Goooooooooooooooooooooooooool

[mjazzg]

maybe heading England's way. Could be interesting. On that evidence I'd prefer Senegal or Japan

[Brad]

Politics Ensnare Salah and Switzerland at World Cup

The Serbians again. 

[mjazzg]

6 hours ago, Brad said:

The Serbians again

poor losers

[soulpope]

7 hours ago, Brad said:

Politics Ensnare Salah and Switzerland at World Cup

The Serbians again. 

In general I don`t support exaggerated nationalism .... but its somehow bizarr that Serbians are raising this hatchet but at the same time there were nationalistic riots in Vienna and other larger cities in Austria follwoing their their loss to Switzerland (btw there are recurringly riots independently to whom they lost) .... to each their own ....

Edited June 25, 2018 by soulpope

[Brad]

When I say again, I refer back to 1914 as I hold them responsible for starting WWI.  Back on the anniversary of WWI, I recall reading an article where many Serbians were still proud of the shooting of the Archduke.  It seems what Faulkner said was correct: "the past is never dead. It's not even past."

Edited June 25, 2018 by Brad

[Dmitry]

1 hour ago, Brad said:

When I say again, I refer back to 1914 as I hold them responsible for starting WWI.  

Serbs were no saints, but Austrian and  German rulers were more responsible than the Serbs, from my reading of history. War was certainly avoidable, had they wanted to avoid it.

Just my $.02

The Uruguay-Russia game is about to start. I wonder if Kremlin made advances towards some of the Uruguay players.. Nothing would be too bizarre when one considers Russia and international sports.

 

Edited June 25, 2018 by Dmitry

[Brad]

I’m more sympathetic to the Austrians as they were tired of all the provocations from the Serbs. However, the basically unconditional letter they sent to the Serbs didn’t help the situation nor did the German attitude. Notwithstanding, this can be traced back to Serbia and the Black Hand.

[uli]

1 hour ago, Dmitry said:

 

The Uruguay-Russia game is about to start. I wonder if Kremlin made advances towards some of the Uruguay players.. Nothing would be too bizarre when one considers Russia and international sports.

 

why limit ourselves to sports. nothing seems more bizarre than helping an asshole becoming the President of the USA.

it's hard to argue how the double-eagle provoked the public.allez les Suisses.

 

Edited June 25, 2018 by uli

[Brad]

If Spain and Uruguay won their groups, we could be looking at Spain vs Russia and Uruguay vs Portugal, the latter being a very interesting match. 

[soulpope]

6 hours ago, Dmitry said:

Serbs were no saints, but Austrian and  German rulers were more responsible than the Serbs, from my reading of history. War was certainly avoidable, had they wanted to avoid it.

Just my $.02

The Uruguay-Russia game is about to start. I wonder if Kremlin made advances towards some of the Uruguay players.. Nothing would be too bizarre when one considers Russia and international sports.

 

 

5 hours ago, Brad said:

I’m more sympathetic to the Austrians as they were tired of all the provocations from the Serbs. However, the basically unconditional letter they sent to the Serbs didn’t help the situation nor did the German attitude. Notwithstanding, this can be traced back to Serbia and the Black Hand.

Dear both, although there always a chance history comes back haunting (means the First World War), the "Serbian Story"  was also deeply influenced by the breakdown of former Yugoslavia and the subsequent local "Balkan Wars" between 1990 and 2001 .... and regarding soccer and fascism pls find here more of the same :

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/dejan-lovren-fascist-nazi-collaborator-ustase-song-bojna-cavoglave/

Edited June 25, 2018 by soulpope

[Brad]

Could be an early exit for Spain

[mjazzg]

1 hour ago, Brad said:

Could be an early exit for Spain

Terrific performance by Morocco, great finish by Aspas getting Spain off the hook.

I thought Spain looked oddly non penetrative for much of that game but they win the group

[Brad]

An incredible set of events.  Spain looking they’re limping in but somehow win the group. A less than impressive showing, especially the defense. Spain was saved by the post and they were lucky on that handball on Pique. 

