Disgraceful way to act. Spitting on an opposing player and deliberately pushing the ref from behind the way she did. Clearly a failure of the VAR where they are supposed to help the ref by ” The referee informs the VAR, or the VAR recommends to the referee that a decision/incident should be reviewed”. (FIFA.com)
Should have easily been at least 4 red cards dished out to the Cameroonians. That was a failure on behalf of the ref.

Pretty much to the point Nick21.
Nothing like having a good, solid team handed to you on a platter some 4 months out from the biggest tournament in the World, only to decide you wanna change how they play as a team.
Milicic is simply Ange 2.0, pig-headed and stubborn, its my way or the highway.
Another failing from the FFA. The sooner they are all gone, the better.

You have nothing to apologise for Caitlin, neither do any of the other girls.
Still so proud of you all, no matter what.
Pick yourselves up, learn from it all and move onto the next tournament being better prepared.

To the point Sir, well said.

Have to agree with Jordan (above) regards the refereeing mistakes, considering how Kennedy was red carded immediately for shirt pulling (even if she was the last defender) when the opposition were treated less harshly.
Norwegian sub Utland (#11) t-boned Lydia during a corner where she appeared to go straight for Lydia, didn’t even look up at the incoming ball, was only given a yellow then completely let off the hook later by the ref when she committed no less of a crime similar to what Kennedy did that earned Kennedy a red?
Apart from some of the challenges on Kerr that were ignored, there was also a clear hand ball against Norway that both the ref & VAR ignored, they didn’t even review it, yet similar hand/ball/hand contacts have been awarded.
The Norgies played the better game and deserved the win, i’m just ticked off about such *iss poor officiating in this game.
Have to say tho, on another note…how brilliant this Womans W.C. has been for the guts & bravado these girls of all nations have shown with none of the blatant play acting, rolling around on the ground scenarios that the mens has produced with some of its pompous, prima-donnaesque type characters.
Now, all we have to do now is get rid of the FFA and its board!

Its OK to be white! Don’t know about it being the same for Bogans tho’.

Great performance from our girls but went down fighting 2-3 against Thailand. After taking the lead and up 2-0, the Thai girls regrouped after enduring a game where the young Matildas dominated possession and pulled three excellent goals back to win the trophy much to the delight of the prominently vociferous Thai crowd.

Great effort overall and our young girls gaining some valuable international tournament experience.

Also, really good to see a game of football played simply as a very competitive game of football……minus the comical theatrics.

So he criticised the standard of the A-League as “not very high” ?

It may be that level of standard that made him look better than he actually is?

Stick to overseas mate, we dont need you.

Great read on the Young Matildas Mary, also great to see young Alex Chidian bag some goals as imo she is one of the most tireless workers in the girls game today. Care less that there playing against senior players of other countries, its all valuable experience for them, good luck to them in the final later.

Good to hear his ban has held, mind you if he played for MVFC it might have been a different outcome.

“I thought I had the chance of winning the ball,” O’Donovan told FoxSports”…….lmfao.

No, didn’t misread but it’s basically a damned if they do, damned if they don’t scenario. I had them faxed to me daily back in late nineties as I was holed up in my house as militia ran amok in town when I lived in Indo. Was good to have a line of communication available as I was packing up to eventually leave what was eventually labelled war crimes. As for Chris suggesting blanket bans? Like I implied to The Bush……some people are never happy.

With how SBS have been allowed to ”on-sell” the rights, we may not be able to watch it FTA anyway.

Good read Marty, but IMO I do think Neymar was a comical and ridiculous failure this W.C. which is a shame because we all know he has the skill set required and the on field back up to be the opposite.

As for comparing him with the legend that is Johan Cruyff regards his work rate and efficiency? don’t ever remember seeing Cruyff rolling or flapping around like a fish out of water that is Neymar. A Swiss TV station has reported Neymar spent 14 mins on the ground throughout this W.C. with his theatrics.

I just feel bad for the likes of Coutinho, Willian, Jesus, Fimino et all who all seemed to just want to play the game as it should be played.

” They have always been negative as a rule. They have to be pessimistic because otherwise some clown will sue them when they get into trouble”

Really? what about some clown suing them if the Govt doesn’t warn its citizens?

Guess the Govt cant win with people like you.

Glad to see the last of the South Americans with their falling, diving, crying, screaming, arm waving, wrestling, tripping, referee abusing and shirt tugging style of play with their dodgy hairstyles.

Until the next time, lol.

Yep, if they win it well never hear the F ing end of it.
Mind you, if they get beat (by whoever) they’ll more than likely officially complain to FIFA just like they did after they played Tunisia.

Oh its an inherent arrogance alright……and that started around 600 AD if memory serves.

The English didn’t invent Golf, but agree I hope they get smashed……..but by Sveden.

