World Cup

[Pompey-Cowboy]

Poland definitely. Even though I thought Senegal outplayed them for most of the game. On the other hand, the Colombian player stopped a sure goal with his forearm. I definitely think the right call was made. Colombia is still the better team, just tough luck.

Forearm? Have you actually seen it? It's about 3 inches below his shoulder. I hope you aren't a medical professional.

 

[The Fonz]

48 is too many for a finals tourament. I am fearful that in the future elite players will start dropping out - or feel pressurized to drop out - f International football if the tournaments get bigger and start impacting on their club careers.

My friend everything you see nowadays is nothing but an orchestrated reality show it is about money.
Just enjoy what you watch and never take it too serious.

 

[atlantacowboy]

Yeah, Harry Kane was the man for us. And he'd have had more if he weren't being fouled inside the box as much as he was.

Excessive fouling is the game plan of every inferior team. I watched Brazil last week and it was atrocious how Neymar was tackled just about every time he touched the ball. Its not fun to watch, but the ref allowed it.

 

[Sarek]

This ref is protecting Portugal. Morocco is running and Portugal looks lazy so far today.

 

[Flamma]

Forearm? Have you actually seen it? It's about 3 inches below his shoulder. I hope you aren't a medical professional.

It looked like it hit right where the arm bends. Not sure why that matters. If I made a mistake, it was not calling it what it is, a hand ball.

 

[Flamma]

This ref is protecting Portugal. Morocco is running and Portugal looks lazy so far today.

Yep, Morocco doesn't look like the inferior team.

 

[jterrell]

What is it about this that You don't understand?
Deliberate denial of a goal by handball (and handball is a term used for the entire arm and all attached digits) is and can only be a red card, the Ref has no room for interpretation, it's mandated as a red card.
He clearly moved His arm to block the ball, it was heading in, what are You trying to debate here?

I understand it all quite well.
I made a simple point that Colombian fans could feel undone and many do.
I never suggested it was a terrible call.
I did suggest it could be seen as harsh.
And it can.

There are far more egregious handball calls not given. WEEKLY in the EPL fans are screaming that handballs weren't given.
Pretending as if that doesn't happen or that refs do not account for times or situation would just be being dishonest.
"HANDBALL NOT CALLED" on google brought back 5M500K results.

It was a very fair call. I never said it wasn't.
But any country 3 mins into the first WC game would be floored by such a call (and yes play).

Try moving to your right as quickly as possible.
Now try doing so without moving your right arm.....
It's nearly impossible.

He was obviously throwing his arm up move to the right and trying to get his shoulder to the ball. The ball hit a few inches off his shoulder. It was a poor gamble. He didn't get there; he cost his team the game.

 

[jterrell]

48 is too many for a finals tourament. I am fearful that in the future elite players will start dropping out - or feel pressurized to drop out - f International football if the tournaments get bigger and start impacting on their club careers.

No it isn't. LOL.

I am seriously having a hard time understanding what some of you guys go on about...
Your logic is terrible.
We should rely on rankings (yet the rankings are flawed), we should reduce teams (yet good teams get robbed of getting in now)
oy vey....

48 is not too many teams for a WORLD tournament.
They have groups to limit total overall games played and the event is held EVERY FOUR YEARS.

Elite players go and play because that is largely where new stars emerge. It is THE BIGGEST STAGE.
Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, Hazard, Salah are all there.
Who exactly is sitting out??

The EPL has too many teams. (but a great overall system for relegation and promotion)
The World Cup does not.

The biggest point of the World Cup is to GROW THE GAME GLOBALLY.
It is a celebration of the sport.

 

[Carson]

No it isn't. LOL.

I am seriously having a hard time understanding what some of you guys go on about...
Your logic is terrible.
We should rely on rankings (yet the rankings are flawed), we should reduce teams (yet good teams get robbed of getting in now)
oy vey....

48 is not too many teams for a WORLD tournament.
They have groups to limit total overall games played and the event is held EVERY FOUR YEARS.

Elite players go and play because that is largely where new stars emerge. It is THE BIGGEST STAGE.
Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, Hazard, Salah are all there.
Who exactly is sitting out??

The EPL has too many teams. (but a great overall system for relegation and promotion)
The World Cup does not.

