World Cup 2010

Well,

We are watching the World Cup now. It is Nederlands against Spain and it is 0-0 and the 2nd overtime now. My wife is Dutch so she is really excited about Holland winning this thing. I don't know much at all about soccer but what I have seen, I'm not too excited about the refs. It seems they miss important calls when anyone trys to score. I think they need more refs on the field or instant replay.

The trouble is that the 'professional' players are both over-paid and cheats.
They have no honour - if they treated football as a game there'd be little need for a referee.

MikeO, I have to agree. I've seen some nasty acts done to opposing players, and some pretty poor referees. I would have carded many more players.
It is a great game, too bad there isn't a lot of appreciation for the game here in the states.

Ride safe!

wes_ingram wrote:

MikeO, I have to agree. I've seen some nasty acts done to opposing players, and some pretty poor referees. I would have carded many more players.

I was surprised that the Holland vs Spain referees yellow carded everyone but yet failed to red card this check out the video ( http://www.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-2010/nigel-de-jongs-karate-kick-on-xabi-alonso.html )

I think everyone was surprised but it seemed likely the referee was unsighted/ in the 'wrong' position.
I refereed junior football for 30 years and know the difficulties even with youngsters....... and with adults? - no thanks!

I listened to the Today programme on BBC Radio 4 this morning and it was pointed out that the onus is on the players, especially the leading Internationals, to 'play the game' and behave properly.
Clearly they did not.

There has been much criticism of the Dutch team and their aggressive approach but I watched the whole match and it was abundantly clear that the Spaniards set out to stifle the game to keep the Dutch out of it.

It's time for technology to take a part, IMHO, but I am convinced that players showing dissent in the way both teams did yesterday should be sent immediately from the pitch, if only to a Rugby-style 'sin-bin' for ten minutes.
I don't know about the major sports in the US but Cricket, Tennis, Rugby of both sorts and most others played here do not tolerate arguing, nor do the players do it very often, with the referee/umpire/judge.

It needs also to be recognised that most officials at these events are amateurs at least and semi-professionals at best. Football referees get match fees and expenses but little else unless things have changed recently. That is not to say they don't know what they're doing - most of them have played themselves and, unlike most of the people they referee, are professionals with brains in their own fields.

The referee last night was under pressure from all sides; the players, of course, the organisers and the world public who wanted to see a match worthy of the World Cup. To send off several players would have destroyed it completely - it is the players and they alone who must take responsibilty for what happened.

Frankly, I can only tolerate the game now - it has degenerated into a very poor sport, ruled by the players who set very bad examples*, are paid (I won't say 'earn') far too much money and give precious little value for it.

*I spent many years telling my children that spitting on the pitch was neither necessary nor hygienic!