I kind of agree, although soccers popularity in the US wasnt the point I was making. Im merely pointing out why its a better spectator sport per se.

 

College football used to be organized so foolishly as to enable the crowning of two National Champions.  The BCS reorganized the bowl system and created a playoff system that actually makes sense.  Plus, the college football season is so short (yet schedules are wildly disparate) that most argue that the playoffs start right away. 

 

I don't think the format of the World Cup makes much sense.  It's too easy for a top team to be eliminated early.  The round-robin phase should be much more extensive and the knockout should be shortened to just the top four teams playing semifinals and then a final game.  Determine who the top teams actually are, then have them play each other. 

 

 

 

^That's the fun of the World Cup. You eliminated all of the drama and unpredictability of a huge month-long event by just getting the statistically best teams in the semifinals

^That's the fun of the World Cup. You eliminated all of the drama and unpredictability of a huge month-long event by just getting the statistically best teams in the semifinals

 

Totally agree. I rarely watch soccer but always watch World Cup. It’s enthralling.

First half of the Round of 16 games played this weekend:

 

-- France advanced with a back-and-forth 4-3 win over Argentina. Messi and Maradona both eliminated.

 

-- Uruguay advanced with a 2-1 win over Portugal. Ronaldo. The Man is eliminated.

 

-- Host Russia shocked Spain with win via penalty kicks. Spain got an early lead, but allowed Russia to tie it 1-1 just before halftime. Then Spain retained possession and kicked the ball around throughout the second half. Then they retained possession and kicked the ball around throughout the 30 minute overtime. Spain's lack of urgency led to a PK round in which the Russian goalkeeper made two big saves, the game-winner an acrobatic foot-in-the-air save.

 

-- Croatia and Denmark also ended 1-1 after 120 minutes and got decided via penalty kicks. Denmark scored in the 1st minute. Croatia equalized in the 4th minute. And then no more goals in the next 116+ minutes. Although, unlike Spain, it wasn't for lack of trying. Croatia nearly won it late in overtime on a foul in the box. But the Danish goalkeeper stopped the PK at 116'. In the PK round, the Croat goalkeeper saved 3 of 5 shots to advance Croatia into the quarter-finals.

Reason #77 why soccer and the structure of this tournament does not determine who is actually the best team.  There is too much left to chance. 

 

A recent study determined that chance plays a larger role in soccer outcomes than any other sport.  Close to half of all goals are set up by chance ricochets, not the offense actually outsmarting the defense.  https://www.brotherlygame.com/2014/1/20/5306238/the-role-of-luck-and-defense-in-soccer

 

 

 

 

Ahem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRnkrpO5ozM

 

 

Yes, Jake, we get it, you don't like soccer. Though, I'm not sure why you feel the need to constantly post in soccer threads. At this point you're borderline trolling.

 

Yesterday had 2 great games. It's been really fun World Cup. It looks like England is now the favorite. I don't think I'll ever get over the embarrassment of the USMNT failing to make this years.

OMG Japan up 2-0 over some expert's tournament favorites Belgium. I love sports.

OMG Japan up 2-0 over some expert's tournament favorites Belgium. I love sports.

 

And then Belgium scores three unanswered goals to win 3-2!!!  The last goal came on an amazing end-to-end fast break started by their keeper in the 94th minute (see the video).  I don't want to say that Japan choked this game away, but why did they keep attacking after going up two goals?  Belgium took advantage and stole the win from them.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftZMh2KxMiw

In the early game, Brazil neatly dispatched Mexico 2-0 with two second-half goals (one from Neymar).

-- In yesterday's final Round of 16 matches, Sweden won a 1-0 nail-biter over Switzerland in the early match.

 

 

-- In the late match, it looked like England was set to win its own 1-0 nail-biter over Colombia.  Until Colombia got a game-tying goal in the 93rd minute.  After extra-time, Colombia had a 3-2 advantage in the PK round.  Then Colombia missed a PK and the English keeper saved a PK, while England made their final two PK's to win the PK round and advance into the Quarterfinals.

 

-- Friday's games in the top half of the Quarterfinals will see four pre-World Cup favorites in Uruguay vs France and Brazil vs Belgium.  The winners will face each other in a semi-final game in St. Petersburg.

