2014 World Cup Pictures: GO!

Miragedriver

Brigadier
Wait a minute. I am confused. Shouldn't that be 3:2 then? Was the goal disqualified if there is such thing in soccer?


From Fox Sports en Espanol:

Fox Sports en Espanol - Brazil downed Croatia 3-1 in controversial fashion on Thursday night as the World Cup got off to an emotional start in Sao Paulo. Neymar scored twice, the winner coming off a hotly-contested goal from the penalty spot, to lift the hosts into the top slot in Group A. Oscar scored the insurance in stoppage time, with keeper Stipe Pletikosa dismally failing to stop the shot at his near post.

It was a cruel result for a battling Croatia side that exposed Brazil's failings early and often, and blame will fall on referee Yuichi Nishimura -- he awarded a late penalty for a phantom foul on striker Fred that replays showed was a badly blown call.
''If that was a penalty, we should be playing basketball,'' said Croatia coach Niko Kovac. ''Those kinds of fouls are penalized there.''''That is shameful, this is not a World Cup referee. He had one kind of criteria for them and another for us. The rules were not the same,'' said Kovac.

Plagued by delays and staged in a stadium that clearly wasn't ready for the more than 62,000 fans who packed it, this was not the World Cup Brazil wanted -- but it is the Cup they got. What it becomes from hereon out no one knows -- but from the hosts' point of view, at least their rickety side got a win on Thursday.

It was a close call. The team, who has been seen crying during what was a stunning rendition of the Brazilian national anthem looked as unstable as the grounds, perhaps awed by the game from the opening whistle, and a fearless Croatia seized their chance.

Croatia signaled their intent early when Ivica Olic nearly scored after only nine minutes, capitalizing on fine work from Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic to just nod his header past Julio Cesar's far post. With Brazil's defenders still looking groggy, Croatia sprung again on a two-on-two break minutes later that had Dani Alves and David Luiz at cross purposes. Olic whipped in a cross from the left flank that caromed through Nikica Jelavic's legs only to be tucked in at the far post by a hapless Marcelo. The goal sent the red-and-white checked Croats into a frenzy -- and silenced the crowd at the Itaquerao Stadium.

It was a fair result at that stage of the game -- Brazil's defense had been no better than lethargic -- but it seemed ominous when shortly thereafter, the floodlights failed. Would this be another disaster for Brazil?
Their savior, though, was Neymar, and he leveled the match on the stroke of the half hour with a goal that wasn't pretty -- but so explosive the fireworks could be heard as far away as Copacabana Beach.

Oscar was the instigator, coming into the game after forcing a fine save from Pletikosa with a point-blank snap-shot and continuing to harass Croatia down the right side. He seized upon a limp ball at midfield, muscled it up the field to a waiting Neymar, and the young Barcelona starlet scuffed his shot along the turf and past the keeper, to dink in off the far post.
Should Pletikosa have done better on a shot from some 35 yards out? Yes, perhaps -- but even though he was very slow to go to ground, he was screened on the play -- and there can be no arguing with the deftness of Neymar's placement.

After the break, both teams looked leggy and sullen. Brazil, very potent on the break, looked unable to create from open play, and the lack of ideas forced manager Luiz Felipe Scolari to throw on Hernanes and Bernard in an attempt to generate some sort of presence. Croatia, for their part, looked as if they were content to play out the draw, with Jelavic and Olic occasionally venturing upfield, but more often that not, hanging back and smashing the play at midfield.

When Brazil's break came, it was surrounded by controversy. Dejan Lovren tussled with Fred in the box, but the contact was incidental and routine -- until the Fluminense man flung himself to the turf in theatrical fashion. Croatia's players stood on in disbelief as Nishimura pointed to the spot, and then surrounded the official. Replays were damning -- but of course this most hidebound of sports refuses to embrace what every fan has in their living room these days.

Neymar stepped to the spot, took an elaborate run-up and then fired -- only to see Pletikosa get his gloves to it, but fail to keep it out. Relief coursed through the Brazilian side, curses flowed from the Croatians' mouths.
Nishimura would make another debatable call when he disallowed a late goal for the Croats after he judged Olic to have fouled Julio Cesar. Julio Cesar had flung the ball into the striker's' head, allowing for a clean strike on net and while there was contact, it was certainly open for debate.

