia Herz , a former war zone with fractured infra structure
Wales failed
Again
England cruised by
Again
Harry Kane is a truly great player who carries England almost single handedly
Anyway, when s our first game | |
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| Our World Cup coverage on 22:15 - Jul 1 with 1350 views | EagleEye |
| Our World Cup coverage on 19:35 - Jul 1 by RodgerTheDodger |
I've ridden in the Alpes, 1st and Hors category cols all day, hours of solid effort with heart rate at 175, up to 2700M and often higher than Mexico City.
The effect of height is overrated. |
Altitude will definitely impact the England players more than Mexico players if Mexico players have been living and training at altitude.
Top pro cyclists spend several weeks a year training for grand tours by training, living & sleeping at altitude for good reason. | | | |
| Our World Cup coverage on 22:19 - Jul 1 with 1332 views | Whiterockin |
| Our World Cup coverage on 22:15 - Jul 1 by EagleEye |
Altitude will definitely impact the England players more than Mexico players if Mexico players have been living and training at altitude.
Top pro cyclists spend several weeks a year training for grand tours by training, living & sleeping at altitude for good reason. |
There is a reason Mexico have lost only twice at home in 89 matches.  |  | | |
| Our World Cup coverage on 22:53 - Jul 1 with 1283 views | RichardO |
Will Belgium go on to win the game that they looked dead and buried in? | | | |
| Our World Cup coverage on 23:01 - Jul 1 with 1277 views | RodgerTheDodger |
| Our World Cup coverage on 22:15 - Jul 1 by EagleEye |
Altitude will definitely impact the England players more than Mexico players if Mexico players have been living and training at altitude.
Top pro cyclists spend several weeks a year training for grand tours by training, living & sleeping at altitude for good reason. |
Altitude training has the effect of improving the ability of the blood to absorb oxygen. It is a legal form blood doping with a similar effect to EPO. Most training at altitude is to improve performance at sea level, and it will co-incidentally improve your performance riding in the high mountains. But it cannot be done as high stress training, proper eating, sleeping well and a careful training plan are essential.
"I'll go and train in the mountains then I'll be better at riding in the mountains" is not how it works. Same for football.
For bike racing, there is also descending, the most demanding aspect of riding mountains. Descending in the noticeably lower air density of +1500M where the air is no longer like syrup in the summer heat is different to lower altitudes, and even more terrifying. | | | |
| Our World Cup coverage on 07:26 - Jul 2 with 1169 views | Demitrius |
"No time for England to adapt to altitude - Tuchel"
https://sports.yahoo.com/artic
Ecuador's Quito (9200 ft) based clubs dominate domestically and have consistently punched above their weight in South American Club Competitions.
From Wiki --- "Quito is the only city in Ecuador which has clubs that have won continental titles. LDU Quito is Ecuador's most successful team, as it is the only club from the country to have won the Copa Libertadores, in 2008, as well as four more international titles. The other club is Independiente del Valle, which won the CONMEBOL Sudamericana in 2019 and 2022, as well as the Recopa Sudamericana in 2023,adding on to eight continental titles for the city and the country .....An interesting fact about Quito is that the stadiums are located over 2,800 meters (9,200 ft) above sea level, which generally means that there is an advantage for the local teams when they play against foreign teams, and it has helped the Ecuadorian national team to qualify for four World Cups."
As I said the other day another problem in Mexico City is the air quality itself. When you flew into it in the 90s the sky suddenly turned dark yellow on approach and you thought WTF? that was the smog layer from 20m+ vehicles pollution. Because of its geographical position it has nowhere to go and no prevailing wind to disperse it. Apparently it's improved as you would expect in these net zero obsessed times but is still way beyond WHO levels of safety to public health. Walking around knackers you quickly. Both times I wasn't there long enough to acclimatise to it but the thought of playing 90-100 mins of WC football in that? Nah !
No doubt in my mind Mexico have a huge home advantage in the next game and also England, Kane aside, have been a bit crap so far...  [Post edited 2 Jul 8:48]
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| “Cunnilingus and Psychiatry brought us to this …” |
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| Our World Cup coverage on 10:14 - Jul 2 with 1066 views | max936 |
| Our World Cup coverage on 19:39 - Jul 1 by EagleEye |
Don’t know what the pundits expect. England dominated 75% of the match yet they are all so downbeat as if they had a right to beat D R Congo just by turning up.
England are not on the same level as France, Argentina, Spain but the English media are deluded. I still think that on a good day for England and a bad day for some of the others they can beat anyone. Harry Kane is a world class finisher.
