Category: Latest

FIFA’s Video Assistant Referees: How VAR Should They Go?

FIFA’s Video Assistant Referees: How VAR Should They Go?

Posted by | Jun 16, 2017 | , ,

The Video Assistant Referees (VARs) experiment at the just-finished Under-20s World Cup in the Korean Republic was undoubtedly successful. As was the system itself, largely. Whether the people running it were as successful is a different matter…and possibly doesn’t matter. The primary object of any experiment is to subject its subject to vigorous, wide-ranging scrutiny, to determine how it would work under as many different circumstances as possible, and highlight any problems, potential or active. This experiment certainly did that. Amid the fabulous Eurosport commentary-box set-to during the Italy/Zambia quarter-final, one issue emerged above all. A poor overall understanding...

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The FIFA Under-20s World Cup: A Final Reckoning

The FIFA Under-20s World Cup: A Final Reckoning

Posted by | Jun 14, 2017 | ,

England’s finest footballing hour since 1966, claimed pundits who had only just discovered there WAS an Under-20s World Cup in the Korean Republic, let alone that England were the best team in it. Welcome, bandwagon jumpers. Anyway, I told you so. About how good Under-20s World Cups are and how England would win this one. Regular readers will know of, and be wearied by, my insistence that less-well-known international football tournaments have merited more attention than filling space on Eurosport when there’s no tennis, cycling or ski-ing on. So, while I’ll never need Danny Mills for vindication, it was...

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Podcast 97: General Election 2: The Corbyning

Podcast 97: General Election 2: The Corbyning

Posted by | Jun 11, 2017 | ,

This week’s Twohundredpercent podcast is a follow-up on last week’s Following the dramatics events of Thursday night, we’re onto the results and fallout of a night that not too many people were expecting. Where were we when we saw the exit poll came through? Where do we think we’ll be in twelve months time? Both of these questions will be answered and several more as well. As ever, you can download the 200% podcast by right-clicking and saving here, whilst the 200% podcast’s RSS feed is here and you can subscribe through Itunes here. We also have a Facebook...

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FIFA Under 20s World Cup: Italy 3-2 Zambia

FIFA Under 20s World Cup: Italy 3-2 Zambia

Posted by | Jun 11, 2017 | ,

Eurosport co-commentator Stewart Robson knew. He usually does. “When you come to tournaments,” he noted, co-incidentally listing the ones for which Eurosport had UK broadcast rights, “you are looking for one of the great games. And this,” he added as Italy’s Under 20s World Cup quarter-final against Zambia approached extra-time, “could be it.” Commentator Tim Caple knew too. He usually does…and if he doesn’t Robson is always quick to tell him. “Up to 50 shots,” he gasped. “Almost unheard of.” And Zambia’s occasional “shoot-(impulsively-off-target)-on-sight” policy only contributed marginally to that stat. Italy/Zambia was better still for the significant and...

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The FIFA Under-20s World Cup: Last 16 To Last 4

The FIFA Under-20s World Cup: Last 16 To Last 4

Posted by | Jun 7, 2017 | ,

So, for all my talk of the diversity of successful nations at the FIFA Under-20s World Cup, we have one all-European and one all-South American semi-final. But what larks we’ve had getting there… Second Round Venezuela 1 Japan 0 (after extra-time, score at 90 minutes…well…guess) A match between two such intricate passing teams produced a winning goal of shocking simplicity, Yangel Herrera’s 108th-minute header from a corner with no defender on the post. Japan started slowly, as per, giving Adalberto Penaranda ample space for his trick-and-flicks. They MUST have spotted him, with all that peroxide-blond hair. And he NEEDS...

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