The Beautiful Game thread, season 2017/18

[wco81]

Thanks PK, no FS2 on my system.

But found a rebroadcast of Roma-Barca on a Spanish channel of some kind.

[10spro]

Please. That was far from a garbage call. It was the correct call.

Benatia shoved Vazquez in the back and kicked him in the chest in the box. The love child of Stevie Wonder and Helen Keller could have seen that.

I get that people are tired of Real Madrid and hate Ronaldo. But that was a clear penalty. Full stop. Much credit to Oliver. He should be lauded for having the balls to apply the rules of the game at such a crucial juncture instead of swallowing his whistle like so many other refs.

Michael Oliver passed the "What Would Collina Do?" test to me, with flying colors.

For the record, I follow Real and what Barca do in the Spanish league weekly. Luv how they control and play football the way I enjoy watching a footie game that despite all the popularity that EPL brings, it doesn’t not satisfy my thirst of a more SA style of playing the game with a few a few exceptions such as Arsenal, Spurs, City.

In the penalty awarded to Real, the home team tries early to create an offside play which catches Benatia s step behind Vázquez. Was there contact? Absolutely. He’s as all of the sudden wide open and I see Benatia coming from behind desperately trying to kick he ball away from him.

Was that intent and contact strong enough to call it a PK? Not in my view, that’s not a foul. Sorry. I love G. Buffon too and I don’t agree at how he lounged at M. Oliver with all th experience he has but that’s a non call.

[pk500]

James:

Seriously? Benatia kicked Vazquez across the chest while shoving him from behind. What's the threshold you want to see crossed for a ref to point to the spot? Blood? Exposed bone?

Clear penalty.

[RobVarak]

I'm with Paul on this one. Clear foul and obvious penalty. He flat-out jumped into the back of the attacking player, knocking him to the ground. If you do that anywhere else on the pitch, it's a free kick. No special dispensation because it happens in the six-yard box.

I would have loved to see Buffon have the chance to play hero by stopping the PK. I understand the need for the red, but it would've been great drama to see him staring down Ronaldo.

[Jimmydeicide]

What a Pen though. Massive respect for Ronaldo . To put it where he did after all that commotion. Absolute class.

[10spro]

What a Pen though. Massive respect for Ronaldo . To put it where he did after all that commotion. Absolute class.

For what was at stake, beautifully executed. Agreed mate.

[wco81]

I thought PKs were almost automatic.

But it's comparable to a good or better than average FT shooter in the NBA:

Code: Select all

In the history of the World Cup, teams have made 71.5 percent of their penalty-shootout kicks. But the sample size is not huge, and the percentage has been slightly higher — closer to 75 percent — in other major international tournaments like the European Championships. So we fudge just a pinch upward and assume that the long-run rate of made penalties in the World Cup is 72.5 percent.

It’s important to clarify that this percentage pertains to penalty kicks attempted during shootouts. The success rate is higher — in the range of 75 to 80 percent — for penalties attempted after a foul is called in the box in regulation play. But those cases are a little different. A team will usually designate its best penalty taker to make the one attempt instead of having to rotate through at least five players as in a shootout.

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a- ... real-time/

So even if the best PK takers are in the 80-85% range, they can miss but it's a very high percentage play.

So I don't know about overpraising players for making a PK.

Supposedly Buffon said to the ref that he can't make a call like that so late in the game and in effect, decide the outcome. Certainly that sentiment is popular about NFL and NBA officiating but not sure how it flies in the CL.

[Jimmydeicide]

OK. Thanks for that.

Guess you've never taken one.

Are you a f***in Architect? ....errrH it works on paper i dont understand why its not working on site.

Have you ever kicked a ball in your life? you should take the Barca Badge from your Avatar im sorry.

[wco81]

And you don't know what 80% is apparently.

[Jimmydeicide]

OK Stat boy.

[RobVarak]

Of course just because a PK goes in does not always mean it was a quality penalty shot. The advantage being so strongly in favor of the shooter means some very poorly-executed shots still succeed. CR7's was taken a great one, particularly under the circumstances.

[pk500]

So I don't know about overpraising players for making a PK.

Hey, I thought my parents did a pretty good job one night in the rack in late summer 1964 when they made me ...

[Jimmydeicide]

80%-85% of sperm make it to the egg its not that big a deal.

[pk500]

80%-85% of sperm make it to the egg its not that big a deal.

[XXXIV]

There are penalty kicks and then there are high stakes pressure penalty kicks on the worlds stage.

If you have not seen or dont see the f***in difference well then....

[wco81]

Epitaph for Wenger seems to be that he prioritized profits and positive cash flow for the owners and refused to get into the spending that City and Chelsea did.

As long as Arsenal were top 4 and made the CL, the finances were great.

Apparently Wenger admired Billy Beane and became friends. -- though does he know the As never won a WS under Beane?

So Arsenal amassed 226 million pounds in cash reserves but the rapid inflation of transfer fees makes that cash hoard less valuable than it would seem.

Meanwhile according to FIFA, Arsenal had the highest average revenues per supporter, about 76 pounds. Not just the highest in the EPL but apparently the highest of all clubs.

No wonder that Arsenal fans demands to oust Wenger were finally met.

If he didn't win trophies in the last 10-12 years, Wenger did well for himself, making 8 million pounds a year at the end.

Still he leaves a legacy behind.

[pk500]

I believe Arsenal also incurred big debt to build the Emirates, so maybe that's another reason why Kroenke and Co. didn't free up much money for transfers.

[wco81]

They amassed over 200 million pounds so after debt service, they still had cash to accumulate.

As long as the stadium was full, maybe they didn't feel the pressure to spend more.

But lately attendance may not be as robust as it has been.

[XXXIV]

Liverpool with quite the offensive explosion.

Salah is insane.

Still though they left the door open to another longshot comeback for Roma. I swear I just saw the very same 2 goal let down at the end of saturday's game vs West Brom.

[RobVarak]

What a freaking day!

I was a wreck all morning with anxiety and anticipation. Then I was impossibly, gloriously giddy as we scored at will and Salah just toyed with them. Then I was frustrated and deeply disturbed as we pranced around foolishly rather than keeping them down on the mat.

I was trying to recall where I'd seen that kind of overconfidence before...

[XXXIV]

Great analogy Rob.

I was wtf finish the f***in game!

[RobVarak]

TBF, I would like Oberyn's chances if there was a rematch the following week. That is, if his head hadn't been popped like a vexing zit in the first match.

[dbdynsty25]

If Mane had any touch around the front of the net they should have scored six or seven goals. Def not worried about next week. Roma just doesn’t have the speed to handle the counter attack. Their midfield was great at first until they started playing the long ball. That’s all she wrote. No way they clear three goals next week. Liverpool is so fun to watch.

[10spro]

If Mane had any touch around the front of the net they should have scored six or seven goals. Def not worried about next week. Roma just doesn’t have the speed to handle the counter attack. Their midfield was great at first until they started playing the long ball. That’s all she wrote. No way they clear three goals next week. Liverpool is so fun to watch.

I would agree except this is the CL and anything can happen. Just ask another pretty team to watch like Barca that had practically everything wrapped up except they forgot to show up last week.
Having said that, Liverpool has the depth that Roma doesn’t at this point and I doubt another miracle can happen but never say never...

I do want to see more of the Egyptian Messi though.

[XXXIV]

Liverpool...Wakey wakey eggs and bakey.