The biggest point of the World Cup is to GROW THE GAME GLOBALLY.
It is a celebration of the sport.

I agree with you. Allows teams like the USA, Netherlands, Italy, Ghana and such to get in. Also allows some smaller countries in a big pond to get a chance

 

[atlantacowboy]

No it isn't. LOL.

I am seriously having a hard time understanding what some of you guys go on about...
Your logic is terrible.
We should rely on rankings (yet the rankings are flawed), we should reduce teams (yet good teams get robbed of getting in now)
oy vey....

48 is not too many teams for a WORLD tournament.
They have groups to limit total overall games played and the event is held EVERY FOUR YEARS.

Elite players go and play because that is largely where new stars emerge. It is THE BIGGEST STAGE.
Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, Hazard, Salah are all there.
Who exactly is sitting out??

The EPL has too many teams. (but a great overall system for relegation and promotion)
The World Cup does not.

The biggest point of the World Cup is to GROW THE GAME GLOBALLY.
It is a celebration of the sport.

It is a tremendous honor to represent your country for most of these guys. Just ask Messi what a legacy is worth in his home country without world cup glory. This tourney is about a lot more than money. It is about national pride and contrasting styles of soccer played around the world. My point is that the world rankings could be used in lei of a lot of national team qualifying games that club teams frown upon. Of course they aren't perfect, but neither is a system that allows teams like Panama in while excluding far stronger teams like the Netherlands. 3 from CONCAFF is too many. The quality of play does not merit it. So, have 2 auto qualifiers from every regions and base that on the regional play in tourneys. Then, turn to the world ranking to fill out the rest of the teams. Works in college basketball and football.

 

[Flamma]

I understand it all quite well.
I made a simple point that Colombian fans could feel undone and many do.
I never suggested it was a terrible call.
I did suggest it could be seen as harsh.
And it can.

There are far more egregious handball calls not given. WEEKLY in the EPL fans are screaming that handballs weren't given.
Pretending as if that doesn't happen or that refs do not account for times or situation would just be being dishonest.
"HANDBALL NOT CALLED" on google brought back 5M500K results.

It was a very fair call. I never said it wasn't.
But any country 3 mins into the first WC game would be floored by such a call (and yes play).

Try moving to your right as quickly as possible.
Now try doing so without moving your right arm.....
It's nearly impossible.

He was obviously throwing his arm up move to the right and trying to get his shoulder to the ball. The ball hit a few inches off his shoulder. It was a poor gamble. He didn't get there; he cost his team the game.

Oh there are a lot of hand balls not called. Usually in set pieces or strikes in close proximity that deflect off of every part of the body and it's not called. Just not usually when your outstretched arm prevents a goal. That was too easy for the ref. If players thought they could knock the ball away with their arms preventing a goal and get a yellow card for it, not a single one would pass up that opportunity.

As far as 48 teams go, I agree with you. It's not like they'd be watering down the competition. It would allow for teams that didn't qualify to get in that are currently better than many teams that did qualify.

 

[jterrell]

I agree with you. Allows teams like the USA, Netherlands, Italy, Ghana and such to get in. Also allows some smaller countries in a big pond to get a chance

Would I be overly excited about watching Tunisia versus Saudi Arabia? No.
But that's not the way the World Cup works anyway. David's take their shot at Goliath not versus each other.
Introducing new stars from smaller sides and growing the game is ultimately what is so special about it.
It is the best tourney in the world because it represents everyone.

The only thing close is the NCAA tourney in basketball. 64 teams and you generally have high seeds win it but that's seldom the most well remembered fact.
Sister Jean this year and her fellas of Loyola-Chicago was a bigger story line than how good Villanova were.

Doing Euro 2016+ Brazil and Argentina does zero for me. I can watch the Confed Cup every other year and see that.

 

[jterrell]

It is a tremendous honor to represent your country for most of these guys. Just ask Messi what a legacy is worth in his home country without world cup glory. This tourney is about a lot more than money. It is about national pride and contrasting styles of soccer played around the world. My point is that the world rankings could be used in lei of a lot of national team qualifying games that club teams frown upon. Of course they aren't perfect, but neither is a system that allows teams like Panama in while excluding far stronger teams like the Netherlands. 3 from CONCAFF is too many. The quality of play does not merit it. So, have 2 auto qualifiers from every regions and base that on the regional play in tourneys. Then, turn to the world ranking to fill out the rest of the teams. Works in college basketball and football.

