FIFA's top four teams make World Cup semifinals for first time
Argentina, Spain, France and England went into the tournament as the top four in FIFA's rankings and are two wins away from being crowned champions again.
www.forbes.com
So they rarely call it but decide to in one of the biggest spots in the game?Amen to that. I've never heard anyone who follows the sport state they love the diving and lack of accountability. Then when it happens in a big spot, people say it's harsh. Well normalize punishing dives with cards and maybe it slows down. Ignoring it hasn't worked.
I get your point but this was as blatant a dive as you’ll ever see, astonishingly poor set up and execution, you’ll see better acting in a pre-school play. And he decided to do this while holding a yellow card. And it wasn’t even in the box. At some point the world has to take a stand against idiocy. Too bad, the yellow came out, the red came out, the ref did his job.So they rarely call it but decide to in one of the biggest spots in the game?
Yep. The reason was the ref blew the call initially and gave a yellow to someone who didn’t touch a player. The only person to blame in this is the Swiss striker who did the dive near midfield. It’s the second one this tournament so maybe a few learn now. Long overdue and I don’t feel sympathy for divers who get the card. You can’t say you hate diving and then cry foul when it’s actually enforced the way it should be. Don’t dive.So they rarely call it but decide to in one of the biggest spots in the game?
I'm fine with this but the lack of consistency was the problemYep. The reason was the ref blew the call initially and gave a yellow to someone who didn’t touch a player. The only person to blame in this is the Swiss striker who did the dive near midfield. It’s the second one this tournament so maybe a few learn now. Long overdue and I don’t feel sympathy for divers who get the card. You can’t say you hate diving and then cry foul when it’s actually enforced the way it should be. Don’t dive.
It's been an issue forever and the consistency of the call has always been the problem. Every couple of years they talk tough and don't follow through with it.I'm fine with this but the lack of consistency was the problem
There are dives constantly. Start calling them not just on review or allow for a review. The "I just got shot" reaction to someone being close to you needs removed from the game...
And soccer isn't the only sport that needs to crack down on the flopping. The NBA is almost as bad.It's been an issue forever and the consistency of the call has always been the problem. Every couple of years they talk tough and don't follow through with it.
Yep. The reason was the ref blew the call initially and gave a yellow to someone who didn’t touch a player. The only person to blame in this is the Swiss striker who did the dive near midfield. It’s the second one this tournament so maybe a few learn now. Long overdue and I don’t feel sympathy for divers who get the card. You can’t say you hate diving and then cry foul when it’s actually enforced the way it should be. Don’t dive.
I get your point but this was as blatant a dive as you’ll ever see, astonishingly poor set up and execution, you’ll see better acting in a pre-school play. And he decided to do this while holding a yellow card. And it wasn’t even in the box. At some point the world has to take a stand against idiocy. Too bad, the yellow came out, the red came out, the ref did his job.
Soccer has issues like this rule. Like you said the 2nd one called in the whole tournament out of probably a hundred plays like this. Unacceptable and it undermines the integrity of the game. No, you should not dive but you can't allow it 95% of the time. It makes you wonder why it was called in this instance on the biggest stage? Again, if it was one of the superstars doing the diving who already had a yellow card then I highly doubt this is called. Are they throwing Messi out of that game? No. You simply cannot have this inconsistent double standard and expect to be considered a credible, unbiased sport.Yep. The reason was the ref blew the call initially and gave a yellow to someone who didn’t touch a player. The only person to blame in this is the Swiss striker who did the dive near midfield. It’s the second one this tournament so maybe a few learn now. Long overdue and I don’t feel sympathy for divers who get the card. You can’t say you hate diving and then cry foul when it’s actually enforced the way it should be. Don’t dive.
The man down is just fine by me as it’s known established rule. Pro baseball had 2 sets of rules between the two leagues for decades. In Football holding could be called on just about every play but isn’t. Most agree with the inconsistency of the diving calls are an issue but the rest of that stuff is nonsense. I agree there. Balogun should not have played but corrupt leaders do corrupt things. The US and FIFA have corrupt leaders.Soccer has issues like this rule. Like you said the 2nd one called in the whole tournament out of probably a hundred plays like this. Unacceptable and it undermines the integrity of the game. No, you should not dive but you can't allow it 95% of the time. It makes you wonder why it was called in this instance on the biggest stage? Again, if it was one of the superstars doing the diving who already had a yellow card then I highly doubt this is called. Are they throwing Messi out of that game? No. You simply cannot have this inconsistent double standard and expect to be considered a credible, unbiased sport.
