World Cup 2026 - USA/Canada/Mexico

ElfsborgAddick said:

Briston_Addick said:

Manic_mania said:

fenaddick said:

Manic_mania said:

PragueAddick said:

CAFCTrev said:

killerandflash said:

The problem is the unofficial rule that fouls in the penalty box need to be stronger to be given, than anywhere else on the pitch. That slight nudge on the half way line is given as a foul, whereas you wouldn't award a penalty for it if the same offence was in the box, or else you'd have 10 penalties a game.

There were 2 very minor fouls on Egyptian players before the 3rd goal. If they had been done elsewhere on the pitch they might have been given, but no way were the 2 enough to give a penalty.

The ideal scenario would have been to disallow the 3rd goal, but also not award a penalty, but that's not allowed!

The reason for that is the punishment for a foul in the penalty area is a free shot at goal with only the goalkeeper to beat, giving the attacking team an extremely high chance of scoring. Because the reward is so significant, the threshold for awarding a penalty should be much higher than it is for giving a free kick anywhere else on the pitch.

Well as @killerandflash  says above, it's an "unofficial rule", whatever that is, but I have certainly heard it confirmed by several journalists who have been talking to VAR officials.  As far as I'm concerned, and I'm in very good company in this among the commentariat, a foul is a foul. So what if a sly tug on the shirt results in a penalty kick? If the players know perfectly well that that's going to be the punishment, then you won't get the tug on the shirt any more (as also said earlier).

If we've got "unofficial rules", we're in big trouble. it means that the game's administrators are trying to run things surreptitiously without us noticing or telling us. If this is what is happening, higher thresholds for fouls in the penalty area, then I certainly wouldn't be surprised if unofficially refs are allowed or even encouraged to play a few seconds more than the allotted time just to see what happens at that corner, or whatever. That's not on either. 

agree with the post in general but this bib needs A LOT more scrutiny IMO - we had a whole extra minute for absolutely no reason added in the Mexico game just because they forced an extra corner -it's an outrageous overstretch of the laws of the game that has ZERO merit and it happens ALL the time

edit to add because I am legitimately so mad about this one - if a mm or two is so important in an offiside, if a slight touch in the penalty area triggers a VAR check, then play to the god damn time that is added unless there is an actual reason other than a corner kick or there's a team  attacking in the final third 

The reason is that it's a minimum amount of time given, not a set amount. All it takes is a stoppage of 30 seconds to a minute and the ref is justified in playing on past the amount given

Yeah but that doesn't justify adding on extra time on top just because a team happens to be attacking - if there are no injury stoppages during the added on time then the ref should blow up at the minimum amount - not add on a minute because a team gets a corner

Sounds like a member of the Clive Thomas Fan Club.

(Kids, ask your grandparents about that one )

Clive 'the book' Thomas.

I remember that incident vividly.

Lincsaddick said:

1/4 final winners .. France, Spain, England, Argentina ..  

fenaddick said:

Can both teams lose?