With Ricci's position, I can see the ball coming off the GK or post and bouncing off the ref into the goal.
I’d love to hear an announcer just once say “this tournament isn’t very good. The last two were much better.”
The third Russian attempt which was wide, but after Ricci warned the Croatian keeper - I wonder if it had been saved, and not a clean miss, if a retake would've been called for. The Croatian keeper appeared well off of his line on four of the attempts.
You do remember that Argentina made the Final in 2014 by scoring 2 goals in the knockout rounds? TWO....And Germany put 7 past Brazil in a World Cup semi-final! So, I think your subjectivity is as valid as anyone’s, but I would put the Belgian last two performances right up there against past WC. And who doesn’t like goals?
Well, it is Fox’s first of the next 3 that they own. Can’t wait to expand to 48 and get a few more scintillating sides parking two busses and a few shipping containers.
I noticed that the Fox commentators now refer to him (when they remember) as "Former" match commissioner....and not just "Match commissioner".
By the end of ET he wasn’t just out of gas he was favoring his left leg. Looked like he pulled something.
And the extra 10 or so teams even weaker than Panama and Tunisia will also spend their time fouling, grabbing, holding. protesting, wasting time and generally being total PITAs in a desperate attempt to try to win or draw or even score a solitary goal against one or more of the seeded teams. Totally ridiculous, and solely obviously a financial decision. PH
Thirty-two will advance out of group play. I wonder how many matches in the round of 32 will not go to kftm.
Worse still. With 16 groups of 3, how many groups will end in three way ties including goal differential and goals scored? How many groups will end up with terrible third games like 1982's Austria/West Germany where both teams are willing to play for a draw if that eliminates the team that has already played both of its games? There's a reason why CONCACAF finally moved the Gold Cup away from groups of three.
We probably need another thread to discuss this one but I fully agree with this post. With an odd number of team, one of them will have played both games and there certainly is the opportunity for unsporting play between the two teams remain. FIFA's wish to include more teams in the WC is admirable but there is really not a good way to do this other than to move to single knockout involving all FIFA countries. Now that would be quite interesting.