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Rugby doesn’t seem to have these issues, but maybe it’s just the mentality of the players in both sports.
I know none of the rugger lads would have missed like Ronaldo that would have been teeth on the floor 😉
They know how to pay lip service to the ref as they know they will be booked/sinbinned otherwise, the punishment is not there in football that is the issue
Please don’t start the egg chasing comparisons! It’s like chalk and cheese.
Regarding VAR, I don't think the Iran penalty was a penalty in a million years.
I do however think Portugal or Uruguay could be an easy quarter final for someone, neither team has impressed. Both look disjointed.
Obviously is either came up against England that wouldn't be the case...
This World Cup has been worth watching so far!!!
FIFM.
As someone who doesn’t watch football, I’ve enjoyed it being on and seeing the smaller teams play out of thier comfort zones to equal some of the more AmDram professional squads.
I will watch the rest of the tournament.
Please don’t start the egg chasing comparisons! It’s like chalk and cheese
it really isn't. both games could be respectful of each other and the referee if the players wanted it.
at least in rugby you know someone is hurt because they don't get up. would be interesting to see how some of the footballers/rugby boys would react if playing the other game.
re. the VAR/4th official.... the rugby way of doing things seems much fairer (all players get to see the foul/dispute) and much more efficient...
I think you’ve got to take into account that this is the first time VAR has been used at a major tournament so there’s bound to be a certain amount of learning on the job for the refs. It’ll soon sort itself out.
Overall I think it’s been pretty goood. I was worried the flow of the games would be stifled with VAR being used every 2 minutes. That hasn’t happened. And some close, but wrong decisions have been rectified. Ie the Spain offfside goal last night.
its about a million times better than the utterly farcical scenes when they tried it in the UK last season
Will be interesting to see how VAR develops as we lose the less, shall we be kind & say experienced, referees & have ones that are less in awe of being on the same pitch as Ronaldo et al.
It will though I can see Sky and ITV rubbing their hands at the chance of another 2 mins of ads in a game.
Please don’t start the egg chasing comparisons!
Wondering what the difference is. I don't see why a football ref can't be respected like a rugby ref.
Re the VAR - on rugby the TV coverage gets the same replays that the video ref sees, and I think on the big screen too. I wonder if this would be better or worse in football? The rules on what constitute a foul seem more subjective than most of the rugby rules so it might result in even more conflict if the crowd disagrees. Which it well might.
Oh Christ on a bendybus! Not this again?! Can we please not derail the thread with this nonsense? FFS!!!
Ok... egg-chasing is a sport of gentlemen and kings, and they are all models of respect and dignity. It is watched by people of high moral calling
Wendy ball is a game played by vile, cheating working class ruffians, and slimy foreigners and supported by Morons who get their clothes from Sports Direct.
There... I've saved you all a few pages of cyclical arguing
TOPIC CLOSED!!!
Right... back on track... todays games...
I'm quite fancying Iceland to get a pummelling from Croatia who look really good. Should be a good match though
The question is ... will Argentina show up? Apparently Aguero isn't starting. Imagine that? A squad built so much around one player - Messi - that one of the best strikers in the world is left on the bench? Mind-boggling. I hope they get absolutely walloped!
I can see Iceland beating Croatia.... They're already through so they'll be looking towards the next round & Iceland finished above them in the qualifying group. They'll be keen not to meet France tho, who have also qualified, but might slip up against the Danish... might. Would like to see Peru get something from the Australia game.
Interviewer: "Do you think Brazil's 1970 team can beat today's Argentina?"
Pelé: "Yes."
Interviewer: "By how much?"
Pelé: "1-0"
Interviewer: “That's it?"
Pelé: "Well, most of us are over 75 years old now."
Argentina will go out with a whimper I think, I can't see a reaction if they all hate their manager, & Nigeria are looking like the best of the African teams.
Aguero has probably been their best player so far as well, but it sounds like he lead the attempted mutiny against the manager, and has paid the price.
It is a real shame with Argentina, they have many of the best attacking players in the world, but their tactics are to just rely on Messi, if they played as a team that just happen to have probably the best player in the world as part of their attack, then it would be better for Argentina, better for Messi and better for everyone watching them.
