# Brasil 2014 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 6, 2014, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840 "2014-05-06T21:19:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 114
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2261 "2014-06-29T23:19:21Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > Against NED, there will be an issue with all of those yellow cards: if I counted correctly, two of the starters for Costa Rica today will miss from yellow accumulation, and one from the red card. Like I said, they seemed more like hurting the team if they advanced against Greece. “You advance, but we’re screwing your chances even more”. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2262 "2014-06-30T00:46:02Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > There was a Danny Blind who played for Ajax and NED in the nineties. Is this one any relation? > [@Isosleepy](#): > > His daddy. On the coaching staff now. Thanks. I was a huge Ajax fan around that time (mostly because there was nothing shown on Eurosport except Ajax matches and Japanese wrestling) and I remember him playing _awfully_ for Holland during Euro '96. Then I saw Blind the Younger in the Spain match and he was amazing. > [@treis](#): > > And there it is. Happy that Costa Rica is advancing, but this was a terrible game. I DVRed the game and forgot to tell it to record past the end in case of extra time. After watching the first 90 minutes I’m sort of relieved I didn’t have to watch the next 30. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2263 "2014-06-30T01:35:49Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > Costa Rica didn’t play as pretty as their other matches, but they held their own with one man down against Greece. So in the end, they did play better than Greece, playing at a disadvantage. We’ll have to agree to disagree. I didn’t see much to write home about before the red card and even less after losing a player. The keeper had a few nice saves toward the end. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2264 "2014-06-30T02:55:11Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Even if I’m not watching, I can usually tell when a World Cup game is over when I start hearing honking horns outside from those who were rooting for the winning team. And I just found out the result of the last game from all the Ticos driving around honking horns and waving flags! ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2265 "2014-06-30T03:49:58Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > And I just found out the result of the last game from all the Ticos driving around honking horns and waving flags! Oh boy, what will happen if Colombia and Costa Rica meet in a match? Although, if I read the chart right, that could only happen in the final! ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2266 "2014-06-30T04:43:14Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Oh boy, what will happen if Colombia and Costa Rica meet in a match? Although, if I read the chart right, that could only happen in the final! i dunno, but poor Panama is going to end up in the middle of it. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2267 "2014-06-30T04:58:09Z")
World Cup has been a blast, plus I enjoyed seeing Iran being handed to by Bosnia. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2268 "2014-06-30T05:06:09Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Oh boy, what will happen if Colombia and Costa Rica meet in a match? Although, if I read the chart right, that could only happen in the final! There’s a lot more Colombians here than Ticos (and Panama used to be part of Colombia), so I think most people will be rooting for them. But either way the country will go berserk if either one advances (especially if Colombia manages to knock off Brazil.) I just need to remember to look up when the matches end so I can be off the streets in case one of them wins.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2269 "2014-06-30T08:38:40Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > So, is it fair to say that Costa Rica didn’t really deserve to win this? Or is Greece that much worse with having so little production with a man advantage for so long? Both teams were equally quite rubbish. If Costa Rica play like that they’ll be ripped apart by The Netherlands. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2270 "2014-06-30T08:58:50Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I just need to remember to look up when the matches end so I can be off the streets in case one of them wins.🙂 You could go to a local restaurant and eat and drink until the traffic is better. Bring a blanket and a pillow to sleep just in case. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2271 "2014-06-30T10:48:18Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Part of the problem, it seems to me, is the way that advantage is played in soccer. Once the referee gives the advantage signal after a foul, that seems to be it. Even in cases where the team that was fouled clearly get no actual advantage, they don’t get the option to come back for a free kick. Don’t forget that the advantage rule actually refers to the opposing players (the fouling player and his teammates) not the team who had a player who was fouled. IOW, the “advantage rule” compels a referee to refrain from whistling a foul when to do so would impart an advantage to the fouling team. Not vice versa. FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2272 "2014-06-30T10:54:41Z")
An Argentine friend told me about a current joke in his country: Q: How is the Argentina football team like a highway repair crew? A: In both, it’s 10 standing around watching one guy do the work. IOW, there’s a general sense that “We dink around with the assumption that Messi will save us” may not be the optimum strategy for World Cup success. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2273 "2014-06-30T11:02:18Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > If Costa Rica play like that they’ll be ripped apart by The Netherlands. I know, and I fear that. ☹ I’ll still root for them, but that is a very tough team and game. Still, they’ve accomplished more than many expected. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2274 "2014-06-30T12:59:12Z")
