Diamond Dog wrote:I didn't watch the game yesterday - only found out the result today. That's how much the game matters, and anyone stating anything else simply doesn't understand professional football. It has nothing to do with football - it's all to do with FIFA wanting more money - that's it, pure and simple.
That's how much the game matters to you. It's hardly a money-making scheme, or at least much more than just that - it's been a tradition since the very start of the world cup, when FIFA was hardly the corporate institution it is today. To me, there's a huge difference between getting a medal and not getting one, and it makes a significant difference in how you perceive the end of the tournament - instead of the images of a semifinal loss, your lasting images will be the return of your team at the airport with medals around their neck. England had a chance to make a much bigger statement about their status if they'd beaten Belgium - even more than winning their QF to reach the semis in the first place - and they didn't take it, nor did they approach it in a way that you ever expected they would seriously challenge for it. Anyway, there’s obviously no point in discussing as your mind is made up – fortunately most teams and their fans don’t see it the same way you do.