It was great that Balogun got to play for us and I was all for it but again, a suspect, fishy move by a sport that in my opinion is mired in a cloud of secrecy and back room deal making. Complete lack of transparency.
If they can't enforce it or don't want to then they cannot have the rule and just randomly or selectively use it less than 5% of the time. I don't watch soccer enough to know if this particular dive was so egregious that it rose to being one of the worst ones and thus "had to be called". Maybe but there are certainly many others that are similar in nature that don't get called. They all look similar and it is a horrible look for the sport.
You combine this rule with the fact that they make you play a man down (with a red card) which I don't agree with. No other sport does this. Can you imagine football with 10 guys vs 11. This rule seems like it allows the refs to control the outcome of the game when you are forced to play a man down. It was inevitable that Argentina was going to score giving them a man advantage for 40 minutes.
HockeyYou combine this rule with the fact that they make you play a man down (with a red card) which I don't agree with. No other sport does this.
They used to, but haven't for a long time.Pro baseball has 2 sets of rules between the two leagues.
Of course it would be called regardless of who the player was...do you understand why it was called in this instance? If you did, you might understand the call better.Soccer has issues like this rule. Like you said the 2nd one called in the whole tournament out of probably a hundred plays like this. Unacceptable and it undermines the integrity of the game. No, you should not dive but you can't allow it 95% of the time. It makes you wonder why it was called in this instance on the biggest stage? Again, if it was one of the superstars doing the diving who already had a yellow card then I highly doubt this is called. Are they throwing Messi out of that game? No. You simply cannot have this inconsistent double standard and expect to be considered a credible, unbiased sport.
True but it was that way for decades prior to 2022. You can nitpick any sport with certain quirks, but the diving is just a scab non fans pick at because the governing bodies of the leagues and sport do not enforce it. That send off didn’t bother me one bit.They used to, but haven't for a long time.
It was only called because there had been a yellow card given to the other team, so VAR is allowed to intervene. Otherwise, no.Soccer has issues like this rule. Like you said the 2nd one called in the whole tournament out of probably a hundred plays like this. Unacceptable and it undermines the integrity of the game. No, you should not dive but you can't allow it 95% of the time. It makes you wonder why it was called in this instance on the biggest stage? Again, if it was one of the superstars doing the diving who already had a yellow card then I highly doubt this is called. Are they throwing Messi out of that game? No. You simply cannot have this inconsistent double standard and expect to be considered a credible, unbiased sport.
It was great that Balogun got to play for us and I was all for it but again, a suspect, fishy move by a sport that in my opinion is mired in a cloud of secrecy and back room deal making. Complete lack of transparency.
If they can't enforce it or don't want to then they cannot have the rule and just randomly or selectively use it less than 5% of the time. I don't watch soccer enough to know if this particular dive was so egregious that it rose to being one of the worst ones and thus "had to be called". Maybe but there are certainly many others that are similar in nature that don't get called. They all look similar and it is a horrible look for the sport.
You combine this rule with the fact that they make you play a man down (with a red card) which I don't agree with. No other sport does this. Can you imagine football with 10 guys vs 11. This rule seems like it allows the refs to control the outcome of the game when you are forced to play a man down. It was inevitable that Argentina was going to score giving them a man advantage for 40 minutes.
Your comment made me look, and wow, I didn't realize the DH was dropped during COVID, then not put in fully until 2022. I would have guessed 2010...can't believe we still had pitchers batting in 2021.True but it was that way for decades prior to 2022. You can nitpick any sport with certain quirks, but the diving is just a scab non fans pick at because the governing bodies of the leagues and sport do not enforce it. That send off didn’t bother me one bit.
I watch it to cheer for the U.S. Whether the red card rule had been around since God created the earth it still doesn't make it a good rule. It puts way too much power in the hands of the ref to dictate an outcome and is subjective to boot as evidenced by the Balogun one It is a red card.... no wait it isn't.The man down is just fine by me as it’s known established rule. Pro baseball had 2 sets of rules between the two leagues for decades. In Football holding could be called on just about every play but isn’t. Most agree with the inconsistency of the diving calls are an issue but the rest of that stuff is nonsense. I agree there. Balogun should not have played but corrupt leaders do corrupt things. The US and FIFA have corrupt leaders.
Don’t watch it is my take if you don’t like it. It’s plenty popular globally and still growing here. I don’t watch Cricket or the Tour De cheating…I mean France. So I don’t comment or compare those things. I’d rather watch paint dry outside of the Masters than watch golf and I play it.
It would not have been called against Messi. The sport has an air of corruption.Of course it would be called regardless of who the player was...do you understand why it was called in this instance? If you did, you might understand the call better.
