The World Cup Thread (19 Viewers)

[Sky Blue Harry H]

Awful stamp on Iniesta. Some cheap shots from Morocco here.

 

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[Otis]

Awful stamp on Iniesta. Some cheap shots from Morocco here.

Cheap shots should be on the 'on the lash' thread surely.

 

[ccfchoi87]

Happy with my prediction of Spain to win the whole thing at the minute.

 

[Otis]

Happy with my prediction of Spain to win the whole thing at the minute.

I'm still happy with my England prediction.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Cracking goal from Quaresma there.

 

[SkyBlueSoul]

Incredible goal

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Portugal always seem to fly ynder the radar a bit, but they aren't half bad you know.

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

Some of thr Moroccan tackling is dangerous. Iniesta a class above.

 

[wingy]

Come on Hadjis side! !

 

[CJ_covblaze]

Egypt’s keeper is 45!

Older than the trophy itself and the same age as Jamie Redknapp and Jay Jay Okocha*.

*Lol.

 

[CJ_covblaze]

We would beat Senegal or Japan comfortably, but Columbia could be a bit trickier. Not worth worrying about - che sera, sera as they say (somewhere foreign)!

Only one that any team should fear based on this tournament so far is Croatia.

 

[CJ_covblaze]

By the time England play their final group game on Thursday, six of the eight groups will already have been completed. Twelve teams will already be in place in their half of the draw.

This could be an advantage to England because whilst we wouldn’t know for certain who we’re playing in the last sixteen, we might be able to see that one half of the draw would offer an easier route beyond the last sixteen.

I’m saying that if that advantage materialises and only if, we should make the most of it. it's a decision to be made Wednesday evening.

You’re saying ignore it, win regardless and possibly accept a much tougher route.

Baffling in my opinion, but hey.

You’re right. We are the last game though so 14 will know not 12.

 

[Paul Anthony]

Spain look so slow to react defensively, can't rule Morocco out.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Ronaldo v this keeper could get messy.

And so it does, but not as expected!

 

[Paul Anthony]

Oh Morocco! Thumping header!

 

[Otis]

Happy with my prediction of Spain to win the whole thing at the minute.

Still happy?

 

[fernandopartridge]

Nothing to fear in Spain. They don't like playing against a high tempo team

 

[Otis]

Nothing to fear in Spain. They don't like playing against a high tempo team

They are very one dimensional too. Seem to struggle to vary their game.

 

[rondog1973]

Over at Portugal/Iran, used to think Mark Lawrenson knew what he was talking about. Tonight on co-commentary duties, he's been dreadful. Stonewall penalty for Portugal and he won't have it. Elbow by Ronaldo and it's no red card for Lawro!

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Not liking VAR at all.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Over at Portugal/Iran, used to think Mark Lawrenson knew what he was talking about. Tonight on co-commentary duties, he's been dreadful. Stonewall penalty for Portugal and he won't have it. Elbow by Ronaldo and it's no red card for Lawro!

tbf, I thought it was just him running and competing.

That was never a penalty, mind!

 

[Paul Anthony]

Harsh on Morocco.

 

[Otis]

Not liking VAR at all.

Right decision there in the Spain game.

 

[rondog1973]

To be fair he is right about this Iran penalty!

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Would've still enjoyed it if that chance had gone in!

 

[We'll_live_and_die]

Iran game. It took too long and the ref is weak. Did it even touch Cedrics arm? Is it handball or ball to hand when he has is back to the ball?

VAR is fair enough ref is not.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Over at Portugal/Iran, used to think Mark Lawrenson knew what he was talking about. Tonight on co-commentary duties, he's been dreadful. Stonewall penalty for Portugal and he won't have it. Elbow by Ronaldo and it's no red card for Lawro!

How wasn't it a penalty!? Laughable. The only point worth making is that the ref or lino should not have missed such a stonewall penalty in the first place.

 

[Johnnythespider]

If Ronaldos is a pen then the challenge on the Iranian just after is also a pen. The Portuguese player is looking for the player and not the ball.

 

[rondog1973]

How wasn't it a penalty!? Laughable. The only point worth making is that the ref or lino should not have missed such a stonewall penalty in the first place.

What Lawrenson wouldn't do was stand corrected. He made his mind up upon seeing it and despite repeated reviews of the replay still maintained it weren't. Regarding the potential red for Ronaldo, you can see his face contort in irritation and a swing across the Iranians face imo.

 

[wingy]

Iran game. It took too long and the ref is weak. Did it even touch Cedrics arm? Is it handball or ball to hand when he has is back to the ball?

VAR is fair enough ref is not.

Exactly !!

 

[olderskyblue]

Does a player have to be in control of the ball to be fouled?

 

[Otis]

Does a player have to be in control of the ball to be fouled?

Very good question. Often hear it mooted, but not sure at all that it is an official rule.

 

[wingy]

What Lawrenson wouldn't do was stand corrected. He made his mind up upon seeing it and despite repeated reviews of the replay still maintained it weren't. Regarding the potential red for Ronaldo, you can see his face contort in irritation and a swing across the Iranians face imo.

Nah can't agree Rondog although I'd have been ok with him getting his marching orders.
The way I look at it If Ronaldos was a pen, which it wasn't then the Iranians should have had one soon after ,which they didn't .
So the one against Cedric evens it up ,although it never was ,but Pundits on an English Saturday night will tell you those are pens all the time.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

What Lawrenson wouldn't do was stand corrected. He made his mind up upon seeing it and despite repeated reviews of the replay still maintained it weren't. Regarding the potential red for Ronaldo, you can see his face contort in irritation and a swing across the Iranians face imo.

What I think that decision does show is the utter pointlessness of VAR. It's not a blatant elbow, you and I differ in our interpretation, so how on earth does it bring certainty in such a decision?

All it does is stall the game and stop the flow. Only thing you can say is it contrived a tense finish tonight!

 

[olderskyblue]

Very good question. Often hear it mooted, but not sure at all that it is an official rule.

But if a player makes a pass, then gets clattered, it's a foul, so he doesn't have to be "in control of the ball" to get a free kick. Lawro's argument was that ronaldo wasn't even in control of the ball, which is crap isn't it? Kane wasn't in control of the ball when he got a pen on Sunday.