World Cup 2026

[Milltown Row2]

Liked how Paraguay pushed the limits. They worked their ass off.
I've been involved with Soccer teams on both sides of that coin.
Sometimes you have to drag the opponent down a level.
Paraguay could have played football and got hockeyed.

There's working your ass off and there's just dirt! They did that, the lesser South American teams have always brought that level.

After doing so well against Germany, worked their asses off and come away with plenty of merit to do that last night, though abled by a train wreck of a ref!

[gerrykeegan]

I can't remember a worse referring performance. When you look back at the fouls it was mad they didn't get a single yellow card. Even just for persistent fouling. You often see a ref go 1,2,3 and produce the card. Some of those lads were on 6,7,8 fouls.

[thewobbler]

I can't remember a worse referring performance. When you look back at the fouls it was mad they didn't get a single yellow card. Even just for persistent fouling. You often see a ref go 1,2,3 and produce the card. Some of those lads were on 6,7,8 fouls.

I think our perceptions on tackling and contact have been sanitised by the dreadful over officiating found in almost every PL match.

Personally I prefer the refereeing style in this match. Giant big f**ker Frenchmen rolling around the ground on every contact is a bigger blight on soccer - in my opinion - then a man throwing a snide little dig here and there.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Cmere son come watch Mbappe and dembele and olise play some great football and score a couple of clinkers

Naw da sure look at yer man way the elbow when the balls out for a throw in that's class

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Did someone say 3 French 0 paraguayans booked? Pure class give me more of this

[Tony Baloney]

I can't remember a worse referring performance. When you look back at the fouls it was mad they didn't get a single yellow card. Even just for persistent fouling. You often see a ref go 1,2,3 and produce the card. Some of those lads were on 6,7,8 fouls.

I think our perceptions on tackling and contact have been sanitised by the dreadful over officiating found in almost every PL match.

Personally I prefer the refereeing style in this match. Giant big f**ker Frenchmen rolling around the ground on every contact is a bigger blight on soccer - in my opinion - then a man throwing a snide little dig here and there.

If you book both the hacker and the diver then you may start to see less of it. The ref did neither. People won't like the way Paraguay setup last night, but they can play the game whatever way they want - a "pragmatic" approach based on their limitations, or a free flowing approach. It's up to the ref to ensure it's all within the rules. Again, the ref didn't do his job.

[An Watcher]

On the back of this, can someone explain to me how FIFA have never brought in bookings retrospectively for diving?  I know there are grey areas but blatant ones should be dealt with afterwards. 

[GTP]

The Paraguay players rolled around as much as the French only difference was that no matter what happened he wasn't giving Paraguay a card. If he had been consistent in letting things go you could argue it is a good style of refereeing, but different rules for different teams is not.
Players over reacting can also be driven by a ref. If he only gives a free when someone screams and rolls around that is what players will do.

[Baile Brigín 2]

On the back of this, can someone explain to me how FIFA have never brought in bookings retrospectively for diving?  I know there are grey areas but blatant ones should be dealt with afterwards. 

Where does that stop? Retrospective hand balls?

At some point the referee has to be let referee. If he decides something isn't a booking then it isn't.

[Captain Obvious]

3rd match Ilgiz Tantashev was in charge of in this World cup

Scotland v Morocco and Austria v Algeria.  Was he as bad In those games?

[An Watcher]

Maybe if Scotland had employed some of Paraguays tactics they wouldn't be sitting watching the second round st home.  Paraguay were just right

[nrico2006]

On the back of this, can someone explain to me how FIFA have never brought in bookings retrospectively for diving?  I know there are grey areas but blatant ones should be dealt with afterwards. 

Where does that stop? Retrospective hand balls?

At some point the referee has to be let referee. If he decides something isn't a booking then it isn't.

Can retrospective red cards be issued?

[An Watcher]

On the back of this, can someone explain to me how FIFA have never brought in bookings retrospectively for diving?  I know there are grey areas but blatant ones should be dealt with afterwards. 

Where does that stop? Retrospective hand balls?

At some point the referee has to be let referee. If he decides something isn't a booking then it isn't.

Can retrospective red cards be issued?

Well its making the game unwatchable so i think they need to do something

[Wildweasel74]

Call a spade a spade, Paraguay were a dirty bunch with elbows, punch to the ribs, high dangerous tackles, stud down the shins,  playacting (worse than any french men). Got be the most unlikable team i ever seen.

[weareros]

Folarin Balogun's suspension quashed. The most corrupt World Cup in history. The tone was set when Ronaldo had dinner with Trump and Infantino in White House and lo and behold his suspension for his red card against Ireland disappeared too.