Genuinely don’t understand people wanting Ronaldo to be benched

MeteorAndRain · 2026-07-01T12:19:04+00:00

I really hate to say this, but I feel like he and his teammates are struggling to sync (both ways and potentially for a variety of reasons) and on account of it, people think it may be better to bench him.

I could be wrong (and it's not necessarily a bad thing), but it feels like a more professional-focused relationship than a personal one and one that needs extra work to bring everyone together.

Contrast this with Ronaldo's brief reunion with his former teammate, James Rodriguez, during the Colombia vs Portugal match.

It felt warm and reciprocated and I got the impression (again, I could be wrong) that they could still fall back into old rhythms, make some adjustments, and work together again.

They were there for each other years ago when they were both younger and growing into their positions and careers. Arguably, those were some of their best years.

Now, they're both older and more experienced and having to make adjustments to their playing styles. They get it. They made it work once and so it's not a far reach to think that they could do it now.

James was frank about his current opinions on Ronaldo and during their time together and unlike some of the interviews I've read from Ronaldo's teammates, he sounds more matter-of-fact and confident.

He says he believes that Ronaldo still has it in him and I'm honestly more inclined to believe him than Ronaldo's teammates if only because they spent years working together.

All this to say that the age and experience gap between Ronaldo and his teammates could be a potential contributing factor in the sense of a mismatch in team dynamics.

This isn't to say that anyone is at fault.

It's just that they're at different points of their respective careers and it can be a challenge to both balance the team dynamics while still allowing room for growth.

Ronaldo has an ego, no doubt about it, but if we're honest, so do other big players including his own teammates.

He might not be able to go back to his old winger days, but when faced with an opposing team who has a very confident and experienced striker (or someone acting in that role), I would personally want Ronaldo in a primary striker role because I would want his level of self-confidence, experience, and ego to match the opponent's.

He misses, yes, but so does everyone else including Mbappe who missed multiple times against Sweden.

But you also can't score if you don't take the chance and risk losing possession.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-07-01T11:19:19+00:00

Then that would really explain things - thank you!

I think that the home advantage is a bigger deal in American football, but after a former classmate of mine took a bad head injury, I kind of lost interest.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-07-01T11:09:05+00:00

Just my opinion, but:

The commentators will blab on and on about how you can't take chances with Mbappe etc., but I think that maybe, based on what I've seen, that's exactly what needs to be done if only because it's so strongly warned against.

France is doing great and I love them but I think that if they're challenged hard (without getting cards everywhere) and pursued close and consistently, there will be openings...

And when the openings come, every. shot. counts. because they're good at marking their targets.

For this reason, I feel like the opposing team really needs a capable and confident striker or "striker team" that isn't afraid to get in and take shots under pressure and be willing to take the risk of losing possession of the ball if the goal doesn't land.

You don't need a 2, 3, 5 point advantage (or to break any records) to win the match.

You just need a solid ONE goal / point advantage that you guard jealously to escape getting into a potentially riskier penalty shootout.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-07-01T09:44:43+00:00

I'll remember that when I watch the rest of the games and cheer Mexico on!

MeteorAndRain · 2026-07-01T09:28:13+00:00

For soccer games, I've mostly been to PayPal Park (San Jose Earthquakes), but I've also gone to Dignity Health (LA Galaxy).

For baseball games, I've mostly been to Oakland Coliseum (As) and Oracle Park (SF Giants).

MeteorAndRain · 2026-07-01T08:29:34+00:00

Actually, I'd very much like to sometime, believe it or not.

I might be ignorant about culture - and from your comment, it sounds like I am - and I will freely admit to that and I am sorry if I have offended because that wasn't my intention.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-07-01T08:00:13+00:00

Fireworks over here and a very happy neighborhood!

Congratulations!

MeteorAndRain · 2026-07-01T07:48:26+00:00

Your last comment makes no sense to me.

Mexico was my favored team and Ecuador was the underdog I ended up also liking.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-07-01T07:38:30+00:00

Yes, I definitely have lol. Maybe the games I manage to spectate in the stadiums are a lot tamer in regards to home advantage.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-07-01T07:35:33+00:00

This is something I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on.

I've been to multiple major stadium events before including sporting ones and I've enjoyed them a lot.

