FIFA World Cup 2014

I want Germany to win because in my opinion they have played the most consistent football, but if you ask who i would have liked to have seen win the World Cup ( apart from England ) for entertainment value and there no stop running around ...then the world cup winners are Chile 

Well chiming in on this thread while it's relevant (I.e. Just one game left), have to say that this has been a great tournament .

A real shame that Brazil are out as I would like to see a new world record.

Agree that European football is less interesting to watch.  Nevertheless, it is good for Germany as they have been the nearly team for a long time. I was also impressed at the way they handled their win over Brazil.

As for the likeable underdogs -Columbia - I'm afraid that the the outrageous off ball tackle of Naimar, shows the their true undertone (perhaps FIFA should focus on on pitch violence, I.e. crime, rather than racism). I have a similar view of Holland from the 2010 final with Spain.

I don't mind who wins in the final, both team/countries have a lot to gain, I just hope that  it's a great game.

Jude

Jude,

(perhaps FIFA should focus on on pitch violence, I.e. crime, rather than racism).

So you are saying that Zuniga's tackle on Neymar was a pre-meditated criminal offence rather than an ill judged, badly timed football incident?  

If FIFA should focus on "on pitch violence" where do you draw the line between intentional and unintentional bad tackles?  Or would it make sense to ban tackling all together and make football a non contact sport to eliminate all doubt?

Should the players whose knee hit my temple knocking me out and bringing me two days in hospital with concussion have been subject to criminal proceedings?  Should the player whose studs made contact with my hand causing me two compound dislocations of the 3rd and 5th fingers be subject to criminal proceedings?  Or should the player whose head slammed into my nose, breaking it badly and causing me to have an operation to try to straighten it later be subject to criminal proceedings?

To my mind, only one of the above incidents was reckless, where the player may have had some premeditated intent to hurt me but they all happened in a game in real time and to my mind Zuniga's "tackle" was clumsy (at best!) but to categorise it as a crime is ludicrous IMO.

It's a contact sport and sh*t happens sometimes.

Cheers

Jim

Apparently North Korea are playing (and will probably win) the WCF. 

Perhaps other national broadcasters should do the same and then we would all be happy?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/w...h-korea-told-3849292

Jim -

This was the attitude towards American Gridiron for decades. Then, in 2007, research into the long-term effects of multiple concussions became the basis for several ex-player law suits alleging the league did not take adequate steps to protect their health:

According to the research, published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, National Football League (NFL) players surveyed who had sustained three or more concussions were three times as likely to develop clinical depression as players who had not suffered concussions. An earlier study in the Journal of Neuroscience showed that this group was also five times more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment—a condition linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

The same thing will happen with football. There are far too many serious head-to-head collisions.  Either players will be forced to wear some form of protection, or the rules will have to change. We are already seeing early signs of this, with refs (or opponents) stopping play when someone goes down holding their head. IMO, it is a question of when, not if, these changes will happen.

ATB.

Hook

Amazingly clear footage from the days when ships were wood, and men were steel... 

I don't understand why the second goal was allowed to stand. The goalie had the ball under control, and was then simply mugged from behind. Did the ref actually see this as Lofthouse making a play on a loose ball?  Or were the rules on goalkeeper interference different in 1958?

ATB.

Hook

Hook,

The same thing will happen with football. There are far too many serious head-to-head collisions.  Either players will be forced to wear some form of protection, or the rules will have to change. We are already seeing early signs of this, with refs (or opponents) stopping play when someone goes down holding their head. IMO, it is a question of when, not if, these changes will happen.

I'm sorry but the violent impact of huge American Football players and the head knocks experienced in football cannot easily be compared.  Yes, very occasionally someone will get concussion or even fracture their skull or break their cheekbone etc and that is an incidental part of the game.  Whereas in Gridiron it is almost a planned consequence of violent impact, often at full speed with players in armour.  Very different scenarios.

Maybe they should just ban heading the ball and head collisions would end - then it really would be football.....

Even in my lifetime, football has evolved and changed almost beyond recognition.  You only have to listen to the ex-player pundits (colour commentators in the US) who bemoan the fact that today you can barely touch an opponent without a free kick being awarded.

The upside of this is that players skills have evolved hugely (also due to other factors like fitness, ball and boot technology etc) and some of the things players do today were unimaginable even 20 years ago.

Is it all for the better?  Sometimes it certainly is but to see players like Robben (to pick an easy target) falling over at the slightest contact does grate with old codgers like me.

BTW Hook, I have read many of your posts throughout this World Cup thread and for an American you have a pretty good grasp of the game - despite the odd terminology that you guys use to describe it at times! 

