4 hours ago, Christopher Low said:

I am not interested in league football these days. I reserve my disappointment for the national team

Good to know that I'm not alone. I never cared for league football, just national teams.

While a little while ago the A330 flight AR1915 took off from Rome Fiumicino runway 25 towards the Buenos Aires apt where the arrival is scheduled for 03:00 (LT) tomorrow, a big controversy has been sparked by the French media which they claim that Messi's third goal in extra time had to be disallowed by the referee because a photo shows that when Messi scores there are players from the Argentina bench who are inside the field of play.

There is a precise reference to rule 3.9 of the regulation, which says:

"If, after a goal has been scored, the referee realizes, before play restarts, that there was an extra person on the ground play at the time the goal was scored, the referee disallows the goal if the extra person was a starting player (entered or returned without authorization), substitute, substituted or sent off or an official of the team that scored the goal".

46 minutes ago, RobPol471 said:

a big controversy has been sparked by the French media

Meh. Nothing is going to change the result now. Petty, childish and just makes them look like bad losers.
Should be glad, if understandably disappointed, to have been part of the best WC final we've seen.

It's not like the French national team haven't had their controversies, either...
 

^^ Thierry Henry escapes punishment for World Cup handball

^^ World Cup Final - France scores on free kick after controversial dive

 

1 hour ago, Luis Hernandez said:

Good to know that I'm not alone. I never cared for league football, just national teams.

Ooof!
Wrong way round for me. 😅
Club over country for Football, and the opposite for Rugby Union.

2 hours ago, F737MAX said:

Meh. Nothing is going to change the result now. Petty, childish and just makes them look like bad losers.
Should be glad, if understandably disappointed, to have been part of the best WC final we've seen.

It's not like the French national team haven't had their controversies, either...
 

^^ Thierry Henry escapes punishment for World Cup handball

^^ World Cup Final - France scores on free kick after controversial dive

 

Ooof!
Wrong way round for me. 😅
Club over country for Football, and the opposite for Rugby Union.

 

I've always noticed, especially when done by fan journalists, the headlines with very detailed articles on alleged errors suffered which have penalized their team, but always the same journalists have serious... memory losses when it comes to documenting... favors received from their team!

I've always noticed, especially when done by fan journalists, the headlines 
with very detailed articles on alleged mistakes suffered that have penalized their team but have serious... memory lapses when it comes to documenting... favors received from their team!

Edited December 19, 20223 yr by Ray Proudfoot
Images in quoted post removed.

The good news is that a highly controversial tournament has come to an end.

Apart from 3 surprising results that may or may not live long in the memory, all this tournament will really be remembered for is Messi finally winning the W.C. after all the expectation heaped upon him.
That, and the shocking lack of value given to immigrant workers lives in Qatar, the last-minute ban on alcohol in stadia, and the disruption to the European club season.

It really was a match worthy of a final. France did exceptionally well given how many of their star players were missing through injury and illness.
Messi has now won every major honour he has competed for and can legitimately be called the G.O.A.T.

Anyway, the North West derby between Man City and Liverpool and more importantly, Man United vs. Burnley, are coming up in the English Premier League tomorrow and Thursday. Can't wait!

16 hours ago, RobPol471 said:

While a little while ago the A330 flight AR1915 took off from Rome Fiumicino runway 25 towards the Buenos Aires apt where the arrival is scheduled for 03:00 (LT) tomorrow, a big controversy has been sparked by the French media which they claim that Messi's third goal in extra time had to be disallowed by the referee because a photo shows that when Messi scores there are players from the Argentina bench who are inside the field of play.

There is a precise reference to rule 3.9 of the regulation, which says:

"If, after a goal has been scored, the referee realizes, before play restarts, that there was an extra person on the ground play at the time the goal was scored, the referee disallows the goal if the extra person was a starting player (entered or returned without authorization), substitute, substituted or sent off or an official of the team that scored the goal".

If the French team want to be picky, how about the number of free kicks that should have been awarded to the England team in the quarter finals?

8 hours ago, Christopher Low said:

If the French team want to be picky, how about the number of free kicks that should have been awarded to the England team in the quarter finals?