 

 

-- Saturday's bottom half of the Quarterfinals will see four lesser ranked teams in Sweden vs England and Russia vs Croatia.  The winners will face each other in a semi-final game in Moscow.

The stage is now set for Cincinnati's French and Belgian restaurant owners to trade insults in French/broken English. 

Uruguay, France, Brazil and Belgium would have made a fine Final Four.  However, the way that brackets worked out, they met in the Quarterfinals instead.  France outmatched Uruguay 2-0 in the early game.  Belgium looked to be doing the same in the late game when they took a 2-0 halftime lead over Brazil.  But Brazil halved the lead in the 76th minute and Belgium's goalkeeper needed to some stellar saves to preserve the win.

 

These wins eliminated the last two non-European teams from the tournament.  It will be an all-Euro World Cup going forward.

 

Tomorrow's games should be entertaining.  England always brings the fan excitement and you know host Russia will be bringing the fan excitement - plus the Stanley Cup, courtesy of Alex Ovechkin:  https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2018/07/03/alex-ovechkin-brings-the-stanley-cup-to-the-world-cup/

England's gonna party like its 1990.  That's the last time this soccer-proud nation reached the World Cup Semifinals - which they did yesterday with a convincing 2-0 win over Sweden.

-

In that semifinal game they'll face the winner of yesterday's late game of Russia vs Croatia.  This turned out to be one of the most memorable games of this World Cup.  Underdog Russia fought Croatia to a 1-1 tie through 90 minutes.  Then it looked like the higher-ranked Croatia finally put Russia away with a go-ahead goal in the 101st minute.  But Russia wasn't done yet, re-tying the game 2-2 with a goal in the 115th minute. -- This forced the game into a PK shootout that Croatia eventually won 4-3.

-

So, the other semifinal game is set: England vs Croatia.  Does this relatively unheralded England team dare think they can reach the World Cup Final for only the second time in World Cup history and not since they won it all as the host in 1966?

 

 

 

 

we watched russia-croatia match from the huge screen in beachy asbury lanes bowling alley in nj, which of course croatia won on kicks. everyone was saying they hope the croatians dont touch any doorknobs lol.

Look, I need the collective karma of all of you...

 

In March I placed a prop bet on France at 7 to 1 and England at 16 to 1 to win the World Cup. SEND GOOD VIBES lol

Look, I need the collective karma of all of you...

 

In March I placed a prop bet on France at 7 to 1 and England at 16 to 1 to win the World Cup. SEND GOOD VIBES lol

 

This is looking like a great bet!  Might get both teams for the final!

i would have guessed france, but england is looking unstoppable.

 

either way, given the egos of these tiny countries if one of them wins their fan’s heads will probably explode!

I'm pulling for Belgium, but all 4 teams could win it.  It's been a great World Cup.

VIVA LA FRANCE

France defeats Belgium 1-0 to advance into the Final.

 

Or as one YouTube comment said, "Big France defeats small France":

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHZWl8ssA0U

Only goal bounces off defender's head.  Yet another seismic soccer outcome decided by chance. 

Only goal bounces off defender's head.  Yet another seismic soccer outcome decided by chance.

 

It wasn't chance. It was a set piece. Perfectly placed kick and the Belgium defender let Umtiti slide in front of him.

It wasn't chance. It was a set piece. Perfectly placed kick and the Belgium defender let Umtiti slide in front of him.

 

Yeah we practiced this all the time when I played soccer.  We had signals for where the corner kick was going to go.  Yeah the dude stepped in front but the ball actually skids off the defender's head and so changes course, just outside the goalie's reach. 

 

And unfortunately the racial comments on that youtube link are ridiculous.  I don't know if they're coming from Americans or who, exactly. 

 

All sports rely on a certain amount of luck. Here's an infamous play from a last minute loss the Bengals experienced at the hands of the Broncos where a pass got tipped and ended up landing in another Bronco player's hands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I74BG0YFKUc.

