It’s a shame that Luongo ever dropped out of the picture and he showed what we were missing

If I had a criticism of Ange Postecoglou reign was that Luongo the best player of the Asian cup lost his place in the starting XI and instead we have a highly conservative Milligan/Jedinak double pivot. This result in Australian having possession but looking toothless and coincide with poorer performance and stumbling over the line in WCQ. It seems counter to Ange progressive attacking footballs

Afterwards Luongo career took a downturn in his club career when it seems like he was destined for bigger things

Question was what will happen if this occur in Australia

From what happen on Big Bash cricket we would probably celebrate the attempt and then criticise the bowler who stopped the contrive century by bowling a wide

Sydney Sixers vs Perth scorchers 30 January 2021

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1226884.html

Sydney Sixers won by 9 wickets
Towards the end of the match Sydney attempted to contrive a century for James Vince (yes he was an English foreign player but the Australian team mate Daniel Hughes helped him out).

Daniel Hughes played 3 dots ball including blocking a full toss to ensure James Vince had the strike in the next over.
James Vince needed two runs for a century but one run to win the match
Andrew Tye from Perth bowled a wide denying James Vince a century

The controversy wasn’t the contrive nature to get James Vince a century. It was whether Andrew Tye deliberately bowled a wide to prevent it with people calling it a dog act etc. Michael Vaughan join in the pile up on Tye

Andrew denied it was intentional but I thought it was morally justifiable to intentionally do this when the game became contrive.

No one was criticising the Sydney Sixers players

I think Zuniga was guilty of gross negligence.

In the end one of the worst injuries someone can get in sport is a spinal cord injuries.

THere must be protection towards this type of injuries and anyone who threatens this type of injuries whether malicious in intent or not, should be red carded because we don’t want players exiting the game paralyse.

It’s very well to say he wasn’t being malicious and that he was singlemindedly going for the ball and only accidentally kneed Neymar but but it’s still reckless as he was cm away from causing paralysis due to foul play.

Even if there are regular challenges that occur similar to what Zuniga done (I have heard people argue that but to be honest I can’t think of many in the top of my head), then this should be stamp out of the game as this is a warning sign of what could potentially happen.

I don’t think Johan Cruyff played in the 1978 World Cup. in fact Johan Cruyff boycott the tournament as he objected to Argentina’s rightwing military junta.

While you are not so concern about itme wastage if you get rid of time wastage as a motivation (which introducing a stop clock will do) you’ll reduce the amount of injury feigns there is due to less incentives to injury feign

Now this wouldn’t remove injury feigns

There are 3 incentives for it
1) Time wastage
2) Stop momentum of the opposition and slowing the tempo down
3) Trying to win a foul or opposition member carded or sent off

This will only address one out of the three incentives.
Still that is an improvement to what we currently have and if there is a stop clock I believe it would reduce the injury feigns dramatically.

Here is Graham poll actually recommending reducing the match to 30 minutes per half but stopping the clock so to maintain the normal time of the game (keeping the game to 45 minute per half will extend the match longer than it’s normally is).

Although I suspect this suggestion is more radical. However I do like the idea of stopping the clock to prevent time wasting. It won’t erase all injury feigns as there are people trying to send opposition players off or trying to slow the tempo and stop the momentum of the opposing sides. However it will reduce time wasting considerably even if it doesn’t remove it because there is no time to waste

“I believe the reduction to a 60 minute match is because on average there is only about 60 minute of actual playing time in a 90 minute match. The other half an hour is usually used up via natural stoppages in the game.

There is a way to eradicate any threat of timewasting of course. The solution is to have an independent timekeeper. Players are always bothering referees about the clock and additional time, but that would be taken away with someone sat up in the stands.

