Incorruptible FIFA World Cup Thread

All discussion from armchair Steins and Fergies here. Usual rules apply except World Cup referees are fair game in a World-Cup-Long Amnesty.

First game is on Thursday 12th June

Group A

Brazil v Croatia 2100 BST

 

 

Fill yer  boots folks!

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Tom Byrne

About Trisidium

Trisidium is a Dunblane businessman with a keen interest in Scottish Football. He is a Celtic fan, although the demands of modern-day parenting have seen him less at games and more as a taxi service for his kids.

171 thoughts on “Incorruptible FIFA World Cup Thread


  1. Joe millers shorts

    An interesting article, but it seemed quite clear to me from a couple of things that the author was not just talking about football rivalries, there were quite a few political leanings in there in not so subtle terms. The mention of the “non story” of the abuse of J K Rowling being a prime example. That was sinister, no other word for it, and there have been clear indications from both sides of the independence debate that they have tried to stifle democracy and democratic debate at every turn. Witness for example the special advisor to Alex Salmond writing to a national newspaper to try to discredit someone who disagreed with the Yes campaign. I don’t wish to bring these discussions to a football blog, but I feel that these inclusions in the article you shared discredit the authors position as the neutral perspective of a Scottish football fan.


  2. For balance I should say that I agreed with most other points made in the article, apologies, meant to include that above.


  3. Inspired by the world cup and hoping to play for Scotland in 2022 my 12 year old son went on to a vacant 7 a side pitch at Scotstoun leisure centre earlier tonight. Jobsworth came out and threw him off.
    Our local authority has part privatised the football pitches now our children cant use them.


  4. Joe Millers Shorts

    Disgraceful. What harm was he doing? I should say that I played regularly at glasgow green complex before being sidelined by injury and regularly saw kids playing on vacant pitches but in all the time I played there I never saw them being kicked off. Some places are worse than others apparently.


  5. joe millers shorts says:
    June 19, 2014 at 11:39 pm

    I can agree with you on this but I was thinking the other day my sons never played as much football as I did at their age even though I never played with a team. I played 5’s in the 70’s but I doubt there were many such facilities in and around Glasgow. It was cheap but most of the time my mates and I played in the open public parks . With more facilities these days in a way we have discouraged kids to play in open public spaces with the jackets out for goals. I would encourage my boys to play more 5’s but who could afford it. I have open space and official football facilities at the back of me but it must be about 15 years since I saw any number of kids playing a game on the grass, you just see less of it. Maybe that relates to areas where more official facilities are available.


  6. someone just posted a link to me regarding the guy in the Scotland strip at the England and what I find quite funny in a good way and connected with this site is the fact the guys name is Mark McConville 🙂 and he seems to be a bit of a star.

    His name is Mark McConville. He’s over there delivering 2nd hand football strips to kids in amazonian communities. What a star! Did the same at the World Cup in South Africa.

    Full details https://www.facebook.com/heartscotland/photos/a.573169316060419.1073741827.157477004296321/763956463648369/?type=1


  7. Ryan. Yes there were other games going on but one sevens pitch was free. You would not believe how hard it is for a kid who wants to practice, to get onto an astro pitch. Fortunately he is good at climbing fences but his old dad isn’t.


  8. It’s a difficult one joe, as much as you want kids to be able to get out and play, it’s not as fair on the guys who turn up and pay to play on the pitches. The answer surely is that councils need to provide more free playing areas.

    Further to the article you posted, I feel my temperature rising more and more while trying to watch the Japan Greece game and seeing no half time analysis but loads of conversation on England!!


