I know starting this is as pointless as talking gun control with Americans but ..... As a rugby player watching the NI-Switzerland match I can't help but ask surely it's time to put a stop to major tournaments being decided by bozo decisions like that hand ball one. I get the old idea of post match 'discussions' traipsing home in the pouring rain is (was?) all part of the appeal of supporting football, but that was when no one knew for sure where the truth lay. Nowadays we see it in slow-mo HD over and over again and it is excrutiatingly embarassing to see. In that incedent the ref could have waved play on with a quick word to the video ref and called the penalty if and when needed. The idea that World Cup football should be the same as some Sunday park league is bogus. It patently isn't. Have any of you football types come round yet?
Hey Sooty, something needs to be done. What the Swiss have done is nothing more than cheating. Some years back the French cheated to progress against the Republic of Ireland? They earnt multi millions upon millions by qualifying
Ah .. Thiery or however it's spelt. The post match tv pundits had a still frame of the ref and his position viz-a-viz the incedent. It was pretty well as good as it could have been but still he was swayed by all the screaming and arm waving by the swiss (only deserve small s). It's one thing for Burley Boys Club or whatever to have their results decided this way but major tournaments with World-wide coverage .......
I was thinking of something a bit more motoring in outlook. If not someone's nicked yer moniker mate. (Actually they started in 2005 I see)
I cannot for the life of me understand why the don't put players on report as they do in RL. The ref can only give what he sees if the action was reviewed later the player and possibly his club could punished. it would soon put a stop to cheating. It would not cure poor refereeing decisions like the one your speaking of.
0-0 at half time but I don't know how. The Swiss could not hit a barn door in the first half. The Irish have had their chances too - Brunt has gone close twice with long range efforts. The Irish are lively, and are no means out of it, but their defence needs to organise itself better in the second half as I don't believe the Swiss will continue to miss their efforts.
Sweep as we are a couple of hundred years, apparently, behind the rest of the world you may not be interested in this article about implementation of VAR (Video Assistant Referees) in Australia https://www.a-league.com.au/news/hyundai-a-league-first-use-video-assistant-referees
Thanks for that link Eric! Good news that something is stirring down under. It would never have started here in Europe. I believe that this technology has vastly improved the viewing experience of both Rugby and Cricket. W.C.D's comment about citing is so true. It has helped cut down on dirty practices in rugby. If it can be used to cut down on reckless tackles and 'diving' in footbal that alone will be worth it.
Obviously I was Elland. We rode our luck in the first half and gave them a few scares in the second, but were ultimately shafted by that appalling decision the other night. Hope Stuart Dallas comes back to Leeds with the same desire, we could do with a bit of it come Sunday.
You played for three hours and never looked like scoring... Staart Dallas should stay in Basel because it’s much the same when the useless Cnut plays for us.....
Hi Davy. I watched the entire game, and yes NI rode their luck in the first half, but the Swiss could not put their chances away. The second half was dominated by NI - ye there were a couple of scares but on the whole NI deserved it to go to extra time. Dallas was great, especially the second half. Half a should of a pen. I would have played for it.
You must have been watching in a parallel universe. The Swiss were much the better team in both games. It would have been robbery if they had gone out. The minnows will be back in pot four for the next we draw/
