Newsflash! Soccerball International Championship thread?

[ColourofFire]

Watched today's matches in the pub with some Mexicans, Brazilians and a Belgian friend. First one, not much to say about it, Mexico lacks a strong striker that can serve as a connector to the rest of the team. They tried, but Brazil is stronger and more clinical. Belgium went in with a fucking retarded tactic, got away with it for a while in individual quality. Got punished for it later, decided to stop playing this bullshit 3-4-3, and got incredibly lucky they not only managed to equalize, but win because of Japan's naive approach, but fml, if they play for nonsense without wing backs and way too many people forward with no one moving in again against Brazil they'll get murdered.

 

[frunobulax]

 

[nuke_diver]

I also feel bad for Japan. Belgium seemed (to me) to be thinking "Oh it's just Japan we don't really need to try", found themselves down 2 and then really needed to try. No question Belgium is a superior team with much better talent but just ask Spain what happens if you don't really try. It was an epic match and highly entertaining.

As for Neymar he really needs to cut out some of the theatrics. But unless he gets a red card or two that won't happen. It's one thing to be fouled and "help" the ref make the decision. It's another to do the theatrics. He acts like his leg was cut off every time he get's touched.

 

[ColourofFire]

I watched a match until the usual fake injury bullshit.

It's not comparable. I do think players like Neymar are deplorable and should be receive severe reprimands for their dives and overacting. But beyond that, football is a fucking painful sport. And I say that after 15 years of skateboarding and 20 years of snowboarding. When I was skateboarding a lot I had falls that look 20 times worse than anything you encounter on a football pitch, but you end up fine, because the moment you pop off that 15 ledge stair you know whether you're stable or not, you feel if it's worth trying to land, you are in control of the situation. Same with snowboarding, I've bruised several ribs, but it was damage control from making a bad decisions and deciding to take the impact a certain way, and you learn how to fall. With football it's different. Nearing 30 years, I'm going down if someone goes in with a harsh sliding tackle. I'm not going to leave my standing leg planted there, risking breaking my ankle, just for the sake of sportsmanship. If the opponent takes the ball, fine, if he doesn't, he was doing something that was against the rules anyway, whether or not he inflicts severe injury on me is completely irrelevant. When I'm snowboarding or skateboarding I use my body according to the risk I'm taking. If I'm not confident I'm going to nail landing whatever I'm trying, I go down to be in control of the damage I'm going to take. When I'm playing football and am sprinting at full speed, trying to controll a ball along the way and someone clips my leg from underneath me, I go down without control. And sometimes it just fucking hurts. Doesn't mean I'm out for weeks, just means I need a bit to catch my breath and get over the pain. They are completely incomparable. I've crashed into way more pieces of asphalt than football pitch, I bailed jumping 15 meter kickers and 10 meter cliffdrops when snowboarding, but tearing several ankle ligaments from a relatively innocent tackle during football that I did not expect didn't hurt any less for it, while it for sure didn't look as spectacular.

 

[ColourofFire]

I also feel bad for Japan. Belgium seemed (to me) to be thinking "Oh it's just Japan we don't really need to try", found themselves down 2 and then really needed to try. No question Belgium is a superior team with much better talent but just ask Spain what happens if you don't really try. It was an epic match and highly entertaining.

As for Neymar he really needs to cut out some of the theatrics. But unless he gets a red card or two that won't happen. It's one thing to be fouled and "help" the ref make the decision. It's another to do the theatrics. He acts like his leg was cut off every time he get's touched.

Belgium was playing a completely idiotic tactic for most of the match. I really don't understand how anyone can play 3-4-3 against Japan. It's just dumb as hell to play without wing backs and with so little space to move in the midfield and in front. It just made them way to static. The moment they changed it around the team became more dynamic and their superior quality started to show. Japan did deserve the extra time, but they played really naive when Belgium got going.

And yeah, Neymar really needs to see some cards for his shit.

 

[bsman]

And yeah, Neymar really needs to see some cards for his shit.

