World Cup 2010 - Semi-finals **spoilers**

Please stop arguing over the Suarez handball, it's completely irrelevant now anyway due to Uruguay being knocked out by Holland. More than likely Holland would have beaten Ghana as well so it just isn't worth bickering about anymore.

On another note, I think it's very unlikely Spain will beat Germany. Their defence just seems too shaky and they aren't creating enough going forward, which is very odd for a team that probably has the best midfield and attacking players in the world. If Spain want any chance of winning they have to start Fabregas, they look a completely different team when he is playing.
 
I basically already answered most of those points to Shamikebab, so read back for those. In short - I am for awarding appropriate punishments, not awarding goals for any infraction, i'm starting to wonder if you've even been reading my previous posts?

Where you say 'goal scoring opportunity' that's fine. A penalty is fair, it is another goal scoring opportunity. You effectively get back what you were unfairly denied.

In this case though, it wasn't an opportunity, it was a goal (or would have been). Because of the loophole, Uruguay were rewarded for cheating to prevent it rather than punished.

If Ghana had scored, the situation is the same, the rule is flawed, it encourages cheating in that situation as there is no downside for Uruguay. As I said before, it puts them in the position of 'might concede' rather than 'definitely concede', even if caught in the act, which in the dying minutes of a game, gives a team a clear advantage over playing fairly.

I don't think Uruguay should be 'removed' and at no point have I even remotely suggested that.

I am of the opinion punishments should do just that - punish and also compensate the opposing team as appropriately as possible. If they were denied a sure goal, award them it. If they were denied a goal scoring opportunity, award them one. If they were denied moving forward, award them a free kick etc. etc.

This game highlighted a situation where the opposite is caused to be the case. I don't think it should it exist and nor should it be swept under the carpet as 'kneejerk'. My issue is with the rules, not Uruguay, you can hardly blame them for taking that action, you'd have to be stupid not to really.
 
Has to be Lucio for me - the most annoying, diving, dirtiest cheating scumbag i have seen in a while - obviously became world class at it under mourinho. You get anywhere near him and those annoying teeth of his are shown to the world, followed by a fall as if he has been shot and rolling on the floor as if he'll never walk again.

He never used to, and was one of the players I liked the most, solid, great for years, massively underrated by most but a great defender thats literally done everything you can do in the game even with the odd nice goal. One year under Mourinho and he's a big cheat. :(

But then again, if a manager asks you to dive in a game and make a meal of everything, won't the manager stop picking you if you don't do as they say? I think England weren't notorious divers till Sven, then instantly in the space ofa few games the whole squad became diving pratts.



As for Holland tonight, cheating, incredibly bad referee, from the Kuyt faking being pushed, a half hearted arm raising in protest and giving the freekick the other way(there wasn't anything in it for either side), to a potential red for the ickle bald one, replay is unclear what he did, to a certain red Van Bommel should have recieved probably in the first half, just deserts he got a ridiculous yellow at the end which I think(hope) puts him out of the world cup final.

Holland were beyond crap, Uruguay were just a little bit crapper. The dutch I dislike for the fact that the bald ones have dived constantly throughout, feigning death just to pop up uninjured the second a card is shown. The whole team has been pretty pathetic also, football wise, theres no cohesion, the defence is abysmal(look at the Brazil goal even the retarded Melo couldn't mess up the pass for, they just created a 15 yard wide channel through their entire team for that pass, I've not seen something that bad in a decade). Offensively, RVP is a completely isolated lone striker, barely been involved though managed a great turn and pass which should have turned into a goal. The bald ones basically just get the ball, and shoot from outside the box, thats the dutch's entire gameplan, they are painfully bad and I'm not sure the world cup has ever seen such an incapable side in the final before.

Its embarassing, that whole side of the draw was awful, and funnily enough even a woeful England might have scrambled through to the final with a bit of luck, I really want Germany(with virtually no cheating and the best football so far) or Spain to absolutely humiliate them in the final. But a couple dives, a red card, and Holland could fluke it.

Its not like Uruguay deserved it in the slightest, both teams were almost the same level of crap.

This cup frankly deserves a Spain vs Germany final, in terms of football, but it looks set for Spain/Germany to be 1st and 3rd(not sure on the order) with Holland/Uru in 2nd/4th because both teams should honestly be trampled by the other two.
 
Germany v. Netherlands final is hardly exciting for me :( , not that I want Germany to go out of course !

Can't watch today's game unfortunately , time difference sucks the game starts at 2:30 AM here.

