World Cup 2018

[Sutekh]

Nice to see FIFA selecting a top quality referee for the Northern Ireland game

[double d]

That was abysmal decision making. I have no idea how it wad ever a penalty. 50mph shot from 4 yards away that hit his upper arm when he turned around. Shame because Switzerland are boooooooring to watch

[Sanguine]

Ironic that the use of VAR has been sanctioned for tonight's pointless friendly, but not for the infinitely more important WC playoffs.

[Greatwesternline]

That was abysmal decision making. I have no idea how it wad ever a penalty. 50mph shot from 4 yards away that hit his upper arm when he turned around. Shame because Switzerland are boooooooring to watch

I thought Switzerland played some great stuff.

I can see why the ref gave it from his view point. The player did put his arm up but then moved it into his body. At normal speed, its easy to imagine that FROM HIS ANGLE the ref would only have seen the arm being raised, and not the subsequent movement of of the arm into his body.

The alternative approach for the NI defender would be to face up to Shaqiri lining up the shot without moving his arms, and risk getting hit in the face with a football. Sure it would hurt, but its also your job.

[Sutekh]

To me it looked very clear that the defender deliberately turned his back on the ball and was doing everything to ensure his arm was not stuck out. The ball appeared to hit him on the back of the shoulder blade so not entirely sure how anyone could interpret that as handball.

There was a lino right opposite who would have had a much clearer view and he did not indicate an offence. The Irish perhaps should have done a "Chelsea" and crowded the official to get him to at least speak to the linesman.

As I recall later in the game the ball hit a Swiss defenders arm/hand in the penalty box yet the ref didn't see that in the same way

One wonders if FIFA have it in for the Irish when you also remember at the "Thierry Henry affair" against the ROI a few years back.

[Vision]

On the plus side good to see Corry Evans' missus has taken it well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-41945723

[tmesis]

On the plus side good to see Corry Evans' missus has taken it well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-41945723

I love the way the screen grab of the tweet is censored, but is then repeated verbatim, without any censoring, in the text below.

[AthleticoSpizz]

NI out...and over the two legs, possibly deservedly so (to the Swiss)

Bearing in mind, the one goal that sealed the deal...was to say the least...a dubious penalty

Calling PaultheRoyal (and his previous refereeing experience) to the thread to give us his take on the Romanian Referees decision making at Windsor Park

...and is he worthy of stepping up to officiating in the finals?

In fact, where is Paul these days?

[Stranded]

The Swiss were the better side over the 2 legs but to go out to that penalty is a terrible way to go out. ET could have been interesting if Evans' header in the last minute hadn't picked out the defender on the line.

Play-offs so far have been a bit of a damp squib across the world. Two 0-0s last night (though Croatia were already through) in Europe and both the CONCACAF-Asia and Oceania-South America ties are 0-0.

Hoping the return leg of Italy-Sweden will be decent tonight, as Italy need to overturn a 1-0 deficit to avoid missing their first World Cup since 1958.

[Vision]

NI out...and over the two legs, possibly deservedly so (to the Swiss)

Bearing in mind, the one goal that sealed the deal...was to say the least...a dubious penalty

Calling PaultheRoyal (and his previous refereeing experience) to the thread to give us his take on the Romanian Referees decision making at Windsor Park

...and is he worthy of stepping up to officiating in the finals?

In fact, where is Paul these days?

Caroline Wozniacki won a tennis tournament the other week so he's probably spontaneously combusted.

[double d]

The Swiss were the better side over the 2 legs but to go out to that penalty is a terrible way to go out. ET could have been interesting if Evans' header in the last minute hadn't picked out the defender on the line.

Play-offs so far have been a bit of a damp squib across the world. Two 0-0s last night (though Croatia were already through) in Europe and both the CONCACAF-Asia and Oceania-South America ties are 0-0.

Hoping the return leg of Italy-Sweden will be decent tonight, as Italy need to overturn a 1-0 deficit to avoid missing their first World Cup since 1958.

Would be nice for Buffon to get one last WC

[Sutekh]

ItaLOLy

[windermereROYAL]

Italy out, how the hell did them and Spain get drawn in the same group?

[Winston Biscuit]

iLOL Duce

[double d]

A wc without buffon is not a world cup

[Four Of Clubs]

A wc without buffon is not a world cup

.... I believe a certain Zlatan said much the same thing about himself and the 2014 WC

- any likely odds on him 'offering' to come out of retirement now the 'Snords' have made it through?

[Ascotexgunner]

If there's one team that's bored the sh+t out of me for the last 20 years in World Cups more than England, its Italy. They always had that bit of luck that got them away from disasters like tonight. So pleased their not going. Thought they get a dodgy decision but the ref did well tonight.

[Hoop Blah]

Italy out, how the hell did them and Spain get drawn in the same group?

I heard someone put it down to them sending a scratch side out to a friendly to some very weak side, that they lost, and that had quite a negative impact on their ranking and so they lost their seeding for the qualifiers.

Edit: Having checked I think it was a 2-2 draw with Haiti in 2013. Not sure if that really is the reason, or it's just their other results since.

[Stranded]

Italy out, how the hell did them and Spain get drawn in the same group?

I heard someone put it down to them sending a scratch side out to a friendly to some very weak side, that they lost, and that had quite a negative impact on their ranking and so they lost their seeding for the qualifiers.

Edit: Having checked I think it was a 2-2 draw with Haiti in 2013. Not sure if that really is the reason, or it's just their other results since.

Draw was based on rankings in July 2015 so whilst that draw would have had a major effect, they didn't help themselves by having a poor world cup as well as draws against Armenia and Luxembourg. As a result they were ranked 17th in the World at the time, or 12th in UEFA, so were Pot 2 and were always going to meet one of the traditionally better sides. Of course, Netherlands were still a top seed for this qualifying but have slipped up quite badly over the last few years, so they were unlucky to get Spain.

[LUX]

, they didn't help themselves by having a poor world cup as well as draws against Luxembourg.

if you look at Luxembourg's recent results you'd be surprised, for a mini-country. They won last week (beat Hungary in a friendly), having got a reasonable number of points in their difficult WC qualifying group (France, Sweden, NL, Bulgaria, Belorussia), including drawing away in France. I think "we" finished second bottom, but obtained (from memory) 6 points. That also includes a 4-3 defeat in Bulgaria where they could/should have won. Could have won in France too, on the counter. No longer pushovers.

Ok, I'm ignoring the 8 (eight) nil defeat in Sweden in the match after the French one.