**** 2018 WORLD CUP THREAD ***

Scorpion_runner wrote:

YesForTheWin wrote:

Croatia deserved that. They had a clear goal scoring opportunity in extra time and was denied because of that foul.

That's part of the game. That's like a player stopping a scoring fastbreak in basketball, and the fouled player goes to the free throw line.

Your country is on the line! You will sacrifice yourself so that your country can advance. It was a smart foul.

NO EASY GOALS!

Big difference when bball scores 250pts/game and soccer maybe 2.5. Those goal chances are much more valuable, and the penalties should accordingly be more severe. I was shocked he wasn't given a Red, although the replay showed it wasn't quite as obvious as it looked in real time.

Hoping for a Belgium-Croatia final

It's strange to think one of these teams will play in a World Cup final: Croatia, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, England, Colombia

Scorpion_runner wrote:

theJeff wrote:

Thanks for reviving the rightful thread title :-)

I haven't done both... but if taking a pk is as hard as saving them, I am impressed.

Really, think about it. The GK does not get a lot of work during a game. Legs and brain are fresh, compared to a player who has been running, jumping, and sliding around for 115 mins. More pks are missed during after match PKs than PKs during regulation..

Most of those kick were lazy and low to the ground...

A good goalie should be the most mentally drained player on the pitch (ok, I am posing now). He is constantly communicating, setting up defensive set pieces, and coiled for a cross or a strike anytime the ball is within 40 yards.

Of course I agree with the physical part, but don't think the keeper is just standing back there.

I have always chalked up the missed kicks in shootouts to mental errors. That has to be a ton of pressure having to walk all the way from midfield with no one else out there and nowhere to hide, and everyone in the stadium thinks you should make it. Add an order of magnitude to that in the World Cup. At least nobody has actually missed the goal yet.

theJeff wrote:

Scorpion_runner wrote:

That's part of the game. That's like a player stopping a scoring fastbreak in basketball, and the fouled player goes to the free throw line.

Your country is on the line! You will sacrifice yourself so that your country can advance. It was a smart foul.

NO EASY GOALS!

Big difference when bball scores 250pts/game and soccer maybe 2.5. Those goal chances are much more valuable, and the penalties should accordingly be more severe. I was shocked he wasn't given a Red, although the replay showed it wasn't quite as obvious as it looked in real time.

Even if he were given a red card, no point would haven be added. Those are the rules, until they change them. I would have dived and stopped the ball with my hands for my country. This is the World Cup, bro. I'm putting it in the hands of my GK.

should be an automatic goal wrote:

Fouling to deny the sure goal is absolute jewery. They should just give the goal automatically in that case.

Yeah. The rule should allow for the goal to be awarded automatically if a player is fouled while walking into an empty net.

If I'm getting lapped in a track race, and I flat out tackle the leader on the finishing straight so that my teammate can take the win, I don't think anyone would be like "well, the rules say that a runner who impedes another runner gets DQed, and that guy got DQed, so no big deal, that's just how the sport works." I'd expect people to push for a bit more significant penalty for such an egregious and intentional foul. Same applies here.

Scorpion_runner wrote:

theJeff wrote:

Big difference when bball scores 250pts/game and soccer maybe 2.5. Those goal chances are much more valuable, and the penalties should accordingly be more severe. I was shocked he wasn't given a Red, although the replay showed it wasn't quite as obvious as it looked in real time.

Even if he were given a red card, no point would haven be added. Those are the rules, until they change them. I would have dived and stopped the ball with my hands for my country. This is the World Cup, bro. I'm putting it in the hands of my GK.

^This^ was the 666th post on this thread.

egregious wrote:

should be an automatic goal wrote:

Fouling to deny the sure goal is absolute jewery. They should just give the goal automatically in that case.

Yeah. The rule should allow for the goal to be awarded automatically if a player is fouled while walking into an empty net.

If I'm getting lapped in a track race, and I flat out tackle the leader on the finishing straight so that my teammate can take the win, I don't think anyone would be like "well, the rules say that a runner who impedes another runner gets DQed, and that guy got DQed, so no big deal, that's just how the sport works." I'd expect people to push for a bit more significant penalty for such an egregious and intentional foul. Same applies here.

