Written from "inexperienced American" viewpoint.

I think what is bothering me most about "the fouls" is how the players seem to be concentrating on "drawing the foul" more than they are concentrating on playing the game. I'll try to explain...

I only have the highlights that they're showing on television to compare to so hopefully y'all will forgive me if I leave some things out. As a novice viewer, I've noticed a clear difference between the current game and the highlights I see of games from years gone by.

It seems that, in the past, unless a player was knocked down to the ground, they would continue the play until the ref stopped play and called the foul.

Now it seems that players seem to go down any time that there is any contact regardless of the amount of contact just in attempt to get a foul called. I can't count the number of times I've seen a player, seemingly in agony, not get a call, and just get up and get back in the game like nothing happened. Which, in fact, is exactly what happened. It reminds me of some play in basketball and really takes away from the game.

This leads me to a couple of questions:
1) Are the refs SO bad that they can't get calls right without players taking dives and pretending to mortally wounded?

2) Are set plays so much more effective at producing scoring chances than the normal flow of a game that players will "flop" at anything just to get a set play awarded? In other words, what percentage of goals are scored as a result of a "set play" and what percentage are scored in the normal flow of the game.

3) Is the flopping also a way to hopefully get the ref to think the foul was worse than it was so an opponent will get "carded" and effectively have to change their game to avoid being sent off?

Sad to see that the game has seemingly evolved to encourage "flopping" more than "powering through".

Peace,
Mr DJA

The one thing I find even more disgusting than falling to get a free kick, is begging for a card.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-30 18:13 by Koen.

Why is US complaining about referee bias for tomorrow's game?

Quote
treaclefingers
Why is US complaining about referee bias for tomorrow's game?

They aren't complaining.

Africa and Nigeria have problems with violence. France is good, I don't see Nigeria winning but this is just a game as they say.

Nigeria are called the Super Eagles, they use to be called the green Eagles but come on, Green Eagles?



But it's good to see all of these teams there.

Quote
BroomWagon

Nigeria are called the Super Eagles, they use to be called the green Eagles but come on, Green Eagles?

Well, I guess it's a better name than "Email Scammers".

The Presidente of Uruguay seems not to like FIFA...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqzhT1DUCqQ

Should be a good game.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-30 20:01 by BroomWagon.

Match between France and African Teams are never as easy as they seem.
African players always thought they got a mission , a kind of revenge between their country vs France with its colonial past, matter of pride I guess.
Anyway, hard to tell at the end of the first half who will go in the quarter final.

HMN

Quote
Honestman
Match between France and African Teams are never as easy as they seem.
African players always thought they got a mission , a kind of revenge between their country vs France with its colonial past, matter of pride I guess.
Anyway, hard to tell at the end of the first half who will go in the quarter final.

Nigeria was a British colony.

For the record, Zidane, Theirry Henry, sure a few others have ancestry from Colonial Lands if they were not in fact, born in those countries.

Zidane- Algeria, Henry- Caribbean.

John Barnes had ancestry that was Jamaican but of course, played for England.

----------

Still time as the announcer says, France finally got the ball in the auld onion bag.

Belgium has Lukaku, now it is the history of Congo that is troubling. His ancestry is from there.

----------

Tough for Nigeria, about 10 minutes left. The World Cup is a heartbreaker in ways, I'm not emotionally involved per se but sympathize with the fans.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-30 20:41 by BroomWagon.

They have the "Commonwealth" games, I think they held those in Nigeria at least once, the British Commonwealth is Canada, Nigeria, I don't know how it all works, Australia, Kenya, UK of course, I think Ghana. Maybe India, I don't know, they are the biggest Cricket Nation as well. So there is your colonialism, they still play a sport event over it.

[en.wikipedia.org]

Seems a bit the opposite to getting revenge against the Colonialists!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-30 20:52 by BroomWagon.

Quote
Koen


Nigeria was a British colony.

Right , but what I meant worth for every country with a colonial past , France in Africa was the main one.

HMN

yes yes we finally did it ! I thionk we deserve it especially for the way we played during the second half.
now let's go to the quarter finals against ...?

Actually, both France and Britain were the main colonizers of Africa.

But we're getting off track.

Quote
Koen
Actually, both France and Britain were the main colonizers of Africa.

But we're getting off track.

Right again, the main thing is that we will be in the next round !

HMN

Quote
Honestman

Quote
Koen
Actually, both France and Britain were the main colonizers of Africa.

But we're getting off track.

Right again, the main thing is that we will be in the next round !

Congrats FRANCE
Enjoy friend!

Way to go France!!!

Come on Germany.

Phew - Germany are lucky to still be level with Algeria. Great performance from the Algerians so far.

Indeed, Algeria is playing very attractive. They only forget one thing ... how to score

-------------------
Keep On Rolling

I'm afraid in the end Germany tends to win matches like these. 1-0 Germany 88th minute?

Yep

-------------------
Keep On Rolling

I have to say that Algeria have been brilliant. It is in the Hands Of Fate now.

LOL Stoneage, we were both wrong

-------------------
Keep On Rolling

Very exciting match so far. No idea what the extra time will bring

-------------------
Keep On Rolling

Yep, Hansie. But close...

So, all African teams out then. It's a pity I think.

But it was a great match. Exciting till the end

-------------------
Keep On Rolling

Well played Algeria. One of the most exciting matches as it could have gone either way. Now France up next. Another killer match. With probably Brazil waiting for the winners.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-07-01 09:58 by Silver Dagger.