I think he was more generally claiming that the refs are always prejudiced against Brazil, that no other team suffers the injustices that Brazil suffers, reciting grievances from the last Olympics. That the media needs to speak out and hold FIFA's feet to the fire to ensure fair officiating at the World Cup. Working the refs for sure but it was about a whole history of perceived slights and it's genuinely their internal narrative.
I’m with Blissett on this. That was a press conference version of the shit housing his team did on the field. Brazil’s women’s team is Team DARVO. why would a Spanish ref discriminate against a Brazilian team in favor of a U.S. team? Is he saying the ref counted the POC on each team and then decided to favor one? It’s fcking absurd. It’s DARVO. It has a “stop the steal” vibe.
. So, Marta doesn't get a shot on goal, is whining to the ref and gets a yellow card for her efforts, but it's Wilson, who was not carded, scored the game-winner, and just recently returned to the sport after giving birth, who has to do better? What about your "You do what it takes to win the game" line? A ball will never end up in the net unless a player takes the shot. Wilson did her job. And "Football is not about etiquette"? What a crock! What, the game is played according to the rules of the jungle now in Brazil? It used to be teams like Colombia that used rough-house tactics to try and even the playing field. It's quite sad to see Brazil stooping to such low levels to try and win a match. What happened to 'the beautiful game', a term used a lot by Pele? Pele used this term to describe the aesthetic appeal and grace of the game while showcasing the players' skill and artistry.
And Philly fans loved him for it, but Philly fans are a different breed of animal, we won't go there. I mean, who boos their own team when they're losing? LOL
Finishing is not the everything. People here cannot think tactically. One simple question, without Wilson's repetitive high speed sprints over the shoulder of Brazilian backline and her her hold up play, how much pressure a Brazilian side with its entire formation pushed much higher can exert over the US structure?
One thing to consider, the reffing was geniunely terrible when Brazil playing in Europe against European opponents last year. The reffing in their victory against England and their loss to Norway was very biased against Brazil.
I got the impression he was hinting at more than just the officiating, that there was something more about how FIFA (or Europe as a whole?) treats Brasil. From stuff I have read, there is a lot of inherent bias (in this context, racial) that people have, and this is prolematic to the people in power who don't recognize it. Those who are on the receiving end of that bias generally recognize it existing in people in power, and this is what I think Elias was getting at. And from a personal perspective, as a White person who taught in mostly Black schools, this was something I was called out on, and needed to think about.
I heard him say that European officials have a bias against Brasilian teams/players. It's an extension of colonialism. I've heard and read comments from people in South America who talk about the Spanish, in particular, and the Portuguese to a lesser extent, have this retained sent of superiority over those in South America. Mind, to be clear, I'm not saying that this is what he is saying, and I do agree that it is a dangerous narrative. But I also am not discounting his claims of bias.
On the other hand, no perceived discrimination should allow Elias and the other guys on Brazil's bench to openly disrespect the referees, and their non-verbal language suggests just that (for instance, when they delayed leaving the pitch after being sent off, look at how Elias takes off his vest and put it on the fourth official's shoulder, as a kind of mockery. It looked at the very least quite patronizing).
against my better judgement, I will respond. You are choosing to compare Marta and Wilson, not me. Marta will always be class to me. Football has changed significantly since Pepe. Go watch Italy vs Brazil in the 82 World Cup. Sports are now all about winning, not etiquette. I understand the USWNT are an emotive force, but please don’t twist my words to create false comparisons. thanks
Finishing is a pretty big part of her role. Her profile is not rare. What would make it so is becoming a much better finisher.
We all need to think about it constantly, preferably before we speak about anything, me included. I work at it all the time and still find myself getting a nice refreshing taste of toenail several times a week. But it is a little difficult to see how it both affects Brazil but not Portugal, and doesn't affect the US or especially the US women. (Or Argentina but not Spain, or South Africa but not the Netherlands or...) And I have been called out for saying things I actually made sure not to say, but that the other person expected me to say and heard instead of what I did say, and that's part of the problem too.
Even a modest improvement in it would go a long long way, given the volume of opportunities she creates or participates in...
Don't disagree, and I do think Elias' behavior set the tone for how the team should behave. One of the things I have been thinking of is how Bompastor responded in the 2nd Chelsea v. Arsenal match when McCabe pulled A Thompson's hair. She was through the roof, but how she responded definitely set the tone for the team - be mad, but don't go over the top. Elias seemed to go over the top.
Is that your take, or his? I think that much more likely than Brazil getting a bigoted CR in every match they lose, this is DARVO gamesmanship. I was baffled why he kept having a hissy that burned clock when his team was down by a goal. But, reading these comments, I figured it out. He's playing the long grift. Setting up this narrative that poor Brazil can't get a break. The more attention he can draw, the better for him, the result of this match be damned. That's why he pulled the shithouse move of putting his vest on the 4th official.
from a very young age she has built numbers on a high volume of shots. I have hoped for improvement in shot selection, variety of finishes and efficiency for a very long time. At some point, players are who they are.
Neither. It's the experience of those who grew up in South America. I'm only reporting what I've heard from several. Read the comment on this page by @chirenzhiren This seems to be the experience of Brasil. Saying that, I'm also putting this into three areas: 1 - A legit gripe on how Brasil (and South America) is treated by Europeans (and specifically the former colonial powers) 2 - Him fighting for his team/players. Don't agree with his tactics and behavior doing so, but from things he said, there is a lack of support for this team. 3 - The inconsistent standard of officiating in WoSo. I think all three are factors here. Saying that, I do think that the CR did a good job.
You stated it as fact. I’ve said all I have to say on the topic. Except to add that I spent about a decade teaching in 95% Latino schools in the city that is the largest landing spot for Mexican immigrants in the U.S. I chose that district as I didn’t want to be working with spoiled white kids.
No, her profile is very very rare. Few players are a combination of speed, dribbling and a relatively large size. Her ability to both receive and dribble at the opponent backline with high speed is of very high value.
People here Disagree on what? Bashing Sophie reflects your poor understanding of the sport. Fans who have short attention span that can only see any play 5 seconds immediately before a goal or a clear scoring opportunities will be obssessed of finishing. Let alone your lack of knowledge of how a high intensity match and a player's role with high physicality can fastly drain player's stamina, tire and tense their muscle, which also influences their ability to finish. It is very unfortunate, but you are a very incompetent fan who could benefit more from learning rather than posting.