The World Cup

[BGorDeath]

I love soccer defenders.

I agree with the Twilight thing too. I out $30 so my wife can go to a marathon session on opening night. God, I hate vampires...who play soccer...for Spain...in Asia.

[Redwingtom]

Defending champ Italy has been bounced with a 3-2 loss to Slovenia.

[h2oville rocket]

Defending champ Italy has been bounced with a 3-2 loss to Slovenia.

Well then, no orange slices for THEM.

[Flipper]

Italy lost? Well...that's South Americans for you... I think they should get juice boxes in lieu of orange slices.

[hammb]

Italy lost? Well...that's South Americans for you... I think they should get juice boxes in lieu of orange slices.

Pffft....everybody knows Italians go out for pizza after sporting events!

[h2oville rocket]

Italy lost? Well...that's South Americans for you... I think they should get juice boxes in lieu of orange slices.

Pffft....everybody knows Italians go out for pizza after sporting events!

Is that how they spell it in Italy?

[BGorDeath]

Now, the good thing is we don't have to hear about soccer for another 4 years!

[Falcon Fanatic]

Now, the good thing is we don't have to hear about soccer for another 4 years!

I turned on the US game game today for a few minutes, just to see what all the fuss was about. The horn noise was SOOOO freakin' annoying...like buzzing bees....and the action...*zzz(snooze)zzz*...not much excitement there...... sorry, just don't see myself being a fan of this sport. I'll take fast moving, hard hitting, hockey any day!!!

Apologies to all soccer fans!!!

[Zom]

The only three people in the world who missed that goal were the three Uruguyan officials in charge of the England/Germany game.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter announced before the tournament that goal line tech was unnecessary.

England's ball was a whole foot inside Germany's goalmouth. This tournament is a joke if teams can't rely on minimum refereeing standards. This is an embarrassment to the sport.

You're at the game, Sepp Blatter, you t*sser. What do you say now?

[Zom]

OK, stiff upper lip and all that, congratulations Germany. They were the better team by a long way.

The problem is this: "probably". Had Lampard's unquestionable goal been noticed by anyone, would the game, tied at 2-2 have gone the same way? Nobody knows, and that's a problem. Decisions like this have turned Superbowls, Wimbledon, and other sports events. The NFL has made blunders of this kind much more difficult to make in the 21st C. Wimbledon fixed the problem. FIFA must improve their officiating, because otherwise FIFA devalues their product.

No need to kick off about what happened 44 years ago to exactly the same two teams, except at the other end of the field - sure, except today the have the tech to do something about it and nothing has changed. Nothing has changed in 44 years. That's the real problem. Maybe the game doesn't need instant replay for every incident, surely the goalmouth needs looking after?

I've played for teams in rugby and soccer where opponents say: "yeah, well, the ref was on your side today, mate. There wasn't much point showing up". Although you always bank the win and "play the game" by saying say you make your luck, admittedly you'd go home home wondering who the best team really was, rather then really knowing for sure. Even as a winner, sometimes you feel cheated.

But.... maybe that's just sport. Sepp Blatter's still a tw*t. I thought I had another two weeks before I had to do some work for a living. I'll have to do some work tomorrow, now. I can't be bothered to watch any more. The competition is tainted now.

[TG1996]

I'm a soccer fan, but not one that pays incredibly close attention beyond the World Cup, and even then, I'll watch if it's on, but am not really making appointments to see Turkey vs. Australia.

However, watching Japan clinch a spot in the second round in a bar in Tokyo was pretty freaking sweet.

[tiznow]

England's ball was a whole foot inside Germany's goalmouth.



That's what she said

[Zom]

On final analysis, the ball was 59cm behind the goal line, which is not just a whole foot but 23.2 inches which is almost TWO whole feet. How about:

"Don't cry for us Argentina
Its true we'll never play you"

Justice will be served if Ghana wins the tournament.

And, while we're at it, the Mexicans were doing pretty well against Argentina just 3 hours later when the clods officiating that game allowed Argentina's first goal despite an offside margin that was more like two metres. It changed the game.

Its the Asian betting syndicates, I tell you. They're running the tournament.

[BGFalconfromCincy]

Now, the good thing is we don't have to hear about soccer for another 4 years!

I don't know, it looks like FIFA is trying to get us America more interested by giving us something we are used too, terrible referees

[Class of 61]

Look at it this way...a couple of weeks ago, an umpire MISSED (big time) the play that would've given a Detroit pitcher a PERFECT GAME.... BUT Major League baseball wouldn't use instant replay to correct the obvious error, despite the fact that the ump admitted to the blown call and apologized to the player and team. (Of course, he WAS a BG alum, so that might explain the classy move )...

But FIFA says refs don't have to "explain" missed calls...U.S. had TWO goals disallowed, BOTH of which were missed calls...let's assume the 1st one was simply a judgement call on the refs part...the 2nd one (off side call) was flat out wrong an could've been corrected via replay...IF they allowed it. IF these are supposed to be the BEST officials in the WORLD, what do the "lesser" ones look like?

Point being, we now possess different technology to avoid a player or team being screwed.... the NFL learned this a long time ago, NBA has a variation of it to correct calls late in the game, I believe NHL is using a form too.... But Baseball,with the exception of the "debated" HR calls, and Soccer need to get into the 21st Century.