2018 World Cup running thread

Do you know how long the World Cup would be? I like aggregate too, but the EPL/Champions League season runs from August to May. You can't have players playing for a full year in World Cup years. It's already a month long. You'd add at least two weeks with aggregate. Plus the longer group stage that's coming? It would be insane.

 

Wait. Are we talking about how to finish a single game here? Or how to determine which teams advance in group-stage tiebreakers?

I think 30 minutes of full extra time plus shootout is the best way to settle a single game.

 

That also takes nearly a year to complete with two or three weeks between matches. You can't do that for the World Cup.

 

Single game

I just think a shootout is almost more dumb luck than anything.

Maybe change the shootout by moving the ball back? That kick is just too easy.

 

I'm waiting for the quadrennial "they need to eliminate offsides" post.

 

Would rather see no more teams added and two more weeks to make it aggregate, maybe most don't agree, but would rather see teams in the knockout stage
have to show it over two games.

 

That I get, but the PK is like playing an NFL overtime and then kicking 30-yard field goals to see who is the better team or shooting free throws in the NBA.

 

PK success percentage in shootouts this year is 63%.

 

But it's OK to have a problem with some of the rules in the NFL or NBA. If you'd like to see something changed in the WC some of the gurus just think you're ignorant.

 

He was trying to head it to the front of the goal. Having it go in was unintended good fortune.

 

Then say "the Belgians are..."

 

Yeah and that's an unusually low percentage. The goalkeeper has to guess. Are you trying to say it's not a great advantage for the shooter?

Are Soccer's Penalty Kicks Too Easy?