Few bore-draws, goals galore in World Cup so far

[Con M]

37 goals scored in 11 matches so far & no draws (by 9.15am Monday 16th June, Adelaide time). Not saying all draws are boring, even to the casual neutral viewers of the 4-yearly World Cup

What is happening, has everyone got the Brazil attitude of attack, attack, attack?

Much better than South African 2010, so far.

Long into the tournament for the preliminary rounds may it continue.

From the Round-of-16 onwards a result has to happen so those finals games take care of their own excitement. But this has been good to see to date in the first 11 matches of the prelim rounds.

[ozzie owl]

Gee even the Stud cant complain now surely?

[Raich Carter]

Gee even the Stud cant complain now surely?

And who'll give a flying shiraz if he does??

[Rookie]

Gee even the Stud cant complain now surely?

Are you kidding me that old crusty prune face will find something to complain about.

He is just jealous that this is the biggest tournament in the world and the best game on this world.

[wizard]

I haven't seen all games, but every game I've watched so far have been great.

So much better than South Africa.

[Bomber]

Great atmosphere in most games to date. No vuvuzela rubbish, no flares, just great voice and colour. Hopefully it will all continue, despite the heat perhaps catching up on a few teams.

[Nice One Cyril]

37 goals scored in 11 matches so far & no draws (by 9.15am Monday 16th June, Adelaide time). Not saying all draws are boring, even to the casual neutral viewers of the 4-yearly World Cup

What is happening, has everyone got the Brazil attitude of attack, attack, attack?

Much better than South African 2010, so far.

Long into the tournament for the preliminary rounds may it continue.

From the Round-of-16 onwards a result has to happen so those finals games take care of their own excitement. But this has been good to see to date in the first 11 matches of the prelim rounds.

Wow, and they've managed to do all this without the dumb tinkering with the Laws that certain people have proposed. I'm staggered to find that the game is just fine as it is

[Juventino]

37 goals scored in 11 matches so far & no draws (by 9.15am Monday 16th June, Adelaide time). Not saying all draws are boring, even to the casual neutral viewers of the 4-yearly World Cup

What is happening, has everyone got the Brazil attitude of attack, attack, attack?

Much better than South African 2010, so far.

Long into the tournament for the preliminary rounds may it continue.

From the Round-of-16 onwards a result has to happen so those finals games take care of their own excitement. But this has been good to see to date in the first 11 matches of the prelim rounds.

Wow, and they've managed to do all this without the dumb tinkering with the Laws that certain people have proposed. I'm staggered to find that the game is just fine as it is

Damn, you stole my post...I was about to write this!

[Red-4-Life]

Been a very entertaining world cup so far. Hope it stays that way for the rest of the tournament

[Certified Head Case]

I miss the vuvuzelas.

[Chico]

There goes the record!!

[Rookie]

it was bound to happen sooner or later but then the Septic Tanks come out in the very next game and score in the first minute

[adelaidebloke]

LETS NOT ALL GET CARRIED AWAY WITH GOALS REAL FOOTBALL FANS.....187 to 126, doesnt mean a sport is better than 1 nill.

[PDog]

nigeria vs iran was painful to watch this morning...

[Con M]

37 goals scored in 11 matches so far & no draws (by 9.15am Monday 16th June, Adelaide time). Not saying all draws are boring, even to the casual neutral viewers of the 4-yearly World Cup

What is happening, has everyone got the Brazil attitude of attack, attack, attack?

Much better than South African 2010, so far.

Long into the tournament for the preliminary rounds may it continue.

From the Round-of-16 onwards a result has to happen so those finals games take care of their own excitement. But this has been good to see to date in the first 11 matches of the prelim rounds.

Wow, and they've managed to do all this without the dumb tinkering with the Laws that certain people have proposed. I'm staggered to find that the game is just fine as it is

Damn, you stole my post...I was about to write this!

