Worldcup !

[Ambrose Ackroyd]

Well, I will be cheering Germany on Split.

They have been tremendous in the last 2 games and I'm afraid I find Spain rather boring and tedious to watch.

They are a 1-0 side.

A Holland vs Germany final would be good but now I've said that we are bound to get a boring Spain vs Uruguay encounter. It would then be a case of " Who cheats first wins "

 

[Splitlink]

Well, I will be cheering Germany on Split.

They have been tremendous in the last 2 games and I'm afraid I find Spain rather boring and tedious to watch.

They are a 1-0 side.

A Holland vs Germany final would be good but now I've said that we are bound to get a boring Spain vs Uruguay encounter. It would then be a case of " Who cheats first wins "

Maybe it's because they have been playing boring opponents.

You don't get away with that argument, mate! If Spain and Uruguay get to the final, it will be Holland and Germany's fault!

 

[Ambrose Ackroyd]

Dunno whose fault it will be but it will be a complete turn off.

Uruguay would be more suited to the World Handball Championships.

 

[Splitlink]

Dunno whose fault it will be but it will be a complete turn off.

Uruguay would be more suited to the World Handball Championships.

That's good news! One less for us to worry about.

 

[BSD]

THANK YOU for the nice words guys !!!



Wow I can't even begin to describe what yesterday was like, this really is a replay of that amazing, beautiful summer fairy tale of 2006 when we hosted the world cup, which is probably when I discovered football for the first time !!!

Trying to write this while I'm still hungover lol !

Anyway, yesterday I brought my wife to the Frankfurt airport sending her off to a month with her family in Finland, gonna join her in Helsinki in a fortnight.

I couldn't have made it back to Bonn in time where we are still living until we move to Hamburg in a few months in time so I decided to stay in Frankfurt to watch the match, for anyone who knows the city I went to the "Fressgasse" bang in the center where you have one bar next to the other in a pedestrian zone, all with packed terraces and TV screens so the atmosphere was absolutely incredible from the outset, pretty girls everywhere and all around you, everyone laughing and being a bit silly from sheer ecstasy even before we had gained a single goal, every one instant friends with the people around you, everyone chatting with everyone else, really really beautiful, pure bliss, no other way to put it !!!

And if that was incredible from the very beginning already, just imagine what happened as we got the first goal, then the second one, an incredible 3rd one, and and finally an absolutely unvbelievable 4th one, the frenzy just kept reaching new levels, until finally everyone was jumping around hugging, high fiving and kissing their neighbours, and when the match was over the whole city was basically one gigantic and ecstatic outdoors party.

What a truly magical night !!!

MUCHAS Gracias !!!

This was a nice touch, our team manager Bierhof consolating Maradona.

MUCHAS GRACIAS for this fairy tale !!!

 

[montmorencyt2w]

You know, beneath that cool efficient surface layer, I think the Germans are secretly frustrated Latins

 

[BSD]

You know, beneath that cool efficient surface layer, I think the Germans are secretly frustrated Latins

Haha nice one, could be, could be !!!

 

[Splitlink]

You know, beneath that cool efficient surface layer, I think the Germans are secretly frustrated Latins

Don't tell them that, for Heaven's sake! They have enough on their plates as it is.

My wife says " Stop trying to be like us,Split. I love you just as you are"

 

[montmorencyt2w]

Don't tell them that, for Heaven's sake! They have enough on their plates as it is.

My wife says " Stop trying to be like us,Split. I love you just as you are"

))


Swerving briskly aside, what do people who know a bit about football think of this:

Instead of penalty shootouts in the event of a draw, have a points system a bit like in boxing when there is no knockout.

Points could be awarded for, say, the number of clear shots at goal (which might encourage attacking football), percentage of time in possession of the ball, and anything else positive you can think of.

Negative points could be for fouls, offsides, arguing with the ref/linesmen, maybe number of corner kicks awarded against, plus anything else you can think of. Hopefully this should encourage better behaviour.

A penalty shootout would only be necessary in the unlikely event of a points draw as well as a goals draw.


Is this workable?

 

[Splitlink]

))


Swerving briskly aside, what do people who know a bit about football think of this:

Instead of penalty shootouts in the event of a draw, have a points system a bit like in boxing when there is no knockout.

Points could be awarded for, say, the number of clear shots at goal (which might encourage attacking football), percentage of time in possession of the ball, and anything else positive you can think of.

Negative points could be for fouls, offsides, arguing with the ref/linesmen, maybe number of corner kicks awarded against, plus anything else you can think of. Hopefully this should encourage better behaviour.

A penalty shootout would only be necessary in the unlikely event of a points draw as well as a goals draw.


Is this workable?

You would need outside judges to decide that, otherwise the referee would have to decide and we are gettinbg faulty decisions from them, already.

Personally, I do not go for the argument that the ref's decision is part of the game of football and that it is the final word on the matter. A decision is either fair ot it isn't and video shots and other means must be better than the way things are, at present.

Mind you, that anulled penalty by Spain against Uruguay was spotted by the referee, unpopular though it was. The cameras would have let that intrusion into the area pass.

 

[Ambrose Ackroyd]

Swerving briskly aside, what do people who know a bit about football think of this:

Instead of penalty shootouts in the event of a draw, have a points system a bit like in boxing when there is no knockout.

Points could be awarded for, say, the number of clear shots at goal (which might encourage attacking football), percentage of time in possession of the ball, and anything else positive you can think of.

