The official FIFA World Cup 2018 thread

[SpeakWithMichael]

Originally Posted by 77T

For anyone not excited by, nor understanding the nuances of the play on the pitch, study Belgium’s final goal in stoppage time yesterday.

Just watch it from Japan’s failed goal attempt when Belgium’s keeper rolled the ball out. Pay attention to where the players positioned themselves during the ensuing 10-15 seconds it took to win the match. A thing of beauty...

I was watching the Japanese center back, yelling at him because he was oblivious to the right winger hauling donkey up the field who had been left alone, and when that pass came, it was too late, the back had pushed forward and right then the Belgian player passed it to the sprinting winger in perfect stride. I knew right then it was over. The finish was just icing. The mistake was made when the Japanese player pulled off that sprinting right winger and decided to try and go after the Belgian with the ball.

Here's the tactical cam view:
https://twitter.com/BillyM_91/status...75932485115904

[warrior]

If MORE games were like the Belgium/ Japan match, there would
More American fans...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dSrMKUBrawU

Originally Posted by 77T

For anyone not excited by, nor understanding the nuances of the play on the pitch, study Belgium’s final goal in stoppage time yesterday.

Just watch it from Japan’s failed goal attempt when Belgium’s keeper rolled the ball out. Pay attention to where the players positioned themselves during the ensuing 10-15 seconds it took to win the match. A thing of beauty...




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[DARK_KNIGHT]

Originally Posted by AK797

Yes, Rugby is the real deal. They look at American Footballers with all their pampered padding like American footballers do soccer players.

And football was tough and rugged in the seventies and eighties but the Americans were not interested then, so nothing to do with the recent phenomenon of diving. It's just a cultural difference.

I dunno. It´s different dynamics and objectives in Rugby and American Football.

[dmash]

Originally Posted by tudorbaja27

Let's go Colombiaaaaaaaaaaa!

This is probably the game I've been looking forward to most, since it was solidified. Super excited to see what transpires, this will be an incredible match if both teams bring their best stuff.

[tudorbaja27]

Originally Posted by SpeakWithMichael

I was watching the Japanese center back, yelling at him because he was oblivious to the right winger hauling donkey up the field who had been left alone, and when that pass came, it was too late, the back had pushed forward and right then the Belgian player passed it to the sprinting winger in perfect stride. I knew right then it was over. The finish was just icing. The mistake was made when the Japanese player pulled off that sprinting right winger and decided to try and go after the Belgian with the ball.

Here's the tactical cam view:
https://twitter.com/BillyM_91/status...75932485115904

Agreed. As soon as Belgium got past the middle of the field I knew it was over. Tremendous game anyhow, looking forward to today's.

[Zakalwe]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

The lack of scoring is an issue. There's too much faffing about and not enough goals. Run over here, run over there, back and forth, up and back, circle around... it all looks the same except for the 14 seconds of excitement that went with the one goal scored. Yay! 1-0. Yawn. The soccer penalty kick phase after extra time is exciting. But then they've removed all the boring running around bit at that point.

If basketball games ended with scores like 1-0 nobody would watch them either. It's the scoring that drives the excitement.

I’m not trying to convert you but...

At first glance to the uninitiated American Football looks unsophisticated and one dimensional. Over the years I’ve watched more and more and whilst my level of knowledge is probably not even that of a casual American fan, I find it enjoyable and I can see there are levels of tactical and strategic complexity that I hadn’t seen at first glance. I suspect these can only be fully appreciated if you’re immersed in the game e.g. you’ve grown up with it.

I imagine Soccer is similar if you’ve not grown up with it. The intrigue of the game itself lies in how the teams are set up to play to maximise their strengths and capitalise on opponents weaknesses (or indeed minimise their own weaknesses). The outcome of any given game, assuming one team is not hopelessly overmatched, is always in the balance, as seen repeatedly in this WC and the beauty of the game is that the “best” team does not always win.

Of course there are dull games and 0-0’s are rarely fun. But one of the reasons the game often feels so full of emotion both in terms of players and spectators is because goals are so infrequent, they’re a big deal when they happen.

[dmash]

Originally Posted by tudorbaja27

Agreed. As soon as Belgium got past the middle of the field I knew it was over. Tremendous game anyhow, looking forward to today's.

