Football

[DarloRich]

Wasn’t a foul; wasn’t a pen. Agree with @DarloRich. Far too soft to be a penalty. Suspect not many people here play football.

Or are Scottish - which is the same thing

 

[Darandio]

Or are Scottish - which is the same thing

Or English, it's staggering how many want to see their own team fail. Have to agree though, it's called shielding the ball, or at least was when I played.

 

[507021]

The correct result in the end. England played quite well first half and made a number of good chances. They dropped off the pace in the second half but Tunisia put 11 men behind the ball and showed no ambition. They switched from zonal marking at set pieces to man for man and matched England for shape. It should have been 5 or 6 to England without exaggerating, Tunisia had one shot from a dodgy penalty and were a very poor team.

The referee was very poor. Clueless almost. The decision on the Tunisia penalty was wrong then to miss a clear rugby tackle on Kane is terrible. The VAR is a joke.

Completely agree.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

At first, thought it was a soft pen but still a pen.

Having seen it a few times over you can see that the Tunisian guy knows exactly what he's doing and deliberately plants his face in the path of the flailing arm before falling to the floor holding his face as if he'd been glassed. Disgraceful. I'd rather the VAR take 3 times as long as it does if it means nonsense like that gets cut out.

The two high tackles on Kane were the perfect example of why there should be a review system in place like in tennis, so teams can refer incidents to the VAR whether the ref likes it or not.

 

[Darandio]

Interesting fact though, not one Tunisia player was booked. Go figure.

 

[bnm]

Another VAR angle of the non penalty tackle on Harry Kane:

 

[Antman]

Questions really do need to be asked about the VAR man, what was he watching? Two clear fouls on Kane, far more clear cut than the Tunisia penalty. Justice was done in the end but goodness me we made hard work of it!

 

[Old Yard Dog]

England did play some nice passing football. However both goals came as a result of sticking big centre halves in the box at corners. Graham Taylor would have been proud.

It's just a pity England don't have a big target man like Nat Lofthouse or Alan Shearer any more to play alongside Harry Kane.

 

[DarloRich]

England did play some nice passing football. However both goals came as a result of sticking big centre halves in the box at corners. Graham Taylor would have been proud.

It's just a pity England don't have a big target man like Nat Lofthouse or Alan Shearer any more to play alongside Harry Kane.

and tika taka Spain scored by hitting the lumper down the middle ( although when Busquets hits a channel ball it is a wonderful incisive 50 yard pass not a hoof ) and from a set piece!

 

[Darandio]

It's just a pity England don't have a big target man like Nat Lofthouse or Alan Shearer any more to play alongside Harry Kane.

Should have took Crouch.......

 

[DarloRich]

The BBC website indicates that the game was watched by 18.9m people and streamed by another 3m! That is a LOT of people: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44533213

World Cup 2018: England win attracts 18.3m TV audience, record 3m streams

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Russia might just be the surprise package of their own World Cup... and surprisingly without a load of contentious refereeing/VAR decisions helping them on their way!

 

[DarloRich]

Russia might just be the surprise package of their own World Cup... and surprisingly without a load of contentious refereeing/VAR decisions helping them on their way!

They have played two weak sides and not been tested at all. Salah was plainly unfit and the defending of Egypt was very poor indeed. That punch from the keeper..................

 

[Iskra]

I’m not so easily convinced.

They couldn’t win in 7 games leading up to the World Cup, but now all of a sudden have started steam-rolling teams. Both of which happen to be as corrupt as Russia.

When I watched Saudi Arabia v Russia I was genuinely puzzled that a team could actually defend so badly, but then it clicked. Watch out for some arms deals being announced after the W/C is over.

Also, Egypt could have arguably had an additional penalty tonight. Some good finishing from Russia though.

Not normally one for conspiracy theories, but something doesn’t feel right.

 

[Cowley]

Russia might just be the surprise package of their own World Cup... and surprisingly without a load of contentious refereeing/VAR decisions helping them on their way!

I must admit I quite enjoyed that.
Salah obviously wasn’t his usual self but Egypt generally didn’t take their chances. Pretty lively game though.

 

[DarloRich]

I’m not so easily convinced.

They couldn’t win in 7 games leading up to the World Cup, but now all of a sudden have started steam-rolling teams. Both of which happen to be as corrupt as Russia.

When I watched Saudi Arabia v Russia I was genuinely puzzled that a team could actually defend so badly, but then it clicked. Watch out for some arms deals being announced after the W/C is over.

Also, Egypt could have arguably had an additional penalty tonight. Some good finishing from Russia though.

Not normally one for conspiracy theories, but something doesn’t feel right.