Negative points could be for fouls, offsides, arguing with the ref/linesmen, maybe number of corner kicks awarded against, plus anything else you can think of. Hopefully this should encourage better behaviour.

A penalty shootout would only be necessary in the unlikely event of a points draw as well as a goals draw.


Is this workable?

This would lead to dull and boring finishes to football matches.

There would be no drama or excitement and I believe that is what the fans want. They want to see exciting finishes.

While the penalty shoot-out is possibly not the perfect solution, it does provide finality and a result that is clear to everyone.

It also certainly provides excitement and drama by the bucket-load.

I think a more important issue is the incident that took place in the Uruguay-Ghana match which prevented Ghana taking their rightful place in the semis.

Their late shot at goal was saved by a defender with his hands. A blatant piece of cheating which was punished by a sending off and a penalty. However, this still placed the onus on Ghana to convert the penalty and win the game. We all know that the penalty was missed.

In Rugby a penalty try would have been awarded without the need for the attacking side to convert a penalty. This would probably be a good solution in football where outright and blatant cheating prevents the correct side from winning.

The awarding of a penalty goal should be possible.

In my view Uruguay should not be in the semis and I hope they lose.

They almost certainly will anyway.

 

[Pat494]

))


Swerving briskly aside, what do people who know a bit about football think of this:

Instead of penalty shootouts in the event of a draw, have a points system a bit like in boxing when there is no knockout.

Points could be awarded for, say, the number of clear shots at goal (which might encourage attacking football), percentage of time in possession of the ball, and anything else positive you can think of.

Negative points could be for fouls, offsides, arguing with the ref/linesmen, maybe number of corner kicks awarded against, plus anything else you can think of. Hopefully this should encourage better behaviour.

A penalty shootout would only be necessary in the unlikely event of a points draw as well as a goals draw.


Is this workable?

imho no

there would be a lot of unsportsman like behaviour to keep possession for instance - just like England did in holding the ball in the opponent's corner.

I like the penalty goal idea tho

Glad you didn't suggest a democratic postal voting system by the fans

Perhaps I could suggest skimpily glad cheer leaders at half time - female of course

 

[Splitlink]

This would lead to dull and boring finishes to football matches.

There would be no drama or excitement and I believe that is what the fans want. They want to see exciting finishes.

While the penalty shoot-out is possibly not the perfect solution, it does provide finality and a result that is clear to everyone.

It also certainly provides excitement and drama by the bucket-load.

I think a more important issue is the incident that took place in the Uruguay-Ghana match which prevented Ghana taking their rightful place in the semis.

Their late shot at goal was saved by a defender with his hands. A blatant piece of cheating which was punished by a sending off and a penalty. However, this still placed the onus on Ghana to convert the penalty and win the game. We all know that the penalty was missed.

In Rugby a penalty try would have been awarded without the need for the attacking side to convert a penalty. This would probably be a good solution in football where outright and blatant cheating prevents the correct side from winning.

The awarding of a penalty goal should be possible.

In my view Uruguay should not be in the semis and I hope they lose.

They almost certainly will anyway.

Earlier on I forecast a Holland/Argentina final. Well, we still have the Dutch who have very strong ties with Spanish football. Barça has had Cruyff, Van Gaal and another one with a funny haircut as managers plus a whole load of excellent players, which is why I don't underestimate them, although, strangely enough, no-one seems to say much about them in this Cup, probably because they have been in another group.

I think that they are more than capable of seeing off the lot of the ones that are left.

 

[Ambrose Ackroyd]

Any one of 3 can win this Split.

A 3 way coin-toss ( if that's possible ) between Germany, Spain and Holland.

If I could weight the coin it would be in favour of Germany who have provided the most spectacular and entertaining football to date.

 

[BSD]

Perhaps I could suggest skimpily glad cheer leaders at half time - female of course

Where can I sign up for that ?



It's sympathetic that the Argentinians gave their team a very warm welcoming reception home:

http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/0,1518,704613,00.html

 

[counter_violent]

This would lead to dull and boring finishes to football matches.

There would be no drama or excitement and I believe that is what the fans want. They want to see exciting finishes.

While the penalty shoot-out is possibly not the perfect solution, it does provide finality and a result that is clear to everyone.

It also certainly provides excitement and drama by the bucket-load.

I think a more important issue is the incident that took place in the Uruguay-Ghana match which prevented Ghana taking their rightful place in the semis.

Their late shot at goal was saved by a defender with his hands. A blatant piece of cheating which was punished by a sending off and a penalty. However, this still placed the onus on Ghana to convert the penalty and win the game. We all know that the penalty was missed.

In Rugby a penalty try would have been awarded without the need for the attacking side to convert a penalty. This would probably be a good solution in football where outright and blatant cheating prevents the correct side from winning.

The awarding of a penalty goal should be possible.

In my view Uruguay should not be in the semis and I hope they lose.

They almost certainly will anyway.

Spent weeks arguing the toss then comes out with this ! Are you for real or wot !

 

[Ambrose Ackroyd]

Are you for real or wot !

What, actually old boy !!

I quite enjoy stirring the pot.

 

[counter_violent]

What, actually old boy !!

I quite enjoy stirring the pot.

That's what I figured

 

[Ambrose Ackroyd]

Let's just hope that there is no more cheating, no more referee blunders etc. etc. and that the semis and the Final are the most amazing games ever.

We can but live in hope.

 

[Pat494]

Spain 2.87
Germany 2.87
Holland 3.00
Uruguay 12.00

All depends who plays well on the day imho