I was worried the flow of the games would be stifled with VAR being used every 2 minutes. That hasn’t happened.
Apart from the Portugal v Iran game. Hopefully the Chief Referee (or equivalent) will sit all the refs down and make an example of Enrique Caceres.
Bad refs are just bad refs, with or without the aid of VAR. That won't change.
Its fine when VAR is asked to show was that or was that not offside? As that can be easily proved or disproved. But heres an example of the average conversation in the pub with me and my mates while watching a match
"* me! He should be off for that, the dirty *er!!"
"Don't be ridiculous! That wasn't even a ****ing yellow! Its a contact sport! He needs to MTFU and stop diving, the big fanny!!"
Etc... etc... etc...
I'm sure we're no different from everybody else. And lets be honest... thats half the fun 😀
And therein lies the problem. So many decisions are subjective, and peoples opinion of what warrants cards etc vary enormously. VAR won't change that. Thankfully.
Plenty of chat on R5live this morning about VAR. Some shouty presenter was getting properly het up over it all (can't remember his name, but you'll know him) frankly it was the funniest chat show I've heard in Yonks.
I don't really care whether it works or not, listening and reading what you lot post is the most amusing thing.
I'm hoping Iceland win, I'm all for some underdog winning the competition.
I got annoyed yesterday (again) by the inability of the pundits to understand the laws. Ronaldo's penalty, given by VAR shouldn't have been given 'because he'd lost control of the ball'
WTAF..... so you can scythe someone down as long as they aren't actually in control of the ball at the time? How was Harry's wrestling penalty a penalty then, he wasn't near (couldn't get near!) the ball to be in control of it. A late tackle is OK if you've passed the ball by the time it's made.... in fact, the later the better, surely?
I agree with Binners, the game is one of opinions and you'll never get everyone to agree on the borderline stuff, but the Ronaldo one was a good case of VAR well used, as he was clearly taken out by the defender even if the ball had gone by then.
But I think it should go to a similar system as cricket or tennis, where a team has say two challenges per half. It would have the dual benefit of 1/ in general, players know when they've been fouled or won the ball clearly so the times they'd go and look at VAR would be reduced to ones where people genuinely believe; and 2/ the appealing currently is mainly for influence. If every time someone appealed for a pointless one - I happen to remember Ronaldo begging for a corner yesterday, various 'he must have been offside' protestations about goals, etc. - if the Ref signalled VAR, denied the appeal and then you're out of appeals when you really need one I reckon the pointless appealing would stop quickly.
And make ANY further appealing once you've used your allocation an immediate yellow.
That'll be Robby Savage BB. Do you not listen to 606 on Five Live where people phone in to 'discuss' the weekends football?
Its absolute comedy gold!
Though now Wengers actually gone, thats 50% of their weekly callers wiped out. The producers must be praying that Liverpool never actually do win the Premiership, as without the delusional 'next year is our year' scouse lot on, there'll be nobody left 😀
lol at Binners! 🙂
Its definitely true about a game of opinions....my first thought was that Ronnies' penalty wasn't a penalty, but then reflected that he had definitely been fouled....in the box, so it must be a penalty!
I'm not sure if Iceland can thrive now they need to win the game. They have relied on defending and scoring from the set piece or on the break, but Crotia have all but qualified in top place already, so they won't be overdoing themselves.
I'm just pleased that at least we are giving it a go so far.....it may all end in tears, but hoping we can keep going for the jugular and don't start freezing when we reach the KO rounds.
Good thoughts from a man who knows a lot about weaknesses in teams 😉
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has highlighted Kyle Walker - deployed as one of three central defenders rather than in his usual right-back role by Gareth Southgate - as England's potential weakpoint at the World Cup.
“He’s not a real defender, and especially not a central defender," said the Frenchman in comments reported by the Telegraph.
"He can be subject to defensive mistakes, which he would not pay for when he plays as a right-back.”
