I mean, it is hot. Players need it. Even if it is Paris temperature, it’s always better with than without.
Funny, they didn’t need it in the previous 22 World Cups.
But suuure, FIFA has nothing but the health of the players in mind.
Now tell us another one.
^^
This. I’ve never seen a football player collapse by dehydration, and I’ve seen thousands of games, sometimes in much more critical weather.
I don’t understand why they’re taking breaks every game and I HATE the ads that they slipped in, but I’m kind of surprised the less casual fans are pretending the water breaks were just invented out of nowhere:
The first implementation was a big deal at the time and I remember lots of conversation about it. At least it was temperature based in Brazil (32 C).
It’s 80F/27C in Mexico City right now. That undoubtably can cause problems when exercising hard without water breaks. There’s no need for some “tough it out” mentality when players’ health is at risk, even if it’s been done that way in the past.
I have no doubt the breaks were added for advertising first and safety second, but I’m not going to complain about them.
???
Who is pretending that water breaks were invented out of nowhere?
The point is that despite much controversy about temperatures in Qatar during the world cup, there were no water breaks at all during the tournament, yet here in Mexico, the US, and Canada we will be having mandatory water breaks in every half.
Regardless of why the breaks were added, they seem like a good thing from the perspective of player’s health.
They’ve been used before.
Cooling breaks were first introduced in the 2014 World Cup, which was held in Brazil. The first game which used the break was Netherlands vs Mexico, in which Portuguese referee Pedro Polenca called a breather after temperatures of 39 degrees celsius were recorded at the Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza. This break lasted for around five minutes, although things have been sped up over more recent seasons.
They were also used in Qatar, if the temperature reached a certain point.
Yeesh, South Africa is playing real rough.
AFAIK they were never called in Qatar. I could be wrong about that.
If we’re going to break with tradition by asking these guys to play 60+ games a year between club snd country, we can also do so to let them have some damn water.
I can readily accept them for extreme cases, but adopting them as a regular, required part of the game is just a excuse to sell more ads.
What a goal!!!
I don’t remember them in Qatar either but I definitely remember the break in Mexico-Netherlands because it resulted in such a clear shift in momentum and all of us watching together were pretty stunned by it.
I should have said that the rule was in place. I don’t know if it was ever invoked.
Mea culpa.
Yeah, they have a real potential to impact the flow of a game, which is why I’m against them. I specifically prefer Real Time Football (soccer) to Turn Based Football (American football) because of the momentum.
That’s as much of a foul as the red.
Oh shit another red???
The first red on RSA was called on Sphephelo Sithole. The 12-year-old in me really wants to giggle at that name.
Are three red cards in an opening game a new record?