Well, much like England, I’m a glutton for punishment so I do want to go there. Both goals were over the line, but I think it’s a tad more unacceptable now given the standard of officiating we ought to expect in the world’s premier sporting event. Not to mention that the Russian linesman may very well have had WW2 in…

This isn’t something that we should be arguing really. We’re both intelligent people and it’s completely situational. Sometimes players will get rested, sometimes they won’t. More often than not, the best players will play for as long as a win is needed.

.... and how many of those times were tournament exits after penalty shoot-outs? And Euro 96 was a semi-final appearance.... with an exit on penalties. And the disallowed goal which would have equalised before half-time against Germany in 2010. Quarter-final finishes are the last 8, which is probably the top bracket…

Thanks for clearing that up. If they have pay parity for representing their country then there’s even less of an issue for the to be complaining about. The playing on artificial pitches at the WWC is a legitimate concern, but I lay that at the feet of the Canadian bid and FIFA for accepting it on those terms.

That’s a separate issue. Artificial pitches are shit, no doubt, and football shouldn’t be played on them where possible. That’s possibly an issue with Canadian stadiums and facilities though. I don’t know enough about that and if there was nothing suitable for WWC to be played on then Canada shouldn’t have won the bid.

I couldn’t give a shit about the US team... I’m not American.

To be fair, teams rarely rest a key player in group stages. It is normally only ever on two occasions; an easy game or the 3rd game when qualification is either achieved or almost certain. Portugal v Ghana was the 3rd game with both teams needing a heavy win to have a chance at progressing.

I don’t doubt that other countries such as Germany have people from working class backgrounds and that they fill a good proportion of their teams. But German’s have a completely different culture than Brits and I’ve seen the behaviour of English players first-hand; I’ve seen them in night-clubs and my mate fucked the…

What do you want to happen exactly? People to be dragged there? To remove programming they know has an audience for a sport that doesn’t outside of tournament time? People have agency in this and there are plenty of examples of people going to lower league football, despite it rarely, if ever, being televised. They…

If your point is that little or no money is pumped into youth teams and academies in the UK, despite the wealth of the EPL, then you’re dead wrong. There are so many factors as to why England “fails”, and I dare say that more could be spent, but I would also point to the wealth leading to more imports and increased…

Bingo! That’ll be it then. If I was a US player I’d be quizzing the background of all of my family members! Ha

Why wouldn’t they be promoted if it was such an obvious draw in comparison to the US national team. In fact, ditch Portugal and let’s talk Argentina: Messi, Aguero, Di Maria.... chances are at least one of those plays and they’re all huge names.

Look at the words you’re using; “refuse”. Why would they refuse to do it if they thought it would be profitable. Women make up half of the population don’t they? That’s a substantial market and voting block, but women aren’t interested (generally speaking) in women’s football, never mind men. If people wanted it, then…

Well he’s got the size, so that’s good. He probably needs to fill out a bit, but all defenders are quite lanky at that age. Looks promising and unafraid to get stuck in and get insomeone’s face; that’ll definitely go down well in England!! Does he have dual-nationality do you know (or a European grandparent)> It’s…

That’s not a point. That’s akin to saying “no they didn’t, they watched because they have functioning eyeballs.” You’ve lost me on that one. Ronaldo is a top player and he’ll of course attract viewers, but if that is the primary pull then Portugal and Argentina games would regularly net larger audiences in the US than…

It’s not sexism. Firstly, you’re not even acknowledging the fact that the men’s game has been played at an organised level since the 19th century. You’ll no doubt say that this doesn’t matter, but it does as there’s an established fanbase of professional male teams the world over; the same cannot be said for the…

.... except that he played in that very game and scored the winner. Of course it’s unlikely to be promoted to the same extent in the US, but it demonstrates that the many millions who watched did so because it was the US team playing. Having Ronaldo in the same game is merely the icing on the cake.

I’ve not heard of him... yet. :) If he follows the path of most youth teamers, I expect him to be loaned out, probably to a Championship team, for him to get experience so I’ll keep an eye out for him. The Championship is a real testing ground for young talent as it’s a blend of good players approaching the end of…

I think you’re wrong there. If said biological difference makes the spectacle greater, leading to more people wanting to watch it, then that group will be paid more. Heavyweight fighters, for example, have always been a massive draw whether skillful in the grand scheme of things or not; if they get paid more than a…

The stats, as others have posted, don’t show that. Peak USWNT and USMNT may be similar for their most high profile games, but it doesn’t bear out in qualifiers and friendlies. Not to mention the global interest (and all the financial benefits that follow it) that is present in the men’s game, but not the women’s.