The Azteca stadium is going to be a cauldron. Win that & who knows what could happen |
The media make things worse for England and so do some of the pundits, Shearer got on my tits in the game last night as did Micah Richards everytime he spoke he got louder and louder and more intense.
Congo hitting the post missing that chance for 2 nil cost them the game that goes in and they'd have won and probably would have scored again. |  | | |
| Our World Cup coverage on 10:21 - Jul 2 with 1059 views | onehunglow |
| Our World Cup coverage on 10:14 - Jul 2 by max936 |
The media make things worse for England and so do some of the pundits, Shearer got on my tits in the game last night as did Micah Richards everytime he spoke he got louder and louder and more intense.
Congo hitting the post missing that chance for 2 nil cost them the game that goes in and they'd have won and probably would have scored again. |
True
Watched in Minorca with English wife and friends
They were pleased but hardly effusive
I thought wifey would have been moist at that shot by harry but nah
When’s our season on …. | |
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| Our World Cup coverage on 11:46 - Jul 2 with 1040 views | EagleEye |
| Our World Cup coverage on 23:01 - Jul 1 by RodgerTheDodger |
Altitude training has the effect of improving the ability of the blood to absorb oxygen. It is a legal form blood doping with a similar effect to EPO. Most training at altitude is to improve performance at sea level, and it will co-incidentally improve your performance riding in the high mountains. But it cannot be done as high stress training, proper eating, sleeping well and a careful training plan are essential.
"I'll go and train in the mountains then I'll be better at riding in the mountains" is not how it works. Same for football.
For bike racing, there is also descending, the most demanding aspect of riding mountains. Descending in the noticeably lower air density of +1500M where the air is no longer like syrup in the summer heat is different to lower altitudes, and even more terrifying. |
Your point about the benefits of altitude training being realised when an athlete comes down from altitude training to compete is correct. However when actually competing or training at altitude there are significant impacts on resting heart rate and maximum heart rate.
Resting heart rate is higher so the body takes longer to recover from exertion. Maximum heart rate is lower, making it difficult to do the same about of work for the energy input.
That said, temperature and home advantage will also make it even more difficult for England. Based on what we have seen so far Mexico are definitely favourites | | | |
| Our World Cup coverage on 11:57 - Jul 2 with 1025 views | trampie |
Down the lane from me there is a house with a flagpole in the garden that for the last few weeks has been flying unusual flags, I just checked out the DR Congo flag and that is the flag they are flying, in hindsight I guess the previous flags were Panama and Ghana.
I'm expecting the Mexico flag in a few days time.  | |
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| Our World Cup coverage on 11:58 - Jul 2 with 1025 views | RodgerTheDodger |
| Our World Cup coverage on 11:46 - Jul 2 by EagleEye |
Your point about the benefits of altitude training being realised when an athlete comes down from altitude training to compete is correct. However when actually competing or training at altitude there are significant impacts on resting heart rate and maximum heart rate.
Resting heart rate is higher so the body takes longer to recover from exertion. Maximum heart rate is lower, making it difficult to do the same about of work for the energy input.
That said, temperature and home advantage will also make it even more difficult for England. Based on what we have seen so far Mexico are definitely favourites |
Agreed, there is an effect, but I think it's over-rated. I say that from personal experience, perhaps a slight increase in heart rate, and also from riding hills with retired professionals (it's what they love to do). It was talked about but nobody had ever much noticed it.
I suspect it's one of those things that 'everybody knows' but really, it's not true. Like 'get more exercise and you'll lose weight', shown to be false in every study but everyone 'knows' it's true. Exercise will stabilize your weight, not reduce it.
So what is the problem, what is the advantage? I don't know, but I go back to my comment about faster descending at altitude. So I guess the ball behaves differently, that 20 metre chip goes just a bit further, and so goes to an opposition player. The banana ball that would zing into the top corner doesn't turn in the thinner air. It wouldn't have been so much of a problem with the thunderballs of our youth, but with the light balls of today I suspect it is. | | | |
| Our World Cup coverage on 12:23 - Jul 2 with 1002 views | trampie |
I don't know what the odds are for upcoming games but I have England as slight favourites to get past Mexico (and Brazil as slight favourites to beat Norway), if that was the case I would then slightly favour Brazil to beat England in the quarters in the heat and humidity of Miami.
