FIFA 71


A Brazilian defeat would have been a disaster for FIFA, sharpening the Brazilian anti-corruption, anti-FIFA protest movement. A conspiracy theorist might say that explains the appalling refereeing decisions. Others might say that is nonsense and the referee was just honestly incompetent. As a complete neutral who loves football, my evening’s enjoyment was ruined either way. If the officials are going to behave like this, why not skip the next month and just give the cup to Brazil now?


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71 thoughts on “FIFA

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  • Chee Bai Charlie

    The referee has a second or so to make a decision on the penalty. With the luxury of slow mo replay we see the Croatian laying hands on the Brasilian before the Brasilian went down like a sack of potatoes. In my view it was a dive but the referee’s decision to award the penalty was understandable.

    I encourage you to follow the excellent blog by Declan Murphy who is an authority on the subject of match fixing and the very curious secret trial in Singapore of the alledged ringleader Dan Tan. http://declanhill.com/blog/

  • Steve

    Chee Bai calls it right on the penalty. A very soft penalty but the defender can’t really complain as he had his hand on his shoulder. If you don’t want the ref to call a soft penalty don’t give him any opportunity to do so.

    As Craig says, it most definitely changed the dynamic of the game but saying that the disallowed goal was the big blunder by the officials. Linesmen are pretty useless when it comes down to it.

    Come on England!

  • DoNNyDarKo

    It was disgraceful refereeing.I’d say that Brazil has not just spent money on stadiums.

  • nevermind

    bang on Craig 10.36, the goalie was noty fouled at all, what a shameless game as an opener.
    Football has been highjacked by gambling syndicates and Fifa corruption.
    Predicted the score yesterday, todays match will see Cameron win, love to see a final between an African and South American team.
    fat chance with stuff like this happening.

  • Jives

    The fix is in?

    Now,were Engerlund to do surprisingly well at the World Cup and then someone arranged for The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to be shambolic who would benefit the most by this come the Referendum?

    It would certainly give the Don’t Knows pause for thought.

    Could such a scenario be fixed?

    Maybe Blatter knows 🙂

  • doug scorgie

    Edvarga
    13 Jun, 2014 – 12:43 am

    “…But i could be mistaken.”

    Yes you are Edvarga, completely mistaken.

  • Craig P

    Referees tend to give the bigger team the benefit of the doubt, it is prevalent across all leagues… or perhaps players for better teams are also just better actors…

  • Edvarga

    Doug Scorgie
    that’s always possible.
    It could be that West is afraid Eduardo Campos and Marina Silva could win the elections in October and this would be an worse option than status quo.

    Regarding Brazil-Venezuela relationship i have to rely on what twitter tells me. And Eva Golinger tweets absolutely nothing about world cup protest like you would normally expect from government like Venezuela. Left Wing La Jornada from Mexico has many stories about it.

  • Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) !

    “Edvarga
    13 Jun, 2014 – 12:43 am

    “…But i could be mistaken.”

    Yes you are Edvarga, completely mistaken.”
    _________________________

    Links and sources to back up that opinion please, Mr Scorgie.

    Thank you.

  • Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) !

    Jives

    “Now,were Engerlund to do surprisingly well at the World Cup and then someone arranged for The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow to be shambolic who would benefit the most by this come the Referendum?”
    ________________________

    Keep fantasizing, Jonathan – what number is that particular alibi for the forthcoming NO vote?

    And now, of to bed with you, you’re only allowed out at night! 🙂

  • Jives

    Habbabkuk-Turvey,

    Tbh i couldnt give a flying feck about the outcome of the referendum.

    There are no countries left just militarised corporations intent on our battery-henization.

    Whatever the outcome i predict same old same old shit.

    In fact when you consider it battery hen enclosures are like an old stained string vest.

  • Mary

    This is rather badly worded. About the BBC ident running at the moment.

    ‘Football 7 October 2006 – Present
    Filmed at the Haberdashers Estate in North London and directed by Howard Greenhalgh, a circle of footballers kick their balls in time into the centre, so smaller rings form inside the circle of players. Usually used to introduce sports programming.’

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_One_'Circle'_idents

    A version of this is being used for the World Cup.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMoDhBHgrDM

  • Courtenay Barnett

    O.K.

    I must tackle Craig, Graham and this defender as I feriouciously attack to win. So we go this man:-

    ” Jives

    13 Jun, 2014 – 3:22 am

    “CB ^

    Most match fixers have admitted they prefer when they buy the ref AND 2,or ideally 3,players on one team to rig the game.

    It’s often almost impossible to spot-even by fellow pro players.

    But i cant comment on this match as i didnt see it.”

    Now – I just finished watching the 5 to 3 defeat in favour of Holland versus Spain.

    What will live in my football memory is the diving header from the Holland striker.
    An absolutely brilliant goal if ever I have seen one.

    Then we have one of the strikers receive the ball – turn brilliantly then use a left footer once he saw the space open and he scores.

    Some things can be bought for, staged, paid for – but not this 5-1.

    I was with friends and I declared at onset that I thought that Spain would win. I was 5 goals wrong – so guess this call cost me.

    However, FIFA has serious, very serious problems – but – appreciate great football when you see it played.

    I now pass the ball to all of you fellow fans – but you got it first Craig – so let me see how you play.

    Cheers.
    Courtenay

  • Mary

    Along with a letter from my MP attempting to explain away my concerns about and objections to tracking, I received two A4 envelopes which were not addressed to me. So much for the privatised Royal Mail. To cap it all, there was also a copy of The Sun, the same one that got Millipede into trouble for being photographed holding one, as did Cameron and Clegg incidentally.

