It ended up 1 nil
It would have been a supreme trial to endure that depressing fare waiting for a beneficial result. Much better that we had that afternoon game with a real knife edge to it, to boost our smidgens of hope.
It's the other way around, a 1-1 draw in Cro-UKr with a goalless draw in Cardiff would likely send the Croats through on fair play record.Originally Posted by Colbert Report
They will play for a win though, draw is no good for them to beat Slovakia.
"Life is like a hair on a toilet seat. Sooner or later you are bound to get pi$$ed off."
"In this league, a draw is sometimes as good as a win" - Steve Morison
I'd have preferred they won, were seeded for the play-offs and then we drew them after we see Wales off tomorrow.
Feel sorry for the Scots, but at east we'll be spared those pink jerseys in Russia.
They would have been banned for promoting non-traditional relations to minors under Putin's law, anyway.
"Life is like a hair on a toilet seat. Sooner or later you are bound to get pi$$ed off."
"In this league, a draw is sometimes as good as a win" - Steve Morison
They're too close to a World Cup as it is. It's like when Kerry edge towards the AISF... It's too close for my ticker.I'd have preferred they won, were seeded for the play-offs and then we drew them after we see Wales off tomorrow.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Whatever about Ireland, is the Welsh knockout as much of a disaster for them as I think it is? Considering the performance at the Euros and their current ranking, to not even make the play-offs seems a very bad result, even if Wales are relatively new to the higher positions. There's always been an opinion that they aren't anything special without Bale, but it wasn't until last night that I took it as seriously as others. That one header, that distant effort in the first half that was probably going over anyway...what else did they create that had Randolph worried?
Author of Never Felt Better (History, Film Reviews).
Robson header just before we scored .... he got ahead of Duffy ... great save by Randolph! .. And from corner in second half ... Chester header hit side netting - beat Ward in the air!
I think Slovakia have genuine grief at losing out on the 2nd place play-off. They gave big Sam his one and only international point, after conceding a last minute og.
Against Scotland they had Mak sent off after 25 minutes, the ref judged that he dived to win a penalty. Mak did go down on his knees without any contact but he was up in a flash and went after the ball. That in my mind created enough doubt.
Their misfortune is our opportunity.
They lost that game to Big Sam. They did win their home game against Slovenia with a late own goal also, so I guess that kind of balanced out.
Dive all day long! He only got up quickly because he knew how bad the dive looked. 99% of the time I give the guy the benefit of any doubt that he might have been expecting to be hit but Gordon withdrew from the tackle early.
It is not known why he got up so quickly, nor can an attempt to read his intentions in that split second be used as good evidence, but because he got up instantly, an action we could all see, it removes or casts enough doubt on the mandatory condition of interpretation, i.e. does the player 'attempt to deceive the ref' or 'pretend to have been fouled'?
It might well have been Mak's intention to deceive but he pulled out of the deception process.
If that was the strict standard of yellow card, the one given to Mak, then yellow cards would be dished out willy nilly in game after game.
Even this morning the ref ignored a blatant dive by an Australian in the box who had then proceeded to roll all over the grass in apparent deathly agony.
The minimum standard to satisfy the interpretation of simulation, is a player falling to the ground and simulating being tackled or hurt. Even that minimum standard is not practiced most of the time.
That's why I say Mak and Slovakia were unfortunate in that game.
Last edited by geysir; 10/10/2017 at 4:13 PM.
It was indeed a late goal victory for big Sam and a dropped point for Slovakia.
That's superstition.They did win their home game against Slovenia with a late own goal also, so I guess that kind of balanced out.
The Slovaks one nil home victory over Slovenia was balanced out by Slovenia's one nil home victory over the Slovaks.
Sorry, I just don't see it that way at all. Who says there's a strict minimum standard? And what Mak was thinking isn't known as fact, that's certain. You don't know, I don't know and the ref didn't know. The ref had to make a judgment - read his intentions as you say - and did just that. I reckon (note - reckon, not know) if you asked Mak off the record he'd say he was trying to get a penalty.It is not known why he got up so quickly, nor can an attempt to read his intentions in that split second be used as good evidence
It might well have been Mak's intention to deceive but he pulled out of the deception process.
If that was the strict standard of yellow card, the one given to Mak, then yellow cards would be dished out willy nilly in game after game.
Even this morning the ref ignored a blatant dive by an Australian in the box who had then proceeded to roll all over the grass in apparent deathly agony.
The minimum standard to satisfy the interpretation of simulation, is a player falling to the ground and simulating being tackled or hurt. Even that minimum standard is not practiced most of the time.
That's why I say Mak and Slovakia were unfortunate in that game.
I think Mak dived and realised it was a pathetic dive that wouldn't even have deceived a 3 year old so got up. Getting up didn't add any doubt to the mandatory interpretation at all. He didn't simulate being hurt but he 100% simulated being fouled. When that happens it should be a yellow card. What he did is not so common that yellows would be given willy nilly. And do you really have to hit the ground for simulation? What about pretending to be butted? Plenty stand up after that but still simulate.
I have no idea what happened in the Australia game. If the ref made a mess of it so be it. You're almost certainly right. But I don't agree with you at all on Mak's dive, the yellow card and your subsequent standard for a yellow card for simulation. In my opinion the simple standard is whether the ref thought the player was trying to deceive him (or her) into awarding a free or pen, as you say yourself the "mandatory condition of interpretation" although that's quite a legalistic way of putting it.
As I said earlier, I always look to give the benefit of doubt. I was looking to see if Mak might have realistically expected to have been hit by Gordon but Gordon withdrew so clearly and early that I couldn't give Mak the benefit in that instance. Way too many pundits blabber on about "going down too easily" or make judgments simply on whether there was contact, and it makes it out that simulation is worse than it actually is, but Mak's was a dive all day long.
Portugal 1-0 up : )
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It was a great cross into the box. Very difficult for the Swiss defence to deal with.
Holland 2-0 up against Sweden. Is it a mere five further goals they need now to make the play-offs?
I'd imagine Portugal should roll the Swiss aside now
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Portugal beat Switzerland 2-0, so the Portuguese qualify automatically for Russia.
Switzerland, Sweden and Greece are all confirmed in the play-offs after tonight's results.
I know the Swiss have had a great record in qualifying but I would fancy either ourselves or the north to get past them based on that performance. They should have dealt with the cross for the first goal and the 2nd was a bit of a defensive shambles. There was very little in the way of a response to them going behind. Even with Ronaldo having an off night Portugal were very comfortable.
If we put the same sort of physical challenge to them as we put to Wales last night I don't think they would be equal to it.
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