In a World Cup, for your country? Dude, I'm pulling shirts, tripping, etc, to stop a walk in goal. Their entire country could show up at my door step. I would not give one flying rat's nut. That's why I love Sergio Ramos! : )

Yeah, I heard you the first time.

Have they changed any rules regarding penalty kicks lately?

It seems back in the day you could count on 90% of them to go in, but now they save a decent number of them.

This guy was the weak spot on the Danish team and Croatia knew it. I think it was more saving face since he was badly beaten than actually fighting for the country.

should be an automatic goal wrote:

Fouling to deny the sure goal is absolute jewery. They should just give the goal automatically in that case.

God I hate soccer people.

Jewery? Really?

Hardloper wrote:

Hoping for a Belgium-Croatia final

It's strange to think one of these teams will play in a World Cup final: Croatia, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, England, Colombia

You left out Mexico. Mexico will kill Brazil. I hope I am right.

NativeSon wrote:

Hardloper wrote:

Hoping for a Belgium-Croatia final

It's strange to think one of these teams will play in a World Cup final: Croatia, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, England, Colombia

You left out Mexico. Mexico will kill Brazil. I hope I am right.

I hope they do too... but one of the six I mentioned will win the semi-final on their side of the bracket

]ptvic7 wrote:

PEASE FUND ANOTHER FORUM. The Iron Age ended 550 BC. Your haughtiness exceeds your intelligence.

Oh please, Mr. "I googled it and took the first date that supported the argument I wanted to make". The iron age spanned a wide range of time in a wide range of areas. You know very well what I'm talking about.

Croatia should have put the game away with Modric penalty kick, but he did not take a good penalty and Schmeichel made a great save. I wonder if Croatia had more of a pure, powerful goal scorer on the field than Modric that could have slammed home a penalty harder than the slight Modric. Both goal keepers did a great job on penalty kicks.

Modric is amazing to watch, though. He made the pass that let to the forward being taken down for the penalty. And he made a bunch of other amazing passes and set up plays that led to opportunities. When he gets on the ball in the opposing half, it seems like anything can happen. When Modric and Rakitić are firing on all cylinders, Croatia can beat anybody. They were not today, but are still clutch enough to recover and hit home their penalties.

Hardloper wrote:

Have they changed any rules regarding penalty kicks lately?

It seems back in the day you could count on 90% of them to go in, but now they save a decent number of them.

A lot of GKs come off their line early, especially Schmichael, and they never call it. However, kick a PK with height and force, and no GK is stopping it. Players are doing a lot of hesitation moves and stutter steps, instead of just going up and putting the ball in the net.

Go up, smash it high in the corner, game over.

Scorpion_runner wrote:

Hardloper wrote:

Have they changed any rules regarding penalty kicks lately?

It seems back in the day you could count on 90% of them to go in, but now they save a decent number of them.

A lot of GKs come off their line early, especially Schmichael, and they never call it. However, kick a PK with height and force, and no GK is stopping it. Players are doing a lot of hesitation moves and stutter steps, instead of just going up and putting the ball in the net.

Go up, smash it high in the corner, game over.

yeah fine ok sounds right sure. But you aim high, you are reducing your margin of error. Keeping the ball lower makes it a lot less likely that you will miss the goal completely. The worst result is to not even kick it toward the opening.

for ex

tuiii wrote:

Scorpion_runner wrote:

A lot of GKs come off their line early, especially Schmichael, and they never call it. However, kick a PK with height and force, and no GK is stopping it. Players are doing a lot of hesitation moves and stutter steps, instead of just going up and putting the ball in the net.

Go up, smash it high in the corner, game over.

yeah fine ok sounds right sure. But you aim high, you are reducing your margin of error. Keeping the ball lower makes it a lot less likely that you will miss the goal completely. The worst result is to not even kick it toward the opening.

for ex

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpbkRApq9qY

Why are they playing soccer on a football field?

Anyways, going for the top corner increases your chances of the ball sailing over the goal or hitting the post. Only the best PK takers can put it in that spot in high pressure situations after playing 120 minutes. Going low and towards the post is hard for a keeper to save and less likely to sail over.

If you are real boss, you do a chip shot penalty off the top post like Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final.

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