Croatia through on PKs 3:2.
They'll face Russia on Saturday.
They'll face Russia on Saturday.
World Cup 2018
Peoria Illini
- Peoria, IL
That was a crazy 2nd half, unbelieveable. Looks like Japan got caught thinking Belgium was playing for the OT.
Regarding the Croatia game: I was a little surprised that the rules call for a PK even though the offensive player had a clear unobstructed shot on goal. I would have thought that they could award the goal without a PK.
Peoria Illini
- Peoria, IL
I'm not sure that's ever been the case. That used to be a straight red card, and then the penalty kick, but FIFA has softened that in some instances to avoid what they call a triple penalty. (PK, losing a man for the rest of the match and then same guy suspended for the next game).
A red card can be given if it's a blatant or egregious foul, but the Denmark player tried to make a play on the ball, even though he was coming from behind, so the ref chose to just give him a yellow card instead of what used to be an automatic red.
SampsonRelpenk
- Edwardsville, IL
I thought both teams were playing aggressively for the win at the end, something you usually don't see. Japan just got caught on a lethal counter right at the death.
Here are the quarterfinal match-ups:
Uruguay vs. France
Brazil vs. Belgium
Russia vs. Croatia
Sweden vs. England
Matches start up again on Friday with Uruguay-France and Brazil-Belgium.
Uruguay vs. France
Brazil vs. Belgium
Russia vs. Croatia
Sweden vs. England
Matches start up again on Friday with Uruguay-France and Brazil-Belgium.
Colombian striker Radamel Falcao is accusing American referee Mark Geiger of showing favoritism towards England in yesterday's match.
Wasnt aware of that, thanks. I suppose like most everything else it depends on severity of the foul. If a play on the ball is made I can understand the just the PK. If it is blatant and just a way to stop a shot from getting off it seems like it almost be beneficial to throw someone to the ground.
Was definitely a rough game to watch.
bredhartmann
- Centralia, IL
Geiger was pretty awful (as anyone who watches CONCACAF would know) but he certainly wasn’t favoring England. Colombia should be embarrassed at the way they handled themselves in that game.
Peoria Illini
- Peoria, IL
I think it was a tough game to call for any ref. Geiger's main problem IMO is that he let the game get out of hand midway through the first half, then it was nearly impossible to reign in.
Here's the problem that refs face. When you have a South American/Central American team (not named Brazil or Argentina), they are going to hack the crap out of any team that is more skilled than them. They are banking on the refs not being able to call everything (Kind of like Wisky basketball back in the days of Bo Ryan, LOL). If you couple that with the fact that refs are going to be hesitant to issue red cards in a World Cup knockout game for fear of "influencing the game" too much, then there is the possibility of the crap game we saw.
Once England saw that Geiger was reticent to issue cards to calm the game down, they started dropping on any contact like Neymar, LOL, and that added to lack of control.
A couple of yellow cards about midway through the first half to stop the Columbian hack a shaq defense, and that game should have calmed down.
The hacking by Central American teams is what gave the US such a hard time in qualifying because we didn't stand up to it. Those teams came in to the games with the mindset to foul Pulisic whenever he got the ball to break his rhythm and muck the game up. When that happens you need someone on the US to send a message back to the other team, to stand up for your teammate, and we didn't have that. Need to kind of have the "Chicago Way" attitude in games like that.
I doubt Geiger gets another game this world cup on the field. He'll be in the VAR booth, I'm guessing.
But Falcao's complaint about Geiger is nothing more than sour grapes, IMO.
Peoria Illini
- Peoria, IL
My guess for the center ref for the two semis:
Brych from Germany
Cakir from Turkey
Either one of those guys could do the final or 3rd place game. Pintana may get the 3rd place game. Ricci may be in play for the final as well, but not if Brazil is involved.
Brych from Germany
Cakir from Turkey
Either one of those guys could do the final or 3rd place game. Pintana may get the 3rd place game. Ricci may be in play for the final as well, but not if Brazil is involved.
Only 3rd time in World Cup history (1982, Spain; 2006, Germany) that it's guaranteed to be an all European final. Only team to make at least semis in all 3: France. Finished 4th in 1982. Finished runners-up in 2006.
England through to the semis.
Deleted member 645583
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Guest
I just can't get into soccer (and I grew up in St. Louis, which was (is?) the capital of US soccer,
The sport, to me, looks like something my gym teachers would do when they couldn't come up with anything else: just throw out some balls and see what happens.
