FOOTBALL XLIV - Mansours, Khelaifis, and Rybolovlevs,... oh my!

[Real Heir of Bear Island]

Why would they say Italy's 4th goal was offside, when it clearly wasn't?

De Sciglio is playing Fred on, then stops dead and starts waving his hand around claiming offside. What a clown. You just do not do that in the box: it's fair enough appealing to the ref twenty metres from goal, but not in a situation like that. Anyway, point is, Fred is comfortably onside thanks to De Sciglio. Dante, on the other hand, yeah, that's a different story. But the ref's worst decision benefited Italy, so I don't see many grounds to complain. Italy didn't lose because of the refereeing.

Italy didn't lose because of the ref but he sure had hand in making sure they didn't win. The first goal was clearly offsides. Italy had kep it scoreless until the gift goal. That changes the tide of a game and blew Italy's strategy out of the water.

As for the fourth, Fred was a step ahead of DeSciglio when the ball made contact with buffon. Thus he was in an offised position when teh ball was played to him. It was close, but I can't help to wonder if such a close call would have been given to the away team.

The ref's poor decision that gave Italy an advantage would have resulted in a penalty and an Italy goal anyway. There was also a clear penalty on Balotelli earlier that the ref didn't even bat an eylash at. An Italy loss, like Japan's loss to Italy, was not a fair outcome for the game.

It doesn't matter anyway. It seems Balotelli will miss the Spain clash and I have a hard time seeing Italy win this torunament without him.

[mormont]

Penalties do not automatically lead to goals. If you'd asked a Brazilian, I guarantee 100% of them would have taken the pen over the goal every time: and conversely, there's a reason why the Italians were so outraged at being given a penalty.

As for Fred's position, sorry, but De Sciglio is clearly playing him on. It's not even close. Besides, the Italian defence are all over the place on that one: I think they have to take the blame.

Ultimately, as a neutral, I can't credit the idea that Brazil didn't deserve the win. That's not to say Italy didn't give them a good game, but they weren't robbed by the ref either.

[polishgenius]

As for the fourth, Fred was a step ahead of DeSciglio when the ball made contact with buffon. Thus he was in an offised position when teh ball was played to him. It was close, but I can't help to wonder if such a close call would have been given to the away team.

You can't be offside if it's the opposition playing it to you. Nor can you be offside if the ball is played backwards to you (it's why you can't be offside from a corner) so even if Buffon's touch counted towards it he wouldn't have been off.

[Arch-MaesterPhilip]

When do EPL tickets for single matches go on sale? I'm going to be in London during the season want to see a match.

[Iskaral Pust]

Just back from a week vacation in Europe. Didn't get to see a single minute of highest scoring ConFed Cup though.

Ugly Liverpool shirts for away and third kits. Our kit designer is about as useful as Joe Kinnear but thankfully much lower in the hierarchy. Liverpool shirt material is much too heavy for playing in hot, humid weather. Under Armor probably offer the best shirts for actually playing in.

Don't know what to expect from Liverpool's transfer activity so far. Pleased by Mignolet: hopefully get a similar or higher fee for Reina and upgrade our keeper at no cost and lower wages. Aspas and Alberto both seem a lot like Borini, Suso and Coutinho on paper. Mkhitaryan too if that comes to pass. Rodgers loves flexible forwards but that wasn't the thinnest part of our squad. A back up or even replacement for Lucas is still needed and at least two defenders (in addition to Kolo Toure). The financial reality is that to catch up with the richer clubs we need to gamble on several $5-10 million prospects and hope that more than half of them develop well and gel together. The Carroll debacle will reduce willingness to concentrate transfer risk like that. Here's hoping that Graham Carr turns up at Anfield in a couple of weeks.

Following up on a post from a few weeks ago, it was a lot of fun to play our semi-final and final at the Chicago Fire stadium but really difficult to adapt to a field that was 20 yards longer and wider than our usual league pitch. And then the third game I played later that afternoon was also on a very long field (an American football gridiron field, so 125 yards long), leaving me with plenty of acid in my muscles.

[Real Heir of Bear Island]

You can't be offside if it's the opposition playing it to you. Nor can you be offside if the ball is played backwards to you (it's why you can't be offside from a corner) so even if Buffon's touch counted towards it he wouldn't have been off.

http://www.fifa.com/... law 11_554.pdf

Not according to Fifa's rule book on offside. See page 11.

"Gaining an advantage by being in that position" means

- Playing a ball that rebounds to him off a post or crossbar having previously been in an offside position.

- Playing a ball , that rebounds to him off an oppenent, having previously been in an offside position.

[Real Heir of Bear Island]

Penalties do not automatically lead to goals. If you'd asked a Brazilian, I guarantee 100% of them would have taken the pen over the goal every time: and conversely, there's a reason why the Italians were so outraged at being given a penalty.

As for Fred's position, sorry, but De Sciglio is clearly playing him on. It's not even close. Besides, the Italian defence are all over the place on that one: I think they have to take the blame.

Ultimately, as a neutral, I can't credit the idea that Brazil didn't deserve the win. That's not to say Italy didn't give them a good game, but they weren't robbed by the ref either.

Penalties don't always lead to Goals, but with Balotelli taking them there was a very good chance. Besides if the penaty had been given and saved, could Italy have then complained that advantage wasn't played?

