So who's going to win the world cup?

[Airbrush]

19 hours ago, zapatos said:

Of course it is. It's in the rule book.

True.  Certainly this is "football" by the rule book.  I'm going to use the word soccer because that's what we always called it in the USA.  I've never heard anyone suggesting any changes to the "Beautiful Game".  This is a thought exercise.

Did anyone go out for the soccer team because they wanted to be a goalie?  Goalies are stuck in the goal and are the whipping post for the other team.  You are required to dive for the ball and land on your side, your back, your belly, or your butt on the turf.  That's not fun.  Most people go out for soccer to run around on the field, passing the ball, making tackles, heading the ball, shooting at the goal.

What about penalty kicks when there is no goalie?  Just move the ball back, like around the midfield line, for penalty kicks with no goalie.  A penalty kick should be about the same probability for scoring as in the current game.

England Vs Croatia starts in an hour.  Don't miss it.  There will be a pop quiz after the game! 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2018 by Airbrush

[Janus]

27 minutes ago, Airbrush said:

True.  Certainly this is "football" by the rule book.  I'm going to use the word soccer because that's what we always called it in the USA.  I've never heard anyone suggesting any changes to the "Beautiful Game".  This is a thought exercise.

Did anyone go out for the soccer team because they wanted to be a goalie?  Goalies are stuck in the goal and are the whipping post for the other team.  You are required to dive for the ball and land on your side, your back, your belly, or your butt on the turf.  That's not fun.  Most people go out for soccer to run around on the field, passing the ball, making tackles, heading the ball, shooting at the goal.

What about penalty kicks when there is no goalie?  Just move the ball back, like around the midfield line, for penalty kicks with no goalie.  A penalty kick should be about the same probability for scoring as in the current game.

England Vs Croatia starts in an hour.  Don't miss it.  There will be a pop quiz after the game! 

 

 

If there was one rule change that I could make to the game, it would be that if a player is injured by a foul to the extent that he is unable to continue in the game, and that foul resulted in a yellow or red card being issued to the player committing the foul, then the injured player's team should be able to replace him without using up one of their allowed substitutions.

[koti]

3 hours ago, DrP said:

Sorry - must have mistyped...  the German post doc jumped on the table to celebrate... not me.  I was looking the other way, head in hand, trying not be associated with him.... which was difficult as he was sat at our table.  

I salute his bravery though  

[zapatos]

1 hour ago, Airbrush said:

True.  Certainly this is "football" by the rule book.  I'm going to use the word soccer because that's what we always called it in the USA.  I've never heard anyone suggesting any changes to the "Beautiful Game".  This is a thought exercise.

Did anyone go out for the soccer team because they wanted to be a goalie?  Goalies are stuck in the goal and are the whipping post for the other team.  You are required to dive for the ball and land on your side, your back, your belly, or your butt on the turf.  That's not fun.  Most people go out for soccer to run around on the field, passing the ball, making tackles, heading the ball, shooting at the goal.

What about penalty kicks when there is no goalie?  Just move the ball back, like around the midfield line, for penalty kicks with no goalie.  A penalty kick should be about the same probability for scoring as in the current game.

England Vs Croatia starts in an hour.  Don't miss it.  There will be a pop quiz after the game! 

 

 

I think you are underestimating the diversity of athletes. While in soccer I was a defender and not a goalie, but in hockey I LOVED playing goal. Nothing more exciting than being the keeper when a player has a breakaway and it's mano a mano with the game on the line... Talk about a rush.

Bottom line is that people train to be goalies, pay money out of their own pockets to get better, just so they can try out for the position on the local team. Plenty of people want to be goalie. I coached youth soccer for years and I always had kids who wanted to play goal.

One-nil so far! Much better match than we saw yesterday. 

[CharonY]

So.... France?

[Lord Antares]

I'M SO HAPPY

EVERYONE IS GOING APESHIT HERE

 

[Scott of the Antares]

Congratulations Lord Antares. The better team won. I wish you luck in the Final:)

[Airbrush]

22 hours ago, Janus said:

If there was one rule change that I could make to the game, it would be that if a player is injured by a foul to the extent that he is unable to continue in the game, and that foul resulted in a yellow or red card being issued to the player committing the foul, then the injured player's team should be able to replace him without using up one of their allowed substitutions.

