Discuss the World Cup 2010: England vs. USA

[Monique]

:( what did Suarez think using his hands to keep the ball out of the goal? And when he gets a red card he acts like "me? what did I do?" I was hoping Ghana would win, but at least they got far in the competition.

The funniest moment in today's competitions was the Japanese referee mistakingly taking out the red card out of his pocket against Ooijer. The reaction of the players and the expression on the referee's face were priceless

 

[brushman]

That was a very nice handball by Suarez...

too bad, I thought Ghana deserved that one.

 

[Monique]

Nice call - even Monique went for the big Brazilian win! But for her, that's a perfect win-win situation.

It is, it does make you schizophrenic though.. but with 0 points won in the pool today, I am still 7 points ahead of all my colleagues!

 

[Dadface]

Argentina-Germany(2,2)
Paraguay-Spain(1,2)

 

[Monique]

My vote:

Argentina-Germany (1 - 0)
Paraguay-Spain (0 - 1)

 

[BobG]

Argentina-Germany (2-1)
Paraguay-Spain (0 - 2)

Ouch for Ghana. Miss a PK at the very end of extra time and have two PKs saved during the shootout.

 

[Pyrrhus]

There's still chance for an all south american final :!)

 

[D H]

Argentina-Germany (1 - 2)
Paraguay-Spain (0 - 2)

 

[zomgwtf]

Argentina - Germany (1-2)
Paraguay - Spain (1-3)

 

[Borg]

Don't know if it's too late. The games are hours from now though.

Argentina-Germany (1 - 0)
Paraguay-Spain (1 - 3)

 

[Monique]

Interesting corner trick:

Robben tried to pull that during the game, but one of the Brazilians saw through it. Everyone who was watching the game with me didn't know what happened, but the video explains it.

 

[BobG]

It's a dumb corner trick, but it was invented by the US National Team in the 2002 World Cup.

I think if you watch the video clips closely, only one referee team let the corner kick stand and I'm surprised they did, seeing as how this trick is frowned upon in just about every country except the US. The trick didn't work for the US, either.

There's only two rational interpretations for a referee to take. Either none of the players are allowed to reposition the ball with their feet for any free kick, or the referee has to intentionally be more gullible than the other team and always think the first player was just repositioning the ball; not taking a really short free kick.

Unfortunately, since the US National Team tried to do it in the World Cup, the USSF wanted every referee to recognize when the player was simply moving the ball to reposition it, when the touch was actually a free kick, and then manage when an opposing player should be carded for thinking a 'repositioning' was actually a trick free kick and charging in instead of allowing 10 yards.

In Robben's case, was he yelling at his team mate for falling asleep and letting Brazil come in and take the ball, or yelling at the referee for treating his mere repositioning of the ball as a trick corner kick. (If the referee heeded his crying and decided the corner had to be retaken, it would have been hilarious if Robben tried the trick a second time).

 

[Kurdt]

How gutting for Ghana was that match. They had the chance to win it with the last kick of the game and went on to lose. Sometimes cheating does help although I'm sure the uruguayan could have headed the ball instead.

 

[Kurdt]

There's still chance for an all south american final :!)

Break out the Mamajuana.

 

[D H]

That was an embarrassing performance.

 

[zomgwtf]

That was an embarrassing performance.

Argentina right? Tell me about it.

As well as a person that was cheering on Ghana to go further than any African nation ever I can say that I am thoroughly pissed off about Suarez punching the ball out of the net. I hope that karma comes round full swing and in the next game he breaks his arm or something.

++I think this just further enforces that video replay should be used by the referees, I am pretty sure that the ball actually crossed the line so it would have been a goal regardless. This world cup has been quite a pathetic show from the beginning IMO.

 

[lisab]

I'm not a big follower of this whole thing, but I feel like crying for Argentina.

 

[BobG]

I wish Meartesacker would score a goal.

It looks like Klose has two more chances to tie, or even pass Ronaldo.

 

[D H]

I am pretty sure that the ball actually crossed the line so it would have been a goal regardless. This world cup has been quite a pathetic show from the beginning IMO.

The back of the ball has to cross the back of the goal line, so no, that atrocious hand ball probably was not a goal. I do hope FIFA gives Suarez more than a one game suspension for that hand ball. A person who commits a red card foul gets a one game suspension minimum, not a one game suspension, period. The appropriate disciplinary committee, FIFA in this case, can make the suspension longer if they see fit. IMHO such an action certainly would be fitting here.

 

[zomgwtf]

Hey what about this:

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/2339/argentinaadvances.jpg

I would post the image on here but my laptop has a pretty big resolution and it's a screen shot. Since I took this though they updated it to say Germany I thought it was somewhat funny.

 

[zomgwtf]

The back of the ball has to cross the back of the goal line, so no, that atrocious hand ball probably was not a goal. I do hope FIFA gives Suarez more than a one game suspension for that hand ball. A person who commits a red card foul gets a one game suspension minimum, not a one game suspension, period. The appropriate disciplinary committee, FIFA in this case, can make the suspension longer if they see fit. IMHO such an action certainly would be fitting here.

