Global Football Odds & Ends

Vinho Tinto

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 9, 2003
7,047
Auburn, MA
Reuters is burying the lede. The deal with CBS was announced months ago, but Turner backed out of the remainder of their deal. I'm assuming their deal was a loser since they didn't fight to keep the right and just wanted out ASAP. So CBS takes over when the current tournament resumes next month.

I like how CBS does sports presentation a lot. I'd probably choose them over NBC in general, but NBC has done an A+ with the EPL. Hope that CBS can produce something that is within a solar system of how they broadcast the Masters.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,850
Does the article say permanent, or just for next season?

Permanent seems bad for all the megaclub reasons, but next season specifically makes more sense for me to try and help halt a rash of injuries from whatever fixture congestion nightmare is going to be the end of this season, beginning of next season, plus whatever shit FIFA tries to pull to get back on track.
The article states that in addition to using it next year they will be discussing making it permanent.

Other stuff in article, regarding VAR and offside:

The Athletic understands there is now a wide acceptance that the introduction of VAR and Hawk-Eye technology has reversed the trend of relaxing the offside law in favour of attackers, by depriving them of the benefit of the doubt. Whereas assistant referees were once encouraged to keep their flags down if they were not sure whether a player was onside or not, the technology used by video referees enables them to spot a toe, knee or nose in an offside position.

FIFA’s technical director Arsene Wenger, the former Arsenal manager, has suggested changing the law so that a player would be onside if any part of their body that they could score with was behind or level with the penultimate defender.

This, however, is unlikely to become law as IFAB’s technical experts believe this would tilt the balance too much in the attackers’ direction, as a player could theoretically score with a diving header if just his toes were level with the penultimate defender.

What is more likely will be a move to judging offsides on either the players’ shoulders, shirt or torso, as that would reduce the ultra-marginal offsides judged on toes and heels that infuriate most fans. It would also be a policy that could be easily applied at all levels of the game, whether cameras are present or not
 

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
21,766
Pittsburgh, PA
We've had "how would you change the rules" discussions around here, but on the subject of the offside rule, one change I'd like to see is eliminating the possibility of an offside violation within the 6-yard box. Basically, if the penultimate defender is closer to his goal line than the 6-yard line is (or the ball likewise), then any attacking player who's in that 0-6 space is deemed onside and eligible to receive the ball.

Motivation:
- The whole spirit of the offside rule is to prevent people from camping out by the goal when the play is way ahead of them, waiting to just get a long lob and put it on net.
- By the time the defenders are all the way back to the 6, there's no real "Camping out" possible, you're within a step or two of either the goalie or the last defender anyway, and if you're wider outside than the goal is, playing the ball to you there is probably a -xG play anyway.
- But we have exciting plays nullified all the time by like a redirected ball off a corner, or some mayhem play in front of the net when someone was off by a few inches. And in my view, those aren't against the spirit of the rule, or making the game ugly or anything. They're good plays that were taken away by overzealous adherence to a rule that should be more fine-grained.
- Moreover, you can't really plan an attack that would take advantage of this change. You wouldn't be able to have someone run in front of the defense on a breakaway, for example, and then only get the ball played to them when a defender reaches the 6 - at that point there isn't enough time to receive a ball usefully. So the only thing it would do is prevent good goals getting taken off the board.

Even just thinking of situations like a rebound off of a set piece, it's pretty rare that defenders will set up inside the 6 except on a corner. So they could still trigger an offsides call, just as long as they stay outside the 6.

Better yet: one common attacking pattern is to have someone go to the goal line with the ball, which is done to remove possibility of offsides, and then pull it back to someone in the box who can strike it home. Eliminating the need to do so past the 6-yard box will mean that penetrating dribbles can get into a position to make a dangerous final pass more easily, and have a wider angle of passes to work from, without having to go all the way to the end-line.

Basically, it would give a big boost to attacking players and team styles, while not allowing the kind of behavior that the offside rule was invented to prevent. Anyway, I think about that every time there's an offside call within, like, a foot or two of the goal - I'm screaming "that's the defender's mistake, or lucky play by the attacker, not the deployment of ugly-but-effective tactics!"
 

coremiller

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
5,846
Attackers don't send crosses from the byline because it eliminates offside. They do it because it's a more dangerous cross, because it forces the defenders to turn away from the attackers they are marking to see the cross while the attackers can see the cross and the goal at the same time.

Wouldn't defenses play games with stepping in and out of the six-yard box to trap attackers offside?
 