I have given a foul, and also cautioned the fouled player for simulation. Law 12 allows this:

CAUTIONS FOR UNSPORTING BEHAVIOUR
There are different circumstances when a player must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour including if a player:

• attempts to deceive the referee e.g. by feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled (simulation)

A player who feigns injury (even if he is fouled) is, IMO eminently cautionable. I have done so in the past, and will do so in the future. It generally results in outrage from the offending party's bench/spectators, but I don't really care. I do not mind when a player goes down, perhaps too easily, from contact, but when they pretend a light touch is enough to break a bone and stay down, rolling around in mock agony, it annoys me no end.

 

[ColourofFire]

I have given a foul, and also cautioned the fouled player for simulation. Law 12 allows this:

CAUTIONS FOR UNSPORTING BEHAVIOUR
There are different circumstances when a player must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour including if a player:

• attempts to deceive the referee e.g. by feigning injury or pretending to have been fouled (simulation)

A player who feigns injury (even if he is fouled) is, IMO eminently cautionable. I have done so in the past, and will do so in the future. It generally results in outrage from the offending party's bench/spectators, but I don't really care. I do not mind when a player goes down, perhaps too easily, from contact, but when they pretend a light touch is enough to break a bone and stay down, rolling around in mock agony, it annoys me no end.

Yeah, they really need to put this into practice more. If you get hit, sure, sometimes it hurts for a bit and you need to have your moment to bite your tongue and get over it, but that ridiculous rolling and crying is a fucking joke. It also starts to work against him at this point, as you see referees just ignoring him when he's flopping around for the 1000000th time. Boy who cried wolf and all that...

 

[Tig]

It's not comparable. I do think players like Neymar are deplorable and should be receive severe reprimands for their dives and overacting. But beyond that, football is a fucking painful sport. And I say that after 15 years of skateboarding and 20 years of snowboarding. When I was skateboarding a lot I had falls that look 20 times worse than anything you encounter on a football pitch, but you end up fine, because the moment you pop off that 15 ledge stair you know whether you're stable or not, you feel if it's worth trying to land, you are in control of the situation. Same with snowboarding, I've bruised several ribs, but it was damage control from making a bad decisions and deciding to take the impact a certain way, and you learn how to fall. With football it's different. Nearing 30 years, I'm going down if someone goes in with a harsh sliding tackle. I'm not going to leave my standing leg planted there, risking breaking my ankle, just for the sake of sportsmanship. If the opponent takes the ball, fine, if he doesn't, he was doing something that was against the rules anyway, whether or not he inflicts severe injury on me is completely irrelevant. When I'm snowboarding or skateboarding I use my body according to the risk I'm taking. If I'm not confident I'm going to nail landing whatever I'm trying, I go down to be in control of the damage I'm going to take. When I'm playing football and am sprinting at full speed, trying to controll a ball along the way and someone clips my leg from underneath me, I go down without control. And sometimes it just fucking hurts. Doesn't mean I'm out for weeks, just means I need a bit to catch my breath and get over the pain. They are completely incomparable. I've crashed into way more pieces of asphalt than football pitch, I bailed jumping 15 meter kickers and 10 meter cliffdrops when snowboarding, but tearing several ankle ligaments from a relatively innocent tackle during football that I did not expect didn't hurt any less for it, while it for sure didn't look as spectacular.

This is just plain silly. Mtn Biking does not involve contact with other players, it's not a team sport, so obviously there would be no reason for any sort of exaggeration. It's not something I love, but depending on the referee, going down from minimal contact can be a useful tactic. It can also get you a caution for simulation.

This macho bullshit (mostly Americans) use to justify their disdain of soccer is just stupid. Most of the time, a player will stay down to ensure that a foul is recognized by the referee. I'm not sure why how much something may hurt or not is a valid measure of a sport's value. Just FYI, in my 30 years of combined playing/refereeing of soccer, I have seen more than a few really gruesome injuries - feet pointing towards the back of the leg, compound fractures, etc. Soccer can be every bit as rough as any other contact sport, and unlike mtn biking, the only protection a player has is a shinguard about six inches long. If "toughness" is the measure by which you judge sports, than apparently you would only want to watch gladiatorial combat, since all other sports would be pussy sports in comparison...