  9. In fairness Ryan to the BBC the England topic for the vast majority of their viewers is the big story .


  10. RyanGosling says:
    June 20, 2014 at 12:41 am
    ‘….Totally is Briggsbhoy, but it’s still annoying!..’
    ——–
    And ( not to butt in) here was I off to bed, full of praise for the commentary team and studio pundits of the Uruguay game, as being fairly balanced, reasonable, realistic and non little- Englander!
    They were still a little too quick to talk about Gerrard’s ‘school boy error’ though. In any game I ever played , a defender who did not try to win a goalie’s kick-out would have been severely criticised.
    But then, what do I know? 🙁


  11. John Clark says:
    June 20, 2014 at 1:11 am
    1 0 Rate This

    RyanGosling says:
    June 20, 2014 at 12:41 am
    ‘….Totally is Briggsbhoy, but it’s still annoying!..’
    ——–
    And ( not to butt in) here was I off to bed, full of praise for the commentary team and studio pundits of the Uruguay game, as being fairly balanced, reasonable, realistic and non little- Englander!
    =======
    We must have been tuned in to different channels. I learned, for example, the interesting fact that diving is not in “our” DNA. Whereas presumably it is in the DNA of Uruguay.

    I would never have guessed that the commentator was an expert in genetics, but just out of interest, has anyone ever seen a player with English DNA taking a dive in the penalty area?


  12. Stevie G was one of the worst offenders instill recently.


  13. Looks like Hodgson is in lose/lose situation.

    If he makes major changes for the next game – e.g. he drops Rooney and/or Gerrard – and the team plays really well, then Hodgson will get dogs abuse for not making the changes for the Uruguay game. [If they somehow qualify, the abuse will be muted, temporarily.]

    If he chooses to leave the team largely unchanged, and England fail to qualify for the next round – he will get dogs abuse for not having the ‘bottle’ to make the tough calls.

    Will be surprised if he makes major changes: reminds me of playing for amateur teams where a manager had his ‘blue-eyed boys’ who always got a game – even if they were playing crap.
    Or maybe the sponsors have some undue influence on the England team selection ? [e.g. the speculation surrounding Nike and Ronaldo’s surprise appearance at the ’98 final – after suffering a fit earlier in the day.]


  14. StevieBC says:
    June 20, 2014 at 3:09 pm

    Looks like Hodgson is in lose/lose situation.
    ===========
    Well it’s a lost/lost situation now that my chosen team (I told you all they were good) have done the business on Italy. It’s just a friendly now, so Hodgson can feel free to dump serial underperformers like Rooney and Gerrard, quite possibly for good.

    To me Hodgson lost the plot when he caved into the press by switching Rooney to the centre against Uruguay, instead of dropping him. That move ruined the shape of the team, and yes Ryan, I know he scored, but just about anyone would have scored that one.


  15. Funny comments from Tam Cowan on Off the Ball Saturday Supplement (check the first 10 minutes) to the effect that England are too big to fail and a way should be found to keep them in the WC — in other words, a way should be found to see them re-instated to the top tier 😀

    Spain and England are just two who will now be replaced by Hamilton and Dundee … er … international diddy teams. The England-shirt-wearing fraternity may see it as an outrage. Could they expand the current World Cup by way of a 5WA? It’s bordering on Armageddon, after all.

    Seriously, the ‘wee diddy countries’ are an inspiration. Even my mostly non-fitba son is turning up in front of the telly for the games, reminding me each evening that ‘they start in a few minutes daddy’. To be honest, in football terms, if there was ever a World Cup that Scotland should have been a part of it was this one. But there’s still no escaping the fact that the people of Brazil are opposed to this money drain.

    Anyway, great to see the president of Iran bigging up ‘our boys’ on twitter last night, no mention of the honest mistake either.


  16. Was out with the family tonight to watch the USA v. Portugal game.
    Thoroughly entertaining game and the Americans seem to be really into this World Cup.

    And frustratingly, Mark Bradley just switched off momentarily to lose the ball for Portugal’s late equaliser.

    And Ronaldo – IMO – has been injured since at least the Champions’ League final.

    Still think USA will get through though…


  17. No place for biting in a football match. Any sport for that matter. If FIFA had any balls (yeah I know) they’d check the TV evidence and if guilty of biting they suspend him for months. Not a chance of that though.


  18. Suarez needs immediate and urgent mental help. That was thoroughly unprovoked. How long before someone looks at him funny in a supermarket and he decides to take a chunk out their shoulder? Dogs get put down for this sort of thing!!


  19. As at time above, Suarez has not commented / made any apology.
    So perhaps Uruguay is hoping he’ll somehow get away with it?

