2022 FIFA World Cup

[pineapple stu]

You do like a good 0-0 Stutts! :)

That said, this one - Wales v Iran - is a cracker of a game.

Crunching tackle from Hennessy ten yards outside the box and how the ref needed VAR to send him off I've no idea. Iran much improved from the team that lost to England - but can't see Wales giving England much resistance either, derby or no. Bale is a passenger here.

[joey B]

Kenny Cunningham thinks Hennessy’s red card was only worthy of a yellow :confused:

[Stuttgart88]

I think it was the reddest red card I've ever seen.

Still, good to see Hennessy adopting local customs and traditions by trying to behead an opponent.

Iran were great from the start. Either they just played rubbish against England or England are worryingly good.

[ifk101]

Or the Welsh are worryingly bad. Boomshalaka is probably on the Welsh equivalent of foot.ie losing his/ her rag at Rob Page.

[pineapple stu]

Attendances at 94% capacity apparently (https://www.rte.ie/sport/world-cup-2022/2022/1125/1338326-world-cup-digest-fifa-say-attendances-are-at-94/).

I didn't know Comical Ali had taken up a job with FIFA.

[joey B]

Ecuador very impressive here,should be ahead…..

[SkStu]

If we beat Qatar 4-0 and Ecuador beat Qatar 2-0 and Ecuador drew with Holland, then that means we beat Holland 2-0. Thats how football works, right?

[EAFC_rdfl]

If we beat Qatar 4-0 and Ecuador beat Qatar 2-0 and Ecuador drew with Holland, then that means we beat Holland 2-0. Thats how football works, right?
That's the tried and tested way yes

[SkStu]

Iran were great from the start. Either they just played rubbish against England or England are worryingly good.

We good, we good.

[osarusan]

Sluggish England tonight. A lack of urgency that turned into sloppiness a few times, and they could have been punished.

Love the way USA, Canada and Iran are playing - play at pace and just having a go whenever possible. It's great to watch, and most teams are so much more defensively organised these days, even the traditionally weaker ones, that they're not going to take a hammering by doing so.

[joey B]

Some amount of play acting from the Saudis,the ref not helping things either…..

[NeverFeltBetter]

What is the ref at, giving the Saudis that penalty? He's basically declared this game non-contact. The cliche of "Justice done" was never more apprpos.

[joey B]

Fantastic second half between Denmark and France,end to end….

[NeverFeltBetter]

Argentina look very brittle out there. A lot of players already running scared, the Mexican press is working really well. It's remarkable they are in this position already.

[joey B]

Thank god for Lionel Messi!

[osarusan]

Thought that Argentina Mexico game was terrible stuff, neither team with any real fluency or structure at all.

[SkStu]

Such a great Brazilian goal. Such a shame it was Richarlison. On evidence of Premier League I'd say he's one of the poorest Brazilian forwards in my lifetime. Literally seconds before his first goal I was telling pals in a WhatsApp chat he was a waste of space out there and lucky to be in the squad :) But he looks at home in that side tbf. I thought Brazil looked even better after their subs.

Your poor WhatsApp buddies! Couldn’t disagree more and think he’s a quality player, quality striker. Himself and Pickford, I’d say, kept Everton in the PL last season and he’s been Evertons best player pretty much throughout his time there. He’s not your stereotypical Brazilian forward, granted,nor is he likeable (unless he plays for a team you support) but he is very good, very effective and makes and scores plenty of goals. A goal every 3 games for Everton (43 in 135) and a goal every 2 for Brazil (19 in 39).

[SkStu]

In other news… feeling a bit weird going into tomorrows game between Croatia and Canada. Really like Canada and what they show on the pitch - as well as it having been good to me - on the other hand my Croat wife and her family are going beserk. I’ll be wearing the Croatian jersey but cheering on the inside for Canada I think. If my mask slips and they/she knifes me, thanks for all the laughs lads.

[seanfhear]

In other news… feeling a bit weird going into tomorrows game between Croatia and Canada. Really like Canada and what they show on the pitch - as well as it having been good to me - on the other hand my Croat wife and her family are going beserk. I’ll be wearing the Croatian jersey but cheering on the inside for Canada I think. If my mask slips and they/she knifes me, thanks for all the laughs lads.
I recommend No Celebrating if Canada score / win ! !

[Stuttgart88]

Your poor WhatsApp buddies! Couldn’t disagree more and think he’s a quality player, quality striker. Himself and Pickford, I’d say, kept Everton in the PL last season and he’s been Evertons best player pretty much throughout his time there. He’s not your stereotypical Brazilian forward, granted,nor is he likeable (unless he plays for a team you support) but he is very good, very effective and makes and scores plenty of goals. A goal every 3 games for Everton (43 in 135) and a goal every 2 for Brazil (19 in 39).

Well you watch Everton so I'll bow to your more experienced judgment. But I still wouldn't have him in my "better" Brazil forwards in my lifetime!

[joey B]

Hard to remember a bigger drop off in a player than Eden Hazard,easily one of the best players in Europe at Chelsea to what he is now,sad to see…..

[joey B]

Delighted for Morocco,supporters were brilliant!

