Posted by: Mike D
- [6421228] Fri, Jun 04, 2010, 22:32
The topic of the day: Injuries. I know they can happen anytime, but.....
At least Rio Ferdinand was in training when hurt. Jozy Altidore too, and not as bad.
I am just NOT a big believer in playing friendlies so close to the Cup, yet so many countries do it. To risk losing a Didier Drogba seems like absolute stupidity. Hindset is 20-20; but STILL. Andrea Pirlo? Calf injury Wednesday v Mexico. Crazy.
Now the USA has a friendly tomorrow with Australia. Time to take a deep breath.....and hold it.
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75
astade Sustainer
ID: 214361313 Sat, Jun 26, 2010, 17:20
lol, Farn! It's a two way street. I saw Dempsey go down atleast twice with minimal contact. Ghana's midfielder (i think?) was called for a yellow card when Altidore tripped himself up and will miss the next game.
76
Farn Leader
ID: 451044109 Sat, Jun 26, 2010, 17:28
Oh I agree, although I think in this particular game Ghana was worse. But yes, all of the teams flop. Its miserable to see, but just like the NBA, its the best way to get the advantage from an official.
77
astade Sustainer
ID: 214361313 Sat, Jun 26, 2010, 17:35
Some really good match ups ahead of us. The three I have circled are:
Germany-England, Brazil-Chile and Spain-Portugal
78
astade
ID: 118611 Sun, Jun 27, 2010, 01:54
Farn, to your point, this one (via Yahoo!) is hilarious:
79
Farn Leader
ID: 451044109 Sun, Jun 27, 2010, 09:17
somewhere Vlade Divac is tearing up.
80
Perm Dude
ID: 5510572522 Sun, Jun 27, 2010, 09:55
Its a sport made up of Anderson Varejaos.
81
Ref Donor
ID: 539581218 Sun, Jun 27, 2010, 10:19
78: He tripped him. His right knee clearly hits his foot. I agree that there is so much flopping and faking injuries, but it also doen'st take much to go down when you're running.
I didn't get to see the US game, butI've eben so unimpressed with the US in this cup. Watching the lowlights, the commentators kept talking about all the mistakes the US made with frequency.
82
loki SuperDude
ID: 4211201420 Sun, Jun 27, 2010, 10:20
The USA-Ghana match was another frustrating one to watch. There were 4 or 5 times when a US player was one on one with the Ghanain goalie and could not finish. The USA cannot compete at this level without a world class striker.
83
Ref Donor
ID: 539581218 Sun, Jun 27, 2010, 10:40
FIFA continues to refuse to allow any technology assistance whatsoever even on goal calls and England just got robbed of a goal because of it. That ball was at least a yard in the goal--they are saying 2 yards in and it was not counted.
84
Myboyjack Dude
ID: 014826271 Sun, Jun 27, 2010, 10:42
Ref - I was about to post the samething. Inexcusable not to use video there.It's not the officials' fault, but England was robbed.
85
C.SuperFreak
ID: 2311461823 Sun, Jun 27, 2010, 10:49
It definately was the linesmans fault. He missed it. A shot on net and he was not in the position to make the correct call. It's a beauty of a game so far.
86
Perm Dude
ID: 5510572522 Sun, Jun 27, 2010, 11:23
Well that's that. Great transition by Germany for their third score--England looked like they stopped on their feet when the free kick was blocked.
87
loki SuperDude
ID: 4211201420 Sun, Jun 27, 2010, 12:43
Re 85: The ref's assistant did miss the goal, but he was in the correct position so that he could see and call offsides.
88
Myboyjack Dude
ID: 014826271 Sun, Jun 27, 2010, 16:21
Germany/Argentina on Saurday is shaping up to be a great game.
skinneej Leader
ID: 040625911 Tue, Jun 29, 2010, 13:23
RE: 74, 79 & 80
I was telling friends last week of a hilarious commercial idea they should be using for the World Cup to poke a little fun at themselves. It should be a secret training facilily located in the former Soviet republics where flopping is taught. They should have past great soccer floppers shown teaching the basics to younger guys like Ronaldo and company while yelling "You gotta sell it!" At the end, they are shown walking by a door with a piece of tape labeled NBA and out walks Divac with Varejao under his arm...come on that would be classic!
