QATAR WORLD CUP

Talking about referees made me wonder if any english referees were present.....I cannot remember one being mentioned....so I had a look.

Two Refs.

Michael Oliver & Anthony Taylor.

Four Assistants.

Simon Bennett, Gary Beswick, Stuart Burt & Adam Nunn.

I assume the assistants work with the two named Referees.

At the last World Cup in Russia....refs got a fee for the tournament of $70,000 so we're told.

 

Morocco...1-0...Portugal.....i did enjoy watching Ronaldo miss out.

So Morocco, Croatia and Argentina in the semis.

England...v...France......the winner must be favourites for being World Champions.

 

England...0-1...France...H/T.

No rub of the green tonight.

Saka fouled before the goal

Kane and a penalty.....looked so.

 

England...1-2...France...F/T.

The fickled finger of fate won that one.....in the second half we were the better team.

How many times do you have to chop Saka down before you get a free kick.

Shame about the penalty miss.

 

The Ref was poor tonight and the VAR people were even worse. I have to wonder what they watch sometimes. Kane was a penalty. Saka was and even more definate penalty. Tou know when you sit there watching something and you just know what is going to happen next. Kane penalty mark 2. I called it before it flew into row Z. Can't even say I'm that bothered if I'm brutally honest. Think this World Cup has been full of crap Refs and cheating players. It takes a lot of the shine off it for me.

 

Bukayo Saka was easily the MOTM.

He got a nailed on penalty and at other times they were scared to tackle him in the penalty area.

It's a pity that Kanes second penalty had to go to the monitor....it was so certain how didn't the ref give it straight away....it was stretched out too long and that could be a reason Kane missed it.

 

What I would like to know is why the referee did NOT give the second penalty until prompted by VAR? It was a barge in the middle of the back and there were no other players around to mask his view. How on earth could an international grade referee not give that? I have three possible reasons:

1. He's not in fact a top quality referee but was selected to give a regional balance
2. He was biased against England
3. VAR is encouraging referees NOT to make decisions but to wait for anonymous faces far away from the fans do it for them. That's corrosive.

 

In the cold light of day.

1.....Hernandez should have been charged with GBH for his attack on Mount......No need for VAR at all...a clear penalty.....he should be booked and then red carded and sent off....why didn't that happen.

2.....The foul on Kane as he broke into the penalty area when the score was 0-0.........checked by VAR...no penalty given.....which meant that the foul was deemed to be outside the area.....and the rules state that you cannot go back for a free kick....only penalty or no penalty can be given......if the ref had given a foul outside the box....the whole sequence of events leading up to there first goal would never of happened.

3.....And the long drawn out time before the second penalty was given was extra pressure on Kane.....to completely miss the target is unforgiveable....he should of at least made the keeper save it.

4.....England v France....a big game....why give it to a referee who had already had iffy moments earlier in the tournament.....beyond logic.

 

Argentina...3-0...Croatia...F/T

 

No comment about Messi and his involvement in Argentina's third? He turned their defender inside out and put the ball on a plate for the scorer. Wow to watch even if I still think South Americans are cheating diving gits. Croatia were second best all over the pitch.

 

Only watched till half-time.....no way they could come back from that.

Croatia to get to this stage had won only one match before two penalty shoot-out wins.

They beat Canada 4-1....plus two 0-0 draws in their group.....then two 1-1 penalty shoot-out wins in the knock out.....there attacking ability against Argentina was zilch.

 

France...1-0...Morocco...H/T

Morocco unfortunately have illness amongst their squad....one withrew minutes befor kick-off....and their captain started with an injury....but only lasted 20 odd minutes.....but they had a chance to equalize just before half-time.

 

France...2-0...Morocco....F/T

That score is rather flattering to France.....Morocco were all over them in the second half....pinning them back for long periods.....but to no avail....just not their day.


Final.....France v Argentina.......Sunday

Third place play-off......Croatia v Morocco.........Saturday.

 

I don't know which I dislike most. Argentina have 9 persistent outfield foulers and divers plus Messi while France have Giroud, which is enough to put anyone off.

 

Argentina on penalties.....4-2.........after a 3-3 draw.

Mbappe second player to score a hat-trick in a final....although two were penalties..

Overall thoughts on the tournament.

1.....Reasonable amount of excitement.

2.....Not over impressed by any teams overall quality.....take away Mbappe and Messi from the final and what have you got not a lot to be honest.

3.....Surprised by Morocco's contribution.

4.....If Kane hadn't missed that penalty who knows how far we might of gone.

5.....I hope Kane was watching those penalties tonight in the shoot-out.... especially the way Messi gently put it in the net once he had fooled the keeper.....what nerve at such a time....when he so desperately wanted to win.

PS.....Croatia coming 3rd to go with their second last time.....a country of only 4million.

Too many dying players laying on the ground as if they had been pole axed ....when only they slightly got touched.....a few red cards would have sorted that out.

A few players also getting literally battered to the ground and the referee ignoring them.

Surprised a Qatari referee was in charge of the third place play-off....I expect that was brown envelope territory.

 

I only watched some of the final as had people here. Not impressed with what I saw and have to say the dirtiest and most diving team got the cup with the second most diving team as runner up. People will eventually tire of all the theatrics and stop watching rubbish being served up. Second only to the Papa Johns Trophy in football irrelevance sadly is how it turned out when it should have been the pinacle of the sport.