World Cup

[Jovial Monk]

I think FIFA has bowed to public outrage (esp over the disallowed but legit British goal) and will start installing video referees.

[Swami Dring]

There is only one reason FIFA do not want video replays and that is it will limit their scope for fixing matches. To me, soccer looks even more crooked than cricket. And why would it not be? There is much more money in it, and being a very low-scoring game, it would be a snap to fix. Get to an umpire, or a goalie and it's game over. Look at the goalie for England who allowed the ball to roll past him vs America. If that wasn't intentional, I'm not here.

[Jovial Monk]

They have still had to accept video replays in future World Cups.

[boxy]

It's not the odd bad call that a video ref will pick up that is the problem with soccer. It's deeper than that. It's a game that is designed to be low scoring, and to reward bad sportsmanship in the form of diving (especially inside the penalty box). It needs rule changes to give greater reward to attackers playing on quickly rather than throwing themselves to the ground at every opportunity.

I play field hockey, and when I started playing, the rules were very much like those in soccer. But in that time there have been many changes to the rules, to improve the game, and fix obvious problem. The offside rule was abolished (and as a goalie, I complained at first, but it was a big improvement, I see now). You can now play the ball quickly at a penalty, and to yourself, meaning that even deliberate fouls are less effective, because, if you can retain possession, and play on quickly, the defender needs to stay right out of the play (if they're within 5m of the hit).

Hockey has gone from a low scoring game, decided by a goal or two, to a game where attack and initiative is rewarded, and closing down games, and deliberate fouls to slow attackers down (to allow the defense to be bolstered) has been weakened.

But soccer wont do this. Far too conservative, and it only apologises for obvious stuff ups when it's one of it's powerhouse nations that get fucked over by it... and seriously, England was never going to win that game anyway, whether that goal was allowed or not. Where's the apology for Cahill and Kewell being red carded? What type of a game mandates that an obviously unintentional "foul" in the goal, like Kewell's, must be given a red card? Sure, it was obviously a spot kick (or even a penalty goal), but to disqualify a player automatically for over a game and a half, and leave the team short for over an hour of that game, is ridiculous, and surely not within the spirit of the rules.

Soccer stinks of stodgy, old, vested interests.

[Jovial Monk]

Fantastic game! Holland just defeated Brazil 2-1! What a night!

[Sappho]

Yes... and now the Netherlands are into the semi finals playing Uruguay.

Since Australia and New Zealand are out of the game... I'm going for the Netherlands. I have to... my kids are half Dutch.

Go Netherlands!

[J.W. Frogen]

I am going for Argentina.

Imagine the Big Bang bender Marodonna will go on if they win the World Cup.

[AiA in Atlanta]

Soccer is all about grown men hugging and touching each other in ways only gays would approve of which is why Sir Elton John is such a big fan of the sport.

[boxy]

Blatant cheating wins out again.



You're not a goalie, you arsehole, kindly fuck off.

Luis Suarez dives to his right, with both arms outstretched to parry the ball out of goals in a save that any goalie would be proud of, and yet he only gets one game out... exactly what Kewell got for accidentally hand balling with the top of his arm as he tried to chest a ball down. Lame, soccer world... lame




"But the way in which I was sent off — truth is, it was worth it."
Luis Suarez 2010

[Jovial Monk]

Holland through to final, defeating Uruguay 3-2