Football

[Kite159]

Russia being found out against Uruguay, 2 goals down and a man sent off.

And Mr Putin will be on the telephonic device afterwards to tell the players that they better pull their socks up for the next game otherwise they will get given a one way ticket to Siberia

 

[trash80]

"Good game Comrade Suarez, tea?"

 

[DarloRich]

Iran v Portugal could be an interesting one. Iran could get something.

 

[Darandio]

Iran v Portugal could be an interesting one. Iran could get something.

I agree, we could see Portugal depart tonight. I was tempted to make a prediction but didn't fancy another two pages of interrogation.

 

[Darandio]

It might be worth retracting that, the Iran keeper is repeatedly acting as if he's trying to catch a hot potato.

 

[DarloRich]

It might be worth retracting that, the Iran keeper is repeatedly acting as if he's trying to catch a hot potato.

OK - IF they play like they did against Spain

 

[DarloRich]

Portugal score on the stroke of half time through a great goal from Ricardo Quaresma to lead 1-0. Long way to go. Iran a bit disappointing so really need to go for it in the second half. They have nothing to lose now.

 

[DarloRich]

The referee has bottled sending off Ronaldo. Cowardly, snide, off the ball, forearm smash from the great one. Red card all day long. Gets booked. Other way round the Iranian player walks. Disgusting. Even after VAR the ref didn't have the balls to send off and ban the great one.

Now he has given the Iranians a dodgy VAR penalty. It is chaos!

1-1 Injury time to play. madness. Now lets see what Portugal are made of. If it finished this way Spain top the group

Iran have missed a sitter! This game is out of control.

 

[Darandio]

If that is the future with VAR, the game is gone. A diabolical referee given a vehicle to make a second guess and make an even more diabolical decision.

 

[DarloRich]

Portugal VERY lucky to squeak through. Iran should have won and knocked them out. The ref had a shocker. it was a mad farce of a game at the end.

 

[Dentonian]

Portugal VERY lucky to squeak through. Iran should have won and knocked them out. The ref had a shocker. it was a mad farce of a game at the end.

I've only been following it on the BBC website but according to them Iran's penalty should never have been awarded in a million years!

 

[richw]

Portugal Iran referee was awful, lost control of the game. Out of his depth!

 

[DarloRich]

I've only been following it on the BBC website but according to them Iran's penalty should never have been awarded in a million years!

it was never a penalty. Complete disgrace. Fun though.

 

[nlogax]

Just got home and seen the highlights of the Portugal v Iran match. Jay-sus.. how did Ronaldo not get sent off? Just appalling. I hope the ref doesn't resurface in the knock-out stage.

Really not sure about the VAR implementation so far. For certain situations, decisions take an absolute age to arrive and - as in the above example - they're no guarantee of an appropriate ruling.

 

[AlterEgo]

I didn’t think the Ronaldo “elbow” was a red; I think he stuck him with a straight arm and it would have been a harsh red. However the Iranian penalty was a disgrace. How you can award that after VAR is beyond me.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The referee has bottled sending off Ronaldo. Cowardly, snide, off the ball, forearm smash from the great one. Red card all day long. Gets booked. Other way round the Iranian player walks. Disgusting. Even after VAR the ref didn't have the balls to send off and ban the great one.

I wondered how you would have reported on the said incident which saw Ronaldo in the alternative role of an aggressor and wondered if the roles of the two players had been reversed, you would have been your usual scathing self towards Ronaldo and words such as cheat, simulation, etc. used...

Also, to hark back to your description recently of Ronaldo as a "show pony". I ask what in your view how aggression in a show pony would be seen by a vet and what action the vet would then suggest.

 

[DarloRich]

I wondered how you would have reported on the said incident which saw Ronaldo in the alternative role of an aggressor and wondered if the roles of the two players had been reversed, you would have been your usual scathing self towards Ronaldo and words such as cheat, simulation, etc. used...

Also, to hark back to your description recently of Ronaldo as a "show pony". I ask what in your view how aggression in a show pony would be seen by a vet and what action the vet would then suggest.

Come along Paul - if it had been the other way round the Iranian player would have been dismissed. You know that. We all know that. The foul was obvious. He smashed his forearm into the face of the Iranian.

As for the rest - do give it a rest. It is boring and tiresome. Ronaldo was petulant and in a bad mood because he wasn't the centre of attention.

