The 2026 World Cup — Day 12

Meat in the sandwich, tackle from behind...

Clearly a penalty. But oh, what a dreadful penalty from Messi.

Meat in the sandwich. Tackle from behind...

Thought I'd gone on the wrong type of Internet site for a minute there! 🤔

That penalty was messy!

Austria so limited, looks like they're happy with a 1-0 defeat?

Argentina aren't as great as these pundits are making out.

Slow in midfield and will get beat by better teams.

Looking at Argentina, the likes of Romero, Mac Allister and a few others are trying to be very intimidating.

If they're touched, they go down in agony. Hard to watch, apart from Messi.

I'm flying in to Seattle tomorrow.

Any of our American brothers advise on a good bar in the city center to watch the England game?

Jay, I live near Seattle and there are a dozen to choose from -- Tom's Watch Bar, Hatback, Buckley's, and a British pub called Elephant and Castle amongst them. I've heard of them all but never been to any of them.

But if you want to sit among Blues, a short Uber ride northwest from downtown is the Rough & Tumble, home of the Seattle Evertonians. You'll see some old Chang shirts in there for sure. And maybe an NEC.

As we wait for the restart. Who can name ex-Everton players in this World Cup?

I have got Digne, Enner Valencia, Stones, Gordon, Onana. Lukaku, James... any more for any more?

Mina

Ndiaye not starting again. Value plummeting.

He just wants to get on to advertise (complete failure last time though).

Yeah, I'm counting him as an ex-Everton already as well.

Looks like there's a chance that Ndiaye will be going home next week.

Ha, yes Dale. To be honest, I've never really included him in next season because I have always felt that he would be on his way.

But he ain't no World Cup star, is he!

Day 12; a couple of dozen games in and instead of the seemingly constant VAR involvement we seem to get in the so-called best league in the world Premier League, it's been almost conspicuous by its absence

And isn't it a lot better?

Why the lack of involvement?
Could it be that -- up to now -- Fifa, who 'run' the Referees and by extension VAR have no 'axe to grind' with regards to any result?

Unlike -- as some might alledge --the Premier League who 'fund' PGMOL.

ps: That looks like it for Senegal.

Ndiaye left on the bench again even when Senegal desperately needed goals.

Think Moyes got to the Senegal manager to get Ili to sign his contract? ;-))

It's 'cos he's knackered, Mike.

It's because he is an okay player with an over-egged opinion of his own talent.

Word is Idrissa Gana Gueye had another good game for Senegal...

Despite the dismal result for them. Null points.

OK, Illy has not raised his asking price, but he is still one of our better players, and Gana coped quite well huh?

I wonder what is going on with Ndiaye?

Although he was a regular starter in the Afcon, he didn't play any part last night and only got 17 minutes in Senegal's first game.

I didn't see the game but, judging by all reports, Gana Gueye played well and played the whole game.

I think Eric has it right. So, that interview did not age well at all.

Yeah, uh, welcome back Illi.

I'm looking forward to watching Uzbekistan, one of the markets we could shop in.
Value to be had there and the likes of Georgia. Good, strong players.

You can remain or leave Darren.

Sorry, had to do it.

Michael and Brian, I did see the game, and Gana was excellent, particularly getting into the attack and distributing the ball. I believe he played every minute. Senegal lost through horrendous errors by their defensive stalwarts Koulibaly and Mendy.

Brian Glover...er I mean Ronaldo...showing his humility once again.

Its Uzbekistan, Kes

Still scoring goals at 41 years of age in football’s most prestigious tournament. He was never my favourite but for sheer bloody mindedness, I don’t think you can look past Ronaldo, simply because he his a man who has got every last drop out of himself, whilst trying to make himself as good as humanly possible👏👏

Given up watching it. Too much fawning.

One thing Senegal certainly got wrong was relying on Sadio Mane who is now obviously nowhere near the player he once was.

If Ndiaye isn’t injured in some way then his form for country is presumably in as much of a rut as his domestic form was for last couple of months, and the cause is up for debate.

And he was shocking in those 17 minutes Brian (21).