Crazy stuff happens in all sports...groundhogs, etc., interfere in golf.  Randy Johnson hitting the bird did not decide this game:

 

But there are far more "shots on goal" even in hockey as compared to soccer, so there is much more opportunity for accidents to even out for both sides.  Same with football -- the capricious bounces of a fumbled football are amazing, every time. 

 

Pro soccer averages just 9 shots on goal per game (meaning many games have even fewer attempts to score), so the stakes are much higher for something weird to determine the entire outcome of the game, er world history. 

 

 

 

Crazy stuff happens in all sports...groundhogs, etc., interfere in golf.  Randy Johnson hitting the bird did not decide this game:

 

But there are far more "shots on goal" even in hockey as compared to soccer, so there is much more opportunity for accidents to even out for both sides.  Same with football -- the capricious bounces of a fumbled football are amazing, every time. 

 

Pro soccer averages just 9 shots on goal per game (meaning many games have even fewer attempts to score), so the stakes are much higher for something weird to determine the entire outcome of the game, er world history. 

 

 

 

 

If soccer was really so random, this table would have way more noise- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-time_table_of_the_FIFA_World_Cup

I don't see the fewer scoring attempts made compared to other sports a weaknees. All those tiny little plays and strategies amass and maximize the odds of a shot on goal. The build up to that magic moment is a beautiful thing. Ya, sometimes you luck out  but the majority of the time the oppositon is just out executed. The key though is to maxmize your odds which done with skill and strategy throughout the whole field just not who actually takes the shot. Go Croatia! Sorry yabo ;)

France defeats Belgium 1-0 to advance into the Final.

 

Or as one YouTube comment said, "Big France defeats small France":

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHZWl8ssA0U

 

Here comes that guy.....Belgium is predominately Dutch speaking.....sorry!

PKs deciding tie games in the playoff stage are attrocius. Even the NHL moved away from playoff shootouts. It’s a lousy barometer of who is the. better team. It’s almost all luck.

They have played 120 minutes of soccer in 80 plus degree weather running upwards of 7 to 10 miles. Eventually the game needs to end.

They have played 120 minutes of soccer in 80 plus degree weather running upwards of 7 to 10 miles. Eventually the game needs to end.

 

Right, they play 120 minutes of nip and tuck soccer just to hope a goalie falls into the opposite direction of a set kick. Truly an awful way to end it. Hockey has experimented with three on three in OT to open up scoring chances. Not quite sure what the solution for FIFA is but PKs are just lame.

They have played 120 minutes of soccer in 80 plus degree weather running upwards of 7 to 10 miles. Eventually the game needs to end.

 

Right, they play 120 minutes of nip and tuck soccer just to hope a goalie falls into the opposite direction of a set kick. Truly an awful way to end it. Hockey has experimented with three on three in OT to open up scoring chances. Not quite sure what the solution for FIFA is but PKs are just lame.

 

Lame? PK's are freaking exciting as hell!

They have played 120 minutes of soccer in 80 plus degree weather running upwards of 7 to 10 miles. Eventually the game needs to end.

 

Right, they play 120 minutes of nip and tuck soccer just to hope a goalie falls into the opposite direction of a set kick. Truly an awful way to end it. Hockey has experimented with three on three in OT to open up scoring chances. Not quite sure what the solution for FIFA is but PKs are just lame.

 

Lame? PK's are freaking exciting as hell!

 

It’s exciting because the result is almost completely random. But what’s the point of playing the previous 120 minutes just to decide a result by randomness? To me, lame.

I assumed it was sudden death overtime in the World Cup, and shamefully fell asleep after Croatia scored the header in OT! The only way I could get the game was on Telemundo, so I had it on mute and just closed my eyes after the goal, thus missing the dramatic comeback goal from Russia and the PKs, of course.

It’s exciting because the result is almost completely random. But what’s the point of playing the previous 120 minutes just to decide a result by randomness? To me, lame.

 

Yeah when they do sudden death in golf tournaments, they do it by playing golf.  They resolve tennis matches by playing an awful lot of tennis (I don't think anyone could argue that a tennis title was settled by a single chance bounce or grazing of the net).  They settle tied baseball games by...playing more baseball.  They settle tied football games by playing....football.  NFL ties are extraordinarily rare...so rare that there is a tidy Wikipedia page dedicated to them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NFL_tied_games  And of course there can't be ties in the playoffs...they just keep playing.  Football.  The actual game.  Not Yahtzee. 