    The tournament has been a great success so far, and would be further enhanced if FIFA just states:
    “Suarez you are banned from the 2014 World Cup – that behaviour will not be tolerated. Cheerio !”

    …but then again we are talking about the corrupt FIFA – and one of the best players in the tournament…
    Who knows what will happen ?


  20. I would not be surprised if Suarez has to see a dentist asap, one photo in a newspaper online shows his upper teeth protuding immediatley after the incident, it would serve him right.


  21. It’s appears to be a sort of infantile rage that oor Gnasher lapses into. Agree, he needs some sort of treatment.


  22. The beneficiaries of Suarez’s moment of madness are the England team as it has distracted attention from another wretched tournament.

    There seems to be a general malaise and decline that extends beyond England to the other home nations. British teams used to have an advantage in that they could force a tempo that would unsettle more technically accomplished opponents. But it seems everyone plays with pace, energy, and power these days while yet retaining the technical superiority.

    England controlled the game against Costa Rica, but it was never convincing, and there is no doubt in my mind that they would have been overrun in the knockout stages as happened 4 years ago (for example, Chile beat England comfortably at Wembley last year).


  23. Uruguay :oops

    what possible advantage can you get from biting a player? To provoke a reaction maybe. Nasty cynical man.

    But can you really ban such a talented player? Damn right you can.


  24. y4rmy says:
    June 25, 2014 at 9:25 am

    … There seems to be a general malaise and decline that extends beyond England to the other home nations. British teams used to have an advantage in that they could force a tempo that would unsettle more technically accomplished opponents. But it seems everyone plays with pace, energy, and power these days while yet retaining the technical superiority.
    ———

    They weren’t that bad against Italy or Uruguay really. You could say bad luck.

    Though I read that they had a staff of about 70 along with them — everything from sports psychologists to nutritionists and chaps to spray them with cooling vapour during training!

    Too rich, too pampered, lacking in flair. They don’t need flair since most clubs buy ready-made flair players from abroad. A bit of financial Armageddon wouldn’t harm the English game.


  25. Interesting views re style and what teams now have in terms of speed, flair, nutrition and sports psychology.

    I was in seeing the physio the other week for an ongoing non-soccerball injury and he was talking about his visits to fitba teams in Holland, the difference here and in England (he’d worked with Everton for a while). He said it was “night and day” in terms of prep and even basic drills they have kids running, how they speak to them etc. He said that what they do at national level is evident even in youth coaching.

    I went to by brother-in-law’s football team training a couple of times and was not impressed. Some conditioning (ok) followed by a badly instructed and managed passing drill of which the aim seemed to be to “get it over with”. The purpose of the session seemed to be to get to a “game” as quickly as possible.

    Whilst the above anecdote is hardly representative of football at the highest level I realised I don’t think I’ve ever been “coached” in football. Compared to the other sport I play it is beyond night and day.

    So to get to the point – I’m just wondering what people’s views are of the sort of football we’d want to see from our national team? Honduras/old-school Uruguay game of kicking players instead of the ball, a team that will never tire, technically adept, all the flair you could desire or something else (presumably not biting)?


  26. FUTBOL says: June 25, 2014 at 12:39 pm
    …I don’t think I’ve ever been “coached” in football…
    ============================================
    Perhaps like many other Bampots I played for teams for about 20 years and in hindsight, never received proper coaching either. I would hope that is changing?

    Also, I was pretty ignorant about tactics too. It was only when I was about 40 that I bought a book about tactics / formations etc and then I realised how much I didn’t know!!

    But at least I can now shout at the TV in a more informed manner… 🙂


  27. The prevailing opinion I hear is that there is nowhere for the young kids to go because the EPL is full of foreigners. Greg Dyke reinforces this with his barmy B team plan. England have been mediocre for as long as I can remember and didn’t qualify for anything in the 1970s when there wasn’t a foreign player in sight. So it can’t be that.
    No-one asks why clubs which all have crops of presumably talented players from the age of 7 can’t manage to turn them into technically excellent 17-year olds who can use both feet. So they go abroad to find that instead. That’s the real problem.