Will have to not read the news and watch the game in the morning :p
 
As far as the cheating argument - just look at the uproar when you chop someone down for a red card on ProEvo when they're clean through with 1 minute to go - instakickban yo :p
 
Go Germany. Really want them to win tonight as they are one of my favourite teams and I just can't stand the Spaniards. Also, **** the octopus, whatever does it know :(:p
 
Off Topic:

I know we're frowned upon in here but when is Linoge (Paddy Dave) going to be made a a Man of Honour for all his hard work in the SA?

Or whatever the other little title is (can't for the life of me remember what it is)

Don't make me start a campaign!!!!!!
 
from BBC: (you can tell the tone is slightly sarcastic :D )
"Viewers of ITV's coverage of Tuesday's World Cup semi-final between Uruguay and the Netherlands might have been wondering why commentator Clive Tyldesley was doing so much talking.

The reason was that regular co-commentator Jim Beglin, due to join Tyldesley in Cape Town, was struck down by an ear infection and ITV were unable to recruit another summariser in time. "


I did notice, I noticed after about 10 mins, when I had to put the TV on mute. Give me 90 minutes of overbearing, deafening Vuvuzella drone over continuous Tyldesley....
 
People really seem to be going a bit OTT here with the Germans/Spain...

Lets think about it.

Germany put 4 past Australia (that huge footballing power house) 4 against us ( I could have scored them we were so weak at the back it was embarrassing) and 4 against the Argies who have been suspect the ENTIRE time.

Not denying they are a great team but lets put it into context.

Now look at who spain have played.

Swiss bundled 1 lucky goal in, arent they one of the most defensive teams in the tournament? Letting in and scoring less than another other team last WC?

They beat Honduras probably should have scored more.

Beat portugal who for all their suppose talent are HUGELY defensive, letting in next to no goals in the last 20 odd games they have played and planned on hoofing it up field.

In comparison Germans have played teams who have opened up Spainish played teams who have all but parked the bus.
 
Isn't it completely stupid that the BBC (based in Cape Town) are covering the game in Durban, while ITV (based in Johannesburg, an hour's flight from Durban) are covering the game in Cape Town? If they'd done it the other way round they could have easily sent another co-commentator to Durban before kick off.
 
Or whatever the other little title is (can't for the life of me remember what it is)

Woman of Honour? :p That's the only other honourific title that exists and as far as I'm aware there's only Haly that has had that designation.

If you start your campaign in November/December then you might have a better chance of success as it'll be fresh in the minds for the nominations/decision making - middle of the year's a bad time given the awards are made January 1st.
 
Anyone else sort of bummed that Forlan's no longer in the tournament? Wonderful player, almost as good to watch as Villa this WC.

Gutted, he's been amazing. He's had an incredible year, hopefully he'll get nominated for the Balon D'or and receive some proper recognition

Edit - Maybe the most complete striker we have in football today, stunning player
 
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Don't forget, a German vs Holland final could be fantastic, because no matter what English fans think, Germans biggest grudge matches are against Holland, those two HATE each other, so it could be a great match and well worth watching.

But in terms of football, the dutch have been pathetic, truly pathetic so its a shame we won't have probably the two best teams in the tourny in the final.

The main reason people are getting on Spains back is, while the Germans have played SOME easier teams they've played great, front to back in all the games, even the one they lost. They had someone unfairly sent off(complete BS sending off tbh) and were still by far the better team Podolski should have scored about 16, but had a rare terrible game infront of goal and the team completely fell apart after the missed penalty.

Spain lost a game they had no sendings off in, Spain have been diving a LOT in all their games, they've had trouble breaking down every team they've played against, and Portugal are utter utter tripe, they've got one great great player and pretty much failed to pass to him a single time, also don't forget that Capdeville should have been booked, maybe sent off for pulling Ronaldo down when he was through on goal, and thats ignoring what still appears to be a massive pathetic dive by Capdeville to get a guy sent off aswell. Spain were barely better in that game, more offensive but both teams failed to create many really clear cut chances and Spain again dived a lot to turn things their way and got away with some key cynical fouls which otherwise had a great chance of altering the game.

Germany, well they used to be happy to dive, teams in the past I'd have happily seen embarassed for the way they played and cheated, but this team, today, is playing great attacking football, direct great passing moves rather than slow pointless crap on the edge of the box, also, they've done relatively little to no cheating/diving.

Spain vs Holland will likely be a fairly bland boring easy win for Spain, at least Germany vs Holland could have some massive brawls and end up a far more interesting game.
 
Woman of Honour? :p That's the only other honourific title that exists and as far as I'm aware there's only Haly that has had that designation.

If you start your campaign in November/December then you might have a better chance of success as it'll be fresh in the minds for the nominations/decision making - middle of the year's a bad time given the awards are made January 1st.

Hence why I was asking what the other title was, you know the snitch ones who have no power but lord it over the rest of the mortals.

Underboss, that's it ;)
 
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