Definitely, it’s the biggest stage possible in football. For what it’s worth I’ve really liked Pogba’s overall performance this WC. The whole team have capitulated the first half, and are still, quite incredibly, leading
The World Cup Final: France vs Croatia (Kickoff 16H00 BST)
- Thread starter K2K
- Start date
Definitely, it’s the biggest stage possible in football. For what it’s worth I’ve really liked Pogba’s overall performance this WC. The whole team have capitulated the first half, and are still, quite incredibly, leading
Do the rules say anything about “natural / unnatural position”? I thought that was just something that pundits say to try and sound clever. I thought the rules were around “deliberate”?
Just seen Greizman’s dive (watching on German TV and they have the news at HT 
) that sort of thing should be wiped out of the game more than the handball conversation imo!
) that sort of thing should be wiped out of the game more than the handball conversation imo!I felt this too, but no pundit seems to be discussing this
It's just movement.
But then again, I'm very skeptic of most handball penalties. Nothing to gain for the defender, just stupid. You give me a play like Suarez in SA, or Henry against Ireland (if it was on his penalty area) and I give, it. The other 90 % penalties are just bullshit, an idiotic randomness penalty that has been a part of football for too long. The game should rise above these things.
When it is obvious, VAR team doesn't call the ref (see Brazil vs Belgium for the penalty claims, despite that the Jesus one was quite close).
The dive was a shocker.
Not really. I remember Evra's penalty when his hand was in unnatural position.
We are robbed today
Indeed. Why would Wimbledon do that?
Hardly kicking them? Theyre being physical in outmuscling them and pressing them but they're dominating possession and getting in great positions. France has kind of done nothing yet somehow winning (thanks to the ref basically).
Kante and Pogba look equally poor, can't cover their fullbacks and had a lot of misplaced passes.
Croatia play very direct and fast, but are quite predictable sometimes.
Croatia play very direct and fast, but are quite predictable sometimes.
And he’s been awful today. Lack of composure.
I believe Michael Carrick was the victim of a similar kind of decision vs Chelsea once so I'm going to call bullshit, Colin.
You're only cheering for France due to your love of Le Mans.
I may have misunderstood what you said.
I'm also blaming the ref.
VAR is a tool. Nothing more. Just like TV replays are a tool for you to come up with your own decision.
VAR, as such, is blameless. Like blaming a paintbrush for an artist making a shit painting.
They beat England, they're kind of good
I think they do because a french ref is also talking about it. All it tells you is that the handball rule need a revamp because it's too open for interpretation
The rules imply it and it’s how they’re applied. 99% of handballs that are called aren’t deliberate
Keano is fuming
I fancy croatia to pull this back second half
Croatia have been playing much better football than France?
Yes, I do. I have swatted away balls like that instinctively knowing it is going past me and will likely be knocked in.
It's almost as if people here have never played actual football or never jumped for a ball. You need to keep balance in the air, you can't jump like a pencil.
That Polish ref was the best official at this tournament. He should have got the final.
VAR should be used as reason to rewrite some of the rules or update them, make them precise, this handball on purpose or not, leaves so much space to gray area.
I wouldn’t use beating England as a yard stick as to how good a side is.
Yet you've still repeatedly claimed 5 refs agree with you when there's only one who made the decision.
For it to "move towards the ball" he needs to be a mind reader.
His arm is already coming down because that's where his arm is meant to go.
Cant believe 6/7? Refs made such a decision
Yeah, just stupid. Unless you're trying to do a "volleyball block" against a header or something there really aren't "unnatural positions" for your limbs in football. They're all over the place.
To all the "experts" about penalties and when not to give them. What if the ball struck on goal and would have been a goal but it hit the player's hand and was deflected away. And the player in question didn't move his arm and it didn't look deliberate. Then what?
That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that a team that *struggles* but eventually gets to final has it tougher than another team that dispatches their more renewed opponents way more easier.
I tipped France to win the final but this referee has been pathetic. Ignoring the first goal which may have had an offsifde, that is not a penalty. Joke decision. Feel sorry for Croatia. This is not how a world cup final should be decided.
I agree. He pulled it back when it hit which makes me believe he knew/could have moved it
France will get one on the break. 3-1 FT.
What I am saying is that if it was such a clear non-pen, then the refs wouldn't have called the main ref to watch it. They thought that it probably was a pen (after watching it a few times). Then Pistora watched it 10 times and decided that it is a pen.
Great save Lloris.
In this tournament he's been like he was at Spurs in his first 2-3 seasons.
In this tournament he's been like he was at Spurs in his first 2-3 seasons.
i take back my opinon that it was a penalty. After watching a few more times. I can still see why its been given because hand moves towards ball and knee movement looks like a disguise. Now...i think its too quick and too natural a movement for it to be given as handball. slow motion makes it harder for the ref because it looks a pen in slow motion. In real time, it was accidental. VAR should be shown to ref in real time for handballs
Yes
It's beyond me since WC is much more popular.
Referees are far from infallible.
Seriously we are a bunch of pussies Just play a little ffs
Just play a little ffsVarane
Croatia started great second half. They need to score though as France will have strong spell eventually.
Mandzukic is like the Croatian hesky