The World Cup and soceer's slipping standards

[anneteoh]

I was beginning to enjoy watching football matches esp. in the world cup tournaments. However, it seems that winning rather than sport, has made footballers lost the game itself.
It was that shocking. In yesterday's Australia-Ghana match, the British commentators showed an Aussi pulling the shirt and arm of a Ghanian to stop him tackling so that a goal was scored for Australia. The commentators laughed, saying, "cheating."
Yet that goal counted. The referee was either unable to see everything or made grave errors , as the cameras have shown so often. Players get yellow, and even red carded for nothing and cheats get away with their hands and pulling. In the same game, the Aussi goaler was sent off with a red card when the ball hit him on his chest near his arm. Two grave errors on the part of the referee.
They need to change the rules in the world cup. There's nothing more irritating than watching an unfair winner getting away with cheating. It's like pulling wool over a dumb audience's eyes. Yet , I believe people do win or lost bets on such world games. It would have been like being short changed for $50,000 for someone.

[februus]

I was beginning to enjoy watching football matches esp. in the world cup tournaments. However, it seems that winning rather than sport, has made footballers lost the game itself.

Absolute nonsense. This has been going on for years and is part of the game. It is simply the coverage, better camera angles and slow motion replays that make it look as if there is more cheating going on now.

Just get yourself down to the stadium, get blind drunk and spend the afternoon taunting the opposition fans, you won't see enough of the match to worry about it.

[anneteoh]

Absolute nonsense. This has been going on for years and is part of the game. It is simply the coverage, better camera angles and slow motion replays that make it look as if there is more cheating going on now.

Just get yourself down to the stadium, get blind drunk and spend the afternoon taunting the opposition fans, you won't see enough of the match to worry about it.

-- Yeah, yeah we've had all that laddish culture which I agree is like a letting off steam event.
I can trust myself when I'm drunk, which is not my normal sense of having fun; rather more of an experimental one. Can you?

The coverage, as you so aptly described, is an advantage to sport. It ensures fairness which is really what sport's about. Afterall, this is the world cup, not just a regional bash.

In last night's match between Brazil and Ivory Coast, both teams played extremely well. One can enjoy their game - one can see that their coaches - Sven and Dunnga are excellent world class coaches - no fouls, pulling shirts and what not that's not football.

But the last 10 minutes went mad as the frustrated losers lost their code of conduct and started fouling a lot more. The referee had no right to yellow card, and then red card Kaka. He did nothing to deserve being put off the field! In this case, the referee acted like a dictator while Kaka was a victim , all of which makes it seem more like a gladiator's fight than a civilised game with clear cut rules.

To sum up on these two games, the referees have too much power in on the spot decision -making. As a small human with limited vision, they are ill-fit to judge a game of 24 Herculean men in the pitch. They can pretty well follow the ball, but the sometimes, cunning behaviour of some footballers, like that one between Kaka and the Ivory Coast player were outside the periphery of the referee's vision. He should consult his assistant or the cameras ( he should be allowed) before sending Kaka, who was completely innocent, off the game this season. And it's a world cup. There should be room for a second opinion.

They're allowing too many chances into the game.

[februus]

-- Yeah, yeah we've had all that laddish culture which I agree is like a letting off steam event.
I can trust myself when I'm drunk, which is not my normal sense of having fun; rather more of an experimental one. Can you?

You got me there, I have passion for my team and often can't help how i react

The coverage, as you so aptly described, is an advantage to sport. It ensures fairness which is really what sport's about. Afterall, this is the world cup, not just a regional bash.

No it's really not, it will kill the sport by taking the speed out of it. without doubt there will come a time when tv replays are used by the referees and this will stop the game flow. after all, its not just what the referee see's that is the problem, what about what he didn't see, who will decide on that? we have to either accept that the referee will get things wrong or that this is not acceptable and we use video technology, there is no halfway house, video technology in any form is the thin end of the wedge. there isn't much i agree with fifa on, but saying no video technology is one point i do. i don't want football being turned into a spectacle like american football simply to try and make everything "fair"

But the last 10 minutes went mad as the frustrated losers lost their code of conduct and started fouling a lot more. The referee had no right to yellow card, and then red card Kaka.

yes he did have the right, he is the referee

He did nothing to deserve being put off the field! In this case, the referee acted like a dictator while Kaka was a victim , all of which makes it seem more like a gladiator's fight than a civilised game with clear cut rules.

the referee was acting in accordance with the rules, he is not a dictator, so what, he got it wrong?

