oranges@halftime

The Gift Which Kept Giving The Scene of the 2026 Unusual World Cup Launch Washington DC, December 5th, 2025 [LONDON] Well before the World Cup kicked off; I stated three things which I rinsed and repeated throughout the 39-days of the 2026 World Cup Finals. On me socials, TSN690 Airwaves plus even out on the street to anyone half decent who might want to listen. Firstly, I branded CANUSMEX2026 [The United Bid in its origins], The Unusual World Cup. Simply based on World Cu

The Jules Rimet Trophy origins & sequel Back in 1930, the inaugural World Cup was hosted by the football fabulous Uruguay. The final was played in front of just under 70,000 at Stadio Centenario, Montevideo. The hosts versus Argentina, played and competed for what was the Jules Rimet Trophy Not the FIFA World Cup. Not even this afternoon’s Johnny and Donnie Trophy. M. Jules Rimet was the incredibly visionary soul who devised a competition which would bring together the fine

Inspired by Tuchel’s “Exciting” Interventions Possibly Bossman Lionel was inspired by Professor Steve Peters SPOT THE NEW YORK NEW YORK BOOUND ONE? England were touched by greatness in the ironically named Mercedes Benz Stadium. Eternal greatness at that. There’s one thing to invite something on [Are you Listening Tommy T] but it takes a more superior animal to pull it off. Messi yet again the orchestra conductor. Enzo displaying his vital importance to the national cause. Th

Sorry here certain Argentines but a majority of mainstream Blighty could not give one of those flying things today for ‘las malvinas son Argentinos.’ Have all the bad wine you can stomach boys and girls. Don’t though let it drown out what is yet another moment in the World Cup’s finest and fiercest rivalry. This one a very first Semi Final between two of world football’s founding fathers. Don’t believe me, then please go visit the UK, feel the pulse of a nation. England that

A dear friend text me a WSJ article hier soir setting up the 2026 Round of Fabulous Four. All I saw was the headline which set off alarm bells. Must put something down on paper, in writing. Well type out on a MacBook. One older than the last time Germany won a playoff round at a World Cup Finals. Brazil2014 if you’re asking. In the Final no less, versus las Malvinas son Argentinos, hey olde Jug Ears? Germany put a 4th star on their shirts. Little Leo didn’t even get a robe fr

Disappointments suffered, determination willed ce soir’s winner Standing taller on more colossal on a pitch these days is that Mount Vesuvius of a footballer; Erling Haaland More sculptured than the Statue of Liberty which stands proudly in New York Harbour, within shouting distance of the venue for the World Cup Final on July 19th. Don’t mess with the best, as the best don’t like to mess with the rest Haaland is a walking, talking, scoring phenom. Physicality, strength, and

Pandora’s Box of Tricks Strikes Ladies & Gentlemen of the VAR Jury I present hallucination number 1 Even before a ball was kicked at the Azteca back on June 11th. In fact even before FIFA’s Midas Master stepped foot on North American soil early last December I tagged this particular Mondial… An Unusual World Cup. 3 nations hosting, time zones, altitude, 48 nations participating, twice as many knock out round matches. Yes, more than the last two World Cups combined. FIFA’s s

Plus the Monday morning feels after that [expletive removed] Sunday night before It’s well established in football folklore the superclásico at la Bombonera is akin to a religious experience. When two of the grandest club sides on planet futbol, Boca Juniors and River Plate go at it hammer and tong for 90 minutes of pulsating football on the pitch. Buenos Aeries is ironically divided in half by the world's widest estuary; la Río de la Plata. It is also marks the dividing l

Montreal’s Hosting & Lifting Canada’s Soccer Culture Danny Smiles @ his Doubles Dive Bar #CanMNT v SA Gathering Sunday Lunchtime in LA is now forever more enshrined in #CanMNT Folklore. For the vast majority it be our most significant moment. From Fall 2024 when the CANUSMEX 2026 kicked off there was more nations participating than there are member states of the United Nations. Well in excess off 200. Then by midnight Sunday, there will be but a Sweet16 remaining. Now add t

90 minutes away potentially from a dream Round of 16 When the #CanMNT Believer-In-Chief met the media Thursday he talked of an ‘LA calm’ in preference to more of that Vancouver ‘Circus.’ Heaven forbid there must be a World Cup going on. Apparently. Getting proper sleep the evening before a Honduras v Canada match in one of the world’s most dangerous spots; San Pedro Sula is murder. Excuse the pun. Jesse Marsch is channeling his very best Rudyard Kipling 19th century self ther

