Football

[bb21]

Still that will buy you a new team

Well, we only get £5.75m of that, so probably not now.

Would have done a couple of years ago.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Well, we only get £5.75m of that, so probably not now.

Would have done a couple of years ago.

If you were to put an offer in for the whole of the Fort William team squad from your unexpected benefice, how much would you get back in change. ?

 

[bb21]

If you were to put an offer in for the whole of the Fort William team squad from your unexpected benefice, how much would you get back in change. ?

Since we are now in the Championship, I expect £6m in change.

 

[SS4]

Speaking from my experience with doing team support for a cycling team where we'd rarely see any of the girls back at the team car for more drink bottles inside the first hour, I thought it was about right - just long enough to give the fair reward to the players in better athletic condition but also short enough that none of them were in any danger. But I may be biased as to what is appropriate because of who I hang out with, the women on the team are much harder athletes than any player at the World Cup.

It would have been interesting to see what was intended if the scores were level at full time, whether the breaks before each extra time period would have been lengthened.

EDIT: I understand this was not the first match with the cooling breaks, USA v Portugal also had them.

I believe that was the first time they were officially used with the USA v Portugal being unofficial although I may be incorrect.

As for the heat and drink breaks I will defer to your expertise. I may have let my own experiences (I despise hot weather) cloud my judgement and I am far from athletic
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Is Neuer playing sweeper for Germany?

 

[Darandio]

Is Neuer playing sweeper for Germany?

Pretty much!

But Algeria have been outstanding!

 

[richw]

Is Neuer playing sweeper for Germany?

Some big risks but he is obviously confident!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

But it's OK in Rugby because they call the ref Sir :roll:

I wonder when such an occurrence of respect for a referee last happened in a top-level British football match ?
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Suarez is an animal, deserves nothing less than a life ban.

Well, it has taken him long enough, but today, Suarez actually admitted to biting the Italian defender during that match.

 

[SS4]

I wonder when such an occurrence of respect for a referee last happened in a top-level British football match ?

When The Special One got his marching orders at Villa Park there was plenty of respect for the referee

 

[Saint66]

Suarez's apology is part of the move to Barca. The Spanish giants requested he apologise publicly before the discussions between his advisors and Barca go any further. It's a hollow apology.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The apparently never-ending saga of match fixing, usually instrumented by South Asian criminal bodies, has moved away for the time being from cricket to the World Cup in Brazil, where the officials and other bodies connected to the Cameroon team playing squad are investigating no less than seven of these players in connection to such an accusation.

Perhaps the most strangely inept England team performance in their final group stage match against Costa Rica is worthy of a similar investigation, as this was said to be the worst England team performance for many years.

 

[EM2]

Perhaps the most strangely inept England team performance in their final group stage match against Costa Rica is worthy of a similar investigation, as this was said to be the worst England team performance for many years.

No, the performance against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup was much worse, especially as England fielded a full-strength side in that game.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

No, the performance against Algeria in the 2010 World Cup was much worse, especially as England fielded a full-strength side in that game.

This makes matters worse concerning the match against Costa Rica. Is it not the responsibility for the England team manager to put out his strongest possible side in any match played in the group stages in such a major tournament as the World Cup, as a deliberate abrogation of the responsibility of this matter is seen to be handing over an unfair advantage to the opposing team and the result of such a match may well have implications for the other two sides in the group stages of the competition.

 

[bb21]

Lallana deal has gone through and confirmed as £25m, so we get a confirmed £6.25m. I am a very happy bunny.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27647888

Adam Lallana: Liverpool sign Southampton captain for £25m

Adam Lallana has completed his £25m move from Southampton to Liverpool.

Lallana, 26, is manager Brendan Rodgers's second signing of the summer, joining former team-mate Rickie Lambert at Anfield on a long-term deal.

The midfielder, who played for England during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, made 265 appearances for Saints.

 

[EM2]

... handing over an unfair advantage to the opposing team and the result of such a match may well have implications for the other two sides in the group stages of the competition.

Not really. Costa Rica had already pretty much won the group before the England game, by virtue of their two earlier wins, so it wouldn't matter what the result was.
The only way they could not win the group was if Italy or Uruguay had beaten Costa Rica's goal difference, and as their goal difference before the game was +3, the Italians was 0 and the Uruguyans was -1, it was highly unlikely.

 

[SS4]

This makes matters worse concerning the match against Costa Rica. Is it not the responsibility for the England team manager to put out his strongest possible side in any match played in the group stages in such a major tournament as the World Cup, as a deliberate abrogation of the responsibility of this matter is seen to be handing over an unfair advantage to the opposing team and the result of such a match may well have implications for the other two sides in the group stages of the competition.