[osarusan]

Morocco win the day with a desire to attack. Man, I love football.

[Stuttgart88]

Croatia v Canada is great too.

[osarusan]

Croatia v Canada is great too.
Yeah, Canada have run out of steam though.

The way Croatia reassessed what they needed to do and took control of midfield is very impressive.

Canada not helped by their insistence on doing everything at top pace all the time and giving it away a lot.

[SkStu]

The way Croatia reassessed what they needed to do and took control of midfield is very impressive.

Impeccable. So much smarter than Canada.

[SkStu]

Alphonso Davies shows how big a difference even one world class player can make to a generally fairly average team and it’s prospects. Something we are sorely missing!

[osarusan]

Impeccable. So much smarter than Canada.

So much more impressive than Belgium too, who struggled with Canada all night.

Tough on Canada in the end, but hopefully they can finish on a high. Very interesting final day in that group.

[joey B]

Very funny that England and Chelsea let Musiala get away,he is an incredible talent,I hope Germany go through just to watch more of him…..

[pineapple stu]

We have us a belter this morning!

Cameroon 1-0 up going into first half injury time, but at the break it's 2-1 Serbia.

A third for Serbia, and it looked game over. But as we found against them, Serbia have a weak side in terms of seeing out matches, and Cameroon have just scored twice in as many minutes - one a beautiful little dink when it looked like the chance had passed -- and it's 3-3

(Or is it actually? VAR offside check in progress)

Edit - goal stands. 3-3 with a quarter of the game to go.

[joey B]

South Korea all over Ghana for the first 20 minutes and are now 2 down and looking a long way back,fantastic cross from Ayew for Ghana’s second goal…..

[NeverFeltBetter]

Just the ten goals so far today, making up the average for all those nil-alls clearly.

[joey B]

Another belter here 2 goals in 2 minutes for South Korea!!

[NeverFeltBetter]

Scratch that, 11 goals in 160 minutes of football. The Korean fans kept finding different reasons to weep in the stands.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Actually thought Paulo Bento was going to take a swing at the ref at full-time. I understand his rage completely, blowing up with a corner just won might be permissible under the rules but just isn't on for me. Or did it hit a Korean player maybe?

[joey B]

Brilliant game that,South Korea deserved a draw aswell probably.......

[Stuttgart88]

Actually thought Paulo Bento was going to take a swing at the ref at full-time. I understand his rage completely, blowing up with a corner just won might be permissible under the rules but just isn't on for me. Anyone remember Clive Thomas in 1978?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/44500178

[SkStu]

Apart from toblerone and milka, Switzerland just takes the joy out of everything in life.

[Crosby87]

Except with ham

[seanfhear]

Apart from toblerone and milka, Switzerland just takes the joy out of everything in life.
Great Mountains.

[SkStu]

Ok, but apart from the chocolate, and the cheese and the great mountains, what exactly have the Swiss ever done for us?

[pineapple stu]

And the trains.

(Well, yeah. Obviously the trains. I mean, the trains go without saying, don't they?)

[SkStu]

:D :D :D love it!

[osarusan]

I think that's a dreadful decision for the Uruguayan handball penalty.

You're not allowed to put out a hand to help you break your fall now?

Nonsense.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Is he not putting his hand down in a bit of a strange spot though, right behind his legs? Im assuming that's why it was given (plus denying Fernandes a clear opportunity with his hand: that's not part of the handball law but I'm sure it was in the refs mind).

Edit: Watching more replays and I'm not sure. The slow motion makes it look worse maybe.

[pineapple stu]

I guess the point is that if you're going to go to ground - which he didn't have to do - you don't get to have your hand blocking the path of the ball. Same as raising your hands in the wall to protect your face - still a handball. And it's not helped by the fact that I think it does deflect the ball away from the attacker.

It's certainly one of those that would never have fallen under "intentional" back in the day though. But this is VAR - it encourages over-analysis of these sort of minutiae.

[joey B]

Hopefully Uruguay don’t make it out of the group,they’ve been pretty turgid and South Korea or Ghana would be much better fun….

[osarusan]

I guess the point is that if you're going to go to ground - which he didn't have to do - you don't get to have your hand blocking the path of the ball.
That's not what the law is though.

If his hand is in a natural position in the context of what he is doing, it shouldn't be an offence:

"A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. "

He put out a hand to break a fall - it's the most natural thing in the world. The issue is that FIFA/IFAB has more or less redefined 'natural' to mean 'right next to the body' when actually, as footballers run around or twist or slide or jump, the one place their arm is not naturally positioned is next to the body.

[seanfhear]

Ok, but apart from the chocolate, and the cheese and the great mountains, what exactly have the Swiss ever done for us?
The Holes in the Cheese.

[joey B]

That's not what the law is though.

If his hand is in a natural position in the context of what he is doing, it shouldn't be an offence:

"A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. "

He put out a hand to break a fall - it's the most natural thing in the world. The issue is that FIFA/IFAB has more or less redefined 'natural' to mean 'right next to the body' when actually, as footballers run around or twist or slide or jump, the one place their arm is not naturally positioned is next to the body.

IFAB use an image similar to tonight’s incident on why it isn’t a penalty aswell

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