I didn't. If Lukaku got greedy and tried to finish, there was about a 50% chance he would have screwed up

[cdmorenot]

Neymar is irrelevant today.

Today it is all about Sweden, Switzerland, Colombia and England.

Great games coming up! Let's go Colombia !!!

No Zúñiga on the pitch so England doesn't have to worry about a "broken" vertebrae today.

Should be a great game as Colombia will come out hungry and England will play brilliantly as they generally do.

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[dmash]

Originally Posted by cdmorenot

Neymar is irrelevant today.

Today it is all about Sweden, Switzerland, Colombia and England.

Great games coming up! Let's do Colombia !!!

No Zúñiga on the pitch so England doesn't have to worry about a "broken" vertebrae today.

Should be a great game as Colombia will come out hungry and England will play brilliantly as they generally do.

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stopppppppppp




Is James healthy and playing? Haven't been keeping up

[77T]

Here is the Tweet from Fox Sports that shows what I meant. Sorry for not pasting it earlier...

https://twitter.com/foxsoccer/status...114227712?s=21


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[Zakalwe]

Originally Posted by dmash

This is probably the game I've been looking forward to most, since it was solidified. Super excited to see what transpires, this will be an incredible match if both teams bring their best stuff.

I have two wishes for this game.

1) England win

2) Please for the love of God no bloody penalty shootout! There isn’t enough beer in the world that’ll allow me to endure that. Again.

[cdmorenot]

Originally Posted by dmash

stopppppppppp




Is James healthy and playing? Haven't been keeping up

As of yesterday's press release James is out for this match. Pekerman however is a sneaky old man and likes to keep everyone on their toes and line ups secret until last minute.

I like James but I think Mateus Uribe and Juan Quintero can put in more than enough work and if Falcao joins the game, it should be interesting.

I'm obviously rooting for Colombia but what I really want to see is a good game of soccer (Like yesterday's match between Japan and Belgium) and if the game is exciting, it will have been all worth it.



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[SpeakWithMichael]

Originally Posted by warrior

If MORE games were like the Belgium/ Japan match, there would
More American fans...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dSrMKUBrawU

The real problem I think lies in the power that American media companies have over sports. The stronghold of TV media outlets such as Comcast, Disney, and CBS and the advertising money that flows through them in America, are so accustomed to making maximum profits in a sporting competition the likes of the NFL, NBA, and MLB, with their horrendous string of commercial breaks, I believe gives any media executive explosive diarrhea at the mere mention of 45 minutes without a commercial. The sooner they realize Americans pay next to zero attention to commercials (if that even matters at this point), the sooner other sports begin to have a chance at television exposure in America, and THEN the fan base grows.

[cdmorenot]

Originally Posted by Zakalwe

I have two wishes for this game.

1) England win

2) Please for the love of God no bloody penalty shootout! There isn’t enough beer in the world that’ll allow me to endure that. Again.

I also have two wishes for this game.

1) Colombia Win

2 Please for the love of God no bloody penalty shootout. I have absolutely zero faith in David Ospina. And because I'll be driving today, there's no beer for me.



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[DARK_KNIGHT]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

Think of it like a team full of kickers. In American football, on 4th and 4 the punter will fake an egregious injury trying to draw a flag that gets the 1st down. Soccer players use this same strategy all over the field. We only tolerate it with kickers in American football, but they've raised it to high science in soccer and allowed it to permeate the entire game.

As a current player of American tackle Football, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that those of us that put on pads week in and week out don´t always agree with the rules that are being implemented to try to counter-act liability.

But liability and lawsuits are what continues to dictate what we can and can´t do on the field. I would hit that kicker as hard as I could........... if I could. But rules and regs on defenseless players has permeated the game.

But I see your point. Maybe FIFA can use the VAR system to weed out that behavior. I´m sure that handing out cards like candy would eventually discourage that.

Interesting tidbit I learned during this Cup: Each team pays a US$7,500.00 fine for each Yellow Card. Anyone know how much the fine is for RED CARDS?

[tudorbaja27]

Originally Posted by SpeakWithMichael

The real problem I think lies in the power that American media companies have over sports. The stronghold of TV media outlets such as Comcast, Disney, and CBS and the advertising money that flows through them in America, are so accustomed to making maximum profits in a sporting competition the likes of the NFL, NBA, and MLB, with their horrendous string of commercial breaks, I believe gives any media executive explosive diarrhea at the mere mention of 45 minutes without a commercial. The sooner they realize Americans pay next to zero attention to commercials (if that even matters at this point), the sooner other sports begin to have a chance at television exposure in America, and THEN the fan base grows.

