martinji

Gareth has basically said in interviews before that in his eyes tournament football is first and foremost about not losing. I don't wholly disagree with his dourly pragmatic approach but he does stick to it *so* rigidly. We were crying out for changes either at half time or at the very least on around 55 minutes when it was evident whatever tweaks and what was said at half time, hadn't changed the game (if anything USA were even more on top).

it is rightly offside but goalie is never saving a deflection like that anyway when he's already diving the other way, so unlucky in a way

why do players never (ok, rarely) get booked any more for stopping a quick free kick? it's now totally standard practice to just stand right in front of the ball until your team is defensively regrouped, or (as then) to even tussle with the ball to stop them taking it (I realise on that occasion the ref wasn't actually ready either but still, the players intention was plain)

Crikey this discussion going on now is far too kind to Wales. "With another ref it could have been different", "if this goes in it would have been a different game" etc. Wales were utterly awful and Iran absolutely deserved their win

me too, this has been a brilliant watch I mean you can't hold a nation responsible for something someone says, but ever since Robbie Savage said "Macclesfield would beat Iran" I've been hoping for this

yeah looked to me as if he'd have taken it in the face if he hadn't ducked away

Piers Morgan operating VAR today

same as Matterface with Japan. Going on as if they were some plucky no hopers when they've got to the last 16 is it three times in recent tournaments? it's just really lazy. Them beating Germany in my eyes is a slight to moderate surprise, not a major shock. Pougatch is the absolute worst though. Also can't stand Clinton Morrison who 5 live use a lot. Murphy isn't great but I'd take him over Keown and Hartson, personal taste though, they are much of a muchness. I get frustrated when we're presented with a panel of all British pundits for games between non British nations. It's much better when the pundits have at least a link to the countries playing, and preferably a deep knowledge of their players, tactics and background going in to the tournament. Instead we get generic comments like "we know their forwards are always dangerous" or "they'll be looking to such-and-such (who played/plays in the Premier League) to make a difference". Basically the level of insight you'd get from a random in the pub.

take it with a pinch of salt but I like checking out the fivethirtyeight predictions, they now have Germany at 33% chance of qualifying for the knockouts. Japan 75%. https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-world-cup-predictions/

Ferran Torres fuming, he could have had the golden boot already if he'd played the full game.

Brilliant. Enjoyed writing that score into my wallchart. That's when it's real

yeah I'm not saying I agree with it, I think the Maguire one should have been a pen. Just that it's the only possible rationale I could think of.

the only rationale (other than incompetence or corruption) I can think of is that for the Maguire one he wasn't going to get near the ball anyway so the foul didn't affect the game. You can say that's not how the rules work but it's how a lot of refs choose to referee. This one, the "foul" may have prevented the player from reaching the ball, so it's given.

ah I see - thanks. I'd misunderstood.

I don't really object to not showing the opening ceremony on BBC1 but I think they should have mentioned on BBC1 that coverage of the ceremony was on red button/website for viewers who wanted to see it, and given a brief outline of who was going to be performing etc. If they did mention it, I missed it.

A off the cuff list of things from me, not repeating things I've seen already talked about - Lothar Mattheus being absolutely imperious in the group stages in 1990, he made the Germans seem unbeatable all by himself even before you thought about all their other great players - Rijkaard spitting at Voller, 1990, was shocking at the time - Bulgaria and especially Stoichkov in 1994, starting with his goal v Mexico (which was a great game) he became my favourite player for a while - i think having no England at the tourney sparked me to take more interest in non-England games and deepened my enjoyment of all future WC as a result - Maradona's swansong with a drug fuelled celebration into a camera in 1994 (tbf was a good goal) - Graham Poll booking Simunic 3 times in 2006 - Tim Cahill's goal v Netherlands in 2014, my all time favourite WC goal, was robbed for goal of the tournament IMO - 2014 again, when Germany scored 4 goals in 6 minutes to go 5-0 up after half an hour of the semi final v Brazil, the most incredible few minutes of football I've ever seen

as a Plymouth Argyle fan, watching Rory Fallon (who was with us at the time) jumping into Italian defenders and knocking them about, was great entertainment until he got brought off to avoid picking up a second yellow