But what I like more is it wasn't a tweet, I can't imagine Wenger actually tweeting along to the WC
Back to today? Who are you rooting for 😉 is it Australia
Hoping for France/Australia and Croatia/Iceland to be the happy teams this evening
Good God...could never root for the Aussies, their cricketers have seen to that!
iceland have to beat Croatia whilst Nigeria lose to Peru, so can’t see that happening.
That’ll be Robby Savage BB. Do you not listen to 606 on Five Live where people phone in to ‘discuss’ the weekends football?
Its absolute comedy gold!
Can’t say I do. Though listening to some phone-in’s they have does make me cry a little inside.
iceland have to beat Croatia whilst Nigeria lose to Peru, so can’t see that happening.
I'd give Nigeria more chance if they were playing Peru though 😉
Australia beating Peru and France winning is a good possibility, their footballers I have to say are what is good about sport in Aus, dedicated, in it till the end and never give up, plus you can't get bits of sandpaper that big
Iceland might have a chance today ..... as Croatia are to make 10 changes !! They can lose the game and still win the group (with, as it stands, a goal difference of 5 against nigeria 0)
I’d give Nigeria more chance if they were playing Peru though
Oops....dont know why I wrote that....I know its Nigeria V Argies tonight. Should be a game!
When you tell your wife you are away at a work conference
https://twitter.com/toddy0011/status/1010965765829414913?s=12
So half times - Peru off the mark, France level with Denmark, as it stands, France would go through as group winners to play one of Iceland, Nigeria or Argentina.. Which would leave Denmark playing Croatia... If I was Denmark I would want to avoid them in the next round.
But if Croatia do make all the changes, will that kill their momentum...
france and denmark have the cigars out, the bbq will be rolled out soon and they'll crack a few beers
Musa was on fire in the match v Iceland, so will he send Messi and his mates home?
Two touches from Messi that were utterly flawless....then dispatched! Pure quality!
Don't think we can count Nigeria out of this yet, they look like they could turn it on too
edit.
and a much better ref for this game
Iceland are having a very good go there too
I do hope Iceland score/win.
Fair play, they’ve gone for it.
Well Mascherano is having a bad day at the office, Iceland are getting stuck in too
and Calmest coolest penalty so far!!
Game on!
controversy awaits either way......
Right decision
Kom igen Island lets do this!
As much as I’d like to see Argentina go out,that was a good decision by the ref...
go on Iceland !
Is it too much to ask for Argentina to score late and find out Iceland are through?
Like the way the camera panned to maradonna giving the one finger appreciation.
Pish. Good goal though.:-(
Well Nigeria showed the naivety of a young squad there, just not sharp enough at the end and didn't quite chase enough in the opening 20mins. Argentina didn't look anywhere near sorted at the back and I think a better team could carve them up
From what I saw Iceland were playing some good football there and just lacked that finish, if it was Salahson it could have been very different
Stay classy Diego!
Stay classy Diego!
Hmmm he has a long way back to classy
Oh darn. Both Iceland and Nigeria out.
Sad day for the underdogs 🎡🧞♂️
Can you imagine if lineker gave the finger to opposition fans ....ha.
right, Messi's goal. It wasn't THAT good. I understand that he's possibly one of the greatest footballers, but there have been better goals in this World Cup, yet the goal has saturated the online press and social media.
Where's the credit for Banega's pass to him which was sublime? I find all the fawning over Messi and Ronaldo rather sycophantic.
right, Messi’s goal. It wasn’t THAT good. I understand that he’s possibly one of the greatest footballers, but there have been better goals in this World Cup, yet the goal has saturated the online press and social media.
I thought that at first glance, however, the first touch to control it, then the second to push it the exact distance past the player but so he can still reach it before finishing across the keeper into the far corner, it was sublime.
His free kick that hit the post too - just looks works out where he wants it & bang, almost nails it.
You kind of raise a good point tho, despite all the goals in this tournament, there's been no Maradonaesque vs England (no not the hand of god) goal or Bergcamp or Van Basten or even a David Platt vs Belgium (just typing that I've only just realised Holland aren't there!) no goals that stand out that'll be looked at for years to come. Yet.
yeah, he should have hit it on the volley (that's what I would have done), or had one touch maximum - his second touch went a bit too far and he closed the angle to the goal too much. If I was the keeper I would have saved it.
