WORLD CUP 2010

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Boone said:
I actually think there's much less 'acting' and overly dramatic tumbling than in World Cups previous. Most of the yellow cards I saw involved players getting beaten and getting taken down from behind. I don't know whether that warrants an automatic yellow card or not, but it seems to me there can be a lot of difference between a little minor over-aggression from behind and brutally knocking someone down who beats you enroute to a scoring opportunity. What I'm seeing is, they're yellow-carding it all regardless of the context of the moment.

Maybe I need more education on what constitutes a 'yellow card' scenario.
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When I was a referee, the rule stated you are to card a man for a take down from behind, any take down from behind. If there did not appear to be malice, but the take down did occur from behind, a yellow card was warranted. If it was blatant or even a mild take down from behind denying the opportunity for a one on one, the red card is warranted.

Of course, throughout my years as a ref, I rarely gave reds in this scenario, but I gave a lot of yellows. The one thing I always had to keep in mind was that I was liable as the referee. I hated that part of the job, but I always made sure I was covered. Take down from behind and a yellow should be given at the least.

The one thing I hated about my beloved sport was the acting/feigning injury when barely touched. I was so happy when they made the rule that a yellow card is standard for obvious acting. I loved giving cards out for that!
 
Elephant said:
When I was a referee, the rule stated you are to card a man for a take down from behind, any take down from behind. If there did not appear to be malice, but the take down did occur from behind, a yellow card was warranted. If it was blatant or even a mild take down from behind denying the opportunity for a one on one, the red card is warranted.

Of course, throughout my years as a ref, I rarely gave reds in this scenario, but I gave a lot of yellows. The one thing I always had to keep in mind was that I was liable as the referee. I hated that part of the job, but I always made sure I was covered. Take down from behind and a yellow should be given at the least.

The one thing I hated about my beloved sport was the acting/feigning injury when barely touched. I was so happy when they made the rule that a yellow card is standard for obvious acting. I loved giving cards out for that!
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Thanks - that is likely THE explanation for what *could be* perceived as excessive involvement by the officials in some of these games. If there is no room for 'interpretation' or judgment when there is contact from behind (other than which level of card to award), then all of those yellows may be entirely justified. That seemed to be the common thread in most of them.
 
From what I've seen, just like in hockey, the diving card is rarely given.

One example in the New Zealand-Italy game - when the Italian went down in the box, there was a slight tug, but he CLEARLY dove. Its was just physically impossible for him to go down as hard as he did. The ref rewarded his acting, and Italy got the penalty shot.
 
Portugal 7, N. Korea 0

Annihilation. Utter and complete destruction of an opponent.

Wow.
 
Lanky Livingston said:
Wow, upset of the tournament so far, New Zealand shocks Italy (and the world) with a 1-1 draw. Italy needed a pretty shady penalty kick to even it up, or else they'd have lost.
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Kiwi power!!!!!!!! :)

I'm really looking forward to Wednesday and Thursday now. Wednesday the US group will get sorted out, and Thursday New Zealand's group will be settled.

I just hope Honduras can maintain some level of respect this afternoon against what should be a very pissed off Spanish side.
 
servumtuum said:
Portugal 7, N. Korea 0

Annihilation. Utter and complete destruction of an opponent.

Wow.
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I'm legitimately worried about the PRK players after that performance. I mean, I might not go back home if I'd done that.
 
Lanky Livingston said:
I'm legitimately worried about the PRK players after that performance. I mean, I might not go back home if I'd done that.
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I can only imagine--Kim Jong Il cannot be happy. I think we may have some new refugees claiming asylum--and rightfully so--in South Africa!
 
Pravda said:
I can only imagine--Kim Jong Il cannot be happy. I think we may have some new refugees claiming asylum--and rightfully so--in South Africa!
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Without making this too much into a political thread, I simply want to suggest that it would go a long way to vilify the current regime if these athletes were to claim asylum as soon as they can.

Go Portugal!
 
Pravda said:
I can only imagine--Kim Jong Il cannot be happy. I think we may have some new refugees claiming asylum--and rightfully so--in South Africa!
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This happens every time the Cuban soccer team plays in the US. You can take the over/under on how many defectors there will be.

As for today's games, they honestly don't excite me too much. Argentina and South Korea should have no trouble advancing. I hope Mexico gets beat and either South Africa or France can leapfrog them, but I don't know if that will happen.
 
Pravda ... will admit that my first thought when I saw what Portugal had done to N. Korea was along the same lines. Except in my case it was even darker ... as in, "Jeebus--I wonder how many of those guys will ever be seen again?" :paranoid:

It may be the 21st century on most of the world's calendars, but there remain a few places on earth where the light of day has yet to shine.

*

Meanwhile ... if ever karma screamed out for a place to do her wondrous thing, she has quite the opportunity as we speak.

South Africa vs France
 
2-0 South Africa...looks like a Karma payback for Les Bleus.
 
Oh, I'm sure the French will rise up and fight back. It's what they do.
 
Ok I lied - I'm very interested in both of these games now! C'mon Uruguay and South Africa!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Why do they all of a sudden have two games on at one time? Not like I can watch anyway, but just curious...
 
Was wondering about that too LL ... first time they've done that. Strange.

S Africa 2 - France 1. 10 mins to go. Hang on, fellas.
 
Om said:
Was wondering about that too LL ... first time they've done that. Strange.

S Africa 2 - France 1. 10 mins to go. Hang on, fellas.
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Doesn't matter - their goal differential is currently -3 (-2 if this result stands). Mexico is at +1 (if they lose 0-1 as the score is now). Looks like Mexico is going to move on. SA needed to win by a lot of goals.
 
Also, there is (reportedly) a lot of egregious flopping going on by Uruguay. The refs seem to be okay with it - and this is one of the major reasons Americans will never respect soccer. Its strategy to flop around. The NBA gets away with it because the games are high-scoring, and there is a lot of "showtime."
 
That crap would stop if the refs would use the yellow card for flopping a bit more aggressively, LL.
 
I agree Neo! This diving makes the sport look bad.

Lanky hit the nail on the head when he stated this is an issue that causes Americans to lose respect for the sport. We, as a society, want to see action and contact. When these sissies feign injury, it does make soccer look like a bunch of softies running around on the field.

Side note: One of the main reasons soccer will more than likely never take off here in the States as it has throughout the rest of the world, even with the influx of Latins in this country, is the lack of interest in the inner cities. I read a report once that I believe makes a valid argument that soccer is a ghetto sport. That is not meant to be a disparaging remark. Allow me to continue.

Throughout the world, soccer is played everywhere from the middle classes to the poorest of the poor. Much like football and basketball here in the States (mostly basketball) kids in the inner cities look to these sports as a way out. Soccer pays handsomely everywhere else in the world but not here in the States like Football and Basketball.

If the athletes that make it from the poorest regions in this country were to put their energies toward playing soccer the States would be perennial contenders. Can you imagine if athletes like Alan Iverson, Clinton Portis or Champ Bailey would have concentrated their energies on being the best soccer players they could be? We would have the biggest and likely fastest team in the world.

We have faired well with middle class, suburban talent in soccer, but if we could infuse some of that athletic talent that the major sports offer, I believe we would be unstoppable.
 
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