Soccer World Cup 2010

[Bowlie]

To make it to the last 16 is quite a feat in itself. Well done to the Yanks.

[Jezza]

England's second goal was not in. Here is the proof:

[VegasNath]

We will never hear the end of it! What an appalling performance from England.

[Bigaldoc]

We will never hear the end of it! What an appalling performance from England.

That may be true but the sad state of officiating overshadows most of the good AND the bad by the players. I can't believe that THREE officials missed this one! (I like my pix better than Jerry's).

[steveh]

The English FA have rejected a sponsorship deal from a pet food Company, they felt that having Winalot on the shirts would be taking the micky

The England team have a new coach; it is picking them up from Heathrow at 15:30

When the England team do get back the FA have set up a helpline for them on 0800 41 41 41

I see that OXO are bringing out a new OXO cube that will have a white wrapper with a red line running around both sides, it will be called the laughing stock

David Blaine is miffed of because Wayne Rooney has broken his record of sitting in a box for 44 days without doing anything

I have 23 other jokes but they are not back from South Africa yet.



You have to laugh, don’t you?

[diegol]

Yet another flagrant mistake by the officials in yesterday's match of Argentina vs Mexico. Carlos Tevez was clearly off-side when he scored our first goal.

FIFA should draw two important conclusions:
1. Let officials use technology to aid themselves when technology is available.
2. Don't try to re-invent the ball, or at least have the football community test it and get used to its wickedness a couple of years before the grand tournament takes place. So many great matches lost a great deal of their attractive because the players couldn't get their game straight. At this rather mature stage of the world cup most of them seem to have got used to the new design, but every now and then an apparently straightforward pass strays from its original course and wanders out of bounds.

I agree with Al that sadly these exogenous factors are standing out as much as the gameplay itself (which is brilliant sometimes).

Hope we'll be able to focus on this thrilling game and not the incidents from now on.

[Leif]

Hollywood is getting in on the act now:

OutOfAfrica.jpg

[stuck]

I was asked this morning, "What's the difference between the England team and a boiled egg?"

Spoiler

A boiled egg stays in the cup for more than 5 mins

[Sundog]

....and a quick guide to the fixtures:

Lief, thanks for the post. The interactive nature of a mouse hover is great. What a wonderful implementation of JavaScript and Flash!

[Bigaldoc]

....and a quick guide to the fixtures:

Lief, thanks for the post. The interactive nature of a mouse hover is great. What a wonderful implementation of JavaScript and Flash!

For those who haven't lost interest in The Cup, from Leif's link here's what coming up on Friday and Saturday. Should be some good matches if the officials don't keep screwing up. I read yesterday that FIFA is going to reconsider looking at using "replays" on crucial calls. I won't get my hopes up...

[diegol]

Great matches IMO.

Unfortunately I will miss Holland vs Brazil this Friday, but Saturday will be a whole-day show.

[Bigaldoc]

When I had to leave this morning the score was 1 - 0 favor of Brazil so I wasn't too hopeful for the Orange. It's nice to see that their second half went well and they persevered.

I AM of the doubtful opinion that the first half Brazilian goal may have been yet another offside that didn't get called. But as always the final result is what "counts."

[Bowlie]

Too close for a human to decide, but the referee appears to be right on top of the play.

I really don't want machines deciding each and every pass, trip, goal, dive, etc. That would ruin the 'beautiful game'.

[Bigaldoc]

Too close for a human to decide, but the referee appears to be right on top of the play.

I really don't want machines deciding each and every pass, trip, goal, dive, etc. That would ruin the 'beautiful game'.

Oh I agree with you completely. It is after all a game of human beings, all of whom will make mistakes.

However, IF FIFA decides to "do something" (probably because of the goal in the England game) they "could" do something similar to our USA NFL and give each coach one or two "challenges" for each match. If the referee checks a video replay, he can still rule that the call on the fields stands.

Soccer is one of the smoothest "flowing" sports in the world and I hope they don't muck it up as is our USA basketball.

[DaveA]

give each coach one or two "challenges"

And how many ads will be run while the review is being done?

NO way do I want to see this happen, let's keep the game a sport not a battle of coaches.
Remember that the coach's job stops at the start of the game, except for the subbing.

[diegol]

So much for our team. Argentina did a good job, but the Germans beat us playing an excellent game. Do they have a lethal offense!

Congrats to the German loungers, if any.

[Bigaldoc]

give each coach one or two "challenges"

And how many ads will be run while the review is being done?

NO way do I want to see this happen, let's keep the game a sport not a battle of coaches.
Remember that the coach's job stops at the start of the game, except for the subbing.

Well Dave, advertising is an (unfortunate) way of life. They've even figured out how to do it (ads) in the current situation.

I'll readily admit that you and your missus know more about the game than I do, but I don't think what you say happens in real life. Just watch the coaches calling instructions to their players.

[diegol]

Soccer is one of the smoothest "flowing" sports in the world and I hope they don't muck it up as is our USA basketball.

Talk about basketball. What about Uruguay striker Luis Suárez's last-minute save by rejecting the ball with both hands yesterday? Isn't that similar to a "goaltending" call in Basketball? It was clearly going to be a goal for Ghana.

Is a red card for Suárez and a penalty kick enough compensation for the Ghanaians? It seems not, as Ghana is now out of the cup. The fact that FIFA is considering to prevent Suárez from playing another match in the cup doesn't mean much for the Ghanaian team either. This particular measure is more oriented to punishing the infractor than compensating the victim.

I'd have to think it over, but right now I would favor changing the rules to include a goaltending-like measure.

[BobH]

Although I didn't see the infraction that Diego cites - and, I know next to nothing about soccer except that I like watching it despite my ignorance - it seems to me that no team should lose a goal because an opponent committed and infraction to prevent it. Why couldn't the official just hold up a green card and award the goal to the team on offense? It wouldn't stall the flow of the game as would an instant replay.

Is this yet another sign of my ignorance of the game, or could the solution be as simple as a rule that states that no score can be negated by the illegal act(s) of a defender and giving the senior official the responsibility to award the score? Without doubt there will be questionable events where the official fails to see the illegal act or fails to act appropriately, but I don't see how that differs from other game situations. In a game that requires 2 defenders between the scorer and the goal, I find it unfathomable that a defender can commit a violation and prevent a score.

As for calling offside, it would be well within the capability of today's digital cameras and computers to track players and make this call automatically by flashing lights atop the goal. Cameras and computers are used in countless applications to make such decisions. This would remove all animus toward officials and keep the offense honest.

[diegol]

Although I didn't see the infraction that Diego cites - and, I know next to nothing about soccer except that I like watching it despite my ignorance - it seems to me that no team should lose a goal because an opponent committed and infraction to prevent it.

Here you are :)

Is this yet another sign of my ignorance of the game, or could the solution be as simple as a rule that states that no score can be negated by the illegal act(s) of a defender and giving the senior official the responsibility to award the score?

I agree with you.

In a game that requires 2 defenders between the scorer and the goal, I find it unfathomable that a defender can commit a violation and prevent a score.

Do you refer to the off-side rule? Basically, when player 1 from team A passes the ball forward to player 2 from team A who is on team B's half of the field, there must be at least two players from team B between player 2 and team B's goal line (that is, not necessarily two defenders). Else player 2 will be deemed to be off-side and the assistant official should signal the infraction.