Worst thing about this World Cup

[SoccerScribbler]

Worst thing about this World Cup

That bottom-jiggling Colombian celebration dance. I can't take these go-go dancers seriously as a team that could beat Brazil when I see young James wiggling his ass at the camera. In fact, in my mind's eye, I see some ignorant grock, like David Luiz, making sure he never wiggles it again by vigorously...

I'll stop now.

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

Worst thing about this World Cup

John Godot wrote: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/statistics/index.html

FIFA claim 55.8, on average.

After today it's down to 55.7
Brazil played, after all.

[tee rex]

Worst thing about this World Cup

Teams you want to admire, who turn out to be just as "good" at the cynical stuff as anyone else. It's hardly surprising - they're all modern pros, not the spawn of Bobby Charlton and Julie Andrews, no matter how beautifully they can kick a ball. But still ...

They'll say they do what they gotta do, but maybe if Colombia or Costa Rica had just kept on going, they could have left the time-wasting until they were 3 up and through, instead of inviting the ref to hand out yellows.

Did the Daleks chill your blood with a cry of "Procrastinate! Procrastinate!". No, they did not. They wanted to finish you off. Although they might have struggled with penalties, so you can see why.

[Jah Womble]

Worst thing about this World Cup

A lot of the 'lost action' has to be down to the officials and their poor timekeeping. The referee last night failed to add any time whatsoever for an injury - probably because the game was in stoppage time anyway. Which shouldn't make a difference - time taken should still be added, even if the game ends up with ten extra minutes.

John Lambie, ex manager of Partick Thistle, surely got it right when one of his players was suffering from concussion and didn't know who he was. Said Lambie -

"Great. Send him back on and tell him he's Pele."

Ha - excellent.

[treibeis]

Worst thing about this World Cup

The number of throws that look like foul throws has been annoying me. I mean, of course they aren't foul throws, otherwise they'd be called as such, but there's definitely something mildly odd about the way players are throwing the ball. Or maybe's it's just my eyes.

I once played in a game in which the referee turned a blind eye to a foul throw, but shouted out to the thrower, "Next time, number three, make sure your throw's a bit more MASCULINE."

[Jah Womble]

Worst thing about this World Cup

The number of throws that look like foul throws has been annoying me. I mean, of course they aren't foul throws, otherwise they'd be called as such, but there's definitely something mildly odd about the way players are throwing the ball. Or maybe's it's just my eyes.

Yep, noticed that too. It's most odd.

Something else that's been annoying me: why hasn't there been a Guardian World Cup Knowledge since 11 June?

http://www.theguardian.com/football/series/theknowledge

[tee rex]

Worst thing about this World Cup

The fanporn is getting beyond a joke now. OK if a game is dead or dying, but in the USA-Belgium extra time we were cutting away from the constant drama of the last few minutes, just to see the hottie-shots. Enough already.

[Sam]

Worst thing about this World Cup

treibeis wrote: The number of throws that look like foul throws has been annoying me. I mean, of course they aren't foul throws, otherwise they'd be called as such, but there's definitely something mildly odd about the way players are throwing the ball. Or maybe's it's just my eyes.

I once played in a game in which the referee turned a blind eye to a foul throw, but shouted out to the thrower, "Next time, number three, make sure your throw's a bit more MASCULINE."

But then, as my fellow South American football expert Rupert Fryer and I agree, foul throws are absolutely never punished in professional football, ever. Even though I think I've seen perhaps five throw ins taken during over two decades of watching matches which weren't foul throws.

[treibeis]

Worst thing about this World Cup

The German commentator last night who kept getting height-related statistics wrong is now my "worst thing".

Last night, he claimed three times - three fucking times - that Fellaini was the tallest Belgian on the pitch. Stupid bastard.

[Reed John]

Worst thing about this World Cup

Perhaps tallest with the afro.

Surely, the worst thing about this World Cup is the ubiquity of Nike neon-colored boots.* Not only are they ugly, but it's so transparently an attention-grab by Nike. Boots should be black or, if you're one of the best players of all time and a bit flamboyant, white. That's it.

And the number of kits ruined by boring white shorts with white socks. Argentina should have black shorts and Brazil should be gold, green, and blue, not yellow-white-white. They look like poached eggs, and not in a good way.

*However, I do fancy the new crochet stuff on the boots and that bit that goes around the ankle that some players have. It keeps out dirt and/or those little rubber bits that come from FieldTurf(TM) pitches. That latter situation doesn't apply in this World Cup, but Nike is selling boots everywhere.