 

 

 

Yeah, why can't they just keep playing the game like the manly men of football?

 

 

(Note, the 1.25 miles is the average for wide receivers and cornerbacks, not the average for all players because most of the team is 300 lb linemen who run less than a 1/4 mile per game).

I'm really not sure why people who don't like soccer keep clicking on this thread and then commenting in it about how they don't like soccer. If you don't like it, you don't have to tell us every few posts. It's basically trolling.

 

Anyways, I think it'll be France beating England for the championship. It's been a really fun World Cup and if you can't enjoy it then I feel sorry for you.

I'm really not sure why people who don't like soccer keep clicking on this thread and then commenting in it about how they don't like soccer. If you don't like it, you don't have to tell us every few posts. It's basically trolling.

 

Anyways, I think it'll be France beating England for the championship. It's been a really fun World Cup and if you can't enjoy it then I feel sorry for you.

 

Lame was too harsh a word and I apologize about this. My comments weren't meant to troll. I enjoy the Cup except for PKs and it's increasing Eurocenticity come playoff time. I'm an old dude who can remember when the World Cup playoffs included a bit more of the world back in the 1990s and early 2000s. I know the Final will highlight some of the best players in the sport but France vs. England is akin to Mets vs. Yankees or Dodgers vs. Angels.

 

Also, the chart about mileage isn't really a complete metric. Basketball players only travel 2-3 miles but they spend almost the entire time running at all positions. It's such a workout that if a NBA/FIBA game lasted 90 minutes nobody would play the sport. It's like comparing the marathon to a 500-yard race. Both are equally athletic but in different ways.  As a side note, I highly doubt the goalie gets close to 7 miles in a game.

They have played 120 minutes of soccer in 80 plus degree weather running upwards of 7 to 10 miles. Eventually the game needs to end.

 

Right, they play 120 minutes of nip and tuck soccer just to hope a goalie falls into the opposite direction of a set kick. Truly an awful way to end it. Hockey has experimented with three on three in OT to open up scoring chances. Not quite sure what the solution for FIFA is but PKs are just lame.

 

Lame? PK's are freaking exciting as hell!

 

It’s exciting because the result is almost completely random. But what’s the point of playing the previous 120 minutes just to decide a result by randomness? To me, lame.

 

I can tell you though it's not random. It's skill along with, more importantly, who can handle the pressure. I can assure you that the PK situation at that level is an insane amount of pressure.

They have played 120 minutes of soccer in 80 plus degree weather running upwards of 7 to 10 miles. Eventually the game needs to end.

 

Right, they play 120 minutes of nip and tuck soccer just to hope a goalie falls into the opposite direction of a set kick. Truly an awful way to end it. Hockey has experimented with three on three in OT to open up scoring chances. Not quite sure what the solution for FIFA is but PKs are just lame.

 

Lame? PK's are freaking exciting as hell!

 

It’s exciting because the result is almost completely random. But what’s the point of playing the previous 120 minutes just to decide a result by randomness? To me, lame.

 

I can tell you though it's not random. It's skill along with, more importantly, who can handle the pressure. I can assure you that the PK situation at that level is an insane amount of pressure.

 

Sure there's pressure, no doubt. I agree there is skill but I think it's more akin to reading into a poker player eyes because reaction time to the set kick is almost zero. In a lot of ways the goalie and player are just guessing, guess the wrong way and you lose, so it is mostly luck/randomness.

 

I can tell you though it's not random. It's skill along with, more importantly, who can handle the pressure. I can assure you that the PK situation at that level is an insane amount of pressure.

 

Sure there's pressure, no doubt. I agree there is skill but I think it's more akin to reading into a poker player eyes because reaction time to the set kick is almost zero. In a lot of ways the goalie and player are just guessing, guess the wrong way and you lose, so it is mostly luck/randomness.

 

 

Maybe you would prefer both teams shooting on an empty goal from like 70 yards away? That would be kind of cool.

