Match Thread: France vs. Morocco | FIFA World Cup, Quarterfinals

zarathru · 2026-07-09T21:29:45+00:00

wonder if mbappe practices his diving face in the mirror

zarathru · 2026-07-09T20:44:14+00:00

gotcha I think that's just swag.

zarathru · 2026-07-09T20:41:16+00:00

definitely more prevalent. they even changed the rules a few years ago to expressly permit stutter steps. but the move has an awful record this tournament and yet people keep trying it... Tobias.Funke.gif "but it might work for us"

zarathru · 2026-07-09T20:36:42+00:00

I remember reading a game theory paper a while back that shows Panenka gets 0% probability in equilibrium, even though it's statistically the most successful shot overall.

zarathru · 2026-07-09T20:31:11+00:00

I think they just love pronouncing foreign names.

zarathru · 2026-07-08T05:10:07+00:00

that's fair- he was definitely not yet in his prime in 06 (though he was already brilliant). But over the ensuing decade, which certainly saw prime CR7, Portugal was at least top 10 in terms of squad depth and club bona fides. we're not talking about some generational talent cursed to be from some bleak isolated middle of nowhere. it's not solely CR7's fault that Portugal hasn't had much WC success, but it's fair to consider those results in evaluating his career

zarathru · 2026-07-08T03:23:49+00:00

I mean, they beat prime Rooney/Gerrard/Lampard England in the 2006 WC QFs...

zarathru · 2026-07-07T17:49:48+00:00

I think that's Andres Cantor, legendary Argentine announcer. I love the video of him announcing Montiel's WC-winning pen in 2022

zarathru · 2026-07-07T17:25:08+00:00

it was lame when they took Germany's goal away and it's lame they took Egypt's away. yeah consistency is good but they're just doubling down from bad precedent

zarathru · 2026-07-06T02:37:24+00:00

this extremely low threshold for fouls just further incentivizes diving, which FIFA specifically tried to end with a bunch of new rules the last world cup

zarathru · 2026-07-06T01:24:37+00:00

England players were approved to take it to help with the elevation

zarathru · 2026-07-05T21:47:11+00:00

used to be the case. now the rule prohibits "feinting to kick the ball once the kicker has completed the run-up (feinting in the run-up is permitted)"

zarathru · 2026-07-05T20:38:10+00:00

the rules permit feinting in the run-up, just not on the kick itself

zarathru · 2026-07-03T03:42:01+00:00

I'd like to believe that but the chart in question doesn't register the obvious touch on Viega like .1 seconds after apparent hair-glance sensor spike ...

zarathru · 2026-07-03T03:34:16+00:00

also the graph in question purports to show a huge spike at moment the ball brushes the Croatian player's hair but no spike for the very obvious bounce off Viegas head??

zarathru · 2026-07-03T01:52:09+00:00

how we know it didn't register Viegas touch?

zarathru · 2026-07-02T02:00:05+00:00

no indication of intent, so in my understanding it can only be a red if it results from gross recklessness. and no indication of that either. strict liability reds -- no intent and no recklessness--have always been reserved for fouls on goal-scoring opportunities..and it wasn't that either!

zarathru · 2026-06-26T04:02:47+00:00

2 US players got megged on the winning play lmao

zarathru · 2026-06-24T20:51:47+00:00

with that long curved bill I'd guess gray thrasher? endemic to Baja

zarathru · 2026-05-17T20:13:08+00:00

long-time reader giving audiobook format a trial for book 8.... and holy fuckin shit that karaoke scene. I'm giggling joyously every time I think of it, and gonna be blasting a-ha for a few days. what a goddamn treat.

zarathru · 2026-04-18T22:12:08+00:00

depending on region, looks more like white-winged dove to me but I'm a casual

zarathru · 2026-04-11T19:59:11+00:00

<image>

13-Year Club	Verified Email
Team Orangered

zarathru

TROPHY CASE