Tough loss for Iceland today and a big 3 points for Nigeria. Musa's finish on his first goal was a thing of beauty. Taking a driven ball down with such a deft touch then striking a laser-like shot on the half-volley! Even after that 1st goal, Musa seemed to find plenty of space and it was a bit surprising that Iceland didn't close on him.
World Cup Football/Soccer 2018
- Thread starter candrew
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Yup. In the final 7 minutes or so of the 1st half, Iceland were stretching the Nigerian defense and created a couple of scoring chances - one of them on a driven ball off a free kick in the 45th minute. Iceland came out flat to start the 2nd half and never recovered.
Corporateburnout
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Argentina is now celebrating.... They better beat Nigeria because a draw will knock them out.
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Corporateburnout
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Switzerland Serbia was an entertaining and exciting game but for the controversial no call on Mitrovic when he was clearly tackled by not one but two players inside the box. That's a penalty that I thought VAR was suppose to correct. But same old same old....
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They used VAR in the Iceland/Nigeria game. Once to great effect (giving Iceland a deserved penalty kick. Which they missed..
)
The first match I saw in South America was River Plate Stadium, River Plate vs Boca Juniors. It was the first time I experienced the extreme passion for the game and still remember it.My son's F-I-L is an Argentine expat. I love talking to him about soccer because he is so passionate about soccer. Didn't call him yesterday though. I suspect he is not in the best of moods.
+1 I thought reff'ing favored the Swiss for some reason.
VR was used this morning in the Brazil - Costa Rica match. The ref awarded Neymar a penalty shot, VR showed it was a flop, and a bad one at that. Neymar should be ashamed. I am really disappointed with Brazil.They used VAR in the Iceland/Nigeria game. Once to great effect (giving Iceland a deserved penalty kick. Which they missed..
Witness what takes place inside the penalty area during corner kicks. Goalkeeper obstruction, holding & pushing opponents, even occasional punches to the groin to name but a few offenses. Muggings like those are cause for arrest in most jurisdictions. FIFA pledged about 10 years ago to clean up that ridiculousness on corner kicks - making it a "point of emphasis" with referees - but never followed through on its implementation.
VAR review - and thankfully the reversal of a penalty - in this morning's Brazil/Costa Rica match indicated a clear act of simulation on Neymar's part. The referee should have subsequently booked Neymar for unsporting behavior.
Agreed. If they knew they were going to get a yellow card it might start to weed the floppers like Neymar out of the game.
+1
The sort of simulation Neymar engaged in today has, unfortunately, become too common among too many professional players. The same goes for embellishment of minor contact with an opponent. Both are threatening to ruin the game itself.
Referees are instructed in Law 5 to avoid "whistling for trifling offenses", yet it is players like Neymar engaging in trifling actions, attempting to "sell it" as a foul then behaving like an aggrieved child when the referee doesn't bite. Neymar's slamming the ball to the turf in a tantrum a few minutes after the penalty reversal should have been a 2nd caution and subsequent send-off.
Neymar, for all of his marvelous talents on the field, threatens his own legacy if he doesn't grow up and play a "man's game". And on a broader scale, it is on the players to clean this up and police themselves for the good of the game lest they kill the golden goose.
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Flopping has been a black mark against soccer. The faking of injury is another when it seems that the severely injured player is out for a few seconds and then allowed back in the game.
Thanks to VAR the penalty in the Brazil game was reversed and Neymar should have gotten a yellow card but the same technology needs to be implemented consistently and Serbia should have been awarded a penalty kick.
BTW the referee was german so that could could explain why calls were favoring the german speaking Swiss.
Thanks to VAR the penalty in the Brazil game was reversed and Neymar should have gotten a yellow card but the same technology needs to be implemented consistently and Serbia should have been awarded a penalty kick.
BTW the referee was german so that could could explain why calls were favoring the german speaking Swiss.
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Yep. Your mention of faking injury takes me back to a memory of the 2011 Women's WC - U.S. vs Brazil. Late in the match, a Brazilian player went down after minor contact. Play was stopped by the referee, trainers were summoned and the player assisted off the field over the goal line. The second the Brazilian player was off the field, she sprinted around the corner flag and to the technical area so that she could be summoned back on the pitch. At the next stoppage, the referee beckoned the Brazilian player back on the field and booked her for unsporting behavior.
Justice.
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To be fair the ref did give him a yellow a few minutes later for throwing the ball down at the ground, but I suspect the ref took the dive into account.
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Great Belgium vs Tunisia game today. Rivals the Spain-Portugal game for best of the tournament so far, imo.
Apart from Stoke's season as a side, if we're going to award worst goalkeeper gaffe(s) in a meaningful match, Liverpool's Loris Karius's disaster in the CL final vs Real Madrid tops them all. Epic failure.
Belgium is my dark horse pick to win this WC. A side with great overall quality.
It looks like Fellaini got himself a haircut.
Each act on Neymar's part were deserving of cautions. Slamming the ball to the turf in an act of dissent to publicly show-up a referee should *always* result in a caution. The same goes for Neymar's cynical act of simulation in trying to draw a penalty. Both are acts of misconduct that the Laws of the Game and advice to referees address specifically. Neither of those misconducts are incidental or otherwise exclusive of one another. A booking of Neymar for the dive would have likely discouraged his childish tantrum of slamming the ball a few minutes later. As it is, the referee's mistake allowed Neymar two opportunities to bring the game into disrepute.
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Belgium is my dark horse pick to win this WC. A side with great overall quality.
It looks like Fellaini got himself a haircut.
Yeah everyone's waffling on about Belgium now
Yeah everyone's waffling on about Belgium now
We'll find out if Belgium is legit in their final match of group play.
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+1.
That was a disastrous game that led to 2 giveaway goals to Real Madrid but the Argentinian goalkeeper is an average backup and Karuis was originally the back up to Mignolet. To me the biggest gaffe was De Gea's mistake that led to Ronaldo second goal. He is considered the best goalkeeper in the world.......
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Mexico match
Watching the Mexico match. Does Carlos Vela have a twin brother wearing the #11 jersey?
Vela seems to be everywhere and is tearing up the S. Korea midfield.
Mexico just got that elusive 2nd goal!
Arriba Mexico!!!
Watching the Mexico match. Does Carlos Vela have a twin brother wearing the #11 jersey?
Vela seems to be everywhere and is tearing up the S. Korea midfield.
Mexico just got that elusive 2nd goal!
Arriba Mexico!!!
Chuckanut
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With the USA and Italy not even in this year's WC, I must root for our neighbor to the South. Go Mexico!
+1
I'm also rooting for the other CONCACAF sides, though Costa Rica's fate is sealed and it is doubtful that Panama will manage to score a single goal, much less earn even a single point in group play.
Mexico breathes a sigh of relief, hanging on in the final few minutes.
Some Monday morning quarterbacking here - but Osorio's decision to bring on 39 year-old Rafa Marquez deserves to be questioned. That was Marquez's mark on the S. Korea goal. And it's not as though Osorio didn't have other options, i.e. Marco Fabian.
Regardless, Mexico sits atop their group.
Some Monday morning quarterbacking here - but Osorio's decision to bring on 39 year-old Rafa Marquez deserves to be questioned. That was Marquez's mark on the S. Korea goal. And it's not as though Osorio didn't have other options, i.e. Marco Fabian.
Regardless, Mexico sits atop their group.
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Half time in the Germany game. If this result holds it'll be meatballs for dinner tonight.
