Let's gooooo
tricked into looking up "Blue Waffle" recently on Google Image search. Scarred for life.
Go USA! Kill those Blue Waffles!
Fuck Belgium!
Watcha' gonna do Belgium?
This is going to be a pretty stressful day at work. Just got through Swiss vs. Argentina, and with guys from both countries in the office that was rough enough.
I have a question for the soccer people (which I obviously am not). I watched the Algeria-Germany match yesterday and was amazed at how well the officials did at calling offsides. I mean guys could be an inch offsides and they seemed to be accurately called on it again and again.
So why is it the same officials have these insanely keen eye for offsides suddenly cant figure out when a player dives if he's faking or not? Some of the stuff they allow and candidly reward seems SO obvious to me I cant believe they dont just run over and tell the player to stop being such a pussy, get up and keep playing.
Why is that?
Diving is a bit of acting or not :) Meanwhile offsides is sort of a precision call - is someone's foot or leg ahead of someone else's leg.
...that they often get the possession call wrong on an OOB ball. Am I off-base on that?
They get it wrong, but it is not often like you seem to think.
Any game you watch will feature players falling down and officials not calling fouls. It happens all the time.
As for the "pussy" thing, do you feel the same way every time a basketball player takes a charge (clearly he could have stayed on his feet if he wanted to in almost every instance)? Or when a WR throws his hands up wildly on an underthrown ball after letting the DB run into him? Guys embellish to get calls in every sport when there is a potential advantage to be gained. Not liking soccer is fine. Many people in the US didn't grow up following it and find the rules unusual/frustrating as a result. But the same people will, for instance, not think it is weird when hockey players leave the ice after only 45 seconds rather than pursue a scoring chance, or think it is dumb that everyone has to skate away from the opposing goal just because the puck crossed over the blue line.
Acting like there is some masculine objection to the sport is just silly. All sports have goofy rules and practices, you just aren't so accustomed to soccer's that you no longer notice them.
What does strike me as a bit odd, though, is that when a WR or a DB throws hands in the air, arguing either for or against a PI call -- that is "stoppage" time. The clock isn't running yet. But in Cup games, with the clock always running, I see guys appealing to refs, giving extra "embellishment" time on the turf, etc., all while gameplay is continuing. That seems kinda counterproductive to me, although I will say that I've never seen a sport with such close and constant player-ref interactions & discussions before. Maybe that's just part of the game. Get into the ref's ear early and often, and maybe you get that late-game penalty call your team needs.
But I DO like soccer. What I dont like are players acting like they've just suffered a near-fatal shin injury when they get grazed. "Selling it" in other sports doesnt seem (to me anyways) to involve faking a near death experience which is what bothers me the most watching the floppers flop. Fine to go down but stop rolling around like my 9 year old when you got a boo-boo and you want kisses from mom to make it better.
I'm not saying it doesnt happen in all sports - clearly it does. But to this observer's eyes it seems like in soccer they have to massively embelish the severity of their injury so often it's silly.
It annoys hardcore fans too. Hence you hear the word "cynical" a lot.
And I follow La Liga, which, I mean . . .
Not directed only at you:
We understand that once every 4 year fans will complain about these things, but does it have to be in every thread?
Not to say "this." But: This.
Why does this have to be a discussion anytime soccer is brought up. Nobody likes it. Nobody. Blame FIFA and UEFA and the EPL for not cracking down on embellishment with video review.
But quit whining about it constantly.
Exactly.
If it bother someone enough where they have to post about it and compare players to little kids, then don't watch it.
Whining about it constantly? Try asking a question on why it's NOT cracked down on given, what seems to me, to be very competent officiating otherwise. My original question was just that - why isnt it stopped if nobody likes it? That's what I, the "every four year soccer fan" doesnt understand.
I guess you don't have to understand because after 7/13 it wont matter to you.
I guess you're not allowed to ask questions in these threads.
Duely noted.
USA - USA - USA!!!!
I feel a question like your has been answered in the many game threads.
To me it seemed like you wanted to ask the question so you can put down professional soccer players by comparing them to 9 year old kids.
If it's been answered anywhere Ken I surely missed it. I've seen mulitple threads bitching about it but I've never seen anyone answer the question - why isnt it stopped? If everyone hates it (as you state) then I'm amazed more isnt done to put an end to it. And to the casual fan (like me) it simply doesnt make sense why something everyone hates is allowed to continue and is seemingly rewarded.
The nine year old analogy works if you've ever been a parent of a nine year old who has allegedly injured themselves and is challenged. They will "sell it" to mom or dad and dial up the intensity of the crying and wailing directly proportional to how much mom or dad challenge the severity of the hurt. And it ends when they realize they arent getting the desired result (attention or in the case of soccer players - yellow or red cards) and refs, like parents, have the power to stop it.
I think it is also easier because you have line judges who can track the off-sides easier because they (typically) have an unobstructure view. When all you have to consider is what is happening up to an invisible line, it is easier.
GET SOME!!!!
WE
WILL
WIN!!!
Let's go boys!!
Just out of pure spite, man. And I had the waffle maker out and on the counter, looking at my pancakes on the griddle. And it couldn't do shit about it.
So if Twitter is to be believed, Geoff Cameron is playing an attacking mid role in this game. Gonzalez replaces at CB and Beckerman out. Still waiting to see confirmation of formation but that's....interesting.
that would be very interesting. And controversial.
Whattya think?
I like Gonzalez as CB. I havent seen Cameron play true midfield for the US in a long while. (he has gone in as a "3rd central defender/midfield role late)
Beckerman has played well but maybe he is gassed. He is supposed to have the best fitness on the team so I have a hard time seeing that.
If Cameron lets his midfielder in to score this will pointed to as JK's fault.
Isn't Cameron a RB for his club team? I would have put him in back, with Johnson in midfield.
Yes I think many thought if there was a switch, that would be the switch.
Again this goes to depth - these guys whohave played every minute will be gassed by the 2nd half so for 'freshness' reasons it can make sense. You can bring in Beckerman in the 65th min if we are leading. If we are behind then he probably doesn't play today.
4-3-3 apparently. Cameron on the right side of midfield per ussoccer twitter.
Seems to me this is an attempt to provide coverage for Johnson going forward. Quite a gamble considering how reliable Beckerman has been.
It's an offensive minded lineup. Interesting.
Hard to say without really seeing how this 4-3-3 develops.
He could be in to provide defensive cover for Fabian as he goes up field.
Like the poster said above, I don't think it is a like for like sub.
I believer we can win.
Be organized, stay disciplined, Bradley be yourself, contain Hazard/Mertens.
Edit: no Beckerman, Cameron in a defensive midfield role.
Doesn't sound like Jozy is ready even as a sub per JK.
Kompany starting for Belgium. Test this guy early and often to see if he is actually fit.
It looks like Vermaelen is out.