But Oscar left no doubt about the result when he blew a shot to Pletikosa's near post in stoppage time. It was a poor effort from the shell-shocked Croatian keeper, and made the result look harsher than it truly was.
''I wouldn't say it was the best game, but it's the World Cup debut,'' said Oscar. ''I'm representing the national team and I'm giving it my best. And I managed to do this.''

On Friday, the World Cup rolls on with three matches as El Tri play Cameroon in the opener while Spain and Holland meet in a rematch of the 2010 final later on in the day. Brazil next play Mexico in Fortaleza on Tuesday while Croatia face a Cameroon side that threatened not to travel over a bonus row on the following day.



I will now get back to bottling my Malbec
 
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Miragedriver

Brigadier
Gol de Mexico!

Mexico scored one goal so far on minute 61 of the game. It is raining very hard!
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I will now get back to bottling my Malbec
 

advill

Junior Member
Great Event - the World Cup. Hopefully, the Brazilian leaders should never forget their poor and the destitute in their country. 1 Billion dollars and maybe more had been spent on the World Cup, some of which could have been trickled down to help their fellow citizens and their families suffering in poverty. Their misfortunes may be forgotten for a while because of the excitements during the duration of the World Cup, BUT after the event, poor fellows will be back to the grind. Sad world indeed!
 

SteelBird

Colonel
Wait a minute. I am confused. Shouldn't that be 3:2 then? Was the goal disqualified if there is such thing in soccer?

In association football (soccer) there is such a thing that some goal is disqualified such as goal scored in an off-site position, and so on.

I think Croatia didn't score anything except the own-goal one. But do remember that when there is an own goal, it means that Croatia is pressing heavily on Brazil. Maybe there was an on-target shoot and Brazil tried to block the ball but failed, thus the ball fell into their own goal. This is just my guess, I didn't watch the match.

Here is a video you can watch the match again.
[video]http://www.vodbo.com/end.plx?id=1401505677[/video]

PS. Found this own goal on youtube
[video=youtube;OxUpZubixeo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxUpZubixeo[/video]
 
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bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
I guess you're like Popeye, not a football fan. Own goal, shooting into your own goal, score granted to the other team. Just like you score a friendly fire in a battle field. You scored a "kill" but the one who died is your own fellow.

Oh I'm a football fan....an American football fan...

Like this..:eek:

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Ohio Stadium capacity 102,000..Columbus Ohio. Before the start of a game.

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Ohio Stadium capacity 102,000..Columbus Ohio... Ohio State Vs Michgan

That's we how roll in the USA...
 
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bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
What I know about association football/futbol also know as soccer;

1) It is the most popular sport in the World.
2) The ball is round.
3) There are frequent low scoring games.
4) Many times a tie is good.
5) The World Cup is the most watched and followed sporting event in the World.
6) Millions of young people under 18 years of age in the US play soccer. More than any other team sport.
7) In the US the Major Soccer League (MLS) averages about 18,000 fans a match
8) MLS average match attendance is higher than that of Brazil, China, Japan Scotland and many other nations.
9) MLS viewership on Tv in the US is a paltry 250-350,000 a game...pitiful....go figure.
10) I respect soccer but do not fully understand it.
 

Miragedriver

Brigadier
What I know about association football/futbol also know as soccer;

1) It is the most popular sport in the World.
2) The ball is round.
3) There are frequent low scoring games.
4) Many times a tie is good.
5) The World Cup is the most watched and followed sporting event in the World.
6) Millions of young people under 18 years of age in the US play soccer. More than any other team sport.
7) In the US the Major Soccer League (MLS) averages about 18,000 fans a match
8) MLS average match attendance is higher than that of Brazil, China, Japan Scotland and many other nations.
9) MLS viewership on Tv in the US is a paltry 250-350,000 a game...pitiful....go figure.
10) I respect soccer but do not fully understand it.



I'll teach you Popeye. Come over too the darkside...........
 

Miragedriver

Brigadier
Just finished watching Argentina play. Unfortunatly Im sick with the flu. 38 degrees. No posts for me today or tomorrow .........
Cheers,
 
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