I can only assume that Jackknifed and The Librarian were watching the England-Columbia match in some dystopian parallel universe.
They sure as hell weren’t watching the match I saw.
Neymar is a fucking disgrace to watch. He could be one of the best players in the world, but he’s never going to be regarded as such until he stops with the ridiculous, disgraceful theatrics.
I would happily have England lose to Brazil in the final if some ref would have the courage to show him two yellows for the diving.
I agreed and acknowledged that Colombia played dirty. They’ve always played dirty, as they demonstrated last World Cup and all the way through qualifying. In fact, without James, it was expected. They couldn’t allow a goal. But that was nothing new, and all this outrage from England fans is silly. At least Kane didn’t get a knee in the back forcing him to miss the rest of the tournament. But that penalty doesn’t get called in the top leagues. I see defending infractions every weekend that are far more severe than that was, and don’t get called. To call that in a World Cup elimination game, that was the referee deciding the game.
I do agree that the Brazilian road is difficult. But Belgium hasn’t had to prove much yet. I wish that the England match wasn’t so meaningless. The comeback was great, but giving up the 2 goals (and a few in the group stage) is telling. I guess that’s the style that Martinez wants, but that back 3 look very vulnerable to me.
I don’t know what leagues you consider ‘top’ leagues, but a foul that obvious - and literally 5 feet in front of the referee’s nose - seriously, that foul gets called every day of the week and twice on Sundays in EPL and La Liga.
Not calling it would be the referee deciding the game, although with VAR it almost certainly would have been called in any event.
Basically, your claim seems to be ‘it was a foul, but it wouldn’t be called in a league match’. Seems a rather daft position to take.
If you watch EPL or La Liga every weekend, you actually see defenders hook their arms around waists and around necks. You see slight shirt tugs, elbows into backs. I agree that technically these are all fouls, but they are generally only called in the penalty box if they are far more severe. Please don’t tell me that you think the criteria for a foul is applied equally on all parts of the pitch. If you do, I have a bridge for sale.
Stop being daft, and stop moving the goalposts.
Sanchez trying to get a piggy-back ride from Kane, right in front of the referee, is a foul, is always a foul every day all day, in any league anywhere – EPL, La Liga, heck even J-League or MSL. I understand fan bias, but sheesh.
I was watching that game on Dutch tv and the consensus was that the penalty was very, very soft. By people like Robin van Persie andere Rafael van der Vaart… both of whom had openly been rooting for England and they were very pleased when they won in the end.
Are you referring to me, or yourself? I actually wanted England to win, just like you did. But I’m always about fairness first. I don’t like to see favoritism anywhere in any sport.
What would it take in the remaining tournament for someone other than Ronaldo to win the Ballon d’Or? ESPN suggests Kane, Neymar, or Griezman could take the trophy. I could see Neymar if Brazil win and he scores another, say, 3 or 4 goals along the way. I find Kane or Griezman to be extremely unlikely. I’d say Mbappe is more likely than either. If any of their teams win the WC and they are golden boot winners with 8+ goals, maybe. Otherwise it’ll be Ronaldo with his 6th. Or Messi if he really tears up La Liga early in the season and Ronaldo disappoints wherever he ends up? Really hard to make up for the CL results though.
Uh, you haven’t been watching this tournament, have you? :rolleyes:
The referees are under EXPLICIT instruction from FIFA to crack down on that sort of nonsense in the penalty area. And yes, that would have been called a penalty on any Saturday/Sunday in the Prem, especially as it happened right in front of the referee, and right after he specifically talks to Sanchez about NOT HOLDING KANE. Only someone who simply cannot accept that the result went opposite one’s desires would assert otherwise. Which, I think, pretty clearly establishes your biases.
IF Harry Kane goes on a tear (as he can), especially if England make the final, I’d say he’s a lock. Elsewise, it has to be Ronaldo. Portugal only got where they did because of him.
I don’t think Ronaldo or Messi get it this year, or ever again. They’ve both won plenty based on lifetime achievement. If Brazil wins the WC, it will be Neymar. If France win, Griezmann or Mbappe. If England, Kane. If Belgium, De Bruyne or Hazard. If not, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Salah, especially if he starts of hot in August.
At no point in the last 4 years have I ever wanted Colombia to win a game. On the rest of your post, check what the rest of the world is saying (outside of English media) and see Polar Bear’s post. I’d think you would agree that RVP knows the EPL just a bit more than you or me.
You should go put some money down. Ronaldo is the overwhelming favorite at bookies. Which is odd, I think. He should be favorite, but not nearly so much of one.
You think Hazard or Mbappe have had a good enough club season to warrant it? Not an international only trophy after all. Neymar, Kane, or de Bruyne certainly did.
Honestly, I’m never very good at predicting these MVP-type awards. In many leagues, the voting group seems to oscillate between giving credit for career achievements and for prior year performance. In the case of the Ballon D’Or, I have no clue of how much lobbying is done and how voters from all of the countries might be swayed. Certainly, in World Cup years, more emphasis could be given to the tournament versus league or continental play. I’m really just thinking that folks will have grown tired of the fact that it has been dominated for so long by 2 people, neither who had a particularly long run in the World Cup, and that the best player from one of the last few countries in will get it.
Have the odds on Ronaldo changed at all after his World Cup exit?
