Life In 19x19

HermanHiddema wrote:[...] they do seem to lack a striker that can finish the job [...] but I can't help but think that forwards like Ronaldo, Messi, Suarez or Robben would have scored some of those chances.

Well, then they are not lacking a striker, but a very high quality striker. These 4 are quite likely the current 4 best.

a football song: sweet mexican girl hates Olanda ( sorry niña )

dutch humor ( unbeaten )

That was a truly epic game. It's a shame that US couldn't have pulled out at least this win.
Howard's performance would have been cemented in World Cup history if so.

Well, with the USA out and Wales/Bale not being a legitimate world team. Belgium/Hazard are my now my horse in this race.

HermanHiddema wrote:Players are not trained to dive, they are trained to go down easy on light fouls if they have no other options. That's what Robben does, that's what Messi does, that's what any player worth his salt does.

But really, why are we even talking about this? Why is it that, with all this great football being played (has anyone seen Belgium - USA? That was an amazing match!), all some people seem to want to talk about is how much they hate certain players, how much they hate certain teams, or how much they hate the game of football in general?

Please don't say there isn't a difference between those plays. Messi wen't down legitimately with no flair and actually had a chance to get a clear shot off. Sure, Robben may(he wasn't changing direction the same was as Messi) have had cause to go down. But leaping off the ground and contorting in mid-air? Plus he had no chance at getting another touch on the ball. C'mon man...

I love the game tremendously but I prefer listening to it nowadays. I get helpless laughs at plays such as those.

emerus wrote:

HermanHiddema wrote:Players are not trained to dive, they are trained to go down easy on light fouls if they have no other options. That's what Robben does, that's what Messi does, that's what any player worth his salt does.

Please don't say there isn't a difference between those plays. Messi wen't down legitimately with no flair and actually had a chance to get a clear shot off. Sure, Robben may(he wasn't changing direction the same was as Messi) have had cause to go down. But leaping off the ground and contorting in mid-air? Plus he had no chance at getting another touch on the ball. C'mon man...

I love the game tremendously but I prefer listening to it nowadays. I get helpless laughs at plays such as those.

The only difference is that Robben embellished. Messi also moved into the box, also changed direction by cutting to his left, also lost control of the ball already, was also only lightly fouled by a player who lunged in too late, and also went down when he probably could've stayed up with the hope of getting a penalty.

Robben already went down in the first half without embellishing (this one), and in that instance he was hit so hard that the defender who tackled him broke his own shin bone (boom). So I can imagine that at some point you're going to try and attract some extra attention when you've been taken down yet again. I don't like theatrics at all, but I like fouls (and diving) even less.

So how about everybody stops diving, and everybody stops fouling players, eh? Then the theatrics will disappear naturally.

From football rules : A direct free kick is awarded when a player commits a deliberate foul outside of the penalty box (for offsides, etc., an indirect free kick is awarded).[1] However, if the offence was committed by the defending team within their own penalty area, the kick becomes a penalty kick.

Why not complain about the Mexican defender who committed the offence. He polluted football in the first place. He hindered the attacker intentionally and illegally in order to reduce his scoring chance. Such defenders make football less attractive to watch.

Anybody else notice there was no diving, flopping, or cheating of note in that well-regarded Belgium-USA match? Funny how people appreciate clean football.

I'm not anti-Dutch, just anti-Robben. He's is a famous diver, a dirty cheat, and a crybaby who tries to get his opponents carded. He has been like this for years, which is a real pity because he's got amazing talent as has been demonstrated with some spectacular goals in this tourney.

My complaint in his last match wasn't just the last flop, it was the two prior dives, both of which deserved a booking. If the ref had the balls to card him, Robben would have stopped diving. Instead he was rewarded for being a cad.

Comparing his antics to Messi's stellar sportsmanship is disingenuous at best, especially over the course of their careers.

Here's a good article decrying the diving in football today. See, those of us who dislike it aren't alone.

wineandgolover wrote:Anybody else notice there was no diving, flopping, or cheating of note in that well-regarded Belgium-USA match? Funny how people appreciate clean football. [......]

Anybody else notice there was no fouling attackers of note in that well-regarded Belgium-USA match? Funny how people appreciate clean football.

Hushfield wrote:

HermanHiddema wrote:has anyone seen Belgium - USA? That was an amazing match!

Half the nation still has sore throats from screaming our way to the quarterfinals

I was looking up the TV ratings for various matches, and noticed that by the time you add in all the TV plus public viewings plus internet viewing, you probably had something like 10% of all Americans watching the Belgium-USA match, which is a pretty big deal by US standards.

In Belgium, that number was around 40%.

And here in the US it's going to be anothe rfour years before we have a chance to really increase the popularity of the sport again.

cyclops wrote:

wineandgolover wrote:Anybody else notice there was no diving, flopping, or cheating of note in that well-regarded Belgium-USA match? Funny how people appreciate clean football. [......]

Anybody else notice there was no fouling attackers of note in that well-regarded Belgium-USA match? Funny how people appreciate clean football.

Belgium committed 27 fouls, USA 11. Netherlands 8, Mexico 12. Clean?

Whoah, Germany. That was totally impressive

I thought the 4th goal was a replay of the 3rd.

At least the 90th minute won me a beer.

Oh my, how did this happen.

It happened because

- Germany was tactically stronger,
- Brazil was psychologically not prepared for being behind at all,
- Brazil was too burdened by national demand for the title,
- Brazil's defense was too wide and tactically passive, allowing Germany nice looking combinations,
- Klose was motivated to reach the 16 WC goal record.