I also had thought about that.  Seems like a reasonable suggestion.  Silly to put so much restrictions on substitutes.

21 hours ago, zapatos said:

I think you are underestimating the diversity of athletes. While in soccer I was a defender and not a goalie, but in hockey I LOVED playing goal. Nothing more exciting than being the keeper when a player has a breakaway and it's mano a mano with the game on the line... Talk about a rush.

Bottom line is that people train to be goalies, pay money out of their own pockets to get better, just so they can try out for the position on the local team. Plenty of people want to be goalie. I coached youth soccer for years and I always had kids who wanted to play goal.

One-nil so far! Much better match than we saw yesterday. 

When you were in soccer did you wish you were goalie?  Did you know any forwards that wished they were goalie?  Anyone reading this ever wish they were goalie but had to be a regular player instead?  

It seems to me that the most coveted position is center forward, then any forward position, then midfield, then guards.  Last of all, in my experience in high school and college, was goalie.  Everyone wants to be forward and be the goal-scoring hero, but not everyone has the speed and ball control to be forward, such as myself.  I was always midfielder.  My forte was breaking up plays and making forwards look bad.  Goalie was a position for those nearly being cut from the team.  They stayed on the team by accepting the position of goalie.  That was my experience during the 1970s and 1980s.  Maybe things have changed and goalie is a coveted position now, maybe even more popular than forward?  Also I'm not speaking about professional soccer, but rather the intro level in high school or even earlier.

So the final is between Croatia and France and I don't have a clue who will win. 

Edited July 12, 2018 by Airbrush

[zapatos]

50 minutes ago, Airbrush said:

When you were in soccer did you wish you were goalie?  Did you know any forwards that wished they were goalie?  Anyone reading this ever wish they were goalie but had to be a regular player instead?  

It seems to me that the most coveted position is center forward, then any forward position, then midfield, then guards.  Last of all, in my experience in high school and college, was goalie.  Everyone wants to be forward and be the goal-scoring hero, but not everyone has the speed and ball control to be forward, such as myself.  I was always midfielder.  My forte was breaking up plays and making forwards look bad.  Goalie was a position for those nearly being cut from the team.  They stayed on the team by accepting the position of goalie.  That was my experience during the 1970s and 1980s.  Maybe things have changed and goalie is a coveted position now, maybe even more popular than forward?  Also I'm not speaking about professional soccer, but rather the intro level in high school or even earlier.

So the final is between Croatia and France and I don't have a clue who will win. 

No, I did not wish to be goalie in soccer. As I said, I wanted to be a goalie in hockey.

No, I did not know any forwards who wished they were goalies. Typically the way it works is if you want to be a goalie, you try out for and train to be a goalie, not a forward.

The most coveted position is sweeper, not center forward.

Goalie was a position for those nearly being cut from the team? Where did you play soccer? What coach in his right mind would put one of his worst players in goal?

[Scott of the Antares]

7 minutes ago, zapatos said:

The most coveted position is sweeper, not center forward.

That was my position when I played:)

8 minutes ago, zapatos said:

Goalie was a position for those nearly being cut from the team? Where did you play soccer? What coach in his right mind would put one of his worst players in goal?

This is the sort of thing I have only seen in under 8’s football.

[zapatos]

1 minute ago, Scott of the Antares said:

That was my position when I played:)

Me too! That's why I said it was the most coveted.

[Scott of the Antares]

A clean sheet is so satisfying; NONE SHALL PASS!!

 

[zapatos]

It's just a flesh wound!

[Scott of the Antares]

*mimics mouth movements from poorly dubbed Kung Fu film*

”I’ve seen all your moves; your form is empty”

*strokes imaginary beard*

[Airbrush]

1 hour ago, zapatos said:

No, I did not wish to be goalie in soccer. As I said, I wanted to be a goalie in hockey.

No, I did not know any forwards who wished they were goalies. Typically the way it works is if you want to be a goalie, you try out for and train to be a goalie, not a forward.

The most coveted position is sweeper, not center forward.

Goalie was a position for those nearly being cut from the team? Where did you play soccer? What coach in his right mind would put one of his worst players in goal?