Having 30 minutes each half with the clock stopped when the ball is out of play is the way forward, but that’s far too sensible to ever be implemented.”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2615112/GRAHAM-POLL-Only-way-stop-timewasters-like-Chelsea-independent-timekeeper-stands-play-30mins-half.html#ixzz37Kwyqdwe

I know there was a controversial penalty for Robben today considering that it was a yellow card (When the law say it’s a send off) and that it was a penalty (when it was outside the box)

Now I know that the law say that is a mistake however, don’t you guys think that is an appropriate penalty for disallowing a clear goal scoring opportunity. Shouldn’t the penalty for denying a clear goal scoring opportunity is giving the opposition a clear goal scoring opportunity even if it’s outside the box.

To me it was an incorrect decision but a fairer outcome due to unfairness in the laws

Here is an example. Manchester United 1-1 Newscastle and it’s injury time, Newcastle are breakway for a 1 on 1 with the keeper and Solskjaer fouled in outside the box denying a clear goal scoring opportunity and so Newcastle gets a free kick where Manchester United can have 10 men in the box and Solskjaer was send off but since it was in injury time, it doesn’t really matter. The penalty of the foul does not match the crime. The result was that MU kept the draw and remain in the title race

Wouldn’t it be fairer to just give it a penalty even if it’s outside the box. Hell if you are going to give penalty for fouls outside the box, you might as well reduce the red card to a yellow card and avoid a sent off that often disrupt the flow of the game.

I’m more concern about injury feigns then diving (consideirng that you mention bringing out the stretcher, I have a feeling you are concern a bout that as well)

Here is Graham Poll suggestion of fixing it and it seems like common sense to me. The idea of an indepedent time-keeper who simply stops the clock seems sensible to me.

“I would like to see an amendment to the law relating to time-keeping, whereby an independent time keeper actually records the amount of time the ball is in play.

Then once that time reaches 45 minutes the referee is informed and the half ends at the next natural stoppage.”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1214932/GRAHAM-POLL-Its-time-stop-clock-watching-pressure-refs-Old-Trafford.html#ixzz37Ks6uDAW

Yeah but if Van Gaal didn’t make the change. Would Netherlands even progress past Costa Rica?
Whose to say that Cillessen wouldn’t look equally unconfident during the penalty shootout against Costa Rica and Netherlands were eliminated especially when I believe that Cilessen never saved a penalty in professional football I believe.

We would never know what would happen if Krul substitution never happen and it’s the type of thing that could go either way

You could make the case that it would beat the Brazil side that played against Germany

Really only Oscar, WIllian, Dante and may be Gustavo from that team would make that side IMO (Silva and Neymar of course would make it but they were suspended).

Brazil XI that didn’t make the squad
Scolari has a fair to answer for in terms of selection especially the omission of Miranda and probably diego alves as well

If they want to go the 1950 route and completely sweep away the side in a mass blood letting. This could be a selected and it would be competitive youngish side to build to the future (exception of Robinho who is too old)

GK Diego Alves – Valencia
LB – Filipe Luis – Atletico Madrid
CB – Miranda -Atletico Madrid (probably the most notable omission in the squad. Part of the best defence in Europe and wasn’t pick)
CB – Marquinhos – PSG
RB – Rafinha – Bayern Munich
DM – Lucas Leiva – Liverpool
CM Roberto Firmino – Hoffenheim
CM – Coutinho – Liverpool
RW – Lucas Moura – PSG
LW – Robinho – Milan
ST – Jonas – Valencia

The thing is, it’s not like Brazil don’t have a keeper playing regularly in a top league to pick as well

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Alves

seems bizarre that Julio Cesar was picked in the first place

Just curious, so when you think of the Top 125 players of all time. Is the answer simply to just used Pele’s list?

Do you think Diouf is the top 125 player of all time?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_100

First time volley, no he hasn’t done it before

However he has scored from a volley after one bounce before with a spectacular goal in the MLS. To me the world cup goal seems a natural improvement to what he has previously done before rather than a once off

In terms of reducing injury feigns and time wasting

Simply introduce stop clock

Graham poll suggestion

“I would like to see an amendment to the law relating to time-keeping, whereby an independent time keeper actually records the amount of time the ball is in play.

