All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

Bubbler -- I think that they were saying that Eto'o was offsides when Larsson touched the ball. It was close, but I think that Eto'o was both played onsides by a defender and was even or behind the ball when the pass from Larsson was made. He was moving so fast when the touch was made that it was a bang-bang play.

 

I can't imagine it will be long before the top levels of soccer have electronic means to check for offside and aid the referee and his assistance. If Fox can make a puck glow, this shouldn't be hard to do. Chips on the cleats, chips in the ball, ba-da-boom, ba-da-bing.

 

That's an interesting thought. However, it's not just feet that can be in the offside position.

From the Laws:

Plus, where do you put the chip in the ball? It would almost need to be lined from the inside with the mechanism.
And now I just have a lot of questions about it.

I understand, Del_B, you're not proposing the idea and have all the answers for it, but it may not be as easy at it sounds.

 

I've seen too much of Larsson due to his time with Celtic. The guy is lethal and always goes all out and when he's not scoring, he is at least involved in the play.

 

It's a shame he's scaling back on his career by going home to Sweden. I saw him score two goals against Bulgaria in Euro 2004.

 

I know it's been kicked around (ha!) in Europe. To me, if there was a way for incontrovertable evidence to be obtained, it'd be worth tweaking that rule to make it work. How far ahead of your feet can your head be, anyway? If you're in full dive when a pass is made, it's unlikely you'll be making the play. Hell, even rugby uses replay. Why not use that? (BTW, I love when everybody stands staring at the blank replay screen in the corner of the field, waiting for the "try"/"no try" graphic to come spinning out.)

Edit: As for your point on the ball, I would think the matter of 8.5 inches of slop (diameter of the ball) wouldn't be worth splitting the atom about.

 

Until it makes a difference in a Champions League semifinal, though I understand what you're saying.

 

Larsson wasn't offside. Eto'o wasn't offside. And even if they were, that still doesn't excuse the piss-poor exhibition of goalkeeping on either of Barca's two goals. Christ, a one-armed trained monkey could have saved those - especially that second goal - FIVE HOLE!

I finally got done watching the match with a friend - we stopped the tape right at the point of the foul by Lehmann - both of us agreed, advantage, allow the goal, send off the keeper. Thinking about it, though, I can see where the official wouldn't want to do that - it's bad enough they're playing a man down and without their top keeper. But again, that's because the official has no balls.

Damn Norwegians....

 

not sure if you saw this....

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=368318&cc=5901

 

Ziz, if you allow the goal, how do you justify sending off the keeper?
It wasn't an ugly foul. It was a last-man foul. Well, if you play the advantage, and allow the goal, it's no longer necessary to send off Lehman, is it?

 

Zizzer, the first goal was a tough play.  Eto'o had space -- ideally the keeper would have come out a little more a cut off the near post, but Eto'o gave a look to the far post and took advantage when the keeper moved.  

The second non-save was David James worthy.

 

Favorite sporting nickname: Calamity James.