To sum up on these two games, the referees have too much power in on the spot decision -making. As a small human with limited vision, they are ill-fit to judge a game of 24 Herculean men in the pitch..

oh, now i am starting to understand.... how many people on the pitch?? he also has 2 assistant referee's to help him

They can pretty well follow the ball, but the sometimes, cunning behaviour of some footballers, like that one between Kaka and the Ivory Coast player were outside the periphery of the referee's vision. He should consult his assistant or the cameras ( he should be allowed) before sending Kaka, who was completely innocent, off the game this season. And it's a world cup. There should be room for a second opinion.

They're allowing too many chances into the game.

it's JCL fans that only watch football in world cups that will be the ruin of the beautiful game

[JayCee]

it's JCL fans that only watch football in world cups that will be the ruin of the beautiful game

Exactamundo. Enough said really.

Anne, if you don't like it go back to watching badminton, or better still wimbledon started yesterday and they use lots of fancy tv replays

[anneteoh]

You got me there, I have passion for my team and often I can't help how i react
That's great but should the passion stay with the playing, rather than taking it out on the other team? I know watchers get passionate too, I mean I do shout out now and then, " Shoot right!"

No it's really not, it will kill the sport by taking the speed out of it. without doubt there will come a time when tv replays are used by the referees and this will stop the game flow. after all, its not just what the referee see's that is the problem, what about what he didn't see, who will decide on that? we have to either accept that the referee will get things wrong or that this is not acceptable and we use video technology, there is no halfway house, video technology in any form is the thin end of the wedge. there isn't much i agree with fifa on, but saying no video technology is one point i do. i don't want football being turned into a spectacle like american football simply to try and make everything "fair"

I agree the flow is important in a game, so it should not be stopped every now and then or the players will get bored and the games will lose its momentum. What can be done is to fine tune the results of the match after an investigation team has scrutinized the cameras to ensure absolute fairness - say, 1-3 days after the match?

the referee was acting in accordance with the rules, he is not a dictator, so what, he got it wrong?
What I meant is that his decision is absolute regardless.

They're allowing too many chances into the game.

it's JCL fans that only watch football in world cups that will be the ruin of the beautiful game[/quote]

Sorry, what's JCL - something league? I'm guilty of watching world cups and the occasional match in the premier league. I don't support any player or team but Ronaldo won me over yesterday - he smiled when he didn't score and he smiled in the last ten minutes when he scored twice. The same kind of smile - that was so cool.

[anneteoh]

it's JCL fans that only watch football in world cups that will be the ruin of the beautiful game

Exactamundo. Enough said really.

Anne, if you don't like it go back to watching badminton, or better still wimbledon started yesterday and they use lots of fancy tv replays

It's nothing to do with my personal preferences. I don't go back ( to quote a rude cliche) to watching badminton or tennis - I love watching these matches! Yes, the players can ask for confirmation via camera if the ball's in or out. This is a perefct way to ensure fairness as the umpire often makes mistakes. But there's a limit to the number of questionings a player is allowed to raise. The main point is sport's about fair play.

This is a damned good season for world sport.

[JayCee]

I don't support any player or team but Ronaldo won me over yesterday - he smiled when he didn't score and he smiled in the last ten minutes when he scored twice. The same kind of smile - that was so cool.

I'm sure you were thrilled when England asked Beckham to travel as a consultant during the world cup, you still get to see his lovely face on the tv

[februus]

jcl = johnny-come-lately

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/i ... ately.html

i don't mean that i don't respect your right to have a viewpoint, in fact football is all about viewpoints, but i have much more time for the views of those people that get up every saturday, go down to the match to support their team than those who are really just interested in watching the world cup for general interest.

i know it's probably childish, but football really means something to me, i haven't even given up my season ticket when i moved here, because the break would be too final. i had no problems selling my house, leaving my job and leaving most of my family behind, but i really didn't want to stop going to the football - it was the one thing that might have stopped the move.

and it really is the do-gooders that will ruin the game that i spend so much of my time and money following.

My basic point is this:

The game isn't fair, it can't be in it's current format, but that's life. I can live with that because it gives me something to talk about and means the game flows. Once flowing football is stopped by video, it will really become unattractive.

[anneteoh]

I don't support any player or team but Ronaldo won me over yesterday - he smiled when he didn't score and he smiled in the last ten minutes when he scored twice. The same kind of smile - that was so cool.

I'm sure you were thrilled when England asked Beckham to travel as a consultant during the world cup, you still get to see his lovely face on the tv

Nah, I'm no fanatic of anything. Beckham's a nice guy and that's what I like about him but I actually like Joe Cole, Croutch, Defoe and Lampard and most of the English team because they work so hard on the pitch.

