[amphibian]

polishgenius, on 25 June 2014 - 07:07 PM, said:

Fer once bought a horse for his girlfriend despite her living in a city-center flat. Not a man who inspires much confidence...

Fer was the second best player on Norwich this past season.

Also, plenty of people buy a horse and then stable it outside the city. It's a commonplace thing here in the States and it's not really relevant to his play.

[Brujah]

That Suarez story is nuts. I thought this was particularly insane.


Odds Suarez bites during World Cup


Someone actually gave odds against bets on whether Suarez would bite someone during world cup.

175/1

[polishgenius]

amphibian, on 25 June 2014 - 08:39 PM, said:

Also, plenty of people buy a horse and then stable it outside the city. It's a commonplace thing here in the States and it's not really relevant to his play.

I wasn't being entirely serious (though her not having anywhere to keep it was really the point of the story). I don't think Fer is a bad player really. Though I hope you have Robert Snodgrass as their best player.

[Khellendros]

I really hate to see this - Ecuador's Antonio Valencia extremely harshly sent off for a dangerous tackle. What happened was that he stood on the ball, and with the ball being round and all his foot slipped off it and then raked across Digne's leg as Valencia fell down. Complete and total accident about which Valencia could have done nothing.

The thing that I hate is Digne's reaction. Yeah, I'm sure it did hurt in the immediate aftermath, but not for the length of time he was down writhing on the ground. At one point you could see him looking up to see what the ref was doing as all the players crowded around. And of course once Valencia was sent off he was miraculously completely fine again.

I mean, come on. It's the World Cup, the thing that professional players dream of playing in. And you get one sent off with your playacting. It's not like France badly needed it either - they've already qualified as group winners for the next round. It's just disgusting. Why do it? Why be such a complete arsehole?

[Khellendros]

What a performance by Ecuador. You wouldn't have thought they were the ones down a man. How they kept running so hard right till the end in what was supposedly 88% humidity, I do not know. If not for some extremely wayward shooting, they would have beaten France.

[amphibian]

I thought it didn't deserve a card at all. It was a sheer accident and the weight distribution was such that Valencia couldn't just dive over or take his foot off.

Bad call among many bad calls this tourney. I really think moving to a two ref model is ideal. Too much going on for one person to track, much less run around like a pro player.

[Binder of Demons]

I thought the red card was very harsh too, though he did leave himself open to the prospect by going at the ball studs first. Not quite in the Steven Gerard vein of leaping two feet off the ground onto the ball, but it can easily go awry, as it did tonight. The french player did milk it though, and what's worse is that the ref couldn't have seen it, and the linesman signalled a throw in so obviously didn't think it was that bad while looking directly at it (in real time). So the only way this could escalate to a red card is if the 4th official got involved via his monitor on the sideline. It took nearly 2 mins from the tackle to the card being produced.

Which then begs the question, why did the ref not get the same "assistance" yesterday in the Italy-Uruguay game. Instead you have an Italian (douchebag) player running after the ref trying to show him the bitemark, and a ref running backwards as fast as he can, closing his eyes and humming "I can't see anything, I can't see anything". Now if there was a visible bitemark, and the ref sees it then, Suarez would have to be sent off, making it 10 against 10, and we have a proper game again, and Italy could still be in the tournament.

But maybe this works out best. Italy gone home early, and now Uruguay will be without their best player for the next round and will hopefully get knocked out quickly. And 2 of the most depressingly cynical teams gone away early. Hurrah.

[amphibian]

Honduras was the worst spirited team in the tourney to my eyes. Wilson Palacios was worse than Suarez, which is saying something.

I talked it over with some other people and they too agreed it wasn't a card, much less a red issued minutes after.

[Morgoth]

He did go after the ball stud first, which is not acceptable at any time. A yellow card would not have been surprising, though a red seemed harsh.

[Tapper]

Tattersail_, on 25 June 2014 - 02:02 PM, said:

Khellendros, on 24 June 2014 - 05:57 PM, said:

Luis Suarez must have some sort of mental health issue. He is an amazing footballer, but he has the emotional intelligence of a toddler. I'm being completely serious, I truly believe that mentally he has issues.

He is a great family man, people I know see him out and about with his family and he is amazing with the kids and that but something in him must snap on the pitch. I have said he should wear a muzzle, how embarrassing would it be, having to wear one every game.

I think http://espn.go.com/e...eautiful-player is a pretty nice dive into the man and his behaviour, although it is somewhat apologist.

It has also been suggested that he has been trying to get penalties/ red cards for his opponents through this, by shocking his opponents into doing something even more rash, as all three incidents were in the penalty box, in tight and extremely important games, with a lot at stake (at Ajax: the match against the direct opponent for the title, vs Chelsea in another nervy game, and now, with Uruguay's second round at stake).

I just don't understand how he thinks he can get away with it in a world with over 15 cameras around a field, several dozens of photographers around the sidelines, and a lot of the public filming on smart phones. And why he chooses biting as the method.