Then once that time reaches 45 minutes the referee is informed and the half ends at the next natural stoppage.”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1214932/GRAHAM-POLL-Its-time-stop-clock-watching-pressure-refs-Old-Trafford.html#ixzz36K1wTPqL

In any case Uruguay are a great football nation.

Which makes them such a worthy adversary and makes it such an achievement if Australia defeats them.

Personally that Uruguay side was a stronger side than the Japan and Croatian side we face in the 2006 world cup as well as the Serbian team we face in 2010.

That 1-0 victory over Uruguay at home to me easily outstripped every other victory we have in the World Cup and still is the number 1 moment in Aussie Football

Fair point

If Australia doesn’t have a rivalry with Uruguay and I do believe there is a lot to admire about Uruguay with their fighting spirit and how they punch above their own weight.

The story of Maracanazo seems like the type of story that would resonant with Australan and their love for tales about fighting spirit and beating people above your own station.

“The Brazilians had, after all, put seven past Sweden and six past Spain in their last two games. And there was high expectation that the hosts would do the same to Uruguay. That day’s Rio papers had printed a photo of the side with the headline “Today, Brazil wins the World Cup”.

And, so intimidated was Uruguayan coach Juan Lopez that he instructed the team to play a defensive game and keep it as tight as possibly.

But there was one exception to all of this anxiety. The captain Obdulio Varela.

Earlier in the day, he had collected every one of those newspapers he could and got his teammates to urinate on them. And now, as soon as Lopez had left the room, Varela gathered the team together again.

“Juan is a good man, but if we do defend then we will suffer the same fate of Sweden and Spain… Put that crowd out of your minds, don’t look up. The game is played down on the pitch.”

Uruguay ended up winning the game 2-1 in one of the biggest upset and show the folly of hubris. In a way Brazil were in the position of “divine right’ and Uruguay the plucky underdog

I believe it was Walter Olivera (if you look at the World cUp 1974 squad, Fernando Morena was listed there). Y

here is an interesting retort from Uruguay after Australia media had a headline of “Animals” (which was when Farina was reported that they were being treated like animals)

The AUSTRALIANS BROKE the LEG to HIM To ” INDIAN ” OLIVERA

Who are the animals? The Australians To Olivera broke the leg in Melbourne. A version on happened in the airport of Carrasco and the form in which Australia treated to Uruguay in its visit to Melbourne, plus the happened thing in 1974 when they broke the leg to him to the “Indian ” Olivera, must be considered at the time of judging the facts.

For a time to this part the Uruguayan we have been wanting to be more realistic than the king and, in an attitude that deserves the psychological analysis, we assumed positions that are taken by an incredible desire of self-destruction of our race, our values and our national being. Ever since Australia arrived at our country, as a result of the attitude of some thirty inadaptados, from some authorities of the government and specially from certain part of the press, it has been encouraged and shown that voracity to punish with viciousness our own people. Let us go by parts. We did not justify, for nothing, the form in which came that group from fanatics who became presents in the airport and we condemned some excess that existed.

But of sticking with the iron these fans there to him requesting little less than life imprisonment them and to leave to the hunting of witches of people in charge, it seems to us a barbarism. Because it really happened it is to tone with the situation that lives a part on our society and, nevertheless, for more or less similar situations we have not listened to the same reactions. Hardly 48 hours after the arrival of the Australians a group of Uruguayan carried out one more an action hard than the one of the some thirty that received to the kangaroos in the airport, making what they have been denominating ” escrache ” against exmilitar defendant to commit violation against the human rights for almost 30 years and the mass media have been only limited to inform into the situation – without adjectival use –, in as much the authorities of the government nothing says on the subject. Of course that we never have been of the side of the military who decided on the political surgery the 27 of June of 1973. It is more, it has exceeded tests of the persecution of which we were objective to maintain our democratic and nationalistic ideas political.