[anneteoh]

[quote="februus"]jcl = johnny-come-lately

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/i ... ately.html

It's alright. Football means everything to you!
I was only drawn to it by my daughter. British girls, private schools, concert pianist trained too, regardless, they try to keep up with the lads. She and her friends were mad about Arsenal - shirts, shorts, banners and scarves that cost a bomb. She went to the Arsenal stadium in Holloway Road and she said excatly what you say about being there for your team and interacting with the opposition - whatever she meant. There's the Islington pub crawl for after the match of course. And of course, I often come across football fever in the classrooms during the premier league or world cup. And that, was from the boys 11-18!
That was the time when David Seaman was goaler and England's team in the doldrums ( my siding with the underdogs as usual ) but it's got out of that - wonder if they'll improve this coming match against Slovenia? What I like about them is, they play a good game, clean and polite but they possess
well and have improved at scoring. I think the passing of ball before the goal post is the crucial point. Too many try to score even when they can't. That's what stopped North Korea from getting any goals. Sorry, I'm rather like this, a hopeful guy who likes peace and universal good.
A word of advice. Try to keep it together with the football. I mean, you don't have to sell off everything for football, But you know, they can do with some footballers in SG if that's where you are.

[JR8]

I was beginning to enjoy watching football matches esp. in the world cup tournaments. However, it seems that winning rather than sport, has made footballers lost the game itself.
It was that shocking. In yesterday's Australia-Ghana match, the British commentators showed an Aussi pulling the shirt and arm of a Ghanian to stop him tackling so that a goal was scored for Australia. The commentators laughed, saying, "cheating."
Yet that goal counted. The referee was either unable to see everything or made grave errors , as the cameras have shown so often. Players get yellow, and even red carded for nothing and cheats get away with their hands and pulling. In the same game, the Aussi goaler was sent off with a red card when the ball hit him on his chest near his arm. Two grave errors on the part of the referee.
They need to change the rules in the world cup. There's nothing more irritating than watching an unfair winner getting away with cheating. It's like pulling wool over a dumb audience's eyes. Yet , I believe people do win or lost bets on such world games. It would have been like being short changed for $50,000 for someone.

Yeah I have to agree.
I'm not into football, it being a chav/pikey sport: haven't watched a whole game in my 4 odd decades hereabouts. Though I do try every 4 years or so, to watch some of the world cup... that said, this week is the first football I have seen in a decade.

I agree with you AT. The sportmanship (lack of) is horrific. The cheating, the perpetual fouling, the feigning injuries... damn they are all as bad as each other it seems. It seems that any time I grab five minutes of a match I am reminded why football is so base, socially toxic, and not something I want to be associated with.

[JayCee]

I was beginning to enjoy watching football matches esp. in the world cup tournaments. However, it seems that winning rather than sport, has made footballers lost the game itself.
It was that shocking. In yesterday's Australia-Ghana match, the British commentators showed an Aussi pulling the shirt and arm of a Ghanian to stop him tackling so that a goal was scored for Australia. The commentators laughed, saying, "cheating."
Yet that goal counted. The referee was either unable to see everything or made grave errors , as the cameras have shown so often. Players get yellow, and even red carded for nothing and cheats get away with their hands and pulling. In the same game, the Aussi goaler was sent off with a red card when the ball hit him on his chest near his arm. Two grave errors on the part of the referee.
They need to change the rules in the world cup. There's nothing more irritating than watching an unfair winner getting away with cheating. It's like pulling wool over a dumb audience's eyes. Yet , I believe people do win or lost bets on such world games. It would have been like being short changed for $50,000 for someone.

Yeah I have to agree.
I'm not into football, it being a chav/pikey sport: haven't watched a whole game in my 4 odd decades hereabouts. Though I do try every 4 years or so, to watch some of the world cup... that said, this week is the first football I have seen in a decade.

I agree with you AT. The sportmanship (lack of) is horrific. The cheating, the perpetual fouling, the feigning injuries... damn they are all as bad as each other it seems. It seems that any time I grab five minutes of a match I am reminded why football is so base, socially toxic, and not something I want to be associated with.

Let me take a wild guess, you're a ruggaar fan?

[februus]

Yeah I have to agree.
I'm not into football, it being a chav/pikey sport

Perhaps you prefer shooting peasants that have ventured onto your land and had the audacity to poach your game?

It seems that any time I grab five minutes of a match I am reminded why football is so base, socially toxic, and not something I want to be associated with.

sorry mister, just being a commoner i am not sure what you mean. i am glad i have people like you to look up to though

[februus]

Let me take a wild guess, you're a ruggaar fan?

Nothing more base than thinking drinking beer out of a shoe is a chuffin' good larrf what?