More goals??? Rid the game of off side.

Yes please

Argentina in with a grin – and it wasn't just my imagination that the All Whites hardly touched the ball except in defense, then.

Hey Gio, How did you know you were going to be on TV?

Seems the transition from turbulent to laminar flow is a fraction quicker than the last WC ball.

More goals??? Rid the game of off side. It transformed hockey. AND has not resulted in more aerial play that everyone argued would happen. Imagine, the whole field…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHRX45AS4nY

It's clearly pretty prevalent through the game:

Groan. Yawn.

They do. And it's an automatic yellow.

It seems to need to become a little more common. It's clearly pretty prevalent through the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcCw9RHI5mc&feature=player_embedded

Though mostly what has disappointed me watching the football isn't what I would call diving (going down when you didn't need to) but feigning injury.…

But if referees made occasional calls when they were sure that the player dived

They do. And it's an automatic yellow.

The whole simulation thing is notoriously difficult to adjudicate... At any rate, it's quite rare to be able to rule conclusively that somebody took a dive, even with the technology, so the occasional heavy penalties are a bit too hit and miss to be effective.

Officiating in any sport is…

And yet apparently they are so easily deceived by the players' theatrics. Make up your mind.

The choices are not mutually exclusive.

Isn't that why we have referees – to police the game? And as far as I can tell, they seem to do a pretty good job on that score.

And yet apparently they are so easily deceived by the players' theatrics. Make up your mind.

The 'fall easy' accusations need to be tempered against the fact the best players are getting clattered all the time

Cry me a river (as my teenage son is so fond of saying.) Isn't that why we have referees – to police the game? And as far as I can…

Suarez is actually a very handy player and just like Ronaldo he cops his share of highly dodgy challenges. The 'fall easy' accusations need to be tempered against the fact the best players are…

I guess I'm just being driven spare by a game where it seems that any contact between players followed by a dive, no matter how incidental or unintentional, is awarded at least free kick.

Yes, it is very frustrating. The game would be considerably enhanced with an injection of overall…

That youtube clip's a classic, Giovanni. You can see Suarez kick the ball too far around the goalie as his opportunity to chip is blocked, his eyes immediately drop to the goalie's foot, he drags his own foot into it, lands squarely, twists 180 degrees, and falls down…

As I was trying to say earlier, there are circumstances in which it is okay to dive – for instance the Mexico penalty – and it's still a foul.

I've come around to this opinion about that penalty, actually, thanks to you and that referee blog...

I guess I'm just being driven spare by a game where it seems that any contact between players followed by a dive, no matter how incidental or unintentional, is awarded at least free kick.

As I was trying to say earlier, there are circumstances in which it is okay to…

I guess I'm just being driven spare by a game where…

Those of us who watch rugby know how hard it is to bring a man down who doesn't want to be. With soccer it's inversely related to how well the striker has control of the ball, with much foot-dragging and arm waving.

but that's what they hand out yellows for, right?

No. There was nobody else standing between Suarez and the open goal, so that was an automatic red card. That's just the rule.

Cahill could have got away with a yellow card – there was some discretion there – but I…

There are plenty examples of blatant cheating to choose from – it is those that FIFA should go after; the easy ones, not the difficult ones. Just a few high-profile sanctions will at least show there are possible adverse consequences to be had from such actions.

Indeed.

I don't know…

If it's hard to differentiate between infringing and not infringing, then it's equally difficult to differentiate between blatantly infringing and not-quite-blatantly-infringing.

There are plenty examples of blatant cheating to choose from – it is…

Which is why one could only adjudicate on the most clear-cut cases

That's not so easy. If it's hard to differentiate between infringing and not infringing, then it's equally difficult to differentiate between blatantly infringing and not-quite-blatantly-infringing.

Overall, I totally agree with post-match sanctions. It works for the League. Professional…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj3coIGZYhg

It's a clumsy challenge and…

They do. But I refer you to the De Rossi pirouettes in the link above – is that sanctionable? I don't think so. Proving complete lack of contact is very hard, and the images don't tell you the force of whatever contact there might have been.

Which is why one…

Suarez, in my mind, embodies everything I hate about football. Diving, self-important arseholes and playing to screw over the other team.

And then there are the corrupt referees and the match-fixers. Declan Hill has written very accessibly about the subject.