  28. Belgium.
    There was a great piece from the Guardian about how Belgium turned things around.
    Their FA decided on a pattern of play then mandated ALL trainers of clubs that ALL players should be trained to that pattern. Huge resistance at first but eventually everyone complied. Results can be seen at National team level and also by virtue of the fact that many Belgian players are playing at the highest levels in the EPL, Bundesliga etc. Of course most of their best players leave Belgium when they are in their early 20s. Not saying a similar thing would work in Scotland but at least something should be attempted. Waiting for a “Golden Generation” is not an option, you have to create it.


  29. Campbellsmoney says: June 25, 2014 at 9:31 am

    Uruguay 😳 – what possible advantage can you get from biting a player? To provoke a reaction maybe. Nasty cynical man.
    ______________________

    I concur with your well placed suspicions.

    As confirmed by Gus Poyet in several interviews the cultural mindset of latin, latin american and south american footballers is that it’s okay to do anything to gain an advantage over an opponent regardless of the laws of the game.

    Such behaviour is also prevalent throughout much of “professional” football and sadly even in the amatuer game too. A number of years ago I refereed an Amateur County Cup Vets match in Brentwood(?). With about 20 minutes until the end of the match with the score at 1-0 the losing team won a corner kick. As the ball was on it’s way into the six yard box, to my astonishment the 6’2″ centre forward grabbed and viciously squeezed the baws of the oppposing 6’5″ centre half causing him to scream in pain. Fortunately I was looking directly at both players and on witnessing the incident I immediately stopped play and dismissed the centre forward for “violent conduct”.

    When I returned to the changing rooms after the end of the match I noticed the centre forward coming outside for a cigarette. I took the opportunity to ask ” What did you do that for?”

    He told me that “Well, I thought that the only way my team would get an equaliser was for me to foul my opponent without you seeing it in the hope that he would hit me back. You would only see him strike me, award a penalty and send him off. I 🙄 , shook my head and commented “I can’t believe that you thought that I wouldn’t see your foul.”

    Judging by Suarez’s simulation* after Chiellini reacted angrily to having his shoulder bitten and being head-butted by throwing back his elbow I definitely think that this was Suarez’s base motivation.

    Thank goodness Vincent Lunney isn’t in charge of disciplinary compliance for FIFA. 😯

    [*i.e. trying to con the ref by deception = cheating]


  30. FUTBOL

    I fully concur with your observations about speed and conditioning in the modern game .It is the single biggest failing of the players produced in this country .
    We just ain’t fast or athletic enough .
    The Dutch realised in the late 60s that the culture of street football was dying and developed a system to take its place .That was near 50 years ago .We still haven’t caught up
    There have been some improvements in youth coaching in recent years .The worst excesses of years gone by have been eradicated ,no more 11 asides before secondary ,no more hoofing it up etc ,but we are still miles behind the top countries by some way .Its a subject close to my heart and one which I hope this blog can address in detail at some point in the future.

    BTW If anyone in the Glasgow area is looking for good quality coaching I can thoroughly recommend Celtic’s community coaching .It is excellent and worth every penny of the £4 it costs per session.


  31. TSFM`ers `Bagsies` – scores on the doors

    Neepheid the star turn 😉 [2500/1!]

    Algeria – new Bagsie anyone?

    Last 16;

    • Campbellsmoney – Uruguay
    • SteveBC – USA
    • RyanGosling – Argentina
    • KickerConspiracy – Germany
    • Redlichtie – Brazil
    • Ianmacant – Chile
    • Smartie1947 – Scotland! [Spotted in Brazil 😉
    • Andy – Brazil
    • Barcabhoy – Argentina
    • CowanPete – Belgium
    • TaratanWulwer – Belgium
    • Cluster One – Mexico
    • Para Handy – Netherlands
    • twopanda – France
    • Macfurgley – Uruguay
    • John Clark – Chile
    • sannoffymesssoitizz – Colombia
    • upthehoops – Germany
    • JimBhoy – Argentina
    • oddjob – Argentina
    • GallingFiver – Deutschland
    • neepheid – Costa Rica
    • Indy14 – Germany
    • Flocculent Apoidea – Sepp Blatter (SUI)
    • WeeScotsman – Germany
    • Bill1903 – Argentina
    • ptd1978 –Uruguay
    • Joburgt1m – Uruguay
    • Gym Trainer – Nigeria
    • Jimmy Bonez – Chile
    • ernie – Greece
    • BLU – Brazil

