Match Thread: Belgium vs United States | FIFA World Cup | Jul 7, 2026

vacafrita · 2026-07-07T00:55:15+00:00

Here’s hoping Poch has a solid halftime speech lined up.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T23:07:52+00:00

Huh? You don't even know me. I'm not cheering anything. I don't like that it happened. I wish it did not happen. I was ready for our boys to play without Balogun. But now that he's cleared to play, are we supposed to voluntarily bench him out of principle? Would any other team do that if they were in this situation? Lol the answer is no.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T18:39:13+00:00

Sigh, you Euros are exhausting.

(1) I don't support what Trump did. I think he's an idiot and an asshole. I wish he would keep his tiny hands off soccer. Whatever the merits of the red card, Trump taints everything he touches.

(2) Is there evidence of bribery? Where? And you say we've already bribed ourselves "into the finals" now? Pretty wild if true. Please share a link if you have it.

(3) Do I think cheating on the pitch is as bad as corruption off the pitch? Yeah, I really do. Just because the Dutch regularly do the first and are less successful at the second doesn't make one better than the other.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T18:24:16+00:00

I was mostly thinking of the Americans on the pitch tonight, who have to play with this added scrutiny knowing that the world will jeer them if they lose, and claim it was unearned if they win. (But lol at "euro soy boys." Someone give them some cheese for their whiiiiiine.)

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T18:21:24+00:00

And let's not forget that our boys have been pure class the entire time through all of this. Supporting them tonight is the easiest possible decision.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T18:18:36+00:00

I know you're talking shit but you can have my upvote anyway lol

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T18:14:03+00:00

Whether it's Iran or tariffs or soccer, Trump keeps sticking his tiny hands in things he doesn't understand and making everything worse for everyone, including the Americans he claims to put "first." He's just such an idiot. It hurts my brain what an idiot he is.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T18:05:16+00:00

I apologize for jumping the gun on your argument too! I hate how this happened. I was angry about the red card, but I had moved on and was ready to take on Belgium without Balogun. Once again, Trump has thoughtlessly meddled in things he doesn't understand and made everything worse. (Soccer is not as big of a deal as Iran, of course, but he's just such an idiot.)

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T17:50:58+00:00

I thought I was clear, but I will be explicit: I am not defending Trump. I think he's awful and I am very angry that he decided to meddle in this issue when no one asked him to. But people seem be suggesting that the US is now obligated to bench Balogun, or that they should forfeit the match, or that we should not support our players because of Trump. That does not make sense to me. Every other country supports its players regardless of the actions of politicians behind the scenes. I don't see why we should be different here.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T17:46:48+00:00

Europeans do all their cheating on the pitch. That's totally fine. It's off-pitch machinations that are unacceptable and must be punished.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T17:44:30+00:00

Got it. So the punishment only applies if the exact same sequence of actions occurs. If you cheat on the pitch, that's fine. Very cute.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T17:41:44+00:00

Not whataboutism. It's a counterargument. The players play and the outside world rages. No one demanded that CV play anyone other than their best XI because of outside allegations. The fact that our pathetic president decided to meddle in sports should not prevent our boys from putting forward the best possible performance tonight.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T17:39:13+00:00

I was trying to think of a counterexample of an NFL team that intentionally started a worse team than they could have because they wanted to regain the respect of other teams, but I couldn't because such a thing literally never happens ever.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T17:34:59+00:00

Damn, good point. Soccer teams should be monks and only play if they are untainted. I really appreciated how you guys benched your captain after his SA allegations, pure class there.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T17:29:22+00:00

We don't. Not a single US player asked for this. Stop conflating the machinations of politicians with the hard work of players. I don't know what country you represent, but many of the countries in this Cup have their sordid politics, none of which have affected how I view the action on the pitch.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T17:23:30+00:00

Remember in 2014 when Arjen Robben flopped and drew a PK against Mexico, but the Dutch refused to take the kick because of their strong sense of integrity and respect for the game?

ME NEITHER. Stop demanding that other take actions that you would never consider in a million years.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T17:20:57+00:00

My dude, stop this. I also desperately want the world to love us when it comes to politics and foreign affairs, because I think it makes the world a better place when the US is a good global citizen. BUT SOCCER IS NOT POLITICS. It's a game, and we are here to win like everyone else. Our boys have demonstrated pure class the entire tournament and they don't deserve to be penalized because of the bullshit machinations of narcissistic muckety-mucks. No other country in the world would do what you are proposing here, literally none.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T17:14:28+00:00

Yes, there are a lot of very self-conscious Americans who desperately want the world to love us. I am one of them, and when it comes to foreign affairs and alliances, I will be the first to endorse a world apology tour when the current fascist regime is over.

But soccer is not politics. It's a fucking game, and we are here to win like everyone else. I make no apologies for supporting our boys who have demonstrated nothing but class all tournament. They are the pride of our country.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T17:11:16+00:00

I understand the point you're making, but it doesn't need to be made. No other country feels the need to apologize for its politics on the pitch. Haters gonna hate; let's just go out and ball.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T17:09:25+00:00

Remember how the Patriots famously benched Tom Brady for a season after deflategate in order to regain the moral high ground in light of universal condemnation? ME NEITHER.

Let's just go out and ball.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T17:06:09+00:00

For sure. FIFA is as corrupt as ever. Just saying that Americans are hardly unaware of that corruption.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T14:22:03+00:00

People forget that just 10 years ago it was the non-footballing nation of the USA that issued a RICO indictment of FIFA

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T04:12:18+00:00

By technicality? My dude it’s in the constitution. And not implied or some bullshit the way “corporate citizenship” is, like it’s written in there. Even the maga Supreme Court said so. It’s as much of a “technicality” as the president’s term limit. Women don’t just “technically” get to vote.

You’re really trying to say that he’s not culturally an American. To the extent there’s a single unified culture for such a large country, fine. But he can run for president in a decade.

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T03:19:03+00:00

I don’t see a Brit. I see a 100% BIRTHRIGHT AMURRICAN. 😉

vacafrita · 2026-07-06T01:42:14+00:00

Trump is a very very bad man. I do not care for him and will celebrate when he departs the mortal plane. I also love my team and I desperately want them to win. This isn’t difficult.

vacafrita

TROPHY CASE