Source: Global Times
【Global Times Comprehensive Report】To watch the replay again, how long does this have to make up time? Why did you kick so hard and lose? Why are there so many draws this year? The 2022 Qatar World Cup group stage ended in the early morning of December 3, Beijing time, and 16 teams will advance to the more brutal knockout stage, but the group stage viewing experience has caused fans to have many questions. In the eyes of some media, the new technologies and regulations promoted by FIFA have made the game fragmented, the new ball has become the culprit of the draw, and the pass control football of the big team is not as good as the "pragmatism" of grasping the timing of the goal... Will these scenes be repeated during the knockout stage?
New rules and new technologies become "football enemies"?
World cup? "Offside" cup!
As the Qatar World Cup enters the knockout stage, the topic of semi-automatic offside recognition technology (SAOT) and video assistant referee (VAR) continues to heat up. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said ahead of the opening of the World Cup: "The courageous use of VAR technology on the world's biggest football stage at the 2018 World Cup has proved to be an indisputable success. SAOT is a further extension of VAR technology, which has been researched and tested for three years to provide the best possible service to the teams, players and fans of this World Cup. ”
At the opening match on November 21, Beijing time, the first invalid goal in the history of the World Cup was born by the SAOT system, and then SAOT "helped" the Saudi team to defeat Argentina, and also let the American team player Weah Jr. experience a "millimeter-level" offside decision... The SAOT system made this World Cup a "offside cup".
At the 2021 FIFA Arabia Cup, SAOT made his debut and was tested, and was subsequently introduced to the UEFA Super Cup and Champions League. Due to the complexity of offside determination, the VAR system is not sufficient to meet the penalty requirements. Corina, the FIFA refereeing committee, said SAOT was faster and more accurate and "able to establish better communication between the game and the fans". The British newspaper The Guardian said that the system was originally developed to avoid farces, not to cause new ones.
"VAR" is the protagonist
The British "Daily Star" said: "For many fans, SAOT is the last straw that crushes the football game. "Argentina vs Saudi Arabia, Argentina scored three goals and the trend of the game was significantly affected. The Times of India said SAOT had sparked a "storm of controversy." The VAR technology introduced at the World Cup in Russia four years ago also caused problems such as longer penalty times and disrupted rhythms of matches.
The Associated Press analyzed that the controversy brought about by VAR continues to this day, and not everyone recognizes the changes brought by this technology. In the early morning of December 2, Beijing time, when Japan beat Spain 2-1, before Japan scored the second goal, the ball seemed to have gone out of the bottom line, and the referee decided to award the goal valid after watching the VAR for a long time.
Scottish legend Sounes said: "There are 80 million Germans in a mad right now, waiting for proof that this ball is not out of the line. Why does FIFA create confusion and why not show us evidence to dispel doubts? ”
The British "Economist" said that the importance of top-level matches is self-evident, and referees need to avoid misjudgment as much as possible that affects the outcome of the game, so it is understandable to use technical means in the award. Tennis and badminton only determine whether they are out of bounds through eagle eye technology, which has less impact on the overall trend of the game, in contrast, football events have the highest requirements for technical systems.
Although new technology cannot guarantee that all penalties are accurate enough, as long as it can help referees reach quick conclusions and maximize the flow of the game, then technology is not considered the "enemy" of football.
Extra long stoppage time "a little tired"
It is reported that SAOT has reduced the average time taken for offside penalties from 70 seconds to 25 seconds. But at this World Cup, the system doesn't seem to be saving much time. Corina has said that FIFA requires the fourth official to guarantee "net time" in this World Cup, so players are injured, team substitutions, red and yellow cards are presented, goals are celebrated and referee decisions are delayed, which also leads to the recurrence of extra long stoppage time, the longest of which is close to 20 minutes.
Extra stoppage time not only costs players more energy, but also increases fan fatigue, and the media and security personnel who broadcast the game live will also put in more labor. But Corina said: "In addition to maintaining the law enforcement authority of referees, we must crack down on unsportsmanlike behaviors such as fake falls and delaying game time, and strictly making up for game time is one of the important measures." ”
The British "Guardian" believes that SAOT sometimes makes the game "extra time" not for technical reasons, but related to the referee's own judgment. Despite technical assistance, human subjectivity can influence the award. As Corina says, "No matter how advanced the technology, it is still the referee who makes the final decision." (Li Jiayin)
Who is to blame for too many draws: new goals, mentality, new environment?
As of the early hours of December 2, there were 10 draws in the 44 group stage matches that had ended, including 6 0-0 matches, leading some to shout that "this World Cup is not exciting enough". Statistics from the data website Opta show that 8 teams have shook hands 0:0 in the first round of the group stage, namely Denmark/Tunisia, Mexico/Poland, Morocco/Croatia and Uruguay/South Korea, setting a record of 0:0 in the first round of the World Cup. Why are there so many draws this year? The new use of the ball, the playing environment and the mentality of the players were seen as the main reasons.