Perhaps it wasn't intentional, but the in my opinion bad refereeing did help Brasil win. I guess we can agree to disagree on that one. I am a biased Italy fan though, I'll admit that. Ever since 2002 I can't help but to feel like every ref is agaisnt us.

Man, if Maggio's header was in, I say Italy grab a fourth and win the game istead of conceeding that fourth. (which I just looked at again and I still think he's an arm offside)

Bad sporting day for me, Italy lose to Brazil, Paulie Malinaggi lost his welterweight title. Probably worse for Paulie though as I know he's a huge Azzurri fan as well.

[polishgenius]

http://www.fifa.com/... law 11_554.pdf

Not according to Fifa's rule book on offside. See page 11.

"Gaining an advantage by being in that position" means

- Playing a ball that rebounds to him off a post or crossbar having previously been in an offside position.

- Playing a ball , that rebounds to him off an oppenent, having previously been in an offside position.

'Having previously been in an offside position'. In other words, where he was when the initial shot was made.

That said, the opponent rule I was a bit wrong on- it's only if the play is 'controlled', ie if they play a bad pass or the keeper fluffs a clearance or something, so you can't be offside from a deflection off a defender.

Irrelevant in this case though since he was behind it.

[Winterfell is Burning]

Penalties don't always lead to Goals, but with Balotelli taking them there was a very good chance. Besides if the penaty had been given and saved, could Italy have then complained that advantage wasn't played?

They couldn't, because theres no advantage after a penalty, since it's the maximum penalty against a team.

[baxus]

Penalties don't always lead to Goals, but with Balotelli taking them there was a very good chance. Besides if the penaty had been given and saved, could Italy have then complained that advantage wasn't played?

the problem was that the penalty WAS awarded, THEN italy scored while the play was (supposed to be) stopped and the ref said: "well, ok. let's have it this way then."

had he NOT awarded a penalty, and italy scored advantage would've been played.

as it was, brazil was at a disadvantage because had italy not scored, they would've still gotten a penalty.

there is no delayed penalty rule in football as there is in for example ice hockey, where a team can continue playing until they've lost posession and then the penalty is awarded, if necessary.

[The Iceman of the North]

there is no delayed penalty rule in football as there is in for example ice hockey, where a team can continue playing until they've lost posession and then the penalty is awarded, if necessary.

Actually there is, although not as pronounced as in hockey. The referee have the option to wait to see if there really is an advantage before making the call. In this case, if he had not awarded a penalty, he could have waited to see if Italy could get off a decent finish before calling a penalty. He could not wait long though.

[baxus]

Actually there is, although not as pronounced as in hockey. The referee have the option to wait to see if there really is an advantage before making the call. In this case, if he had not awarded a penalty, he could have waited to see if Italy could get off a decent finish before calling a penalty. He could not wait long though.

of course, but there is no option for ref to signal a penalty and the play to continue.

the moment ref blows his whistle the play stops and that's it.

or at least that should be it, which in this case it wasn't.

[The Iceman of the North]

That's true. The way he handled it here were obviously wrong.

[baxus]

liverpool officially confirm mignolet signing

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/mignolet-completes-liverpool-switch

it will be interesting to see what happens with reina now.

both reina and mignolet are too good to be backup goalies.

[Old-Growth]

Before the occasion slips by, let us take note of Abby Wambach's achievement last Friday night scoring four goals against South Korea and thereby breaking Mia Hamm's record of 158 goals in international play. Wambach now has 160 international goals.

That the record was held by an American woman and is still held by an American woman is partly a product of the fact that---with no woman's professional league in the US for most of the time Hamm and Wambach were/are active---the US WNT has played more games per year than most men's international sides.

[Faraday]

it will be interesting to see what happens with reina now.

both reina and mignolet are too good to be backup goalies.

Unless they're insane Mignolet should start. Younger, and frankly, better at the moment.

[Horus Ex Machina]

Before the occasion slips by, let us take note of Abby Wambach's achievement last Friday night scoring four goals against South Korea and thereby breaking Mia Hamm's record of 158 goals in international play. Wambach now has 160 international goals.

That the record was held by an American woman and is still held by an American woman is partly a product of the fact that---with no woman's professional league in the US for most of the time Hamm and Wambach were/are active---the US WNT has played more games per year than most men's international sides.

It is a massive achievement. As for the rest, hopefully the NWSL has a better run of things than it's predecessors.

[baxus]

Unless they're insane Mignolet should start. Younger, and frankly, better at the moment.

i think liverpool will sell reina.

there have been rumours of barcelona's interest and, unless i've missed something, valdes still hasn't renewed his contract. it would fit quite nicely.

a backup goalie of reina's or mignolet's quality would be a clear waste of resources.

[Fluffy]

Got any bets going on today's game Brasilia - Uruguay?

I think Uruguay will win, ye i know they are underdogs but i got a feeling!

Suarez 2 gooool

[Rorshach]

Got any bets going on today's game Brasilia - Uruguay?

I think Uruguay will win, ye i know they are underdogs but i got a feeling!

Suarez 2 gooool

Might be, but while both teams have great attackers, Uruguay lacks midfield and defence. That's a big minus.