I can tell you though it's not random. It's skill along with, more importantly, who can handle the pressure. I can assure you that the PK situation at that level is an insane amount of pressure.

 

Sure there's pressure, no doubt. I agree there is skill but I think it's more akin to reading into a poker player eyes because reaction time to the set kick is almost zero. In a lot of ways the goalie and player are just guessing, guess the wrong way and you lose, so it is mostly luck/randomness.

 

 

Maybe you would prefer both teams shooting on an empty goal from like 70 yards away? That would be kind of cool.

 

Or play the 2nd OT with no goalie.

I can tell you though it's not random. It's skill along with, more importantly, who can handle the pressure. I can assure you that the PK situation at that level is an insane amount of pressure.

 

Sure there's pressure, no doubt. I agree there is skill but I think it's more akin to reading into a poker player eyes because reaction time to the set kick is almost zero. In a lot of ways the goalie and player are just guessing, guess the wrong way and you lose, so it is mostly luck/randomness.

 

 

Maybe you would prefer both teams shooting on an empty goal from like 70 yards away? That would be kind of cool.

 

Or play the 2nd OT with no goalie.

 

You gotta love hockey when they pull the goalie in desperation time.

Or play the 2nd OT with no goalie.

 

That would be interesting, but a problem I see occurring is that if the goalie was removed from the game, you would have field players who are acting as goalies. This would inevitably lead to those players using their hands when they can't stop the shot with their feet or heads, so you would give up a PK. Then what? Do they get a red card, get sent off, and then have a another position player come in to try to stop the penalty without using their hands? Either way, the games would probably often end with a hand ball in the box penalty kick.

Or play the 2nd OT with no goalie.

 

That would be interesting, but a problem I see occurring is that if the goalie was removed from the game, you would have field players who are acting as goalies. This would inevitably lead to those players using their hands when they can't stop the shot with their feet or heads, so you would give up a PK. Then what? Do they get a red card, get sent off, and then have a another position player come in to try to stop the penalty without using their hands? Either way, the games would probably often end with a hand ball in the box penalty kick.

 

Rules would have to be changed a bit especially for balls that go out of bounds around the goal but I'm not quite sure why players would need to use their hands. When a goalie is pulled in hockey, nobody plays goalie, that's the inherent risk of pulling the position to add the extra offensive player. If it's too complicated then remove the (typically) three defenders and play 8-on-8. I know I'm making this sound too simple but there are ways to adjust the game to increase scoring within those 120 minutes.

I usually bet on the amount of stoppage time that accrues during the match on 183

 

183... Where It's All in Play

Or play the 2nd OT with no goalie.

 

That would be interesting, but a problem I see occurring is that if the goalie was removed from the game, you would have field players who are acting as goalies. This would inevitably lead to those players using their hands when they can't stop the shot with their feet or heads, so you would give up a PK. Then what? Do they get a red card, get sent off, and then have a another position player come in to try to stop the penalty without using their hands? Either way, the games would probably often end with a hand ball in the box penalty kick.

 

Rules would have to be changed a bit especially for balls that go out of bounds around the goal but I'm not quite sure why players would need to use their hands. When a goalie is pulled in hockey, nobody plays goalie, that's the inherit risk of pulling the position to add the extra offensive player. If it's too complicated then remove the (typically) three defenders and play seven-on-seven. I know I'm making this sound too simple but there are ways to adjust the game to increase scoring within those 120 minutes.

 

I'm all for changing the rules to encourage wins brought about by on-field success, and not the penalty spot. But there's a huge difference between hockey and soccer. In hockey the goalie only leaves his spot when they are down a goal with less than 2 minutes left (usually much later in the game: 1 minute or so left). He doesn't leave in overtime and just let 5 v 6 all OT. Another goal against them in the waning seconds of the game doesn't really matter if they are going to lose anyway.

 

Soccer employs the same tactic. If there is a corner with less than a minute left, and the team taking the corner is down 1 goal, they will pull their goalie and have him try to score a goal.

Speaking of handling the pressure, that free kick by England in the first have was about as perfect as it gets. 

 

 

Tottenham Hotspur are the feature club of this World Cup so far. My God.