atlas2

I agree with everything except points 1,2/3 and 4. 1. By 'injuries,' I'll assume you mean the falling over whenever a vacuum cleaner bumps against the telly and not the real thing. So I'll let you off that one. 2/3…..If you don't think Footballer's boots, (not trainers) aren't subject to constant development, supported by millions and millions of dollars to edge out rival companies……then?…….Well then you'd be the sort of person who'd think footballers don't undertake highly specialised weight training to condition and strengthen their bodies to minimise injury, particularly to their legs. 4. Can't really rehearse a reasoned and informed comment for my instinctive disagreement here and hope the lazy but expressive emoticon….' ' suffices. Please don't take the criticism too much to heart……..I'm sure I'd be equally hopeless commenting on that game of football played with the hands. Have a good J4.

My mate has a season ticket for Chelsea……..He was so cheesed off with them he considered giving it up…….. Then he heard Jose's daughter had checked into a London drama school….. He renewed on the basis that Mr Special was coming back…... even before the news broke. By the way…..Happy J4 to all Americans……. You've a TEAM to be proud of.

Sad to see Uruagay go out……….I've just learnt how to spell it. Let's see if they take the exit door in a sporting fashion.

Sill under the influence I see…...

I missed the goal Suarez scored against Italy……. must have been when I went to the fridge!!? I'm sure Brazil wouldn't want Uruguay to win the world-cup in Brazil. Any other country is OK though,right? The last sentence……? I really hadn't thought of blaming Tony Blair for Suarez's country of birth not being England. When the drugs wear off get back to us Wac!

Like Uruguay and Portugal you mean? …….Possibly Argentina too... One of the opposing coaches said of Argentina…… "There are some good players that come from Argentina but Messi is from Jupiter!"

A Tale of Two Cities…... http://youtu.be/HHhalSLHgf8 The cheering, the support from the Uruguayan President down. The sympathetic cuddles. The outrage at FIFA from Maradona, who had a longer ban for illegal drugs……. The feeling of injustice and of trying to off-load blame to the European and in particular the English press. The seeming absence for attributing any blame or responsibility to Suarez himself is sickening. Contrast it to what Beckham, the county's darling went through when he got sent off and out of the World Cup…….. Here's the crime: Notice the clout in the back and the heavy landing on top from Simeone and the theatrical fall……. But Nonetheless Beck's was pilloried by the country for seeing RED. Here's a quote from 'Wiki' "In the second round (last 16) of that competition, he received a red card in England's match against Argentina.[159] Beckham, after having been fouled by Diego Simeone, kicked Simeone while lying on the floor, striking him on the calf muscle.[159] Sports Illustrated was critical of the Argentinians' theatrics in that incident, stating that Simeone first delivered a "heavy-handed challenge" on Beckham and then "fell like a ton of bricks" when Beckham retaliated.[160] Simeone later admitted to trying to get Beckham sent off by over-reacting to the kick and then, along with other members of his team, urging the referee to send Beckham off.[161] The match finished in a draw and England were eliminated in a penalty shootout. Many supporters and journalists blamed him for England's elimination and he became the target of criticism and abuse, including the hanging of an effigy outside a London pub, and the Daily Mirror printing a dartboard with a picture of him centred on the bullseye. Beckham also received death threats after the World Cup.[162] The abuse that Beckham was receiving from English supporters peaked during England's 3–2 defeat by Portugal in Euro 2000, a match where Beckham set up two goals, when a group of England supporters taunted him throughout the match.[163] Beckham responded by raising his middle finger and, while the gesture attracted……."

He's taken a 'vow of silence'…….. The mystery for me is that his acolyte, 'Fatboyfat's' last post on the 19th march coincides with Tom's entry into holy orders. Maybe it's just a case of, 'two great minds'…………?

After this World Cup I think Americans should explain football to the English, Italians, Spanish and Portuguese……..

I think Eye4 just suggesting…….What's the need for hurry?….to the OP's questioning 'how long does the Journey take?' For me, when I first came to Thailand I got impatient wasting my 'girl-time' waiting for the lift/elevator.

The USA deserve to go through……..Germany looked very good first half…….Was it something like 180 passes after 15 mins? A highly entertaining match.

Here's the ban…………. http://worldcup.usatoday.com/2014/06/26/luis-suarez-world-cup-suspension-punishment-biting-fifa/ That's that. Let's enjoy the games.

'The tooth of God' inci'dent' and now two Ghanian players sent home in disgrace hours before the game with Portugal. Apparently for slapping back room staff and then chasing them round with a broken bottle…….WTF!!

The game between Argentina and Nigeria was a good one with Messi showing his class. The USA and Germany should be a cracker. It's possible that they can both go thru…….. I hope they do.

