when_you're_smiling

Not a single one of the ***** in the stadium singing ‘you’re not fit to referee’. Game’s gone.

3 hours ago, everton carr said:

Wonder Why he's retiring?Would have thought he could easily have at least a couple more years esp at. Div 2 level.

Going out at the top I’m guessing. He’s shown he can play in Div One therefore ticking off another achievement. Shame though as there’s evidently more seasons in him.

That Mexico v South Korea game is on FIFA. No real jeopardy if both draw. Only reason anything happened was because of the keeper cock up.

3 hours ago, Kitchandro said:

These pundits do my head in.

 

The handball rule is that it has to be intentional. I hear this every other week. Why are there 3 former professionals plus a presenter and not one of them can make this point.

 

There is no such thing as an objective handball, so the only thing that matters is if the referee thinks the player did it on purpose or could have avoided handling it.

 

Based on that it’s quite obvious that is not a penalty. Harsh is irrelevant. The presenter should be asking one question. Do you think it was intentional or not? If no, then you don’t think it’s a penalty.

These guys are saying ‘no, I don’t think it was intentional’ and then saying they think the decision is correct. Idiots.

I completely agree with you, however….

….they changed the law so even if it’s not deliberate it can still be penalised if someone ‘touches the ball with their hand/arm when it is in a position that makes their body unnaturally bigger and that position is not the result of their body moving fairly as part of play’

Going away from a handball having to be deliberate has caused more problems IMO.

9 minutes ago, Jattdogg said:

Its scheduled to piss it down here so the pitch is going to be wet and slippery

 

Im about 35 mins drive from downtown (no traffic) and its raining here and headed towards Toronto way.

“This hydration break is sponsored by the Toronto tourist board’.

4 minutes ago, Izzy said:

We get a third place team if we win the group don't we?

Yes, though the group winner if they continued to get through would play a QF at the Azteca, possibly against Mexico if they win their group. They’ve only lost something like two competitive games in their history there.

I hope we’ve employed whoever that guy was just to do half time interviews.

Class that. Knew Croatia would be playing zonal so just played it exactly where the defenders wouldn’t be.

1 hour ago, Super_horns said:

Last thing Hull need is an issue like this cropping up and affecting their plans for next season .

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/czde31803e9o

PSR is a load of bollocks.

13 minutes ago, bovril said:

Interesting sensation when I want to check the score on the BBC I have to click back to yesterday's fixtures

You’ve still got 7 hours of yesterdays football to go yet. 

Up there for the best half of the tournament so far for entertainment.

1 minute ago, AKCJ said:

I think he's a bit quicker but there's nothing Olise can do that Riyad couldn't IMO.

 

 

Play centrally for one. Moving him there for this half has been a master stroke.

29 minutes ago, Manwell Pablo said:

 

Not entirely sure why a comparison with Curacao is needed, but as you've done it, they've done equally well to qualify, Country is minute compared to about 15 countries in that region. Finished above Haiti in their first qualification group and above Jamaica in their second. 

 

Besides, North America gets six entrants, 3 have been taken by the host nations in this instance, but all six will come from Qualifying for 2030 and all six would have come from qualifying had it been elsewhere this year as opposed to North America, so a nonsense statement. They equally could be there under the usual 32 team format given their qualifying record. 

The point is more about Cape Verde being underrated. They would have qualified if it was a 32 team tournament anyway. If Cameroon had have got a 0-0 draw, yeah people would be rightly impressed, but they wouldn’t call it ‘the biggest shock in World Cup history’ etc.

7 minutes ago, Jaspa said:

ITV TV location is quality. Putting BBC green screen/CGI to shame.

Because they’ve got Wycliffe Jean on?

26 minutes ago, Danizen said:

I know I'm not exactly breaking new ground here but why are all of America's stadiums so ****ing goofy?

I like the fact the fact is not built up around one end so you can see the Seattle skyline. 
 

Should have done the same with the King Power but for Raw Dykes Road.

Cape Verde are no mugs and certainly not like Curacao who have qualified because of the expansion and the fact the three best teams in their region are the hosts.

They’ve been excellent in Africa for the last few years and probably would have qualified even for a 32 team World Cup after beating Cameroon in the group stages.

Hopefully they beat Saudi Arabia and qualify.

Didn’t stay up for Ivory Coast v Ecuador because thought it would be 0-0. Watching it this morning though it was a really good game.

Wouldn’t fancy playing either of these sides to be honest. 

2 minutes ago, ramboacdc said:

 

 

Didnt that happened before? 1994 I think someone got panned and one giy scored 4 or something and won the golden boot despite not making it out the group stage?

Oleg Salenko scored five for Russia against Cameroon. Scored another to win the Golden Boot.

This is a everyone beat Haiti, they all draw against each other, and three teams go through with five points kind of group.

12 minutes ago, 21st Century Fox said:

Brazil never really recovered from 2014 did they.

As @Finnegan says they were poor then. Got a few dodgy decisions to beat Croatia, drew with Mexico and beat a poor Cameroon before shithousing wins over Chile (on pens) and Colombia before getting battered in the semi.  

Scotland going to be the first European side to win a game?

MAGAStan

Entertaining game between two contrasting styles.

Hwang in-Boem excellent but Czechs were very much in the game, even though they only looked really threatening from set pieces.

If we keep up this ratio of red cards we’ll be on 312 for the tournament.