This is really niche, but I'm still ****ed off about the Irish (field) hockey team being denied a place at the Olympics a few years back due to some dreadful, and frankly suspicious, decisions against us in an away qualification decider against Canada. So any opportunity to beat them in any sport at any level.is welcome as far as I'm concerned.Originally Posted by Nesta99
Oh I recall, it was my opportunity to show Hockey which I played, (Ice) a term which I had been banned from saying as there is only one Hockey of course. I learned very early on that Hockey on Ice really is a Canadian cult so I just nod and agree for safety reasons. When we went ice skating once I said its just skating ok.....I can still feel the look I got!
Last edited by Nesta99; 14/11/2025 at 10:52 PM.
I was having a look at the Canadian forum and mcdonnell getting a good bit of abuse which is understandable. The English forum on bigsoccer very keen on finneran been brought into the England fold.
Germany knocked out by Burkina Faso after a fairly mad period of injury time that included two video challenges relating to goals scored at either end. West African teams have won this competition outright seven times in the past, which is obviously wildly out of proportion with their performances in senior football, so you can decide for yourself whether that result is a shock or not!
Uzbekistan also through on penalties, they brought on a penalty specialist sub keeper for the shootout and it worked for them. So all three teams from Ireland's group ended up in shootouts in their round of 32 games, with Paraguay losing to Brazil and Ireland and Uzbekistan winning their shootouts.
Incidentally it's the first time I've seen a commentator lose count of the score in a penalty shootout, the FIFA commentator thought the last penalty was to force sudden death and was then confused why the Uzbeks were celebrating so much after they scored it. Not his finest moment.
I'm not sure the VAR challenge system that they're trialing is working, an awful lot of time is being wasted late on in games on challenges that are blatantly speculative relating to decisions that are never going to be changed.
I was thinking that when the Canadians tried to review the winning penalty yesteday. It was a total Hail Mary if he had been allowed to use the review in the shootout which I think it wasnt. I like the system, dont know how they can prevent it being used tactically any more than late subs, keeper sitting down fo a rest etc. A challange a half, or possible 4 in total shouldnt really be too disruptice if the review process is streamlined and the officials/coaches involved get used to the process. Maybe very maybe do it like tennis where if a review is called correctly yoy keep the review, wrong and you lose it and allow 1?
Rhe fifa TV coverage of this is fantastic. Fifa TV actually has a great amount of underage football. The under 19 game against Holland is on it on Wednesday I think
What a week for Irish football, hopefully watching the senior game today will give the 17s another shot in the arm for the Switzerland game on Tuesday.
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