The Round Ball Game - II

[teamsaint]

Scotland Var done by...commentator curse...'Argentina can't come back from three down' - then they score two and get a VAR penalty after about 6 minutes deliberation - if the ref can't decide immediately one way or the other it is NOT a penalty...then the goalie saves the penalty and the Argentinians get a re-take - this went down in the annals as Scotland's greatest ever failure to progress in a tournament, and those annals are plenty full.

Tough to take, JC. Looks like they may have been learning from the mens team..........

[jayne lee wilson]

"The Authorities" can't leave it alone can they? Unfortunately, the adjudication was correct according to the present law. It wasn't VAR's fault per se.

But insisting so strictly on the goalie having at least one foot on or behind the line was a recipe for trouble, wasn't it? Terrible - and it will go on until they change it for something more realistic....
Given the inherent advantage to the taker, why not let the goalie do what she/he wants? That could be interesting...!

There was once a proposal for a type of "penalty" to start on the halfway line, the taker and goalkeeper then allowed total freedom to do what they wanted...
I think it was when the "professional foul" to deny a scoring opportunity was still commonplace....it seemed fairer than a free-kick, as not everyone has a Messi or Yokoyama (some free kick last night, wow!) in their team....

[johncorrigan]

Tough to take, JC. Looks like they may have been learning from the mens team..........

Indeed Sainty. With more than 20 mins to go and with Scotland 3-0 up the camera went on to the Scottish Dug out and the Manager was sitting back enjoying a laugh with her assistant, instead of getting the team to protect the lead. Meanwhile the Argentinian manager was making changes and by the time the Scots' manager responded we had shipped two goals and the team just lost its shape. Still think the VAR is a joke - if you cannot review a decision in one minute then there is enough doubt to make the decision 'No Penalty'. The VAR folk and the ref took about 6 minutes to make the decision...it does the Women's game no good - footie was fine to watch as have been a few of the matches I've seen, but VAR needs put on ice till they sort it out. Still doesn't excuse the losing of three goals - the Scots would probably just have got humped by the Germans anyway, so maybe just as well.

[burning dog]

Football technology should have been restricted to "Did it cross the line?" disputes, which are amost instant and possibly offsides, with a reaonable margin of error favouring the attacker, ie for overturning obvious "bloomers"

[teamsaint]

Football technology should have been restricted to "Did it cross the line?" disputes, which are amost instant and possibly offsides, with a reaonable margin of error favouring the attacker, ie for overturning obvious "bloomers"

VAR may be having teething troubles, but it surely can’t help watford find more illegal ways of stealing points from us.

Can it?

[cloughie]

Rather than declare myself an 'honorary Man U fan' on the specious grounds that I've been to Manchester 3 times, I've decided it's time to publicly nail my colours to the proverbial mast and, if I may, share with you the Tractor Boys' vicissitudes as they adapt to life in the THIRD TIER (gulp!) of English football for the first time since 1957. I regularly visited The Dell back in the mid-1960s, and thus retain a degree of interest in the Saints, but Ipswich are, after all, my nearest League team, and I WAS there when they won the old Division 1 title. Given that Sunderland didn't march straight back into the Championship, I shall do my best to keep my expectations for the coming season at a sensible level.

Strangely, the fallen giants do not always bounce back easily but the yo yos do better over the last few seasons Peterborough, Barnsley, Rotherham, Donny Rovers have done it. Owls, Blades, Forest, Soton, Norwich, Leeds, Charlton and others have taken longer to regroup and acclimatise to the division. Bolton, Blackburn, Wigan and Leicester did it in one but Bolton and Wigan have yo yo’d. It will be tough - I see the strong sides there will be Rotherham, Donny, Peterborough, Sunderland, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Coventry and Lincoln - oh and the two Fylde coast sides - Blackpool and Fleetwood. The other problem you will find is being able to accommodate your away crowd at some of the smaller clubs, but it will be an interesting season for all of us - the August optimism with a clean sheet, a glance at the fixtures, and an estimate of the points tally after 4 matches and 46!

[LMcD]

Our new goalkeeper measures 6'9", so I shall probably spend much of the season worrying that he might hit his head on the crossbar. I imagine headline writers and others are already licking their lips at the opportunities offered by not only his height but also his surname - will he be The Holy Virgin every time he keeps a clean sheet?

[burning dog]

VAR may be having teething troubles, but it surely can’t help watford find more illegal ways of stealing points from us.

Can it?

Probably and it can take ages to do it

[zola]

It will be tough - I see the strong sides there will be Rotherham, Donny, Peterborough, Sunderland, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Coventry and Lincoln - oh and the two Fylde coast sides - Blackpool and Fleetwood. The other problem you will find is being able to accommodate your away crowd at some of the smaller clubs, but it will be an interesting season for all of us - the August optimism with a clean sheet, a glance at the fixtures, and an estimate of the points tally after 4 matches and 46!

Coventry don't have a ground and are playing at St Andrews, so that will surely undermine their chances ?

[jayne lee wilson]

Lionesses going good at 2-0, but things are hotting up in Valenciennes.... but VAR doesn't tell lies, so....
Indomitables just gotta live with it....

3-0... phew, we needed the 3rd....still half an hour to go though...

[teamsaint]

Lionesses going good at 2-0, but things are hotting up in Valenciennes.... but VAR doesn't tell lies, so....
Indomitables just gotta live with it....

3-0... phew, we needed the 3rd....still half an hour to go though...

Lovely finish for the third goal. Those ones that come across you are so difficult, a fraction early and you scuff it to the left, a fraction late and it dribbles apologetically to the right. SO satisfying when you get them right.
Just not been Cameroon's day.

Looking forward to tonights game.

[jayne lee wilson]

My God, glad that's over without us losing a player or two for the next round!

How nice to see the game played in such a friendly spirit of competition...

[Mal]

Andy Murray one set up in the doubles final at Queens? I thought he'd retired?... I missed it 'cause I was watching the final performance of Milton Keynes Orchestra... their Francesca da Rimini was tremendous. Sombre, impassioned, ... they went out with a bang not a whimper.

[teamsaint]

Feisty stuff so far in France v Brazil

France a tad unlucky with the disallowed goal, but very lucky not to get a red card for a shocking shin raker .......

[jayne lee wilson]

Andy Murray one set up in the doubles final at Queens? I thought he'd retired?... I missed it 'cause I was watching the final performance of Milton Keynes Orchestra... their Francesca da Rimini was tremendous. Sombre, impassioned, ... they went out with a bang not a whimper.

Sorry, which World Cup last-16 match was that again...?

France-Brasil finely balanced, but - physical? Yikes....too soft, the Womens Game, oh yeah...
Watching the England highlights again... Phil Nev rightly pulled no punches in his comments on Cameroon, and nice to see him carrying off the Gareth-waistcoat look so well.......
But they have a tradition.... remember the Mens' WC 1990, Cameroon v Argentina? Poor Caniggia! They got away with the win after 2 red cards...