World Cup

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Crazy first game with Brazil and Croatia. Already 1-1.

Anyone else watching this?

 

[PuckinUgly57]

Not into soccer my man, I watch plenty of diving all year long between Perry, the Canucks and Rangers.

=)~~

 

[LAKINGSFAN]

That dive to get the penalty shot is just one reason that soccer drives me crazy. Although I enjoy soccer and love Olympic and World Cup soccer, they have to do something to get rid of diving.

 

[CaptHowdy00]

Not I sir. I grew up in a Soccer Crazy house, being born in Europe. But I never caught the bug. Hockey is my first love.

 

[davnlaguna]

Saw an article today that said the USA won't win because they don't dive or kick people enough, they play too honest. Well I say good for them. I would rather them lose like men than win like babies

 

[ChiefsDdgersLakersKings24]

Not I sir. I grew up in a Soccer Crazy house, being born in Europe. But I never caught the bug. Hockey is my first love.

Only soccer I can bare to watch is the women's world cup. But that is only because Alex Morgan and Hope Solo are ridiculously hot and the US women's team doesn't suck. In my personal opinion, the games are too long and not interesting. I just could never get into it.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

Haha. Damn guys, tell me what you really think.

I am far from the biggest soccer fan, but anything with that kind of energy is something I tune into. Have to agree with LAKINGSFAN in that those iffy calls in the box that decide game changing penalty kicks are a tragedy. Guys get maybe 3-4 chances to play in the World Cup in a lifetime, and then even within those chances, they only get 3 guaranteed games (so you are talking maybe 9-12 games over two decades for a good player on a weaker team), so it's a insulting to have it ever come down to questionable call.

But the pressure and excitement to elevate your game within those moments is pretty exciting and I've just learned to appreciate the various factors going in. Seems like an "American" thing to do, but Youtube best goals of World Cup for any given tournament and you see unreal stuff. These brief moments of brilliance on the biggest stages is just something to really appreciate.

To Puck's point, I think the comedian Robert Kelly said it best with why Americans hate soccer. We appreciate that they are world class athletes and try to get in to the game, but the second they take a dive, we tune out and lose all respect. My pops always called it "Gunshot and the Magic Water" because guys run full speed down the pitch and then at the slightest contact they fall like they got sniped from the balcony. Next thing you know, here comes the trainer who sprays a little water on a guy's leg and all of a sudden he's good to go. Must be magic water. Bill Burr also jokes about how it's the only sport in the world where he would feel safer on the field than in the stands with those boozed up hooligans. You have 5'4, 155 lb athletes and then skinhead monsters in the stands. Pretty backwards from our sports. Burr also rips on their jerseys with the shameless advertisements across the chest. His best quote was "Why don't you just run down the field with a sandwich board in your hands, mates?".

 

[laikaloco]

Well how about Netherlands-Spain today? the Dutch beat the crap outta the two-time defending champs...I like both teams, but it was fun to watch one at the very top of its game.

 

[oxnardkingsfan]

I don't really watch soccer but I'll follow the matches to see who wins and keep an eye towards Team USA to see how they're doing. I'm still confused why the entire planet calls the game football (which makes sense since you play it with your feet) and we here in the States call it soccer. I guess it's because we have our version of football where I have no idea how they came up with that name. The only time the feet come into play is during kickoffs, field goals and extra points. Duh! The NFL game is closer to rugby than than soccer (football).

Ox

 

[smackdown380]

For those who have been watching, what are your thoughts on the goal line technology? I think it's fascinating and I wonder if the NHL can adopt a similar system to help identify goals or non goals with better accuracy then the current replay system.

World Cup goalline technology: how does it work? | Technology | theguardian.com

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

World Cup has messed things up at work. Our IT department cracked down on any website with the word "sport" in it because too many people were streaming the games and were slowing down our entire company. I mean anything. I can't even read articles relating to Kings right now. Using a proxy site right now to post.

I watched a France game earlier in the tournament and even after replay I could have sworn that the goal did not cross the line. They used that replay mentioned above and said it was good, but no replay was conclusive. If it is tried and true, and 100% correct, then I am all for it, but watching that replay left a lot of doubt in my mind.

Overall, it's good to be debating those close ones. This was put in because there were some blatant goals that were disallowed due to the shrewdness of the goalies. They just kept playing so the ref (Who was at midfield) just assumes it didn't go in.

 

[LAKINGSFAN]

That's too bad STUNNER We were able to convince the owner of our company to at least let us watch the US games. So, he put the game up on the big screen in the conference room and he is okay with us to sit and watch the game. My other option was to stream it on my phone but the reception is terrible and the game is really choppy.l

 

[oxnardkingsfan]

OK Soccer fans, how on earth was that off-sides on that goal by Columbia that was called off due to off-sides? As I understood the rule you were off-side if you were past a defender with the ball. When the Columbia player kicked the ball into the net there were 2 (not just 1) defenders standing in the goal. What was off-sides about that play? As far as I can see Columbia got jobbed. Not a fan of the sport let alone either team so it doesn't make any difference to me really but it just looked to me like it was a bad call by the sideline judge or whatever his title is.

Ox

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

The offsides was on the original kick, not the one that scored the goal. If you watch the replay, the Colombian guy kicks the free kick and his teammate is offsides on that play (You can see the line judge already has his flag up). The referee then waits until a Colombian player touches the ball before blowing the whistle (which in this case was the guy scoring the goal). It was like a delayed call in hockey. The reason they do this is to "Play the advantage". The referee will put his hand up indicating a penalty, but he will see how the play develops and if the play goes to Brazil's favor, he will just let the play go, but if it's to Colombia's advantage, he'll blow it did, like he did on that play.

It's hard to watch soccer when it usually comes down to an iffy offsides play or not, but that game was wide open and pretty entertaining.

 

[Stunner_At_Staples_Kings]

So, you are correct in that there was no offsides on the kick that scored the goal, but the call was from the set piece kick that set up that attempt.

 

[oxnardkingsfan]

OK. Thanks for clearing that up Stunner. I guess the better team won anyways. Looked to me (admittedly a real amateur at soccer/futball) like Brazil pretty much controlled the play for almost all the game.

Ox