Brasil vs Croatia opening match predictions

[beardown07]

Shit, if you wanna blame someone, blame Croatia's shitty goalkeeper. He shoulda had all three goals.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

We'll see. You'll understand my mistrust of FIFA.

I understand it now. It's not like they haven't done it before. Didn't they get busted for fixing a few matches in the 2002 World Cup?

 

[redseat]

Never mind just saw it on Channel 5 just now. That was a BS penalty and holy crap that keeper SHOULD have stopped that PK attempt!

 

[bksballer89]

Lmao gotta love fifa refs

 

[lasportzphan]

I think you are overreacting. Refs make mistakes. This guy probably won't referee another game because of that call.

Mistakes? At that point in the game or at this level you do not call a penalty kick when the offensive player has his back to the goal with a defender right on top of him. Other than a bicycle kick, I have no idea how you score with your back to the goal. It's a low percentage play. Secondly, he tries a freak, odd Brazilian desperation kick only to not get touched, miss the ball and then proceed to turn his failure into a exacerbated dive. First off, the dive on the offensive payer should have been a yellow card and a free kick the other way.

Instead, the ref gives a Croatian player a yellow (which greatly affects future matches) and gives Brazil a penalty kick.

If you want to say "referees" make mistakes, well then you will accept a level of incompetence that is beyond my comprehension. Just as the athletes, these should be the best officials in the world on the pitch. And if the best officials in the world cannot get that call right in real time while on the field directly in front of them, then FIFA/fans need to seriously reevaluate the system of officiating because that was total horse shit and I could care less about either team.

 

[ladyrockess]

Obviously fixed. Frankly I think teams ought to boycott the next World Cup unless this shit gets stopped.

Well Qatar is talking about holding it in winter so the players won't have to endure 150F heat, and if they do all the top countries will drop out. No European league (or even the Russian ones) will allow their players to leave in the middle of the season to play for their country, and I'm willing to bet a large number of the American teams won't either.

 

[lasportzphan]

Well Qatar is talking about holding it in winter so the players won't have to endure 150F heat, and if they do all the top countries will drop out. No European league (or even the Russian ones) will allow their players to leave in the middle of the season to play for their country, and I'm willing to bet a large number of the American teams won't either.

The better start building domes with a natural grass pitch.... chop chop.

 

[Airraidtech]

Is anyone suprised Brazil pulled a Brazil.

LET BE TRUTHFUL.
Spain Portugual Any South American or Central American teams. This is the way they play the game. Acting ball, cry ball, fall ball whatever. Simulate and look for contact look for a chance to fall and get a call. Force the referee to make a decision they do it all the time.

It's a growing trend but Mexican, Spanish, Portuguese, Central South America is famous for it.

 

[apachef4]

Well Qatar is talking about holding it in winter so the players won't have to endure 150F heat, and if they do all the top countries will drop out. No European league (or even the Russian ones) will allow their players to leave in the middle of the season to play for their country, and I'm willing to bet a large number of the American teams won't either.

The MLS regular season is from March - October, and the playoffs go into December. That means that we would have a lot of guys in their offseason. If the big clubs don't come, we could have a shot of winning the thing...I'm starting to come around on Qatar hosting!

 

[lasportzphan]

Is anyone suprised Brazil pulled a Brazil.

LET BE TRUTHFUL.
Spain Portugual Any South American or Central American teams. This is the way they play the game. Acting ball, cry ball, fall ball whatever. Simulate and look for contact look for a chance to fall and get a call. Force the referee to make a decision they do it all the time.

It's a growing trend but Mexican, Spanish, Portuguese, Central South America is famous for it.

And FIFA is too chicken shit and set in their archaic ways to start offering yellow cards to players who dive.

 

[sjballer03]

As long as that Japanese ref doesn't work another game, I'll be happy. Well not 100% happy, but I'll take what I can get...

 

[Tainthappening]

Brazil was the better team, but would have preferred them earning the victory without the phantom penalty in the box.

I live in Argentina now... all the commentators here and stories agree penalty was very bad call.

 

[olympicoscar]

I had an emergency and had to go out, but I would have picked Brazil to win anyway. Saw the last ten minutes of the game, including Brazil's 3rd goal. Looked like it should have been stopped by the goalkeeper.