Refs are fallible, and that's…

They should impose hefty post-match fines on those whom the video evidence shows to be conclusively diving/acting.

They do. But I refer you to the De Rossi pirouettes in the link above – is that sanctionable? I don't think so. Proving complete lack of contact is very hard, and the…

Agree with Gio that it's really hard to pick simulation at the time. And I don't think you want referrals during the match. Football prides itself on its lack of stoppage time, and rightly so.

But what they should do is post-match appeals (like the judiciary in other sports).

They…

But what they should do is post-match appeals (like the judiciary in other sports).

And…

Two bits of technology suggest it wouldn't be too difficult to give the ref a quick shoofty, regardless of the protests from those countries who seem to be the worst culprits.

That's the speed of replay and the hyper-clear close-up of the colliding (or not) feet.

Knowing it can…

no more diving.

Who enjoys the part of football where players are rewarded for diving and feigning fatal injury, and then both sides yell at the referee with looks of disbelief? What reason is there for it not being stomped on?

The whole simulation thing is notoriously difficult to adjudicate. If I may…

Suarez, in my mind, embodies everything I hate about football.

Word.

I'm glad it's just not me.

There were enough expletives flying around at the antics of the little coach's son Weiss in the NZL v Slovakia match. The Suarez thing caused me heart-stopping apoplexy.

Suarez, in my mind, embodies everything I hate about football. Diving, self-important arseholes and playing to screw over the other team.

I do wonder if there's a reason why the governing body hasn't gotten tougher on that sort of stuff.

Who enjoys the part of football where players are rewarded…

But I'd quite like to see the Swiss make it through to…

I'm still a bit suspect about the Jubalani. Never seen so many balls skied over the bar.

I think Brazil, for all the hype, knew they'd had a game after the DPR Korea match. What a surprise, not knowing what to expect?

I…

Yes, I think my colleague Mr Green might have some feelings on this matter.

Ha!

Does anyone else think the South African goalkeeper was a little hard done by? Yellow card, sure, penalty OK, but a red AND a penalty, for that? Really?

The build-up for the URU-SAF game showed a highlight reel of Suarez. All of the footage showed him falling over and the…

Does anyone else think the South African goalkeeper was a little hard done by? Yellow card, sure, penalty OK, but a red AND a penalty, for that? Really?

Yes, I think my colleague Mr Green might have some feelings on this matter. I still haven't seen it so can't comment.

I'm liking how Spain are now blaming their loss on a babe reporter who was parked on the sidelines.

and hell yeah, I'd swap Ballack's sub-pah Zidane impression for that Ouzo bloke any day – minus the hapless dive…

And did anyone else see Maradona's cute little back flick with the ball going out, today? Dude's still got the magic.

Giovanni – what is your faith in Mexico and Uruguay based on?

I liked Mexico against South Africa. They were very good against Italy in their warm up match and *very* solid against France today. They can bring Blanco in with twenty minutes to go. I like them a lot.…

otherwise I agree that Mexico still has more to play for in their last pool match. and they seem to lost some of the brittleness they usually exhibit.

I'd love to rate RSA a chance as any party…

Maradonna might have the manner of a demented goblin, but how good have Argentina been?

They haven't impressed me half as much as their scorelines. They had a couple of hairy moments today playing a team that seemed designed to make them look good. Against Nigeria they were average I…

Having said that; watch Uruguay park the bus.

Maradonna might have the…

re point 1 goalie gaffes – they're replayed endlessly (and re-recorded in Lego), but when a striker misses an open goal it doesn't get the same emphasis. I've been waiting for someone to bring up the old Scottish goalkeeper…

Not entirely certain if predictions of a tepid 0-0 draw btwn Mexico and Uruguay will come to pass. While that would ensure both would go thru they also know that the 2nd place team from their group will then play Argentina

I think Mexico ought to play to win. Unless…

You're not fooling anyone, Mr Kick It.

It's an old blogger's trick to include deliberate mistakes in a post to provoke replies. Not going to work. Oh, all right then ... the USA did make the second round in 1994. There you go.

Aaah, yes, that's right, an old bloggers…

It's an old blogger's trick to include deliberate mistakes in a post to provoke replies. Not going to work. Oh, all right then ... the USA did make the second round in 1994. There you go.

As for 2010, if anybody hasn't seen…