England have had easy locations and draws up to now, I think they will have more difficulty in Miami against Brazil (if that game comes to pass) than against Mexico in Mexico City. | |
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| Our World Cup coverage on 12:40 - Jul 2 with 973 views | Whiterockin |
| Our World Cup coverage on 12:23 - Jul 2 by trampie |
I don't know what the odds are for upcoming games but I have England as slight favourites to get past Mexico (and Brazil as slight favourites to beat Norway), if that was the case I would then slightly favour Brazil to beat England in the quarters in the heat and humidity of Miami.
England have had easy locations and draws up to now, I think they will have more difficulty in Miami against Brazil (if that game comes to pass) than against Mexico in Mexico City. |
Mexico home 2 defeats in 89 competitive matches, unbeaten in the last 26 matches at the stadium. | | | |
| Our World Cup coverage on 12:43 - Jul 2 with 968 views | EagleEye |
| Our World Cup coverage on 11:58 - Jul 2 by RodgerTheDodger |
Agreed, there is an effect, but I think it's over-rated. I say that from personal experience, perhaps a slight increase in heart rate, and also from riding hills with retired professionals (it's what they love to do). It was talked about but nobody had ever much noticed it.
I suspect it's one of those things that 'everybody knows' but really, it's not true. Like 'get more exercise and you'll lose weight', shown to be false in every study but everyone 'knows' it's true. Exercise will stabilize your weight, not reduce it.
So what is the problem, what is the advantage? I don't know, but I go back to my comment about faster descending at altitude. So I guess the ball behaves differently, that 20 metre chip goes just a bit further, and so goes to an opposition player. The banana ball that would zing into the top corner doesn't turn in the thinner air. It wouldn't have been so much of a problem with the thunderballs of our youth, but with the light balls of today I suspect it is. |
I’ve cycled up Col de la Madeleine & the Galibier. By the time I reached the top took some photos, admired the achievement, I was too knackered to enjoy the descent let alone notice if the air was thinner or the descent quicker than coming down our local climbs. | | | |
| Our World Cup coverage on 12:47 - Jul 2 with 962 views | RodgerTheDodger |
| Our World Cup coverage on 12:23 - Jul 2 by trampie |
I don't know what the odds are for upcoming games but I have England as slight favourites to get past Mexico (and Brazil as slight favourites to beat Norway), if that was the case I would then slightly favour Brazil to beat England in the quarters in the heat and humidity of Miami.
England have had easy locations and draws up to now, I think they will have more difficulty in Miami against Brazil (if that game comes to pass) than against Mexico in Mexico City. |
Oddschecker agrees with you, 5/4 Mexico against 7/10 England. I trust them more than pundits - they have actual money on the line.
But I think Mexico will win. | | | |
| Our World Cup coverage on 12:54 - Jul 2 with 949 views | RodgerTheDodger |
| Our World Cup coverage on 12:43 - Jul 2 by EagleEye |
I’ve cycled up Col de la Madeleine & the Galibier. By the time I reached the top took some photos, admired the achievement, I was too knackered to enjoy the descent let alone notice if the air was thinner or the descent quicker than coming down our local climbs. |
Try descending with ex-professionals. 40 something adolescents they are, and they do *not* like being passed. 50km/h through lacet that the cars slow down to 20km/h for and full on red zone accelerating out of the corner, blind panic as you brake as late, as late, as late as you dare for the next one, brake blocks smoking.
I have never known anything so exhilarating in my entire life.
The French, Italian and most Dutch drivers get out of your way. Watch out for Belgians. | | | |
| Our World Cup coverage on 13:01 - Jul 2 with 930 views | trampie |
| Our World Cup coverage on 12:47 - Jul 2 by RodgerTheDodger |
Oddschecker agrees with you, 5/4 Mexico against 7/10 England. I trust them more than pundits - they have actual money on the line.
But I think Mexico will win. |
I just been on oddschecker myself, England are slight odds on to qualify, Brazil are slight odds on to win against Norway, England are a slightly shorter price than Brazil to win the World Cup, so you would expect England to be favourites against Brazil if both teams get through but I can't see that.
England price to win the World Cup is going out and out, Brazil price is coming in and in.
I thought England would be favourites to beat Mexico and they are but I agree with you I think Mexico will beat England . | |
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| Our World Cup coverage on 13:06 - Jul 2 with 924 views | trampie |
As regards potential England match ups.
I will take Mexico to beat England.
If England get through, I will take Brazil to beat England, if Norway get through against Brazil I will take England to beat Norway.
If England come up against Argentina I make it 50-50 and if England come up against France I will take France to win. | |
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