[Reed John]

Worst thing about this World Cup

Sam wrote:

The number of throws that look like foul throws has been annoying me. I mean, of course they aren't foul throws, otherwise they'd be called as such, but there's definitely something mildly odd about the way players are throwing the ball. Or maybe's it's just my eyes.

I once played in a game in which the referee turned a blind eye to a foul throw, but shouted out to the thrower, "Next time, number three, make sure your throw's a bit more MASCULINE."

But then, as my fellow South American football expert Rupert Fryer and I agree, foul throws are absolutely never punished in professional football, ever. Even though I think I've seen perhaps five throw ins taken during over two decades of watching matches which weren't foul throws.

I've mentioned that before. When I played soccer ages 8-12, getting the throw-ins right was a big deal. Many a possession was lost because a kid picked-up his back foot or didn't bring both hands overhead on the throw-in.* And yet I've never ever seen a ref call a foul on a throw in a professional or college game. Never.

Also, pro refs seem really lenient on letting the thrower sort of shuffle up field a bit during the throw-in. That is called more tightly in college, I think.

I've also never seen anyone outside of college soccer do one of those fancy somersault throws. That seems to be more of a thing in the women's game where they do it in the final third to get it all the way into the middle of the box, whereas most mens' teams have a guy strong enough to do that with a conventional throw.

*Maybe that's why the US isn't very good at this game. For generations, we've wasted valuable practice time on throw-ins when we should have been practicing more important skills.

[E10 Rifle]

Worst thing about this World Cup

Mark Lawrenson (in reply to the original post)

[Reed John]

Worst thing about this World Cup

Mark Lawrenson did a somersault throw-in or is the worst thing?

[tee rex]

Worst thing about this World Cup

I've seen that kid with the glasses crying at least half a dozen times now, he's become the stock image of a Nation's Grief, all because of some heartless/thoughtless TV director. Can't they stick with consenting adults?

[beak]

Worst thing about this World Cup

Reed John wrote: I've also never seen anyone outside of college soccer do one of those fancy somersault throws.

Steve Watson doing same (aged 16) against Middlesbrough is one of my earliest footballing memories.

[Jah Womble]

Worst thing about this World Cup

I remember World of Sport showcasing the somersault throw as 'the next big thing in soccer' in the early seventies. Absolute nonsense.

[Satchmo Distel]

Worst thing about this World Cup

Brazil making the semis meant we were deprived of a genuinely competitive game. However, that's probably a reasonable price to pay for what we actually experienced.

[G-Man]

Worst thing about this World Cup

Colombia might not have imploded under the accumulative weight of German passing, criminal defending and public expectation, but I don't think many sides would have been massively competitive against a team that can beat Brazil 7-1 without even trying very hard.

We might have seen a slightly more competitive game which Germany would have won by two or three goals. As you say, what we got was a lot better.

[Jah Womble]

Worst thing about this World Cup

What we saw last night was hardly pre-determined, though, was it? Although many of us suspected that a weakened Brazil would struggle (as opposed to 'capitulate') against Germany, a few days ago that fixture would've been viewed as very competitive. And would likely have played out very differently.

The other thing to bear in mind is that - since the admittedly impressive performance against Portugal - Germany hadn't looked especially convincing until last night, either.

[treibeis]

Worst thing about this World Cup

Jair Womble wrote: The other thing to bear in mind is that - since the admittedly impressive performance against Portugal - Germany hadn't looked especially convincing until last night, either.

I'm not being grumpy for the sake of it, but seeing as dalliance isn't present:

There were unconvincing aspects about last night's game as well. In the opening five minutes, Boateng gave the ball away three times. Although Philipp Lahm made a couple of good tackles, the forwards on his side of the pitch often had far too much space. Höwedes is getting better, but he's still looking like what he is (a solid Bundesliga defender, rather than a world-class one).

It would be ludicrous to say that Manuel Neuer 'kept Germany in the game' last night, but he was the main reason that the overall scoreline wasn't in double figures.

[Jah Womble]

Worst thing about this World Cup

I'd not disagree with that - but the game (and Germany's performance) was so skewed beyond recognition by Brazil being utterly abysmal, that it's almost impossible to judge.

[Reed John]

Worst thing about this World Cup

Jair Womble wrote: I remember World of Sport showcasing the somersault throw as 'the next big thing in soccer' in the early seventies. Absolute nonsense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9sJ2iI3w0c