2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying

15 matches, 14 home wins, one draw.
Using the latest FIFA rankings, the highest ranked away team was Yemen (131), while all the home teams were ranked in the top 130 except Singapore (142), Lebanon (177) and Turkmenistan (143). The only matches where the highest ranked side was away were those at Lebanon (177v163) and Turkmenistan (143 v 132). The latter was the only drawn game.

If you use ELO rankings rather than FIFA, then all the away teams are ranked 130 or below, while the home teams, with the exception of Lebanon (156) are ranked higher than 130. Under this listing, the game in Lebanon was 156 v 189 and the Turmkemistan game was 116 v 132

 

lol you guys missed more chances then we did!

 

lol I just googled Turkeministan and appareantly it's just as weird as North Korea haha
It's just to the North of Iran. I hope I can visit the place before they stop being weird. The people look nice and friendly.

 

What do you mean the ball wasn't in play? A free kick was taken, the Indian keeper fumbled about with it and then knee'd the Arab. How is that not in play?

 

Gravity my ass. The keeper raised his knee, you can see the keeper even change direction. Gravity didn't make him move towards the forward, the keepers own legs did.

 

This is exactly what I see from a neutral point of view. Now, people asking for a rematch are asking for something that will never happen, they must be looking at it with rose tinted glasses.

 

@ druryfire, gravity was the wrong word. I think the poster meant to use momentum. Momentum carried the keeper forward.

Subrata didn't fumble the ball at all. He caught it clean and was going ahead ( barely 4 paces) in that one fluid motion. Yes, the knee was raised, but it was the UAE forward who charged the keeper and not the other way around. And the knee was raised before the forward started charging. See the video and it will be clear who covered how much ground, after the ball was in the keeper's hand. The forward covered more ground towards the keeper than the keeper did towards the forward. Not that it means much, but that should give you an idea about 'intent'.

Absolutely not a red.

Anyways, I felt the officiating in this tie was pretty sub standard. Surely AFC has better referees than this guy. Its one thing to go out when you are out played and beaten fair and square. Its quite another thing when a ref behaves as if he has a vendetta against your side. And we (AFC) have been having this issue for ages now. Even the standard of officiating at the AFC cup earlier this year was bad. Remember Syria vs Japan , anyone?

I'm trying to be fair here. No question of rise tinted glasses or whatever.

@ Pedro, the first penalty was also a marginal decision. The red was extremely harsh.

 

any news if india is going to send and official complaint to fifa, or do you think that they will?

 

Everyone has seen something different. Neutrals see it one way, people with an interest in the teams see it another way.

Why would India complain if a hearing would come out the same?

 

I've given my opinion, others have given there's. Any FIFA hearing would bring the same opinions.

So, calling for a re-match is laughable.

But lets look at the evidence, your verdict of catching a ball cleanly obviously means he takes two attempts. My version would be catching it in one go, your keeper didn't. Thats how thin this disucssion is. It's such a small line of error on whoes part. It's minor detail from each side.

Everything happened in about 4 seconds, so calling charging is wrong, can you stop a forward running and doing his job, following through? The video even shows him pulling up, if he charged the keeper then he should have sent him flying. If that was the case the striker would have been given a yellow, and this is the point I think. Red was harsh as it wasn't a goalscoring opporunity.

I do see a foul by the keeper, but if this wasn't called by the ref, I would have said carry on. These things happen, the keeper normally get protected, but in this case he didn't. But you can imagine that if it happened at the UAE keeper, then he would have been protected, and this is why the AFC shouln't be appointing Arab refs for games between an Arab and one other, doesn't seem neutral at all.

 

I guess it's a difference of opinion then. I have watched that slow mo replay so many times I don't see how it can be construed as Subrata attacking the striker. But you clearly do, so I'll drop it.

The AIFF won't complain. And a rematch won't happen.

I've heard this argument at other sites too, and I am not sure that I agree with it. All Western Asian countries except for Iran are Arab countries (ignoring Turkey and Israel that are a part of UEFA). It is impractical and perhaps unfair to prevent Arab refs from officiating in other Arab games. You can see the Arab countries asking that ASEAN refs not officiate in matches where other ASEAN countries are playing and South Asians not officiate in other South Asian games. Makes it impractical. Why not just hold refs to higher standards all around? And penalize them when they fail.