Indeed, a ban from playing soccer ever again or a bullet to the head seems to fit the crime. .

I just watched the replay and you're right it wasn't a goal yet. I did notice however this time around that BOTH players from Uruguay tried to hit the ball away with their hands... what the hell? Do the all train doing this defensive move, or do they all practice being keeper or something?

 

[brushman]

Well, I guess at that point in the game when they're the last defense they do whatever it takes to stop the ball.

Honestly it was a smart move by Suarez's part. I don't think he should be blamed. I think that the rules should be changed. The refs should do a review in these situations, and if a player uses a hand ball to stop an inevitable goal, the goal should count.

I hope to see a Paraguay Uruguay final.

 

[D H]

I hope to see a Paraguay Uruguay final.

I certainly hope not.

 

[fluidistic]

I lost the bet I've made earlier in this thread, Argentina won't win the tournament. In my opinion it was the best chance for Argentina with Messi as best player in the world. In the next world cup I don't think Messi will still be the greatest or at least as great as he is now and I've no idea about Higuain and how the defensors will look in the next world cup. Argentina missed their chances with almost all "big teams" eliminated, I don't see any better close future for Argentina.
Streets are still silent.
I'm glad the referees were good in the match. Too bad the tournament is a joke (read my previous post in this thread to know why) and now I won't be rooting for any team. I'm also glad Maradona will lose this job (when Higuain scored 3 goals, he changed Higuain for Bolati I think and when Tevez scored twice, he changed him also... What was that? As far as I know in baseball you don't change a pitcher that is perfectly fine even in the last innings. Well deserved for Maradona. Even Tevez was pissed off to leave the match against Mexico... really well deserved for Maradona.)

 

[BobG]

Well, I guess at that point in the game when they're the last defense they do whatever it takes to stop the ball.

Honestly it was a smart move by Suarez's part. I don't think he should be blamed. I think that the rules should be changed. The refs should do a review in these situations, and if a player uses a hand ball to stop an inevitable goal, the goal should count.

I hope to see a Paraguay Uruguay final.

I disagree with the referees awarding goals for fouls. I think a one game suspension is fair for Suarez and I think a team should definitely be able to convert a penalty kick. Everyone got what they deserved and Gyan has no one to blame but himself for missing the penalty kick.

I don't think Suarez's handball is an example of the most unfair situation that can occur. An example of the most unfair would be similar to what happened in the Brazil-Turkey group level game in 2002. Alpay, the last defender, hangs onto the shirt of the Brazilian attacker that's just passed him just outside the penalty area. There's no way for the referee to award fair compensation to the fouled team in that situation. By time the defender has received his red card, the fouling team has formed their wall for a free kick outside the penalty area.

Unless the referee let's the fouled player drag the fouling player into the penalty area before calling the foul, as the referee in that game did. You couldn't help but feel the referee committed the grievous sin of imposing his own morality onto the game, since the defender had already let go of the shirt by time Brazil's player went down in the penalty area.

That game also got Rivaldo a pretty stiff fine for acting as if a Turkish player had struck him in the face with the ball towards the end of the game.

The questionable plays occur towards the end of the highlight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y1d6Gs43Ck

 

[KalamMekhar]

A Holland v. Germany final would be one of the most fiercest matches in all of history. I have extremely high hopes that no South American team makes the final.

 

[brushman]

I disagree with the referees awarding goals for fouls. I think a one game suspension is fair for Suarez and I think a team should definitely be able to convert a penalty kick. Everyone got what they deserved and Gyan has no one to blame but himself for missing the penalty kick.

I don't see the problem. It shouldn't even come down to a penalty kick.

It's not like awarding goals for fouls would become a commonality. These are very rare situations.

It doesn't seem right that a team could cheat, directly preventing a loss. Unless of course, you welcome cheating in the game and think of it as just another tool to win (not necessarily a bad thing).

All this aside, I hardly ever watch soccer and know little about it so my opinion isn't worth much anyways.

 

[BobG]

Paraguay - Spain.

Wow!

Good call on the first PK. Not a good shot, but a very nice job by the GK to prevent a rebound. But how many Spanish players had encroached by time he took the shot? I couldn't count them all.

Good call on the second PK, but that could have been a red card. Encroachment again, but barely (Edit: mmm, looking at a picture, I guess it's more than just barely as there's 3 Spanish players inside the circle by about one step, but that still looked pretty trivial compared to the first PK). I can't believe the referee ordered the retake. And a clear take down by the GK on the Spanish player. That should have been yet another PK.

And the scoring play - shot, post, rebound, shot post, post, goal! Holy cow!

 

[zomgwtf]

Lol yeah bob. Did you see Villa's reaction? He went to run as if he had scored until he saw it had hit the post so he stopped and stared. hahaha

 

[Evo]

I'm not a big follower of this whole thing, but I feel like crying for Argentina.

"don't cry for me Argentina"