    Big Surprises

    • Cygnus X-1 – Russia
    • MoreCelticParanoia – Iran
    • steph1895 – England
    • toadinthehole – Ecuador
    • Carfins Finest – Japan
    • Tic 6709 – Bosnia Herzegovina
    • BlindSummit63 – Honduras
    • andygraham.66 – Italia
    • South0fThe Border – England
    • y4rmy – England
    • Martin – Spain
    • Caveat Emptor – Italia
    • BillyJ1 – Espana
    • Grecian Urn – Portugal
    • ScottC – Croatia
    • Jean7Brodie – España
    • brigsbhoy – Spain
    • Tincks – Côte d’Ivoire
    • Matty Roth – Cameroon
    • Paulmac2 – Spain
    • Resin_lab_dog – England
    • peterjung – South Korea
    • Castofthousands – Ghana
    • Danish Pastry – (DEN)
    • Doonhammer – Portugal
    • Brenda – Spain
    • MCFC – England
    • ChristyBoy – Italy

    Brown paper bags to be forwarded to sepp panda c/o Campbellsmoney for more `shares`
    😉


  32. What a shame for Chile!
    And Brazil is going to get humped long before the final…very disappointing team so far.


  33. StevieBC says: June 28, 2014 at 8:05 pm

    Hopefully by Colombia in the Quarter Finals after their win over THEM EFFFFEN DURRRTY CHEATIN 👿 URUGUAYAN BASSSSTURDS. 😆


  34. Although they were my bagsy, I shed no tears over the departure from the competition of Uruguay.

    I agree with comments above that Brazil don’t look like winners – but playing at home might yet get them over the line. With the exception of Colombia (what a lovely goal last night) the French, Germans and Dutch all look better teams than the S Americans. Very open tournament, which is nice.


  35. Whilst watching the game tonight I pondered on whether big Samaras had got a new club and cam across this story on BBC NI. Nice wee story and great to see that the Greek FA got involved, what a nice bloke Samaras seems to be.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-28066840
    The wee fella will be upset if he just saw that goal go in.


  36. Good to see Strachan givin oot to Chiles again tonight.
    But take Note Germany: If Glen Hoddle says you are ‘too square’… then you’re too square.
    ‘# my diamond lights… ‘ll always need you…’


  37. Well, having watched a few of these games I feel huge sympathy for the likes of Algeria, Nigeria and Mexico. Algeria & Nigeria in particular looked to suffer a little from the ref’s awe of the big team.

    PS Rio & Shearer, they actually get paid for their contributions?


  38. As I have USA in the ‘pool’, I’m looking forward to the game – and think they just might sneak past Belgium – mibbees on penalties ?
    They’ve certainly gone World Cup crazy in NYC – and the TV ratings for the country have been very impressive.
    If I was a dodgy FIFA blazer I would be very keen for USA to progress – like the Brazil v. Croatia game…?
    No, I’m just being too cynical… 🙄


  39. I’m cheesed totally with these BBC in game commentators, A Belgian forward spins a near perfect cross to one of his compadres he back flicks it perfectly to drop just under the bar, the USA goalie heroically back flips it over the bar. And what does our BBC “expert” say “Not sure if he was trying too hard to making that look good”. I mean for FFS it was do or die save the mans wages should be stopped.


  40. Am I the only one that thinks Belgium’s best games in the World Cup (AND QUALIFIERS) have been against Scotand?


  41. An excellent game, free flowing with few cynical fouls unlike at least the last three games I’ve watched. Kinda hope the states get through but I feel the big team will probably triumph in the end.

