Quote :

"but even worse was the guy who hit the camera and got pissed and punched it. "

that made me chuckle as well...


it's really unfortunate how big a part referee mistakes are playing in the world cup so far.

6/27/2010 8:07:02 PM

i still can't believe that goal counted

6/27/2010 8:08:29 PM

yeah it seems like today couldve setup to be great finishing games, but the refs fucked shit up in both of them and allowed the game to change for both teams...and then we got games that didnt even look like they were close... :/

6/27/2010 8:43:09 PM

I'm a bit concerned about Argentina

6/27/2010 8:53:14 PM

I'm a bit concerned about the referees

6/27/2010 8:59:40 PM

Quote :

"The refs don't allow that first goal, that second one doesn't happen."

ehhh. in the case of mexico-argentina, the better team advanced. that doesn't excuse the blown call one bit, though. and the defensive error by mexico is inexcusable on that goal for higuain. that had nothing to do with officiating, and everything to do with a mental lapse. and frankly, if you're making mistakes like that, you don't deserve to advance. i think it is a bit of a stretch to think that argentina wouldn't have scored another goal after the first. argentina advanced because they were attacking and creating chances while mexico looked shaky on defense. mexico had a strong first 10 minutes, but argentina was able to wear them down. had that game been perfectly officiated, i'm not sure we would have seen a different result.


i've tried to be pretty lenient with the officiating this tournament, but it's getting increasingly hard for me to do so. it seems that there is a huge error at least once a day, now. while i still oppose replay for games as practiced in the NFL and NBA, i am open to the idea of a referee in the booth who can see the game from a different perspective (live-through multiple camera angles) to assist the referee. i think this official could communicate to the ref on the field without impeding on the flow of the game, and it is worth experimenting for goal/no goal scenarios as well as penalties in the box. FIFA should also look into goal line technology. These are simple measures that could keep the flow of the game intact while preserving the integrity of the rules.

but none of this matters when the head referee has an ego too large to overcome. i listened to some of the spanish-channel analysis after the game, and they confirmed my suspicion that the linesman indicated that it was offside. while i didn't see the ref raise his flag live, the linesman also did not run toward the center circle after the goal/offside, which, for anyone who has ever officiated, is indication that he thinks the goal should not have been allowed. i think the center ref overturned his linesman's suggestion to avoid looking weak (or for another reason equally as absurd). and when the center ref is ignoring his assistants, there is nothing you can really do about that.

i also think that retroactive yellow cards should be dished out for people knowingly taking dives in order to draw a penalty


i also think that world class soccer players deserve world class officiating, and so far this tournament, they haven't gotten it. some of these refs have little international or top flight experience, and it should go without saying that they do not need/deserve to be officiating at the highest level of soccer.


but, in the end, Sepp Blatter has too much power and doesn't seem interested in getting things done right.

[Edited on June 27, 2010 at 9:43 PM. Reason : ]

6/27/2010 9:30:48 PM

Quote :

"i also think that world class soccer players deserve world class officiating, and so far this tournament, they haven't gotten it. some of these refs have little international or top flight experience, and it should go without saying that they do not need/deserve to be officiating at the highest level of soccer."

well done sir

6/27/2010 9:58:02 PM

from everything ive read, it seems mexico were the better team until that goal (i would have like to have watched but missed the first half, but im taking the word of analysts which i trust more than ppl on here)...so if thats true, how can you say the better team advances? a terribly blown call like that can easily throw a team off and changes the way they have to play...its unfair on them and these things shouldnt be happening 80 years after the first world cup with the technology we have today.

6/27/2010 9:58:42 PM

mexico was never going to win that game, in my opinion. they had two open looks. one was a rocket from about 25 yards out that hit the post, and the other was your run-of-the-mill opportunity. argentina took control after that and settled in. after the first goal (which shouldn't have been allowed) argentina never really looked back. i still maintain that argentina was the better team today. and like i said, when you make defensive errors like mexico did for argentina's goal, you really don't deserve to move on.

