Football no. 11

[Alcibiades]

This is why we need goal line technology. FIFA are such luddites.

[Bittersteel]

I see a trend here with soccer/footie in general. ESPN is showing highlights of European club teams way more than they ever used to. I feel like I'm even hearing about it on sports radio more than I used to.

I think this is a good point. I've always been skeptical of the MLS selling American fans on their brand of soccer (especially w/ shameless ploys like the Beckham transfer) - in the US, if it's not the world's elite league, it's not going to achieve any sort of lasting popularity. Conversely, a regional sport like hockey can break into the "majors" by offering the best version of a sport w/ global appeal.

ESPN, etc. have circumvented this by focusing on the Premier League. It's perfect: the world's top soccer league, based in an English-speaking country, with - more and more as the years go by - a few big-name American athletes. In the past year, ESPN has purchased rights to Premier League games, talked up the league on Sportscenter and beefed up international coverage on Soccernet.com.

[Xray the Enforcer]

I like the luddism inherent in football. The capriciousness and utter chaos is what makes the sport so great and so wildly entertaining.

Congratulations to Brazil for a spectacular finish. Props to the American team, but I'm with Donovan. Not because I think winning is everything, but because I think that American footie is finally developing enough talent that we should expect more from our national team. That said, I'm still pretty stoked we made it to the final.

[The Man Who]

I really hope FIFA bans the vulvezelas, at least for matches not involving South Africa. I can just see some enraged drunk (insert your nation of choice here) fan braining a local with that thing because its been blowing in his ear for a hour and I can't really say I'd blame them. I know the host culture is a part of the WC, but this is stretching things.

I really hope they don't. I'm not a mssive fan of them, but I feel banning them would be the wrong thing to do.

I'm not a big fan of sanitising and making things the same I guess.

While it may not be something that has happened since way back (it's relatively recent) and it may be a cheap chunk of Chinese plastic, the vuvuzela has become the soundtrack to South African football. Every single match in South Africa that is played has vuvuzelas blaring. They are the main noticeable difference that would make the tournament unique, and not the same cookie-cutter type of flavour that is seen at other World Cups. Take Japorea for example. I don't remember anything about it that sticks out to me as an Asian hosted tournament save for S.Korea getting some truly diabolical refereeing decisions in their favour.

[Mme Erzulie]

I remember some 60 Minutes story on Howard a few years ago. Some Manc on the street said something like "Tim Howard is sound" in an awesomely thick accent. It was great.

I'm gonna guess that was a scouser :P

[dalThor]

So I get into my summer class this morning and one of my students says, "HEY! Congratulations on a great first half!". You little bastard. No, not really, he meant well. Sadly I was at a damn wedding last night and didn't see the game. He said it should have been 4 - 2. I didn't even get to see a replay today.

I'm proud of the success they had. Like I expected them to beat Brazil? I'm better off not having seen them give up the two goal lead.

[DJDonegal]

yeah that was definitely a goal, they should have a challenge system with replay if they don't already

No, they shouldn't. Ever.

The best part of footyball is that it flows. If you start putting in stoppages for challenges, it loses that beauty. And surely, once one measure that forces stoppage is introduced, others will follow, and the game becomes something it never was.

At most they should have goal line technology, but this should not enforce a challenge option. A referee would have some sort of personal indicator (eg an armband that vibrates) once the whole of the ball crosses the whole of the line.

[Jon AS]

Well that was fun. Germany scored as many goals in the final as they did in the entire tournament until then. :lol: And now Germany is the first country to hold the title of the U-17, U-19 and U-21 European Championships simultaneously. Quite impressive for a country that traditionally doesn't do terribly well at this level.

[Xray the Enforcer]

No, they shouldn't. Ever.

The best part of footyball is that it flows. If you start putting in stoppages for challenges, it loses that beauty. And surely, once one measure that forces stoppage is introduced, others will follow, and the game becomes something it never was.

At most they should have goal line technology, but this should not enforce a challenge option. A referee would have some sort of personal indicator (eg an armband that vibrates) once the whole of the ball crosses the whole of the line.

Fully agreed with all of that.

[Alcibiades]

That non-goal from brazil was really the perfect showpiece for goal line tech. The replays were pretty inconclusive, a review of which might have delayed the game.

I think the trend of goal celebrations and remonstrating with the ref after major decisions has introduced time for review of big game changing decisions.

[Mathis]

That non-goal from brazil was really the perfect showpiece for goal line tech. The replays were pretty inconclusive, a review of which might have delayed the game.

Looked nailed on to me. No room for debate whatsoever.

[The Man Who]

I think the trend of goal celebrations and remonstrating with the ref after major decisions has introduced time for review of big game changing decisions.