    Hold that…


  42. ianagain says:
    July 1, 2014 at 10:15 pm
    1 0 Rate This

    I’m cheesed totally with these BBC in game commentators, A Belgian forward spins a near perfect cross to one of his compadres he back flicks it perfectly to drop just under the bar, the USA goalie heroically back flips it over the bar. And what does our BBC “expert” say “Not sure if he was trying too hard to making that look good”. I mean for FFS it was do or die save the mans wages should be stopped.
    ———-

    5Live commentary on the red button is better big time.


  43. ianagain says:
    July 1, 2014 at 11:42 pm
    0 0 Rate This
    ———

    I didn’t know I had the red button channel (I’ve recently acquired a new IPTV stream box). What a difference tonight, very upbeat. But radio often better anyway because they have to paint an image for you.


  44. Watched the USA game in a large, diverse crowd – with a significant and noisy Belgian contingent.
    Everyone seemed to really enjoy a pulsating game.

    The better team definitely won – as without Howard’s heroics it could/should have been 4-0 or more to Belgium after 90 minutes. (He is not surprisingly getting major coverage/interviews over here today.)

    Suppose I’ll have to adopt Colombia now – who are going to beat Brazil… 🙄
    Great World Cup.


  45. Never going to happen but can you imagine if FIFA announced that for future World Cups it would be an “all-in” draw. Yep, no continental groups, and no seeds. All 206 teams into the hat. Draw out 31 groups with 6 or 7 teams in each. So you could theoretically have Brazil, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Belgium, USA and Russia in one group, and England, Gibraltar, Luxembourg, Tahiti, Vietnam, Narnia, Andorra in another. The luck of the draw, the romance of the cup.
    In this age of transatlantic travel it would be possible. I can understand why in earlier decades it would have been impractical. And FIFA could work out some formula to make sure poorer countries could afford the travel. FIFA ain’t poor.
    Won’t ever happen because money rules but I truly think it would bring the fun back to fitba. Why shouldn’t Burma get the chance to play Brazil every 4 years?


  46. cowanpete says:
    July 2, 2014 at 5:18 pm
    2 0 Rate This

    Never going to happen but can you imagine if FIFA announced that for future World Cups it would be an “all-in” draw. Yep, no continental groups, and no seeds. All 206 teams into the hat. Draw out 31 groups with 6 or 7 teams in each
    =============
    Why bother with groups? Just 7 or 8 rounds of home and away ties. All teams in the first round, without exception. drawn by computer (sorry Mr Ogilvie, your services, your oven and your fridge not required on this occasion). No corrupt bidding process for hosting the tournament required either. Maybe have a list of half a dozen stadia to host a one match final, neutral venue to be decided once the finalists are known. Not nearly so much money to be made, of course, which is why it will never happen, but I think it would be great.


  47. One slight niggle about the World Cup… 🙄
    …these ‘cooling breaks’…

    I was unaware of these until I saw one last week – on the 30th minute the ref did a ‘T’ [Timeout] sign with his hands.
    I was confused, thinking I was watching an American Football game…and then the TV screen here switched to a commercial break.

    From what I could tell, the manager and staff are allowed onto the pitch to give instructions directly to the players whilst they take fluids and get their legs stretched/massaged.

    My immediate, cynical mind made me think that FIFA had found a convenient way to insert an extra 2 commercial breaks during a game.

    On the face of it, of course allowing players to get fluids in extreme heat/humidity makes sense.
    But what was wrong with leaving bottles all around the pitch on the touchline for players to grab when there was a stop in play ?
    Are ‘cooling breaks’ a sign of things to come ?

    And what if the World Cup was going to be played in Qatar during the summer, [I know, it can’t], then you would be needing a break at least every 15 minutes.

    And from a USA TV perspective, the major broadcasters would find it much more appealing if each 45 minutes half was broken up to allow further commercials…which is one reason why a 1 hour NFL game takes nearly 3 hours to show on TV…

    Shirley, FIFA are not looking to allow financial opportunities dictate the rules of the game ? 😕


  48. I would like to know where these advertising (sorry cooling) breaks are covered in the rules of the game? No doubt we will get hot soup breaks if a world cup finals game is ever played somewhere a bit chilly in June (Methil or Pittodrie, from memory!).