I only posted the MTB video comparison because it was entertaining. If you feel the need to defend players faking injuries, by all means, knock yourselves out (or fake it). This isn't about macho bullshit, it's about drama queen performances that don't belong in any sport. I love footy, but will instantly turn it off when the acting takes over.

Road racing is actually more comparative, so I'll let one of the the women do the talking.
Lauren Dolan finishes World Championships race despite horrendous crash injuries.

Heck, I'll even post up Froome, even though I think he's a twat.

 

[rickenvox]

I watched a match until the usual fake injury bullshit.

Road cycling - it's a team sport.

 

[Dudeman1967]

 

[Danhedonia]

Which sport is being played is utterly pointless. You can fuck yourself up badly vacuuming, if you're going about it with intensity.

Feigning injury - lying, in plain language - is shit sportsmanship. Acting like you should receive benefits from officials that others don't get is shit sportsmanship. Doing whatever you can to attract attention to yourself at the expense of spectators enjoying the skills of those involved - shit sportsmanship.

Watched several matches the past few days. WC football beginning to remind me of NBA basketball. Not fun to watch.

Never seen so many dives (and silly yellow cards motivating them) as this AM's match between Swedes/Swiss. Absolutely hilarious.

 

[tiger roach]

Looks like I might get to watch the later match today. I guess I need to pull for Colombia, since we have a lot of Colombian friends.

 

[ColourofFire]

Which sport is being played is utterly pointless. You can fuck yourself up badly vacuuming, if you're going about it with intensity.

Feigning injury - lying, in plain language - is shit sportsmanship. Acting like you should receive benefits from officials that others don't get is shit sportsmanship. Doing whatever you can to attract attention to yourself at the expense of spectators enjoying the skills of those involved - shit sportsmanship.

Watched several matches the past few days. WC football beginning to remind me of NBA basketball. Not fun to watch.

Never seen so many dives (and silly yellow cards motivating them) as this AM's match between Swedes/Swiss. Absolutely hilarious.

At first I thought I saw too much football lately, then I realised it's just a boring shitshow. A lot of diving and a lot of people who can't seem to keep themselves from pulling other people's shirt for half a second.

Also, I'd like to add the stupid shouting at the ref to your list.

Wtf is up with the ridiculously late offside flags this WC btw? Do they wait for the VAR to confirm or something? So many absolutely clear offside situations where the game's 4 or 5 passes further before anyone decides to respond...

 

[wok]

I am enjoying the World Cup.

Yes, there’s diving like there’s always been. Meh, fuck the haters!

Plenty of great matches like Japan-Belgium last night

 

[ColourofFire]

Well, this last Sweden counter sums up this match perfectly. An awfully played out counter, a defender making light but dumb contact and a VAR moment when the match is already over anyway...

Love how the Swiss number 6 already just fucked off to the dressing room without waiting for any decision.

 

[Tig]

Which sport is being played is utterly pointless.

It isn't about comparing sports, it's about the overblown drama queen acting instead of determination and persistence. You don't see that level of bullshit in any other sport.
No sport should tolerate such a pathetic display. Try faking an injury in hockey.

 

[shoeless]

 

[VoidTerraFirma]

Guy who mountain bikes a lot wants you to know how tough mountain bikers are!

 

[wok]

It isn't about comparing sports, it's about the overblown drama queen acting instead of determination and persistence. You don't see that level of bullshit in any other sport.
No sport should tolerate such a pathetic display. Try faking an injury in hockey.

Just kindly naff off. Nobody is forcing you to watch football. You made your point 21 pages ago.

We get it.

Besides, no cheating in any other sport like football? Doping in olympics, cycling or any other sports for that matter. Diving is an insignificant annoyance at most in comparison

 

[Tiltsta]

And the Swiss are out. Bummer. They made if further than I thought they would.