  • Courtenay Barnett

    TO ALL

    I accept that there is bribery – corruption and dishonesty in the world.

    However, I watch the games with these two eyes of mine.

    I process the information – just like Craig, Graham, and all you others.

    We all draw conclusions.

    Question: when a match is won by two, three or four goals ( just check out Spain v. Holland – or – Holland v. Spain – whatever) then tell me for a moment that after the 1-1 – the diving header by the Hollander striker could at all have been something stage-managed by even the greatest Hollywood producer.

    Sometimes a legitimate defeat is just that.

    Ball passed to you Craig. Not that I didn’t see my team-mates – just because I wanted to give the other side a fair chance.
    CB

  • Jives

    CB.^

    Lol…nice one…i enjoyed your dazzling attacking skill but as a wily old holding midfielder warhorse i will sheperd your flair play into the non-danger zone down our well-covered flank.

    I agree with you inre: tonights type of game but i still believe any match can be bought/fixed.

    Hells,some fixers even try to arrange whole countries never mind fitba’ matches!

    We’ll call it a gentlemanly draw between usi feel 🙂

    Sick as a parrot but over the moon..

    Cheers CB 🙂

  • BrianFujisan

    Daniel

    You reckon ?

    Amazing the way The Spanish were taken apart..Wow.

    I’m with Japan Though 🙂

  • Mary

    In case you thought I was off topic about the efficiency or lack of it by the Royal Mail, I now see that they were lumbered with delivering Murdoch’s 22m copies of the special edition. Mine went straight into the recycling unread.

    No wonder the post was being wrongly delivered.

    12 June 2014 – 8:16am | posted by John Glenday | 0 comments

    The Sun to deliver special World Cup edition to every home in England, except Liverpool

    News UK, publisher of The Sun, has distributed copies of its flagship title to every home in England as part of a World Cup marketing initiative which will see it reach an audience of 48.3m adults.

    22 million copies of the 24 page special World Cup Pride edition of the tabloid is being delivered free of charge by the Royal Mail, except for Liverpool where ongoing Hillsborough sensibilities persist, to mark the opening of the summer sporting spectacular in Brazil.

    /..
    http://www.thedrum.com/news/2014/06/12/sun-deliver-special-world-cup-edition-every-home-england-except-liverpool

    It would be nice if Moya Greene delivered 22m pieces of our mail FOC rather than charging us 60p a go. If you post a parcel nowadays, the cost of the postage often exceeds the value of the contents.

  • A Node

    I agree with Craig’s reasoning as to why a win for Brazil would be highly desirable. Then, all that is required is for a FIFA official to give a nod and a wink to the referee – nothing overt, just a hint, eg “The police will be busy tonight if Brazil lose.”

    You don’t get to be a top referee (or politician or journalist, etc) without recognising which way the wind is blowing. If he wishes to continue to officiate the big matches, he will look for opportunities to favour Brazil. He got them, he took them.

    By the way, as a born and bred Scot, I’d like to take the opportunity to wish England the very best of luck today and for the rest of the tournament.

    COME ON ENGERLAAAAAND!!!!

  • Jives

    Rupert Murdoch is a thing which hides behind doors in order to give good people a fright when they walk into a room.

    Nasty cove indeed.

  • Jives

    There’s been a noticeable lack of hysteria surrounding Engerlund in the run up to this World Cup,particularly from the MSM.

    The realisation that Hodgson’s squad is young and inexperienced may have reduced the normal hype which usually serves to hamstring the players due to the pressure on them.

    Thus Engerlund might fare better than in the last few comps.

    Anyway im supporting whoever finally ousts Blatter rather than any team.

  • Mary

    The Geopolitics of the World Cup
    by Pepe Escobar / June 13th, 2014
    http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/06/the-geopolitics-of-the-world-cup/

    [..]
    ‘The World Cup — the greatest show on earth — kicks off just as a relentless Made in the West (client states included) anti-Chinese and anti-Russian propaganda/downright vilification shatters all known hysteria levels.

    And that means the BRICS are a target; in the case of Brazil, an emerging power sitting strategically over the bulk of the Amazon rainforest just as progressive Latin American integration has dared to turn the Monroe Doctrine into (branded) toilet paper.

    Recently, Brazil brought at least 30 million people out of poverty. China invests in medical care and education. Russia refuses to be bullied as in the drunkard Yeltsin years. In the past few years, the World Cup has been all about the BRICS: South Africa in 2010, Brazil now, and Russia in 2018. Qatar in 2022 — if it ever happens — is more like a Gulf petrodollar-fueled bribery racket gone wrong.’

    /..

  • Goodwin

    A bad referee’s decision plus the Croatian goalie was either blatantly paid off or blatantly incompetent from what I saw.

  • Mary

    The Colombia Greece game was fast flowing and enjoyable to watch. Such exuberant people in the Colombian crowd too.

  • Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) !

    Mary

    “Such exuberant people in the Colombian crowd too.”
    ______________

    If they were English, you’d probably say they were high on cocaine.

    Silly woman.

  • Mary aka Habbabkuk's Bitch

    Do you know you are doing it (trolling) again or can’t you help yourself?

  • BrianFujisan

    well observed mary…

    Though After Brasil… the best fans in ze world are THE TARTARN ARMY…

    Japan game was great…Last night

    MESSI goal was supreme Tonight/ this morning..Ivory coast to win the Cup./ or Japan…/ or MESSI.

    P.s… MODs he/ she /it aint breaking any laws..careful that way aint it… but open sexism… Craig ..Mods FFS

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