Also true. No joke, when the US hosted the World cup in 94 (I think), they proposed 3, 30-minute halves. Or something like that

[cdmorenot]

Originally Posted by SpeakWithMichael

The real problem I think lies in the power that American media companies have over sports. The stronghold of TV media outlets such as Comcast, Disney, and CBS and the advertising money that flows through them in America, are so accustomed to making maximum profits in a sporting competition the likes of the NFL, NBA, and MLB, with their horrendous string of commercial breaks, I believe gives any media executive explosive diarrhea at the mere mention of 45 minutes without a commercial. The sooner they realize Americans pay next to zero attention to commercials (if that even matters at this point), the sooner other sports begin to have a chance at television exposure in America, and THEN the fan base grows.

There's also the issue of money.

If you have a talented athlete who enjoys soccer when young he'll quickly realize the MLS will give him cents on the dollar compared to the NFL and focus his efforts elsewhere.... It will change eventually, but we're many decades away from that happening.

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[SpeakWithMichael]

Originally Posted by DARK_KNIGHT

Interesting tidbit I learned during this Cup: Each team pays a US$7,500.00 fine for each Yellow Card. Anyone know how much the fine is for RED CARDS?

Whaaaat? Where is that information? Is that true?

[SpeakWithMichael]

Originally Posted by tudorbaja27

Also true. No joke, when the US hosted the World cup in 94 (I think), they proposed 3, 30-minute halves. Or something like that

Good grief. Arrogance.

[GerardoG]

Ready for today's games!!!!

[DARK_KNIGHT]

Originally Posted by Zakalwe

I’m not trying to convert you but...

At first glance to the uninitiated American Football looks unsophisticated and one dimensional. Over the years I’ve watched more and more and whilst my level of knowledge is probably not even that of a casual American fan, I find it enjoyable and I can see there are levels of tactical and strategic complexity that I hadn’t seen at first glance. I suspect these can only be fully appreciated if you’re immersed in the game e.g. you’ve grown up with it.

I imagine Soccer is similar if you’ve not grown up with it. The intrigue of the game itself lies in how the teams are set up to play to maximise their strengths and capitalise on opponents weaknesses (or indeed minimise their own weaknesses). The outcome of any given game, assuming one team is not hopelessly overmatched, is always in the balance, as seen repeatedly in this WC and the beauty of the game is that the “best” team does not always win.

Of course there are dull games and 0-0’s are rarely fun. But one of the reasons the game often feels so full of emotion both in terms of players and spectators is because goals are so infrequent, they’re a big deal when they happen.

Things that really strike me about Soccer:

1. Amazing cardio. World class cardio.

2. The kicking effect placed on the ball. WTF? Major physics at play.

3. The amount of money that flows thru soccer. Do they have Salary Caps in soccer?

4. No time outs? WTF? Really? I´ve noticed one single Coach in a coaches box on the sidelines and he appears to be yelling out strategy, but with the size of the field and the amount of noise, do the players actually respond to the instructions? In american football when your coach tells you do something, the only thing coming out of your pie-hole , better be : Yes, Coach !!!!!

In american football we have coaches for everything. From what I can tell from TV, seems to be only two coaches.

5. Substitutions: 3 per game? Per game? Even the substitution system is strange to me. No surprises.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by SpeakWithMichael

The real problem I think lies in the power that American media companies have over sports. The stronghold of TV media outlets such as Comcast, Disney, and CBS and the advertising money that flows through them in America, are so accustomed to making maximum profits in a sporting competition the likes of the NFL, NBA, and MLB, with their horrendous string of commercial breaks, I believe gives any media executive explosive diarrhea at the mere mention of 45 minutes without a commercial. The sooner they realize Americans pay next to zero attention to commercials (if that even matters at this point), the sooner other sports begin to have a chance at television exposure in America, and THEN the fan base grows.

Partially true. In the US, the leagues have studied TV viewership extensively. They know with a great deal of precision what it takes to keep fans glued to their TV's. They adjust their rules to keep the game exciting.

