Post Race!

[wes4dbt]

Now.... is this a Typo
"price" vs. "prize"

I think they both work.

I think FIFA is corrupt and has been for a long time. But that's pretty common for organizations that control huge amounts of money. Especially when they have very little oversight from other agencies.

[Zvoni]

I looked up the red card against Balogun and saw where there's some controversy around the play in real time and the play slowed down. In real time it doesn't look bad but slowed down it looked terrible.

They do the same thing in Football and I absolutely hate it. It's gotten a bit better over the years, but still very annoying. Two different sports though where soccer is more of an effeminate sport; you're not supposed to hit people. Football is sort of designed around hitting people.

The article I read also juxtaposed it to Ronaldo's ban getting suspended so that he was available for the World Cup opener. Obviously, I was reading an American article to try and shed the best light for the American player. My take on it was that I was shocked to see that an organized cartel (FIFA) would alter the circumstances such that it makes for better television.
Attachment 196242

the controversy is not as much the change to probation. See precedence with CR7, and the rules allow for it
the controversy is the change of „next game ban“ to probation, because a referee‘s decision is final and factual, irrespective if it can be proven afterwards that it was the wrong call.

and even for this, there are rules that a team can file a review for a referee’s decision, 2 hours after the match at the latest.
has this been done? Because if yes, why would there be a need for a phone call 4 DAYS later?

I realized that my statement about soccer being an effeminate sport can come off as offensive. That's not what I intend, just in comparison to other, rougher sports in the context of penalties related to aggression.

and I didn’t take it that way. No worries.
i‘m aware, that soccer is more of a females sport in the US

but trust me on one thing: soccer, especially in Europe, and more especially in the lower leagues, is very physical

[dday9]

It can definitely get physical in the US too. Actually, funny story, but when I used to sell insurance, one of the most common accident policy claims was from High School females playing soccer (mainly torn ACLs). They get brutal man!

[Shaggy Hiker]

I didn't think the red card was warranted. It seemed like incidental contact to me. On the other hand, having the ban reversed that far after the fact...yeah, that doesn't sound right.

[Zvoni]

I didn't think the red card was warranted. It seemed like incidental contact to me. On the other hand, having the ban reversed that far after the fact...yeah, that doesn't sound right.

That's the thing: The referee, with help of the VAR, decided together, that the red card was warranted.
What TV-Pictures did this incompetent....errrr....independent FIFA-board watch to overturn that?

And don't get me wrong: pretty much everyone here in Europe (Fans, Managers, Experts) said, the red card wasn't warranted (Me included)
BUT: As i said: A referee's decision on the pitch is final.

Me as a croatian could complain until next year, that croatia's Matanovic didn't touch the ball with his head, thusly NOT causing Gvardiol being offside, which would have been a legit goal for croatia
And the same Fans, Managers, Experts agree.

BUT: The ref's decided the other way.

It's the way of Football (at least for us Europeans and the rest of the World):
Yes, a referee is neutral, he/she tries his/her best at one of the hardest jobs there is in the world, because, practically, you can never satisfy everyone.
Sometimes they do a brilliant job, sometimes they make mistakes.

I still remember when the Video-Assistant-Referee was inducted into the game here in Germany, and to this day, there are still a lot of people claiming it takes away the spirit of the game.
Yes, you want fair decisions, but when a decision is made ON the pitch, then it's final!
That's what a lot of americans don't get about Football

What has people flying of the handle is the way it was handled!
Football was always a people's game FOR the people:
Not for politicians trying to look good, not for some corporations looking for space to place commercials, not for Billionaire-Team-Owners, for whom it's just Business-expense to reduce from Tax.

I can tell you now, that what FIFA called "hydration break", and what factually was a commercial break, will DEFINITLY not be adopted in any european league.
Otherwise the Fans would storm the barricades.

Yes, there are privately owned teams in europe, mainly in english Premier League and Italy's Seria A, even owned by american owners.
On the other Hand: Europe's Football-Giants Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich are supporter-owned, NON-Profit clubs to this day.
And they will never give away their voting rights.

To give you an idea:
FC Barcelona: 140K members worldwide
Real Madrid: 95K-98K members Worldwide, holding 100% ownership of the club
Fun fact: The most "prominent" member of BOTH Clubs was Pope John Paul the 2nd (!!!), since he was a football-enthusiast (which he admitted to publicly)
and yes, in both cases he was a "honorary" Member, but a member nonetheless with membership-number, membership-id-card etc.
and i think he was the only person on the entire planet who could get away with it being a member of both clubs , since Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are literally Arch-Rivals

Bayern Munich: 430K members Worldwide
Benfica Lissabon Portugal: 440K members Worldwide
Hell, Bayern Munich's annual members summit is TV-News in Germany, and i remember some years ago its president reading "his" fans the riot act WHILE LIVE ON TV

But even the privately owned teams are VERY dependent on their fans
I can promise you this: Should those private owners ever try to bring in Half-Time-shows, Cheer-leaders and all that other stuff, that has nothing to do with the game but everything with commerce and business, you would have the revolts on TV-news

It's a people's game for the people

EDIT:
I forgot: Yesterday, Justice prevailed twice!

[Peter Porter]

It's the way of Football (at least for us Europeans and the rest of the World):
Yes, a referee is neutral, he/she tries his/her best at one of the hardest jobs there is in the world, because, practically, you can never satisfy everyone.
Sometimes they do a brilliant job, sometimes they make mistakes.

I totally agree, but this didn't surprise me from Trump:

If they beat us, they can be really proud. The other way, if they beat us, we'll say – I'll say it was rigged, just like the election was rigged in 2020, but I won't get into that.

I'm guessing he might be thinking rigged today, saying Belgium should have gotten some red cards.

[Zvoni]

I totally agree, but this didn't surprise me from Trump:

I'm guessing he might be thinking rigged today, saying Belgium should have gotten some red cards.

Well, considering, the belgian National team is called the "Red Devils", usually have red shirts with golden lettering and black pants, they played yesterday in baby-blue.

Of course it was rigged, when the belgian's try to avoid their traditional color red. Just to NOT give the referee some ideas......

btw: Wasn't there something with "red shirts die at the end of the episode"?

[dday9]

btw: Wasn't there something with "red shirts die at the end of the episode"?

Wasn't that Star Trek? I never watched the series, but I vaguely remember a Family Guy joke about it.