Unbelievable eh bright spot was some of the Brazilian play specialy the second half was just sublime, just hope for the good of the game Kaka's card gets withdrawn............ wait and see if Blatter has the kahunas

And how about NZ.
You little beauties.

I enjoyed all the games yesterday, controversial, yeah but I think you guys have just about covered it all. I have to say that I have always supported the use of a tv official making important decisions, it would stop the unsavoury stuff, wrong offside calls and penalties etc in a flash. The players would know they can't get away with it because they will be seen and pulled back and correct decisions made and relayed to the ref out in the middle.
However, I remember, back in the nineties putting these ideas to a football supporters group and they thought and considered and came back with a very interesting response. Which was......
Go back to my first sentence I wrote here and there it is...the operative word..."Controversial"
They want the "controversy" they want the arguments and debates and all that we are doing here because that keeps the game active, alive and flourishing and when you think about it........well,mmm, what do you think?
All the conversations, debates and complaints we have in this thread, won't for the most part exist. Will football become a cold uninteresting sport? dead in the water.
When we consider it deeper and assess what 'might be' would it be a good thing to get what we wish for?
Anyway, just a thought.

I've got to say that I am very impressed with the South Americans in this tournament, they are playing well and are very skillful and entertaining, been delighted watching Mexico, Uruguay. Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and we have Chile again today.
With the apparent demise of England, France, Italy etc. those S.Americans are keeping this contest buzzing. Keep it going you guys, love it!!

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ripitup555 wrote


"Blatter himself has been at the games watching as they were made, he must surely have looked at the replay's and cringed, digital tv can be rewound in seconds, it's the only way to stop the blattent cheating the prima donnas are serving up to us week in week out, "


Nah hes a jerk, apparently hes treated with reverance everywhere he goes in Africa presumably due to bringing the world cup to an African nation. In Europe its the opposite, peeps cant stand him, wonder why

He wont use technology to "help" with decision making partly im told (by an ex premier linesman) because the officials themselves dont want it!

As for Emile (zola) Heskey even God couldnt bring him back from the dead as far as being a decent player for England is concerned. "A striker who cant score"

Rhumba wrote


I agree that probably is a big reason for keeping the status quo (is that an oxymoron)

The Denmark/Cameroon game was the first id seen that was exciting and now the Brazil/Ivory Coast is another........ at last the tournaments sparking to life

I heard an intresting opinon on why there should be cameras helping the ref make decisions. The biggest appeal to football is that it is played the same way in every corner of this planet, and if FIFA starts using cameras to make decisions then everybody have to, from FA cup to minor leagues in Namibia. Not everybody can afford to use the technology like that not even the lower leauges in England.

Plus that point with the controversy. A lot of football fans simply love arguing about referee calls and statitics, and it does keep the game alive.

What I like most about football is that what ever happens the clock keeps ticking, unlike american football, where they are constantly stopping the clock, coaches challenging the ref decisions and players constantly setting up plays that last for couple of seconds. A game that is supposed to take 4x20 minutes takes 3+ hours to finish.

That is something I worry that will happen to football if they start to use camera decisions. I even think that if they start to use two extra linesmen on the endlines, like they are going to do in the next European cup, is on a gray area, because I know that here in Iceland they sometimes have problems with filling in the standard 4 men referee team in the lower leagues.

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haha well you either love them or hate them. I just love to see the beautiful game played at a high quality the way they play it.

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Blues with a feeling.

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Chile was phenomenal throughout the S American qualifying and they are a very impressive side. They don't have many stars but they play together beautiful and they can ATTACK. I am a fan of Spain so i was upset to see Chile in the same group as them, but it looks like with a win today Chile will advance honorably.

Uruguay is another beast of a team, they have in my opinion a top 3 Defense of all the WCup teams.

I was lucky enough to get to see all the teams you mentioned play while I was living in South America full time and you're right about the S American teams keeping the contest buzzing. The love for the game of futbol is second in S America is second to none.

The Mexican team has been very impressive as well, they have set out to prove they are the "best Mexican team ever", and right now they are firing on all cylinders. Not sure about the best ever moniker but that remains to be seen with lots of play left for them.

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Portugal seems to have pulled the finger out today 7 - 0, never saw the match, will watch highlights tonight, first European team to get a few goals.

The tv debate - Rhumba, think if those fans had been told that 1 or 2 of your star players were to be sent off within the first 10 minutes, their reply would've been different maybe, also think having it would keep the game active, we wouldn't have the whole team surrounding the refs arguing that he gave the wrong call, seconds it would take as in the case of Rugby at national level
A1 87 - I think if you take a poll of the refs at this world cup whether they would like to use the replay facility they would vote unanimously for, they must feel like crap once the game ends and they look back on their performance, and their decisions have possibly excluded some of the worlds finest players from further games.

Anyhoo Spain my tip to win, looking for them to get it right tonight, also think the South Americans are starting to show us how it should be done a joy to watch

Blackcat - how do you think the Mexico v Uruguay game will pan out, any love between these two teams, or will they be out to prove a point, both teams got themselves into the position to play it whichever way they want I suppose, what do you think having seen them

i am not sure there is much of a rivalry between Mex and Uru other than bragging rights really, but I don't think either team will be any holding back though. Mexico has a lot to prove in every match regardless of if they have secured a pass into the next round or not. They have constantly claimed this is the best Mex team ever and I am sure they are going into the URU game at max confidence. But Uruguay have a superb defense and I think they will be able to shut down the Mexican attack. I think 1-0 Uruguay wins in a great showing by their defense...but it could easliy be 2-1 Mexico.

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Cheers Blackcat
Another big game I'm going to miss wouldn't like to see another W Germany - Austria borefest, a few goals in this match I think

Portugal all the way!!!




Good luck against Brazil!!!

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Well Portugal have definitely arrived at the party, some interesting games coming up now. Looking forward to seeing them all.

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It was all Argentina. The Greeks just defended for most of the game, I don't think they had the players to do anything else really. Just try and keep Argentina out but ended up conceding two goals. It was kind of inevitable.
So that's three South Americans through so far.

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The Greeks defended well actually, they are a very physically strong team but they have no attack, or won't risk opening up against top teams. Pity.

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