What's a sweeper?  I've never heard of that position.  After a Google I found this:

"Sweeper the last line of defense (besides the keeper of course) and the one who tells the defense to push up or come back. He or she sends everyone up and if they get passed them he or she have to make sure they don't get close to the [ I suppose opposition's] goal."

http://www.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_sweeper_in_soccer 

In those days my position was called "center half" at Bosco Tech in Rosemead, CA, starting in 1969.  I spent my freshman year as a bench-warmer.  Sophomore year coach gave me a chance as right wing, but I was not "good" enough (fast enough with adequate ball control).  Goalie is a position that does not require much speed or ball control.  The coach did his best with the few guys that went out for soccer.  Barely enough for a team and a few subs.  Our goalies did fairly well considering.  Our coach's strategy was to put the fastest guy on the team as guard to mitigate fast breaks.   Now I suppose that is called a "sweeper" position.

Edited July 12, 2018 by Airbrush

[Lord Antares]

On 7/11/2018 at 7:35 PM, Janus said:

If there was one rule change that I could make to the game, it would be that if a player is injured by a foul to the extent that he is unable to continue in the game, and that foul resulted in a yellow or red card being issued to the player committing the foul, then the injured player's team should be able to replace him without using up one of their allowed substitutions.

That would be abused heavily.

Anyway, good luck in the finals, hoping for a good game. Who are you guys cheering for?

[Scott of the Antares]

Croatia! I hope you win. It would be an amazing but thoroughly well deserved achievement for your nation!

France look like a really tight unit with great counter attacking abilities so it will be a tough match, but I am rooting for you 

[Janus]

2 hours ago, Lord Antares said:

That would be abused heavily.

 

How?  The issuing of a card is up to the official( The injury itself is not the basis of the card), and you can only replace the player without penalty if the injury was the result of a card worthy foul.  And we are talking about situations where the player is immediately removed from the pitch and replaced. ( If the player leaves, returns to play, and then decides he can't continue, this rule would not be in force).  If the the injury is not the result of a card worthy foul it would not be in force either.   So unless you think a team can force the other team to earn yellow or red cards, and by fouling  just the players they would want to substitute for...

[dimreepr]

28 minutes ago, Janus said:

How?  The issuing of a card is up to the official( The injury itself is not the basis of the card), and you can only replace the player without penalty if the injury was the result of a card worthy foul.  And we are talking about situations where the player is immediately removed from the pitch and replaced. ( If the player leaves, returns to play, and then decides he can't continue, this rule would not be in force).  If the the injury is not the result of a card worthy foul it would not be in force either.   So unless you think a team can force the other team to earn yellow or red cards, and by fouling  just the players they would want to substitute for...

You beat me to it, it's not the same as rugby which is often abused, there's no real reason in football, because more often than not the injured party is the teams best player, rather than a prop that can't be replaced with a prop.

Great game...

On so many levels...

 

[Airbrush]

Anyone watching France Vs Croatia?  At  64 minutes France leading by 4-1, then a huge blunder by the French goalie and it is 4-2.  I seriously doubt Croatia can score 2 more goals to tie in only 25 more minutes of play.  Let's see how it ends!

Edit:  France leads 4-2 with 5 minutes of stoppage time left.  I dare to predict that France will win this! 

Edited July 15, 2018 by Airbrush

[John Cuthber]

40 minutes ago, Airbrush said:

Anyone watching France Vs Croatia? 

I hope so; it's been cluttering up two of our major TV channels.

 

[YaDinghus]

Soooooo glad it's over

[nevim]

Just now, YaDinghus said:

Soooooo glad it's over

Yup

[Lord Antares]

On 7/15/2018 at 4:43 PM, Janus said:

How?  The issuing of a card is up to the official( The injury itself is not the basis of the card), and you can only replace the player without penalty if the injury was the result of a card worthy foul.  And we are talking about situations where the player is immediately removed from the pitch and replaced. ( If the player leaves, returns to play, and then decides he can't continue, this rule would not be in force).  If the the injury is not the result of a card worthy foul it would not be in force either.   So unless you think a team can force the other team to earn yellow or red cards, and by fouling  just the players they would want to substitute for...

You say it like every yellow/red card foul is automatically an injury. It's not and yellows are fairly common and this could be abused every time one is given. Who would know the difference?

[Externet]

Well, here is a winner...

---->  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9gJIdn5qdk