Well Done England Ladies

[Jims Dentist]

I have really been enjoying watching the girls in the W.W.C.
They have got through today in difficult circumstances (and with the help of VAR!).

A question about the excellent LB Alex Greenwood though:
Is she really playing the games wearing her false eyelashes?

[Stoneleigh Loyalist]

I have loved all four games and am delighted to see them win but they have gone to sleep and then had their bit of luck in every game..
Cameroon had no right to behave like they did but in their position I would have been gutted.

[love4ffc]

Not to take away from the Lionesses as they played very well and deserved to win but, the one goal by Cameron and then disallowed by VAR was an absolute disgrace.  Personally, think Cameron were very hard done by the decision.

It proved that VAR is completely being used wrong.  VAR is supposed to be a tool used to help eliminate obvious mistakes missed by the referees.  Instead it is being used to "Re-referee" the game. 

Now as metioned above I do think the Cameron women acted awful in their actions during and after the match. 

[Fulham1959]

I agree, the Cameroon goal should have been allowed.  I thought the benefit of the doubt (when there is doubt) went to the attacking side but maybe that has changed.  But when it comes to marginal decisions, today's decision is way up there.

I think VAR will settle down, maybe with a few tweaks, as everyone becomes used to it.  50+ years ago when substitutions first came on the scene (for 'injuries') it took a while for that to become accepted and it evolved into being a tactical tool which everyone now accepts and enjoys.

[Holders]

I agree, the Cameroon goal should have been allowed.  I thought the benefit of the doubt (when there is doubt) went to the attacking side but maybe that has changed.  But when it comes to marginal decisions, today's decision is way up there.

I think VAR will settle down, maybe with a few tweaks, as everyone becomes used to it.  50+ years ago when substitutions first came on the scene (for 'injuries') it took a while for that to become accepted and it evolved into being a tactical tool which everyone now accepts and enjoys.

I thought that three VAR decisions were wrong - the Cameroon goal was valid, England should have had a penalty and the foul at the end was a red.

I suspect that as VAR had already been used controversially, the last two decisions were allowed to pass ("discretionally"), notwithstanding that a referral to VAR is supposed to be definitive. 

[RaySmith]

From the evidence of this WC, VAR will destroy the game.

But is did help England, after  causing Scotland to go out - it said the second England goal was on -side, which it clearly was, after the ref had disallowed it.

It also  said the  Cameroon goal was off-side, which it was very marginally, but these get given these days, even without VAR - but this was a example of the 'technical' decisions which you get with VAR - no room for common-sense application of the laws.
Then the ref didn't give a clear pen for England - she bottled it because of all the Cameroonian protests, and at the end didn't give a clear red card against a Cameroon player.

The new laws - for handball, and about enforcing keepers not moving from their line, haven't helped either.
Fancy trying out new laws in such an important tournament!

The refs haven't helped either, and have seemed too inexperienced. The ref v Cameroon was awful, and lost control of the game.

[Woolly Mammoth]

From the evidence of this WC, VAR will destroy the game.

But is did help England, after  causing Scotland to go out - it said the second England goal was on -side, which it clearly was, after the ref had disallowed it.

It also  said the  Cameroon goal was off-side, which it was very marginally, but these get given these days, even without VAR - but this was a example of the 'technical' decisions which you get with VAR - no room for common-sense application of the laws.
Then the ref didn't give a clear pen for England - she bottled it because of all the Cameroonian protests, and at the end didn't give a clear red card against a Cameroon player.

The new laws - for handball, and about enforcing keepers not moving from their line, haven't helped either.
Fancy trying out new laws in such an important tournament!

The refs haven't helped either, and have seemed too inexperienced. The ref v Cameroon was awful, and lost control of the game.

Agree, you have nailed it in one, as did Phil Neville in his post match comments.

[toshes mate]

Although the vicious elbowing given to Parris by Leuko was punished I believed it should have been a straight red card especially with VAR available.  That was the referee's first mistake – too weak by an official who has not issued a red card in her international career.   Likewise the spitting offence that followed shortly after was ignored and the referee failed to enforce proper control of the opposition players for the indirect free kick for the pass back.  The Cameroon players were clearly not taking the referee's instructions respectfully and from then on controlling the game became a nightmare for Liang Qin.  The added controversy of VAR was just an excuse for the Cameroon players to exercise their own brand of bullying, baiting, and taking the law into their own hands.  The only really controversial decisions were the disallowed Cameroon goal and the penalty denied to England.  The former was very marginal but the latter was very clear.  I think the referee was, by the end, just glad to have finished the ninety minutes plus.

The Cameroon team need to issue a public apology for bringing the game into disrepute, since they are not the first team in the history of football to have encountered weak officials.   The scenes just before halftime and when Houghton was fouled were outrageous.  Well done to England for not getting involved.

[bobby01]

Tbh the one law I would like to see changed is the ability to change a yellow retrospectively. This hiding behind the ref saw it and made a decision is just plain wrong.

[toshes mate]

Tbh the one law I would like to see changed is the ability to change a yellow retrospectively. This hiding behind the ref saw it and made a decision is just plain wrong.

In the England u21 game wasn't Choudhury originally yellow carded for that abysmal tackle and it was then upgraded to red following VAR?

