1941

I’m fairly certain no one can persuade you on anything, so no.

1942

Unlike the last game (which wasn’t supposed to be so one sided,) this game is supposed to be pretty heavily favored for Spain. If you are pulling for Paraguay, you’re not going to see much scoring so you have to hope for a really poor offensive play from Spain.

This might be a game where you want to pull for the favored team. As for the other semifinal teams … tough call.

Also: Vamos La Roja!

1943

I want Paraguay to win it because I seriously doubt Germany could handle Iniesta and the rest of the spanish midfielders totally taking over, Schweinsteiger notwithstanding. And with no Muller ugh…

So boooo Spain! Yay Paraguay!

Edit: on the other hand, Germany vs Spain does sound much more sexy.

1944

That’s exactly my position. Not that Suarez cheated (well, I think every foul, whether or not it’s “corrected” for in the game, is an attempt to cheat, and that some of them have become so pervasive and widespread that they have rote penalties in the game). I’d be all for “If you generate a red-card offense on an attacker in the penalty box, it’s considered an automatic goal.” I think all the example that get thrown out (blatant player tackling, handballs, etc) are cynical attempts to turn what the defending team believes to be a certain goal into a lesser chance for a goal through means that are considered unsportsmanlike in the game. That strikes me as entirely the opposite of what sports should be about. And soccer penalty kicks, unlike every example other folks have discussed here, are far more marginal. (Basketball you get two completely uncontested attempts to score a single point, and the value of a missed shot, even a three pointer, relative to the rest of the score in the game is completely minor. In the NFL if you commit the equivalent (blatant pass interference in the endzone) you get a whole new set of downs with substantially better positioning. In soccer you get a single PK which everyone will tell you is a matter of whether or not the goalie guesses right in terms of getting a score.) Of course, I’d also support pass interference in the end zone being an automatic touchdown. Isn’t goaltending in basketball (the real equivalent to the handball situation) actually something where the players get credited the points for the shot anyway? (I don’t follow basketball.)

1945

Fernando Torres is starting.
I think I heard Paraguay is leaving Roque on the bench. They already looked defensive before… wonder if their plan is to just get to penalty kicks again meh.

1946

Aye, rugby has a penalty try. If someone who was going to score if they hadn’t been fouled, they get given a try right under the posts. In this case FIFA would argue that generally and for more red card offenses in the box, the score isn’t definite, just probable. There have been plenty of times when someone has missed an open goal. They’d say that cases where something has been cleared off the line by a hand is extremely rare.

1947

I can’t support Spain. So I put money on Paraguay to win. Makes it more interesting, and pretty much ensures Paraguay will lose :).

1948

Yep, that’d be the counter argument. And I’d think that handing someone who might shank a goal a certain point would be a pretty good deterrant to keep such cynical play from happening.

Soccer is a gorgeous, gorgeous game when it’s played without the blatant attempts to win outside the game. It’s a game of being in top physical condition, recognizing tactical chances at a split second, and then executing in a perfect or near perfect manner. Unless, of course, you’re in position to clip someone’s ankles from the back or bat the ball off the goal line with your hand, in which case, hey, better a red card and a PK which can be shanked than a certain goal since you weren’t playing how you should have been. I’m not a fan of that, especially when there are some teams who do tend to play in the more “pure” manner. It’s depressing to think that regardless of talent, the team willing to be more unsportsmanlike has a definite advantage. It would be nice to see that addressed more harshly. (Of course, part of the problem is the fact that the definition of harsh can vary so widely on a game by game basis due to referee teams as well, but that’s a different can of fish.)

1949

Er, no. Good penalty takers will score regardless of whether the goalie guesses the right way. Bad ones can miss even if the goalie guesses wrong. Like the Uruguayan did :)

More than anything else it’s a question of nerve and technique.

1950

Good god the vuvuzela is loud this game.

1951

Been meaning to mention that Paraguay’s kit with the vertical stripes on the shirt and horizontal stripes on the socks is awful. Like it was designed by a blind fellow.

1952

Quit taking dives, Spain. Play the game. You’re better than that.

1953

All you Americans better pay the Rugby World Cup this amount of attention when it comes around next year. It’s way better than soccer (imho.) And I’d imagine much more attenuated to the American sensibility.

1954

Why would they break the habit of a lifetime? :)

Edit: That reply works for both the above posts!

1955

Don’t be silly. Rugby is one notch above cricket in being interesting to watch.

1956

We can’t help it if we want to apply sensible rules to a game we suck at. :)

Wow that was close.

1957

So that’s two notches above soccer. :P

1958

Tough offsides - it would have really helped the game if Paraguay was up one. Still, seemed like an accurate call.

1959

Yikes! Offside though.

Or was he?? WTH?

1960

Spain is not looking like they will trouble Germany at the moment.

EDIT: Though Paraguay is going to have to do more when they get a chance like that last one.