FOOTBALL 2022 FIFA World Cup

[Wolfie]

now it's Portugal's players turn to bitch about the refs. Pepe and Bruno Fernandes have said the nationality of the refs affected the outcome of their game against Morocco. Referee Facundo Tello, his two assistants and the video assistant referee were all from Argentina.

their coach has a differing view

Pepe said:

“It’s unacceptable for an Argentine referee to referee our game,” Pepe said on Portuguese television.

“After what happened yesterday, with (Lionel) Messi talking, all of Argentina talking, and the referee comes here.

“After what I saw today, they can give the title to Argentina now.”

“What did we play in the second half? The goalkeeper dropped to the ground. There were only eight minutes of stoppage time. We worked hard and the referee (only added on) eight minutes.”

Bruno Fernandes said:

“We already know how it works … before the game we already knew what we were in for, and what kind of referee we would find,”

“I don’t know if they’re going to give the trophy to Argentina.

“I don’t care, I’m going to say what I think and screw them. It’s very weird that a ref officiates us from a country still in the competition.

“Clearly they’ve tilted the field against us.

“Unfortunately, in these competitions, where there are no Portuguese referees, there are referees from teams that are still in the competition.

“It seems strange to me, to say the least, but I don’t want to get into that, because that’s not the only reason we lost.

“The referee gave two minutes of injury time in the first half and eight in the second. In this second half, the game was stopped, at minimum, for between 15 and 20 minutes.”

Fernandes added: “We knew that we would play against much more than just Morocco.”


Fernando Santos said:

“I don’t think so, I think he could have called for a foul on one or two (more) occasions but generally speaking I don’t think so,”

“I think we could have done more and we didn’t do so. I don’t think we should blame the referee, it doesn’t make sense.”

I cant recall a tournament where one round has had so much controversy with Refs.

 

[Foordy]

England have joined the chorus of whinging about the ref.

Jude Bellingham said:

“Not great if I’m being honest, not great. Anyone can have a bad game, players and referees. I think he wasn’t where he should have been today in terms of the level for a game like this.

“But there are more factors as to why we lost, this definitely isn’t me putting it all on him, we were the ones who played the game, but yeah I don’t think he was at the level tonight.

“I think there were a few [fouls] around the box in the first half, we are deadly at set pieces, and I think any one of those can make the difference.”

Harry Maguire said:

“Really poor, very poor. From minute one, there were five, six fouls in the first 15 minutes, not one yellow card. It’s a foul for the first goal, leading up to it on Bukayo.

“I can’t really go into explaining how bad his performance was. I don’t want to go into too much because I’ll end up getting fined. But even though the big decisions were wrong he never gave us anything, throughout the game he was really poor.”

 

[pennywisealfie]

Great night. Portugal and England out on the same day. Christmas has come a few weeks early.

 

[BroncosFever]

Can't see anyone beating France

They've got so much quality, even if you managed to shut them down for 80 minutes they're just as likely to bang one into the top corner from the edge of the box as they are to beat you with their pace through Mbappe and Dembele

 

[The True King]

Mbappe will get all plaudits if France go all the way this World Cup but if you're looking for a sneaky value bet for Golden Ball it has to be Griezmann.

He's very quietly tearing teams to shreds, will come into his own towards the back end of the tournament..

Starting to wish I had loaded up more on this.

 

[Super Freak]

England have a point with the no foul on Saka in the lead up to France’s first goal. It should have been a free kick to England instead France score from the counter.

In saying that, Tchouameni never should have been able to score that goal. France picked apart England’s middle with ease and created the space for Tchouameni to get a shot in like that. Can’t blame the keeper too much on that one, it was a fucking quality strike that even the best in the world would not have saved.

There were several moments where England players got shoulders in the back as they were going for the ball around France’s box and the ref just waved play on instead of giving the free kick.

It wasn’t the best performance from the ref but really England should not have lost that. They had France in all sorts but they took their foot off the throat for a few moments and Griezmann was able to deliver a quality cross to Giroud. Maguire should have been all over Giroud but a lapse of concentration, which is a common theme for Maguire, led to Giroud having a clean header in front of the goal.

