2018 UEFA Nations League

[Go Donbass]

UEFA is always H2H, goal difference is the 2nd tiebreaker should the H2H be equal
FIFA uses GD

Thanks

 

[Evilo]

This perfomance will save Löw's ass again. Bad news. Congrats to France.

It really shouldn't. He subed his best player and Germany was immediately toothless.

 

[Bon Esprit]

It really shouldn't. He subed his best player and Germany was immediately toothless.

No matter what, your were better. Germany wasn't as bad as vs. Holland. I've never seen a worse perfomace by a German team since the early 2000s.
We still have good plavýers in stock, Max for example

 

[WhiskeySeven*]

Löw Raus.

I don't think he survives, the heat will be too high and the DFB will have to address the issue somehow. That said, I think Kovač should use the 3/5 atb and narrow(ish) front three. As Bayern goes, so does the German NT - both are awful at the moment and have terrible managers.

 

[Evilo]

Pavard still sucks at RB.

 

[Corto]

Pavard still sucks at RB.

He had some excellent defensive reactions, to be fair. Sane was basically through on goal at 1-1 and Pavard positioned himself perfectly, brushed Sane aside and the chance was dead.

While he's limited offensively, when Pavard is your "weakest link", your team is in a pretty good spot.

 

[Evilo]

Nah, he got toasted several times throughout the game.

Meanwhile Low had the nerve to blame the ref for the french penalty (which was very weak of course), while completely ignoring the also VERY weak penalty call in favor of Germany in the first half.

Kroos shot the penalty really badly and Lloris touched it. Probably should have saved it too.
If I were DD, I'd select Mike Maignan as 3rd goalie.
In any penalty shootout situation, I'd sub Maignan a minute before and win it. Over 50% save percentage. Insane. Could win you a competition.
I remember when my pupils had among them a great penalty saver. Not the best goalie, but amazing on that particular point.
In the national tournament, the coach had the guts to do just this. He put him in one minute before the end of the game. He saved 3 of 4 penalties and we got through (before losing 2-1 to PSG).

 

[Corto]

Meanwhile Low had the nerve to blame the ref for the french penalty (which was very weak of course), while completely ignoring the also VERY weak penalty call in favor of Germany in the first half.

I think both penalty calls were weak.

The German penalty, I mean yeah, his arm is in the air, but if you're sliding like that, it is the actual natural position of the arm and the ball hit him from a foot away - what exactly are you supposed to do with your arm there...
French penalty, Matuidi stepped on Hummels' foot - not a penalty, but certainly wasn't helped by Hummels making a daft challenge. Very hard for the ref to see, I think VAR calls it back, but without VAR, I thought it was a pen as well - until seeing the replay.

The thing about the German penalty though.. Even with VAR, and especially in slow-motion, I think the refs will be giving those penalties until the handball rules are changed and clarified.

So many times in this WC VAR decided to give a penalty for a handball that should never have been called (Perisic, Poulsen and Cedric Soares being the best examples) because the rules are currently a mess, rewarding a potential game changing decision (penalty) for a play that was innocent, not deliberate and completely harmless away from the goal.

Just look at this lol:
2018 FIFA World Cup Russia: Iran vs. Portugal | Fox

 

[Evilo]

Yeah both calls were weak.
But Low has selective memory it seems.

 

[YNWA14]

I don't have a problem with penalties being called for sliding and the ball hitting your arm. You can say it's a 'natural position' when sliding, but in reality it's not a natural position to have your arm above your head. You're effectively just making yourself bigger by sliding, so you can slide confidently without needing to get the ball because you're still making yourself big enough to block the path. If you're going to slide you need to get the ball, or block it with your body/legs; if you slide and the ball gets you in the arm it absolutely is a handball, intentional or not.

 

[hatterson]

I don't have a problem with penalties being called for sliding and the ball hitting your arm. You can say it's a 'natural position' when sliding, but in reality it's not a natural position to have your arm above your head. You're effectively just making yourself bigger by sliding, so you can slide confidently without needing to get the ball because you're still making yourself big enough to block the path. If you're going to slide you need to get the ball, or block it with your body/legs; if you slide and the ball gets you in the arm it absolutely is a handball, intentional or not.

Having your arm above your head like that while diving into a slide is a completely natural position when sliding. Even just googling "slide tackle" you can see almost all of the images have the defender with his arm in that position. Even "baseball slide" where making yourself bigger isn't nearly as much an issue, you have the guy sliding having a very similar arm position.

 

[YNWA14]

Having your arm above your head like that while diving into a slide is a completely natural position when sliding. Even just googling "slide tackle" you can see almost all of the images have the defender with his arm in that position. Even "baseball slide" where making yourself bigger isn't nearly as much an issue, you have the guy sliding having a very similar arm position.

