FIFA World Cup group stages

[dan08]

The more positive team won in the end, thank God....

Croatia only started showing some attacking intent after they went behind, by which time it was too late.

They were up against the best team in the tournament, what else were they suppose to do? Can't exactly attack when your best striker is banned as well...

[SaintPowelly]

The more positive team won in the end, thank God....

Croatia only started showing some attacking intent after they went behind, by which time it was too late.

What game did you watch ??

Ridiculous opinion

[Gingerfinch]

An entertaining first game. Firstly, there was nothing wrong with Croatia's disallowed goal, imo. As for the penalty. It was weak, but why put your hands on a player, when in the box, you're asking for trouble? Bad defending. Neymar could have gone as well. Brazil certainly got the decisions, but am glad they won.

[yuppie]

I wonder if this ref will get any more games in this tournament?

[mikesiva]

An entertaining first game. Firstly, there was nothing wrong with Croatia's disallowed goal, imo. As for the penalty. It was weak, but why put your hands on a player, when in the box, you're asking for trouble? Bad defending. Neymar could have gone as well. Brazil certainly got the decisions, but am glad they won.

Exactly....

I can't help feeling pleasure at the demise of Croatia, after their unpunished racist antics from Davor Suker (now president of Croatia FA) and others against Jamaica in 1998:

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Ug ... -_16781286

[D/L]

An entertaining first game. Firstly, there was nothing wrong with Croatia's disallowed goal, imo. As for the penalty. It was weak, but why put your hands on a player, when in the box, you're asking for trouble? Bad defending. Neymar could have gone as well. Brazil certainly got the decisions, but am glad they won.

Given the usual need for the host country to do well in a World Cup, I doubt there was any way Brazil would have been allowed not to have got off to a winning start last night.

Add to this all the protests about how money has been spent in Brazil, and it's hard not to have sympathy with the protestors, a draw or a loss may have inflamed the situation further. Match highlights would suggest that Croatia were a little badly done to and their post-match complaints justified.

Is that being overly cynical though in view of FIFA's reputation for honest dealing?

[Gingerfinch]

An entertaining first game. Firstly, there was nothing wrong with Croatia's disallowed goal, imo. As for the penalty. It was weak, but why put your hands on a player, when in the box, you're asking for trouble? Bad defending. Neymar could have gone as well. Brazil certainly got the decisions, but am glad they won.

Given the usual need for the host country to do well in a World Cup, I doubt there was any way Brazil would have been allowed not to have got off to a winning start last night.

Add to this all the protests about how money has been spent in Brazil, and it's hard not to have sympathy with the protestors, a draw or a loss may have inflamed the situation further. Match highlights would suggest that Croatia were a little badly done to and their post-match complaints justified.

Is that being overly cynical though in view of FIFA's reputation for honest dealing?

I personally think the ref felt the pressure of Scolari, and the crowd, and/or just had a bad game. He got the disallowed goal wrong, but it may have looked like a push from a distance??? As for the pen. The ref saw a defender put his hands on a player who had the ball, who then went down (too easily). Again, it was the wrong decision, but as I've said, raising your hands on a player who has the ball in the penalty area is a risky business. I'm not talking about off the ball jostling, btw, which is different.

The best team won, imo, but had the rub of the green.

[D/L]

An entertaining first game. Firstly, there was nothing wrong with Croatia's disallowed goal, imo. As for the penalty. It was weak, but why put your hands on a player, when in the box, you're asking for trouble? Bad defending. Neymar could have gone as well. Brazil certainly got the decisions, but am glad they won.

Given the usual need for the host country to do well in a World Cup, I doubt there was any way Brazil would have been allowed not to have got off to a winning start last night.

Add to this all the protests about how money has been spent in Brazil, and it's hard not to have sympathy with the protestors, a draw or a loss may have inflamed the situation further. Match highlights would suggest that Croatia were a little badly done to and their post-match complaints justified.

Is that being overly cynical though in view of FIFA's reputation for honest dealing?

I personally think the ref felt the pressure of Scolari, and the crowd, and/or just had a bad game. He got the disallowed goal wrong, but it may have looked like a push from a distance??? As for the pen. The ref saw a defender put his hands on a player who had the ball, who then went down (too easily). Again, it was the wrong decision, but as I've said, raising your hands on a player who has the ball in the penalty area is a risky business. I'm not talking about off the ball jostling, btw, which is different.

The best team won, imo, but had the rub of the green.

If it was ever going to happen, I suppose it would have happened before now, but, just as it has in other sports, a video referee would raise refereeing standards in soccer. FIFA's opposition to it may be explained in terms of their welcoming the publicity and attention that poor and/or dishonest refereeing brings to the game. Some would say it also makes it easier for them to influence results.

[SaintPowelly]

The thing is Dr. Rob, Fred had his arms on Lovren, there was MORE contact from Fred that was backing in, and the penalty isn't slightly justifiable, you'll see 10 incidents like that in games played today that wonb't be given, because they aren't fouls.

Its impossible for Lovren not to touch him, add in the dis-allowed goal and Neymar getting a yellow for punching someone in the face, and its a complete travesty.

