FIFA World Cup

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #120 on:** 18 Jun 2010, 11:39 pm »

All these tied games and further drama among the teams is something I have not recalled happening often in a World Cup.

How someone else said, no teams have come ahead and done a sufficiently impressive job back to back against their opposition to earn a seal of approval towards the finals.

What is up will all the red cards?

I cannot wait to watch North Korea again, as well as Spain and also Paraguay.

England, what a bleh of a team...and Germany, quite certainly pathetic.

No to cause offense here, but the Italian have not proven their worth decisively.

I would not be surprised if a non traditional soccer power will provide their match to well known teams and provide more drama to the already murky picture.

Audiovista · « **Reply #121 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 02:40 am »

Just finished watching replay US-Slovenia... excellent game and highway robbery re third goal for US team. Unbeliveable.... but US will move on to the next round if there is any justice in this world.

I did not get to watch many games, of those that I did, Germany-Australia and US-Slovenia were the best ones. I hope more is to come.

The most surprising thing in this World Cup is that my 10 year old daughter enjoys watching (and commenting) games with me

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #122 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 03:33 am »

Quote from: toxteth ogrady on 18 Jun 2010, 03:51 pm

Shameful if the U.S. don't advance because of that idiot ref.

jqp · « **Reply #123 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 03:43 am »

What is the meaning of the cartoon - I can't quite get the significance of the fork (instead of the yellow card) ?

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #124 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 03:48 am »

Referee errors will alway exist while there is no electronic(TV) examination of questionable moves. In my country some ref do anything they want and do not happen nothing, the game is considered valid.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #125 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 03:54 am »

Quote from: jqp on 19 Jun 2010, 03:43 am

What is the meaning of the cartoon - I can't quite get the significance of the fork (instead of the yellow card) ?

In the slang of brazilian footbal when an ref steals for a team, it is said that the ref have fork or forked this team, so a sports site just made this cartoon for the US game.

jqp · « **Reply #126 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 01:08 pm »

Quote from: FULLRANGEMAN on 19 Jun 2010, 03:54 am

In the slang of brazilian footbal when an ref steals for a team, it is said that the ref have fork or forked this team, so a sports site just made this cartoon for the US game.

Ah - so it is a Brazilian thing - but it makes sense. Amazing that everyone agrees the US was robbed - I guess the US is "one of the gang" now.

Audiovista · « **Reply #127 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 03:06 pm »

Quote from: jqp on 19 Jun 2010, 01:08 pm

Ah - so it is a Brazilian thing - but it makes sense. Amazing that everyone agrees the US was robbed - I guess the US is "one of the gang" now.

+1

This feels like the first World Cup where it is so. Great improvement in the game and lots of potential to become power in a sport that most of the world loves.

Ghana-Australia... missed the first half... was it another ref's bad call - penalty shot and red card? Australia needs the win.

Mariusz · « **Reply #128 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 03:34 pm »

No, it was a hand.
Close call but IMO the right one.
Kiwis just had "one on one" chance to score but locked execution.
Seems the game picked up the pace at the end of the 2nd half.

Cacophonix · « **Reply #129 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 03:40 pm »

Quote from: Mariusz on 19 Jun 2010, 03:34 pm

No, it was a hand.
Close call but IMO the right one.
Kiwis just had "one on one" chance to score but locked execution.
Seems the game picked up the pace at the end of the 2nd half.

You mean kangaroos

Mariusz · « **Reply #130 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 03:46 pm »

LOL!! Yeah, kangaroos.

rajacat · « **Reply #131 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 04:15 pm »

I'm just beginning to enjoy watching soccer. The lack of scoring is a little annoying but I'm appreciating the games. It's a shame that TV replay isn't allowed given that the vast majority of the games are decided by a goal or two. One bad call can negate 90 minutes of superb play. It seems that international football shouldn't be so tradition bound that it can't adopt modern technology to improve the game. American football, basketball and baseball use replay in certain situations so that a bad call is less likely to determine the outcome. I'm sure that changes in the rules have occurred in the past so why not now?

-Roy

PS

Didn't FIFA adopt a new ball this year? Why not video replay?