#armchairfootball
So moving onto today's action - having got yesterday so wrong let's see if I can predict the winners with a similar amount of ineptitude....
I think the swiss will beat Costa Rica to win the group & Serbia will draw with Brazil...
&
I think Mexico will be beat Sweden to win the group & Germany will beat Korea to also qualify, which would lead to us playing Germany in the quarter finals... (I think both Belgium & England are better than any team in Group H)
That said - I do like the idea of Brazil winning their group & setting up a last 16 tie with Germany, that'd be interesting.
Serbia 0 - Brazil 2
Switzerland 0 - Costa Rica 1
South Korea 1 - Germany 3
Mexico 1 - Sweden 1
Big news is that there will be a new coloured ball for the knock out stages. Definitely going to have to buy one of those. #marketingtwunts
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44620577
Does that mean Harry & Ronaldo are going to have score another hatrick each to complete their world cup ball sets?
Serbia 0 – Brazil 2
Switzerland 0 – Costa Rica 1
South Korea 1 – Germany 3
Mexico 1 – Sweden 1
odds of 4355/1 as an accumulator. Got to be worth a quid 🙂
Messi's goal was sublime. The 2 touches at full pace were phenomenal. All without breaking stride.
Pretty much any other player that tried to do that would have overrun the first touch or had to slow.
No, it won't be remembered for years but it's one of the best goals so far in this comp.
Well said Kam....if you’ve played the game to any standard, you’ll know that those two touches were pure genius. At full sprint, in a match where his whole country is looking to him for the win, on the WC stage, it was just sublime. And he scored with his wrong foot!
Just to add my +1
Messi's 'goal' wasn't all that, you'd expect most of the strikers of any repute to finish from there. Even with their other foot (i refuse to accept that a world class striker has a bad foot, they all have one good one and one great one as a minimum 😉 )
The pass and the two touches that got him into the position were however 'worldies'
I f you use that logic then that "goal" by Maradonna in 86 was a bit meh.
(kind of our point)
But if Butcher had just taken him off at the knees like he should have in retaliation for being a cheating crook, we wouldn't even be discussing it. And we'd have gone on to win in 86, and then with the confidence that brought us, won again in 90.
He has much to answer for......
More VAR weirdness... Penalty or no?
I'd say that was a penalty.
Sweden 1- 0 Mexico...
Time for the Germans to sweat a bit...
EDIT 2-0
Getting worse for them, they have to match that result.
1 Nil would do it for the Germans - can't see them not scoring...
Ideal scenario - 1-0 to Germany, finish their game, think they've qualified only for Mexico to score a late, late consolation goal to knock them out.
No doubt about that penalty tho
Stuck. On a train..... At least 5live is hanging in here on the phone. As with last night live to see the Germans win and go home just for shits and giggles
It’s all a bit complicated this table isn’t it.
Listening to the guys on the radio literally anyone can go through even if they lose🤔🤧
20mins to go and Korea have had some great changes, but so have ze Germans. Can’t see Germany not scoring! Mexico 3-0 down ffs!
You just think that the German goal is inevitable, no matter how rubbish they are.
Yup 🙁
Basically Germany win they are runners up.
If Mexico get it to 3-2 I think they hang on
S Korea win very bad day in Germany
Yup +1
but......they are certainly making it interesting! 😀
There's no way Germany aren't going to score is there? They're going to send Mexico packing..
It's Germany.
The roof is being raised here in Sweden. Well, in a lagom swedish way. Please god if there really is a god please put Germany out
My friends and colleagues are going to hate me for my gloating.
Ahhh.... Schadenfreude.
Jeez...Korea not taking their chances!
ooooh what a miss from Hummels!!!
Korea are quick on the attack .. If only they could finish!
FAAARK!
Maybe, just maybe...
Maybe what...?!!!
Six mins.....FFS!
Six? I thought the game had been flowing without too much faffing ...
Maybe what…?!!!
Maybe it's really not their day...
6 minutes though, no idea where they got that from.
Have Korea scored?