Hopefully the WC winner will have more than ONE shot on goal. And maybe possess the ball on at least an infrequent basis during the game. =))
And I agree with @doschicos, for the most part the games have been ref’ed well. And I think VAR has been overall a plus.
@doschicos
“I don’t think one could call themselves the “better” team winning on PKs.”
That’s the problem with soccer… sheer luck (as opposed to skill) plays an inordinately large role in this sport, IMO. Plus, there’s waaaaayy too many big, healthy men bad-acting that they’re terribly injured. Any sport that encourages drama queens is suspect in my book.
The bad acting is usually short and seldom works. To me, it just adds a little color to the game.
Absent the PK tiebreakers, I think there is actually an inordinate amount of skill in soccer. Not many sports where plays are running pretty much non-stop for 90 minutes (or 120). Lots of fitness, quick decision making. Studies show that soccer players are among the smartest athletes. And, although they are certainly healthy, many of them aren’t very big at all compared to other sports.
The bad acting is ridiculous and makes them look like fools. Being barely touched and having it result in you rolling over and over for several yards is silly. One of the many reasons I prefer to watch the women play.
A soccer game without PKs is not an exciting game. During the regular plays and overtime plays the goal keeper is the major force controlling the result of the game. I don’t see anything wrong with having the goal keeper determining the end result in the PKs. Any game has its own rules and rules don’t always make sense (similarly with card games, computer games,…). The important part is the participants agree on the rules. American football has its rules too: a team that scores first during the overtime play wins the game. It’s a just quick way to end the game. Nobody questions about that.
NFL OT rules are a little more complicated than that, but don’t want to derail the thread. And college and NFL aren’t the same either.
New(er) rules and VAR have cut down on the drama/acting and the women’s game is not immune to it. Certainly much less acting than the men though.
Speaking of acting, I’m really looking forward to Brazil-Mexico tomotrow. Unfortunately, it’s the early game.
Today was by far the most boring of the WC for me.* I thought that none of the teams that played (Russia, Spain, Croatia, Denmark) were of the same caliber of what I saw yesterday in France and Uruguay. I think that Russia/Croatia (whoever wins that match) will get crushed moving forward.
- The PKs to decide the winners were certainly dramatic, but the preceding 120 minutes of both matches were numbingly dull, imo.
I hope for (and expect) more fireworks in the Brazil/Mexico match tomorrow.
“Absent the PK tiebreakers, I think there is actually an inordinate amount of skill in soccer.” Agree 100% @doschicos
"A soccer game without PKs is not an exciting game. During the regular plays and overtime plays the goal keeper is the major force controlling the result of the game. "
You and I watch/see soccer very differently.
Got to root for Mexico today over Brazil. All in all I like Brazil but don’t like Neymar who has replaced Ronaldo as the biggest prima donna as Ronaldo has matured a bit.
I’m indifferent on the Belgium/Japan match.
@doschicos I’m cheering for Mexico, too. No preference for the second match.
I really enjoy watching soccer. The Spain game was boring. Some great passes but really you have to advance the ball and try to score, rather than trying not to lose. I have Russian roots, and as the host country, it’s nice for a home team to win.
With a Croatian background and a husband born in England, it’s great to have a couple of teams to be excited about. And, France is just so good. Mbappe is amazing!
All about Mexico today, being Mexican and all. 
As a GK parent, I am always thrilled to watch excellent keepers. The PK is the ultimate test of nerves, concentration, and training for both shooter and GK. By the time the game goes to kicks both sides have proven they can compete on the pitch so it is time to see what other skills the players have honed in preparation. It takes a different temperament to be a GK.
Soccer is boring to me. Goes on and on and on without much scoring. Rugby is much more interesting, although I still don’t understand all the rules.
Some soccer games ARE boring. But games like most of the ones played this weekend are really exciting.
I am headed to Spain in a few days and was looking forward to experiencing the World Cup atmosphere there. Oh well, at least the bars and cafes will be less crowded and I should be able to get a Spain WC jersey at 50% off.
I think it’s the announcing that gets to me. They’re practically screaming as the player with the ball gets halfway down the field. Then they ARE screaming if he is 3/4 way there. Then the equivalent of, “Oh, he missed…” It’s just so repetitive.
I like watching the skill and plays in soccer - and the constant motion. In contrast, I find American football a real snooze fest. Too much downtime and too many stoppages. The games go on forever! At least with soccer, you know it is going to be less than 2 hours unless there is OT.
I guess this isn’t the thread for folks who don’t like soccer.
True, I will depart…
The Russian goalkeeper was legitimately good. Not only did he make two excellent saves during the penalty kicks at the end, he also had two or three really skillful saves during the 120+ minutes they were actually playing soccer. And Russia played excellent, disciplined defense, which is how they were successful at getting to penalty kicks at the end. It was just deathly boring watching one team making no effort whatsoever to score. (I must have been getting something to drink when Russia had its one shot on goal; I didn’t see any shots on goal. Or maybe it was the Russian player’s deflection that scored Spain’s only goal . . . ) And another team proving time and again that the perfect is the enemy of the good. The only goal Spain got was as a result of creating chaos in front of the Russian goalkeeper, but they kept trying for the perfect play instead of situations where they might get lucky. That made them utterly predictable.