Brazil will win the group but they need to play much better if they want a chance at the cup.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

Mistakes? At that point in the game or at this level you do not call a penalty kick when the offensive player has his back to the goal with a defender right on top of him. Other than a bicycle kick, I have no idea how you score with your back to the goal. It's a low percentage play. Secondly, he tries a freak, odd Brazilian desperation kick only to not get touched, miss the ball and then proceed to turn his failure into a exacerbated dive. First off, the dive on the offensive payer should have been a yellow card and a free kick the other way.

Instead, the ref gives a Croatian player a yellow (which greatly affects future matches) and gives Brazil a penalty kick.

If you want to say "referees" make mistakes, well then you will accept a level of incompetence that is beyond my comprehension. Just as the athletes, these should be the best officials in the world on the pitch. And if the best officials in the world cannot get that call right in real time while on the field directly in front of them, then FIFA/fans need to seriously reevaluate the system of officiating because that was total horse shit and I could care less about either team.

Well, when players are trying to get calls like that, sometimes they get them. Obviously it was a terrible call and the referee shouldn't do any more World Cup games as a result, but there are no perfect officials in any sport. Speaking as someone who used to referee soccer myself, sometimes you see a player go down and you have to make a snap decision on something that was obstructed from your view. Your job is to keep play between you and the Assistant ref, while remaining as close as possible without being part of the play. Needless to say, sometimes players get in your view or things happen at an angle that you can't see. On that play, it seemed as though the referee was standing at one of those angles. Saying the match was fixed because of that call is a little far fetched to me. People sitting at home have the luxury of close ups and replays. It's easy for you to say that there was no excuse for the call after watching replays, but in the moment with no replay, it's much more difficult to call, even for world class officials.

 

[HuskerinBig10]

I actually played goalie in college on the varsity soccer team.

For those of you that state the Croatia Goalie was at fault, gimme a break.

How come you don't mention the goalie stopping the shot the Brazilians had in the first five minutes where the Brazilian had a clean and unobstructed shot from around 10 yards. The goalie stuffed him.


The first goal went BETWEEN the defender's legs. The goalie was partially screened. The ball was perfect as it was JUST past his fingers and if not for the lucky carom off the goal post, that would not have been a goal.

Neymar's penalty shot, the goalie guessed correctly, and got his hands on the ball. 85% of penalty kicks end up being a goal. The goalie was in position and just missed deflecting the ball away from the goal. That was not the goalie's fault, he actually guessed correct which is not an easy thing to do. Not to mention the Japanese official gifting the penalty kick. Terrible call.

The last goal, you can sort of blame the goalie. Of course, Oscar just dribbled through three defenders and made another shot just past the goalie's reach. The goalie actually needed some defenders.

 

[romeo212000]

I actually played goalie in college on the varsity soccer team.

For those of you that state the Croatia Goalie was at fault, gimme a break.

How come you don't mention the goalie stopping the shot the Brazilians had in the first five minutes where the Brazilian had a clean and unobstructed shot from around 10 yards. The goalie stuffed him.


The first goal went BETWEEN the defender's legs. The goalie was partially screened. The ball was perfect as it was JUST past his fingers and if not for the lucky carom off the goal post, that would not have been a goal.

Neymar's penalty shot, the goalie guessed correctly, and got his hands on the ball. 85% of penalty kicks end up being a goal. The goalie was in position and just missed deflecting the ball away from the goal. That was not the goalie's fault, he actually guessed correct which is not an easy thing to do. Not to mention the Japanese official gifting the penalty kick. Terrible call.

The last goal, you can sort of blame the goalie. Of course, Oscar just dribbled through three defenders and made another shot just past the goalie's reach. The goalie actually needed some defenders.

I was a college keeper too. The only one I blame him for is the third one.

 

[podsox]

Brazil was the better team, but would have preferred them earning the victory without the phantom penalty in the box.

I live in Argentina now... all the commentators here and stories agree penalty was very bad call.

brazil was the better team for the last 30 minutes of the first half but the 2nd half was even imo

 

[podsox]

easy fix. if u flop u r done for the tourney

 

[redseat]

easy fix. if u flop u r done for the tourney

Too bad FIFA will NEVER institute that!

 

[HuskerinBig10]

It is just wrong that the offensive player currently has nothing to lose by flopping.

All in the box take downs are instant replayed. Doesn't MLS do this, review flops?

If a player is found to have flopped, yellow card.