FIFA World Cup 2010

[cured]

[34958hq439-qjw9v5jq298v5j]

A step in the wrong direction:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-c...cc=5901?ver=us

Seems to me that FIFA doesn't even really care about a fair game anymore!

[cured]

USA update: it appears Sunil Gulati may make another run at Jurgen Klinsmann as the next coach.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-c...cc=5901&ver=us

Watch the video, he makes excellent points.

12 years living here and I believe that's all been spent in California. Charismatic and perhaps one of the world's better strikers (in his time) can show our forwards how to put the ball in the net in the World Cup. We haven't had a striker score since Brian McBride in 2002.

Now, about England. Steve McManaman and Klinsmann gave their thoughts on ESPN:

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5333633

What bothered me about England was they played way too slow. When they moved the ball upfield, there weren't a whole lot of meaningful runs being made to make their attack quick. Rooney never seemed to get any space so a team mate could feed him the ball. A lot of standing around, waiting for the defense to hiccup or for an offensive player with the ball to move the ball around and not attack the defense, themselves.

When they went down 2, they played with that sense of urgency you need but, even with the disallowed goal, they still needed to come out and play in the second half and they didn't. David James said he felt that if the goal would have been allowed, Germany would have folded (?!?!?!). Mind boggling. Well, there is a barometer for England to measure themselves by now in the years leading up to 2014; the Germans. They've got a lot of young guys that will be playing in the next couple of world cups. It will be interesting to see what the new guard in England looks like, since the bulk of core players from this team will be retiring from international competition.

[cured]

Originally Posted by 34958hq439-qjw9v5jq298v5j

A step in the wrong direction:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-c...cc=5901?ver=us

Seems to me that FIFA doesn't even really care about a fair game anymore!

FIFA is just bracing for the storm. I don't think we'll see instant replay anytime soon. Us americans are used to it, though. Even though play is stopped, the right calls are usually made and games can resume play where they ought to be. I'd recommend, at minimum, some goal line technology that can discern whether or not a ball crosses the line. Apart from the England non-call, it can help with other spots, such as balls being cleared off the line by defenders (there was a close one a few days ago) and goalies playing, essentially, in their own net (this happened with one of the Asian keepers in 2006 a couple of times, IIRC). 30 second review after a goal is scored, if challenged, would work well enough and not interrupt the flow or timing of the game, I would think. These ideas may sound whacky to those not accustomed to instant replay but the goal is to ensure the right calls are made so teams like Mexico don't find themselves under the gun and a team like England doesn't have to expend energy to fight an uphill battle when they should be level.

FIFA appears to be really slow when it comes to embracing change but, as technology advances, maybe it won't be such a drastic jump. Heck, hockey has this technology in place when a puck crosses the line and it seems to work well for them.

[potatobroth]

Originally Posted by //\/\/

jesus; if these 2 teams are 'lucky' i'd love to see a 'good' one

You can be both. Clearly ARG was lucky at the start of that match to 1) be up 1-0 and 2) have their crossbar struck once (or was it twice?)

Mexico played very well in that match aside from the defensive blunder that gave ARG their second score. And I'll argue til I'm blue in the face that the awarded Tevez goal cost them a great deal of focus. Should a pro player be able to skirt a bad call? Surely. But when everyone in the stadium, on the bench, and in the world saw it was a bad call only 15 seconds after the score, then there is a massive problem. Mexico got screwed.

[BrotherLovesDub]

Football fans are ok with time wasting for flopping and diving but not for a replay to ensure the right call was made. That would ruin the beauty of the game. Stupid Americans will never understand.

[stimpee]

Originally Posted by BrotherLovesDub

Football fans are ok with time wasting for flopping and diving but not for a replay to ensure the right call was made. That would ruin the beauty of the game. Stupid Americans will never understand.

the only stupid people who dont understand are the people at FIFA. we want replays as much as you do..

[cured]

Originally Posted by stimpee

the only stupid people who dont understand are the people at FIFA. we want replays as much as you do..

The head of US Soccer said he'd be willing to allow the MLS to be a test bed for new technologies. He also added this nugget:

Gulati said a FIFA executive committee member, whom he didn't identify, gave his own personal views about using technology.

"He was outlining a system that he had in his own mind thought of which was very similar to the NFL system, with the obvious difference of continuous action. But a challenge system, if the challenge is upheld, then you retain," Gulati said. "I don't think there's any doubt that FIFA will look at what's happened here, whether it's additional referees or some limited form of goal-line technology which they've looked at. They'll look at some things."

[mmm skyscraper]

Video replay does not solve everything. The replay official will just take the heat. And it won't stop the game for 30 seconds; they'll have to review every single goal from multiple angles for 5 minutes even if it was clearly a goal in the name of fairness. The replay has made US college football almost unwatchable; they spend a long time disputing a call and then still make the wrong decision:

[cured]

Originally Posted by mmm skyscraper

Video replay does not solve everything. The replay official will just take the heat. And it won't stop the game for 30 seconds; they'll have to review every single goal from multiple angles for 5 minutes even if it was clearly a goal in the name of fairness. The replay has made US college football almost unwatchable; they spend a long time disputing a call and then still make the wrong decision:

I never said it should completely mirror the American football system. It can't because American football is built on game stoppages and soccer is not. Watch a World Cup game and there will be a conclusive replay within a minute of the play in question happening, including off-sides calls. I'm suggesting a quick look to see if there was something egregious going on. American football and soccer are completely different animals.

Plus, refs occasionally don't make the correct call in American football replays but the vast, vast majority of the time, they get them right and you know it.