For example, the NFL has adjusted its rules to debilitate defenses. The rules favor offenses because scoring keeps butts in the seat. No one wants to sit through two hours of 3 and outs, so the rules are adjusted to give a slight edge to offenses, which increases the number of explosive plays and scoring opportunities.

A purist may be well pleased to watch a defensive battle that ends 7-3, but the vast majority of fans want to see a well defended game that ends 35-31. The excitement level is that much higher, and it keeps fans in front of their TV and exposed to advertisers.

Soccer is a bit slow. If I want to see strategy and playmaking, I want it to be fast and exciting. Hence the reason the NHL is far more popular in the US than the MLS.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by GerardoG

Ready for today's games!!!!

I'm on the tractor this morning, but the missus is forcing me to watch England this afternoon.

[DARK_KNIGHT]

Originally Posted by SpeakWithMichael

Whaaaat? Where is that information? Is that true?

- Según FIFA, el valor de una tarjeta amarilla o roja para el Mundial de Rusia 2018 será de 7500 dólares (mismo valor que en el pasado mundial), más de 22 millones de pesos, y por fingir una falta, 10 mil dólares, unos 30 millones de pesos colombianos. El pago de estas multas lo asumen las federaciones.


Thank you Google Translate:

According to FIFA, the value of a yellow or red card for the World Cup of Russia 2018 will be $ 7500 (same value as in the past world), more than 22 million pesos, and fake a foul, $ 10 thousand, about 30 million Colombian pesos. The payment of these fines is assumed by the federations.





https://gol.caracoltv.com/cuanto-val...sia-2018-ie127


http://www.cableondasports.com/copa-...llas_0_212217/


https://pahoy.world/curiosidades-del...-ante-belgica/

[SpeakWithMichael]

Originally Posted by DARK_KNIGHT

- Según FIFA, el valor de una tarjeta amarilla o roja para el Mundial de Rusia 2018 será de 7500 dólares (mismo valor que en el pasado mundial), más de 22 millones de pesos, y por fingir una falta, 10 mil dólares, unos 30 millones de pesos colombianos. El pago de estas multas lo asumen las federaciones.

Thank you Google Translate:

According to FIFA, the value of a yellow or red card for the World Cup of Russia 2018 will be $ 7500 (same value as in the past world), more than 22 million pesos, and fake a foul, $ 10 thousand, about 30 million Colombian pesos. The payment of these fines is assumed by the federations.


https://gol.caracoltv.com/cuanto-val...sia-2018-ie127


http://www.cableondasports.com/copa-...llas_0_212217/


https://pahoy.world/curiosidades-del...-ante-belgica/

Well I learned something new today. I suppose any opportunity for FIFA to make more money would be foul to ignore.

[warrior]

Good post

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

Partially true. In the US, the leagues have studied TV viewership extensively. They know with a great deal of precision what it takes to keep fans glued to their TV's. They adjust their rules to keep the game exciting.

For example, the NFL has adjusted its rules to debilitate defenses. The rules favor offenses because scoring keeps butts in the seat. No one wants to sit through two hours of 3 and outs, so the rules are adjusted to give a slight edge to offenses, which increases the number of explosive plays and scoring opportunities.

A purist may be well pleased to watch a defensive battle that ends 7-3, but the vast majority of fans want to see a well defended game that ends 35-31. The excitement level is that much higher, and it keeps fans in front of their TV and exposed to advertisers.

Soccer is a bit slow. If I want to see strategy and playmaking, I want it to be fast and exciting. Hence the reason the NHL is far more popular in the US than the MLS.

[DARK_KNIGHT]

Originally Posted by SpeakWithMichael

Well I learned something new today. I suppose any opportunity for FIFA to make more money would be foul to ignore.

At the end of the Cup adding up all those yellow cards , that´s some nice pocket money for FIFA.

[dmash]

[DARK_KNIGHT]

Originally Posted by dmash

Bro, you crack me up!!!!! I swear, I´ll be doing something and then you push the envelope and I just crap up laughing out loud and I look around and people are wondering what the heck is so funny.

[Zakalwe]

Originally Posted by cdmorenot

I also have two wishes for this game.

1) Colombia Win

2 Please for the love of God no bloody penalty shootout. I have absolutely zero faith in David Ospina. And because I'll be driving today, there's no beer for me.



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