[Holders]

From the evidence of this WC, VAR will destroy the game.

But is did help England, after  causing Scotland to go out - it said the second England goal was on -side, which it clearly was, after the ref had disallowed it.

It also  said the  Cameroon goal was off-side, which it was very marginally, but these get given these days, even without VAR - but this was a example of the 'technical' decisions which you get with VAR - no room for common-sense application of the laws.
Then the ref didn't give a clear pen for England - she bottled it because of all the Cameroonian protests, and at the end didn't give a clear red card against a Cameroon player.

The new laws - for handball, and about enforcing keepers not moving from their line, haven't helped either.
Fancy trying out new laws in such an important tournament!

The refs haven't helped either, and have seemed too inexperienced. The ref v Cameroon was awful, and lost control of the game.

Agreed except that the VAR team bottled the penalty as well as the ref, presumably after all the protests. That isn't a technical decision, it's a political one!

[Woolly Mammoth]

From the evidence of this WC, VAR will destroy the game.

But is did help England, after  causing Scotland to go out - it said the second England goal was on -side, which it clearly was, after the ref had disallowed it.

It also  said the  Cameroon goal was off-side, which it was very marginally, but these get given these days, even without VAR - but this was a example of the 'technical' decisions which you get with VAR - no room for common-sense application of the laws.
Then the ref didn't give a clear pen for England - she bottled it because of all the Cameroonian protests, and at the end didn't give a clear red card against a Cameroon player.

The new laws - for handball, and about enforcing keepers not moving from their line, haven't helped either.
Fancy trying out new laws in such an important tournament!

The refs haven't helped either, and have seemed too inexperienced. The ref v Cameroon was awful, and lost control of the game.

Agreed except that the VAR team bottled the penalty as well as the ref, presumably after all the protests. That isn't a technical decision, it's a political one!

That's a good point.

[Bill2]

I have really been enjoying watching the girls in the W.W.C.
They have got through today in difficult circumstances (and with the help of VAR!).

A question about the excellent LB Alex Greenwood though:
Is she really playing the games wearing her false eyelashes?

Not sure she was excellent, too many poor passes for my liking, but took her goal well.

[fulhamben]

Not to take away from the Lionesses as they played very well and deserved to win but, the one goal by Cameron and then disallowed by VAR was an absolute disgrace.  Personally, think Cameron were very hard done by the decision.

It proved that VAR is completely being used wrong.  VAR is supposed to be a tool used to help eliminate obvious mistakes missed by the referees.  Instead it is being used to "Re-referee" the game. 

Now as metioned above I do think the Cameron women acted awful in their actions during and after the match. 

not sure I agree with that, her foot was offside. Now you can call the rule a disgrace if you like, but you can plainly see that by the law of game, she was offside

[ALG01]

I have been following the ladies tournaments for many years and the standard has really ramped up.
However I do think there are still some awful teams and some that are very amaterish for instance Cameroon, reminicent of the arab sides when they first started in the world cup, wasn't it the saudi Prince that had to come down to pitch side to persuade his side to saty on the park...
when we played cameoon the other day the ref was the reall problem, she allowed the first incident to slip through withoit a red and set the tone. I do not think cameroon understood VAR, or at least did not seem to want to understand it. It seemsd to me the only errors were ones that went in their favour when the ref was trying to appease them.

England have not yet fired on all cylinders and some of our better players seem to me to be underperfoming compared to recent matches I have seen. I think they have forgotten that being one of the favourites means nothing if you do not produce on the field. Like the men they are way to careless in possesion but i think playing better teams will suit because playing on the break will play to our strengths, at least that is what I am hoping because teams that have set up defensively have stiffled england's cutting edge so far.
USA had looked way better than everyone else until they played spain and they were not quite so happy but won nonetheless.
Looking forward to the next england game.

[Woolly Mammoth]

 Yes it's England v Norway in the Quarter Final, we have to step up a gear which I know we can.

[Holders]

Isn't it good, though, that we're discussing Ladies' Football in the way that we are? We all seem to be enjoying it and I haven't noticed a single snide comment. For me, it has a different flavour from the men's game that I actually appreciate.

[Statto]

Isn't it good, though, that we're discussing Ladies' Football in the way that we are? We all seem to be enjoying it and I haven't noticed a single snide comment. For me, it has a different flavour from the men's game that I actually appreciate.

I suspect those comments are still crossing people's minds, albeit not their lips/keyboards, for fear of Millie Tant and the PC brigade jumping all over them. The England vs Cameroon match was initially one of the funniest, then by the end one of the most pathetic, things I've ever seen on a football pitch. But we're not allowed to say that. The elephant in the room.

[Holders]

Isn't it good, though, that we're discussing Ladies' Football in the way that we are? We all seem to be enjoying it and I haven't noticed a single snide comment. For me, it has a different flavour from the men's game that I actually appreciate.

I suspect those comments are still crossing people's minds, albeit not their lips/keyboards, for fear of Millie Tant and the PC brigade jumping all over them. The England vs Cameroon match was initially one of the funniest, then by the end one of the most pathetic, things I've ever seen on a football pitch. But we're not allowed to say that. The elephant in the room.

I'd put that down to poor refereeing and the way VAR was used.

[SP]

Great start 1-0.

COYWs.