Other Games - 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Edition (+ warm-up matches): Villa-watch

[Dave]

So long as Spain score at least twelve, otherwise we should take Menorca back off them as punishment for being useless twats.

Pour encourager les autres, to use a phrase originating from that neck of the woods.

[UK Redsox]

So if the chip said there was a touch on the ball, why did they need to get the ref to look at a screen?

Why didn't the chip pick up the clear touch of the defender?

They didn't need to look at that. It only mattered if it was a deliberate touch, which it didn't appear to be.
Nowt wrong with the way VAR-Snicko worked. It's the laws regarding deliberate/non-deliberate touches by defenders that cause confusion.

My view is that if the ball is touched by a defender (including the keeper making a save), the potential to be offside from the pass/shot should expire.

[PeterWithesShin]

Police have criticised the timing of the government's decision to let pubs stay open until 05:00 BST on Monday for England's World Cup match against Mexico.

The National Police Chiefs' Council said the "late announcement" meant officers would have to be taken away from other duties and work longer hours, even though the team's likely route through the tournament "has been known for a considerable time".

It asked fans to be "considerate" and "drink within sensible limits" while watching the crucial last-16 match in which the losing team will be eliminated.

The government has said a previous relaxing of licensing laws for the tournament had not covered the eventuality of England playing so late.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd95v388k5jo

[cdbearsfan]

Shut up, police. You're supposed to uphold legislation not decide it.

[paul_e]

I get that. It clearly looks like the attacker hasn’t touched the ball and the ball itself doesn’t change direction in any way or spin differently in anyway. I’m a firm advocate of technology being used but I’m highly dubious of this tech and the graphic used to show a touch.

That said, the prospect of a game with Portugal v Spain is far more preferable than Croatia v Spain.

Yep, my stance is that adding tech is fine if it has a problem to solve. I don't think anyone wanted or needed them to add this and I don't think it's a problem that needed to be solved. Inaccuracy in offsides decisions is fine, double-checking for penalties or the ball being in/out of play is fine but this feels like an incredibly niche case where a touch is so slight that it's impossible to see with the naked eye, even on a slomo. If the same incident occurs once a season I'd be surprised it's so often.

This degree of accuracy can be left to cricket where it actually matters.

[UK Redsox]

Police have criticised the timing of the government's decision to let pubs stay open until 05:00 BST on Monday for England's World Cup match against Mexico.

The National Police Chiefs' Council said the "late announcement" meant officers would have to be taken away from other duties and work longer hours, even though the team's likely route through the tournament "has been known for a considerable time".

It asked fans to be "considerate" and "drink within sensible limits" while watching the crucial last-16 match in which the losing team will be eliminated.

The government has said a previous relaxing of licensing laws for the tournament had not covered the eventuality of England playing so late.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd95v388k5jo

That sentence is clearly bollocks.

Even me with my 'anyonebutengland' hat on, could see that the most likely of outcomes was that England would win their group and defeat a 3rd place team in the last 32

[PeterWithesShin]

I was all for technology being used for obvious mistakes, Lampard goal for example, a player being a yard offside, a missed clear foul, type things as officials can miss things especially with the speed of the game. It's, imo, bullshit though that it's deciding games on a player being offside by a mm or the ball brushing someones hair.

[Proposition Joe]

What's all this about Starmer letting pubs stay open longer? I thought Blair did away with compulsory opening hours?

[Somniloquism]

My view is that if the ball is touched by a defender (including the keeper making a save), the potential to be offside from the pass/shot should expire.

So that Citeh goal against us a few years ago should have been given?

[UK Redsox]

I was all for technology being used for obvious mistakes, Lampard goal for example, a player being a yard offside, a missed clear foul, type things as officials can miss things especially with the speed of the game. It's, imo, bullshit though that it's deciding games on a player being offside by a mm or the ball brushing someones hair.

If they bring in Snicko for Premier League VAR, I can see Unai ordering shaved heads all round

[UK Redsox]

My view is that if the ball is touched by a defender (including the keeper making a save), the potential to be offside from the pass/shot should expire.

So that Citeh goal against us a few years ago should have been given?

As Mr Shin will tell you, the chances of me remembering specific games, let along specific goals, is virtually Nil.
I've outsourced remembering such stuff to him....so, over to you Mr Shin.

[brontebilly]

Going to be tough for Portugal to stop Spain's passing game carrying the CR7 statue up front. Austria are very average but they couldn't get a kick last night, until late on when they started kicking the Spanish players.

[Mellin]

Why is Hassan Kachloul that old?

[Dogtanian]

Who are we rooting for tonight?

[Dogtanian]

Australia.