Now, hang on guys. I'll partly concede that the Brazilian air or atmosphere has been refreshingly able to get managers/teams to be more positive in this World Cup so far compared to their dreadful negative approach in the 2010 or 1990 tournament.

But it's hard for me to accept that you 2 are Luddites opposed to gradual improvement in the game.

I mean I just don't believe you 2 want it to go back to when 'keepers could pick up endless back-passes and kill attacks stone dead. I can't believe you want it to go back to when centre-backs could chop down an opposition forward clean through on goal and only cop a yellow card and free-kick outside the penalty area.

Going way further back I doubt you 2 were opposed when subs first got introduced to the game in 1958, or way way back when it was a rope instead of a cross-bar, or before a penalty kick was introduced to the game and 3 defenders were required to be between an attacker and the goal to be offside.

Juventino, as you've observed recently even the great Buffon says triple punishment is 'inhumane'. That's why it stays in IFAB's in-tray. That and other issues like diving and 'pretend' injuries stay on IFAB's annual review agenda and I'm glad that's the case in the interest of continual improvement in the game.

NOC, you call it IFAB bs, but forumite Paul Merson has acknowledged my bringing awareness about the annual review of the game's laws to others who didn't even know about IFAB and that annual review or the game's seeking of continuous improvement.

[Juventino]

You know, I've been watching various classic matches to warm up for the World Cup, and not in one game did I ever see endless backpasses to goalkeepers. It was an option to be used when need be, as it tends to these days (although you must be safer with it given they cannot pick the ball up).

Ah yes, the classic substitution debate of 1958. I remember it clearly.

And I don't agree with Buffon. As has been stressed to you every time, not all fouls in the box are red card offences. Deny a scoring chance and it is. Otherwise, just a yellow/no card. What's so hard to grasp?

[Nice One Cyril]

You know, I've been watching various classic matches to warm up for the World Cup, and not in one game did I ever see endless backpasses to goalkeepers. It was an option to be used when need be, as it tends to these days (although you must be safer with it given they cannot pick the ball up).

Ah yes, the classic substitution debate of 1958. I remember it clearly.

And I don't agree with Buffon. As has been stressed to you every time, not all fouls in the box are red card offences. Deny a scoring chance and it is. Otherwise, just a yellow/no card. What's so hard to grasp?

Unlike you two old farts, I can't remember 1958, but otherwise I agree with Juve

The backpass rule was the same as the rush behind rule in footy. It was only brought in to stop teams abusing it in an unsporting manner by time wasting.

[Con M]

You know, I've been watching various classic matches to warm up for the World Cup, and not in one game did I ever see endless backpasses to goalkeepers. It was an option to be used when need be, as it tends to these days (although you must be safer with it given they cannot pick the ball up).

And I don't agree with Buffon. As has been stressed to you every time, not all fouls in the box are red card offences. Deny a scoring chance and it is. Otherwise, just a yellow/no card. What's so hard to grasp?

The 2014 Tournament scoring-rate still going well thank goodness, 66 goals in 23 matches to date (20 June in Adelaide).

But just on your point, Juventino: Amongst those classic matches you saw they would not have shown some of the mundane matches I remember at Italia '90 when there was a lot of negative play and a record low goals-per-game tally. I remember Ireland drawing all their matches up to their loss to Italia in the quarter-final. I remember Argentina scoring only 5 goals in the entire tournament (a record low for a Finalist). In some of the early games I remember endless passes back to goalies Higuita & Goycochea.

That negative play was why the law was changed and thankfully teams couldn't revert to all that back-passing at USA '94.

And as for 'triple punishment', that issue remains on the agenda. The UEFA General Secretary remains committed to that on behalf of his many Associations, and not just on behalf of eminent past and present players like Beckenbauer & Buffon.

And as has been stressed to you every time, there was unintended results out of that change about DOGSO. They should have trialled it longer.

Fans, players, managers had been generally satisfied with a penalty & yellow card for a DOGSO in the penalty area.