The Saudi's buy guns and bombs of us. We bribed them in good faith They have home advantage. They have played 2 really poor sides. They are on a roll but they will come unstuck against a decent side. The game against Uruguay should be meaningless but second round they will play one of what should be Portugal or Spain

 

[MidnightFlyer]

When I watched Saudi Arabia v Russia I was genuinely puzzled that a team could actually defend so badly, but then it clicked. Watch out for some arms deals being announced after the W/C is over.

I wasn't, Saudi are and always have been at this level utterly, utterly atrocious (edit - don't forget they will also have just done a month of Ramadan too); remember Germany beating them 8-0 back in 2002? Christ help all of us when the World Cup gets expanded to 48, there's enough deadwood as it is and there's only 32 of them.

No tin foil hat for me at all. As @DarloRich says, they will come unstuck when they play someone genuinely threatening. Either that or they will strike a secret arms deal with the Portuguese and gets to the Semis.

 

[ash39]

The correct result in the end. England played quite well first half and made a number of good chances. They dropped off the pace in the second half but Tunisia put 11 men behind the ball and showed no ambition. They switched from zonal marking at set pieces to man for man and matched England for shape. It should have been 5 or 6 to England without exaggerating, Tunisia had one shot from a dodgy penalty and were a very poor team.

I think you've summed it up well, but what I would say is England looked inexperienced and out of ideas once Tunisia started to put men behind the ball in the second half. If we came up against a stronger team in the knockouts and went 1-0 down, I think we'd struggle to find a way back into the game.

I like the system and philosophy Southgate is trying to play with. I think the players link up together better than the 'golden generation' did. I just don't think they're mature enough as a squad yet to go far, but given time (and hopefully a bit of slack from the press), we could make a big impact in the next one.

 

[DarloRich]

I think you've summed it up well, but what I would say is England looked inexperienced and out of ideas once Tunisia started to put men behind the ball in the second half. If we came up against a stronger team in the knockouts and went 1-0 down, I think we'd struggle to find a way back into the game.

I like the system and philosophy Southgate is trying to play with. I think the players link up together better than the 'golden generation' did. I just don't think they're mature enough as a squad yet to go far, but given time (and hopefully a bit of slack from the press), we could make a big impact in the next one.

I agree - We lack a player with that X factor that might unlock those packed defenses. Ali and Stirling don't do it for me. I wasn't a fan of Southgate being appointed as i felt he was a company man and a bit of a yes man but he is doing a decent job and seems to be trying to develop a proper ethos and team direction. I don't expect much but we looked better in one half this tournament than we did in the whole of the last one!

 

[Iskra]

I wasn't, Saudi are and always have been at this level utterly, utterly atrocious (edit - don't forget they will also have just done a month of Ramadan too); remember Germany beating them 8-0 back in 2002? Christ help all of us when the World Cup gets expanded to 48, there's enough deadwood as it is and there's only 32 of them.

No tin foil hat for me at all. As @DarloRich says, they will come unstuck when they play someone genuinely threatening. Either that or they will strike a secret arms deal with the Portuguese and gets to the Semis.

Fair enough, I think I’d forgotten just how bad they are and yes that 8-0 was one of the most one sided games I’ve ever seen.

The Saudi team and a couple of the African ones so far don’t seem to play with any tactics/strategy at all, despite some of the other weaker teams with players of a similar quality showing the value of a game plan and some organisation (Iceland). It makes me wonder what they actually do inbetween competitions.

 

[AlterEgo]

Fair enough, I think I’d forgotten just how bad they are and yes that 8-0 was one of the most one sided games I’ve ever seen.

The Saudi team and a couple of the African ones so far don’t seem to play with any tactics/strategy at all, despite some of the other weaker teams with players of a similar quality showing the value of a game plan and some organisation (Iceland). It makes me wonder what they actually do inbetween competitions.

African teams are the most naive tactically in the world despite having some of the most incredible athletes in their squads. This has been the case for as long as I can remember.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Christ help all of us when the World Cup gets expanded to 48, there's enough deadwood as it is and there's only 32 of them.

And yet, because of the way qualifying is done, those qualified whereas one of the semi finalists from the Euro's didn't.
Granted I am a bit bitter and gutted at our failure to qualify, and I do get why it is done the way it is (it would basically be a Euro South America Cup not a World Cup otherwise), but it is still frustrating that teams who are much much worse than us can qualify.

 

[DarloRich]

And yet, because of the way qualifying is done, those qualified whereas one of the semi finalists from the Euro's didn't.
Granted I am a bit bitter and gutted at our failure to qualify, and I do get why it is done the way it is (it would basically be a Euro South America Cup not a World Cup otherwise), but it is still frustrating that teams who are much much worse than us can qualify.