But the world loves football; and I love the atmosphere of World Cup. And the melodramatics! For whom do I root? England, I guess.
Watching Russkies versus Croatia right now. That Croatian goal looked kinda bogus - a header that manages to evade a defender AND a goalie?
All of you, enjoy World Cup.
P.S. I love the Geico "sliding" commercial. I went to high school in St. Louis with children of Ollie Bohlman, member of 1950 US World Cup team which, I think, finished third. His son was a great wrestler.
Russia just scored - 2-2.
I'm watching; it is exciting. But you gotta wait 90 minutes for real action. Same as in a lot of sports, I guess.
The sport, to me, looks like something my gym teachers would do when they couldn't come up with anything else: just throw out some balls and see what happens.
But the world loves football; and I love the atmosphere of World Cup. And the melodramatics! For whom do I root? England, I guess.
Watching Russkies versus Croatia right now. That Croatian goal looked kinda bogus - a header that manages to evade a defender AND a goalie?
All of you, enjoy World Cup.
P.S. I love the Geico "sliding" commercial. I went to high school in St. Louis with children of Ollie Bohlman, member of 1950 US World Cup team which, I think, finished third. His son was a great wrestler.
Russia just scored - 2-2.
I'm watching; it is exciting. But you gotta wait 90 minutes for real action. Same as in a lot of sports, I guess.
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Croatia through to the semis on PKs 4-3.
Soccer is still definitely a niche sport here in the states but it's popularity has grown and grown, especially in the last decade. While I can understand why people still don't like it (and I hate the people that say "no one watches soccer" though really people will say "no one watches (insert random sport here)" for a lot of less popular sports here in the states in spite of the fact the statement in and of itself is categorically false), if you can get emotionally invested into it, it really is a beautiful sport to watch. My recommendation if you want to get into it is to watch the English Premier League when it starts back up again next month. Most of the matches are played on weekends either in the morning or early afternoon which pretty much gives you the rest of the day to do whatever you want.
Deleted member 645583
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Guest
Excellent response.
What I like most about soccer is that so many American children are playing the game. Get out there: run, kick, go ape! Any kid can do that; it comes naturally. Great exercise.
My problem: I was born clutching a bat, a ball and a glove.
You want exciting? Cubs have just tied it up against Reds. Don't need no penalty kicks or sudden death.
At 4:30 or so, Cubs up 8-7
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Deleted member 645583
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Guest
Sorry, everybody, Dan, too. I will post later at appropiate site, but:
Cubs win, 8-7, after being down four runs in the 8th.
Watch highlights:nothing beats baseball, especially in the sunshine at Wrigley Field
Thanks.
To be site-appropriate: Soccer fine by me.
Cubs win, 8-7, after being down four runs in the 8th.
Watch highlights:nothing beats baseball, especially in the sunshine at Wrigley Field
Thanks.
To be site-appropriate: Soccer fine by me.
Understandable. But that's why opening yourself up to more sports can make you a more well rounded sports fan as a whole. You don't necessarily have to be a diehard fan or anything like that but at least open yourself up to other sports and try to become at least somewhat knowledgeable in those sports.
As far as the running aspect of it that you mentioned, it's not unusual, especially on a World Cup stage for a player to run 7 or 8 miles total in the match. If there's one thing that can be appreciated with soccer players, it's their endurance.
Deleted member 645583
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Guest
Also played baseball in Catholic youth league in St. Louis against Pat Leahy.
Who?
Leahy: Augustinian Academy, SLU soccer All-American, NY Jets place-kicker.
Why didn't I play soccer? One of the all-time unanswered mysteries. We, from Chicago, thought it was peculiar and un-American if we thought of soccer at all.. Kidding, sort of.
My footnote to Pat's career: I hit one over his head in center field for a homer. St. Thomas More beat St. Ann (Anne'?) that day. We were 13 y.ears old. Boy, could I hit way back then.
Who?
Leahy: Augustinian Academy, SLU soccer All-American, NY Jets place-kicker.
Why didn't I play soccer? One of the all-time unanswered mysteries. We, from Chicago, thought it was peculiar and un-American if we thought of soccer at all.. Kidding, sort of.
My footnote to Pat's career: I hit one over his head in center field for a homer. St. Thomas More beat St. Ann (Anne'?) that day. We were 13 y.ears old. Boy, could I hit way back then.
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