6/27/2010 10:15:46 PM

i dont think you get the point on how argentina controlled the game after the ILLEGAL goal... :/

[Edited on June 27, 2010 at 10:16 PM. Reason : that defensive error doesnt happen if that goal is disallowed]


seems by your logic switzerland shouldve never beaten spain then...


and yes, i know argentina couldve maybe gone and won comfortably without the bad call, but from what ive read for the first part of the game it didnt appear they had control of the game yet like they did after that goal

[Edited on June 27, 2010 at 10:22 PM. Reason : f]

6/27/2010 10:16:37 PM

i get exactly what you are saying. but at some point, it is what it is. if one goal was enough to make mexico crumble, then they aren't a very tough team, mentally. it is wrong and unjust what happened, and it never should have occurred. buuuut, watch that second goal and tell me with a straight face that being down 1-0 is what caused that giveaway. that was a piss-poor possession and an even worse clearance. you could argue that we'll never know what would have been, and that's a fair argument to make. but i don't see how you can argue that mexico was the better team. they had two good looks and couldn't convert, but argentina answered back with some good play of their own.

Quote :

"these things shouldnt be happening 80 years after the first world cup with the technology we have today"

i'll agree with this.

[Edited on June 27, 2010 at 10:32 PM. Reason : ]

6/27/2010 10:28:54 PM

so you are trying to tell me you would play the same way mentally if you were down 1-0 to a just goal as opposed to a goal that was obviously illegal and you and everyone on your team knew it and were outraged?

to me there is a big difference in the way youd concentrate playing down a goal and trying to get back in it against playing down a goal pissed at the ref and not fully focused in what you need to be doing



and maybe they shouldnt let that get to them...but they also shouldnt be down a goal to begin with...while im tired of seeing players cheat and dive to get calls to go for them duping the ref, they still shouldnt be cheated by the refs missing that...especially when you see the linesman right down the back line in perfect position and its still not called

[Edited on June 27, 2010 at 10:33 PM. Reason : f]

6/27/2010 10:31:07 PM

i think the linesman was overruled, to be honest. you can look up and see my post about that. but to go through the hypotheticals is a bit pointless. i mean, anything going one way or the other can affect the outcome of a game. at some point, you gotta play the with the cards you're dealt. i don't like it, and you don't like it, but until FIFA does something about it, players will have to work with what they are given. it sucks, but it's nothing new.

6/27/2010 10:37:53 PM

agree on most of your points but

Quote :

"some of these refs have little international or top flight experience"

you gotta get experience somehow, right?

[Edited on June 27, 2010 at 11:25 PM. Reason : .]

6/27/2010 11:25:07 PM

[Edited on June 28, 2010 at 12:11 AM. Reason : ]

6/28/2010 12:10:48 AM

damn....africans are weird

6/28/2010 7:22:54 AM

I really don't understand the opposition to instant replay for controversial goals. What would you rather have, a slightly less "natural feel" to the game - whatever the hell that means - or World Cup games that end with outcomes that aren't completely arbitrary?

[Edited on June 28, 2010 at 9:23 AM. Reason : ]

6/28/2010 9:23:08 AM

^ agreed. It is crazy that a tournament this important to so many people could be decided by some dickwad refs making bad calls. It's one thing if the technology did not exist, but come on instant replay has been good in every sport it has been initiated in IMO.

6/28/2010 9:26:25 AM

Quote :

" i mean, anything going one way or the other can affect the outcome of a game. at some point, you gotta play the with the cards you're dealt."

I agree with this in general, but we're talking about an opening goal and a game-tying goal in a World Cup knockout game. This isn't saying, "Suck it up, he's going to call any offensive hold in the box," it's saying, "Suck it up, you scored twice in a minute but you can't have the second one because no one saw it except half the stadium and every camera we have."

It borders on the quality of pro wrestling officiating, which is comically awful for plot purposes.

6/28/2010 9:35:28 AM

^Yeah, I totally agree. That's why i would like to see something to the effect of a referee in the booth, and some sort of goal line technology, which could eliminate a lot of the errors we've seen this tournament. The "suck it up" attitude was more of a response to the Mexico game, where the defensive giveaway was just awful and virtually inexcusable, regardless of the circumstances.

On the whole, something has to be done, and once Blatter is out of power, I think we'll see some positive changes. I know it may sound like I'm being a FIFA apologist, but I swear I'm not. I want to see the right calls made, too. And by no means am I defending the status quo.

