419 replies to this topic

[AllseeingEye]

Yes. You have described it well. It’s a bit shocking.

 

France have more than enough offensive talent to come back and make it a game, even win it - the question is whether they'll wake up in time to do so. Not sure what France is doing out there frankly. Messi is the sentimental favorite to win it all of course; based on his and the team's play thus far they are more than earning it. That second Argentine goal was a textbook "how to" lesson for the ages. 

[Mike K.]

France surrendered already?

[AllseeingEye]

Well that's not entirely fair there Mike - remember France ARE the defending champions from 2018. And perhaps a bit of light has been shed on their inexplicable play in the first half - the BBC guys have noted that a flu-like virus has ripped through the team this week which would explain the lethargic play. Can't imagine a much worse fate than having a 'gastro' bug and trying to play through it in 30C+ temperatures. 

[Mike K.]

Ok, I take it back. Maybe they won’t surrender this time, but it looks like they are going Toulouse.

[AllseeingEye]

Holy F*** - 2-2 now France scoring twice in less than 2 minutes. Mbappe of course. What a strike!

[Victoria Watcher]

Uh oh.

[AllseeingEye]

Messi! Unbelievable. Argentina forges into the lead it 3-2 in extra time on potentially the biggest goal ever scored by the sport's biggest star. Not much time left now...

[AllseeingEye]

LOL...Mbappe on a penalty kick, 3-3 now with almost no time left. It would be such a damn shame if a game of a lifetime ends on penalty kicks.....

[Victoria Watcher]

This will go down as the best final game in 75 years. Or the most exciting, anyway.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 December 2022 - 09:42 AM.

[Mike K.]

Calm down, you guys. It’s going to be ok!

[Victoria Watcher]

Messi wins World Cup, Argentina beats France on penalties

Lionel Messi’s once-in-a-generation career is complete. The Argentina superstar is finally a World Cup champion.

[AllseeingEye]

Calm down, you guys. It’s going to be ok!

 

Well to be fair even the most self absorbed country on earth recognizes the significance of the event: its hard not to when half the planet is watching. Unlike their so-called 'Super' Bowl the ratings for which pale into insignificance by comparison -

 

https://www.cnn.com/

 

Regardless it really was a special game one which shows why it is truly a world sport. And I say that as a Canadian who has played and followed our national (winter) sport with the same passion as the next Canadian since 1966.....

[aastra]

Thanks for the spoilers, guys. Maybe ruin the Empire Strikes Back for me while you're at it.

[AllseeingEye]

Thanks for the spoilers, guys. Maybe ruin the Empire Strikes Back for me while you're at it.

 

Serves you right for going onto and reading a thread specifically devoted to the topic. Don't sweat "Empire" it was overrated...Darth turns out to be Luke's dad and Mark Hamill's acting is awful. The End.

[aastra]

Okay, but please don't spoil Super Bowl XLIX for me. I've got it on the PVR and I plan to watch it later today. I have a feeling it will be Russ's breakout game.

[amor de cosmos]

The bisht is a long cloak made out of light, often sheer, material with trimming made out of real gold that is worn over a white thobe.

 

Primarily worn in the Gulf, it is a garment that has been worn for centuries during special occasions. It is viewed as a sign of appreciation and respect and is typically worn by top officials such as politicians, sheikhs and other high-status individuals.

 

Mustafa Baig, a lecturer in Islamic studies at the University of Exeter, told the dpa news agency that the bisht is a formal robe worn by royalty, dignitaries, grooms on their wedding day, and graduates at graduation ceremonies.

 

“So only a select few people would actually wear the bisht,” he said. “They basically honoured him [Messi] by putting it over his shoulders. It’s like a mark of honour, and just kind of a cultural welcoming and a cultural acceptance.”

 

Baig said it is also representative of Qatar’s national dress – but only on important occasions.

 

“And this is a top occasion. I mean, there’s probably no bigger occasion, so they put it on him as a mark of honour,” he said.

 

Baig said he saw it as “an embrace by Messi of the local culture”, adding that it was “a pretty cool thing” for Qatar to do and “smart thinking” on their behalf.

https://www.aljazeer...ld-cup-ceremony

Edited by amor de cosmos, 19 December 2022 - 09:07 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

 

It's true.  It was the best World Cup I've ever seen, and free of any issues.

 

But some kind of guilt will prevent the media from admitting it.

 

Qatar has admitted to maybe 400 construction worker deaths over the 10 years leading to the event.  That's not just stadiums (that was under 20), but also building all the hotels and restaurants and infrastructure etc.

 

In Canada we have over 940 work-related deaths per year.

 

https://www.thesafet... (AWCBC/ACATC).

 

 

In 2020, 4,764 U.S. workers died while on the job — an average of 13 workers dying per day

 

https://www.cnbc.com...on-average.html

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 December 2022 - 02:50 AM.

[Mike K.]

The real amount of WC-related construction deaths in Qatar is much higher, according to non-state commentators and journalists.

[Mike K.]

More than 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died in Qatar since it won the right to host the World Cup 10 years ago, the Guardian can reveal.

…

Data from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka revealed there were 5,927 deaths of migrant workers in the period 2011–2020. Separately, data from Pakistan’s embassy in Qatar reported a further 824 deaths of Pakistani workers, between 2010 and 2020.

The total death toll is significantly higher, as these figures do not include deaths from a number of countries which send large numbers of workers to Qatar, including the Philippines and Kenya. Deaths that occurred in the final months of 2020 are also not included.

- https://amp.theguard...-world-cup-2022

A country of 3 million people.

[Victoria Watcher]

It’s hard to get the straight story.

Here is says 6,500 deaths among all migrant workers.

https://amp.theguard...-world-cup-2022

But it does not say “on the job”. And 75 to 85% of all Qatar residents are migrant workers.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 December 2022 - 07:27 AM.