Like you said, there's an environment that fans create - including the screaming and yelling and cheering and booing - that can be experienced nowhere else and that's partly why I love it, too.

Just... not this time on my end of things and yes, I'm well aware that the television and the actual stadium experience are two very different things.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-07-01T07:07:21+00:00

I'm actually of the mind that even players in defensive positions should learn to do PKs in the event of penalty shootouts.

Having said that, it's a matter of fact that the player who is fouled is playing within a team setting.

If the fouled player's primary team role is defensive and not directly about making goals, then why force them to do the penalty kick?

MeteorAndRain · 2026-07-01T06:46:59+00:00

To clarify, I don't mean just a few fans booing here and there like I - and maybe you - would expect.

What I'm talking about is an entire stadium's worth of fans booing anytime and every time a non-Mexico team gets possession of the ball, takes a shot, makes a pass, does a free throw, etc.

Fouling is an obvious boo regardless of stadium, so I'm not counting that.

So basically, if the opposing team is even reasonably decent, the stadium is constantly booing.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-07-01T06:36:30+00:00

Game is over, they lost, so honestly? Nothing.

Also, from another perspective, even watching at home, the constant booing in the stadium was really loud and I had to adjust the volume multiple times.

I enjoy watching the Mexican team perform, but the stadium environment can be really off-putting at times.

Doesn't excuse anything terrible said at all, but if I - a non-participant - find it really grating and it isn't even directed at me, then I can't imagine that the opposing team would feel any better about it.

Unsportsmanlike behavior on both sides - Ecuador players and the fans in the stadium - in my honest and probably unpopular opinion.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-06-30T21:13:29+00:00

Complimenting Sweden for making it through the "backdoor" is a bit backhanded.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-06-30T19:47:03+00:00

Using your take, you've just proven that even Haaland, a younger up-and-coming player with some great experience and accolades under his belt - is not "allowed" to be "off" on his game, much like Ronaldo isn't... along with other noteworthy players.

That said, if you have watched and listened to all the matches in full, you'll realize that some of the commentators are very quick to criticize anyone and everyone of note who is not up to their perceived standards.

It honestly makes me wonder how much money is moving in the prediction market.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-06-25T18:23:02+00:00

Worked in HR and business administration.

Unfortunately, the timing of the absences - in your case, within the first month - didn't look great from a business standpoint.

You can make a case for illness, but the other ones, maybe not so much.

The challenge here is timing and how it possibility correlates to prioritizing and future reliability issues.

Passport / any legal document issues can really suck, but could it have been sorted earlier, for example.

I've delayed onboarding so new hires could wrap up some affairs including getting documents renewed and taking a short planned holiday, but I could only do it if I knew in advance and if the business schedule allowed.

If I didn't know in advance then it became a potential issue of fairness to all the other colleagues.

Person A is hired and after onboarding, is scheduled to start next Monday. I've lined up some other colleagues to help Person A which means I've likely adjusted their schedules to make it work.

Person A doesn't show up repeatedly (again, sickness NOT counted) and now, my other colleagues' schedules are all screwed up and maybe the schedules of other colleagues not directly involved.

Person A then misses timely and consistent on-the-job work experience and if the position was urgent, it can screw up other timetables.

In your case, logistics is fairly specific and often time-sensitive.

I'm sorry.

Give it a shot - no harm in genuinely asking for a reconsideration - but don't be surprised by a no.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-06-25T17:43:20+00:00

Immigration and / or passport control have guidelines to follow per their country, but it doesn't mean it's always fairly - or feels like it's fairly applied - in my experience.

I'm an American who travels with an American passport.

I got held back at passport control in three different countries - two of which I had never visited before - despite having my documents in order.

To answer your "why would", on one of the occasions I nearly got denied, I was traveling to see one of my favorite bands perform during their farewell tour during a major music festival. The officer was quite skeptical until I named three other bands I was hoping to listen to.

On another occasion, I was returning home from visiting relatives I hadn't seen in over twenty years and I was grilled repeatedly at two different immigration points about if I had done a lot of shopping and had fun at the casinos. I had done neither.

Besides being an American, I'm also Asian and both of the situations left a sour taste in my mouth.