It was OUTSIDE the penalty area that they weren't happy with merely a free-kick and a yellow card, hence the change to a RED card and free-kick against a defender denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to a forward clean through on goal.

[Red-4-Life]

Greece vs Japan was a snorefest....fell asleep within 20 mins

[fowlerisgod]

Greece vs Japan was a snorefest....fell asleep within 20 mins

It hurt my eyes...terrible game

[Bomber]

Greece vs Japan was a snorefest....fell asleep within 20 mins

It hurt my eyes...terrible game

Jd, however, was enthralled with the Greek defence. That was most important!

[Con M]

You know, I've been watching various classic matches to warm up for the World Cup, and not in one game did I ever see endless backpasses to goalkeepers. It was an option to be used when need be, as it tends to these days (although you must be safer with it given they cannot pick the ball up).

And I don't agree with Buffon. As has been stressed to you every time, not all fouls in the box are red card offences. Deny a scoring chance and it is. Otherwise, just a yellow/no card. What's so hard to grasp?

The 2014 Tournament scoring-rate still going well thank goodness, 83 goals in 29 matches to date (22 June in Adelaide).

But just on your points, Juventino: You're surely not saying you want the law changed back so goalies can pick up intentional back-passes and throw-ins, are you? Amongst those classic matches you saw, they would not have shown some of the mundane matches I remember at Italia '90 when there was a lot of negative play and a record low goals-per-game tally. I remember Ireland drawing all their matches up to their loss to Italia in the quarter-final. I remember Argentina scoring only 5 goals in the entire tournament (a record low for a Finalist). In some of the early games I remember endless passes back to goalies such as Higuita, Goycochea and others.

That negative play was why the law was changed and thankfully teams couldn't revert to all that back-passing at USA '94.

And as for 'triple punishment', that issue remains on the agenda. The UEFA General Secretary remains committed to that on behalf of his many Associations, and not just on behalf of eminent past and present players like Beckenbauer & Buffon.

And as has been stressed to you every time, there were unintended results out of that change about DOGSO. They should have trialled it longer because up to that point:

(a) Fans, players & managers had been generally satisfied with a penalty & yellow card for a DOGSO in the penalty area.

(b) It was OUTSIDE the penalty area that they weren't happy with merely a free-kick and a yellow card, hence the change to a RED card and free-kick against a defender denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity to a forward clean through on goal.

[Angela Porcú]

You need new material.

[Con M]

You need new material.

Why, Angela? It's updated to the 22 June date - 83 goals in 29 matches. This great scoring rate is topical, ongoing and a revelation.

Angela, unless you're answering for Juventino, I was hoping to get an answer from Juventino about his points.

ps, never heard your pseudonym before on FN. Are you new or a reincarnation?

[Old Master]

An Angela with Balls. :?

[Nice One Cyril]

Fans, players & managers had been generally satisfied with a penalty & yellow card for a DOGSO in the penalty area.

I must have missed that referendum, nobody asked me. Do you have a source, or are you still presenting your opinion as fact?

[Juventino]

I've already stated my view, in this topic, and in plenty others.

Argentina were poor, but hell the game vs Brazil was quite dramatic, as was the semi-final vs Italy.

[Rose Pedals]

ps, never heard your pseudonym before on FN. Are you new or a reincarnation?

Angela's been here since 2009, a lot longer than you.

[Con M]

They don't hold referendums, NOC. How do you recall things leading to the change to a red card for DOGSO outside the penalty area?

Also, proposed changes & requests for trialling changes to IFAB are done by National Associations through their Confederations, or by FIFA, not by referendums.

As for the DOGSO controversy and its presently unintended result, it is still on the agenda of IFAB's Technical & Football Advisory Panels. IMO powerful UEFA will eventually get their way - red card for DOGSO outside the penalty area, yellow card & penalty for DOGSO inside the penalty area. A red card will still be able to be dished out anywhere for violent or dangerous fouls.