Yes, I agree that there are more dangerous offences……..Some are even career-ending and the perpetrators are punished but don't face potential lifetime bans like Suarez. You see that as the standard Suarez should logically be judged by, and I understand your point……. What's a little bite compared to a broken leg or knee ligament damage? Well…... Some leg breaks are no one's fault……an accident. Some leg breaking tackles are from 50/50 challenges. The result of a shared but fair determination to win the ball. Some leg breaks are where the perpetrator of an unfair tackle causes the damage to himself. Some however, are reprisals for an earlier incident, or are made out of frustration with a real, or imagined bias of the referee, or worst of all…... the result of an ongoing personal feud. The last example above, whatever the severity of the damage to the opponent should and usually does result in a sending off and the instigation of a subsequent investigation to determine if further punishment is necessary. To be considered: Has the player done something like this before? If so, how was he punished to deter him from doing it again? If that hasn't deterred him what punishment would 'a', act as a real deterrent this time? And 'b', what would send a clear message to every player that this conduct will not be tolerated. It goes without saying that a repetitive leg-breaker should be banned for life. Now to Suarez…... Fouls are committed week in and out and the disciplinary procedures are there to deal with them. Biting however is something rare…….. You might know Wac of others that have bitten opponents and then repeated this behavior not twice but three times……….I don't! Biting is not a natural footballing foul like kicking…..It's primeval. It's the last resort of a cornered animal trying to defend itself. But this is football, a sport…. a game. I'd guess close to 100%, play football without EVER feeling the need to cause pain and injury to an opponent by biting him. As I've said Suarez has now done this three times……… This last occasion on football's greatest stage. Uruguayans dismiss it…….'Move along nothing to see here' Their press attribute blame to the English for making it an issue. Suarez himself shrugs and says "These things happen" If FIFA take firm action and Suarez is held to strict account for this, then as much as the Uruguayans whine and complain about it, the message will reverberate around the football world, that however famous, however talented you may be, no one is bigger than the game. It's the game that's at stake here. Biting is completely avoidable in football……... if FIFA make a clear statement of non-tolerance now. Let's see what happens……………..

As it stands in Uruguay Suarez is not at fault. It's all been caused by the British media. Dailybhaskar.com | Jun 25, 2014, 15:47PM IST The fans and players may have condemned Luis Suarez’s ‘biting’ act, but the Uruguayan media seems to be siding with their star striker on the matter, blaming English media for giving the issue hype it didn’t deserve’. A Uruguayan TV station projected it as a conspiracy by the English – just like the 1966 World Cup final, where it says a goal was given when the ball didn’t even cross the line. A report on the Tenfield station’s website says that until the British reporters raised the issue in the post match conference there was no question of a FIFA investigation on the matter. The report says: “In the TV replay, as viewed in the press area, it appears that Luisito’s face comes in contact with Chiellini without it being clear whether he bites him as was claimed by those – especially the English – who were keen to play down Uruguay’s victory. “British reporters, in the press conference, asked Óscar Tabárez three times asked about the incident, saying that: ‘Suárez bit Chiellini.’ Their intention was Fifa should intervene and expel Luisito from the World Cup. Other press reaction in Uruguay too favoured the Uruguayan star, newspaper El Observador felt that there is a lack of visual evidence. They wrote, “There was no single picture to prove there was a bite. Two images were circulating: one, of Chiellini with his shirt up for the referee, appeared to show he had been visited by a vampire. In the other there was nothing. Was it Photoshop? “But the episode was enough for Luisito to again be the talk of the British media, and relegated the result between Uruguay and Italy to second place. All British media detailed it on their websites in great detail.” Uruguayan newspaper El Pais also covered the UK reaction: “The assumption that Suárez bit [Chellini] flew around the world as soon as the incident happened, even before the game ended. The main English newspapers were tough with Liverpool player. It is worth remembering that most of the English press harassed the Uruguayan after the bite that he gave Branislav Ivanovic.” Edit in ……..Here's one for my old mate LR……. The New Stateman's Ian Steadman toted up the numbers after Suarez's third bitey bitey incident in four years. He's played a total of 441 which works out at a bite every 147 games, and three bites on 6,160 opponents or roughly one in 2,000. The odds on getting bitten by a shark are one in 3.7m so you are MUCH more likely to be attacked by Luis Suarez.\ Is this supposed to make us feel better or worse?!? Edit 2 Not bad news for everyone…….A Norwegian man won 2000 pounds……He'd bet Suarez would bite someone during the World Cup. I read a quote from a Uruguayan fan who said: "It's our fighting spirit "and he used their term for this 'Guarra Garra' sp……."If you have to hit you hit…..If you have to bite you bite" …….. Worryingly this guy's a law student!

Sometimes ignorance is bliss…..

That's bollox…… You're excusing the cunt for disfiguring the game because once, a long time ago he was poor. Mitigation of that sort devalues you Wac………You're busted!!

http://youtu.be/ot9Vh2XDNZU The 7 match ban by Ajax was a warning. The 10 match ban by the FA……. wasn't enough. Liverpool's support for Suarez wasn't appreciated. Liverpool's hopeful assumption that he'd learned his lesson was wrong. The vile English, that treated him so shabbily, (that he dreamt about the joy of giving us all the finger), and who displayed their total nastiness towards him by voting him Player of the Year……… Got what they deserved…..And we did. Suarez is making noises to ensure that he has to be sold. I really hope Liverpool, on principle accept an offer and that he doesn't play for any English team again. By all means fair score against us Suarez but to accept you back just tars us all with the same brush. Forgiveness this time would be craven.

Looks like we've snaffled Obama into the England team. Not sure he'll see the funny side……….. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-27998220

Naturally I'll be watching and still very interested in England's match. I'm hoping for a good and passionate performance……..But clean. I don't agree with Rooney's statement that we should be more cynical in our play. For me that would be the last straw. I was looking up countries by discipline records. Even before the red card system there were sending offs. England's record from 1930 to 2010 is OK given the number of WCs participated in but it is not spotless. I don't think cynicism in any sport is to be admired. My old football teacher at primary school used to say to us before a match……."Listen scum-bubbles……Today you're all little James Bonds. Quiet, determined, no fuss whatever happens…. just get on with it."

Another free-lance gynecologist ………….! Cheers

And I your reply.

Well I've not heard back but Pat might be busy Doctoring……..So I just sent you one MM

I just sent you a message……….if you get it reply. I'll let you know.