Regarding Robben, the second image (which is also the first animated GIF) on this page shows it all: > **[Did Arjen Robben dive to help Holland knock Mexico out of the World Cup?](https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jun/30/arjen-robben-dive-holland-mexico-world-cup-2014)** > > Robben fell, the referee pointed to the spot and Mexico groaned as Holland went marching into the World Cup quarter-finals. Was it a foul? That’s what I mean by the classic “two motion” dive. It can clearly be seen that due to no interaction with anyone else he jerks to arch himself into his diving position. There was contact, but not enough to bring him down and he can clearly be seen to fall artificially way after being touched. Further down the page you can see examples of the exact same “two motion” dive that he has done in other games. He’s a cheat. Plain and simple. I wanted The Netherlands to win, but not like this. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2275 "2014-06-30T13:08:36Z")
[Re: Mexico -Netherlands penalty] > [@borschevsky](#): > > It’s one of those examples we were talking about in one of the other World Cup threads. It’s a foul, but getting a penalty for it seems very disproportionate. My guess is that this is exactly what the referee was thinking on the previous three fouls in the box by Mexico (including towards the end of the first half) “Yeah, outside the box this would be a clear foul, but I’m not giving a penalty kick for it” Then on the last one he decided “Well, maybe this wouldn’t be a penalty in the first five minutes, but four almost-penalties equals one real penalty; I’m calling this one” Of course, guessing the thought process of FIFA world cup referees is quixotic at best. I’m pretty sure many of them are just confused by teams that can afford to have all matching uniforms. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2276 "2014-06-30T13:51:28Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > It can clearly be seen that due to no interaction with anyone else he jerks to arch himself into his diving position. There was contact, but not enough to bring him down and he can clearly be seen to fall artificially way after being touched. Firstly, has he dived previously? Hell yes. Had he dived previously in that match? Hell yes again. Did he elaborate this particular dive? Hell yes thricely. But, you have to remember that when a player is twisting and turning at high speed his balance is on knife edge. It takes very little contact to put him off his stride. A tiny touch to a foot or leg whilst in full flow or trying to turn is easily enough to prevent you from carrying out what you want to do. A tiny touch can be just as destructive as a set of throat-high studs. Consider a tap-tackle in rugby. Surely a big hulking winger can’t be brought down by slapping at their heels? With the penalty incident, it looked like the mexican foot stepped down on Robben’s foot at the point he was about lift it. Even if that was just fractional and momentary it buggered up what he was going to do next. Thing is, he is such a dick when in comes to diving when there is _no legitimate contact_ that giving him a penalty when it is marginal but warranted rather sticks in my throat. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2277 "2014-06-30T14:32:58Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Firstly, has he dived previously? Hell yes. > Had he dived previously in that match? Hell yes again. > Did he elaborate this particular dive? Hell yes thricely. > > But, you have to remember that when a player is twisting and turning at high speed his balance is on knife edge. It takes very little contact to put him off his stride. A tiny touch to a foot or leg whilst in full flow or trying to turn is easily enough to prevent you from carrying out what you want to do. A tiny touch can be just as destructive as a set of throat-high studs. Consider a tap-tackle in rugby. Surely a big hulking winger can’t be brought down by slapping at their heels? > > With the penalty incident, it looked like the mexican foot stepped down on Robben’s foot at the point he was about lift it. Even if that was just fractional and momentary it buggered up what he was going to do next. > > Thing is, he is such a dick when in comes to diving when there is _no legitimate contact_ that giving him a penalty when it is marginal but warranted rather sticks in my throat. I’m not entirely sure what your point is but I probably agree with it. ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2278 "2014-06-30T14:44:11Z")
The point is: it was a penalty ;). ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2279 "2014-06-30T15:41:26Z")
> [@polar\_bear](#): > > The point is: it was a penalty ;). It being a dive and it being a penalty aren’t mutually exclusive. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2014, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840/2280 "2014-06-30T15:48:37Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > I’m not entirely sure what your point is but I probably agree with it. Just that even though the contact is minimal, the effect of it on the attacker may not be and a tiny touch can be a legitimate penalty. Still no excuse for Robben executing the dying swan pose of course, he should rely on the officials to spot the contact and decide accordingly. His exaggeration is rather ugly. ETA: absolutely **Amanset**. This is a perfect example of that. Interestingly it seems that FIFA may be considering charging Robben over his admission of a dive in the first half. That would set a very interesting (and welcome) precedent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840.md?page=113) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brasil-2014/687840.md?page=115)