SoxFanInCali

has the rich, deep voice of a god
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jun 3, 2005
15,568
California. Duh.
Yeah, it would just become like the offside trap. Plus, it's already hard enough for the linesman to try and see the attacker, the 2 last defenders, and the moment the passer strikes the ball without having to also decide if the defender is 2 inches in front of or behind the line.
 

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
21,766
Pittsburgh, PA
There's nothing wrong with an offsides trap to keep attackers honest. Once you're more than a few yards out from the goal, camping out becomes a real issue and the countermeasures make the game look a bit silly. If defenders are in a position where stepping in or out of the 6 makes a difference, they're so damn close to the goal that they've got bigger things to worry about.

As for the linesman, I thought about that. Basically, they stop tracking the defenders when they get to the 6. As it is, if a defender overruns the end line, the linesman doesn't follow them out of bounds - they stop at the endline. Here, you'd just have them stop running up and down at the 6. They only flag an offside attacker if he's offside with respect to the last defender and short of the end-line; now it'd be, in front of the last defender (/ ball) and short of the 6. If you're standing at the 6, there's no offside to flag; once you track the last defender forward from their own 6, it's a possibility again.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
SoSH Member
Apr 15, 2006
8,634
Somers, CT
But we have exciting plays nullified all the time by like a redirected ball off a corner, or some mayhem play in front of the net when someone was off by a few inches. And in my view, those aren't against the spirit of the rule, or making the game ugly or anything. They're good plays that were taken away by overzealous adherence to a rule that should be more fine-grained.
This is totally my goalkeeper bias talking, but love seeing players caught off in this situation. It’s alert and organized defending to effectively come off the line as a unit to create a buffer for the goalkeeper. All it takes is a slip from a single defender and you’ve broken the entire scheme. To sweep forward, find your marks and spacing, and reform the shape is one of the most beautiful tactical moves in the game to my eye. I’d be devastated to lose it.
 

Vinho Tinto

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 9, 2003
7,047
Auburn, MA
Unconfirmed reports say that Jorge Jesus is leaving Flamengo to return to Benfica.

EDIT: Confirmed. 3 year deal.
32622
 
Last edited:

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
21,766
Pittsburgh, PA
That's a lot of toilet paper on the field. Not just near the field but on the field. Remind me to never take in a game in Colombia.
 

Vinho Tinto

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 9, 2003
7,047
Auburn, MA
The Ball'on d'Or won't be awarded this year, because some leagues were forced to end their seasons early.
Specifically the French league, which is where the Ballon d'Or is awarded.

The FIFA men's and women's awards will likely be awarded since FIFA does whatever it wants.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
Specifically the French league, which is where the Ballon d'Or is awarded.

The FIFA men's and women's awards will likely be awarded since FIFA does whatever it wants.
Eh, were Neymar or Mbappe going to do something in last few games on Ligue 1 to change anything? Plus, UCL and Europa League are still going to finish. It just seems dumb to punt on the award entirely.
 

Vinho Tinto

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 9, 2003
7,047
Auburn, MA
Eh, were Neymar or Mbappe going to do something in last few games on Ligue 1 to change anything? Plus, UCL and Europa League are still going to finish. It just seems dumb to punt on the award entirely.
I'm not defending it, but if Ligue 1 had played the award wouldn't have been vacated.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
I'm not defending it, but if Ligue 1 had played the award wouldn't have been vacated.
You're probably right; it will be funny to see if like, Mbappe scores multiple hat tricks and leads PSG to the Champions League trophy.

It is a real shit-stirrer for the conspiracy people on soccer Twitter. Clearly they canceled the trophy because someone people love (Messi or Ronaldo) was going to win the award, and that someone people hate (Messi or Ronaldo) wasn't going to win the award.

I do feel bad for someone like Lewandowski, because even though the award is super-political, historically it would mean something for a guy like that to win one.
 

Vinho Tinto

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 9, 2003
7,047
Auburn, MA
I think Lewandowski wins the FIFA award. 50+ goals is too much to ignore. It won't be as overt as the 1994 baseball MVPs, but there will be a small asterisk since the CL will be completed under a goofy structure and there was no Euro this summer.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
Anyone have any good recommendations for books on soccer history? I've read a few things, and would like either a general history on something like the English top flight, or a good biography on a legendary player. I'd really like a book on Ronaldo Fenomeno, but haven't seen a good one worth reading yet.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
Try The Mixer by Michael Cox for a PL history.

