Interesting that the ref was prepared to send the player off and give a pen though, compared to the Denmark one the other night - the challenges were quite similar in that both defenders were the wrong side and deliberately stopped the striker from taking the shot.
I know one was a pull and one was a trip but neither was a genuine attempt to play the ball. Seems to be that as long as you dangle a foot out it is automatically deemed an attempt to play the ball in refs eyes and therefore not a red.
In the other one the defender attempted to get the ball, certainly enough of an attempt to give him the benefit of the doubt
Interesting that the ref was prepared to send the player off and give a pen though, compared to the Denmark one the other night - the challenges were quite similar in that both defenders were the wrong side and deliberately stopped the striker from taking the shot.
I know one was a pull and one was a trip but neither was a genuine attempt to play the ball. Seems to be that as long as you dangle a foot out it is automatically deemed an attempt to play the ball in refs eyes and therefore not a red.
IMO and obviously the refs the Danish player tried to get the ball, in fact he was very close to doing so.
Does everyone appreciate that these players are not wearing soft soled running shoes but hard studded football boots?
Obviously Neymar was trodden on and the Mexican should have received a red or yellow card.
But even the 7 year old who was watching with me commented on Neymar's play acting.
Please tell me you did recognise that his rolling and writhing was acting ? Not to mention the fact that he was as right as rain straight after.
Try pressing down on something with the front of your foot with your ankle on the floor at a similar angle. It's an extremely weak muscle. There's no leverage. I'm sure it didn't hurt one bit.
Regardless of if it hurt or not. There is no need for the reaction afterwards. Nor the first time we’ve seen him roll around, and won’t be the last.
Have FIFA ordered the refs not to issue reds in anything other than the most extreme circumstance? No red for a headbutt in our game, no red in the SWE v SWI game, no red for Ronaldo. There's been plenty of other incidents that could have seen red, and some have even been referred to VAR and then ignored. Certainly seems like FIFA don't want red cards to "mar" matches.
Have FIFA ordered the refs not to issue reds in anything other than the most extreme circumstance? No red for a headbutt in our game, no red in the SWE v SWI game, no red for Ronaldo. There's been plenty of other incidents that could have seen red, and some have even been referred to VAR and then ignored. Certainly seems like FIFA don't want red cards to "mar" matches.
But there was a red in the Sweden game at the end, and the Ronaldo incident was barely a foul, let alone a red.
The only one they have got wrong was last night, they should have let the referee look at it for himself
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Brilliant - Wrighty totally loses his shit
I'm going with France v Brazil and Croatia v England semi finals.
Brazil v Belgium - Friday 7pm on BBC
Sweden v England - Saturday 3pm on BBC
Russia v Croatia - Saturday 7pm on ITV
Belgium will beat Brazil
Croatia will beat Russia
??????????
Belgium vs ???? Final
If we get Russia then we'd have the crowd, FIFA and probably the match officials all against us. And we'd likely get no VAR decisions either.
The only one they have got wrong was last night, they should have let the referee look at it for himself