OFFICIAL: 2010 World Cup thread (OT)

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Gotta agree about the diving and writhing though it pains me, as someone who has made my living primarily by playing, coaching and promoting the game. In big tournaments like the world cup with abundant replay angles it would be easy enough to issue suspensions for diving and staying down if there had been no contact.

In almost no sport am I an advocate of replay or over adjudication. In this case though, there is precedent for FIFA to step up. When they wanted to outlaw tackles from behind and last man fouls, they simply made them red cardable offenses, carrying automatic suspensions.

If they started suspending players for blatant dives and time wasting, it would all but stop.

[BanndNDC]

I definitely agree with the idea of post-hoc reviews that give cards/suspensions for blatant dives (and any violently dangerous plays that are missed). i dont like it and would love to see the ronaldos, robbens and italians of the world punished for unsporting behavior.

but i never get worked up about it occuring in soccer more than other sports because it doesn't. players try and game the officials in every sport. it certainly happens just as often if not more in basketball. trying to draw a "foul" instead of trying to make a basket, flopping, "they're trying to hurt me", is there blood on my lip, of course they hit me how else could i have lost the ball and the rest of lebrons antics are just the same and no less objectionable.

[DaRealHibachi]

Going to the Finals, b*tches...

[queridiculo]

Oh well, too bad my predictions were a bit too accurate. Germany played a heck of a tournament, but you could tell that they didn't quite have the class of the Spaniards.

They played with a bit too much respect, and their inability to possess the ball did them in. Too many turnovers and a lack of touch on their passes really hurt them today. I'm proud of my boys though, nobody gave them a chance before the tournament.

Let's go Holland!

[Higga]

I called it from the start: Spain over Netherlands.