Photo: Paul Rudderow
World Cup
What’s at stake in today’s 3:00 p.m. U.S. versus Sweden match.
Scotland gave up a three goal lead to Argentina to crash out of the tourney. But it wasn’t the comeback that got the headlines: VAR, goalies off their line, and some questionable refereeing earned the spotlight.
England knocked off Japan 2-0 thanks to a brace by Ellen White.
Oh! And it turns out the USWNT actually brings in more cash than the men’s team. Whodduhthunkit?!
Philadelphia Union
Kleberson is finding joy in a new role as a coach in the Union’s academy.
Bethlehem Steel
Soccer returns to the Lehigh Valley this weekend, with Bethlehem Steel back in action Saturday at old stomping grounds Goodman Stadium.
MLS
Fullback rumors abound: Atletico Madrid right back Juanfran is being linked to Nashville SC, while Paraguayan left back Miguel Samudio is exploring offers to move north of the border from Liga MX.
U.S. Open Cup
Gimme those Cupsets!
USL side New Mexico United knocked off yet another MLS team to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals. They came down from a goal to knock out FC Dallas 2-1.
Meanwhile, maybe FC Cincinnati should have stayed in USL after all. Saint Louis FC sent the orangemen packing with a tough 1-0 victory.
In MLS v. MLS action:
NYCFC took down DC United 2-1 in Washington.
After a scoreless 90 minutes, Orlando City beat New England 2-1.
And the Portland Timbers took it to LA Galaxy, with a 4-0 smackdown.
Gold Cup
Canada’s defense couldn’t stand up to Mexico, with the tourney favorites prevailing 3-1 over the Canucks.
And Martinique put the hurt on Cuba 3-0.
Copa America
Messi’s penalty only saved a point for Argentina. Meanwhile, Miguel Almiron had himself a game:
A football genius and Lionel Messi. #NUFC #CopaAmerica pic.twitter.com/ne28dZqRQX
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) June 20, 2019
And Venezuela held Brazil scoreless for a 0-0 draw (again thanks to some VAR angels).
every time i watch argentina i think, “this team should be better.” frustrating that Aguero is a ghost… just frustrating in general.
It’s almost as if a young Lionel Messi made a deal with the Devil at some dusty, Rosario crossroad. “You’ll be the greatest football player of all time, live a great life in Spain…. but in exchange, you’ll never
experience glory in your homeland. Your countrymen will never appreciate you.”
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Reality, though, is the Argentinian federation is a mess in which none of the players have faith. It’s a shame. The talent Argentina has squandered in Messi’s life time is truly remarkable.
Insert “Pulisic” for “Messi” in 15 years…
What’s the score now in the Women’s World cup? I have VAR 2 – 0 WWC.
VAR is enforcing the rules of the sport.
And killing it at the same time.
I’d say the rules are the problem. I have no problem with VAR itself so far. I do have a problem with the way some referees interpret what they see. I think even though FIFA took an initiative to study and roll-out VAR over time, I think they naively underestimated some of the consequences. I think there needs to be more education of refs, video review refs, and a thorough evaluation of the wording of the rules of the game, and the rules themselves.
After re-reading what I wrote, even I am confused by what I tried to say. It seems I was reading not fully comprehending what Pete and others wrote because of my own hang-ups. Apparently I have a mental block where my brain wants to read VAR as just replay instead of all that Video Assisted Referee entails.
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So basically once again I agree with Pete (maybe from a slightly different angle).
There should definitely be more training, and I’m for tech assistance with goal line and offsides. I just think that the concept that Video Review will improve play and make calls more accurate just isn’t the case. You can still view incidents on the field and come away with all sorts of different interpretations. The end result is we’ve wasted 5 minutes in a match standing around and watching replays and trying to decipher moments of play at the molecular level. It’s not fun.
The Scottish women got completely jobbed in a game they pretty much controlled. On the VAR that gave the initial penalty it looked pretty clear that the Scottish defender got a toe on the ball first. They took nearly 8 minutes VAR-ing on the penalty call (at minute 86) and the penalty kick stop and retake (at 90+2). No explanation as to why the game stopped with essentially no extra time actually played. Argentina also scored a goal following a free kick in which the referee allowed the kick to take place while Scotland was in the middle of a substitution. They literally had a VAR PK awarded against them in EVERY game. Maybe I’m biased, but they were jobbed of a chance to advance to the knockout round.
Our humanity is what makes sport great. The Law of Evening generally states ‘sometimes you’re the windshield sometimes you’re the bug’
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players are fallible. adjudicators are fallible. humans fallible. turns out VAR is fallible too which is the grand irony because even humans have to then interpret the observable facts.
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I look forward to watching robots play the sports while we sit in chairs drinking soda staring at screens floating everywhere…. like in that movie about robots on a planet deluged by trash. The hell was the name of that movie about an ounce of Hope one single green sprout provided…
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…EVVVVVAAAAAA
WALL-E… 2008. One year after the iPhone was introduced.
This is my main complaint with VAR. Has it made the sport better? No. Not at all.
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At it’s best, VAR was supposed to add certainty that the rules of the game are followed and that calls are correct. It has failed spectacularly at delivering that assurance. In fact, I’d argue, it has made people less certain of officiating. Yes, I understand these errors/mistakes are human. And that’s the point. We’re better off with the best judgement of officials at the time, not rewatching Zapruder-like replays, discussing the impossible to know qualities of intent. Honestly, I’m more against VAR now than I was before it was used.
Agreed 100%. Goal line technology is all that is needed. VAR is brutal.
What’s up Nashville… think we could borrow JuanFran for the rest of the season? I mean we hooked you up with D. Jones…
PS – Tannewald and Tansey reporting Wooten is finalizing a deal with the Union
nice! didn’t put much stock in this one earlier in the week. digging it.
Had a hunch… never bought into the Chicago rumor.
We got screwed by a bad call has only been replaced with we got screwed by a bad call by VAR. Hmm
But now you have to wait 10 minutes for it to be ruled. And refs are clearly frazzled by getting overruled by VAR. You’ve done nothing but wreck the pace of the game. I’m all for trying to use tech to make things clear. Goal line tech is great. I think offside is another good application. I don’t think replay does anything to help with most other situations.