Match 58 (QF) - Uruguay v Ghana - Post-Match Thread [R]

People- Enough with all the hand-wringing about the handball and the supposed offside. It was clear enough that the free kick was awarded for no reason, in the first place. If you want to be indignant about the handball, then be indignant about the obvious fact that there was no contact prior to the awarded free kick. LOOK at the play. The Ghana player had to dive to get his head on the ball. If he DOESN'T dive, then it is out of bounds, throw-in Uruguay, extra-time over.

Seriously- stop being so indignant about a play that should never have happened. This isn't a philosophy class; it's a game, with rules. The rules say that you should have a reason for awarding a free kick, and the you shouldn't award a free kick when a guy falls due to his own actions. If you want to be indignant, then be indignant about the bogus free kick.

You know, I'm sorry that an African team didn't make the semi-final. Ghana had a golden opportunity, due to a wrongly-awarded free kick. They blew the opportunity. Uruguay, appropriately, moved on. End of story. Stop discussing a handball that should never have had to happen...

 

This is one half of the problem. The other half of the problem is that the rules reward a player for a handball that prevents a goal. If the other team now has to kick a penalty kick to get what would have already been theirs without the handball, then the handball is encouraged by the present rules.

 

The rule shouldn't be down to the millimeter. If there is a defender in the box, then the offense should be allowed to be in the box as well. If the defenders chooses to leave the box, then the "offenders" must leave as well.

 

Yeah and lets put a square next to the player so we know where the "box" ends, if you put a box rule it will always be down to the milimeter because you will never know where it ends.

 

A side may benefit from committing infractions in many different situations, not just this one. It is the nature of the game. Based on your logic quite a few rules may encourage fouling.

 

Do you think FIFA agrees with your line of thinking?

 

Isn't there a box already outlined on the field?

 

Yes, and that is why there are penalties assigned to "cheating." Suarez got caught. He suffered. You are really arguing about the penalty Suarez and Uruguay paid. You think the penalty should be stiffer.

 

Yes, there are moving boxes that follow the players wherever they go. I think that could happen. (sarcasm off)

 

Ok, fine. Let's award a goal for a handball on the line.

In the meantime, let's enforce existing rules, and not call fouls when there is no contact, and use available technology to determine when a goal has actually been scored, and when a player was genuinely offside.

In the end, you get the same result: there is no goal for Ghana, because there is no free kick, because no foul is called, because there was no foul.

The point is: if you want to cry bloody murder, because you want the rule to be changed, then you should also cry bloody murder when the ref flat-out mad the wrong call, and awarded a free kick, when there was no contact, and the player didn't insult the other player's mother.

People only complain about the handball issue, because they wanted Ghana in the semifinal. If you want to help get Ghana in the semifinal by awarding a bogus free kick, then why play the game at all? Why not just say, "We are awarding Ghana a place in the semifinals, because we want them there, because we think it makes for a better story"?

 

What the fack are you talking about? There is a very good reason for the offside rule. If we started changing the rules of football in accordance to some fresh baked understanding of the game by people bringing examples from other sports, we would end up with American Gladiators in about two World Cups' time. Please stop posting nonsense. You're making me irritable.

 

I play in a league without offsides sometimes, it's also co-ed and doesn't allow slide tackles. It's real fun to play, maybe FIFA could adopt those rules. Then we can all sit around and sing kum-ba-ya.

Are you really suggesting getting rid of the offsides rule? I can't believe that you could lose that much street cred in one post.

Go play ultimate frisbee.

 

It could still come down to milimeters that way. Also, won't you have people screening the keeper on long shots?

 

This is merely incidental to this one play. The point is stopping a goal with ones hand when in the net is presently the required course of action if the game is on the line, yet FIFA allegedly frowns on such types of play.

FIFA should not have it both ways, either say what Suarez did was excellent strategy, or make the infraction something that automatically benefits the team that has been victimized moreso than the team committing the handball.

 

The Offsides rule as presently constructed rewards the defense for not defending. Simply move up and force the offense to back peddle, that turns off A LOT of people from enjoying Soccer.

 

Screening goes on anyways. All I was saying is if the defender is in the area around the goal that is chalk lined, than the offense should be allowed there to.

Might be interesting if a player who is committing an offside is allowed to kick the ball back to another player, but not take a shot on goal himself.

 

What do you define as defending? Using a strategy to deter the side with the ball isn't defending?

No need to even get into what a clusterf**k the game would turn into without the rule.

 

Again these rules are getting weirder not simpler. I was more okay with the penalty goal.

 

Have you ever played at the park where some lazy guy doesn't run and then scores a tap in because there's no offside rule. That's what the rule prevents. It prevents what we in Canada call "cherry picking".

 

No, I never suggested getting rid of offsides. I do believe that offsides is too restrictive as it is currently designed. I brought it up because of all the line diagrams people use to show that in one particular moment this player was offside because that player moved up a 1/4 step.

There are 22 players on the field that collectively probably run around 100,000 steps during the course of a game, seeing these line diagrams analyzed and magnified kind of makes me cringe.

 

I recall a long time ago playing indoor "handball soccer" in school and I was goalie. The other team would keep one player parked by the goal at all times and I would regularly get smashed with shots from 6 feet away.

Maybe I am still groggy from that experience. Anyways, while I will admit that that was a dumb game with no offsides rule, I see so many plays in real soccer that get whistled because a player was a minutia offsides and it can make it frustrating to watch.

 

It is kind of disappointing how people ignore words right in front of them. I clearly wrote, "as presently constructed" (in regards to the offsides rule).

I believe the offsides rule could be altered so there is less of the rage that develops over called back goals and exciting plays that are stopped from developing.

 

First of all, it *is* defending. Secondly, it is already the world's most popular sport. They don't like it? YOU get turned off? So what? Stick to baseball.

You and others need to take your complaints here.

 

I don't think that is defending. Hey, I'll move up so the other team can't attack with a kick of any significant length.

There has been a lot of complaining about missed calls this FIFA World Cup tournament. Missed calls, goals waved off for no apparent reason, questionable offsides calls. Many, many calls complaining about offsides calls. Maybe that is part of the popularity???