World Football Thread XX: Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.

[OzzyKP]

Tweet I got today:

#ENG team visited an orphanage in Cape Town today "It's heartbreaking to see their sad faces with no hope" said Jamal aged 6

[OzzyKP]

@ France.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/19/france-worldcup2010

Not surprising to see le sulk do something so idiotic. He's only 31 as well, not like he's well and truly past it. Supposedly he's retired from international football as well, FWIW given the FFA surely would never pick him again.

From that article:

The reported bust-up is just the latest in what has been a string of rumours about unrest within the France camp and claims Domenech has lost the support of his players. The under-fire Domenech has brushed aside concerns rivals Uruguay and Mexico may manufacture a draw in their final Group A match to ensure they progress to the knockout stages at the expense of Les Bleus. France have to convincingly beat hosts South Africa on Tuesday and hope there is a positive result in the other fixture.

With so much at stake it has been suggested the two teams from the Americas are more likely to settle for a stalemate rather than risk elimination.

Yikes, does this happen often in soccer?

[SpencerH]

Doesn't matter whether it was accidental or deliberate in this case. It hit the arm and prevented a goal scoring opportunity, which is a professional foul and a straight red.

I looked for more expert opinion of the rule online but havent found any yet but to me a non-deliberate handball on the goal line is not a "professional foul". IMO, it had to be a penalty for handball since it helped (it also clearly hit his chest but I'm unsure of whether that was prior to the upper arm) prevent a goal but didnt have to be a sending off because it wasnt deliberate.

[SpencerH]

From that article:

Yikes, does this happen often in soccer?

It can. I watched one of the most infamous between Germany and Austria in 1982 where both teams would go through if Germany won by one goal. Horst Hrubesch scored with a beautiful header at about 10 min after which the match essentially ended. The fun part was the idiotic canadian commentators pretending there was a game still on.

[duke o' york]

I looked for more expert opinion of the rule online but havent found any yet but to me a non-deliberate handball on the goal line is not a "professional foul". IMO, it had to be a penalty for handball since it helped (it also clearly hit his chest but I'm unsure of whether that was prior to the upper arm) prevent a goal but didnt have to be a sending off because it wasnt deliberate.

Well if you look at the pictures of the Swiss goal against Spain, you can clearly see Pique confronting the attacker with both arms hidden behind his back, to prevent anything like this happening. Kewell just wasn't so smart, but Switzerland scored anyway.

[SpencerH]

I'm not saying I think the penalty kick was the wrong decision. I just think the sending off was a bit harsh since it didnt appear to be deliberate (and I dont agree that it counts as a professional foul - which warrants a yellow anyway, as it did with Klose).

[Frozzy]

I looked for more expert opinion of the rule online but havent found any yet but to me a non-deliberate handball on the goal line is not a "professional foul". IMO, it had to be a penalty for handball since it helped (it also clearly hit his chest but I'm unsure of whether that was prior to the upper arm) prevent a goal but didnt have to be a sending off because it wasnt deliberate.

Professional foul simply means that it was a foul that prevented a goal scoring opportunity, which it clearly did.

Professional foul means a red card. Always.

Law 12 (4):

A player, substitute or substituted player is sent off if he commits any of the following seven offences:

4) denying the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball (this does not apply to a goalkeeper within his own penalty area)

It denied the Ghana player the goal and the arm was outstretched... pretty clear cut IMO.

EDIT: here's a pretty good explaination of it (http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/afde...en_47379.pdf):

A player is sent off, however, if he prevents a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball. This punishment arises not from the act of the player deliberately handling the ball but from the unacceptable and unfair intervention that prevented a goal being scored.

So it's not that he has to take a swipe at it to get sent off, it's simply having the arm outstretched and it stops the goal that is sufficient to justify a professional foul.

[Barnabas]

From that article:



Yikes, does this happen often in soccer?

It generally only happens between very closely related countries, like Germany and Austria, or Argentina and Uruguay

[Kitschum]

It generally only happens between very closely related countries, like Germany and Austria, or Argentina and Uruguay

Sweden v Denmark in Euro 2004. Both teams were through at 2-2. Any other result and Italy join one of them. End result: 2-2

Nordic Victory

[duke o' york]

It's nauseating stuff, but I'd be tempted to let it go if Newcastle went down by ten and the Mackems lost out on the title/were relegated (more likely) on goal difference.

[C0ckney]

Sweden v Denmark in Euro 2004. Both teams were through at 2-2. Any other result and Italy join one of them. End result: 2-2

Nordic Victory

in fairness though that game was tightly contested. i don't anyone who watched it could reasonably say it was a stitch up.

[Dauphin]

From that article:



Yikes, does this happen often in soccer?

It can, but both sides will want to avoid Argentina in the next round. Playing for a win is still worthwhile.

[duke o' york]

Fantastic performance by the All Whites, but especially by the fan in the furry Kiwi costume. He must be boiling.

I love the fact they brought a semi-pro on in injury time.

[Krill]

Woot, All Whites

[duke o' york]

Now North Korea have to step up to the plate and beat Portugal! (Or is that too much to hope for?)