[soulpope]

Portugal faltered .... a tight game forsure ....

[Brad]

Every team in Group B was tough.  Other than Panama and may Egypt or the Saudis. all the teams at the WC deserve to be there; no easy marks. 

[T.D.]

5 hours ago, soulpope said:

 

..., although there always a chance history comes back haunting (means the First World War), the "Serbian Story"  was also deeply influenced by the breakdown of former Yugoslavia and the subsequent local "Balkan Wars" between 1990 and 2001 .... and regarding soccer and fascism pls find here more of the same :

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/dejan-lovren-fascist-nazi-collaborator-ustase-song-bojna-cavoglave/

Balkan political/ethnic history is incredibly complex, with many ugly elements (e.g. Chetniks, Ustashe, various episodes of "ethnic cleansing")...I don't pretend to know enough to comment or pass judgment, and am happy to stay far removed.

Edited June 25, 2018 by T.D.

[Brad]

It’s not for nothing that this area has been complicated since time immemorial.  Even now, Greece and the Macedonians have just settled a dispute over the Republic of Macedonia using  Macedonia in its name. 

[Simon Weil]

12 hours ago, Brad said:

 

When I say again, I refer back to 1914 as I hold them responsible for starting WWI.  

 

The tragedy of WW1 is not that it got started but that it just went on and on. No-one took responsibility at the point where trench warfare had become stabilised - when it should have been clear that the war was just a machine for killing people. The propaganda on both sides kept people fired up and the people  at the top were afraid to admit they didn't know how to win.

 

[Dmitry]

5 hours ago, Brad said:

Every team in Group B was tough.  Other than Panama and may Egypt or the Saudis. all the teams at the WC deserve to be there; no easy marks. 

Poland sucked.

[Brad]

2 hours ago, Dmitry said:

Poland sucked.

True and you can throw in there Tunisia and maybe Costa Rica.  

It will probably get worse in eight years:

Coming to the World Cup: More Drubbings

[soulpope]

7 hours ago, T.D. said:

Balkan political/ethnic history is incredibly complex, with many ugly elements (e.g. Chetniks, Ustashe, various episodes of "ethnic cleansing")...I don't pretend to know enough to comment or pass judgment, and am happy to stay far removed.

Agreed .... same here ....

[Dmitry]

I'm getting more and more frustrated with the Video Assist Referee [VAR] feature . For instance, why the hell did the ref need a VAR yesterday when Ronaldo was taken down on the edge of the penaly box?! As a ref, If you  are not watching the player with the ball in the penalty box, what the hell are you doing on the pitch?! This VAR just sucks the joy out of the game. I hope they get rid of it after the WC.

My $.02

[soulpope]

12 minutes ago, Dmitry said:

I'm getting more and more frustrated with the Video Assist Referee [VAR] feature . For instance, why the hell did the ref need a VAR yesterday when Ronaldo was taken down on the edge of the penaly box?! As a ref, If you  are not watching the player with the ball in the penalty box, what the hell are you doing on the pitch?! This VAR just sucks the joy out of the game. I hope they get rid of it after the WC.

My $.02

What about yesterday`s equalizer by Spain where the corner kick was excuted from right although the referee evidently decided for a left side corner (and all Morocco defenders preparing/moving in that direction) .... no VAR needed ?

[Brad]

No, because it’s a referee decision on placement not game action. 

I disagree about VAR; it’s gotten wrong decisions correct. What could be wrong with that. Every other sport has them. 

[Dmitry]

25 minutes ago, soulpope said:

What about yesterday`s equalizer by Spain where the corner kick was excuted from right although the referee evidently decided for a left side corner (and all Morocco defenders preparing/moving in that direction) .... no VAR needed ?

I'm sorry, but as a player, if you don't see from which corner the ball is coming... you got a problem. 

Goal line tech is all the technological help the game needs. Leave the rest to the referee and assistants.  Imho.