Soccer Thread 2018-2019

[miami_fan]

This is ridiculous

[cartman]

What a cheeky corner kick

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by cartman

What a cheeky corner kick

That was brilliantly played

[bhlloy]

At what point does this Barca team become known for being the biggest bottlers the sport has ever seen? They have been absolutely shocking again in a game that they just needed to keep close.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Breaking News: Barca changes name, will be known as Falcons

[whomario]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

At what point does this Barca team become known for being the biggest bottlers the sport has ever seen? They have been absolutely shocking again in a game that they just needed to keep close.

Will never understand how you dont actively go for the win when you have 3 goals in Hand and 1 away goal means Pool has to score 5. Instead you kinda sorta try to manage the game ...

Amazing spirit by Liverpool. Klopp could propably motivate any group of people to be their best possible version.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

At what point does this Barca team become known for being the biggest bottlers the sport has ever seen? They have been absolutely shocking again in a game that they just needed to keep close.

About 15-20 minutes ago?

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by whomario

Will never understand how you dont actively go for the win when you have 3 goals in Hand and 1 away goal means Pool has to score 5. Instead you kinda sorta try to manage the game ...

Amazing spirit by Liverpool. Klopp could propably motivate any group of people to be their best possible version.

Especially when you are Barcelona and defense is not your forte.

Well done to Liverpool. Despite Barcelona's incompetence, they were amazing.

[EagleFan]

. No words, just smiles right now.

[SirFozzie]

How long are Liverpool fans going to gloat?

4-0, about a week.

edit: You know who's almost as happy as Liverpool fans? Real Madrid fans (the final is being held in Madrid, now, admittedly not at the Bernabeu which would be the ultimate trolling to see Barca win the title there, but at Atleti would be nearly as bad)

[miami_fan]

No longer Spursey!

[cartman]

Poor Ajax

[MrBug708]

90+6 lulz

[Vince, Pt. II]

What a bonkers pair of semifinals.

[miami_fan]

Those plucky upstarts from London make it four for four EPL teams in the finals of European competitions.

[EagleFan]

Bast line I have heard recently.

Of the top 6 in the EPL. 2 are in the Champions League final, 2 are in the Europa League final and the other 2 are in Manchester...

[RainMaker]

As a casual soccer fan, those 2 matches were some of the most highly entertaining sporting events I've ever witnessed.

[miami_fan]

New rule for the last day of this EPL season. Any club playing defensive today gets dropped to the Football League. Attack, attack, attack! Please!

[MrBug708]

Palace did

[Critch]

Watched the African Champions League final on BeinSports last night, second leg between Wydad Casablanca of Morocco and Esperance de Tunis of Tunisia.

First leg finished 1-1, second leg Esperance were 1-0 up at home when it all became a farce. Wydad scored an equalizer, but the ref disallowed if for offside. It was a close call but should have been given, the referee didnt bother asking for VAR though so goal didnt count.

Wydad eventually refused to play on until VAR was checked, things got a bit heated, and thats when it was announced that VAR wasnt working.

The game was then held up for 80 minuteswhile Wydad refused to play and the FA officials tried to work out what to do. Rumors that the game had been canceled and would be replayed later, but eventually they decided Wydad were to blame, so game called at 1-0 and cup to Esperance.

Hope the European final is less controversial.

[miami_fan]

Unbelievable

[MIJB#19]

Oranjekoorts (Orange fever) is spreading over here.
No, not for the UEFA Nations League semi-finals and possible final. Apparently there's a women's world cup coming up and people think our women can bring that cup home.

[AlexB]

What a BS decision that is in the Portugal Switzerland match

[RainMaker]

Not a good look for the USMNT.

