FIFA World Cup 2010

[chompers]

Looking it up, if the Italy New Zealand group ends in all equal draws, then it will come to lots, drawn by a FIFA official.

Behind closed doors with a representative of the country with the most money .... ?? Looks like Italy

[MuadDib85]

Well, the Auzzies were robbed again, as if Kewell deserved a red card..

Also in our game against Germany... Do the referees know the rules for offside?

I can't believe the ammount of dodgy calls, nearly as bad as last worldcup when the Italy guy took a dive against us and milked a penalty which knocked us out.. rubbish.

[chompers]

Well, the Auzzies were robbed again, as if Kewell deserved a red card..

Also in our game against Germany... Do the referees know the rules for offside?

I can't believe the ammount of dodgy calls, nearly as bad as last worldcup when the Italy guy took a dive against us and milked a penalty which knocked us out.. rubbish.

That's the beauty of soccer (erm ... football). One bad call can change the entire match ... and protect the so called superpowers of soccer. Referees ... the twelth player for the richest teams.

Sorry for sarcasm ... I know its probably not true ... but sometimes I do wonder.

[MR. Lurtzy]

They need to add instant replays. Referee's need to explain themselves. Calls need to be able to be reversed.

[Gil-Estel]

True, with the stakes that high, it should. But football is a very conservative game and at the top they are not willing to change it at all. But when you look at the horrible mistakes made in the past with offside goals and such....

1 Example. The finalist of the Champions League, Bayern Munchen, won with their place in the finals I guess 30-40 million usd. But they should have been eliminated a few rounds earlier, cause of an offside goal they made. The comment is: it is the charme of the game.....:lo:. You don't want to know how charming I am, when I lost that much money!

[Cw0rk]

They need to add instant replays. Referee's need to explain themselves. Calls need to be able to be reversed.

I'd hate to see instant replays... unless if there is only ONE replay allowed per game. Otherwise, there would be as much pauses as american football.

[ket_the_jet]

You know what's great about soccer? When after the match, whether you win, lose, or tie, your team should've won.

I think soccer fan culture is just as bad bland and uninteresting as soccer itself.
-wtk

[lem0nhead]

I think soccer fan culture is just as bad bland and uninteresting as soccer itself.
-wtk

You are unenlightened and uneducated if you feel this way with any justification. If you have experienced the culture as a true football fan and come to this conclusion I'm surprised. I suspect you have never been a die hard football fan and had any experience with it enough to say. If you have, apologies, but as someone who has played, watched and supported it all my life, I cannot see how the post game and mid week discussions of team selections, transfers, bad refereeing decisions, poor substitutions, wonder goals, disallowed goals and all the controversy that goes with the game, is not interesting to a sports fan. It is anything but bland. Its has so many talking points you could go on for days. The fact that you quite rightly say (well in a lot of cases) that teams feel aggrieved and that "we should have won" is another part of enjoying the football, ruing miss chances and expecting more next time. The banter and desire for revenge etc generated by these types of games is what keeps football fans addicted.

[CCCORNIV]

  One thing about American football, the refs have to make the call known to everyone.  They have to state the players number and what infraction was committed.  

  The enforcement of rules of soccer are too inconsistent.  You see an Italian's jersey get touched while in the box and it's a penalty kick, a couple of Americans are getting held by the waste while in the box and they let it go, then wave off the goal with no explanation.  Offsides is dependent on which team is playing and what the score is at the current time.  If one of the super powers is behind and on the attack offsides will not be called unless it is blatant.  

[ket_the_jet]

I used to date a girl who was recruited to play soccer in college and had a professional contract in place with a WPS team (I think Philly, don't remember). I got dragged to a few pro soccer games, men's and women's, and could not at all get into the game.

Bad refereeing decisions, poor substitutions, surprise plays...these are things that are part of every sport. Managers or coaches are always questioned after a loss.

Even if the game was, god-forbid, 2-0 (what a blowout!), the losing team leaves feeling like it should have won that game. In soccer, a team never wins. The other team "beats itself."

If I wanted to watch a team run gulags, I'd go back to my high school football (American) practice. But since I want to watch a game where speed, stamina, and a few sexual favors to referees isn't the only thing that determines a game, I'm going to hit the remote on the World Cup.
-wtk

[lem0nhead]

Hilarious. The french are down to 10 and 2-0 down. What ignomy. Theyve made a proper balls up of this. Doesnt help they have the crappest manager in international football mind.

[Pepi]

Tomorrow we're wipin' the floor with England! No offense Englanders, but that's the way we roll. xD

[FM]

I wished France would just let go, so South Africa would qualify.

[Witchkingx5]

I wished France would just let go, so South Africa would qualify.

So did I, as I have a really stupid bet with my Maths teacher if Mexiko will succede. Please Argentina, kick the Mexiakns out... 

[lem0nhead]

Pepi. If at the start of the world cup i had been told all we had to do was beat Slovenia I would have laughed and taken that. Now the thought fills me with dread. Not just because were playing awful. You acquitted yourself really well against the US until you threw it all away sloppily.

Still we SHOULD be able to beat you, whether we will currently is a whole different kettle of fish.

One more thing to say. HAHAHA France. Well done. If youre gonna #$&*@! it up, at least do it in style.