Goooooooooooooooooooooooooool

[Brad]

I watched the match but missed the first 15 minutes. I understand the disparity in the shots on goals but they overall seemed better to me.  As far as the lesser calls, maybe but it’s a home crowd and all that. To me, just another typical Argentina loss. 

[Dmitry]

I'm guilty of favoring Argentina, so the calls may have seemed one-sided to me.

[Brad]

Guilty on the same count for Brasil as I lived there!

[Dmitry]

Chile-Peru AMAZING MATCH

Remarkable skill and luck of the Peruvian keeper pushes them through into the final with Brazil. Chile had 70% of ball possession. Bizarre second goal didn’t help.

[Brad]

I saw only part of the match but was surprised at the result, considering the disparity in possession and every other offensive statistic. However, I like to see an underdog win so I thought it was a great result. 

[Dmitry]

In other news - Dutch women go through into the WC final, beating Germans on the way...something that the Dutch men could never do...so they put their women on the front lines instead.  

 

[Brad]

Sounds like the third place match was interesting today, with Messi getting red carded (as was the Chilean player he tangled with).  It’s only his second red card ever. Perhaps his frustration finally boiled over.  

[Dmitry]

Yes, it was fine, and it could've been very good. First Alexis was injured and subbed 15 minutes into it, then Messi got shafted shortly before the half-time. The expediency with which  the ref showed hm the red card was odd, almost like he was set up.  I thought Argentina played their best team-game of the tournament.  Messi had some choice words for the Comnebol brass afterwards. 

Next year Argentina, along with Colombia, will be hosting a new Copa. After that, they are switching to the "every four years" format. 

Manana is the football fans paradise - three finals :

Women's World Cup

Gold Cup USA-Mexico

Copa America Brazil-Peru

 

 

Edited July 7, 2019 by Dmitry

[Brad]

Dutch have played reasonably well but haven’t done much offensively. Unless that changes, hard to see how the US doesn’t win. 

[Brad]

The Dutch just didn’t have enough offense to come back from that first goal. I think the gap between the US and Europe (not sure about the rest of the world) is closing but whether it’s substantially closed by 2023 is something we won’t know until then. 

[Dmitry]

There is no doubt for me that Brazil was favored by the Conmebol or whoever else was running this show.

Messi is 100% right to call it bullshit. Two clear penalties not awarded to Argentina.

 

 

Edited July 9, 2019 by Dmitry

[Brad]

Such is life.  Refereeing has never been perfect. It’s more like art.  It’s sometimes better to be lucky than good.  As Branch Rickey said, luck is the residue of design. 

[Dan Gould]

I'll care about referees swallowing their whistles when faking being fouled is no longer a thing.

[Brad]

I can’t say the first two matches on Sunday were overly exciting. The US was bound to win and Peru was lucky to be there. The evening match was interesting for awhile but ultimately disappointing. 

[Dmitry]

We do have at least one true world class player - Pulisic. And, if he does well going forward, McKennie. When was the last time US had one of those?! Yes...never.

 

[Brad]

They seemed to play well in the first half but less so in the second. I suppose Mexican pressure had something to do with that. 

Going back to the Copa America for a second, I didn't really understand what Peru was doing after they had a man advantage. At times, it seemed that all Peru wanted to do was knock down people. 

[Brad]

Looks like Bale is on his way to China. Meanwhile, the Madrid has been a disaster so far. They’re losing 7-3 to Athletico Madrid. I’m glad I didn’t buy a ticket. 

[erwbol]

Chelsea 4 - 4 Ajax

I hope that referee chokes on his next meal. Enough of that.

 

---------------------------------

 

Now livestream on nos.nl:

Nigeria - Netherlands

Under 17 World Cup last 16 knockout match.

[mjazzg]

10 hours ago, erwbol said:

Chelsea 4 - 4 Ajax

I hope that referee chokes on his next meal. Enough of that.

 

---------------------------------

 

Now livestream on nos.nl:

Nigeria - Netherlands

Under 17 World Cup last 16 knockout match.

Your earlier 1-4 celebratory post seems to have disappeared overnight. So strange. Hubris strikes again...

Always the refs fault 

 

[erwbol]

46 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

Your earlier 1-4 celebratory post seems to have disappeared overnight. So strange. Hubris strikes again...

Always the refs fault 

 

Enjoy your Brexit, then. 

[mjazzg]

2 hours ago, erwbol said:

Enjoy your Brexit, then. 

That result may well had been the ref's fault too 

[erwbol]

@mjazzg I hear Big Sam is looking for a club. 

[mjazzg]

He may well be but my club are quite happy with their manager thanks. You won't be overly bothered by my hometown team, Reading FC, I suspect.

If this is a reference to Spurs, who aren't my club but are 2 miles down the road, then they may well have just done a worse deal than Sam 

[T.D.]

Manchester City banned from Champions League for two years, fined 30 million euros for financial violations

[Dmitry]

Lev Yashn, when asked about his opinion regarding the first manned space flight of Yury Gagarin: "I feel proud, but not as great as after a good penalty save".

Edited November 10, 2020 by Dmitry