Semi Finals: Argentina vs Croatia | Eng... France vs Morocco

[SilentWitness]

Alvarez kicks the ball out of the way, scuffing his shot, so decides to run into the keeper and flop over. He doesn't have possession of the ball and the keeper is just stood there by that point. Alvarez makes the contact.

Have you actually watched the incident?

 

[RepardReece]

Yes, but he has to make a play on the ball. So, he was too late and while being too late made contact with the player, caused the player to be unable to follow-up on the play- all while not playing the ball, in a game where you are supposed to play the ball.

I am truly amazed by the amount of people not understanding basic rules?

Honestly, if that foul was made in the France Vs England game on Kane the same pundits on TV right now would be going absolutely mad at the shocking officiating.

 

[Pocho]

The bias for Argentina is unbelievable.
Firstly the opposing keeper is not allowed to do a honest take down on the striker and then fifa activated the ball magnets thingys to keep it stuck to Alvarez' chest.
Complete shocker

 

[kaku06]

Every time I've watched this De Paul played he is utterly shit. He is one of the reason Messi isn't involve in the game as much as he should be. Argentina midfield is very weak and awful, they are failing miserably to find and involve Messi who seem to cause issues for defenses and inject pace every time he gets the ball.

But this De Paul dude deserve a special type of mention for how terrible a footballer he is. Dude is miserably failing even at the simplest passes.

It’s quite an achievement to look as bad as he’s been. Astonishingly poor footballer.

 

[bosskeano]

i think the keeper wqs terribly unlucky on the pen....he just spread out to make himself big knowing Alvarez might try and hit that one time. Alvarez tried to go around him and in essence ran into the keepers leg as the keeper made ZERO attempt to tackle him

 

[Zen86]

It’s a penalty, but I see what they’re saying. If you get into that position there’s nothing stopping you from simply smashing the ball up in the air and clattering into the oncoming keeper. Instant penalty.

 

[DickDastardly]

I'm genuinely baffled by it.

It's a very obvious penalty, keeper absolutely clatters Alvarez, who doesn't move into him or any of that nonsense.

He doesn't clatter anything.

His foot is on the ground well before Alvarez trips on him.

Not a pen

 

[General_Elegancia]

Look at Giroud if you want to see brutal acne scars.

He's still so handsome.

 

[PoTMS]

I can't believe that the pen is even a debate on here, had the keeper not taken Alverez down he would have been first to Lovrens poor clearance.

It's a stonewall pen.

Me too. Stonewall.

@Jippy

 

[ThinkTank@Cafe]

GoTWall pen.

 

[GlasgowCeltic]

it's time for Kovacic to go back to Real Madrid

 

[Sandikan]

I hope Messi isn’t injured, or the final is going to be a waste of time.

Agreed.
He needs to be out there participating in them lose.

 

[KirkDuyt]

I still think it's a pen, but after more views, it's less stonewall. The keeper does sort of stop in his tracks before impact.

 

[Lay]

I'm so confused

Well my tv had Peter Walton arguing its a penalty.

 

[cyberman]

This is why var is never going to work. Football is still massively subjective, even with black and white rules.

It’s worse than that. At worst you can see it’s 50/50 but you have Wright flat out saying whoever has the opposite view is wrong. Football would be a lot healthier if pundits and fans said I think it’s one way but I can see why it’s given the other way.
ITV pundits have been shocking this tournament

 

[Lyng]

Until he meets Lisandro

He will probably be on the bench

 

[Annihilate Now!]

He doesn't clatter anything.

His foot is on the ground well before Alvarez trips on him.

Not a pen

What's his foot being on the ground got to do with anything? He makes an attempt to save the ball, doesn't, and takes out Alvarez. Penalty.

 

[Withnail]

His leg was down. Never a pen. As ref expert just confirmed.

He lifts his knee and moves to his right after the ball is gone.

 

[cyberman]

I still think it's a pen, but after more views, it's less stonewall. The keeper does sort of stop in his tracks before impact.

Because he’s bracing for impact. You can’t watch it in slow motion

 

[Gehrman]

What's all this about Messi being injured? Who's reporting it?

 

[DickDastardly]

I still think it's a pen, but after more views, it's less stonewall. The keeper does sort of stop in his tracks before impact.

Of course he does.

His foot is well on the ground. Seconds before the contact.

 

[Sylar]

Why was Wright blabbering about the player mishitting it? What? What's that gotta do with the decision?

