WC Costa Rica - Greece

[MADXSTER]

Costa Rica my favorite team this time around behind the US of course

[xubrew]

This is the match up we were all expecting to see!

[xu82]

I hope somebody scores in extra time! Going to penalty kicks is like ending a basketball game with a free throw shooting contest or a game of horse. I realize they get exhausted and the level of play declines, but I just can't stand the shoot outs! (This might be because it always made me sick to my stomach when my kid kicked for his traveling team, but I'm pretty sure it's more than that.)
Crap! Too late - here we go...

[xu82]

And my son never had to worry about being beheaded if he missed... no pressure boys. :-)

[OH.X.MI]

Costa Rica my favorite team this time around behind the US of course

Totally agree with you. They are a really fun team to watch, a lot of heart!

[xubrew]

I don't like shootouts either. At the very least, I wish players had to dribble up from mid field.

One of the downsides to shootouts is that teams, particularly the weaker team, will oftentimes play for a shootout instead of trying to win. If there were no shootouts, it would force them to at least try and attack.

I don't have any better ideas that FIFA would actually consider. 7-on-7 after extra time would be interesting. That would open the field up and increase the chances of a goal being scored. I've seen soccer camps where every five minutes a player from each side has to come off the field. This adds more strategy and excitement than you might think, and it does usually get the game over with in a reasonable amount of time. FIFA would never adopt either of those, though.

[DC Muskie]

I love penalties. It's nothing like basketball deciding a game by horse, because basketball is nothing like soccer. I hate stupid analogies.

There is so much pressure in penalties. You can't watch them and not get sick to your stomach, even if you don't have a rooting interest in the game.

How many people were disappointed we beat Russia in the Olympics earlier this year by the heroics of TJ Oshie? Would you rather have a game that is played by guys who've been running 10 miles?

7 on 7? You can't be serious brew. Just start removing players, why not move the goal from one end to midfield and make a total joke of the match.

If neither team can score after 120 minutes, then line them up and decide it by penalties. It's the one of the greatest aspect of sports, hands down.

[xubrew]

No, I'm not serious. As I said, it would be interesting, but I also know that FIFA would never actually consider doing it.

You've got to be one of the only people that likes the idea of a game going to penalties. Yes, I would rather have a game played by guys who have been running ten miles, but I understand the problems with that. At the very least, I would much prefer them dribble up from midfield so it was basically a breakaway instead of a penalty. It's no less climactic, it's no less exciting, it's no more time consuming, and it takes the guessing out of it.

[DC Muskie]

I am by far not the the only person who likes the idea of penalties. Why would FIFA adopt such a silly idea of removing the number of players from the field, with the idea that would open up scoring? Why not 2 on 2 then?

There is no way I would like to see 22(or 21 or 20) people play 150 minutes of soccer and not score the decisive goal. Line up, give me your best five, I'll give you my best five, and let's see who does the best. I've been a part of many penalties and I remember each and every one of them. It's incredible actually how I can break down almost every match that ended in penalties. Makes great drama for the sport.

Also, there is a ton of strategy on penalties. There's a book on everyone. It's great to see which teams are prepared. And for teams that try and play for penalties, look at Chile as an example of how that strategy doesn't always work. Oh how I wanted to see Chile move on!

[Juice]

I love penalties. It's nothing like basketball deciding a game by horse, because basketball is nothing like soccer. I hate stupid analogies.

There is so much pressure in penalties. You can't watch them and not get sick to your stomach, even if you don't have a rooting interest in the game.

How many people were disappointed we beat Russia in the Olympics earlier this year by the heroics of TJ Oshie? Would you rather have a game that is played by guys who've been running 10 miles?

7 on 7? You can't be serious brew. Just start removing players, why not move the goal from one end to midfield and make a total joke of the match.

If neither team can score after 120 minutes, then line them up and decide it by penalties. It's the one of the greatest aspect of sports, hands down.

Not that it's the same sport at all, but field hockey goes to 7 on 7 during OT.

[xu82]

I love penalties. It's nothing like basketball deciding a game by horse, because basketball is nothing like soccer. I hate stupid analogies.

Horse was a joke (barely), but a free throw contest is definitely a fair analogy. Free throws happen far more in a real game than penalty kicks and I still wouldn't want them to decide a game after regular play. I hate to see a shoot off because we're too tired to go on. I know there has to be a limit on play (I'm astounded at how they compete in that heat and humidity), but it's unfortunate to decide a game in a way that is so dissimilar from the actual nature of the game. I don't have a better idea, I just hate to see it end that way. I understand people can find it exciting, but it's disappointing to me after all the complexity of the actual game.

[xu82]

Why would FIFA adopt such a silly idea of removing the number of players from the field, with the idea that would open up scoring?

With FIFA, I'm guessing a bribe might be involved... I suspect you could require goals had to get past the windmill and through the clowns legs if the price were right.

[xubrew]

I am by far not the the only person who likes the idea of penalties. Why would FIFA adopt such a silly idea of removing the number of players from the field, with the idea that would open up scoring? Why not 2 on 2 then?

There is no way I would like to see 22(or 21 or 20) people play 150 minutes of soccer and not score the decisive goal. Line up, give me your best five, I'll give you my best five, and let's see who does the best. I've been a part of many penalties and I remember each and every one of them. It's incredible actually how I can break down almost every match that ended in penalties. Makes great drama for the sport.

Also, there is a ton of strategy on penalties. There's a book on everyone. It's great to see which teams are prepared. And for teams that try and play for penalties, look at Chile as an example of how that strategy doesn't always work. Oh how I wanted to see Chile move on!

THEY WOULDN'T!! For the third time, I know that they wouldn't. I know why they wouldn't. I've seen it done at soccer camps, saw that the players and coaches loved it, and thought it was an interesting idea so I mentioned it. I know that it will never be adopted, hence me saying "I don't have any better ideas that FIFA would actually consider."

There would be a ton of strategy to breakaways if players had to dribble up as well. There would be more strategy to this than there are to penalties. Penalties are converted at something like an eighty percent rate, whereas a breakaway would make it a more intriguing battle between the keeper and the shooter.

[xu82]

And props to whoever posted the link to the John Oliver FIFA rant. That was awesome and 100% of the people we've shared that with loved it. Great stuff. If you haven't seen it look it up!