2014 World Cup

[BonnieShels]

Why can stu not watch the matches live bon bon? Has his doctor warned him off excitement due to a weak ticker from years of eating poutine, or is it simply that his village in the outback only has one tv, and he can only get access to it during off hours, after the rest of the town have watched you cant do that on television?

I presume he has a real job. The time difference for the World Cup in Canada is a pain. It works for me somewhat given my hours in work. But 9-5ers here in Ontario get screwed and given Regina is an hour behind us, it is a bawlls. I'm proud of his dedication.

I can't imagine poutine being that great in SK. Though if there is a St Louis' wing joint out there I would recommend their Wing Poutine. Dericious.


Stu lives in Canada Crosby, 6 hours behind us in theory, 20 years in reality...

Not his fault, just one of the sticks.

Saskatchewan is in Canada. Saskatchewan is NOT Canada. Ahem.


I know. You guys dont have poutine in Ireland do ye?

We have Garlic-Cheese Fries. When I get home I'm opening a Poutine shack. It was built for after drinkin' food.


Not sure about Mexicos uniforms here. They look like the NJ Devils.

If only they had Brodeur in nets eh.


Are you guys getting as many shots of the female fans as on the espn feed? What an amazing place. Charlie Darwin would be locked up within minutes of exiting the plane.

As would most of us on evidence of what happened in Poland.

[pineapple stu]

Neymar is pure class

[DannyInvincible]

The Mexican keeper, Ochoa, has been terrific. He's currently a free agent, having last played with Ajaccio in France's Ligue 2.

The ref should have booked Marcelo for his blatant dive there.

Mexico could win this one yet.

[Charlie Darwin]

Rumours that the Ghana players have led a mutiny against the coach tonight.

[pineapple stu]

The Mexican keeper, Ochoa, has been terrific. He's currently a free agent, having last played with Ajaccio in France's Ligue 2.
They were Ligue 1 last season; finished bottom of the league. Don't think Ochoa has played (or will play, on that performance) Ligue 2

[DannyInvincible]

They were Ligue 1 last season; finished bottom of the league. Don't think Ochoa has played (or will play, on that performance) Ligue 2

Ah, my error. Did he leave after/due to their relegated then? Looks a handy enough keeper on the basis of tonight's performance.

[pineapple stu]

He's still there, but they were saying on RTÉ that he was likely to have earned a move away (if he wanted it) after his performance today. Fairly big shop window.

[DannyInvincible]

Ajaccio wished him a public farewell in May this year: http://www.foxsportsla.com/noticias/155386-ajaccio-se-despidio-de-guillermo-ochoa-adios-amigo

[Stuttgart88]

What a shame Bonnie ruined a great post (that I thanked) by adding that Pepe deserved a red. I still think he did eff all. But I agree totally wrt pundits and their research.

Is the Mexico keeper really only French ligue 2? He looked so at home, reminding me of Artur Boruc c.2005. Languid, commanding, casual, untroubled, cool and very good.

[pineapple stu]

See my reply to Danny on the Ligue 2 issue Stutts!

[Closed Account 2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecu6YKUEjBQ

Needs sound :)

[Stuttgart88]

Yeah, I just got there :). Even still, he plays with quite a bit of swagger. Great performance even if he did ride his luck.

Between Brazil and Mexico (300+ million?) they have lots of lovely players but no great forward, like Hugo Sanchez for example. I find that odd.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Two stinkers today, and this game looks like another. Russian's having a great time passing backwards. World Cup's fallen back on bad habits.

[Stuttgart88]

I really enjoyed the other two games. What exactly are you looking for?

[DannyInvincible]

Russia were very disappointing in the first-half. Did they create even one chance in open play? Two early second-half efforts are hopefully a sign of some greater urgency and better things to come this half...

[bennocelt]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecu6YKUEjBQ

Needs sound :)

Who the hell is that?:)

[bennocelt]

Muller got hit in the face. Pepe the idiot reacted and whatever the ref's opinion on card colour he had no real option but to send him off as it was more likely he was about to give him a yellow for the "elbow".

.

Damn just got there before me, bit different to a headbutt all the same, ha:o

[BonnieShels]

What a shame Bonnie ruined a great post (that I thanked) by adding that Pepe deserved a red. I still think he did eff all. But I agree totally wrt pundits and their research.

I don't think I said that. I said that the ref had no option.

From my reading of what happened the referee was probably and realistically going to yellow Pepe for the "elbow". If Pepe didn't react that's what may have happened.

However given that he did react in the fashion that he did the referee probably felt that they were 2 yellow, and therefore a red card incidents, and duly sent off Pepe.
That's my reading. I think Pepe was stupid and was always going to get carded for the reaction.


