My Football Report II

Okay, it looks like three rows, 4 back, 2 middle, 3 forward, and a miscellaneous man who takes the centre kick position (a 4th forward?)

Still constant buzzing … maybe I should get my ears cleaned?

Ooops! Australia didn’t allow for more than 1 goal a game in the qualifying … and within the first 30mins Germany got 2 goals …

The offside rule is definitely different then in hockey. With no blue line equivalent, how is it decided? Sometimes it seems to even be called VERY close in to the “goalie crease” as well.

Today’s keeper kolours; Aus = red, Ger = green.

Wow, they use a lot more tape than hockey players do to keep their pads on!

It’s gorgeous how they set up a play so close to the sidelines when they get to the offensive zone, then drop a pass back and a team mate tries to score a goal. Beautiful!

Aaww! The hands-off policy. It looked like that one Australian DID touch a German player when they were both going after the ball, but then he raised his hands quickly. I guess to avoid touching him further and actually getting a penalty/yellow card. Then he helped the guy up. That was sweet!

What is the blue arm band for?

Added minute? What are minutes added for?

What do these mean, exactly?
Possession: Ger = 57%, Aus 43%
Fouls: Ger = 5, Aus = 10
Shots on Goal: Ger = 10, Aus = 2

So, it looks like the FIFA World Cup is the “Football Olympics”. Each team only gets about 2 months together, and is a different make-up then the usual clubs they play on. Am I getting this right?

When there are throw-ins, are other people allowed off the pitch? At one point there were two guys fighting each other outside the white lines.

I agree that red card call on Cahill was too strong. But 56 minutes? I thought you got a yellow card FIRST.

What are the rules around substitutions?

Sorry, who are the green and yellow fans in this white a blue jerseyed game? The Aussies, apparently.

I’m kind of enjoying watching this game. I don’t know everything that’s going on, and it isn’t hockey, but it’s okay!

Soccer-roos? Cute!

The commentators said at the beginning of Germany, being such a YOUNG team, that they have a lot of promise. They asked; can that promise deliver? It looks like it! They countered that with Australia being a much older team in general.

Football and hockey BOTH use passing back to their goalies.

Still not sure what it means Exactly to “bend it”

At least a third of these drops seem to be one player tripping over another players’ legs and anther third seems to be the trip-er player sliding down to make the kick.

They keep saying “Australia playing with 10 men” As in, including the goalie? Does that mean a red card is playing with one man down, like a hockey penalty, but only for something like Fifty-Six minutes?!? Wow.

How many soccer balls do they play with during a game?

Is Hockey more Dramatic in their injuries than Football? Let’s try and tally this up.
# Of drops: 44 Times the player stayed down & milked it: 4 “Booked for diving”: 2

So, with only 4 times when the guys who went down and stayed down and “cried”, and 2 times when the guys “faked it”; taking a dive when they didn’t have too, I’d say football is potentially LESS dramatic than hockey!
Notice I am NOT comparing the fighting aspect here, just putting the reputation of footballers going down all dramatic and in pain.

Then again, maybe the World Cup is like Olympic hockey as well; less dramatic falling / less fighting then the regular season football / NHL. Who knows?

Men becoming legends in football, and heroes in hockey. I don’t quite agree with that!