What's your Futbol team? Joga Bonito

[Big Boy Laroux]

Originally Posted by Fidel

Goal refs are not a good idea at all IMO. Most of the game they will just stand around doing nothing. Difficult situations in the box only come up once in a while.

So? If something does come up (like, let's say, the worst handball EVER), it would be entirely worth it. They would also be able to call other infractions in the box.

Yes, offsides is annoying. but i doubt that is changed anytime soon. The field is soooooooooo big, that would be such a disadvantage to the defense. I don't know a whole lot about field hockey, but i do see that their field is smaller than an international soccer field by about 15 yards on either side. Maybe that's why it helped in field hockey.

[Big Boy Laroux]

Originally Posted by 92bDad

Kudos to France for advancing...if Ireland wanted to advance then they should have not let it come down to this one goal.

also wanted to say one more thing to this statement.

A statement like "should not have let it come down to one point" or "one bad call" is a valid thing to say in basketball, or football. There are so many scoring opportunities in those games (especially basketball), that one bad call shouldn't be the deciding factor, even if that call comes at the end of the game.

But in soccer, the scoring opportunities are so low in number, a bad call like this one can easily be the difference-maker.

[Big Boy Laroux]

Originally Posted by GermanDunk

On the other hand...

correct handball

wow, the keeper should have decked that fan that ran on the pitch.

[GermanDunk]

Another " irregular " goal ... :-)

[GermanDunk]

Close to the Packers game last week

[bernardos70]

That's a whoopin'

[GermanDunk]

Milanisti are getting their asses kicked

[GermanDunk]

Il clasico kicks off tomorrow.

Real @ Barca starts 19 pm CET = 1pm ET

[bernardos70]

Oh yeah, and if you have an ISP which has a contract with www.espn360.com you can watch it streaming, probably in HD, directly from the "worldwide leader in sports." (Thank you, AT&T U-verse).

[GermanDunk]

The 1 pm spot can cause riots in US-soccer-watching households...

[bernardos70]

Yeah, it's right around the time football kicks off. I know which one I'm watching though :P

[GermanDunk]

Me either. But thanks to the advertisers. Three quarters should be left when the soccermatch has ended( with a nice Barcelona win )

[bernardos70]

If I had to bet, I'd have to put my money on Barça too.... ouch.

[GermanDunk]

Not sure here. I think Messi is out, but should be no problem to compensate with Andres Iniesta. When i am right, then the last clash left Real shredded on the flagpole.
I go for a 3-2 home win. They definately need more Bernado out there.

[bernardos70]

Haha. Cristiano is gonna play by the way, but he'll probably start on the bench. Let's see how that plays out. It's a clássio, there aren't any favorites. I've seen many and just when you think one team is going to destroy the other, it doesn't quite happen that way.

[bernardos70]

How about Besiktas @ Man U, huh?

[GermanDunk]

Ronaldo off the bench ? That´s not gonna happen. He is an awesome asshole but an awesome player either. What makes you think Ronaldo could start on the bench ? Is he in trouble with injuries ?

@ ManU: Yes, you can´t control what the Champions League do. There have been weird results all over the place this year. Even `pool is out, yet.

[GermanDunk]

Who scored the goal ?

[bernardos70]

Yes, Ronaldo is coming back from an Injury. Although there's also the fact that Pellegrini had a rotation: he can't accomodate all the players he wants to play into 11 spots on the field, so sometimes some players don't start, it has happened to Xabi Alonso, Kaká, Raul, etc. Rumour has it that he was told to stop doing that, though.

LOL at the You Can't Control What the CL do, but I can't rep you right now. Indeed the CL is crazy.

[GermanDunk]

Maybe not stupid to start some hide and seek, but Pep has his team prepared, no question. But you might be right here.

I´m just watching CHE-ARS. Awesome as expected, Che will win though.

btw.: Roman Abramovics new toy is docked in and wraped in foil down at the port. With this mighty vessel he definately will outship Paul Allen.

[GermanDunk]

Man, this is uber-football.

[Murphy3]

so, was that own goal allowed?

[GermanDunk]

Originally Posted by Murphy3

so, was that own goal allowed?

Which one Murph ? The trow in ?

[bernardos70]

It seems like it was, so the goalie must've touched it.

Real are playing well right now. They do not have possession much, but when they do..... 3 chances inside the goal box. Barcelona has no one to thank but Victor Valdéz for this tie. 2nd half in 10 or so minutes. Anyone in the US interested in watching (long shot) just go to ESPN360.COM and watch. Most ISP's have a ESPN360 contract.

[GermanDunk]

One player must have touched it, normally, but i´m going to ask an official.

[bernardos70]

Ibra scores on a great dani alves cross. If he didn't fall down and complaint so much. He looks like the soccer version of Manu Ginobili, which is disgraceful.

[bernardos70]

And on the other side, Marcelo just sucks.

[GermanDunk]

Ibrahimovic > Popobili

[bernardos70]

Very good game.

[GermanDunk]

Yes, it was a really good game. Not as spectacular as expected, but great. I once more enjoyed watching Messi, but the MVP of the game, in my opinon, was charles Puyol. He´s one hell of a Defender.

[bernardos70]

Yes, he is. Carles is getting up there though in the age department, but he's still got it. He's another one that falls way too often. I remember following the play-by-play of a ManU vs Barcelona game and the commentary was: "Cristiano Ronald and Carles Puyol both try to head a cross and collide, and each promptly fall into a heap. Classic girl-on-girl collision."

[GermanDunk]

own goal ( Eigentor )

So, when a goal is scored with a throw in, there are two cases,

a) The opponent scores directly by trow in, the referee has to give a kick off.
b) The teammate scores directly by an accidental return to the keeper, it´s a corner kick.

When the keeper touches the ball, the goal is good.

[Sportstudi]

Originally Posted by GermanDunk

own goal ( Eigentor )

So, when a goal is scored with a throw in, there are two cases,

a) The opponent scores directly by trow in, the referee has to give a kick off.
b) The teammate scores directly by an accidental return to the keeper, it´s a corner kick.

When the keeper touches the ball, the goal is good.

Correct.

It's due to the rule that an advantage is not allowed to turn directly into a disadvantage. Therefore, like you explained in b), the other team "only" gets a corner kick.

[GermanDunk]

22 undefeated matches. Woohoo !

[GermanDunk]

Group Stage

Group A
France
Mexico
Uruguay
South Afrika

Group B
Argentina
Nigeria
South Korea
Greece

Group C
England
USA
Algeria
Slovenia

Group D
Germany
Australia
Serbia
Ghana

Group E
Netherland
Danmark
Japan
Cameroon

Group F
Italy
New Zeeland
Paraguay
Slovacia

Group G
Brazil
Cote ´D Ivoire
Peoples Republic of North Korea
Portugal

Group H
Spain
Switzerland
Honduras
Chile

[bernardos70]

Nice. Spain on a cakewalk group. Brazil in the group of death. USA with England, and a very easy group. Germany's group is touger than it looks.

[Flacolaco]

Is England any good?

[bernardos70]

They were unbeaten in 2009 I think, until their 1-0 loss to Brazil a month or so ago. So ya, they're very good. In fact, they were missing key players when they lost to Brazil.

[GermanDunk]

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

Is England any good?

They messed up the qualification for the last European Championships due to too much arrogance.

The problem with England is that the main positions are covered by foreign players, but they are still dangerous. They will win their group and the USA will finish 2nd.

I like the german group, because i´m fed up with crappy games.

[mavspwnage]

Damn, Group G looks pretty good.