“Neymar’s diving won’t convert Australia to football”……wouldn’t expect it to, don’t care if it doesn’t and if no one can see past what is nothing short of a highly paid cheat, then so be it.

Thing is, Football in Australia shouldn’t be judged on what Princess Prima Donna Neymar or any of the other W.C exhibitionists do in the Worlds biggest tournament, their blatant diving, falling, flopping or just plain silly theatrics in this years W.C. are IMO only doing themselves harm.

OK, it doesn’t look good and may only feed the haters or those that simply aren’t interested in the game or those that chose to follow something else, and in most scenarios no amount of enticement or money will sway such people to even try and follow Football. So be it.

Mind you, I would love to see more people follow it, attend local games, watch the A-League even on TV if in regional areas and cant attend, but its always going to be a battle here in a country that’s got so much happening.
I remember when I came to Australia, was playing NSW state league and had to laugh at the comments from blokes at work, “soccer’s for wogs and poofs mate, your not one of them are ye?”
It was all good banter but even back then it was clear to me, you weren’t playing a mans game…..”like rugby league, mate”, lmfao.

And of course there were jibes back even in the late 70’s about playing the “girls game” with the diving and such, but nothing was even close back then to the diving we have now.

It was reported the other day Neymar spent almost 7 minutes laying down v. Mexico whilst screaming for attention, he even changed his hair style after Cantona trolled him claiming it looked like a bowl of spaghetti on his head, so he had a haircut, lol. Even his team mates at PSG have been reportedly ticked off over the ‘extra special attention’ he gets compared to them, his fellow players.
FIFA haven’t handled this ‘simulation’ too well at all. Our 1st game v. France was a joke in how one of the top teams were allowed to get away with cheating, feigning tackles, hits, contact etc and its rolled on ever since with obvious protection or favour being shown to the bigger teams, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks this here.

So i just wouldnt blame Neymar….Pepe is habitual just like Saurez and others over the past couple weeks, but Neymar does stick out and theres only one way to fix that and thats throw the book at him. Red card, no ifs or buts.

I see the impact of junior football at the weekends like others on here, where parents come along, grandparents as well, friends of friends, people who’d normally not be interested in Football come to see the kids, people that then begin to have an interest in the game. Most of them were all saying last Saturday how theyve enjoyed the W.C. All we have to do is continue with what we do with our juniors, teach and guide them about playing fair & firm, whats right and whats wrong, how to enjoy and get the most out of the game and dont resort to cheating……theres already enough of that in our very own Parlaiment.

Sorry Post Hoc, wasnt meant as a responce to you, dont know what happened there.

Ange gradually appeared pig headed and stubborn, didn’t want to change.

BVM was pretty much more of the same, in the end. Just wanted to stick with the same old same old. Surprised he had Juric on again v Peru after his performance v Denmark where he just blurttered and bashed around in the box even knocking Leckie onto his backside. I doubt Juric was even 100% match fit such was his lethargic pace.

Dont know if Maclaren would have been the answer but at least he could have been given a go, we’ll never know now tho.

Like the author said “He took a summer job, got paid”.

Curious to how much theatrics will prevail with Uruguay v France game, although Le frogs seem to have toned it down a bit since the Socceroos game, they can still show their passion for the art that is ‘simulation’.
On the other side we have Suarez who is most prolific at such but not exactly the best at the art, especially when the cameras have caught him out for feigning an elbow into the back of the head when there has been a very noticeable 4 inch air gap instead.

Brazil/Mexico is going to be a belter as well just like Columbia/England.

Its all to play for and has been one of my most memorable as well, plaudits to the Ruskies…….they’ve probably changed the perception most had of their country, seemingly well planned and beautiful cities, fantastic ammenities, stadiums alike and welcoming people from what i’ve read and heard. Far cry of what some elements were portrayed by media outlets over the past 12 months, then again it may be that the very smart & cunning Putin realised quite some time ago that this W.C. was a stage to showcase his country thru an almost perfect sporting tournament.
Can anyone imagine the outcry and damnation if any host nation ‘ultras’ were to wake up in a bad mood a go for a walk thru a beer garden or two?

Yeh, don’t know why Sampaoli left Aguero on the bench for so long and also Juventus player, Dybala whom didn’t even come on. IMO, comparable with a conservative BVM in how he treated the Socceroos as with this Argentinian coach and their performance.
Only hope Messi will be at the next WC but that might be a stretch seeing as he’s 31 now.

…….would have been very capable at aussie rules with his high kicks, air swings and diving (simulation as they call it).

Yep, remember exactly what your talking about as I’m sure half the nation was also at the same time shouting for Kruse to have a go and for Rogic to play it off to his left towards Juric.
Sadly there’s others, apparently we live and learn? cheers.

I remember the discussions on here regards any poor OPTUS coverage with the EPL when they began televising it, was this all sorted out in the end?
Curious is all.