The Sports-India Community

The greatest sporting event on the  Earth the FIFA World Cup is taking place and we don't have a thread for this event.
I don't know , get this strange feeling this Forum doesn't seem to be like before, but nevertheless to keep alive the tradition of  having a thread for each and every one of the past WC's of the Great Game starting this thread.

What a tumultuous start has been to this WC ,none of Top 4 favourites  Brazil, Spain, Argentina ,Germany(Champions ended losing ) managed to register a win. 

Yes, at the start at least it is looking like the one of the most open world cups with no clear favorites. Saw Germany's match yesterday against Mexico and they did not impress. Germany could have easily lost by 2-3 goals.

Although Switzerland played well, Brazil got robbed twice. Maybe the VAR guys were sleeping. The Swiss goal was a result of a push and Jesus was brought down in the penalty box by a Swiss defender. I guess Russia being a godless, communist country does not care for the persecution of Jesus.

Two thousand years later, the persecution still continues

I'm watching as much of the WC as time permits. And wholeheartedly supporting Mexico. Apart from India, my soccer allegiances are to the US, Holland & Mexico, and since the first two didn't bother to qualify, Mexico it is. So I was thrilled by that Germany result. I am also really hoping that Belgium can finally match results to talent.

Four years ago I was in Rio, spending a wonderful two weeks where I went to three games at the WC, and watched many more with Brazilian fans. I am somewhat kicking myself for not making the trip to Russia.

I think this VAR is not bad in principle, but as Prasen mentions, the usage has been erratic at best. I don't know how Sweden gets awarded a VAR penalty today to beat Korea, while Brazil doesn't.

And many of these VAR have been applied long after the incident having occured.
It is not like cricket where it is done instantly.
Even during the France - Australia game , they took it after a considerable amount of time , Atleast there should be a mechanism in place to a much shorter time frame as to when VAR can be enforced

VAR is going to make or break the World Cup.

Wrt the Sweden penalty, I think it was a penalty. The South Korean brought down the Swedish player and did not even touch the ball. He possibly did not intend to do so but I do not know if that matters. If you kick the player before the ball, it is automatically a direct free kick and if in the penalty area, a penalty. So this was the right call.

Each team should be given a challenge and not have to depend upon the egos (or lack thereof) of the referees to refer to VAR.

Great job by Japan to pull off a victory.

Yes, great win for Japan. But, frankly this group looks a bit easier than other. Poland, Senegal, Colombia and Japan.

Is Poland that good to be seeded in top 8 ?

Always good to see an Asian team getting a win, whichever way it comes.

Penalty okay..
But Red Card send off was bit too harsh.
The guy was jumping in the air to defend and surely wasn't a intentional handball to deserve a Red Card, and how can one jump keeping the hands tied behind

This referee will get huge sum from Japanese PM.

If you see it from the front angle, he did intentionally lift his arm. Yes, you may need to move your arm to jump although you can without it, in this case the arm was lifted to almost horizontal. A bit harsh yes. But, wrong, no!

Why you give 2 penalty for one mistake? Then why the french player was not shown even a yellow card for a HUNDRED % intentional handling against Australia but the penalty was given?

Saniapower wrote: ↑Tue Jun 19, 2018 10:12 pm Why you give 2 penalty for one mistake?

Because if a ball is entering the goal and a player stops it by hand intentionally, giving a penalty shot only would give the defense all the more reason to repeat that every time because it strategically makes sense to do it every time. The game is called football. I do not want to see any player except the goalkeeper stopping a goal by hand.

The same thing happens when a player commits a heinous foul outside the penalty area. The player is first shown a red card. That is the penalty. Then, the game has to start. How do we start it? By giving the ball to the aggrieved party and allowing them to score a goal with a direct shot. If that is within the penalty area, the game wants that shot to be a penalty shot.

Same thing happens when a player gets a yellow card. It makes no sense to give the ball to the fouling party. And the two items together create a serious deterrent that one item alone would not. There is no rule that says that only one thing should be done in reaction to an infraction.

Then why the french player was not shown even a yellow card for a HUNDRED % intentional handling against Australia but the penalty was given?

Very simple. It was not a red card offense. A sendoff is only warranted if the ball was going into the goal. I agree that a yellow could have been given by the referee as a caution.

saniapower, I agree with prasen. This is football. The players know these rules very well. They may have acted like it was unfair, but they knew very well that the handball was a red card penalty. That is how it is. If that rule isn't there, just as harsh and unfair as it may look, we will have a lot more of hand balls and arguments. Japan got that goal fair and square and I felt they played well enough to win the game too.