The World Martial Arts Final

[Jacqui Harvey]

quote:Originally posted by Highlander

Jacqui/mrkeith

I cannot quite believe that you don't think that the referee should have applied the rules of the game. Holland had gilt edged chances to score and if they had won the game it would have been a complete travesty because they should, without any question,have only had nine men on the field at half time

Thirty billion people around the world watched the World Cup, can you imagine the flack Webb would have received for spoiling the game by sending players off in the first half and having a walk over in the second half.  It would be a brave man to make decisions like that. Also regardless of not sending them off the shame and scorn the Dutch will feel around the world will never be forgotten.
Anyway, it was a done deal that Spain would win, Paul the octopus said so, and he has never been wrong.:

[Highlander]

So, on August the 14th, any Arsenal player can commit any offence in the first half in the certain knowledge that he will not be send off because it will spoil the game.

I really don't think so and the last time I looked the rules are the same no matter if 30 or thirty billion people are watching.

[Highlander]

"And regrettably, sadly, they played very dirty. So much so that they should have been down to nine immediately, then they made two [such] ugly and hard tackles that even I felt the damage.

"It hurts me that I was wrong in my disagreement that instead Holland chose an ugly path to aim for the title.

"This ugly, vulgar, hard, hermetic, hardly eye-catching, hardly football style, yes it served the Dutch to unsettle Spain. If with this they got satisfaction, fine, but they ended up losing. They were playing anti-football."

Johan Cruyff

[barry44544]

What utter crap.... Managers have openly stated the only way to play against Arsenal
is "get up close and in their face" and now you make us the villans...
I suppose Edwardo and Ramsey should have been sent off for breaking their legs.

[Highlander]

You have picked me up wrongly barry. I wasn't saying that Arsenal are a dirty team. I certainly would never associate them with the thuggery displayed by the Dutch

I was trying to make my point to Jacqui,  was that if the offence was against her team she would want the offender to be send off.

(Jacqui's a Liverpool supporter I think, who play Arsenal on the first day of the new season. That's the only reason for the reference to Arsenal)

The point I was trying was that if an offence warrants a sending off then the time it is committed is irrelevant.

[barry44544]

For what my two pence is worth.....
I think it was one of the worse World cups I have ever seen.
The simulation and sinical berating of the Ref's has been terrible.
The Hero of Spain getting a fellow pro sent off... after he had
already attacked a fellow pro off the ball in retaliation and stayed on the field sickend me.
Although I thought the Ref had a bad day...... I felt sorry for him.

perhaps if we did have eight or nine men teams on the pitch the pro's
would start to play the beautiful game..

[Highlander]

I agree barry - it wasn't a great tournament. Apparantly I missed the best game - the third/fourth play-off

[tonyb]

Sorry Jacqui, I get your point, but you can't change the rules of the game just because its a "showpiece final" Webb bottled it. He knows it & so does everyone  else who watched the game. If this match was in the group stages or even the semi, at least 2 of the Dutch would have walked by half-time. He's done absolutely jack for the reputation of British referees.This game would have been a lot less contraversial if had stamped his authority on the game. But as his own father said "he can't control his own kids !!!" I bet he'll start throwing his weight around the Premiership though, when he gets back.

[BM06]

Rules are rules, just an observation iniesta got the same punishment for removing his shirt after scoring, displaying a message in tribute to the late captain at Espanyol Dani Jarque who passed away earlier this year, as did De Jong's assault:( its a funny old game....saint:D

[barry44544]

Rule's are rule's when they are adhered to...
I don't think Iniesta has anything to be proud of
in the actions he showed in this game..