Official World Cup Soccer Thread

[Atls]

Viva Espana! Good game, Spain!

 

[iCyborg]

Side note. Spain was offsides on their goal. At least it wasn't too terribly bad of an offsides but he was more than a stride length past the last defender when the pass was made. Oh well. At least the goal was on the rebound which means the keeper should have stopped it in the first place.

Good, so I'm not the only one who thinks Villa was offside. My commentators didn't mention that being even an issue and even replays didn't focus much on it, but it looked like a clear offside to me.
Deserved win for Spain though, I wish Spain or Netherlands wins the cup, on the basis that neither had won it so far and are good teams.

 

[Mardeth]

Side note. Spain was offsides on their goal. At least it wasn't too terribly bad of an offsides but he was more than a stride length past the last defender when the pass was made. Oh well. At least the goal was on the rebound which means the keeper should have stopped it in the first place.

It wasnt. Offsides are measured from your feet which makes a great difference. It was close but no offside...

 

[KeithTalent]

They are going to talk about the replay issue in July.

Yeah, I saw that. It's no surprise really, they have to do it. They are the only major sport that does not use some form of replay and this World Cup just illuminated why they need to get on it.

KT

 

[KeithTalent]

Eh? He was not offside. I watched it and he was good, even the buddy I was watching it with, who is a die-hard Portugal fan, said so.

KT

 

[Stojakapimp]

It wasnt. Offsides are measured from your feet which makes a great difference.

That's not true. Taken from Wiki:

"any part of his head, body or feet is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent (the last opponent typically being the goalkeeper). The arms are not included in this definition."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offside_(association_football)

That said, I still don't think it was offsides. I will need to go back and see the replay, but from what I remember, the ball was passed through the middle, where one spanish player let it pass him (didn't touch it), which then went to Villa. I think if that second spanish player had touched it then it would have been offsides, but when the ball was originally kicked, Villa was onside.

 

[Gooberlx2]

I just watched some replays. He was definitely onsides when the ball was played (kicked).

edit: Just looked at it frame-by-frame as well. I think he was onsides with the defender further back in the 18, but the camera introduces an angle. It's really close either way.

 

[Mardeth]

Weird, my bad then. The guy in between did touch iit btw...

 

[Stojakapimp]

I was wrong, the second spanish player did touch the ball and passed it to villa, but I still think Villa was onside. The defender in the back is the one who kept him on. If anything it was super close, and close calls are supposed to go in favor of the offense

 

[HumblePie]

Nope, I was watching it frame by frame and it's a clear offsides. He was one step past the defender with both feet behind him when the flick was made. However, the defender was not trying to run an offsides trap and got beat so it doesn't look like it is offsides to the ref. I do not say this is a bad call by the ref because he missed it. Maybe by the sideline refs, but those not trained to watch that sort of thing (and I think the sideline refs they have for FIFA are atrocious) could miss that easily.

That said, it was close, and the keeper should have stopped the shot and stopped the rebound. It was all in all a good goal from Spain.

However, that red card at the end from the flop was inexcusable.

 

[Atls]

Slight offside, but that won't change now.

 

[KeithTalent]

Agreed on the red card. It did get grazed by the arm of the guy, but a red card? Ridiculous.

KT

 

[HumblePie]

Agreed on the red card. It did get grazed by the arm of the guy, but a red card? Ridiculous.

KT

Graze? Not even close. The guy jumping for the header was a good 2 feet in front of him. There was clear separation between the two. Not even a remote chance of physical contact on that play.

 

[yuchai]

Seems onside to me. There are 3 defenders in the middle and the one furthest away from Villa stayed slightly back and kept him onside.

 

[iCyborg]

There was a post-game analysis on the channel I was watching, and they agreed unanimously that it was an offside, but a very tough call to make due to the fact that it was close, and the side ref could not see the heel flick by Xavi, and main ref who could see the flick, wasn't in a position to see whether it was off/on-side. In any case, it's hard to blame refs for this.
Red card, yeah, that was a bad call...

 

[zinfamous]

shit happens, what do you want? The pressure at the spot is awful.

well, he's a defender with 0 goals in some 40-50? games played for the national team (according to the announcers). i wonder that they didn't have anyone better on the field to take his spot...

and as he is someone that never shoots, going high on that PK is inexcusable considering his skill and experience. Especially when Honda, right after him, saunters up to the ball, waits for the keeper to dive one way, then taps the ball down the center. LOL.

not sure why more players don't do it that way...
:hmm:

 

[Stojakapimp]

Graze? Not even close. The guy jumping for the header was a good 2 feet in front of him. There was clear separation between the two. Not even a remote chance of physical contact on that play.

The elbow to the head occurred before they jumped for the header. ESPN didn't really show a good replay of it, but I'm pretty sure that guy got elbowed in the head

 

[KeithTalent]

Graze? Not even close. The guy jumping for the header was a good 2 feet in front of him. There was clear separation between the two. Not even a remote chance of physical contact on that play.

It was just before. You could see it on the replay that went before the guy was fully in the air.

KT

 

[zinfamous]

Another factor is the ball is lighter then previous world cup balls ie... it goes up higher then you expect.

exactly. dumbass should have kept the ball low, already knowing that he's never scored a goal. I'm not saying that nerves aren't a factor, but he really should have gone with a higher probability shot.

My first thought after that miss: Has this guy been watching any of the games that I've been watching? So many shots sailing waaaay above or wide of the goal.

He should have taken more stock in his own skill + the ball factor.

 

[zinfamous]

If I were allowed to carry the ball from my goal to the other I'd have scored a hundred goals a game

one game like that would be hilarious.


...it'd get old quick, though. haha

 

[zinfamous]

Whoa, that Spanish supporter they just showed was smoking hot.

KT

Hotter than the Spanish supporters at the bar where I watched the game?

:hmm:

 

[zinfamous]

It was just before. You could see it on the replay that went before the guy was fully in the air.

KT

the only replay that we saw, at the moment of the foul, was the spanish guy falling. we never got to see contact in any replay. :\

looked like a terrible call from what we saw.

 

[Mardeth]

well, he's a defender with 0 goals in some 40-50? games played for the national team (according to the announcers). i wonder that they didn't have anyone better on the field to take his spot...

Penalties and scoring regurlarly are two completely different things. You got loads of goalkeepers that take penalties. Someone had to fail. To think that WE know better on who should take penalties than the coach who knows his players in side out is ludicrous...

 

[KeithTalent]

the only replay that we saw, at the moment of the foul, was the spanish guy falling. we never got to see contact in any replay. :\

looked like a terrible call from what we saw.

Don't know, but I was watching the CBC feed and they showed the replay, going back a bit and you could see it there. Maybe the ESPN reply guy is Portugese. :hmm:

KT

 

[Stojakapimp]

the only replay that we saw, at the moment of the foul, was the spanish guy falling. we never got to see contact in any replay. :\

looked like a terrible call from what we saw.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE9TZe3VxBk

Look at the 0:16 mark...hard to see, but that's when he hits him with the elbow.