 

Thailand - Palestine 1:0
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5k0umiqesI"]‪(WC2014 Qualifying) THAILAND 1-0 PALESTINE (1st leg)‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

Turkmenistan - Indonesia 1:1
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZAaB9PCFJk"]‪Turkmenistan 1--1 Indonesia (Goals) (2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier)‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

Singapore - Malaysia 5:3
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9amqHRbZro"]‪Singapore Vs Malaysia 5-3 | All Goals & Highlights | 7-23-2011 Malaysia Vs Singapore 3-5 2011‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

Syria - Tajikistan 2:1
1:0 [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwjPffu1EfY&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwjPf...eature=related[/ame]
1:1 [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ManXIt0Lao"]‪Syria 1-1 Tajikistan I Saidov - amazing goal - ?????? I ????? 1-1 ?????????‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]
2:1 [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4oZ-sa563Y"]‪Syria 2-1 Tajikistan I Rajaa Rafe - ??? ???? I ????? 2-1 ?????????‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

China - Laos 7:2
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_4r01R5dXw"]‪China vs Laos (7-2) All Goals Full Highlights 2014 Brazil World Cup Qualifier Asia Zone‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

Saudi Arabia - Hong Kong 3:0
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nujj5bX0otQ"]‪Match Saudi Arabia 3 - 0 Hong Kong World Cup qualifiers HD‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

Oman - Myanmar 2:0
1:0 [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odcvWEm916o"]‪Oman 1-0 Myanmar‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]
2:0 [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfm8IvAodA&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hfm8...eature=related[/ame]

Iran - Maldives 4:0
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpa5lFHgZc0"]‪Iran 4 Vs. Maldives 0 (Round 2 (Away Match), WCQ 2014)‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

Qatar - Vietnam 3:0
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCXPhREgTr4"]‪Video Qatar - Vietnam 3-0: Impotence (World Cup Qualifier 2014)‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

Uzbekistan - Kyrgyzstan 4:0
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exktkgHkuqE"]‪?????????? - ???????? 4-0‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

Iraq - Yemen 2:0
1:0 [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4877pTuPuo&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4877...eature=related[/ame]
2:0 [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSSck3GqhwE"]‪Iraq vs Yemen ( 2-0 ) Hawar Mula Mohammed Goal‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

UAE - India 3:0
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re9l6amSmYg"]‫???????? 3-0 ????? - ?????? ???? ??????? ???? ?????? 2014‬‎ - YouTube[/ame]

Jordan - Nepal 9:0
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2506baMzXM"]‪Jordan vs Nepal -Football Highlights (9- 0) - WC2014 Qualifier 1st leg‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

Couldn't find highlights from Kuwait - Philippines and Lebanon - Bangladesh

 

I might step on a few toes here but I do think the second penalty on India was justified. I think a red is harsh but raising your knee to someone coming at you is simply asking for trouble.

 

all goalies do that.
he didn't even hit him

 

What a laughable dross you are spouting. "Keepers legs made him move forward" -> That is what Gravity taking over means. Once you have legs in air it has to come down in follow through. He already had his Legs up before UAE forward charged in. At the time of alleged contact he was just free falling. Also if you see the replay carefully Goalies Legs didnt even made contact with UAE forward's Chest or NUTS whatevr Arab refree saw.

What do you call UAE forward's reaction to the incident when he wasnt even hit. I call it CHEAT. So I doubt your neutral view or do you have some hidden affinity to UAE's team???

 

I have never seen a goalie do that. Ever.

Most goalies lean in with their shoulders and clutch the ball tightly to their chests so they don't drop the ball.

 

It is irrelevant what goalie does or not, there is no rule book that says what goalie should do once he catches the ball. Point here is Intention of hurting. Legs were already up in the air before player charges towards him with an intention to pounce on it if goalie drops the ball. As Goalie free falls his legs it maybe nudges the shirt on the side and not chest or stomach or nuts as what Arab refree interpreted to the UAE Player's acting.

 

I thought many goalies did raise their knees after they catch the ball to scare off any attackers. Normally the attacking players move off.

So now it seems to me that if your opposition goalkeeper raises his knee/leg, then you are encouraged to run into him to get him sent off and get a penalty.

Hong Kong national team was a joke. They went to Saudi Arabia looking for a draw and of course they lost 3:0. The return leg is Thursday when Chelsea, Aston Villa and Blackburn are in town for the Barclays Asia Trophy on Wednesday and Saturday. They will be lucky to get 1,000 to attend the game at Siu Sai Wan.

 

Intention of hurting does not factor into the decision. If I'm a defender trying to clear the ball and lift by foot too high, even if I don't touch a player or intend to hurt anyone, the ref can still call a foul for that.

"Intention" does not count for anything in the rules. By that definition, De Jong can say he didn't "intend" to kick Alonso in the chest and that it was just an accident.

Of course! Just like John Terry here MERCILESSLY head butts abou daiby's foot What dirty player he is!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIZ0u7NQMP8"]‪John Terry Mercilessly Headbutts Abou Diaby's Foot‬‏ - YouTube[/ame]

 

If I kick at a player and miss. I still get carded. If I raise my foot too high and clear the ball. I still get carded. Intention and contact are not requirements for calling a foul.

 

There is a difference between KICKING a player and someone crashing onto you. So what you are saying is if you run into someone than guy who gets run over is commiting foul.