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Originally Posted by Solecismic
When the score was even, Wales seemed completely uninterested in the opposing goal. I'm sure their porpoise from the opening moment of the match was to gain that draw for exactly that reason.
Not sure England will cooperate. They have a lot of weapons and a major inferiority complex when it comes to international play. Ninety minutes is a long time, even sitting down. Either way, I doubt the second-place team gets past the round of 16.
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Maybe that was their goal all along. Although it's a clear mistake to underestimate Iran and think they'll be a pushover. It's quite likely Wales was just being the Wales team from the recent European Championships: just playing not to lose, regardless the opponent.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Solecismic
Certainly hate that new tie-breaker. The sport already suffers from far too much necessary dependence on the referees. They have an impossible job. Why add another layer of dependence?
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It's not brand new, it was introduced at the World Cup 2018 as the last tie-breaker before drawing of lots (I just looked at the regulations for the 2014 and 2018 tournaments to confirm this). It was also in place during the UEFA European Championships 2020/2021, as the next to last tie-breaker. But it is indeed a somewhat recent novelty. If it was introduced as a means to promote fair play, it sounds great, but the Neymar jrs. of this world are disgusting abusers of this rule and try to smear half a dozen yellow cards onto their opponents.