I’m happy to be disagreed with on this, it’s not something that’s ever going to be reffed the way I want.
Absolutely. You can mitigate it against lesser teams as we’ve proved (just) but us not having a forward to cause their defence problems is just making the game so much easier for them. Close the flanks down and we’re just not troubling them at all.
It was the epitome of a cyclical foul, Williams knows he’s been rinsed so makes the slightest of contact to send Walker off balance. If Walker stays on his feet the foul goes unpunished and Spain gain an illegal advantage. I hate players going down easy but Walker had no choice and again, it was a foul all day long.
If a defender is behind and chasing a forward, any contact from the defender will result in a free kick.
I mean, it’s not the first (or last, I’m sure) time I’ve seen an “obvious” foul given for what I can only see as a “love tap”.
Because if he tries to stay on his feet he loses the ball, or spends five strides trying to regain his balance at which point he’s probably lost the ball too and most likely doesn’t get a foul. So he’s been punished, rather than the other way round. Other contact sports you are likely referring to you aren’t trying to control a ball with your feet, and territory is all you are after so falling over is of not benefit.
And IMV if he isn’t strong enough to do so after that level of contact, tough shit.