Exactly, almost 30 years ago the Australians broke the leg to him to Uruguayan Walter Olivera in a tremendously violent party that gambled in Melbourne the 25 of April of 1974. The Australians already played with enormous violence when soccer and in a treacherous play they left to him in two his tool of work to that boy who was 20 years old. At that time, as any member of the Uruguayan press were not observing the party because that tour of the celestial ones by Asia – it played in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Australia-no covered in direct form (they were other times, also of economic crisis) the pages with our newspapers did not reflect the fact with the gravity that the same one had and the Australian newspapers of the time omitted them Olympically and nothing said of the subject. Hardly if they indicated the change: to the 43 minutes, Gustavo De Simone by Walter Olivera. The reality indicated that to the ” Indian ” it they had burst of a kick causing to him an injury that maintained nine months to it to the margin. Now, in occasion of the first party in Melbourne, the Australians, outside the field, also played their cards treating to remove extrasport advantages. They moved all the means of the power to prevent that Uruguay took the flight from return along with they to arrive at Uruguay, looking for that its arrival became by Los Angeles through a killing trip of 40 hours, instead of the 24 that consumed the other passage. Of this the Australian press present nothing said. It omitted it, because all the means of press of that country are aligned looking for that Australia arrives anyway at the world-wide one.

As nothing said either, nor they spread, which said a great poster placed in the tribune by a group of austrlianos fans: ” Muscat, rompé today a leg… ” It is possible – although it is not justificatory a –, which this some thirty inadaptados Uruguayan which it concurred to the airport, was in knowledge of these things that happened in Melbourne and looked for to pay with the same currency. We insisted, once again, in which it stops nothing we are in agreement with the happened thing

Of course, also, which in later newspapers of Australia to the party with France, where Muscat injured to Dugarry seriously, nothing expressed of the criminal attitude of this ” killer ” player who is not the first time that carries out plays of this type. In 1993 we were witnesses, in the party before world-wide Uruguay by the youthful one, of the enormous kick that Muscat beat to him to O´Neil, making unusable it throughout the party. Press of that country did Vista fat, because they have another mentality and another nationalistic spirit who gets them to try, always, to support to his sportsmen so that they obtain the success, without concerning means. We, who 36 years ago we walked by all the fields of the world and that we have seen of everything. We justified neither a thing (nor the attitude of the Uruguayan that was in the airport) nor the other (the form in which it treated to our country the Australian press as a result of the happened thing). But we have memory and we think that the truth is not necessary to say it by halves because, deforming it, is distorted and favored, lamentably, that sense of self-destruction of the Uruguayan soccer that, at the present time, seems to be the slogan of a few.

Source unknown, Spanish article put though a translator ”
http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Socceroo/reports/vURU2001o.html

Yeah Australian weren’t exactly innocent either which is why Uruguay and Australia shouldn’t like each other on the football pitch

I believe it was Walter Olivera (if you look at the World cUp 1974 squad, Fernando Morena was listed there). Yeah it’s all part of historical hivalry

here is an interesting retort from Uruguay after Australia media had a headline of “Animals” (which was when Farina was reported that they were being treated like animals)

The AUSTRALIANS BROKE the LEG to HIM To ” INDIAN ” OLIVERA

Who are the animals? The Australians To Olivera broke the leg in Melbourne. A version on happened in the airport of Carrasco and the form in which Australia treated to Uruguay in its visit to Melbourne, plus the happened thing in 1974 when they broke the leg to him to the “Indian ” Olivera, must be considered at the time of judging the facts.

For a time to this part the Uruguayan we have been wanting to be more realistic than the king and, in an attitude that deserves the psychological analysis, we assumed positions that are taken by an incredible desire of self-destruction of our race, our values and our national being. Ever since Australia arrived at our country, as a result of the attitude of some thirty inadaptados, from some authorities of the government and specially from certain part of the press, it has been encouraged and shown that voracity to punish with viciousness our own people. Let us go by parts. We did not justify, for nothing, the form in which came that group from fanatics who became presents in the airport and we condemned some excess that existed.