Damn just got there before me, bit different to a headbutt all the same, ha:o

I was talking about the "elbow" to the ceann.

[pineapple stu]

If only Packie Bonner were in the studio!

[Stuttgart88]

Holy goalies.

Off to the gulags.

[Closed Account 2]

Wow what a howler

[DannyInvincible]

That was coming. I feel bad for him, but Akinfeev's had butter fingers all evening. We'll see what Russia are really made of now.

[Stuttgart88]

Capello must think he's getting stitched up by his keepers in game 1 of world cups. Remember his first game in 2010?

[pineapple stu]

Wonder can Akinfeev claim credit for that equaliser?

There's been a lot of teams coming from behind in this tournament; teams who are struggling at 0-0 but come to life at 1-0 down.

[DannyInvincible]

Akinfeev will be relieved. Game a bit more frantic now.


Who the hell is that?:)

Had never heard of Mick Morgan myself, but I think he's a former rugby league player who engages in general commentary now.

[Stuttgart88]

Real snooze fest now alright.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Only had to wait 70 minutes.

[Crosby87]

Ian Darke pointing out somewhat ruefully that Capello makes 11 million.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Thought it was 16? (Or is that roubles?) Difference between Russia's performance here and in their first game at Euro 2012 was stark. At least this group looks interesting on paper, any one of the four could get to the next round judging on their performances today.

[DannyInvincible]

Ian Darke pointing out somewhat ruefully that Capello makes 11 million.

Rubles, I hope!

Just seeing more replays of the South Korean goal and the ball did swerve from side to side quite a bit in the air. Still no excuse though, really. Palm it over the bar if you're not sure you can handle it.

[Charlie Darwin]

Classic comment from Giles at half-time: "I played against Capello and he had no imagination then so I'm not surprised he doesn't have any as a coach."

[Crosby87]

that group is not so great. i think ireland would give south korea a game. am i wrong?

[Charlie Darwin]

Given that we barely gave Russia a game last time out, I'd say no. South Korea are a classy, if lightweight, side. Much like Japan.

[Crosby87]

I didnt think they were very good Charlie but i understand your point. Ian Darke was intimating weakest group. Not the strongest though.
Watch USA beat Portugal and then draw with the Germans. That's what im thinking.

[Charlie Darwin]

I think you're thinking back to 2002 Crosbo.

[Crosby87]

Come on Charlie. The US is getting to the semis and it ****es you off. All of you. But I digress.

[bennocelt]

I don't think I said that. I said that the ref had no option.

From my reading of what happened the referee was probably and realistically going to yellow Pepe for the "elbow". If Pepe didn't react that's what may have happened.

However given that he did react in the fashion that he did the referee probably felt that they were 2 yellow, and therefore a red card incidents, and duly sent off Pepe.
That's my reading. I think Pepe was stupid and was always going to get carded for the reaction


I was talking about the "elbow" to the ceann.


I am sure I saw something different before your edit!:D

Surprised no one in the media has mentioned the reaction of Jermaine Jones in the USA game where he calmed the situation right down after a heavy collision with Muntari who wanted to strangle him, had his arms on his neck even. Jones relaxed the Ghanaian right down, shook hands and got on with the game. What would Muller have done in that game? Fair play really is all you ask for

edit: by the way, yesterdays games were very hard work!

[Stuttgart88]

I thought Brazil v Mexico was great, just lacking goals. Belgium v Algeria was interesting, especially seeing how Belgium changed things around to good effect against a team that looked like it had been coached by Trap for years.

Korea v Russia was pretty poor, bar a frantic end.

I've actually been struck by how sporting a lot of these games are but some Brazil players and Muller have really stood out for me as playing the game in the wrong spirit.

[geysir]

Muller got hit in the face. Pepe the idiot reacted and whatever the ref's opinion on card colour he had no real option but to send him off as it was more likely he was about to give him a yellow for the "elbow".
Of course Pepe should have walked away from Muller's histrionics, but he didn't, he walked back and touched Muller's face while he lay on the ground.
Muller then simulated getting hit. When a player simulates getting hit in the face, loud groan, agonised grimace and hand clutching the wounded face, he is trying to fool the ref into thinking he was actually hit. He is not just trying to grab the ref's attention to an incident, or get a free kick, or a penalty, but he's embellishing the context for the ref to dish out a red card. The red card is the only option for violent conduct. The purpose of Muller's simulation was to get a fellow pro sent off.
When players don't simulate agonised prolonged torture from the mildest of touches you'd be surprised at just differently a ref treats such an incident and still keep control over the game.