But then what happens if, for example, the ball hits the crossbar, bounces down onto the line and then out. It may have gone in, but you can't stop play because if the ball didn't cross the line, then there is no reason for play to stop, and in fact the other team may get the ball go and attack the other end of the field and score.

Football is not a game that stops and starts, and this makes it a poor sport to use any technology involving reviewing of footage or anything like that. The most I'd be happy with is the ball over the line indicator, which, as it works in real time, would not interrupt the game.

Technology works in other sports because these sports have natural stops, which football doesn't have, and therefore football cannot use the same solutions as other sports.

[Marcelo Rebelo Firqoralas]

But then what happens if, for example, the ball hits the crossbar, bounces down onto the line and then out. It may have gone in, but you can't stop play because if the ball didn't cross the line, then there is no reason for play to stop, and in fact the other team may get the ball go and attack the other end of the field and score.

Football is not a game that stops and starts, and this makes it a poor sport to use any technology involving reviewing of footage or anything like that. The most I'd be happy with is the ball over the line indicator, which, as it works in real time, would not interrupt the game.

Technology works in other sports because these sports have natural stops, which football doesn't have, and therefore football cannot use the same solutions as other sports.

I don't agree at all. We have constant stops for injuries, which take at least as much time as it would to check if a goal was proper or not, and they are much more common than such checks would be.

Also, you don't have to stop the game to investigate a goal. In ice hockey they will wait until the next time the referee blows the whistle and that could work just as well with football.

The supposedly flowing nature of football is very overstated, in reality most games are actually pretty choppy. A better way of determining if a goal should be allowed or not easily outweighs the very rare and minor inconvenience of of pausing the game for a short while.

[The Man Who]

I don't agree at all. We have constant stops for injuries, which take at least as much time as it would to check if a goal was proper or not, and they are much more common than such checks would be.

Also, you don't have to stop the game to investigate a goal. In ice hockey they will wait until the next time the referee blows the whistle and that could work just as well with football.

The supposedly flowing nature of football is very overstated, in reality most games are actually pretty choppy. A better way of determining if a goal should be allowed or not easily outweighs the very rare and minor inconvenience of of pausing the game for a short while.

The thing is, that the game isn't meant to stop for injuries. While it has become common courtesy to stop play if a player is injured, there is no obligation to do so. Unless it is a neck/head/spine injury of course. You wouldn't want the game to stop for the sole pupose of checking the evidence, but you also don't want play to carry on.

The problem with not stopping a game is that there is so much that could go on before the game is called back, and there can be periods of play where there are not stops for several minutes. What if someone gets a red card during the play for something like a professional foul, but they then go back and see that the ball did cross the line or whatever. Does the red card get rescinded now, as that whole period of play was invalid? What if it was a red card for a dangerous challenge? I don't think it works properly.

And yes, football can be choppy, but the reasons for play stopping are inconsistent, and I don't think you can just wait for the next stop to come along or create artificial stops because play flows in between stops.

[Xray the Enforcer]

A better way of determining if a goal should be allowed or not easily outweighs the very rare and minor inconvenience of of pausing the game for a short while.

Yeah, goal line technology (that is, a transmitter and a sensor on the posts and inside the ball). It already exists. No need for bullshit video replays (which, BTW, are not always conclusive, so you've just wasted time for nothing) -- just a real-time indication that the ball has fully crossed the line.

[Hereward]

The vibrating armband sounds like a missed opportunity to me, though. Perhaps something more Taser-like.

[The Iceman of the North]

A shock choker perhaps?

[Xray the Enforcer]

The vibrating armband sounds like a missed opportunity to me, though. Perhaps something more Taser-like.

:lol:

Only if we can strap it to Craig Bellamy.

[grozeng]

Looked nailed on to me. No room for debate whatsoever.

Well I think it was a goal too, but the best replay I saw still was at an angle that would make the ball appear to be deeper in the net then it actually was. I find it kind of weird that there is no camera on the goal line or goal post to give a better replay considering that it would not interfere with play and would provide a good shot for the televised games. But from the shot on ESPN there was no way to tell conclusively that the whole ball was over the line when Howard hit it forward. It looked that way but the angle of the shot was not parallel with the goal line so the ball would appear to be deeper than it actually is. It is entirely possible that the front of the ball was still on the line (but I don't think it was - I think it was a blown call).

This happens a lot in American football. They have a line on the screen that indicates when there is a first down, but due to the angle of the camera there is a lot of times where the ball appears to be touching the line, but when they actually come back and measure the ball is short of the line.

[The Inquisitor]

I'm going to the Bernabeu tonight for Kaká's presentation. ;)

The youngest of my brothers wants to go, so I'll happily join him.