The Football.....

[AndyRM]

Worth noting as well that Collina basically said "Don't f*ck about and take years using VAR, referee the game properly."

Love that guy. His book, Rules of the Game, is a favourite of mine and well worth a read if you want to properly understand how to referee a game of football (and not b*llocks about trying to apply rugby standards).

And he's the only ref to feature on the cover of a football game, which is some achievement!

 

[No Ta Doctor]

VAR was plainly absent for the Engkand game as Ghana should have a penalty that only the ref appeared to have missed. Maybe VAR was watching a game in Boston rather than that at the 'Boston' Stadium 22 miles away.

Are you talking about the one when there was an offside in the build-up?

VAR is now being used in a much more sophisticated way. Gone are the rules of not intervening unless it's a clear an obvious error (which has always been undefined). The refs are now using VAR as they would a lino - an extra pair of eyes they can check with. I like it. They get the tools to do the job as best they can, they're in control and you don't get a load of "well why wasn't that an error?" stuff.

 

[Lightning CycleQueen]

VAR was plainly absent for the Engkand game as Ghana should have a penalty that only the ref appeared to have missed. Maybe VAR was watching a game in Boston rather than that at the 'Boston' Stadium 22 miles away.

I think you missed the offside play during the build up before there should have been a penalty. VAR seems to be working well so far

 

[AndyRM]

Found a good highlights reel of the last time we played Brasil in a World Cup (mercifully without commentary).


View: https://youtu.be/sAtv_eg6cIg?is=49qr6OOU1dtPn-Q2


That was peak Brasil. Tonight is a different matter.

Also, it's funny how memory plays tricks on you - I thought it was Tam Boyd's arse their winner came off, not his shoulder.

 

[Accy cyclist]

I've just watched the Mexico v Czech Republic game. Mexico deservedly won 3 - 0, but I was surprised to hear that it was their highest score in a World Cup finals, with them only winning, drawing or losing previous games scoring a solitary goal.🤔

 

[midlandsgrimpeur]

I think you missed the offside play during the build up before there should have been a penalty. VAR seems to be working well so far

I have seen several people say this, I think they are getting confused with the offside after the challenge (I assume MikeP is talking about the Konsa tackle). There was definitely no offside, Ghana won the ball in their own half and the forward was a mile onside. Konsa basically scissor kicked him and was nowhere near the ball. Semenyo was called offside after the challenge as he went for the ball and it hit him in an offside position. The only argument is whether Eze was fouled in the Ghana half which led to the break. Personally I just think the Ghana player was too strong and it was a stonewall pen.

 

[AndyRM]

Schooled by Brasil.

Not a total surprise, but disappointing.

Gifting goals to any side is mental.

 

[matticus]

Scotland's chances of progress now seem on a knife-edge; if I read this right, NONE of the 3rd-place teams are completely safe, and even Senegal might get through with a win (against Iraq):

 

[Alex321]

Schooled by Brasil.

Not a total surprise, but disappointing.

Gifting goals to any side is mental.

Scotland will still go through unless two of these win their final game
Cabo Verde (Playing Saudi Arabia)
Belgium (New Zealand)
Congo DR (Uzbekistan)
Ecuador (Germany)
Senegal (Iraq)

And Algeria & Paraguay win or draw or lose by only 1 goal

There are also a couple of teams currently in 2nd place in their group but who could drop to 3rd and would then be behind Scotland if they lose their last game - Uruguay (playing Spain) and Iran (playing Egypt).

 

[Beebo]

A few teams are bound to qualify on 3 points. If it comes down to goal difference they will rue the soft goals.
But really it was that 1st minute goal against Morocco that will have sunk them.

 

[Red17]

They were quoting an about 40% chance for Scotland to go through on the BBC last night, which is still a pretty good chance

 

[AndyRM]

Scotland will still go through unless two of these win their final game
Cabo Verde (Playing Saudi Arabia)
Belgium (New Zealand)
Congo DR (Uzbekistan)
Ecuador (Germany)
Senegal (Iraq)

And Algeria & Paraguay win or draw or lose by only 1 goal

There are also a couple of teams currently in 2nd place in their group but who could drop to 3rd and would then be behind Scotland if they lose their last game - Uruguay (playing Spain) and Iran (playing Egypt).

Like I don't have a wallchart...

Or a Panini book...

I'm well aware of the permutations...

We gave that game to Brasil.

 

[No Ta Doctor]

If it's any consolation, Scotland still top the all time Unofficial World Championship ranking by some margin and are unlikely to be toppled in the near future.

https://www.theufwc.com/ranking

The UFWC treats the World Championship as a winner-stays-on challenge competition, like a boxing world title. England beat Scotland in the second ever international match (the two drew 0-0 in the first) to become the first World Champions, then Scotland beat England and became champions and so on. It rattled about the home nations for a long time before Scotland eventually lost it, in its 159th match, to Austria in 1931

Of course, anyone talking solace in the above will have to contend with the fact that the current holders are USA, who won it off Australia in their 2nd group stage match, who won if off Turkey in the first group stage match. USA could also lose it back to Turkey this evening. tonight, at some ungodly hour for us Europeans.

If they did lose it To Turkey, that would be a shame, as they're already out of the competition, so it wouldn't be contested again at this world cup

 

[AndyRM]

On reflection, Clarke made a really good point when he said (and I paraphrase):

"Look, we've not played at this level for decades. Gies a chance eh?"

I don't think he's wrong at all with that assessment.

There's nae use in singling out players. Sh!t happens, we all make mistakes.

Keep what we've got chaps. Don't lose sight of that.