Apparently someone predicted that Cameroon would lose 4-0 to Croatia and have a man sent off in the first half. Unfortunately for them, the man in question is Wilson Raj Perumal, a convicted match-fixer from Singapore and his prediction was made to Der Spiegel, a weekly German paper. He claimed that the game was fixed and that he could tell them exactly what was going to happen. Oh dear. As for Robben, I think that it was a penalty, unfortunately. Marquez steps on his toes, though the theatrical dive from Robben was a bit much. Should definitely have had one in the first half, anyway. Two players fouled him and neither got the slightest touch on the ball. Harsh on Mexico, but that's the way these tournaments go. Not van Gaal's finest moment.
Complete dive by Robben to "win" the game for the Dutch. But that's ok because he's a "great player". To me a player forfeits the right to be called a great player if they are at the same time they are a cheat. But will anyone ever call a cheat a cheat? No. They come up with different names for it like simulation, and they also blame anyone else. For example, in order to avoid considering whether Robben cheated, the commentators blamed the Mexican defender for leaving his leg in for Robben to fall over. So that's ok then it seems. It isn't cheating if there's legs around to deliberately fall over. Apparently that makes cheating ok. I don't blame the ref as such because it must be almost impossible to work out what is a dive and what isn't. But the video was available the instant the incident happened and an experienced ref with access to a monitor, I believe, would have seen enough doubt there to overturn the decision. IMHO unless there is no doubt there can't be a penalty. I hate it when games are decided by cheating.
"There was contact". Since when was that cause for a foul? You hear it all the time. It's now at the stage where commentators and analysts are not only condoning diving by using phrases like the one above or "he was clever and bought that" which is bad enough. I've now heard Michael Owen, Patrick Viera and someone else actually PRAISING the quality of some of the cheating. It is sick. Remember all those years ago there was the tabloid storm over Vinnie Jones' book cos he talked about professional fouls and the dark arts of the game? He got a big old ban and fine didn't he? Nowadays he'd get a seat next to Adrian Chiles describing in detail how clever all the cheating is and what a good job they're all doing for their teams. Kids would be shown exactly what was good about the way the player got into the box and ensured "there was contact". Though of course that is what's happening - only it's World Cup winners and hugely talented ex-players salivating over the cheating. And Martin Keown. TBH I think there was a strong case for Robben's - the defender did tread on his foot. Clumsy and unintentional but a foul. Robben should still get a yellow for the swan dive. Of course that would entail about 10-20 yellow cards a game just for simulation but only for a short while. Video technology for retrospective five-match bans for any simulation would sort it out within a month.
There was a clear foul on Robben. Marquez planted his foot and Robben, cutting inside, tripped over it. Robben's theatrics in falling over as if shot is a different matter. I don't see anything inconsistent in correctly awarding the penalty, but also booking Robben for simulation.
Watching Mexico lose hurt. The fact that it was due to the thoroughly despicable Robben cheating again made it worse. In the end they lost by taking the lead. As long as it was a contest waiting for a goal, I think they were going to win most of the time. But they crazily retreated and prayed against a Dutch team very likely to score and paid the price. They needed to watch how Algeria continued to play aggressively when they got the lead. I was a long time semisupporter of Dos, and can remember a number of things he did right at WHL. But I think he may not have been quite good enough for the number ten role for Spurs even so, and can understand the decision to move him on. His stats this year were just about the same as Bale's, incidentally. He's a very talented player, but requires a team to be built around him.
The rules state there are ten offences which if happen in a careless or aggressive manner can result in a penalty. One of them is '' if a player trips or attempts to trip an opponent ''. Players like robben obviously exaggerate any contact but the defender has put himself in a situation where he is allowing himself to be made to look careless. Bale done the same as Robben as he went through a period where he believed any contact meant he was allowed to dive . The rules are in favour of divers but defenders have to stop just sticking a leg out in desperation as they are setting themselves up to be tricked. Football is a contact sport but only if the contact Isn't viewed as careless or aggressive and that's where the rules cause an issue for defenders and referees.
I keep hoping Ian Darke will mention a "Snuffleupagus." I wouldn't have put it past the infinitely superior Mexicans who announced the early game. The defender did step on Robben's foot, but I absolutely cannot stand the sight of that bald-headed chicken f**ker.
I don't like him as I think he's a dishonest player, but I'll start by trying to be fair to Robben. As with Bale, his speed is sometimes too much for even the most well intended defenders. They go for the ball, but end up catching the man. Having said that, I still think Robben is a nasty, arrogant little cheat who is always trying to deceive officials.
VDV didn't pick up an injury that would hinder him from playing at the WC, he was simply dropped by Van Gaal. Probably won't return to the team after the summer.
Yes - logically if you trip someone deliberately but not recklessly or with excessive force then it isn't a foul! The discussion by the studio panels demonstrates that no-one actually knows what the rules are supposed to mean. The particularly stupid change made a few years back to make the wording for a tackle the same as the other offences is crazy. Fair tackles have always been legal and pushes and trips never have so it is daft to have the same wording. The first half challenges on Robben that everyone agreed were two penalties in quick succession were a case in point. For the first one, Robben never had the ball under control so couldn't be tackled. Both players had equal right to go for the loose ball. Not sure why he is being fouled if they both miss it. The secodn one was reckless and should have been a penalty and a yellow.
Stop Press!: shock!....Robben admits to diving!....what next? Suarez admits having a dental aggression problem? http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3841...or-diving-against-mexico?ICID=HP_HN_HP_RI_0_1
Damn, my perfect prediction goes in the last minute and worse still another 30 mins of League 1 standard football