92
skinneej Leader
ID: 040625911 Tue, Jun 29, 2010, 13:41
78 and 81
While this may have been an accidental trip, the ref was seen to be watching the play in the near corner, turned and saw the end result and felt there was intent. As it was, Estrada had just moments earlier been spared a second yellow card on a dangerous slide tackle where he should have been shown both cards and sent off.
Of course, having played soccer for 26 years, I guarantee he was aware of where he was in proximity to the other player.
They actually had a similar commercial for what you are suggesting in England for Euro 2004. It shows the Italian team "practicing" for the Euro Cup, and the focus is on selling dives...
95
skinneej Leader
ID: 040625911 Wed, Jun 30, 2010, 13:07
That's great! Of course I had to watch all the great dive videos like this one
96
Ref Donor
ID: 539581218 Wed, Jun 30, 2010, 14:09
I want to see more bookings for the dives and fake injuries which were supposed to be coming.
97
Ref Donor
ID: 539581218 Fri, Jul 02, 2010, 11:04
Speak of the devil, at 47 min mark the ref jsut booked a Dutch player for diving. Love it.
98
Ref Donor
ID: 539581218 Fri, Jul 02, 2010, 12:36
Huge win for The Netherlands!
99
Building 7 Leader
ID: 171572711 Fri, Jul 02, 2010, 13:08
Exciting game and finish in the Ghana-Uruguay match! wish i had the opportunity to watch it live.
101
Seattle Zen Leader
ID: 055343019 Fri, Jul 02, 2010, 23:00
No, astade, it was a HORRIBLE end of the game. The Uruguaian defender used his hands to stop a goal, it was outrageous and infuriating. I am so upset for Ghana, they were robbed. The ref should have the power to simply award the goal. How is this any different than a player hanging on the basketball rim and swatting away a basketball like he's King Kong?
102
DWetzel
ID: 33337117 Fri, Jul 02, 2010, 23:08
How is it any different than hacking Shaq when he's about to dunk the game winner down 1 with 0.1 seconds left? We accept that all the time. We also accept hauling down open wide receivers by DBs willing to accept a pass interference penalty. It was a brilliant play, accepting the punishment of the penalty instead of watching his team lose the game 100% of the time.
I grant you it sucks if you were rooting for Ghana for some reason, but to call it infuriating and outrageous is a little bit ridiculous.
Seattle Zen, I was just a casual observer. I enjoy fun, exciting soccer (sorry B7, I know you like watching the US team ;). I wasn't rooting for Ghana so I don't share your sentiment. I appreciated the effort on both sides.
104
Razor
ID: 265539 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 10:55
There is a response for the foul that occurred at the end of the game, and Suarez received it. It's the most severe punishment that can happen within a game - a red card and a PK. These are the rules and as a long time soccer player, I am fine with what transpired. You are allowed to touch the ball with your hands in the box so long as you accept that you will be thrown out of the game, not allowed to play the next game (possibly more now) and you've given the opposition the best possible chance to score with a PK.
105
WiddleAvi
ID: 352232517 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 11:16
Can a soccer fan explain me the point of offsides. If you want to leave a player open behind the defense then you get whats coming.
106
Perm Dude
ID: 5510572522 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 11:30
Yeah--an even more boring game. Ensuring that the players move with the ball is one way the sport has more back-and-forth.
Pulling players (offense and defense) to park around the goals means fewer players in the middle = boring. (even more than usual).
the Germans are already singing "Diego, Du kannst nach Hause fahren!"
108
Mike D
ID: 6421228 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 11:38
Where's Beezer?? The Germans used his posts as blackboard material! Lol
109
Perm Dude
ID: 5510572522 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 11:53
heh. Those guys look pretty damn good.
110
Seattle Zen Leader
ID: 055343019 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 12:14
A Red Card at the end of play is not much of a punishment.
DWetzel - your examples all seriously understate the severity of the offense. The best example of this is bottom of the ninth, tie game, two outs, runner on second, single up the middle, runner rounds third. As he approaches the plate, the catcher, without the ball, runs up the line and hits him square in the chin, knocking him out. Centerfielder throws him the pitcher the ball, who then tags the lifeless runner, he's out, the game is still tied.
Oh, the catcher gets thrown out of the game, hell, he will likely miss the next game, but what he did was give his team a chance to stay in the game.