But of sticking with the iron these fans there to him requesting little less than life imprisonment them and to leave to the hunting of witches of people in charge, it seems to us a barbarism. Because it really happened it is to tone with the situation that lives a part on our society and, nevertheless, for more or less similar situations we have not listened to the same reactions. Hardly 48 hours after the arrival of the Australians a group of Uruguayan carried out one more an action hard than the one of the some thirty that received to the kangaroos in the airport, making what they have been denominating ” escrache ” against exmilitar defendant to commit violation against the human rights for almost 30 years and the mass media have been only limited to inform into the situation – without adjectival use –, in as much the authorities of the government nothing says on the subject. Of course that we never have been of the side of the military who decided on the political surgery the 27 of June of 1973. It is more, it has exceeded tests of the persecution of which we were objective to maintain our democratic and nationalistic ideas political.

Exactly, almost 30 years ago the Australians broke the leg to him to Uruguayan Walter Olivera in a tremendously violent party that gambled in Melbourne the 25 of April of 1974. The Australians already played with enormous violence when soccer and in a treacherous play they left to him in two his tool of work to that boy who was 20 years old. At that time, as any member of the Uruguayan press were not observing the party because that tour of the celestial ones by Asia – it played in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Australia-no covered in direct form (they were other times, also of economic crisis) the pages with our newspapers did not reflect the fact with the gravity that the same one had and the Australian newspapers of the time omitted them Olympically and nothing said of the subject. Hardly if they indicated the change: to the 43 minutes, Gustavo De Simone by Walter Olivera. The reality indicated that to the ” Indian ” it they had burst of a kick causing to him an injury that maintained nine months to it to the margin. Now, in occasion of the first party in Melbourne, the Australians, outside the field, also played their cards treating to remove extrasport advantages. They moved all the means of the power to prevent that Uruguay took the flight from return along with they to arrive at Uruguay, looking for that its arrival became by Los Angeles through a killing trip of 40 hours, instead of the 24 that consumed the other passage. Of this the Australian press present nothing said. It omitted it, because all the means of press of that country are aligned looking for that Australia arrives anyway at the world-wide one.

As nothing said either, nor they spread, which said a great poster placed in the tribune by a group of austrlianos fans: ” Muscat, rompé today a leg… ” It is possible – although it is not justificatory a –, which this some thirty inadaptados Uruguayan which it concurred to the airport, was in knowledge of these things that happened in Melbourne and looked for to pay with the same currency. We insisted, once again, in which it stops nothing we are in agreement with the happened thing

Of course, also, which in later newspapers of Australia to the party with France, where Muscat injured to Dugarry seriously, nothing expressed of the criminal attitude of this ” killer ” player who is not the first time that carries out plays of this type. In 1993 we were witnesses, in the party before world-wide Uruguay by the youthful one, of the enormous kick that Muscat beat to him to O´Neil, making unusable it throughout the party. Press of that country did Vista fat, because they have another mentality and another nationalistic spirit who gets them to try, always, to support to his sportsmen so that they obtain the success, without concerning means. We, who 36 years ago we walked by all the fields of the world and that we have seen of everything. We justified neither a thing (nor the attitude of the Uruguayan that was in the airport) nor the other (the form in which it treated to our country the Australian press as a result of the happened thing). But we have memory and we think that the truth is not necessary to say it by halves because, deforming it, is distorted and favored, lamentably, that sense of self-destruction of the Uruguayan soccer that, at the present time, seems to be the slogan of a few.

Source unknown, Spanish article put though a translator ”
http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Socceroo/reports/vURU2001o.html

Japan completely bottled it IMO.

I remember watching the Ivory Coast match where Japan got the early lead.

What followed was completely shocking.