    It is all just about money, in my opinion.


  49. Another wee niggle about the World Cup…

    Before the game yesterday, the captains [?] had to read out a FIFA statement about discrimination not being part of football.
    Then there was a photocall of each team holding
    “FIFA #SayNoToRacism” banners.
    Around the track there was also advertising boards :
    “FIFA #SayNoToRacism”

    The message content is of course totally worthwhile – it’s just that the message is coming from a despised / corrupt organisation – and which desperately needs some positive PR.

    I would have been most impressed if one of the captains had voluntarily added at the end of the statement he read out to the stadium crowd;

    “…and FIFA – say no to corruption !”

    Free speech and all that… 😉


  50. Oor national manager is a gem. Love listening to him. Hope he resists any offers of club management.


  51. I’m thinking all these patronising statements about Costa Rica, Get it up them prove them wrong.


  52. Hate to see teams prosper through refereeing errors. Whether the mistakes are honest or not, the refs have decided two semi finalists at least this World Cup.
    I have no doubt that the ref tonight would have blown for a penalty both times if it had been Robben getting taken down instead of a Costa Rica player. It’s especially ironic that they were saved this way after Robben’s dive in the last round.
    Brazil too are hitting the deck under anything stronger than a gust of wind and expecting the crowd and circumstance to influence the ref.
    What’s worse is their defence is only coping because they’re so good at getting away with illicit challenges. Brazil’s game has been 95% hack and dive, 5% genius. How they’ll muster 5% against Germany without Neymar is anyone’s guess.
    Brazil is supposed to be the home of the beautiful game. They’re playing some ugly football right now.


  53. ptd1978 says:
    July 6, 2014 at 1:20 am

    Hate to see teams prosper through refereeing errors…
    ========================================
    Absolutely !
    And maybe a positive is that with the introduction of goal line technology at this World Cup, then more tools will be made available in future for refs to avoid major mistakes.
    The paradox is that as FIFA chases ever more commercial gains, the game stakes are getting ever higher – but refereeing blunders are becoming less acceptable – and more questionable ?

    Whilst this has been a great WC, I hope to God that it is not Brazil v. Holland in the final.
    That would simply be the Cheats’ Final.
    …and what was that all about with the Dutch keeper Krul at the penalties tonight: shocking behaviour !

    If there is any justice, then it has to be Germany v. Argentina in the final.

    And I am surprised that – like perhaps many folks – whilst I have grown up cheering on all the Brasil teams over the years, after the Croatia game, and since, I have been really turned off by their tactics.
    Rather than ‘ABE’, it’s ‘ABB’ for me now…

    But e.g. Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia look very promising for the future, and played entertaining football.


  54. It seems clear from the games so far, that FIFA have deemed Brazil as “untouchable” in terms of refereeing. Not Brazil’s fault, any defensive player who knows he can foul with impunity will just ratchet up the violence. The treatment dished out to Colombia’s Rodriguez during the quarter final was disgraceful, and Croatia had plenty of the same in the opening game.

    However as soon as Howard Webb was confirmed as one of the referees, I knew what to expect. His next refereeing gig after the 2010 final should have involved two pub teams in a Saturday morning league. Yet up he pops at the WC yet again, praised on high by the sycophantic English media, history airbrushed out as usual. He clearly knows what FIFA expect, and duly provides it. I expect the final to be another festival of unpunished foul play, whoever gets there.


  55. So Brasil will be without Neymar and their captain Thiago Silva for their semi against Germany.
    Although Neymar is getting all the headlines and sympathy, I think the team will be weakened more through the loss of their captain.

    IMO, the only way Brasil will get past Germany is if the host country receives some ‘honest mistakes’ in their favour.
    [I presume they can’t get the ref from the Croatia game again…? 🙄 ]

    Or maybe in the absence of Neymar, the team steps up and gives Germany an entertaining, high quality game ?
    We all just want to see good football, played in a fair and sporting manner – and refereed in a controlled, fair manner.
    Can’t get much tastier than Brasil v. Germany.
    ABB ! 😯


  56. Brazil 5-0 down after 30 mins in WC SF
    Floodlights anyone?


  57. Astonishing game. Astonishingly good from Germany and astonishingly bad from Brazil. Got this horrible feeling the second half could be non existent but the first half will live long in the memory.