It's insane. The England elimination has broken them

 

[Red Pumpkin]

1 That is not a penalty. Alvarez gets off a weak shot and then speeds up jumping into Livakovic who is slowing down.

2 As I've said all tournament. Letting in one goal means a team needs to push forward and by doing so opens up at the back. Bang, boom 2-0.

3 Sosa has had a shocker even before his disastrous clearance. Needs to get his head straight or get changed.

4 Croatia should opt for Netherlands tactics. Switch to a two man midfeld, push Kovacic out on the right. Put in your "Weghorsts", 2 m tall player. Long balls. The Argentina centerbacks are only 1.75-1.8 tall. After a while push up Lovren as striker too and bring down Brozovic as CB with Kovacic slotting in as CM again.

Edit: Coach agreed with me. Sosa out.

 

[SydneyRoughDiamond]

Why didn’t the keeper get a red card for the penalty ? Stopped an obvious goal scoring opportunity

 

[JPRouve]

He's still so handsome.

That's the only reason I mention it.

 

[GifLord]

What's going on? Zero controversy on Irish TV. Shay Given half-heartedly said you'd feel for the goalie but that's about it.

Moving goalposts

 

[hellhunter]

He will probably be on the bench

Would assume they'll play three at the back vs France, but they're mental enough to bench him again for the final, yeah

 

[Jazz]

Argentina started slowly but improved and played some fantastic football. Best they've looked attacking wise so far in the World Cup imho.

 

[Ayush_reddevil]

At them trying to argue with Walton.

Of all the arguments to think that Peter Walton somehow is the right voice makes no sense. If you actually watch football every week you would know that he literally has never called a decision made by a ref as wrong

 

[antohan]

Is it mandatory now to say transition instead of counter attack?

They are different things

 

[Lyng]

His leg was down. Never a pen. As ref expert just confirmed.

Must have been a Croatian ref...

 

[SirReginald]

Argentina saving the World Cup. Love it

 

[Lay]

Take Messi off.. He's going to miss the final if he stays on

 

[FrankFoot]

It’s quite an achievement to look as bad as he’s been. Astonishingly poor footballer.

He looks even worse at Atlético though.

Probably only playing there because of passport.

 

[mono-math]

What are they on about? He tries to save the shot, doesn't and clatters into the player. It's a clear penalty.

100% a pen.

Funny enough, people were applying the same logic to a goal scored by Newcastle against Spurs last month. Lloris came out and cleared the ball and Wilson smashed into him. Wilson then lays the ball off and Newcastle score. Goal was given and everyone has a go at Lloris for making a mistake. It was a bloody foul. Exactly like this one.

This sort of thing has always been a foul, but lately people seem to think you can challenge someone (run into their space), get nowhere near the ball, then smash into someone after the ball has gone. No chance.

 

[Elcabron]

This is a such a strange conversation. Neville’s argument is that he has to go out and block the shot, but he didn’t

Next time someone makes a tackle as the last defender and misses the ball “sorry I had to try and block the ball”.

The pundits on ITV showed how clueless they can be How does Neville not realise how barmy his logic is there

Well Walton said you can't go for the ball and not get it, if you dont get it, it's a pen, which I don't agree with. That's the point Neville was disagreeing with. Keeper stood his ground and in any event he got his shot off and before he hit the deck and had no chance of scoring even if he didn't end up on the ground as the defender was there and cleared the ball.

That's not a pen!

The goalie gets his foot on the ground before the contact.

Every ref will tell you the same.

Var should have corrected him, or at least tell him to check it himself.

Again, that's not a pen by the rules of the game.

I agree, the goal scoring opportunity was not denied as the shot was taken before the collision.

 

[Joel Miller]

Had to laugh at that embarrassing HT analysis from Keane, Wright and Neville. 3 ex pros arguing the army of referees are wrong.

I know the games moved on since they retired by the rules of the game they played hasn’t changed that much. Clearly just seething because they didn’t want Argentina getting a penalty.

At least Ally McCoist understands the rules of the game.

 

[Withnail]

It’s a penalty, but I see what they’re saying. If you get into that position there’s nothing stopping you from simply smashing the ball up in the air and clattering into the oncoming keeper. Instant penalty.

Except that didn't happen here.

 

[Rayman96]

Is anyone counting up the number of times McCoist says "brullyant"?

As a fellow Glaswegian ( Ally is from East Kilbride but close enough) I can confirm he never says brullyant.
Its more like Brrriiiiiiillyant , the emphasis on the R and the I.

 

[That_Bloke]

Alvarez kicks the ball out of the way, scuffing his shot, so decides to run into the keeper and flop over. He doesn't have possession of the ball and the keeper is just stood there by that point. Alvarez makes the contact.