Thread to discuss the football itself.
This is not a thread to discuss the hosting of the competition in Quatar.
You can discuss the hosting in the relevant thread.
Sweet strike by Gakpo from outside the box to give the Dutch a lead after just 6 minutes.
Someone wrote into Guardian Football Weekly yesterday too to complain about the constant lumping of Iran in with "Arab" teams. They a re not an arab country or Arab culture.
Never would of guessed that was Wesley Sneijder.
Let's see what VAR say.
Nothing.
He's in front but the keeper is going the other way.
Probably the right decision really, offside player standing right in front of the keeper. It's not really relevant what the keeper does, the player is still in an active position.
100% travesty
That is a goal every day - no way Noppert gets back over unless he's Superman
For me, a goal. Keeper had committed and player in front didn't really come into it.
I think Ecuador can feel hard done by there having that equaliser chalked off. The offside player didn't interfere with play.
That doesn't really matter though... the player is in an active offside position right in front of the keeper rather than a passive one (if he was way off over to the side). If there's even the possibility that his position impacts the keepers decision making - regardless what the keeper does - he's offside.
Poor from the player himself - he didn't need to be there and had time to have gotten back out.
I agree with the meanish analysis about the Iranian tactics but I was referring specifically to their immediate reaction at the final whistle. Both Williams and Rush agreed Iran were the better team. You said you had just switched over so I pointed out some comments you may have missed. If you saw it from the start and disagree that they said that then fair enough.
Here is the rule verbatim
"A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched* by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:
making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball "
The goalkeeper is airborne so therefore is not prevented from playing or being able to play the ball.
Hopefully this one isn't ruled out for offside for Ecuador.
It's fine, this one will stand. They deserve it.
Plata so close.
Woah! What a strike, smacked off the crossbar. The Dutch keeper hadn't a chance.
I don't know what to make of the Dutch at all. Seem functional rather than flair.
Currently don't look like the most likely team to win this game.
What's Stevie Wonder doing on the Dutch bench?
It’s just superstition.
…..I’ll get my coat
An awful lot of people sleeping on this Ecuador team because they aren’t full of big names and have only beaten an awful Qatar side.
They’re balanced really well all over the pitch, very good full backs and one really high quality midfielder in Caicedo.
They’re not a bad shout to top this group IMO, and they’ll certainly give Senegal a tough game if they don’t simply beat them.
And just a word on this Dutch side, they’re absolutely not a team for the group stages. They weren’t under LvG in 2014 either despite beating Spain well. As average as they look now, they’ll be tough for anyone to beat in a knockout game, and that’s always sort of been the case with the Dutch.
You could say the very same about England, but the Netherlands always have a chance in a knockout game over any of the big teams whereas England have their level and would be unlikely to beat the very best when it comes down to it.
I was gonna make a stupid joke like that but for once in my life I took the higher ground.
You are too serious. Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing
I think UTD may have dodged one with FDJ transfer saga. I haven't been impressed with him since he moved to Barca and he has been no great shakes at this WC either!
I don't see the Dutch doing much this year. In previous competitions they had firepower up top whereas these are probably the most toothless Dutch forwards in decades.
Credit to Ecuador for their defence. Impressed with the 3 CBs Hincapie, Torres and Porozo. I see Torres is playing in Mexico. Wonder if any European teams are considering a bid for next year.
That Dutch team is very poor. No go in them. I haven’t watched Barca other than CL but they weren’t great either. Very hard for a good player to shine if the rest of the team is not performing.
So in fairness United is the absolute last place to go. Very much a black hole for talent same as Barca given both clubs expectations vs the reality of the off the field sht show.
England look good real vibrancy to them, more so than the Euros.
Ya but by the same token good players always stand out from the rest in poorer/lesser sides. I have not seen anything from FDJ in 2 nearly 3 years that suggests he's the stand out performer among the squads he's involved with.