Now, all we need is an Argentinian victory tonight so I can gloat when I see my German work colleagues tomorrow - the last thing they need is another excuse to be even more smug!

Cheers

Jim

Understood, Wat.

However, the 'Brazillian football association' (I cannot recall the exact name) did appeal to FIFA and the outcome was that as the referee did not see that any rule was broken (i.e no yellow or red card), FIFA could not intervene (i.e. effectively washing their hands of the matter).

My point is that there should be a deterrent against violence and not left to the chance of being seen by the referee (and the threat of criminal action acting as the deterrent, whether premeditated, spontaneous, or opportunistic).

Columbia did well, and showed promise, then again a lot of other less well known teams such as Ghana did too.  

Roll on 2018.

J

Jude

I'm afraid that the s*** happens attitude is short lived, especially where the sport has a dependency on sponsorship, never mind morals.

Are you arguing that football should be made into a non contact sport?

If not, then what kind of tackles are allowed and what happens when someone simply mistimes a tackle and totally accidentally injures another player?  In the case of neymar, my personal jury is out and to me it is not clear whether it just a really badly timed incident or if Zuniga intended to badly injure Neymar.

It was clearly very badly timed (or perfectly timed spending on your viewpoint of course) but incidents like that happen hundreds of times and no material harm arises to the player.  On the flip side, the most innocuous of challenges can result in serious, career threatening injuries.

My "sh*t" happens comment should really have said "accidents can happen" and I was not in any way advocating or supporting  violent play on the pitch.

On a final note I just can't understand you trying to link incidents like this to the condoning of racism - that logic bypasses me I'm afraid.

Regards

Jim

I'm not trying to make it a contact less sport (anyhow contact is with the ball isn't it)  nor am I alone in having an issue with this particular Naymar incident, the Brazilian football association also have an issue with it.  

The only reason there is speculation about the Naymar incident is that the referee did not see it and Brazil are not allowed to make a case. I' m sure Columbia would have appealed (rightly so)

My point regrading racism is that why pick on racism as being an issue when violence is accepted. 

Badly timed or not a deterrent is needed.  Boxing has rules, motor racing, ice hockey, etc for example has rules.  He'll even horse racing has (horses as well as jockeys) They have all improved safety, so why is the acceptance of violence allowed Under the guise of an accident.Contact or contact less. Imagine this incident in an olympic football Mach, it would not be tolerated.

The only situation that your line of argument holds water is if the players have signed a disclaimer

Jude  ;-)

Captivating first half. Both sides could be a goal up.  I wish Muller wouldn't roll about so much, otherwise both sides playing well. Also the officials are having a good game and getting the decisions spot-on.  Very finely balanced this one.

Agree MDS - a really good final thus far - could go either way...

But can anyone tell me why the BBC crew are all in suits? 

Good goal

Congratulations Germany ...well played

Well done Germany. Won with an excellent goal, and scored just after Argentina could (and should) have had Aguero sent off. An excellent World Cup won by an excellent team. Great stuff.

Great goal, superb extra time. Germany deserving winners on balance.

Farewell to the best World Cup ever?

I think your fined the best World Cup ever was back in 66 .... We West Ham won it hehehe

LOL, but I can't remember it, I was three...

But in terms of great goals, major upsets, the fans, the fall of Spain, the rise of Chile, Mexico and Columbia, Bitegate, the Belo Horizonte massacre, all those last-gasp wins, a new superstar in the shape of James Rodriguez, Germany's remarkable team spirit, the mighty minnows of Costa Rica, the USA's amazing comeback, boos for Blatter, some amazing goalkeeping from Neuer, some grat moments of sportsmanship, Ochoa and Navas and Loew's amazing cool... surely the best World Cup ever, one that will live long, long in the memory.

Argentina should have sown that up in the first half, but well played Germany. Most of the cheating came from Germany though, both sides should have been down to 10. Ref was poor, no difference there then.

Well said Kevin. It was a splendid World Cup with lots of great moments, and in the end, the best team won. Congratulations to Germany!  

I truly enjoyed the month long distraction from work, politics and war in the Middle East. I also enjoyed sharing this experience with you folks here on the Naim Forum.

So how about we all get together and do this again in 2018?  Dos vadanya!  

Hook

As an aside-I'm struggling to think of another sport where cheating is so overt and yet so unpunished.

As for the game last night I gave up a short way into the second half. I though Germany looked rattled and shaky at times but the better side. Argentina limited but disciplined however had real opportunities. Messi surely was not fit.

I'm no 'fan' but dipped in and out of a few games. Chile were the team I enjoyed most; the first half against Brazil was just brilliant breathless football. Germany's demolition of the same opponent will live long in the memory too.

Bruce

Anyone else getting severe World Cup withdrawal symptoms?