World Cup Fairytale Infantino’s Cinderella Moment Dream Believers; Population 500, 026 Now I can’t say I was around the last time a nation repeated as World Cup Champions. Well, I was sort of when on 17 June 1962 at Santiago’s Estadio Nacional Brasil repeated as World Cup Champions. Only the second nation to do so since Uruguay hosted the inaugural World Cup in 1930. Nor was I around at the previous World Cup when Marrakesh born Louis Fontaine smashed 13 goals into the old on

The Switzerland match was a masterclass in World Cup and Tactical Naivety. Now don’t anyone jump to the incorrect conclusion nor accuse me of not joining in the celebration of reaching the knock-out stages of the Greatest Show on Earth. The beautiful game across Canada has turned its most significant corner, one that will only become more apparent in the immediate years and decades to come. As soccer cements itself firmly, just like those shooting boots on display against B

Now look where we are In Safe Hands JD’s Qatar Hattrick Ball The origins of what the Men’s National Team is on the cusp of achieving in Vancouver Wednesday afternoon could be traced back to CONCACAF’S 2021/22 qualification cycle for Qatar 2022. Or more to the point owing to Covid CONCACAF’S usual qualification cycle had to be revised. In doing so the HEX, the World Cup Qualification Achilles Heel for the #CanMNT, was expanded to 8 nations and rebranded to the OCTAGONAL. Some

Goalkeepers Dominating Headlines Where to start with a weekend where so called minnows time and time again rose to the occasion. Curaçao, Cape Verde and Iran dominating the headlines. Unfamiliar World Cup nations finding themselves in unfamiliar places. The podium the past few days has to be topped by Curaçao’s Eloy Room and his record equalling Houdini like performance in goal against Ecuador. In doing so earning his nation its very first World Cup point at only the second

It’s come home Canada’s Believer-In-Chief getting his champagne football order in Shakespeare could not have scripted what happened. Attwood neither. Maybe Nostradamus predicted it. Allez les Rouges? Allez les Prophéties more like. Now. Not a coincidence what occurred in Matchday 2 comes as the nation is gripped by Grad Season. After many false starts the beautiful game in Canada has come of age. Graduating into the hearts, veins and minds of a nation. From the Rock and rig

Place in the knockout stage[s] on the line So the biggest ever match in the 100 plus year history of the #CanMNT takes place in the rather tranquil surroundings of Vancouver Thursday afternoon. When two nations who’ve never managed to win a game between them in the almost 100-year history of World Cup Finals go at it hammer and tongs for a pulsating, blood boiling 90-minutes. Plus Hydration Breaks d’accord. On offer at, don’t dare call it, BC Place Thursday 18h 00 MTL is pla

It’s got Swiss Cow Bells on As the World Cup gets invaded with Hydration Breaks -- which absolutely no one voted for - the G7 meeting featuring the World’s Elite Nations is kicking off in of all places, Évian. A small hamlet in the French Alps which just so happens to border of all places Switzerland. Kingdom du FIFA INC Who scripts these things? G7 Meetings meet FIFA Hydration Breaks As we don’t mix politics with football -- and no Sir Rod mixing politics with football is no

On & Off the Pitch This is the story of two Scotsman who set sail for the World Cup from California. Destination? Foxboro Saturday night for Scotland’s first match in the World Cup Finals for 28-years. At Scotland’s last World Cup appearance, France98 one of the Scotsman Rod Stewart was about thirty years strong into his current six-decade long music career. Whilst the other Craig Ferguson wasn’t even born the last time Scotland played in a World Cup. Sir Rod had already seen

Potty Mouths R Us During FOX TV’s pre-game show of Canada versus Bosnia USA94 Legend Alexi Lalas -- who built his entire Serie A career on that outrageous ginger mop and goatee ensemble – went for everyone’s favourite luvvy by referring to James Corden as a “Full Kit Wanker” on live TV. Lalas of course is part of FOX TV’s star studded celebrity football talent pool. The Ginge was standing shoulder to shoulder at the time with Zlatan - with Tito on the panel as well. Reactions

Unfit & Unfancied ‘The most talented group in Canada’s history.’ That moniker is now tattooed on our 2026 World Cup squad thanks to #CanMNT Believer-In-Chief; Jesse Marsch. Undoubtedly one of the most affable and likeable chaps I’ve ever had the pleasure to encounter in all my days, evenings and blue moons over at Stade Saputo. Or Claude-Robillard for that matter. Very esteemed company there Jesse. One of those football esteemed is Mike Moretto.