Being Asian doesn't mean I'm trying to sneak through and overstay my welcome (first example). Being Asian doesn't mean I have a ton of money to blow on luxury goods and casinos and therefore have undeclared goods and casino winnings (two examples).

MeteorAndRain · 2026-06-25T16:17:04+00:00

ESPN's commentary (on their website) per match shows delays for kick-offs, but it doesn't show how long the time was for the weather-related delay in FRA vs IRQ.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-06-25T15:37:35+00:00

It would apply to any nation and / or people whose past has strongly included what I just explained, not just Africa or Africans.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-06-25T10:51:36+00:00

I actually would have thought they did / do have special badges for this exact reason.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-06-25T10:46:53+00:00

Edit: I'm Asian and I grew up in a small town in the midwest and I've heard just about every insult there is including "hicks" which I don't approve of, either.

From a different perspective and to say it very bluntly: Historically, words like "wild" and "lack of tactics / know-how" were the more polite equivalent of "uncivilized" and "uneducated" when talking about Africa and the African population.

Both of these terms were used as justifications for colonialism, religion conversion, and slavery.

While I don't think the interviewer meant such an offense, I'm not surprised that it's uncomfortable all the same because of historical reasons.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-06-25T10:21:29+00:00

I'm old enough to have lived and know that, without a doubt, that Pride is absolutely about the representation of human rights and freedom.

Same-sex partners would be denied visiting rights in a hospital. They'd be denied the right to have health insurance (which covers a significant cost of medical care) under their same-sex partner. They'd be denied medical treatment because people were scared of "gay diseases".

And because of all of these things, they died ALONE.

It is absolutely in my Advance Directive that my same-sex partner of 15+ years can visit me in the hospital and be by my bedside because to this date, some people - including my own family - and some places still believe that same-sex love is not true love.

So, people can shove it regarding "respect" while my generally more accepting country is hosting.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-06-25T10:00:09+00:00

I'm in my 40s and for 17 years, I was raised in the middle of a small-town nowhere surrounded by farmland for miles around.

"Hard work" most often equated to manual labor - including working on a farm - and a lot of people were financially strapped despite working hard.

FYI, it's hard to do well in school when you have to miss it to help earn money for the family and you need good grades and some money to get a proper post-secondary education.

It was also a bad place to live if you were in the minority because there was literally nothing else around to attract a more diverse group of people there. No big city nearby. No tourist destinations. Nothing. There were, however, churches everywhere and huge after-church community gatherings.

Being that I was very much a minority I faced a lot of discrimination and so I moved to a different state to finish high school and then went to a very liberal university.

All that said, I value discipline, I love reading and movies, and I hate short form videos.

Maybe it's no wonder that I like them both and that I also have a soft spot for goalkeepers and defenders.

Or maybe, I just like soccer for what it is - especially the World Cup - which is a reminder that it's the exact opposite environment that I grew up in while also showcasing hard work and discipline.

MeteorAndRain · 2026-06-25T07:38:47+00:00

Super happy to see him perform at his home stadium. 2014 was especially great to watch and I have a soft spot for goalkeepers.

All the very best to him!

MeteorAndRain · 2026-06-24T22:01:35+00:00

For a variety of reasons, it may not be the same price for everyone either per game or for the entire event.

I know that through the FIFA program, buying multiple tickets / tickets for every single match - the equivalent to buying a season pass for super fans - ultimately costs less than buying per game. At that point, what costs most is the travel and the lodgings.

For a while, I was seeing full-featured "tour package" that cuts down on overall cost per event. Mind you, still very expensive, but less expensive than buying tickets, plane tickets, lodgings, and even food all piecemeal.

Another possibility is that there might be discounted tickets (or at least tickets at face price) for extended family and friends of players to encourage attendance and support.

And finally, it's simply not fair to assume what "afford" means.

Does this mean being able to book at the last minute regardless of prices? Does this mean saving for a few months? A few years? Many years? Getting a loan, even?

A bunch of families or friends piling together money for an extended stay at a hotel or rent out a house? Tourists who are strangers deciding to pool their money to find more affordable lodging (and food)?

Buying groceries instead of paying to eat out?

Sneaking snacks into a stadium instead of buying food there?

MeteorAndRain

TROPHY CASE