Agreed on the value of the games to the players.

The problem with rankings is they are heinously reliant upon upon spare few games. The qualifying games are the most meaningful ones to build a ranking.
Friendlies are so insanely disparate to be almost meaningless. Beat the Germany u-21 team dressed up as Germany and you get a huge boost... lose to a home spare side fighting for it's WC life and you drop a ways.

I get why Clubs hate it. I hate watching Chelsea without ,well, the team but Club teams scarf up the players they see and scout at the World Cup too so it has to be a give and take.
I am an American and chose Chelsea after watching Drogba in the World Cup.
I promise, Club teams benefit.

48 teams is large and a change and no one likes change but it will honestly offer even better odds for top sides to advance; to advance and reduce reliance upon qualifying matches. --which often comes down to health/form/fitness and can be held a year before the actual tourney.

A top 32 winner advances bracket looks pretty darn sweet to me. Those games all have huge meaning.

Europe will get 3 more sides in as well from the increase. So every team that finishes a pool top 2 will go, no home and away sudden death battle.

IF this was in place this year the added teams would have included: Ireland, Northern Ireland, USA, Chile, Ghana among others.
Not a bad thing in anyway.

 

[atlantacowboy]

I think Iran is playing an 11-0-0 formation against Spain.

 

[jterrell]

I think Iran is playing an 11-0-0 formation against Spain.

ugly. but it does remind me of euro 2016... i was so excited for that and everyone parked the bus.
really appreciate rules for goals scored.

 

[atlantacowboy]

ugly. but it does remind me of euro 2016... i was so excited for that and everyone parked the bus.
really appreciate rules for goals scored.

I don't think Spain is going to score. There is no space and Iran fouls as soon as anyone breaks free. They are clearly playing for a 0-0 tie..........which is why I hate this round of the tourney. There should be be no reward for this kind of play.

 

[jterrell]

I don't think Spain is going to score. There is no space and Iran fouls as soon as anyone breaks free. They are clearly playing for a 0-0 tie..........which is why I hate this round of the tourney. There should be be no reward for this kind of play.

have no idea why iran is playing this way given they very likely don't advance with a tie.
you'd think they were up 2-0 now.
spain has 3 goals to it's credit and with a win over morocco move along easily. 1w 0l -2d and high goals scored.
iran would be 1-0-1 and playing portugal for a spot ... with only 1 goal scored.

 

[jterrell]

I don't think Spain is going to score. There is no space and Iran fouls as soon as anyone breaks free. They are clearly playing for a 0-0 tie..........which is why I hate this round of the tourney. There should be be no reward for this kind of play.

all that said i expect spain to find a way to a goal. they play against parked buses almost weekly in their domestic leagues.

 

[daschoo]

I understand it all quite well.
I made a simple point that Colombian fans could feel undone and many do.
I never suggested it was a terrible call.
I did suggest it could be seen as harsh.
And it can.

There are far more egregious handball calls not given. WEEKLY in the EPL fans are screaming that handballs weren't given.
Pretending as if that doesn't happen or that refs do not account for times or situation would just be being dishonest.
"HANDBALL NOT CALLED" on google brought back 5M500K results.

It was a very fair call. I never said it wasn't.
But any country 3 mins into the first WC game would be floored by such a call (and yes play).

Try moving to your right as quickly as possible.
Now try doing so without moving your right arm.....
It's nearly impossible.

He was obviously throwing his arm up move to the right and trying to get his shoulder to the ball. The ball hit a few inches off his shoulder. It was a poor gamble. He didn't get there; he cost his team the game.

Once he gives the penalty he has no option but to send him off. It's not open to interpretation once he gives the handball it's a red card.
Not sure what handballs not being given has to do with this unless you're saying they were unlucky the ref didn't miss it?

 

[jterrell]

all that said i expect spain to find a way to a goal. they play against parked buses almost weekly in their domestic leagues.

and there it is. Costa.