Maybe but you have a squad of 23 and the other two sides in the group stages have to deal with it. It's not like England went out to lose the game.

 

[DownSouth]

This makes matters worse concerning the match against Costa Rica. Is it not the responsibility for the England team manager to put out his strongest possible side …

Once a team is knocked out, the definition of "best outcome for the team" might not necessarily be the same as "put the most rated players on the pitch" because giving some young players a taste of international tournament play before the next major tournament could well be the most positive move for the team's future.

… in any match played in the group stages in such a major tournament as the World Cup, as a deliberate abrogation of the responsibility of this matter is seen to be handing over an unfair advantage to the opposing team and the result of such a match may well have implications for the other two sides in the group stages of the competition.

At the end of the day, the teams in contention to go through have to take responsibility for their own fate instead of relying upon other results. If there's an outside influence then that could be a problem, but this is why the final day of each group is played with both matches starting simultaneously.

The only way to guarantee this would not be a possibility would be to have larger groups with a longer group stage, so the standings within the group would become more defined over the course of the group stage instead of the last match being such a significant (one third) part of the group stage.

The apparently never-ending saga of match fixing, usually instrumented by South Asian criminal bodies, has moved away for the time being from cricket to the World Cup in Brazil, …

Corruption has always been a bigger issue in football than in cricket. When there's so much money involved, it guarantees that it will inevitably attract match fixing, bribery and doping.

But just for good measure, the match fixing spotlight is now gone back to cricket today - and on your County team at that!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

But just for good measure, the match fixing spotlight is now gone back to cricket today - and on your County team at that!

Where is this match-fixing news about Lancashire Cricket Club that you make reference to ?

 

[DownSouth]

Where is this match-fixing news about Lancashire Cricket Club that you make reference to ?

Lou Vincent has finally confessed and been hit with a life ban.

This saga has been the gift that keeps on giving!
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Amusing comment on the Wimbledon live blog tonight - they have noted that the USA has gone further in the World Cup than in either elite singles draw at Wimbledon!

 

[SS4]

I was having a quick look through the rules of the game and it turns out that not only is dissent an offence it can be punished with a yellow card!

A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the
following seven offences:

• dissent by word or action

 

[Kite159]

Argentina into quarter finals after an extra time winner over the Swiss

 

[familyguy99]

Chelsea have sign Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid for £32M.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27704137

As for Oldham they have lost they two best midfielder from last season as Wesolowski sign for Shrewsbury on 6th June and then last Friday Korey Smith sign for Bristol City for undisclosed fee.

 

[bb21]

I was having a quick look through the rules of the game and it turns out that not only is dissent an offence it can be punished with a yellow card!

Of course it is, and if one keeps at it gobbing off at the ref, he can find himself very quickly off the field of play.

 

[richw]

Of course it is, and if one keeps at it gobbing off at the ref, he can find himself very quickly off the field of play.

In rugby, if a player is gobbing off a ref will normally give 2 warnings with the 3 instance being 10 minutes in the bin. The warnings normally have the desired effect and cuts it out.

Is it me or have the knock out stages of the WC gone boring after a great group stage.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

As for Oldham they have lost they two best midfielder from last season as Wesolowski sign for Shrewsbury on 6th June and then last Friday Korey Smith sign for Bristol City for undisclosed fee.

After Hyde managed a mid-table place in their first season in the Conference Premiership, all the best midfield players and strikers went off to "pastures new". We all know what happened in the following season, last year...
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Of course it is, and if one keeps at it gobbing off at the ref, he can find himself very quickly off the field of play.

Has there ever been a new rule that allows a referee to take immediate booking action against groups of players who rush towards him and harangue him after a decision has been made.

 

[SS4]

Of course it is, and if one keeps at it gobbing off at the ref, he can find himself very quickly off the field of play.

It's very rarely enforced, that's the point I was trying to make. Refs seem to let players get away with it (and diving) too.

This Belgium v USA game has been very good. Tim Howard should be man of the match thus far

 

[Minilad]

Belgium v USA. Game of the tournament for me. Astonishing stuff

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Certainly inspired substitutions for both sides

 

[muddythefish]

Belgium v USA. Game of the tournament for me. Astonishing stuff

Football as it should be played and so much better to watch than boring tikka-taka.

 

[bb21]

It's very rarely enforced, that's the point I was trying to make. Refs seem to let players get away with it (and diving) too.

I don't think I have ever seen a player receive two bookings for dissent before, but certainly getting the second yellow for this reason while already cautioned in the game and subsequently sent off.

 

[Butts]

Argentina into quarter finals after an extra time winner over the Swiss

Last gasp from The Argies....yet again
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Belgium v USA. Game of the tournament for me. Astonishing stuff

Not a patch on Spain v Netherlands..but not bad !!!