[Charlie Darwin]

I am sure I saw something different before your edit!:D

Surprised no one in the media has mentioned the reaction of Jermaine Jones in the USA game where he calmed the situation right down after a heavy collision with Muntari who wanted to strangle him, had his arms on his neck even. Jones relaxed the Ghanaian right down, shook hands and got on with the game. What would Muller have done in that game? Fair play really is all you ask for

edit: by the way, yesterdays games were very hard work!
I suspect Jones' contrition was largely motivated by the fact he had just kicked Muntari in the head and didn't want to get sent off himself.

[A N Mouse]

Of course Pepe should have walked away from Muller's histrionics, but he didn't, he walked back and touched Muller's face while he lay on the ground.
Muller then simulated getting hit. When a player simulates getting hit in the face, loud groan, agonised grimace and hand clutching the wounded face, he is trying to fool the ref into thinking he was actually hit. He is not just trying to grab the ref's attention to an incident, or get a free kick, or a penalty, but he's embellishing the context for the ref to dish out a red card. The red card is the only option for violent conduct. The purpose of Muller's simulation was to get a fellow pro sent off.
When players don't simulate agonised prolonged torture from the mildest of touches you'd be surprised at just differently a ref treats such an incident and still keep control over the game.

Muller went down, a little to easy, after getting hit by a flailing arm (sometimes given as a free, sometime not). The only histrionics after Pepe stuck the head in him, was jumping up and getting all in his face - without sticking the head in might I add.

Nobody else seems to be suggesting any kind of simulation after the second incident - it's all about the first one (elbows etc).

I'm still unsure, but I thought the ref was letting play go on, until Pepe lost the plot.

Who's the bigger fool, the fool or the fool who follows him?

I can can't be the only one finds it funnier than it should be that Portugal were punished for someone getting carried away about another player's perceived cheating?

[DannyInvincible]

Muller went down, a little to easy, after getting hit by a flailing arm (sometimes given as a free, sometime not). The only histrionics after Pepe stuck the head in him, was jumping up and getting all in his face - without sticking the head in might I add.

Nobody else seems to be suggesting any kind of simulation after the second incident - it's all about the first one (elbows etc).

The BBC replays don't actually show this and I'm having difficulty finding a replay on YouTube as FIFA are pretty strict about removing any footage that's uploaded, but, from what I can recall, Müller did react to the "headbutt" by whipping his head back before rising to his feet to remonstrate with Pepe. It was a delayed movement not directly caused by any head motion of Pepe's, but I can't be sure whether Müller was trying to give the appearance that greater force had been exerted upon him by Pepe's head or whether he was just innocently pulling his head back from Pepe's to get away from the situation (before launching in again with a verbal attack once on his feet again, of course).

[osarusan]

Nobody else seems to be suggesting any kind of simulation after the second incident - it's all about the first one (elbows etc).

No, I though that after Pepe made bent over him and made slight contact with his head, he (briefly) pretended to be in agony from the vicious headbutt.

Like you, though, I thought the referee was just letting it go until he suddenly raced in and showed the red. I wonder what reason he gave in his official report.

[DannyInvincible]

Müller's reaction to the "headbutt" was captured and shown in a later replay from another angle. I managed to find it again during the BBC coverage on iPlayer at 43:00 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b047gjwt/match-of-the-day-2014-fifa-world-cup-germany-v-portugal). I'm pretty sure that's UK-only, so I've compiled a series of snapshots that show Müller's feigned agony:

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc12/poguemahone85/mullerpepe_zpsbdc596a4.png

[strangeirish]

A disaster waiting to happen at the Maracana Stadium...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2syYwCww1M

[pineapple stu]

Waterford Whispers' take on the Eamon Dunphy incident. (http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2014/06/18/the-day-ireland-lost-its-innocence/)

Now that's sarcasm.

[peadar1987]

Stuff wobbling isn't a major issue in itself, in fact, limited movement is a good way to relieve stress, and stop stuff from snapping (most skyscrapers sway in the breeze).

However, if it's symptomatic of a lack of structural integrity, that's when it gets worrying.

[Crosby87]

Bridges move too. The GWB can move quite a bit. Nigel Harps has a famous picture of himself on the Golden Gate during an earthquake.

[pineapple stu]

The World Cup is back!

What a goal. What. A. Goal.

[Stuttgart88]

Aus playing really well. I hope MON is taking notes. Nice to see an underdog on the front foot and dictating terms rather than absorbing pressure and hoping for a counter.

Owls Fans' voice has just popped into my head though, telling me he couldn't care less how Aus plays, it's a results business!