[bhlloy]

John Stones had money on a Netherlands win then... never understood why he's so highly rated, he's David James as a central defender

[MIJB#19]

VAR to the rescue.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by AlexB

What a BS decision that is in the Portugal Switzerland match

I am guessing this was regarding the Swiss penalty. And absolutely BS for me.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

John Stones had money on a Netherlands win then... never understood why he's so highly rated, he's David James as a central defender

I often wonder if Pep has spent the last year or so secretly retraining him to be Fernandinho’s replacement. He has gotten progressively worse.

[miami_fan]

Does that count as South Korea’s first touch in the French penalty area?

[miami_fan]

How the hell did the cameras catch that penalty?

[AlexB]

Crazy scenes in the England Cameroon match in the women's World Cup. Cameroon feel that the ref and VAR are against them, and it was even reported that at half time they accused FIFA of being racist. A couple of times its looked like they might not even carry on.

One decision was tight, but all were right its apparent that a number of the Cameroon players don’t seem to understand the rules of the game.

[bhlloy]

Maybe by the way they are interpreting the laws at this WC, but the margin of error on that goal was absolutely absurd (if technically correct) - I assume we're no longer paying lip service to giving the benefit of the doubt to the attacker in order to encourage attacking football.

If you'd ask me what I'd hoped to get out of VAR it isn't a situation where 30-40% of goals come of PKs, but that appears to be where we are heading right now. I'm stunned that FIFA has managed to implement it in such a shitshow way, although the weak inexperienced referees at this WC aren't helping either.

[AlexB]

Agree with you to a degree, but Pandora’s box has been opened and the new norm is half an inch offside is just the same as two yards offside. It'll just take some getting used to.

I agree that the penalty thing is a real issue - offside is a matter of fact, penalties still have some objectivity (for example I didn’t think England should have had a penalty when Fran Kirby went over, and neither did the ref after a VAR check, but it seems like I am in the minority)

The way it’s going VAR might actually increase diving if players find everything gets VAR treatment, and some people see any contact being a foul.

The game is at a crossroads for sure.

[MIJB#19]

So, we're finally back to this thread for the women's World Cup now? There's this one, the one started after the USA-Thailand game and then the "random thoughts" thread also about that cakewalk.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

If you'd ask me what I'd hoped to get out of VAR it isn't a situation where 30-40% of goals come of PKs, but that appears to be where we are heading right now. I'm stunned that FIFA has managed to implement it in such a shitshow way, although the weak inexperienced referees at this WC aren't helping either.

This is the least surprising stuff, really. A large increase of penalty kick goals (combined with likely no decrease from 'normal goals') was predicted by all the pundits fromin the Netherlands, where VAR has been used a bit longer than in most of the world.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by AlexB

The way it’s going VAR might actually increase diving if players find everything gets VAR treatment, and some people see any contact being a foul.

The game is at a crossroads for sure.

Agreed, and it's not only that, it's the little innocuous things that have never been a penalty but are technically fouls that are going to pop up all over the place. I don't think I'm exaggerating to say that there are 3 fouls on every corner and attacking free kick in English football, so what are they going to do when players start surrounding the ref demanding for a check late in a close game? It's like if the NFL suddenly decided they were going to review holding on the interior line on every play.

Pandora's box for sure, the most sensible VAR usage in the men's game I've seen has been when the ref has chosen to just ignore something that is technically a foul but pre-VAR wouldn't have risen to the level of a penalty (e.g. the German cup final last season) but how long until that happens to a Barcelona or PSG in a big game and even that level of choice is taken away from them? It's not hyperbole to say it's a complete game changer and it's going to destroy the flow of games and the way they are refereed, IMO. Clear and obvious error has already turned into check every little last thing, and it's not getting better once players learn how to game the system.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

This is the least surprising stuff, really. A large increase of penalty kick goals (combined with likely no decrease from 'normal goals') was predicted by all the pundits fromin the Netherlands, where VAR has been used a bit longer than in most of the world.

Heh, I was being sarcastic. I think anybody with half a brain could see this is where it was going.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by AlexB

and some people see any contact being a foul.