The ball used in this World Cup is full of high technology, the British "Sun" revealed that there is a sensor inside the ball that can measure data such as speed and direction, with which VAR can track the ball and make offside decisions, the sensor is powered by a small battery, can be used continuously for 6 hours, and weighs only 14 grams. During matches, sensors can calculate the exact position of the ball and players, helping referees award offsides and make other decisions. For example, in the previous match between Portugal and Uruguay, after the sensor determined, Ronaldo's "header" actually belonged to B fee.
In the eyes of foreign media, built-in high-tech sensors change the weight of the ball, and even make players "distracted" during the game, they will unconsciously and constantly think about whether they are offside, which is not the rhythm of the game they are used to, which in turn leads to a significant increase in the number of games ending in draws.
The playing environment in Qatar is also difficult for some players to adapt to, with the average temperature now approaching 26 degrees in Qatar and some Argentine players being photographed wearing sunscreen during training. Some players caught a cold because of the air conditioning in the stadium, and since last week, players in the Brazilian team, including Paqueta, Alison and others, have begun to feel unwell.
Spain's "As" newspaper said that before the first round of the group stage, seven people in the Spanish team had cold symptoms. Coach Luis Enrique said: "All the buildings, the transport here are air-conditioned and it's very cold, we have to be very careful". The hot and cold temperatures make many teams more "difficult" in the game, so not conceding a goal has become their primary goal.
In addition, some teams already play with a "safe side" mentality with the sole goal of "leveling and winning", which makes them cautious in the game. German striker Thomas Müller previously admitted after the 1-1 draw with Spain: "The draw feels good, [you know] we are facing a strong Spanish team, we still have a chance to qualify. However, Germany were still eliminated after beating Costa Rica in the final round of the group stage, and Müller's mood of "not bad" turned into bitterness.
Of course, a draw does not mean absolute dullness, Serbia's 3-3 draw with Cameroon was a spectacular goal battle, the sixth time in World Cup history that the score was 3-3, and the two sides alternated in the game. (Ma Dexing)
Weak is better than strong: "transmission control" is not as good as "efficient"
This World Cup has shown a fairly high level so far, and the "pass-and-control football" that once swept the world football scene has been eclipsed in the face of more efficient teams, which may be the new trend of world football development.
Almost all of the biggest upsets so far in this World Cup have been created by Asian teams, starting with Saudi Arabia's 2-1 victory over Argentina. Saudi Arabia made only 267 passes in the game, far lower than Argentina's 610, and other statistics were lower than Argentina's. Saudi Arabia had only three shots on goal in the game, while Argentina had 14, but the Saudis hit the frame twice and scored two goals; Argentina hit the frame six times, blocked three times, and scored only one goal – Saudi Arabia's upset relied on efficiency.
Japan's victory over Germany and Spain before reaching the round of 16 was also efficient. Against Germany, Japan had 261 passes and Germany 820; Japan had 10 shots on goal and Germany 25; Japan had three shots in the frame and Germany as many as 10 – two goals and Germany lost. The data against Spain are even more pronounced: Japan passed the ball 224 times, Spain 1,070; Japan had 6 shots on goal and Spain 14; Japan had three shots on target, while Spain had five shots on target and was blocked by Japan six times, and Japan won.
To some extent, the above three games reveal the "secret to victory" when weak teams play against traditional strong teams: more efficient counterattacks and attacks on the basis of good defense. Argentina, Germany and Spain are the favourites to win this World Cup, and they have also shown strength in the course of the game, dominating the pace of the game, but the repeated "waves" make their attack inefficient. As a result, the teams could not quickly extend their lead after scoring the first goal, while Saudi Arabia and Japan seized the limited opportunities and eventually won the game.
It was surprising that Germany were eliminated in the group stage for the second time in a row, but it had a lot to do with the German team's addiction to "pass control" in the game. In the final round of the group stage, Germany had 727 passes against Costa Rica, more than double the opponent's goal, with a whopping 32 shots, but only 11 shots were actually on target and 17 were deflected. As for Belgium, who reached the last Final Four, their eventual failure to qualify from the group was also due to inefficiency in front of goal, especially in the crucial game against Croatia, where Romelu Lukaku, who came off the bench in the second half, wasted too many chances in front of goal, and the team did not qualify.
It can be said that the development of world football to the current stage, especially in international competitions such as the World Cup, the team wants to achieve good results, not to play the ball how gorgeous and pleasing to the eye, but more to whether it can score, what promotes the goal is "efficiency". (Ke Xin)