Exiled in Texas

Cisse's best move yesterday was managing to stay out of Gini's way for the first goal. Could so easily have screwed up that goal. Luckily he was just able to stay out of the way.

MLS is probably the best league to trial this concept in. The US culture supports Video Replay and will be willing to work through the kinks of how to apply this. Based on the MLS Cup yesterday (Portlands goal #2) they may want to bring this in quicker than planned. What a calamity of errors for all three goals. Quite an exciting game, but not exactly a brochure for high quality football.

As expected the wolves turn on their leader. Well played FBI

Well said.

Most players "know" when they have committed a cardable offense, but they still try act their way out of it. Their reaction in trying to deny the offense is never as genuine as those that are truly surprised (such a Mitrovichs Red card for the Stamp vs Arsenal). He genuinely had no idea that it was SFP. Most know what they have done and why they did it but they are still try and persuade the ref that they shouldn't be carded). So two yellows in one play will seem harsh and might be a surprise but they would also know it could be coming.

How can the press not have picked up on this "gem" of a hypocrisy? Unless they don't want to be mean to the great and mighty Liverpool.

Warrick hunt

What countries referees are better? Italy? Germany? France? I wonder if they look better because we're not as emotionally invested in teams from those countries when we watch their games. Referees always look better in neutral/no favourite games than in those when your team plays.

I'd like him to be the stepping stone from the shite of the Pardew/carver time into a more promising future. Stabilize the club, install some foundations and then have someone ready for the next level to come in.

Ooops

Should be an easy game then - when in doubt - Advantage Sky Blues

I like that idea, but because it would also broadcast what the players were saying to the referee, and thereby curtail their wining/complaining

LOL at the classroom pic

When I was refereeing U19 Boys and High School games I would have loved the opportunity to replay what I "thought" I saw or what I didn't quite see. No referee wants to get decisions wrong. But then again, there is wrong .... and there is not what team X wanted, which isn't always wrong. Fact and opinion are two very different things

I think all straight Red Card decisions should go to the TMO review (TV Match Official to use rugby parlance). Referee states his decision and then asks the TMO if there is any evidence that indicates the decision is wrong (if its not clear then go with the referee's original decision). I would actually extend this to all Penalty Decisions given in favor of a PK (with the option of a Yellow card/IFK coming out if there was simulation). I think the NHL reviews all goals in real time from their offices in Toronto, so its definitely manageable if they wanted to do that. I'm not convinced about coaches challenges, but if we were to go down that path then the NFL has a good baseline to start with where the coach has to gamble one of their valuable timeouts (for us it could be gambling a substitution opportunity). Win the appeal, and you keep the sub opportunity, lose the appeal and you loose a sub opportunity, which keeps frivolous appeals to a minimum.

Shoulder-to-shoulder is a legal physical challenge when challenging for the ball. But it's not license to charge someone over when chasing down a ball. IMO they were not close enough to play for the ball, and it looked like Colo knew he was being beaten for pace so he resorted to the foul. Stupid play.

That's how I see it (except for last half sentence)

Sadly a clear fukkin Pen (in my view). A desperate play by a defender who knows they are beaten to the ball. A sunday league play. Ball was not within playing distance when Colo shoulders into Fletcher. Shoulder charges are legal when challenging for the ball, but the ball wasn't within playing distance. So its a foul and a penalty. I would say that the 4 D's of DOGSO were not ALL there, so I disagree with the red card. •Number of Defenders: not more than one defender between the foul and the goal, not counting the defender who committed the foul •Distance to goal: the closer the foul is to the goal, the more likely it is an obvious goal scoring opportunity •Distance to ball: the attacker must have been close enough to the ball at the time of the foul to continue playing the ball •Direction of play: the attacker must have been moving toward the goal at the time the foul was committed If any element is missing, there can be no send off for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity. Further, the presence of each of these elements must be “obvious” in order for the send-off to be appropriate under this provision of Law 12. My problem with the Red Card was that the direction of play was away from the goal, and the distance to the ball was not immediately within reach.

Something about Northumbria Mounted Police and the copper was a Newcastle fan

not to mention the kick between the legs by Naismith on Ivanovic when out of bounds

Lens looks like a good signing for them

WTF..... Ah, I see. It's retractable seating. Pushed back for athletics and pulled forward for football,rugby

Commentators...... "I've seen them given" and presumably not given too. I hate this type of disagreement with the decision but without any commitment. Grow a pair and have an opinion. Either you would or would not card the player and understand that you change the game by the decision. It you don't have the stones to have an opinion then STFU.

It's all about suites/luxury boxes. Those stadiums built in 60/70/80s don't have them and cannot add them easily. It's just too much revenue to loose out on, so they pull the "build me a new stadium here or we move to a city who will". For the cities/States building the stadiums it's all about the tax revenue - both game day ticket/concession sales but also income tax on players salary

OK - my bad (I don't ever read the pre-game threads)