with my / our assessment that Argentina was helped en route to the WCup final. (He actually said "a premeditated game" LOL which is a nice politically correct way to put it, but everybody knows what he meant.)

I just thought it would be worth mentioning here.

On Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at 6:34:18 PM UTC-7, FF wrote:
> with my / our assessment that Argentina was helped en route to the WCup final. (He actually said "a premeditated game" LOL which is a nice politically correct way to put it, but everybody knows what he meant.)
>
> I just thought it would be worth mentioning here.

You're surprised games in the World Cup are rigged/scripted/fixed???

Mike

On Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at 9:34:18 PM UTC-4, FF wrote:
> with my / our assessment that Argentina was helped en route to the WCup final. (He actually said "a premeditated game" LOL which is a nice politically correct way to put it, but everybody knows what he meant.)

Van Gaal is as big an idiot (and sore loser) as his countryman Tan Hag.

On Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 7:08:47 PM UTC+3, Al Kamista wrote:
> On Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at 9:34:18 PM UTC-4, FF wrote:
> > with my / our assessment that Argentina was helped en route to the WCup final. (He actually said "a premeditated game" LOL which is a nice politically correct way to put it, but everybody knows what he meant.)
> Van Gaal is as big an idiot (and sore loser) as his countryman Tan Hag.

I don't know why you'd say that, but regardless, I think it was quite clear that Argentina was helped to the final. As was France. And IIRC I was hardly alone in this opinion.
And given that now they have the video ref, it's hard to see how this wasn't premeditated :) .

Of course, having a top class coach publicly stating it, idiot or not, gives it a completely different dimension.

On Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 4:56:39 PM UTC-4, FF wrote:
> On Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 7:08:47 PM UTC+3, Al Kamista wrote:
> > On Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at 9:34:18 PM UTC-4, FF wrote:
> > > with my / our assessment that Argentina was helped en route to the WCup final. (He actually said "a premeditated game" LOL which is a nice politically correct way to put it, but everybody knows what he meant.)
> > Van Gaal is as big an idiot (and sore loser) as his countryman Tan Hag.
> I don't know why you'd say that, but regardless, I think it was quite clear that Argentina was helped to the final. As was France. And IIRC I was hardly alone in this opinion.

Everyone loves a good conspiracy theory. I would urge you to look at the incident where France got the equalizing penalty late in the final. Before the Argentinian defender handled the ball for a PK, Upamecano handled it first on the same corner with his arm wildly out of position above his head. Why was that not called? Clearly if the refs favored Argentina then it would have been an easy call for them.

While some of Argentina's PKs in the tournament were soft, none of them were blatant mistakes.

> Of course, having a top class coach publicly stating it, idiot or not, gives it a completely different dimension.

A top coach whose team had just lost.

Look at Ten Hag on Sunday. He was arguing that the 10 angles that VAR looked at for offside on Garnacho were wrong and the 1 angle he saw was right. Some of these Dutchman don't take too well to losing.

On Friday, September 8, 2023 at 4:03:52 PM UTC+3, Al Kamista wrote:
> On Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 4:56:39 PM UTC-4, FF wrote:
> > On Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 7:08:47 PM UTC+3, Al Kamista wrote:
> > > On Wednesday, September 6, 2023 at 9:34:18 PM UTC-4, FF wrote:
> > > > with my / our assessment that Argentina was helped en route to the WCup final. (He actually said "a premeditated game" LOL which is a nice politically correct way to put it, but everybody knows what he meant.)
> > > Van Gaal is as big an idiot (and sore loser) as his countryman Tan Hag.
> > I don't know why you'd say that, but regardless, I think it was quite clear that Argentina was helped to the final. As was France. And IIRC I was hardly alone in this opinion.
> Everyone loves a good conspiracy theory. I would urge you to look at the incident where France got the equalizing penalty late in the final. Before the Argentinian defender handled the ball for a PK, Upamecano handled it first on the same corner with his arm wildly out of position above his head. Why was that not called? Clearly if the refs favored Argentina then it would have been an easy call for them.

Nah, sorry. Way too long ago, I'm not connected to that any more, I've got other things on my mind. If we had had a talk about it right then, as we used to a while back (it's a pity we don't do it any more if you ask me), I'd probably have tried to check it out.
In any case, as I said back then, I don't think the final was rigged. But both France and Argentina were helped to it quite clearly. (Even Ixion M. agreed that France too were favored to the final, which says it all. :) )
>
> While some of Argentina's PKs in the tournament were soft, none of them were blatant mistakes.

That's not what I remember. I looked 2 of them up and they were blatant mistakes. I can't say now if any of those were against Holland.
As you may know, usually I'm much more in favor of a PK to be called than many other viewers. So if I say one shouldn't have been called, that's probably how it is. :) Again, unfortunately it's way too late for such discussions.