The Japanese side ceased pressing and sat back and then pumped long balls to Okazaki and Honda. Ivory Coast started to dominate possession and because Japan sat deep in the box the Ivory Coast were free to pump crosses into the box taking advantage of Japan weakness contesting aerial delivery and inevitably Ivory Coast won the match due to two good crosses.

It was watching a side commit suicide on the world stage with bizarre defensive tactics.

If you look at the goals scored here you’ll find that he scored against Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham, Chelsea. So it’s not just mediocre defence he can score against as he scored against the top 4 sides regularly

Yes he is perhaps a one dimensional player where he is reliant on his heading ability.

However you can make a case that TIm Cahill is the greatest header in English Premier League history and one of the greatest aerial threats to ever played the game. He topped the Headed goals to game ratio in the EPL in a league where aerial threat is valued than any other league in Europe.
http://www.sos1878.co.uk/everton-news/cahill-tops-headed-goals-list-premier-league/

Top 10 scorers of headed goals in the history of the Premier League

1 Tim Cahill – 27 headed goals in 170 Premier League matches (6.30 games per headed goal)

2 Dion Dublin – 45 in 312 (6.93)

3 Duncan Ferguson – 35 in 270 (7.71)

4 Les Ferdinand – 43 in 351 (8.16)

5 Gustavo Poyet – 22 in 187 (8.50)

6 Peter Crouch – 27 in 232 (8.59)

7 Chris Armstrong – 23 in 216 (9.39)

8 Alan Shearer – 46 in 441 (9.59)

9 Niall Quinn – 26 in 250 (9.62)

10 Dwight Yorke – 38 in 375 (9.87)

*All players have scored at least 20 headed Premier League goals and 40 Premier League goals in total

Fussball when had any expert praised Holman on his first touch?

Holman was a crucial player in terms of playing a pressing game forcing passing errors and winning the ball in the opposition half and in fact his stamina and work rate is something I hear “expert” praising a lot. He was also praised for his off the ball running and making intelligent runs by both Craig Foster and Robbie Slater. Judging by his goal scoring record in his career where he scored one goal in every 4 games. I assume he was also a decent finisher (even if early in his international career, he struggled with his finishing until the World Cup 2014) and I remember seeing some stunning goals (various long shot from outside the box) from him on youtube for NEC Nijmegen

However I never heard a single “expert” praising Brett Holman on having a good first touch.

I’ll say Afridi was better simply because it’s a 50 over match

Corey’s inning was in a 21 over match where it’s expected to slog every over. In a way it’s a bit contrived as it’s essentially a 20/20 innings

Scoring 100 out of 40 balls in a test match > 100 in 40 balls in an ODI > same innings in a 20/20

This is because hitting out in this manner is a more risky in a longer form of a game.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/691061.html

HEre is the article about it and it shows that batting first was an advantage in the early stage in Test cricket however from the 80’s onward batting second seems to win more matches

If you want to blame someone blame FIFA at the 2010 World Cup

At that time World Cup Seedings were done with the combination of previous results in World Cup and FIFA Rankings. Hence temas that failed to qualify to the previous World Cup, it was impossible for them to be seeded (as it should be). Seedings should only happen when teams prove they deserve it after performance in the world cup not with teams that do well in qualifiers

However what happen was the Hand Of Frog event happen and FIFA decided to remove the performance from World Cup from seeding determination and used a pure FIFA rankings to ensure that Netherlands were seeded instead of France. Now we stuck with this ridiculous system where teams get punish simply for playing friendly against weak sides (Netherlands, Italy and England missed out on seedings purely because they decided to play friendlies)

Colombia , Belgium and Switzerland should not be seeded because they haven’t earnt seedings by delivering in world cup. Beligium may be a talent golden generation side but they have to prove it by doing in the world cup before getting seeds.

It’s a disgrace that Netherlands missed out on seeding considering they are World Cup finalist and they have blitz through qualifying