The Ball is Round is great but long and detailed. Inverting the Pyramid also great but requires some effort
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
Try The Mixer by Michael Cox for a PL history.

The Ball is Round is great but long and detailed. Inverting the Pyramid also great but requires some effort
Thanks I’ll check out Try The Mixer. I own The Ball is Round, it is excellent and super comprehensive as it covers soccer from the beginning and it’s impact in every corner of the world.
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,730
How does Jonathan Wilson get away without being edited? Pyramid has great stuff in it, but suffers from the same flaws as his columns - flabby writing and the best bits are buried under stray anecdotes and tangents.

I recently read “Ajax, The Dutch, The War” by Simon Kuper. If you’re interested in the social history of the game, this really fascinating and wrenching stuff.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
Ha that was like, the most British reaction, particularly when he yelled “Surely!”
 

tmracht

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 19, 2009
3,070
I can only imagine how people mock my reactions to my important wins on my streams, I get just as hyped about the results. Great for him that level of joy is so fulfilling.
 

coremiller

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
5,846
How does Jonathan Wilson get away without being edited? Pyramid has great stuff in it, but suffers from the same flaws as his columns - flabby writing and the best bits are buried under stray anecdotes and tangents.

I recently read “Ajax, The Dutch, The War” by Simon Kuper. If you’re interested in the social history of the game, this really fascinating and wrenching stuff.
I thought Pyramid was great and not that difficult to read. Wilson's Brian Clough biography, OTOH, was a real slog and swore me off his books, even though I'll likely eventually pick up his book on Argentine football.

Some others I've enjoyed:

- Brilliant Orange by David Winner. A history of Dutch football from a sociocultural perspective.
- The Billionaire's Club by James Montague. Focused on the political/legal/economic/cultural aspects of foreign investment in the Premier League.
- Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life by Alex Bellos. Brazilian football primarily from a cultural perspective.
- Zonal Marking by Michael Cox. A history of the evolution of tactics over the last 25 years. KInd of a successor piece to inverting the Pyramid.
- The Club by Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg. A history of the business side of the Premier League, with a lot of interviews from the key players involved.
- Among the Thugs by Bill Buford. A first-hand impressionistic account of hooligan culture.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,673
I thought Pyramid was great and not that difficult to read. Wilson's Brian Clough biography, OTOH, was a real slog and swore me off his books, even though I'll likely eventually pick up his book on Argentine football.

Some others I've enjoyed:

- Brilliant Orange by David Winner. A history of Dutch football from a sociocultural perspective.
- The Billionaire's Club by James Montague. Focused on the political/legal/economic/cultural aspects of foreign investment in the Premier League.
- Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life by Alex Bellos. Brazilian football primarily from a cultural perspective.
- Zonal Marking by Michael Cox. A history of the evolution of tactics over the last 25 years. KInd of a successor piece to inverting the Pyramid.
- The Club by Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg. A history of the business side of the Premier League, with a lot of interviews from the key players involved.
- Among the Thugs by Bill Buford. A first-hand impressionistic account of hooligan culture.
This is my next book as I have it on hold at the library, looking forward to it.
 

glpoisson

New Member
Jul 31, 2006
2
Anyone have any good recommendations for books on soccer history? I've read a few things, and would like either a general history on something like the English top flight, or a good biography on a legendary player. I'd really like a book on Ronaldo Fenomeno, but haven't seen a good one worth reading yet.
Tor! The Story of German Football

Great book on the German football from the late 1800s to the Bundesliga up to about 2010. Very easy to read. Lots of history and anecdotes without getting bogged down in minutia. Looks like it may be out of print but you can get it free on Kindle. Absent that format you may have to look a bit to find a copy.
 

Dummy Hoy

Angry Pissbum
SoSH Member
Jul 22, 2006
8,232
Falmouth
I’ve never read Tor! but have heard great things.

The athletic is doing a serious similar to Posnanski’s top 100 but top 60 premier league players. Same idea of the ranking themselves being less important than the stories. So far so good, I learned some new stuff about Les Ferdinand, got some cools stories about Jamie Carragher, and thought the Tevez piece was really well written. Highly recommend everyone follow that series.
 

candylandriots

unkempt
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Mar 30, 2004
12,327
Berlin
Just got an email from Union Berlin that they’re playing a friendly on Saturday with 5,000 spectators. It will be the first game in Germany with spectators since before. It’s to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Stadion an der alten Försterei, but Berlin regulations allow for gatherings of up to 5,000 people in open areas. So they expect to have some spectators when official games reopen in the Bundesliga.