Possible answer: An intentional handball to try to start an attack isn't as egregious as an intentional handball to try to STOP an attack. Realistic answer: Because Messi.
Intentional handling is only a yellow for stopping a promising attack or if intentionally used to try and score
I don’t like homer cheerleaders. I want (soon to be) Apple neutral commentators. I also like insightful analysis, something that Lalas, Dempsey, and IMO Donovan lack severely. Edu and Holden are alright.
Van Gaal is an amazing manager, but you have to wonder why he let Virgil Van Disney take the first PK. He's been at a mid table club during this run up to the cup. He probably lacked the mentality to convert in such a huge spot. The Dutch had all the momentum, and Virgil choked it away. Such a shame.
NPR can confirm the death of longtime soccer sportswriter Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl). He died today in Doha, Qatar while covering the Argentina-Netherlands World Cup quarterfinal. Story to come.— Russell Lewis (@rdlewis) December 10, 2022 Absolutely bone chilling stuff Soccer journalist Grant Wahl who was kicked out of a stadium in QATAR for this shirt has reportedly collapsed and passed away during the Argentina game todayHis brother says on Instagram that Grant was fully healthy & believes there’s foul play pic.twitter.com/t47C2XfuVl— JACK SETTLEMAN (@jacksettleman) December 10, 2022
https://nypost.com/2022/12/09/us-so...-wahl-dies-while-covering-world-cup-in-qatar/ “We’re still trying to find out,” Eric continued. “He collapsed at the stadium, was given cpr, was taken by Uber to hospital and died according to Celine. We just spoke with the state department and Celine has spoken to Ron Klain and the White House.”
Well… this is certainly shocking. I know his brother is already out there saying he was murdered, I hate to be the old man here (I’m 36 lol) but let’s not jump to conclusions here. How unbelievably stupid would it be for someone connected with the Qatari government to kill the most famous American soccer journalist during the World Cup? Let’s wait for some more info here.
He mentioned that he and almost everyone else in the country had bronchitis that was not covid. Berhalter blamed the ultra powerful AC units for carrying disease in the moist cool air. Wonder if there's some sort of legionnaires like illness.
I'll add my $0.02 as someone who went to the World Cup. Pretty much everyone I know has gotten sick while over there with non COVID sickness. For most, it's been a really bad cough for a week or so. I had additional issues with fever and runny nose for several days. Likely a mixture of the AC over there being on over-drive, being in the desert with conditions not used to, but then also people from all over the world together and pretty much a cocktail of germs from across the globe. It's incredibly sad about Grant and I'm sure there will be a full autopsy (if that's already not taking place). Either way it's really sad but hope that it was something medically as opposed to foul play but time will tell on that investigation and won't speculate until the actual doctors know something.
With all due respect for Grant - may God bless and keep him - I have to believe that his brothers reaction is more from shock and emotion than anything substantive. Even in his heyday with SI he just wasn't any kind of threat to Qatari sensibilities. There are lots bigger guys over there saying much worse stuff than " they wouldn't let me wear my t shirt".
Agreed. I think there's reason to be suspicious. Get an autopsy. But until something is known for certain, I think natural causes has to be the presumed cause. I said this on the mains, not to be crass, but the word was that he collapsed during the Netherlands/Argentina game. Well, he probably wasn't the only one. I don't think it's completely out of the question that someone who loves the sport that much, and was as entrenched in it as he was, might have gotten so wrapped up in the insanity that was that match that the emotional strain was too much for him at some point. It's not something you expect, but not crazy either. Just awful. I HOPE there was nothing sinister going on, but it's tragic either way.
The AP is reporting that his collapse at the NEDvARG match was not related to the action on the field:
I cannot stand Argentina or all the Messi knob-slobbing. I really wanted them to lose. Brazil would have gotten a fair game, but Croatia will not. Maybe Modric pulls it out anyway. France/England/Portugal will. Muck Fessi
Yeah, this seems pretty clear to me, man was sick for a week and a half, got worse, then waited a couple more days to get medical attention. And that’s after constant travel, work, and probably not taking the best care of himself/eating well/sleeping while out of the country, etc for that entire time. Sad to see happen.
A young otherwise healthy (I mean, making some assumptions here but generally speaking…) healthy man dying of non traumatic causes is very shocking. His poor family must be devastated. RIP.
Crazy sad -- I'm in shock because I was sure he would buy it with a bullet while covering a CONCACAF qualifier in Honduras.
Sad news about Wahl, to say the least. Jumping to conclusions is never a good idea though. I can tell you from experience that you can pick up some seriously nasty crud in that sort of environment: a humid desert with some very heavy-duty A/C, coupled with people of all nationalities mixing everywhere. One of the worst sinus infections I ever had, I picked up in Abu Dhabi after the celebrations following the Gulf Cup. I had at least one other nasty awfulness on one of my other trips. Several of my colleagues came down with terrible shit from being there. Dry desert air really can create a receptive environment for respiratory illnesses. Throw in the in and out of air conditioning and the dampness in the evenings and it's fun time for bugs.