Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

A frustrating half. The final third is always the hard part, especially playing against a team with players behind the ball but we should be 3 up.

The NZ warm up game was almost a carbon copy of this one, but in that game, England couldn't score and NZ snatched one after a goalkeeper fumble, so this is progress.

Safely through, but still lots of improvements to be made. Good to see Fran Kirby have a good game.... she's been worrying me of late and I was starting to question whether she should even be in the team.

all through the warm ups, Jodie Taylor has been underwhelming, but I shouldn't be surprised by that. After her great success in the Euros 2 years ago, she got a big money move to the States. Played a total of 5 games this season..... 5! No wonder she just looks plain old rusty.... she is

Picking players who can't buy a game for their clubs.... the great England tradition. Worth pointing out while I'm on this particular hobby horse, that both Telford and Bardsley are not regular starters in goal for their clubs.

another hobby horse.... Telford, Houghton, Scott, Bronze, Mead, Nobbs, Stokes, Staniforth..... all started their careers at Sunderland. Even with Nobbs out injured, pretty much a third of the entire England squad came through Sunderland's academy. When fit, 5 of those 8 women will normally make up half of the England starting XI. Thank goodness the guardians of the womens game haven't allowed that supply line to be choked off by forcing relegation to the lower leagues on Sunderland with no prospect of promotion because the owners can't/won't let them go fully pro. Hey ho! doubtless it's for the best

Italy hammered Jamaica 5-0.

Cameroon came close to upsetting the dutch. NL's second goal was an absolute gift... almost comedic. ball crossed in to the goal scorer who air kicked the ball in front of an empty goal only for the defender to pass it back to her feet to tap it in..... extraordinary! The 3rd goal came moments after Cameroon were a whisker away from equalising

France unable to break down Nigeria, and running out of time, so VAR awards them an iffy looking penalty, which also results in the defender being sent off. They miss the penalty, so VAR gives them another go because the keeper moved fractionally off her line... even though the penalty was unaffected... and for good measure the keeper gets booked too.

It was almost as if VAR said that the hosts were going to keep retaking that penalty until they scored.

they've just re-shown the keeper moving off the line and you'd need a micrometer to measure it

France getting all the breaks in this game, as they did in the last

Took 6 and a half minutes from the ref waving away the penalty appeals to France scoring the pen. France were desperate for that pen... and they were absolutely looking for it....... it was the only way they were going to win tonight

VAR...... Too slow.... not good enough. The re-take was a joke

Watching the BBC highlight reel, I thought the French player got kicked in the back of the leg. Agree about the keeper coming off the line, though rules are rules I suppose.

I think it's quite instinctive for a keeper to want to move forward as the kicker swings the leg. Is there anything to stop a keeper from standing behind the line so that they can then move forward without crossing the line? I'll bet there is..... perhaps the view is that in an ideal world the keeper would be replaced with a cardboard cut out for the penalty kick

Durhamfootman wrote:I think it's quite instinctive for a keeper to want to move forward as the kicker swings the leg. Is there anything to stop a keeper from standing behind the line so that they can then move forward without crossing the line? I'll bet there is..... perhaps the view is that in an ideal world the keeper would be replaced with a cardboard cut out for the penalty kick

Works both ways Durham, as loads of keepers are half way to the penalty spot before the balls kicked. New rules start this summer, keeper must have at least one foot behind the line before its kicked. Also some rather ridiculous rules like if the keeper touches the posts or net after the penalty is awarded then a miss is invalidated and a rekick occurs.

sussexpob wrote: Also some rather ridiculous rules like if the keeper touches the posts or net after the penalty is awarded then a miss is invalidated and a rekick occurs.

seems bizarre

Durhamfootman wrote:

sussexpob wrote: Also some rather ridiculous rules like if the keeper touches the posts or net after the penalty is awarded then a miss is invalidated and a rekick occurs.

seems bizarre

Apparently a lot of keepers shake the goal violently to put the kicker off

Might see a revival of the wobbly legs Grobbelar approach. will they introduce a rule that only allows a goalie 15o of flexion at the knee when facing a penalty?

Durhamfootman wrote:Might see a revival of the wobbly legs Grobbelar approach. will they introduce a rule that only allows a goalie 15o of flexion at the knee when facing a penalty?

Probably. With FIFA in charge anything is possible

sussexpob wrote:With FIFA in charge anything is possible

only if there is a quid in it

At least Jamaica scored a goal in the last match.

Australia win 4-1.

England might lead 1-0 with a few minutes left to play, but they are getting caned in this second half. Can barely get a foot on the ball................


until White scores............... 2-0

thank the *modded* lord