Football: WORLD CUP 06 and close season/transfer discussion.

Sickboy · Post by **Sickboy** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 7:40 am 0

Must have been something racist/Algerian-related...

I'm hugely suspicious of whether or not any of the officials actually saw the head-butt at the time. The delay from event to red card was easily enough to have someone off-pitch check a replay.

Is this the first example of the use of video (albeit by stealth) to prompt a referee decision?

Like most, I've been hooked on the event glamour, but it's been a mediocre World Cup, with only a toddler's handful of truly great games and defensive consistency winning out over attacking veracity. The trend towards not conceding is undeniable (Greece did a similar job to Italy in Euro 2004).

All the major powers (on paper) underperformed, with Brazil listless and stifled, Argentina tripping over their own hype, England self-destructing at the hands of a clueless manager, France showing flashes but never really igniting, Germany swashbuckling but with all their thrusts clanging straight back off the Italian defensive armour.

Players who did dead good: Odonka, Lam, Pobolsky, Cannavaro, Riquelme, Tevez, Riberry, Lennon, and yeah - Zidane...

And, just for the record, the three best goals were:
1 - Rodriguez
2 - Cambiasso
3 - Cole

Rev. Stuart Campbell · Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:45 am 0

Sickboy wrote:Must have been something racist/Algerian-related...

I'm hugely suspicious of whether or not any of the officials actually saw the head-butt at the time. The delay from event to red card was easily enough to have someone off-pitch check a replay.

Is this the first example of the use of video (albeit by stealth) to prompt a referee decision?

If it was, then it's about time. The alternative is too awful to contemplate.

World Cup 2006? Great group stages, largely terrible knockout games. (Lowest ever number of goals after the first stage, stat fans.) It's time to dump the knockouts, and go back to having a second group stage - four groups of four, with the winners going straight to the semi-finals. No more playing for penalties, much less tedium, and "lesser" teams who over-achieve and get out of the first group get a better reward than a single extra game in which they get spanked by one of the top seeds.

Just heard that Maxi Rodriguez is right-footed, which makes his left-footed goal even more incredible.

Dio · Post by **Dio** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:10 am 0

Sickboy wrote:I'm hugely suspicious of whether or not any of the officials actually saw the head-butt at the time. The delay from event to red card was easily enough to have someone off-pitch check a replay.

My dad reckoned the linesman saw it on the big screen in the stadium. Interesting if true.

I'd have put the Cambiasso goal top myself - I prefer great team goals to the wonder strike (that, most of the time, would have ended up in the crowd) and that was as good as they get. But yes, Rodriguez is the other main contender.

I'm with the idea of a second group stage myself - or just have four seven or eight team groups.

Col · Post by **Col** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:19 am 0

It must've been using video replays, the ref just didn't seem interested in giving anyone any cards, until the linesman tells him otherwise.

I honestly thought that Zidane had got away with it (for a few minutes!)

Flabio · Post by **Flabio** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:46 am 0

The Cambiasso goal was cool, but for me tainted slightly by the fact that Serbia weren't even trying to defend it.

Rodrigeuz's is goal of the tournament for me.

Game of the tournament? Argentina v Mexico, Argentina v Ivory Coast or Germany v Italy.

mac monkey · Post by **mac monkey** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:05 am 0

Oh well got to kick me heels for the next few weeks until the next season kicks off....FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WHAT AM I GONNA DOOOOOOOOOO!!

Are we going to lock this thread soon and start an new one, like last year?

Ely · Post by **Ely** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:16 am 0

Brilliant

Dio · Post by **Dio** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:25 am 0

Think the one I enjoyed most was probably Australia-Italy.

merman · Post by **merman** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 11:27 am 0

GeeZa wrote:I thoroughly enjoyed this tournament, and I think Italy deserve to be Champions. Cannavaro may well be the best captain I have seen in years, what a player. A total disaster for Zidane, a miserable way to say goodbye to world football. I kinda feel sorry for him, a moment of madness at the worst possible time. My fave team were still probably Ghana.

Now at least we can get back to talking about Magilton in charge of Ipswich. 1-1 against Boston United this week wasn't great though was it?

Yeah, but look at it in context - 3 trialists who may not be back played in the first half, and the second half was virtually the youth team... good to see Forster and Williams playing again though. Going to see the friendly vs Cambridge United in a couple of weeks.

As for Zidane, one reference on the BBC website seems to suggest Materazzi called him a "terrorist", but no official confirmation/denial. Terrible to see his career end like that, but no forgiveness for a mad moment...

As for the video evidence, I don't understand FIFA. At the start of the tournament they made it clear that the fifth official would have access to video replays BUT WOULD NOT INFLUENCE DECISIONS on the pitch. Now, if it is the fifth (or even fourth) official who has made the decision to send him off, that opens up a whole new can of wriggly things - is it fair on the teams? After all, they didn't know that decisions could be taken off the pitch.

My suggestion would be like cricket - the ref can call for a video replay, but only in a situation involving disputed goals or where the ball has gone out of play.

marf · Post by **marf** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:04 pm 0

As a canadian living in Paris, I would've liked to see France win, just to see and be a part of the celebrations.

That said, I know little about the sport, hockey is my game, and I've been watching league games on and off all season as well as most of the world cup games. Is there any sort of punishment to those who dive? It's the most ridiculous aspect of the game, much worse than any sort of lack of offence.
In my brief football watching time, Argentina, Brazil, Portugal and Italy seemed to be the most common divers. It's as though players would rather dive than try to make a play for a goal. I don't get it. These people are probably some of the most agile in the world and yet if you look at them, especially in the box, they go down as though they've been shot.

It's disgraceful, and as a new spectator I can tell you it makes it hard to enjoy the games. I get right pissed off at the diving antics!

Guru-Meditation · Post by **Guru-Meditation** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:10 pm 0

I'm kinda bugged there are rarely any reprisals over people who dive. And the ref needing to guess if someone dives or not doesn't help much. One of these days a player is going to feign an injury, get a player sent off, and that player is going to go punch/kick the feigning player. Seeing as he got sent off may as well get sent off for something.

Players that feign injury to get other players sent off should be treated the same as players who intentionally injure. Rivaldos fine in 2002 (17000 swiss francs and no match suspension) was basically FIFA saying it's ok to cheat.

WhiteSpy · Post by **WhiteSpy** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:17 pm 0

http://tonaz.altervista.org/zidane.html

ElfQrin · Post by **ElfQrin** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 1:40 pm 0

marf wrote:Is there any sort of punishment to those who dive?

It should be yellow card (two yellow cards lead to a red card which means the player will be out for the rest of the game, and can't be replaced with someone else), but referees often let it go, telling the player to get up.

Although Italians have the bad name, I think the worst and most shameless divers are the Portugueses, who jumped every time they entered the penalty area, even when nobody even touched them.

Flabio · Post by **Flabio** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 1:44 pm 0

The premier league planned to introduce a shame system towards the end of last season where anyone caught diving by video evidence post game three times in a season would be made to wear a little orange armband to show that they're a diving git.

Dunno if it ever went 'live' so to speak.

ElfQrin · Post by **ElfQrin** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 1:59 pm 0

Flabio wrote:The premier league planned to introduce a shame system towards the end of last season where anyone caught diving by video evidence post game three times in a season would be made to wear a little orange armband to show that they're a diving git.

It sounds a bit medioeval:

He might be suspended for one match, rather than being exposed in a ludibrious way.