  58. For the shock value, it brings back memories of watching the right humping Scotland got from Holland in the Euro ’04 qualifier, 6-0 !
    Except now I am cheering every German goal in disbelief and delight.
    Brasil found out at last – and it’s only half time !
    Yes TP – looks like lights failure can only save Brasil now…
    …oh, hold on just seen that they have lost power in the US TV channel studio there…due to an electrical storm… 🙄


  59. …and just how jammy is Neymar ?
    He will be possibly the only Brasil player to finish this competition with his reputation intact – if not undeservedly enhanced. 😯


  60. The Gods Of Football looked down, saw what was being done in their name, and put a stop to it.


  61. Mind you, 7-1 does have a nice ring to it.
    (Going to give myself a well-deserved thumbs-down for this one.)


  62. Cracking game. The score flattered Brazil a bit though. At least they managed to keep that trend going from their earlier matches.
    Watched the BBC feed and was disappointed to hear the England 5-1 game mentioned as the reason the Germans are so good at the moment. Amazing cognitive dissonance! Able to see that this defeat will probably force a huge change that Brazilian football desperately needs, but can’t acknowledge that English football is in a much worse condition needing a massive overhaul. Even after such a shocking performance in this tournament.
    Credit to the Germans though. Great tactics to nullify Brazil’s frenetic style of play and not get sucker punched by a moment of individual skill.
    Also kept calm, kept possession and Brazil couldn’t help but present chances. Goals 3, 4 and 5 were basically gimmes, but that was because Brazil were totally dismantled at that point. Further credit though for winning the 2nd half. It would have been easy to coast home.
    Conceding late may be a blessing too. Being reminded they are still mortal going into the final will do no harm.
    We can start to dream now!! If Germany win, Scotland could be unofficial world champions after our next competitive game.


  63. Off topic, with regards to last night’s stunning Germany victory. The less than magnanimous nature of some pundits comments re-Brazil’s inadequacies rather than the Germans being good made me wonder just what it is about football that makes people draw a line in the sand at certain points in time and say that team, that player, or that game can never be bettered, then spend the rest of their time doing down everything else in order to maintain their point. Rarely do you see a heavy defeat where some of the goals do not have bad defending as contributory factors. I would be willing to bet the defending wasn’t brilliant at every goal when Real Madrid beat Eintracht 7-3. However, that was years ago so we must accept it was all down to sheer brilliance, nothing else, and don’t ever dare say any other game, anywhere, could ever be as good.

    Rant over. Have a good day folks.


  64. I assume Cowdenbeath will now be looking for a new nickname?


  65. Magnificent Germany last night, I have to say after about 7 or 8 mins I said to Mrs JB that Brazil could lose 4 or 5 here, the Germans just seemed to get their measure early and the Brazil players were all out of position most of the game. Then again I thought at the start of the tournament it was not the best Brazil team I have ever seen. Neymar is a very good player but if he is their best then it probably emphasises my point…

    Did anyone else hear Alan Hansen near the end of the show say Klose was a ‘social’ predator? I hope Brazil now look to the next generation of youth coming thru, then again according to some you will never win anything with kids…Enjoy your retirement big Hansen.


  66. Seven – One

    It interests me that so many commentators are saying “What’s wrong with Brazil?” and not “What are Germany doing right?” and more to the point “What can we learn from Germany?” and specifically “What can England learn from Germany?”. I can promise you, you will not be hearing that last comment from Roy or Greg – ever. – and therein lies the problem. Objective analysis and incremental improvements are not in English football DNA. it’s all about “world-class” players. The best manager England could get at the moment is Dave Brailsford, who’s “marginal gains” approach could get England up to the level of Cost Rica and Chile within a few years – and maybe up to Germany’s level within a few World Cups. Well – we can all dream, can’t we?

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