Sure, but sliding isn't a 'natural position' either. You're making a defensive action to go for the ball/block the ball. The arm above your head makes you bigger, and directly blocks the path of the ball if it hits you there.

 

[hatterson]

Sure, but sliding isn't a 'natural position' either. You're making a defensive action to go for the ball/block the ball. The arm above your head makes you bigger, and directly blocks the path of the ball if it hits you there.

If sliding isn't a natural way to try to block a shot then I don't really know what do say.

 

[YNWA14]

If sliding isn't a natural way to try to block a shot then I don't really know what do say.

So you think that it's okay to slide for a ball (to block it, or take it) but if that fails because they tried to shoot it around you, take it around you, or whatever and it hits your arm then it's all good? It was an accident, not intentional (of course we'll ignore that you moved yourself into a position where it was much more likely that the ball would 'accidentally' hit your arm).

In the past I've argued for it not being a penalty/foul depending on the situation, but for clarity and with respect to how the rule is intended to work I do think that if you move, or put yourself in a position that would cause your 'natural arm position' to obstruct the ball it should be a foul. Otherwise you're just rewarding mistakes.

 

[czechcanadian]

Looks like Pavlenka's in net tonight

Schick starting up front too

Couldn’t watch the game but apparently Czechs played well. All I care about really. Last time they were dominated all game against Ukraine at home. Very even game that they just couldn’t score

 

[maclean]

So as it turns out, the main impulse for the Slovak coach to quit was that after the loss seven of his players snuck out to go clubbing. He took it as a slap in the face. He said he could either pretend he didn't see it (but that's not his style), kick the players off the team (but Slovak football needs them), or quit.

 

[Sportpsych90]

So as it turns out, the main impulse for the Slovak coach to quit was that after the loss seven of his players snuck out to go clubbing. He took it as a slap in the face. He said he could either pretend he didn't see it (but that's not his style), kick the players off the team (but Slovak football needs them), or quit.

It will be interesting to see if the new management will now include Miroslav Stoch in the national team. He was typically one of the best players for the national team but he has been excluded from Kozak's squad for several years due to similar drinking/behavioral issues.

 

[maclean]

It will be interesting to see if the new management will now include Miroslav Stoch in the national team. He was typically one of the best players for the national team but he has been excluded from Kozak's squad for several years due to similar drinking/behavioral issues.

I'm curious to see if he can earn the players' respect. I suppose coaching the U-21s is a decent qualification, but at Sparta he lasted, what, six months? And that's including the summer break...

 

[member 305909]

If Germany is relegated to league B then Löw's days as a manager are numbered, no matter the past glories.

 

[Sportpsych90]

I'm curious to see if he can earn the players' respect. I suppose coaching the U-21s is a decent qualification, but at Sparta he lasted, what, six months? And that's including the summer break...

Yes, I would think he might start playing some of the younger players that he is used to coaching such as Mraz over Nemec, Hancko over Hubocan, and maybe even Jirka some minutes as well. We will have an interesting battle for relegation between Slovakia and Czech coming up

 

[HajdukSplit]

Some big games today potentially for promotion at all leagues

In League A I would say CRO-ESP is more important than BEL-ISL as Belgium even if they somehow lose at home to Iceland still control their own destiny for the Final Four but would need a result in Switzerland. Croatia need to win to stay alive while Spain also need to win to go to the Final Four or else its back in England's hand who host Croatia on Sunday

League B: Only Austria vs. BiH today but massive match, BiH only need a point to promote while its a must win for Austria

League C: Greece vs. Finland, Finland only need a point for their unlikely promotion while Greece must win to stay alive

League D: Luxembourg vs. Belarus is pretty much a H2H matchup for top spot but with Moldova hanging around its a group that could become a three-horse race on the final MD

I saw Russia called up Ari from Krasnodar, that's like 4-5 naturalized players on their NT now...not to provoke too much but find it a bit sad a country of their stature needs to do it but whatever

 

[HajdukSplit]

Not too many goals so far...

watching CRO-ESP and the game is what you expect, 70% for Spain (roughly) but no end product and Croatia defending very deep other than the opening 15-20 minutes where they pressed high and created some half chances

 

[HajdukSplit]

two quick goals in the CRO-ESP match, Spain gifted Kramaric goal but they respond pretty much immediately

 

[HajdukSplit]

Croatia retake the lead, Modric cross finds Jedvaj somehow totally unmarked inside the six yard box...lets keep the lead for more than 2 mins now

 

[hatterson]

Morata is so useless.