Don't know if it's corruption, it could just be that the ref got it wrong. Disgusting dive from Fred. What is even more despicable is the fact that he was praying to God up in the sky after cheating. For all the talk of goal line technology, FIFA needs to cut out diving. Instant replay should be used IMO. Far more teams get screwed by diving than by goals that crossed the line. I'd say every WC there are probably 3 or 4 PK's awarded for dives. The ball over the line thing may happen once every 2 or 3 worldcups. Diving is a FAR BIGGER PROBLEM, which needs to be addressed.
On the other hand, they won 3 - 1 and Croatia didn't even score their "1". Don't get me wrong, I wanted Croatia to at least draw, but they were just a worse party. Surely, diving is a problem, and referees being people, people who make mistakes, but in this particular case it was not that big a deal.
The Japanese apprentice got a learning experience. That is when bringing people from underdeveloped leagues like J-league or MLS at such a level.
Croatia looked like the better team in the second half until that disgusting penalty call. After that they had to go all out, so mistakes happen. Also it looks like Rakitic was fouled directly before the Oscar goal. Just gets his legs kicked out from under him from behind. No foul given. Very suspect call.
The penalty completely turned the game around. Brazil hadn't created any decent chances in the 2nd half prior to that. I'm not sure who was worse - the Japanese ref or the Croatian goalkeeper. If the keeper had any athletic ability he'd have saved all 3. Neymar's shot was going so slow a butterfly landed on it.
Totally agree, it's absolutely pathetic to see these so called "grown men", crying like a little girl. I was watching the Brazil vs Croatia game and was blown away by the amount of dives. Brazil is especially bad, I saw one guy get a love tap in the shin and he fell to the ground quicker than a bag of bricks with an expression on his face that would make you think he was being burned alive
Croatia's first goal was an own goal, yes. Their second goal was disallowed because the keeper managed to run backwards into Olic. Scratch off the penalty and the score looks like 2-2.
It wasn't just the bad call for Fred, it was the totality of the clear favoritism for Brazil that was nauseating. What a way to showcase the World Cup and the sport in general!
Am I supposed to believe the ref didn´t have a clear view of what was going on? Sorry, I don´t buy this was a honest mistake.
It's not only the ref but the unit of refs that made this call all the more suspicious. Meh, couldn't expect anything less tbh. Brazil was about to put up an embarrassing draw their first game and risk finishing 2nd. They'll get favors all the way to the cup itself. No surprise really.
Don't worry guys; Colombia, Greece, and Ivory Coast will avenge the injustice of what the Japanese did today- ROFL nah, we can't blame the entire country itself when it was just the one ref. Let's just hope that this doesn't happen again....and that this ref doesn't take part in any other match.
I will admit, that Croatian goalkeeper was horrible. The first goal was a gift, and he had both hands on that penalty and still couldn't punch it away. Awful. That said, I would like to check that ref's bank account before and after halftime. I'm sure that referee has a yen for calling that match, no pun intended. Furthermore, I've watched a lot of J-League matches, and even in Japan that wouldn't be a penalty. He actually called the match fairly until halftime. Then it was 100% Brazil. Very curious. Looks like Brazil are going to get the preferential treatment Korea got in 2002.
i wouldnt call it corruption ...... diving is part of today's culture and kids need to be brought up in soccer to not dive is the only solution .... referees get dupe all the time and in real time it is very hard for a ref to be 100 percent accurate on these decision .... not even 50 % .... someone like ronaldo with twinkle toes might get away more with dives as he is one of the biggest soccer superstar at the moment and refs are expected to protect the superstars. even here in america i remember playing a tournament as a teenager and my coach told me that with all my flair (lol) i should look for the right moment to go down to give us an advantage. we had a freekick specialist .... lol ... every country does it .... its imbued in the soccer culture and when a player sees the right and appropriate moment to dive, no matter the nationality ... most like he will dive ..... there are only a few players in the modern game that consistently dont dive. lionel messi, modric van persie ... etc ... fred did dive though and fifa corrupted inc need to change that rule of not revisiting the tape to punish divers after the game..... that will be a good step in kicking it out of the game.... we also need a movement like the no racism in soccer .... no diving....
I agree, but the decision should be later, in courts, to not interrupt the game, specially because some decisions about diving are HARD. Fred´s dive was clear, but many others are not so clear. Let's say a court would decide Fred dived and would ban Fred for 2-3 matches in the World Cup. Croatia wouldn´t be helped by that, but would Fred EVEN HAVE DIVED if it meant he might be suspended for half the World Cup?
No wonder non-soccer fans get disgusted with the sport. But then again, don't the big name players in the NBA always get the call in their favor... the ref was more afraid to miss a call than to make a bad call.
he had a clear view, but the angle was clearly against him. The croatian defender had his hand "holding Fred". Clearly he did not held Fred, but Fred was a scoundrel and he made a movement like if he was going forward and was HELD by the Croatian... in this case, Fred´s legs went forward and his torso stayed. The ref saw that and saw the Croatian hand over Fred´s shoulder. Blame it on Fred alone for the bogus penalty.
watch your tongue, because there are some 500 million Africans who still want the heads of Uruguayans because of Suarez handball in 2010 lol