111
DWetzel
ID: 33337117 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 12:25
SZ--that's a really, really, really silly counterexample. Mine were a thousand times more apt, and you're making stupid ones up to feebly try to make a point which you epically fail in making.
1. The rules specifically prescribe a fair remedy for the play--which is that the runner be allowed to advance to the next base (or as far as the umpire adjudges him to have been able to go). In other words, the runner scores, game over--and there's no reason for the catcher to do it because there's no benefit. It would be like if the rules of soccer prescribed a red card and the referee could award the goal (instead of a PK)--then there's no reason for Suarez to do that. You can hate the rule, if you want, but don't hate the guy for accepting the punishment.
2. Nobody got physically injured by Suarez, obviously. THAT is a line that should not generally be crossed. Comparing touching a ball with one's hand to physical battery is completely LOL-worthy, and I think if you weren't overreacting you'd recognize that.
3. Is every single intentional rule infraction worthy of eternal scorn? Or are we just cherry picking the ones we decide we don't like? Because I'm pretty sure if we apply the same standards to everyone whereby any intentional rule infraction = scum of the earth, there'd be about one honest player on the field per game.
In fact, my example was COMPLETELY accurate, because a player has a choice between:
a) in which his team loses 100% of the time (OK, 99.9%, Shaq might miss the dunk), and b) in which his team loses some percentage less than 100% of the time.
in a PROFESSIONAL SPORT on the highest level (so leave "I'd never do that in middle school/in a pickup game" out of it, AND nobody gets physically injured, AND it's a sport where the players don't enforce the rules on themselves (so leave golf out of this)... and you want the player to choose a).
This boggles the mind. How much money did you lose betting on Ghana?
112
Seattle Zen Leader
ID: 055343019 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 12:26
Of course, the game would not go into extra-innings, the ump would count the run and the game would be over, which is exactly what should happen in soccer as well.
113
DWetzel
ID: 33337117 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 12:46
Fine, great, then change the rule! Don't hate the player for abiding by the rule.
114
Razor
ID: 265539 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 12:51
For a goal to be scored in soccer, the ball must cross the line. The sport should not get involved in the nonsense of awarding goals.
115
WiddleAvi
ID: 352232517 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 13:10
PD - Understood. But what about when everyone is around the goal and one player gets slightly ahead and is called offsides. I think a better idea for soccer would be to use hockey style offsides. Once the ball is passed a certain point on the field then there is no more offsides. For example the US goal that was called back. Even if he was offsides does that really change game play ? Everyone was around the ball anyway.
116
Seattle Zen Leader
ID: 055343019 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 14:28
Yes, change the rule, and, no, I will hate the player for an appalling lack of sportsmanship, it's just not Cricket.
117
Seattle Zen Leader
ID: 055343019 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 14:41
How much money did you lose betting on Ghana?
It's too bad in your world that someone cannot be extremely upset at the lack of sportsmanship in a game where he has no personal interest in either team.
118
DWetzel
ID: 33337117 Sat, Jul 03, 2010, 15:32
It's too bad that in your world a completely standard rule was enforced in a completely standard manner and you feel the need to impugn a perfectly standard person's character.
119
Building 7 Leader
ID: 171572711 Wed, Jul 07, 2010, 20:24
Auf Wiedersehen.
Looks like there will be a new first time winner. Spain or Netherlands.
120
Mike D
ID: 35639722 Wed, Jul 07, 2010, 23:40
An exciting matchup. Hopefully more of an open game, like the Dutch played in the semis.
121
Seattle Zen
ID: 1410391215 Fri, Jul 23, 2010, 13:29
Re 101 - I ain't alone.
Q: Did the disallowed handball goal in the Ghana-Uruguay game go down as the most blatant exploitation of rules in sports history? It was like if goaltending was called on the game winning basket of a Game 7 and instead of counting the basket, the rules dictate that somebody has to make a free throw to win the game. Are there other rule loopholes like this? -- Brad Armstrong, Indianapolis
SG: Only one that I could think of: If a player was running the winning touchdown down the sideline, then someone on the opposing sideline jumped onto the field and tackled him. But in college and pro football, I'm pretty sure that's an automatic touchdown. (This actually happened once: in the 1954 Cotton Bowl.) But that's the parallel. Seems like the easy rule fix would be this: If you commit a goal-line handball during extra time in the World Cup, it's an automatic goal. Since we can't even get instant replay for the World Cup, I'm not holding my breath.