Yeah so the ref is so bad he can't even identify the flop or dive and thinks it is real then has to go to a replay and reverse it and make a call that they call 2 out of a 100 times to essentially dictate an outcome The play had no bearing on the outcome of the game. It is not like a missed handball or a called phantom hand call leading to a PK. So it has no bearing on the outcome yet the refl does dictate the outcome. Whatever happened to let the players decide it on the field?It was only called because there had been a yellow card given to the other team, so VAR is allowed to intervene. Otherwise, no.
It's a pretty BS opinion to say "the ref is so bad"...he's one dude covering a field that big. He's not always going to be in perfect position or get a great angle on every call. He called what he thought was a foul (and what looked like a clear foul to me in real time)...thanksfully, VAR was able to assist and get the call correct.Yeah so the ref is so bad he can't even identify the flop or dive and thinks it is real then has to go to a replay and reverse it and make a call that they call 2 out of a 100 times to essentially dictate an outcome The play had no bearing on the outcome of the game. It is not like a missed handball or a called phantom hand call leading to a PK. So it has no bearing on the outcome yet the refl does dictate the outcome. Whatever happened to let the players decide it on the field?
So do you ignore the balk 99 out of 100 times and then decide to call it in a 1 run game to influence the outcome? Because that would be annoying as heck to any fan or coach.It's a pretty BS opinion to say "the ref is so bad"...he's one dude covering a field that big. He's not always going to be in perfect position or get a great angle on every call. He called what he thought was a foul (and what looked like a clear foul to me in real time)...thanksfully, VAR was able to assist and get the call correct.
And he did let the players decide it...Embolo decided that Switzerland would be down to 10 men when he dove while already on a yellow card. The whole "let the players decide it" is such a pet peeve to me as an official. Last week, I called a balk to allow the tying run to score in an important game. I can't tell you how many people gave me the "it's all about you", "you need to be the star", "let the players decide it" and whatnot...am I supposed to ignore the balk just because it's a one run game? When am I supposed to enforce the balk rule, just in blowouts? When is VAR supposed to enforce the rules around simulation and incorrect calls, only in blowouts?
I’ve seen worse BS in the NFL and college football. The no PI call in the Saints Rams playoff game was utter BS years back. Looked corrupt to me there. Good news for those who like the sport the red card isn’t going anywhere. There is no sport that is perfect, oh well.I watch it to cheer for the U.S. Whether the red card rule had been around since God created the earth it still doesn't make it a good rule. It puts way too much power in the hands of the ref to dictate an outcome and is subjective to boot as evidenced by the Balogun one It is a red card.... no wait it isn't.
I don't ignore it at all (in a serious game)...if a pitcher balks, I call it. Doesn't matter if it's the second batter of the game, or in a tie game with a runner on 3rd in the bottom of the last inning. If a team throws 150 pitches without a balk then does balk on the most important pitch of the game, it's on me to enforce the rule. It's the pitchers action that influenced the outcome, not my call (just as it was Embolo's action that influenced the outcome, and the official's correct enforcement of the rules).So do you ignore the balk 99 out of 100 times and then decide to call it in a 1 run game to influence the outcome? Because that would be annoying as heck to any fan or coach.
Correct...seeing it from a different angle, it was a completely obvious dive. Are you trying to insinuate that it wasn't a clear and obvious dive?If It was such an "obvious" dive yet the ref can't tell? So he goes to the VAR for the yellow and reverses it. Wow. Why don't they just go to the VAR every time the guy drops to the ground with a little contact?
We can respectfully disagree. You are obviously a knowledgeable follower of the sport so I don't mean to insult you. I don't like the red card rule and do not like that they decided to call the dive in a huge moment when it rarely is called. I guess if the yellow is not called on the Argentina player thus no VAR it could have been a play on. This variable complicated the situation and if it was blatant then the ref calls it but would it have been a total injustice if it was not called? I guess to the followers of the sport, it would have been.I don't ignore it at all (in a serious game)...if a pitcher balks, I call it. Doesn't matter if it's the second batter of the game, or in a tie game with a runner on 3rd in the bottom of the last inning. If a team throws 150 pitches without a balk then does balk on the most important pitch of the game, it's on me to enforce the rule. It's the pitchers action that influenced the outcome, not my call (just as it was Embolo's action that influenced the outcome, and the official's correct enforcement of the rules).
Correct...seeing it from a different angle, it was a completely obvious dive. Are you trying to insinuate that it wasn't a clear and obvious dive?