[Gothos]

riling opponents up to do something rash - that sounds like the cornerstone of mediterranean football, along with diving and acting all hurt while looking if the ref is watching you. that's why I'm elated whenever one of those teams gets eliminated

[Tattersail_]

Tapper, on 26 June 2014 - 07:12 AM, said:

Tattersail_, on 25 June 2014 - 02:02 PM, said:

Khellendros, on 24 June 2014 - 05:57 PM, said:

Luis Suarez must have some sort of mental health issue. He is an amazing footballer, but he has the emotional intelligence of a toddler. I'm being completely serious, I truly believe that mentally he has issues.

He is a great family man, people I know see him out and about with his family and he is amazing with the kids and that but something in him must snap on the pitch. I have said he should wear a muzzle, how embarrassing would it be, having to wear one every game.

I think http://espn.go.com/e...eautiful-player is a pretty nice dive into the man and his behaviour, although it is somewhat apologist.

It has also been suggested that he has been trying to get penalties/ red cards for his opponents through this, by shocking his opponents into doing something even more rash, as all three incidents were in the penalty box, in tight and extremely important games, with a lot at stake (at Ajax: the match against the direct opponent for the title, vs Chelsea in another nervy game, and now, with Uruguay's second round at stake).

I just don't understand how he thinks he can get away with it in a world with over 15 cameras around a field, several dozens of photographers around the sidelines, and a lot of the public filming on smart phones. And why he chooses biting as the method.

That is such a good article Tapper. I enjoyed reading it, and it is well laid out, I like the pictures separating each bit.

[Khellendros]

Tapper, on 26 June 2014 - 07:12 AM, said:

Tattersail_, on 25 June 2014 - 02:02 PM, said:

Khellendros, on 24 June 2014 - 05:57 PM, said:

Luis Suarez must have some sort of mental health issue. He is an amazing footballer, but he has the emotional intelligence of a toddler. I'm being completely serious, I truly believe that mentally he has issues.

He is a great family man, people I know see him out and about with his family and he is amazing with the kids and that but something in him must snap on the pitch. I have said he should wear a muzzle, how embarrassing would it be, having to wear one every game.

I think http://espn.go.com/e...eautiful-player is a pretty nice dive into the man and his behaviour, although it is somewhat apologist.

It has also been suggested that he has been trying to get penalties/ red cards for his opponents through this, by shocking his opponents into doing something even more rash, as all three incidents were in the penalty box, in tight and extremely important games, with a lot at stake (at Ajax: the match against the direct opponent for the title, vs Chelsea in another nervy game, and now, with Uruguay's second round at stake).

I just don't understand how he thinks he can get away with it in a world with over 15 cameras around a field, several dozens of photographers around the sidelines, and a lot of the public filming on smart phones. And why he chooses biting as the method.

Because he's an idiot? The only other answer that comes to mind is that biting someone is a classic thing which frustrated small children do. One thing which is clear about Suarez and is normally a benefit to him and his team on the pitch is that he is ultra-competitive, and hates to lose more than anything else. But when he's not getting his way, so to speak, he acts out like this, just like a small frustrated child who can't control his emotions.

[Tsundoku]

What, you're saying a massively overpaid sportsman who has probably been told he is the next Pele since before he could say "Pele" is acting like a spoiled brat with no concept of responsibility or consequence?

That can't be right ...

I honestly believe video technology should be used all the time in soccer. If something happens, the on field ref can ask upstairs, or they can butt in during his deliberations and say "Hey mate, that dipshit just took a dive" etc. Also, they should be able to cite players based on video evidence. And put in some nasty penalties.

But of course FIFA won't since that would clean up the game way too much. Next thing you know their reps wouldn't get any bribes for votes and places like Qatar wouldn't stand a chance of hosting the WC. Can't have that.

[Khellendros]

FIFA just pronounced that Suarez is to be banned for Uruguay's next nine matches, and for four months from any sort of football-related activity (meaning he'll miss the first two and a half months of next season).


Edit: Oh and Ghana kick out Muntari and Prince Boateng, amidst a bonus payments dispute among other things. How cliche.

Did you guys here about the $3m in cash which has been flown from Ghana to Brazil to stop the team supposedly striking over bonus payments? Insane.

This post has been edited by Khellendros: 26 June 2014 - 02:20 PM

[Tattersail_]

Ridiculous

[Khellendros]

Tattersail_, on 26 June 2014 - 02:25 PM, said:

Ridiculous

Which part?

[Tattersail_]

Has Fifa done that before? Banned someone from "football"?

[Tattersail_]

I thought maybe a 24 month ban from international football, which would be right but banning him from playing for Liverpool is wrong, Fifa should not have the power to block him from playing in England, Europe maybe but it should be up to the English FA whether to ban him from the premiership. It's a load of bollocks. The English FA should appeal, and not give Fifa the right to do that, especially with how many times Fifa have screwed over the English FA

[Khellendros]

Tattersail_, on 26 June 2014 - 02:33 PM, said:

I thought maybe a 24 month ban from international football, which would be right but banning him from playing for Liverpool is wrong, Fifa should not have the power to block him from playing in England, Europe maybe but it should be up to the English FA whether to ban him from the premiership. It's a load of bollocks. The English FA should appeal, and not give Fifa the right to do that, especially with how many times Fifa have screwed over the English FA

You're right in that it does set a precedent. Now things that happen in international matches can lead to bans worldwide, nationally or internationally. The ban from ALL football-related activity suggests he won't be able to take part in any of the pre-season training either.