I didn’t think the Ronaldo “elbow” was a red; I think he stuck him with a straight arm and it would have been a harsh red. However the Iranian penalty was a disgrace. How you can award that after VAR is beyond me.

For any other player it was a red card all day long especially a no mark Iranian on the world superstar. The use of the elbow or the forearm make no difference. Ronaldo struck another player and he did so in a dangerous or reckless manner. The referee simply did not have the balls to send off the great Ronaldo. It was a disgrace as was the Iranian penalty decision.

 

[WelshBluebird]

I think he stuck him with a straight arm

How is that not a red? Striking an opposition player in the head / face with your arm on purpose?

 

[thejuggler]

With VAR systems you should also have sin bins. It gives what I have found to be a satisfactory option if the ref bottles giving a red.

 

[The_Train]

With VAR systems you should also have sin bins. It gives what I have found to be a satisfactory option if the ref bottles giving a red.

Should follow the lead of Rugby and have all yellow card offences coming with 10 mins in the sin bin as well

 

[AlterEgo]

How is that not a red? Striking an opposition player in the head / face with your arm on purpose?

Because I don’t think that it was violent conduct, having seen the replay. He didn’t elbow the guy - an elbow is always violent conduct.

In fact Ronaldo’s arm comes down in front of the player’s chest. It’s certainly not deliberately hitting him in the face. It was a glancing blow at best.

Excessive force or brutality? No. It was a foul, a yellow card, and nothing more.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Serbia denied a nailed on penalty and Switzerlands goals scored by Kosovans who celebrated by making an Albanian eagle symbol. I'd hate to be in the wrong bar in Kaliningrad tonight. Ha ha. Not taking sides by the way, just a bit of politics.

Speaking of Albanians, how on earth did a player with the name Shehu end up playing for Nigeria? Mehmet Shehu was prime minister of Albania from 1954 to 1981 before being murdered, allegedly on the orders of Comrade Enver Hoxha, long-time head of state and first secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania (or PPSH). Nigeria's Shehu Abdullahi does not appear to be of Albanian descent.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Speaking of Albanians, how on earth did a player with the name Shehu end up playing for Nigeria? Mehmet Shehu was prime minister of Albania from 1954 to 1981 before being murdered, allegedly on the orders of Comrade Enver Hoxha, long-time head of state and first secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania (or PPSH). Nigeria's Shehu Abdullahi does not appear to be of Albanian descent.

Is it not the case that Denmark have a midfield player with the surname of Delaney?

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Has he got a donkey?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I wonder what others on this thread might feel about the situation in this World Cup where a number of players deliberately approaching the referee en masse in an intimidatiary manner being given immediate yellow cards by the referee, followed by a second yellow card leading to dismissal should players be persistant in carrying on regardless such a described manner.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Has he got a donkey?

Indeed he has and I believe it won "the half-mile race"...

 

[DarloRich]

Because I don’t think that it was violent conduct, having seen the replay. He didn’t elbow the guy - an elbow is always violent conduct.

No mark Albanian on Ronaldo and that challenge is a sending off. No VAR needed - Straight red.

I wonder what others on this thread might feel about the situation in this World Cup where a number of players deliberately approaching the referee en masse in an intimidatiary manner being given immediate yellow cards by the referee, followed by a second yellow card leading to dismissal should players be persistant in carrying on regardless such a described manner.

That is exactly what should be happening. Same for anyone making the imaginary card sign and anyone asking for VAR.

 

[AlterEgo]

No mark Albanian on Ronaldo and that challenge is a sending off. No VAR needed - Straight red.

I agree, there’s a much higher chance of some unknown getting sent off for that. But I still don’t think it was a red. I don’t want people sent off for that. It ruins the game.

 

[DarloRich]

I agree, there’s a much higher chance of some unknown getting sent off for that. But I still don’t think it was a red. I don’t want people sent off for that. It ruins the game.

I do when it is Ronaldo He could very easily have been suspended for a crucial game for his country. It was stupid and he was very lucky.

 

[EM2]

If that is the future with VAR, the game is gone. A diabolical referee given a vehicle to make a second guess and make an even more diabolical decision.

That's not VAR's fault though. The referee was given the opportunity to review his decision, and decided to award the penalty. If you have an issue, it's surely with him.