Why don't they go to VAR every time a player goes down? Because the rules don't allow for it. To keep a flow to the game, the VAR is only used to correct clear and obvious errors in very specific circumstances, and this was one of those circumstances. I don't think many would want the game to last 3 hours by reviewing every close play all game...but due to the importance of red cards, goals, penalties, and cards assessed to the wrong player, VAR is able to aid the officials when they make an error.
Those that grew up playing and watching the sport know the rule is just fine and not going anywhere. I don't think he has the history on the double leg tackles that used to occur and players going after ankles and knees to send players off with an injury while just getting a yellow. Red cards help prevent those types of tackles/persistent fouls from killing the game and injuring players. They also help from blatant handballs impacting a game and keep the players upright and playing the sport. There should be no major penalties in hockey....it's not fair....what??? Get out of here.I don't ignore it at all (in a serious game)...if a pitcher balks, I call it. Doesn't matter if it's the second batter of the game, or in a tie game with a runner on 3rd in the bottom of the last inning. If a team throws 150 pitches without a balk then does balk on the most important pitch of the game, it's on me to enforce the rule. It's the pitchers action that influenced the outcome, not my call (just as it was Embolo's action that influenced the outcome, and the official's correct enforcement of the rules).
Correct...seeing it from a different angle, it was a completely obvious dive. Are you trying to insinuate that it wasn't a clear and obvious dive?
Why don't they go to VAR every time a player goes down? Because the rules don't allow for it. To keep a flow to the game, the VAR is only used to correct clear and obvious errors in very specific circumstances, and this was one of those circumstances. I don't think many would want the game to last 3 hours by reviewing every close play all game...but due to the importance of red cards, goals, penalties, and cards assessed to the wrong player, VAR is able to aid the officials when they make an error.
Some of these suggestions are decent and some ridiculous. Some of what you are saying is analagous to making the soccer goal bigger or smaller. I doubt you want to do that.Those that grew up playing and watching the sport know the rule is just fine and not going anywhere. I don't think he has the history on the double leg tackles that used to occur and players going after ankles and knees to send players off with an injury while just getting a yellow. Red cards help prevent those types of tackles/persistent fouls from killing the game and injuring players. They also help from blatant handballs impacting a game and keep the players upright and playing the sport. There should be no major penalties in hockey....it's not fair....what??? Get out of here.
Everything you stated about the flow of the game and what VAR can do occurs in American football and has for years but they still blow calls. The players all know that if they simulate a foul they can get a yellow.....this wasn't a new rule, they all know it and he got caught. Should it be enforced more consistently, IMO...absolutely it should, but they are hesitant to do so all of the time or VAR cannot interject there. The Swiss strikers problem was he did it while on a yellow already and he looked like a fool on VAR with that dive. The ref who also looks foolish for not seeing it had no choice there as this was already done in the tournament in a similar situation. Why some people who don't really care for the sport feel the need to correct it is a bit arrogant to be honest. Somehow they know better for everyone else when these were known basic rules to the players.
Rule changes that need to occur since we just want to run with things....TIC.
- Football, 20 second play clock MAX, keep the sport moving along. Get in shape if you cannot handle it or learn to sub on the fly better.
- Call holding even if the ref misses it, get it right in replay with proper evidence.... yeah that won't slow the game down.
- Basketball, the human species has evolved, 11 foot rim, and no more timeouts.....play the GD game without stretching 2 minutes into 10.
- Football should do the same. If your players cannot figure things out on how to win with the clock winding down, they don't deserve to win. 2 minute warnings....you mean more TV timeouts for $$$$'s. Football is one big disruption after another.
- 3 point line needs to be pushed back even more so the game actually starts to play defense again inside the perimeter.
- Make the cup bigger in golf at least a foot, not enough hole in ones for my taste. Better viewing this way. More birdies and eagles, make the sport a scoring sport.
- Move the mound back in baseball, too many 98+ MPH pitchers now, adapt as the game grows. Back it up 5 feet s so it's 65 feet 6 inches. Chicks dig the long ball.
- Why do we have home plate umpires still? Balks, plate scoring, and balls/strikes would be more accurate from an ump in the booth at this point.
Is hockey a team sport?Some of these suggestions are decent and some ridiculous. Some of what you are saying is analagous to making the soccer goal bigger or smaller. I doubt you want to do that.
No other team sport forces a man down not even if the guy just walks over and punches a guy. For some reason, soccer does it and for much less of a foul. Even inadvertent contact.
I get the fact you are vested in the sport and love it. I actually played soccer in high school and coached my son's teams when he was in elementary school but admittedly don't follow the sport. I respect the game but would like to see this change.