The Soccer Thread

[wr50l]

Being screwed occasionally is only part of the game because it's tolerated. But it doesn't have to be and the alternative is not as awkward as it's made out to be.

The history argument is bunk. Those games are over, those teams got jewed. It sucks, let's move on, but don't let it happen again. The point of technology in football is not to redo history, it is to improve future games.

Thanks for letting me know less than a billion watched the final though, I was misled by the commentary stating "more than a billion people will be watching today's final" or words to that effect.

Had the commentators used technology to count the viewers instead of human guesswork they probably would've got it right. Because technology is superior!

If the referee fucks up the game is adversely affected by a character who is not supposed to have an impact on the result of the game other than to maintain fairness, and this should be rectified whenever possible. If a player fucks up that is a representation of the quality of the team as he is a part of it, and since the idea of the game is that the better team wins that fuck up is integral to the game. So huge mistakes are not on an even keel, and likening refereeing mistakes to player mistakes is not logical.

France are spoiling the World Cup, any other team which cheated to get to the World Cup is spoiling it, any team which cheats in the World Cup is spoiling it. If England were in Ireland's place I would laugh a lot ... then come on here and say everything I've said in the last three posts. And you know that means a lot coming from your typical ginger, drunken Scot.

 

[davie]

Firstly - at least it would take an awfully bad decision (Steve McLaren falls under that category) for England not to make a major tournament and when England don't make it to major tournaments it isn't considered the norm.

The referee and their assistants will fuck up. We are told from the earliest age as players and fans to accept it. It is part of football. Roy Hodgson realised that goalline refs don't work in his Europa League game when they still got it wrong.

Are you wanting replays for these games? LOL this won't create obvious problems.

Referees getting together to consult technology for an answer during the game? Yawn, the referees are also to minimise interrupting the flow of the game where possible.

Managers/teams to have a challenge system made available like in the NFL? Where they still get a lot of questionable and wrong decisions.

I really shouldn't be posting about this. You're far more informed on how a referee can cause you to lose 4-0 to Norway with "big game player" Darren Fletcher and £9million Craig Gordon.

Which Italian manager are Scotland going for then?

 

[wr50l]

I don't want replays for any games, I want video review to sort out the problems when they occur. A referee, two linesman, two goal line officials and a whole load of cameras should be enough to ratify most of the errors we see in today's games. I don't even think the goal line officials would be needed however it is pretty likely in my mind that they will be included in football's future plans.

The challenge system would not be as intrusive as you intend to make it sound. First of all the impetus should still be on the human officials to make a decision. However when it comes to controversial and game changing decisions (which happen once, maybe twice per game) it is perfectly reasonable to take somewhere between 40-120 seconds to stop play and get the call right.

There are far more complex parts to NFL rules than football's rules and thus your point on still getting decisions wrong is practically moot. I would consider my idea for the system more of a quasi NFL/NHL review system. NFL-like in the "coach's challenge", NHL-like in terms of the willingness to investigate anything questionable and important. I don't know if you're at all a fan of hockey so I will just say for clarity that the NHL review system rarely if ever makes the incorrect decision, and furthermore football is a lot like hockey in terms of the decisions which have to be made.

 

[Prodigal Son]

It's called karma Ireland.

[youtube]Jf9fx4ipF4Q[/youtube]

 

[Cryolemon]

To get away from the France Ireland thing, Spurs won 9-1 today: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8365091.stm

 

[Vinsane]

Real Salt Lake upsets the L.A. Galaxy for the MLS Cup in a 5-4 shootout that saw Landon Donovan miss, and Robbie Russell seal it for the fifth year RSL. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=285079&cc=5901

Congrats to RSL who beat the defending champions Columbus Crew, and won a shootout against the Chicago Fire last week.

 

[calgaryballer]

Burn on Donovan. Becks nailed his. Now Beckham can go play in a real league while Donovan will decide which team to flame out with in Europe

 

[Archer]

Fifa has called an extraordinary meeting of its executive committee following 'incidents at the play-offs for the World Cup, match control (refereeing) and irregularities in the football betting market'.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12098_5714482,00.html

 

[SethMode]

Real Salt Lake upsets the L.A. Galaxy for the MLS Cup in a 5-4 shootout that saw Landon Donovan miss, and Robbie Russell seal it for the fifth year RSL. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=285079&cc=5901

Congrats to RSL who beat the defending champions Columbus Crew, and won a shootout against the Chicago Fire last week.

I was listening to Simmons B.S. Report which was taped I think last Wednesday? Something like that. They spent 10 minutes talking about penalties and how Donovan is the "best" at them and never missed. Jinx!

 

[calgaryballer]

Liverpool got knocked to the Europa League after a 1-0 win over Debrecen today. Fiorentina beat Lyon 1-0 as well, eliminating the Reds. The Guardian anticipates this could cost the club more than ten million pounds in revenue over the course of the season. Anything other than a Top 4 finish could be quite disastrous

 

[Prodigal Son]

Goodbye, Rafa

 

[calgaryballer]

The thing is, I highly doubt Rafa gets the sack before the end of the year. Who will replace him? I've seen Reds fans calling for Guus, but he just signed on as Technical Director at Chelsea and I doubt he will burn Roman so soon after. Is there any other club out there that would let their coach go in the middle of the season?

Free agents I can think of off the top of my head that might have the pedigree- Juande Ramos? The Spurs disaster is likely too fresh. Michael Laudrup? Fired after a miserable start at Saturn. Louis van Gaal after he gets the Bayern sack?

If anyone gives me a good idea of who can step into Liverpool and give them a real shot of a top four finish, I'll gladly listen

 

[Sharkweather]

Agüero to Chelsea about a 50/50 shot now.

 

[calgaryballer]

Arsenal report RVP now out for 5 months

http://football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_5726741,00.html

Have to say, there goes the title

 

[1ke]

Especially after watching the game today. Arsenal without RVP=complete shit!

They had no chance.

 

[Sharkweather]

Especially after watching the game today. Arsenal without RVP=complete shit!

They had no chance.

A Drogba brace and an own goal.

I quite enjoyed it.

 

[Archer]

Ireland have asked to be team 33 in the world cup :rofl:

 

[Bigpapa42]

Arsenal report RVP now out for 5 months

http://football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_5726741,00.html

Have to say, there goes the title

It was going to be tough even with RVP. They're done without him. Purely outclassed by Chelsea. Tough to watch that.

 

[1ke]

^^^^

Play Vela some more, he may not be as good as Eduardo yet, but at least he has the pace that Eduardo doesnt seem to have anymore.

 

[Bigpapa42]

Happy to see Chelsea lose yesterday, but it had to be Man City... Grrr...