Yes to this. Though I do think that what the use of VAR has shown (and MLS has been using it just a little less time than the Netherlands) is that a lot of thinks that we may think are dives actually do have some level of contact - if you are running full out and someone gets your ankle a tiny bit it can easily send you sprawling.

However just because there is contact doesn't mean it should be a foul. The interpretations have to be tightened up because of VAR, I think. Maybe focu on it being substantial contact or something like that.

[miami_fan]

Why don't we actually write the contact that we want from the game into the laws of the game? Do we want two seconds of shirt pulling in the box on corners? Then, say players are allowed to hold onto an opponent's shirt for two second before they must let go. Or allow the grabbing altogether. The idea of yes it is a foul but it should not be called seems nonsensical. I personally think there are too many laws myself.

[miami_fan]

That was Sergio Ramos-esque gamesmanship there.

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Why don't we actually write the contact that we want from the game into the laws of the game? Do we want two seconds of shirt pulling in the box on corners? Then, say players are allowed to hold onto an opponent's shirt for two second before they must let go. Or allow the grabbing altogether. The idea of yes it is a foul but it should not be called seems nonsensical. I personally think there are too many laws myself.

It’s not really any different to holding or PI though. A time limit is gonna be unenforceable unless you have one ref for each duel, which isn’t gonna happen.

Changing the wording to significant contact as suggested above would be a move in the right direction, but TBH is the opposite direction to where the game is going

[Butter]

Haiti- Costa Rica was quite the entertaining match.

[AlexB]

Referee In England Vs Cameroon Rejected Two VAR Decisions In Fear Of African Side Walking Off - SPORTbible

[JonInMiddleGA]

Though it's probably more self-preservation than anything (for clubs from the continent in general), I'm pleased to see this

VALENCIENNES, France -- The head of women's soccer in Africa wants Cameroon to face punishment for the conduct of players in their Women's World Cup loss to England. ... Isha Johansen, who sits on the Confederation of African Football executive committee and is president of the women's soccer body, says she is "proud of our African female teams" in the tournament.

But Johansen believes the game "reflected badly not only on African women's football but African football on the whole" and wants punishments imposed.

"It is an issue which will be addressed and dealt with at the appropriate levels of governance," she added on Monday.

According to the official from Sierra Leone, the CAF should take action even if FIFA doesn't pursue a case against the Cameroon team.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by AlexB

It’s not really any different to holding or PI though. A time limit is gonna be unenforceable unless you have one ref for each duel, which isn’t gonna happen.

Changing the wording to significant contact as suggested above would be a move in the right direction, but TBH is the opposite direction to where the game is going

Ok, change the wording to significant contact. It does not really address my point. bhlloy said that there are at least three fouls on every penalty. I ask two questions:

1. Should whatever players are currently doing that are deemed illegal on penalties actually be fouls? If they should not be considered fouls, change the law so they are not against the law.

2. If they are deemed against the law and it can be seen, do we want the match official and by extension VAR to call it and give the penalties?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

1. Should whatever players are currently doing that are deemed illegal on penalties actually be fouls? If they should not be considered fouls, change the law so they are not against the law.

This is kinda my argument for most calls of that sort: if you don't want it called, change the rule.

[MIJB#19]

Okay then, VAR, was that really hand ball for Japan?

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Okay then, VAR, was that really hand ball for Japan?

Based on the new laws for handball, It USUALLY is.

It is usually an offence if a player:
•touches the ball with their hand/arm when:
•the hand/arm has made their body unnaturally bigger
•the hand/arm is above/beyond their shoulder level (unless the player deliberately plays the ball which then touches their hand/arm)

I mentioned this earlier in the thread. This has been one of the few things they have called pretty consistently. What does "unnaturally bigger" mean? YMMV.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

. What does "unnaturally bigger" mean?

'roids are bad, m'kay.

[Warhammer]

How much do I dislike our WNT? I find myself cheering for the French...