[Edited on June 28, 2010 at 10:10 AM. Reason : ]

6/28/2010 9:56:47 AM

Robben has a deadly left foot

that oulet pass was nasty as well

6/28/2010 10:18:28 AM

Nicely done, Robben

[Edited on June 28, 2010 at 10:19 AM. Reason : f]

6/28/2010 10:19:09 AM

great goal


Netherlands is dangerous as hell if he's healthy

6/28/2010 10:19:42 AM

I need to start rooting for favored teams, rooting for the underdogs ain't working out...

6/28/2010 10:30:42 AM

goal line review is unnecessary and breaks flow

but let's stop the goddamned game to make sure the linesmen have matching flags

6/28/2010 10:36:43 AM

Breaks flow? They spend 3 minutes celebrating goals.

6/28/2010 10:52:54 AM

pretty sure you missed the sarcasm

6/28/2010 10:56:47 AM

If they do eventually institute replay review on goals

I think they should let them celebrate and go apeshit like they do now

and only tell them the bad news after, just to see the look on their face

6/28/2010 11:03:35 AM

i don't see how you could argue that it'd interrupt the flow of the game. ESPN has those replays in seconds. surely FIFA could match that, and if not surely they could pay ESPN to do it for them.

fuck, just have an official in a booth watching ESPN and let the ref know if the goal should count or not. they'll have an answer before play starts again.

6/28/2010 11:13:08 AM

he was joking

6/28/2010 11:16:32 AM

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5335440/ce/us/fifa-censor-stadium-replays?cc=5901&ver=us

A lovely step in the wrong direction for FIFA.

6/28/2010 11:17:46 AM

Yeah, sarcasm fail, my bad.

6/28/2010 11:19:13 AM

go argentina

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

6/28/2010 11:19:20 AM

this game just got silly

6/28/2010 11:23:11 AM

what a fail

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

6/28/2010 11:23:14 AM

Wow, can't imagine they'll get a better look than that.

6/28/2010 11:23:28 AM

Slovakia could have scored twice there

6/28/2010 11:23:29 AM

i imagine slovakia just failed to cash what will likely be their only opportunity to equalize.



hhaha. man, i don't think i've ever seen arjen robben given the opportunity to play for a full 90 minutes.

[Edited on June 28, 2010 at 11:26 AM. Reason : ]

6/28/2010 11:25:04 AM

haha i love those moments when both players think they'll get a free kick and the ref doesn't do shit.

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

6/28/2010 11:29:20 AM

I don't quite understand that sub.

He's their best offensive weapon, and if SVK punches one in the last 20,then there is no Robben for extra time and potentially PK's. Why not bring him in at the half and let him get 45-75 minutes that way so he can be on the field for the important part of the game?

6/28/2010 11:35:01 AM

van persie is PISSED

6/28/2010 11:36:23 AM

welp. that settles that

6/28/2010 11:39:12 AM

lawls

6/28/2010 11:39:13 AM

fuck yes snjeingeder.


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6/28/2010 11:40:26 AM

wow. there are going to be some amazing match-ups in the next few days. some of these even worthy of a finals match-up

[Edited on June 28, 2010 at 11:42 AM. Reason : ]

6/28/2010 11:41:57 AM

I like that Netherlands is still on offense, being up 2 with 3 minutes left.

6/28/2010 11:44:16 AM

Am I horrible person for rooting for Chile over Brazil later today? I said it before, but I'm fascinated by that country. I want to visit it.

** Also, I think Derek Rae is the best commentator ESPN has this World Cup -- even better than Martin Tyler. Probably the extreme minority.

[Edited on June 28, 2010 at 11:45 AM. Reason : this duo has been outsanding with Ally McCoist -- but maybe I'm just happy there is no Harkes]

6/28/2010 11:44:51 AM

i'm personally not so sure what you see in chile, to be honest. as a country, i'm sure it's great, but as a soccer team, they've chronically been riddled with discipline issues. not to mention that they have zero chance to beat brazil today.



oh shit. PK time

6/28/2010 11:48:44 AM

Well, at least Vittek will get on the books.

wait, what?

[Edited on June 28, 2010 at 11:49 AM. Reason : ?]

6/28/2010 11:49:22 AM

offsides

6/28/2010 11:49:49 AM