** World Cup 2026 - USA, Canada, Mexico Thread **

Another decent game, for sure the best team won. Cant see Uzbekistan qualifying.

Looking forward to Mexico v South Korea tomorrow. Canada should pretty much lock up a qualifying spot as well.

Did England play the best out of all the teams in the opening round? No obviously that was Scotland b/cos they won and kept a clean sheet.

Czechia
Bosnia
Canada
Draw

Canada game at 1am where I am. Not very friendly.

I think so, the first 20 minutes of the second half was probably the best football I've seen any England side play. How we only scored once I don't know.

However,

^^^ this is the reason we will not win this world cup. To do so, we would need a much better defence than we currently have.

Just had time to watch the highlights from yesterday

If only modric good get away with murder like messi croatia would have been fine

I thought he used to be good? Maybe I'm remembering wrong, not really a soccer guy

He is good, but then look at the French attack, for example, who are a hell of a lot better than just good!

Pickford's status as England goalkeeper is a triumph of hair gel and shouting over ability. That said, I don't think we have anyone better.

Come on BBC, you can do better...

i've looked just now at the GK stat "goals prevented" -- (or goals not conceded over expectation). it's typically calculated by subtracting a goalkeeper's actual goals allowed from their Expected Goals on Target (xGOT)

Pickford actually led the EPL in the stat last season (24/25) and was fourth this season

https://www.fotmob.com/leagues/47/stats/...

all that said, it still doesn't seem to me that he's an upper tier GK (but i certainly could be wrong)

Tuchel obv has confidence in him bc his ENG's #1

we'll see how things play out over the course of the tournament. there's certainly a ton of pressure on the lad

Uninformed, lazy questions: is this meaningful? Who is behind him? Is it controversial at all?

Are SA still gonna be dogshi t here or improvement

Yeah if it wasnt Pickford in goal for England it would be Dean Henderson. Who is pretty decent but Pickford shades it I think.

Well their worst player from last time is suspended, so that's encouraging

Yeah but with Henderson you at least get this.

Having some ugly flashbacks of 2006 when Czechs just blitzed the US off the field.

He should have interrupted them all and said "By the way, Two World Wars and one World Cup".

Czech mongs, really should have been out of sight here.

Too bad Raya can't change allegiance to England.

Unai Simon starting over Raya is criminal.

just saw the b.s. handball call on CZE at the end of their game

awful look for football when a sequence like this is deemed to be a PK

yea awful - football inability to evolve from those kind of archaic calls is hilarious

Yeah it would not have been a pen in the Premier League I think.

VAR appeared not to even check it, although they must have.

huh? looked like a clear and obvious handball. the czechs barely even argued lol

His hands were in a natural position, it was so close the SA player basically kicked it off his arm and there was nothing he could do. It would have been VAR reviewed in the prem and not given imo.