Wales did really well at the Euros but finished third in the world cup qualifying group behind Serbia and Ireland. It isnt African teams that stopped Wales qualifying.

 

[Pakenhamtrain]

Not a penalty. An awful decision and makes a mockery of VAR. The game is gone.

THEN they miss a blatant foul in Kane. Shocking

The VAR stuffing up. I could of told you they were going to do that from our A-League season!

 

[WelshBluebird]

Wales did really well at the Euros but finished third in the world cup qualifying group behind Serbia and Ireland. It isnt African teams that stopped Wales qualifying.

My point is more that, because of the way the qualifying is done (based on FIFA confederation), you get some qualifying tournaments (e.g. Europe) that is more difficult than others (e.g. Africa).
I am not saying African teams stopped Wales qualifying, I am saying that it does seem unfair that teams which are clearer worse can qualify because their respective qualifying tournament is easier.
I have no idea if it could be done in a better way, but at the moment what you get is a tournament made up of the better teams from each region, rather than a tournament made up of the better teams in the world. Of course, the reason it is done that way, as I said, is to ensure all regions get some kind of representation (as otherwise you'd basically just get European and South American teams, but just one or two others).

 

[DarloRich]

The VAR stuffing up. I could of told you they were going to do that from our A-League season!

I am against it entirely. The decision of the referee should be final.

My point is more that, because of the way the qualifying is done (based on FIFA confederation), you get some qualifying tournaments (e.g. Europe) that is more difficult than others (e.g. Africa).
I am not saying African teams stopped Wales qualifying, I am saying that it does seem unfair that teams which are clearer worse can qualify because their respective qualifying tournament is easier.
I have no idea if it could be done in a better way, but at the moment what you get is a tournament made up of the better teams from each region, rather than a tournament made up of the better teams in the world. Of course, the reason it is done that way, as I said, is to ensure all regions get some kind of representation (as otherwise you'd basically just get European and South American teams, but just one or two others).

It could be worse - you could be Scotland

 

[The_Train]

My point is more that, because of the way the qualifying is done (based on FIFA confederation), you get some qualifying tournaments (e.g. Europe) that is more difficult than others (e.g. Africa).
I am not saying African teams stopped Wales qualifying, I am saying that it does seem unfair that teams which are clearer worse can qualify because their respective qualifying tournament is easier.
I have no idea if it could be done in a better way, but at the moment what you get is a tournament made up of the better teams from each region, rather than a tournament made up of the better teams in the world. Of course, the reason it is done that way, as I said, is to ensure all regions get some kind of representation (as otherwise you'd basically just get European and South American teams, but just one or two others).

Wales hardly had a tough group and managed to finish 3rd behind Serbia and Ireland. Simply put, Wales were yet again not good enough to qualify for the biggest stage in world football.

One good run in the Euro's doesn't make Wales more worthy of a place in the World Cup than any nation who has actually managed to qualify

 

[Butts]

I am against it entirely. The decision of the referee should be final.



It could be worse - you could be Scotland

Hey - cut out the sarcasm and tune into Scotland 78 A Love Story (BBC I Player) if you really enjoy shafting us

I can remember Scotland qualifying in days gone by and England not doing so.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Wales hardly had a tough group and managed to finish 3rd behind Serbia and Ireland. Simply put, Wales were yet again not good enough to qualify for the biggest stage in world football.

One good run in the Euro's doesn't make Wales more worthy of a place in the World Cup than any nation who has actually managed to qualify

You are completely missing the point.
I am not saying Wales deserved to qualify.
What I am saying is that the way the qualifiers are done, makes it harder for a team in Europe to qualify than team of similar ability from Africa (remember this was a follow on from a conversation about how poor some of the teams who have qualified are, and it is the way the qualifiers are done that results in that happening).

 

[The_Train]

You are completely missing the point.
I am not saying Wales deserved to qualify

And yet, because of the way qualifying is done, those qualified whereas one of the semi finalists from the Euro's didn't.
Granted I am a bit bitter and gutted at our failure to qualify, and I do get why it is done the way it is (it would basically be a Euro South America Cup not a World Cup otherwise), but it is still frustrating that teams who are much much worse than us can qualify.

I would suggest that you are insinuating that Wales deserve to be at the World Cup over teams 'much worse than us' because Wales reached the semi finals of the Euro's.

Bearing in mind some of the results for the likes of Mexico, Senegal and Japan so far in the tournament I'm not so sure there are many nations any less deserving of being there irrelevant of the confederation they qualified from