Mariusz · « **Reply #132 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 04:27 pm »

One video replay/analysis per team seems reasonable.
Rating and penalizing referees based on their performance wouldn't hurt either.
(I know they are doing it but..... it looks more like "Papal Conclave"..... all you see is smoke)

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #133 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 05:15 pm »

Quote from: jqp on 19 Jun 2010, 01:08 pm

Ah - so it is a Brazilian thing - but it makes sense. Amazing that everyone agrees the US was robbed - I guess the US is "one of the gang" now.

Yes, all the world press agree US was robbed. But it will stay only in this level, the FIFA will do anything, notinhg.
Afew months before this present Cup FIFA agree goal/score points made with hand help will be valid ''IF'' the referee do not ''see'' this move and flat reject electronic(TV) support for dubious/controversial moves.
So FIFA officiated to the world public that football is a eminently corrupt sport.

This FIFA decision came arose because was complaints from some countries about the point Maradona made for Argentina with his hand in the last time Argentina was world champ.
I suppose this is bad news, sorry,
Gustavo

chadh · « **Reply #134 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 05:48 pm »

It's a real pity that the third US goal was disallowed. Mostly because it overshadows a really good performance by the US team in the second half. The good news is that the US team played well. They're in a position where a win against Algeria secures them a spot in the next round, and they know they can compete well against quality opposition.

There's no point in complaining about the referee's call though. While the US team may have done enough to win (had the referee's calls been better), if they'd bothered to show up in the first half they could have put it beyond doubt. By and large, teams that get frustrating outcomes usually have themselves to blame.

Australia was a prime example today: down to ten men again. The red card wasn't such a controversial issue. In the replay, it was pretty hard to fault Harry Kewl. But the handball call was probably the right one, and the red card mandatory given the situation. Australia needed the win, and will look back with some regret on the call. But the real reason they didn't win was because their right-back completely missed a gift scoring opportunity with about 20 minutes left. Australia can still go through, if they beat Serbia and the right things happen in the other game. In fact, if Australia can manage to beat Serbia by eight goals, then the outcome of the other game is irrelevant!

What odds will anybody offer me on an 8 goal Australian victory?

Chad

Cacophonix · « **Reply #135 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 05:57 pm »

Don't hold your breath ... FIFA didn't do a thing when ireland was eliminated due to a last minutish goal thanks to Thierry Henri of france who clearly handled the ball (He agreed that he handled the ball later after the game). Referee didn't see it, france tied that match and ireland were eliminated.

Mariusz · « **Reply #136 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 06:11 pm »

You can find more info regarding refs and rules here: http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/federation/administration/news/newsid=1213585.html#assisting+referees+tops+agenda

About today's ref (AUSTRALIA vs GHANA):
A bit yellow card happy but overall refereed spot on.

And some random quotes from press:

"If [Coulibaly] is found to have made a serious mistake, especially one that affected the outcome, then he would be highly unlikely to play any further part in the tournament," an unnamed source said. "FIFA is determined to keep refereeing standards high and does not want high-profile mistakes.".

Audiovista · « **Reply #137 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 06:42 pm »

FIFA is opposed to making changes but that may change soon. It seems that some highly questionable practices (setting up games in past championships) have been uncovered in Germany and their public is furious. That alone may be big enough driver for FIFA.

I enjoy seeing this thread work this great, by July 11 it should grow to be a great collection of thoughts, discussions, cheers and .... oh well... frustrations...

geezer · « **Reply #138 on:** 19 Jun 2010, 08:01 pm »

Anyone with expert knowledge of the mathematics of probability and statistics knows that the difference in the number of 'successes' (i.e., goals, in soccer) between the two opponents in a game is a better indicator of which is the better team when the total combined number of successes is larger. This means that, in a game like soccer, where scores like 1-0, 1-1, 2-1 are common, two teams would have to play each other many times before we could be reasonably confident which is really the better one.

For this reason, if I were the world czar of soccer I would change the rules so that combined game scores typically would be in the range 15-30 or so. (One obvious way to do that would be to simply widen the net.) This would reduce (but not eliminate) the probability that a good team is eliminated by a lesser one, and also would reduce the number of tie scores.

Another benefit of such a change is that one bad mistake by an official, such as in the recent case with the U.S. team, instead of making a 50% change in the team's score, would have only about a 10% effect, which might be the difference in which team wins.

(Of course, I don't think it will ever happen. Most people are inherently opposed to change.)

mjosef · « **Reply #139 on:** 20 Jun 2010, 04:39 am »

Love the colors of the fan-isms...