World Cup 2014

Funny indeed how pundits are "well let's just hope Italy wins, then we'll be ok", as if you don't even have to play CR and win yourself.

first class hand gestures from the costa rica coach

why don't they play night matches? afraid of rioting?

― k3vin k., Friday, June 20, 2014 12:43 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

would be the middle of the night/ early morning for a lot of the big tv markets, i assume.

usually okay if you get the ball first unless it's from behind, your studs are showing, two footed, or too forceful

pretty good rules of thumb

Are there official rules online? There's some stuff on the fifa site but it's v vague

#summerofCONCACAF hashtag starting up

also worth noting that the ref is one guy chasing 22 guys around a huge field and he has to make a split second decision on every tackle no matter what angle he sees it from. never going to get much consistency imo.

Why's Lineker wearing an Italy kit anyway? What the hell is that?

espn just showed the teams shoving and hollering in the tunnel on the way in for halftime. ready for a spicy 2nd. <3 CRC

yeah the written laws are very brief

this is partly deliberate i suspect

a lot of what is and isn't a foul at the top level is built up by precedent

see p.36 onwards here http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/footballdevelopment/refereeing/02/36/01/11/lawsofthegameweben_neutral.pdf

ENTER CASSANO

Costa Rica and Uruguay making it out of this group would make this whole thing so hilariously worth it.

not sure the defender got the ball there but the ref would have to have some fucking stones to give that to italy

does anyone know why joel campbell has such an english-sounding name?

matt dc otm

italy goal feels inevitable

look like they've decided to gamble on campbell's pace and step up anyway, starting much higher up the pitch trying to pen CR in. Here comes Rafa's boy.

de rossi schooled

ruiz has been terrific

Italy not looking like they are going to score easily now, struggling. Ruiz has been v good so far indeed. And I love Campbell, had not heard of him before.

caek re joel campbell i found this: Most Afro-Costa Ricans, who constitute about 3% of the country's population, descend from Jamaican immigrants who worked in the construction of that railway. it does sound like a jamaican name fwiw

Only just got to the pub but wow Costa Rica appear to be properly outplaying Italy here. Shades of South Korea in 02.

Their tactics are just spot on. Italy can't get through.

They've been excellent Matt although their high line has been aided by Italian inability to time a few straightforward runs

It's a kind of conceptual art tribute to inzhagi i suspect

How many off-sides have we seen for Italy Pandemic? Feels like a lot.

Amusing how this is the season where co-commentating pundits try to show that they've been on coaching courses by mentioning "3rd man runners" periodically.

Cassano has srsly stunk up the joint since he's been on

A 1 nil defeat is the same as a 1-1 draw for Italy in that they''ll need just a point to go thru vs Uruguay yeah?

Yeah but if Costa Rica win then Uruguay won't be prepared to settle for a draw.

Uruguay have to win whatever if CR don't lose I think. Not sure.

If Costa Rica get another goal, Uruguay will only need a draw.

I like Italy but CR so deserve this today.

The commentators just said that Italy haven't failed to score in 90 minutes in any World Cup match since 1998, which is obviously not true since they only scored in extra time against Germany in one of their most famous matches since then

Will root for Italy vs Uruguay cos Luis needs his rest.

Ready for La Liga next season.

Maybe they meant group stages.

But your right that 2006 match was a stone cold classic.

Pirlo not being Pirlo today either

was fine first half should have had an assist if mario could finish

Watch ITV still show the Eng game next week and shunt Italy-Uru over to ITV4.

i think they're legally obliged to do that, but yes they are awful

offside AGAIN

doesn't know the difference between "historic" and "historical"

Dutch commentator saying there's never been a WC with this many off-sides. He fails to provide the numbers though.

think he was talking about this match

WC GAME I mean

Xp yes

OptaJoe @OptaJoe · 8m
20 - The record for a team being flagged offside in a #WorldCup match between 1966 & 2014 is England against Kuwait in 1982. Caught.

Be almost a shame if they top the group cos I'd love to see them play Colombia in the last 16.