 

[The True King]

England have a point with the no foul on Saka in the lead up to France’s first goal. It should have been a free kick to England instead France score from the counter.

In saying that, Tchouameni never should have been able to score that goal. France picked apart England’s middle with ease and created the space for Tchouameni to get a shot in like that. Can’t blame the keeper too much on that one, it was a fucking quality strike that even the best in the world would not have saved.

There were several moments where England players got shoulders in the back as they were going for the ball around France’s box and the ref just waved play on instead of giving the free kick.

It wasn’t the best performance from the ref but really England should not have lost that. They had France in all sorts but they took their foot off the throat for a few moments and Griezmann was able to deliver a quality cross to Giroud. Maguire should have been all over Giroud but a lapse of concentration, which is a common theme for Maguire, led to Giroud having a clean header in front of the goal.

Take nothing away from the shot but I genuinely think there's a few keepers that save it. Positioning wasn't as good as it could have been and he's not the tallest either.

This last point is exactly what many thought would end up costing England. You can only afford to carry players who have a mistake in them for so long, in the big games it will cost you.

France are marching to the cup. I can only see Messi stopping them.

 

[BroncosFever]

France are marching to the cup. I can only see Messi stopping them.

If Argentina somehow do win the World Cup it will be because the team as a whole played well, not because of Messi and to be perfectly honest about it, they haven't played that well.

They beat us 2-1 and we had at least 2 massive chances to tie that game up, against the Netherlands it went to penalties (anyone can win at that point).

 

[Wolfie]

If Argentina somehow do win the World Cup it will be because the team as a whole played well, not because of Messi and to be perfectly honest about it, they haven't played that well.

They beat us 2-1 and we had at least 2 massive chances to tie that game up, against the Netherlands it went to penalties (anyone can win at that point).

Argentina right now have the look of a team that are having everything go their way. I can see them winning it. There are better teams but they just seem to have the luck.

 

[Harry Sack]

Starting to wish I had loaded up more on this.

Fingers crossed. I had a bonus bet that I tossed on it lol.

 

[The True King]

If Argentina somehow do win the World Cup it will be because the team as a whole played well, not because of Messi and to be perfectly honest about it, they haven't played that well.

They beat us 2-1 and we had at least 2 massive chances to tie that game up, against the Netherlands it went to penalties (anyone can win at that point).

Reason I singled out Messi is that he's a bloke that can stand up in a big moment.

Regardless of how Argentina have looked, they have a knack of winning games. If they get to the final he's the guy who will give them a chance.

Fingers crossed. I had a bonus bet that I tossed on it lol.

Down to $21 now. I don't think he's too far behind Mbappe so far. If he does what he did in the QF again in the next two games he will get it.

 

[Super Freak]

Argentina got their wish with the ref they had in their match against Netherlands sent home and will no longer take part in this WC.

That ref is the reason why Messi is allowed to take part in the Semi Final. That yellow card Messi got should have been his second if the ref did his job and booked him for that deliberate handball.

 

[Renegade]

Argentina 1-0

Clear penalty. In days gone by that's a red and Croatia are down to 10. Yellow is the correct call tho.

 

[Renegade]

2-0 Argentina. Alvarez scores a lucky solo with about 4 ricochets mid dribble.

 

[scobie]

Argentina 1-0

Clear penalty. In days gone by that's a red and Croatia are down to 10. Yellow is the correct call tho.

Man I don't know about that. How does the goalkeeper avoid that collision? I mean his feet are planted and Alvarez' momentum takes him into him.

 

[Super Freak]

It’s all over for Croatia.

I gave them a chance of snaring an equaliser and perhaps taking it to penalties if they kept it to 1-0, but they didn’t. Argentina have just been too good for them.

 

[Renegade]

Man I don't know about that. How does the goalkeeper avoid that collision? I mean his feet are planted and Alvarez' momentum takes him into him.

It's unfortunate but Alvarez knocks it past him and it's a goal scoring opportunity denied.

 

[scobie]

It's unfortunate but Alvarez knocks it past him and it's a goal scoring opportunity denied.

Yeah totally agree on that. You're technically right. But still, I guess my point is, what is the keeper supposed to do there? Disappear or jump out of the way? It's a tough one for me.