Mexico V Netherlands

[Guest]

PLEASING.

I have to say though, the Dutch aren't a great side at all. So many average players. As much as it's been a great WC to watch, one of the finalists will almost certainly be either a very average Netherlands team or one of Argentina and Belgium, two teams who are properly going through the gears right now.

I think the competition has been so good because the best teams haven't played that well, therefore making it more interesting. The only teams who look properly class so far are Colombia and France.

[Gaviliunas]

Fixed.

Aye when someone brushes my toe in the street I usually go flying like that, danger lurks around every corner.

[7-2]

Not sure a man on that post would even have helped clear Sneijder's strike given the pace it was going at tbh, but its a moot point anyway.

If there had been a man on the post then there wouldn't have been the empty space that Sneijder aimed his shot at.

If you watch the slow mo replay you see Marquez's knee make contact with Robben. You see his leg wobble a bit. He went for the ball, missed it and made contact with Robben.

Would Robben have been awarded the penalty if he didn't fall down like that? No.

Therefore it's not a penalty.

[1320Lichtie]

You should phone the police and claim a penalty then.

:lol:

Can't believe people think that wasn't a penalty, lost for words!

[Todd_is_God]

From the time the penalty was awarded to the time Mexico kicked off again took three minutes.

Why did the referee only add on an extra thirty seconds?

He ignored the 2 minutes the boy was lying injured in the first half too

[David W]

Also, Marquez on Robben was a definite penalty. Not sure a man on that post would even have helped clear Sneijder's strike given the pace it was going at tbh, but its a moot point anyway.

Think the defending at the edge of the box was more at fault. Guys were standing doing nothing.

[David W]

Robben has admitted diving in the first half but not at the penalty

Now, I happen to feel it was a penalty (though he obviously dived as well) but admitting that is just stupid. He's done it in every game in the tournament. Ban the cheat.

[Zetterlund]

I will never be able to fully appreciate Robben as the great player he undoubtedly is. He is among the worst offenders around at the moment for diving and should probably be sent off for it in most games I see him play in, but it shows how seriously the issue is taken that he gets away with it.

[Dunning1874]

Hopefully there's no action taken against Robben, just for more Uruguayan seethe.

[craigkillie]

I can't see why there would be action taken against Robben. It may or may not have been a penalty, but it was hardly a blatant dive. Marquez definitely did catch him and while it looks like he went down easily that's not really an uncommon occurence, nor is there anything in the laws of the game which dictates how you are supposed to behave after being fouled. As much as Robben usually is pretty bad for diving, I actually thought he stayed on his feet on a few occasions where he could have won a free-kick or penalty yesterday - even the challenge immediately before Marquez's one could have been a foul.

[Ira Gaines]

Since when have blatant cheats apologized for cheating? Why is he suddenly saying he dived now?

And Marquez blatantly tried to stamp down on the back of the leg of Robben. If that had properly connected and the ref caught it, he'd have been off the park. Even though he says he dived, I'm not convinced he did. I think he may have said that to take the heat off of the penalty that he won.

[Pride_of_the_Clyde]

He's a cheat, a brazen one.

It should be a red card for diving and draconian suspensions for repeat offenders. Unfortunately it won't though as governing bodies spend an inordinate amount of time trying to eradicate such things they have no purvue to while letting this sort of clear cheating continue when that is their responsibility.