Afraid you haven't read my post in response which is... above yours, I'll repeat what I think about journalists writing articles about alleged wrongs to the team they support:

" I've always noticed, especially when done by fan journalists, the headlines with very detailed articles on alleged errors suffered which have penalized their team, but always the same journalists have serious... memory losses when it comes to documenting... favors received from their team! "

I know there’s one thing I won’t miss at all. Who is the GOAT? Given he won 3 WCs it remains Pele as far as I’m concerned. I don’t remember this obsession back in the 70s. The press / media get on my bloody chonkers at times. 🤨

The Buenos Aires police estimate that over 3 million people are demonstrating their joy along the route that the players are currently traveling through the streets of Buenos Aires on an open bus. The images of the various local TVs that can be seen on YouTube are showing impressive masses of people celebrating the players as they pass while, for example at the Obelisk, one of the symbols of Buenos Aires, an impressive mass of people is waiting for the players pass.

https://youtu.be/z-4fLrpPNmc

The parade of the open bus with the players was canceled apparently due to a serious accident, shown by a local TV with a video, where you can see the bus passing under a bridge and two boys threw themselves on the bus but while one managed to fall inside the bus among the players, the other hit the small roof at the bottom of the bus where others were sitting players and then fell to the ground where he was literally trampled by the many people following the bus. The conditions of the two boys are not known, or if any players were injured.

3 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Given he won 3 WCs it remains Pele as far as I’m concerned. 

Just a bit too young to appreciate Pele so for me it’s still Diego Maradona.

The most striking thing about his football was how effortless it seemed to be. He just glided around the pitch.

Good with his hands too😎

12 minutes ago, RobPol471 said:

The parade of the open bus with the players was canceled apparently due to a serious accident, shown by a local TV with a video, where you can see the bus passing under a bridge and two boys threw themselves on the bus but while one managed to fall inside the bus among the players, the other hit the small roof at the bottom of the bus where others were sitting players and then fell to the ground where he was literally trampled by the many people following the bus. The conditions of the two boys are not known, or if any players were injured.

The video showing the fall of the two boys on the player bus.

https://www.clarin.com/deportes/hincha-tiro-puente-colarse-micro-seleccion-argentina-cayo-vacio_0_K9UKeKpqKj.html

1 hour ago, DD_Arthur said:

Just a bit too young to appreciate Pele so for me it’s still Diego Maradona.

The most striking thing about his football was how effortless it seemed to be. He just glided around the pitch.

Good with his hands too😎

Don’t stats count more than what you’ve seen. Pele won his first aged 16 in 1958. The Brazil v England group match lived long in the memory with Banks’ save and Moore and Pele embracing at the end in mutual respect.

1970 was the most painful WC for me. Quarter Final against West Germany. 2-0 up with 20 mins to go and Ramsey takes Bobby Charlton off. That frees up WG and they beat us 3-2 in extra time. It remains raw after 52 years. 😢

Maradona? Flawed genius.

4 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Who is the GOAT? Given he won 3 WCs it remains Pele as far as I’m concerned.

1 hour ago, DD_Arthur said:

still Diego Maradona

I appreciate it's not everyone's favourite cup of tea to discuss G.O.A.T.s. across eras.
However, given that Messi has picked up all the major honours he has competed for in both club and international football, for me, that surpasses the greats of yesteryear.

The football being played now is at the highest standard it has ever been.
Combined with many more matches to play, more players having experience against the current top players, more analysis and more availability of said analysis to try to counteract their abilities, makes the World's best player today, the best ever, IMHO.

There's just no way the teams of today would defend as deep as teams of yesteryear did, affording time and space to Pele and Maradona that would verge on being considered criminal now.

 

Anyway, if you want to watch some of the very best there's been, give yourself some time to watch these:

• Pele https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXg8P0u9W9I
• Maradona https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuQqhbt9Jfk
• Ronaldo (the original) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctIA4BLrYwc
• Ronaldinho https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEFLcPjxw6w
• Messi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amyNZXsnsFA
• C. Ronaldo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0rZYzo5mLg
   

Wait... how did Argentina manage to steal the Washington Monument? 🤪