[SaintPowelly]

An entertaining first game. Firstly, there was nothing wrong with Croatia's disallowed goal, imo. As for the penalty. It was weak, but why put your hands on a player, when in the box, you're asking for trouble? Bad defending. Neymar could have gone as well. Brazil certainly got the decisions, but am glad they won.

Given the usual need for the host country to do well in a World Cup, I doubt there was any way Brazil would have been allowed not to have got off to a winning start last night.

Add to this all the protests about how money has been spent in Brazil, and it's hard not to have sympathy with the protestors, a draw or a loss may have inflamed the situation further. Match highlights would suggest that Croatia were a little badly done to and their post-match complaints justified.

Is that being overly cynical though in view of FIFA's reputation for honest dealing?

I personally think the ref felt the pressure of Scolari, and the crowd, and/or just had a bad game. He got the disallowed goal wrong, but it may have looked like a push from a distance??? As for the pen. The ref saw a defender put his hands on a player who had the ball, who then went down (too easily). Again, it was the wrong decision, but as I've said, raising your hands on a player who has the ball in the penalty area is a risky business. I'm not talking about off the ball jostling, btw, which is different.

The best team won, imo, but had the rub of the green.

If it was ever going to happen, I suppose it would have happened before now, but, just as it has in other sports, a video referee would raise refereeing standards in soccer. FIFA's opposition to it may be explained in terms of their welcoming the publicity and attention that poor and/or dishonest refereeing brings to the game. Some would say it also makes it easier for them to influence results.

Sebb Blatter did bring up the idea of managers having X amount of reviews ( like in cricket ), and its something FIFA is looking at.

[Gingerfinch]

The thing is Dr. Rob, Fred had his arms on Lovren, there was MORE contact from Fred that was backing in, and the penalty isn't slightly justifiable, you'll see 10 incidents like that in games played today that wonb't be given, because they aren't fouls.

Its impossible for Lovren not to touch him, add in the dis-allowed goal and Neymar getting a yellow for punching someone in the face, and its a complete travesty.

Backing in is ok, arms up in the penalty area isn't. I said it was weak, and harsh, but I can see why it was given. The disallowed goal was wrong, but hey keepers get too much cover from refs. I'll have to look at the Neymar incident again, but was it a punch?

[SaintPowelly]

The thing is Dr. Rob, Fred had his arms on Lovren, there was MORE contact from Fred that was backing in, and the penalty isn't slightly justifiable, you'll see 10 incidents like that in games played today that wonb't be given, because they aren't fouls.

Its impossible for Lovren not to touch him, add in the dis-allowed goal and Neymar getting a yellow for punching someone in the face, and its a complete travesty.

Backing in is ok, arms up in the penalty area isn't. I said it was weak, and harsh, but I can see why it was given. The disallowed goal was wrong, but hey keepers get too much cover from refs. I'll have to look at the Neymar incident again, but was it a punch?

The contact is less than that of a shoulder barge, his arms were where they needed to be to hold him up right with someone backing in. the referee knew it, EVERYONE watching knew it, half the Brazil team didn't even appeal.

Depends on your definition of a punch, looking a player straight in the eye, seeing exactly where he was and then thrusting your arm in his face is a punch in my book.

[Gingerfinch]

The thing is Dr. Rob, Fred had his arms on Lovren, there was MORE contact from Fred that was backing in, and the penalty isn't slightly justifiable, you'll see 10 incidents like that in games played today that wonb't be given, because they aren't fouls.

Its impossible for Lovren not to touch him, add in the dis-allowed goal and Neymar getting a yellow for punching someone in the face, and its a complete travesty.

Backing in is ok, arms up in the penalty area isn't. I said it was weak, and harsh, but I can see why it was given. The disallowed goal was wrong, but hey keepers get too much cover from refs. I'll have to look at the Neymar incident again, but was it a punch?

The contact is less than that of a shoulder barge, his arms were where they needed to be to hold him up right with someone backing in. the referee knew it, EVERYONE watching knew it, half the Brazil team didn't even appeal.

Depends on your definition of a punch, looking a player straight in the eye, seeing exactly where he was and then thrusting your arm in his face is a punch in my book.

I agree contact is minimal, and agree that it shouldn't have been a pen, BUT DO NOT RAISE YOUR HANDS, and that is what he did. If someone backs in, stand your ground by pushing back with the body. If Fred (i think it was him) goes down then, then it's no pen.

[SaintPowelly]

I think you need to watch the incident again, the angle from behind the goal...Fred has hold of Lovrens arm, swivels and falls to the floor, its only as hes going down that Lovrens arm comes up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCVz31ywxr4

Watch from 0:17

[Gingerfinch]

I think you need to watch the incident again, the angle from behind the goal...Fred has hold of Lovrens arm, swivels and falls to the floor, its only as hes going down that Lovrens arm comes up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCVz31ywxr4

Watch from 0:17

Why did he put his hands on his back? I stand by what I said. It was soft, but he was running the risk, and got unlucky.