Another World Cup Post or Accounting 101
Nice comments in the blog, let me get to ‘em:
Agree on the 2nd red to Pope. Pope sucks. I don’t know why he’s on there. Like MeanOnSunday says, he’s the second coming of Agoos. Can’t wait for the own goal next game!
The red on Mastro was just bullshit. Complete bullshit.
AWS6000 had a comment about offside — first let me welcome you to soccer — no question is too lame or stupid — we need to have education in order to get soccer well received in America (assuming you’re in America, of course). The hardest rule to understand in soccer is the offside rule. The offside rule is simple — an offensive player must remain on the same ‘line’ as the last defender (the goalkeeper does NOT count), until the ball is played (ie passed to the player — as in the ball has to be in the air going to the player before he can move off the line). Once a player has crossed that ‘line’, if the ball is not played yet, he is offside and the play is over. The ref has discretion to not call the offside if the player is not interfering with play (such as if someone is injured near the end line, etc). I usually don’t see discretion used very much, I see it always called. There is no ‘advantage’ given because the player is offside and in an improper position. “Advantage” is only given when a foul is committed by a defender but the offensive player still retains posession of the ball and can make a play. If you have any other questions, keep ‘em coming. Also, if anyone else wants to chime in, feel free…
As far as the cards go, usually they are given out for hard play — ie no attempt to get the ball, deliberate hand ball, committing a foul on a player who is about to score a goal or unprofessional conduct (you can get a card for delay of game, for example, or complaining to the ref). Pope should have known better, but nooooo. Mastro was a late tackle, but it was absolutely not willful from what I saw and should have warranted a yellow, definitely not a red. Only a complete buffoon from Uruguay would put out something like that.
This ref flat out sucked. He called play on on multiple hand balls, and the one by Beasley at the end was totally deliberate and he should have been carded.
The lead commentator on ABC’s coverage sucked. When the ITA player went down due to injury, the moron should have aptly noted that (1) both teams were at even strength and (2) ITA had no more substitutions left so he had to play injured or stay even. of course anyone with a passing knowledge of soccer would know that. Thankfully Balboa had a clue, I’ll give him that.
Now back to accounting, I neglected to mention that ITA gets a point for a tie, so the standings are now 4/3/3/1. ITA (4) plays CZR (3). If ITA wins outright and the USA wins, the USA moves on. If ITA and CZR ties, USA wins if if it beats Ghana by 4 or more goals (ie 5-1 ugh). Or of course there’s also this scenario:
“The Czech Republic beats Italy AND the total combined margin of victory for the Americans and Czechs is five AND the U.S. team scores exactly two more goals than the Italians do in their loss AND the Americans win a drawing of lots by FIFA”
(Taken from ESPN) There are actually 7 scenarios where the US can move on. But the best scenario is Italy wins and the USA wins. Both games are at the same time so there is no scoreboard watching (which is why I love the final game). Let’s hope there is no drawing of lots. Ugh.
June 17th, 2006 at 7:42 pm
Unfortunately the history of the World Cup suggests Italy and Czech will play for a draw. Czech may attack for a while, but as soon as it becomes clear that the US won’t get five goals both sides will just sit back and pass the ball around without trying to score.
June 17th, 2006 at 8:01 pm
Unfortunately you are probably right. However, seeding does play a role…so if they both draw, ITA wins the group, while Czech would have to play Goal Differential with Ghana.
CZR currently has a +1 GD, while Ghana is even. If Ghana wins 1-0, and they draw, CZR could be out.
I’m betting what will happen is that CZR beats ITA, and if that’s the case USA will have to win 6-1.
June 17th, 2006 at 10:45 pm
>>The hardest rule to understand in soccer is the offside rule.
I understand the rule, but from watching this first week the commentators have made comments about giving advantage to the offensive team and how that hasn’t been the case. I’m sure that my terminology is wrong but this is what I’m getting at and what was commented during a game earlier in the week… When the offensive and defensive players have been on the same line or plane, and the ball has been passed to offensive player, far too many times the offensive player has been called offsides. The commentator said that if the players were on the same line that the offensive player should be given the benefit of the doubt (advantage) and the play should be allowed to carry on. The line judges seem all too eager to side with the defensive team and call offsides very quickly. The way things were being discussed, it seemed like there is a bit of leeway in how the game is called and that a more offensive game would result in regargds to how offsides is enforced. After watching todays US/Italy game, I understand the more traditional use of the term ‘advantage’ but what I described is something that was brought up earlier. Like I said, I don’t watch much soccer so I’m absorbing alot over the course of a week.
The only reason I have any interest in the game at all is from reading Nick Hornby’s “Fever Pitch”. I think I dig the passion and ferver of the fans more than the game itself.
June 17th, 2006 at 10:56 pm
About giving out the cards… What you describe is exactly what I’ve understood about cards and how they should be given out. Although in this World Cup it seems as if the cards are being given out for too many common fouls. While watching the games I’ve said to myself many times, “that doesn’t seem worthy of a card, it’s just good hard play”. It wasn’t until todays game when I heard the complaint from the German, umm, official (?) that yellow cards have been given out too frequently that gave me pause to think that maybe I was right.
June 20th, 2006 at 6:25 pm
Having been a referee for many years, let me make some brief comments.
Your explanation of the offside (”offside”, not “offsides”) rule is mostly correct. It is actually even with or behind (as you look at the attacking goal) the second to last defender, with the goalkeeper counting as a defender. For example, if the goalkeeper came out to clear a ball and missed and the play is occuring closer to the goal than he is currently, the offside “line” would be the closer to the goal of the ball or the second to the last defender.
Also, cards can be given out for a variety of infractions, or repeated infractions. Sometimes, the foul that justifies the card is not the most henious or hard hitting, but is simply the result of an accural of what the referee deems to be outside the scope of reasonable play.
For the most part, I think the refereeing this WC has been strong. The referee for the US-Italy game was bad. Very bad. Very, very bad. I will disagree with you with respect to the Pablo red card and the Pope red card. Pablo was late. Very late. He never should have put himself in that position ~ with the referee looking for any excuse to equalize the sides (i.e., a make-up call (not that he had anything to make-up for)). Pablo never should have left his feet. Poor decision. With Pope, I honestly think that the referee forgot about the earlier yellow. I would not have carded that offense (with our without a standing yellow).
I also suspect that the fourth official gave some constructive advise during the second half (likely during one of the injuries) to advise the referee to permit a bit more play as the center referee just about swallowed his whistle for the last twenty minutes.
Soccer is a fantastic game, and well worth the effort to become familiar with it. Thanks for your blog. I very much enjoy reading it (I found it through Bill Harris and Dubious Quality).
Edgar
P.S. I’ve been trying to get SIGAMES (makers of OOTP and FM 2006) to add a fantasy draft option for FM 2007 which they just announced for December 2007. If you feel, as I do, that a fantasy draft (option) would only enhance the game, perhaps a quick post about that would help the cause.