Jesus Christ again with the umpire conspiracy theories - I guess it's off season so you have to transfer that angst to the round ball game.
China hasn't made the WC finals for over a decade and will not make it this time - they made it once in 2002. And yet we've qualified for the last four world cups after being welcomed into the Asian Confederation even though it disadvantaged the stronger sides into the confed. Boom - there goes that theory.
The attitude of only taking part in sports we are the best in is bizarre. Take your own advice, forget about soccer and stop talking about things you have no idea about.
No need to reveal my true identity, but again same old naive gullibility. Unlike you, I examine umpiring decisions closely looking at the slomo replays via streaming viewing. Many of your posts reveal you miss much, including subtleties. You tend to be the "whatever the umps say type; it must be right ... because ... they're the umps!"
I conceded Jeggo was asking for trouble; I'm not sure whether you need to throw both arms into the air for balance if jumping backwards to defend with your head. However, it was flirting with danger and minor arm contact occurred. I'd say inadvertently ; whether that's worthy of a penalty goal, going a long way to decide the match, I'm doubtful. Another reason I don't regard this over-rated and vastly over-priced sport that highly. But Fox Sports went with header (that I only saw long after posting) "Brutal VAR burns Soccerroos ...". Andy Harper, the match special comments man - “They should send the VAR through to the lab to split the atom because they have just split the hair. I’m dumbfounded, to be honest.” Whatever you think of him, he must be a far more knowledgeable expert on the game than me or you I'd say!
Saw the halftime stats and China were way ahead in fouls committed. By the end of a match where we led possession 60/40 and passes 401/187, we were now ahead on fouls 14/10. If you actually looked closely, you would have noticed Chinese players going down for very minor or even no real contact (like the goalie late). Rolling around as if shot; wasting vital game-time which is never accurately counted and added on (as in AFL timekeeping). So inferior or defensively-stretched teams know that they can waste heaps of time that will never be accountable; thus increasing the chances of holding back a superior team and perhaps limiting their scoring opps. Especially when having reached an advantageous result.
The fact about China's previous qualifying failures only makes them more desperate to make progress, aided by the vast $$$ invested, along with their vaulting national pride mission currently. The ' trio of naturalised Brazilians' came in handy too (but we certainly have a team composed of many migrant/naturalised Aussies, yes). But I'll leave it you re China's record in other sports broadly and use of financial incentives holistically. I'm sure you'd never be 'naive or gullible' about that. My cynicism is as more about this joke of a game as China who are very similar to many other nations in terms of what lengths they are prepared to go to e.g. see the Russians. Even if China is unlikely to proceed, ever heard of the role of saving face in oriental cultures? Could address the Confed League business, where what you claim is cringe-worthy, but wasted enough time on this.
Fans like you may relish sports where umpiring can have a major influence on results. What happened in the match against Italy when we actually got the furthest ever in an Australian WC campaign?
But, come to think of it, WC soccer is absolutely the greatest game for the naive or gullible. FIFA have such a peerless ethical history, don't they, little Ant?
Stand by everything I said, as opinions I can argue for and support. Won't bother explaining on RU. But many intelligent sports followers could easily see where I'm coming from.
What you show me monotonously is your (perhaps appropriately), small-man thinking. You still sound like the little twerp, teacher's-pet type at school that sits up front and gazes adoringly at the teacher, and stars at reporting any misdemeanors spotted done by the naughty boys near the back. Whatever the teacher or ref says must be indisputable.
What's bizarre is you truly believe your own little twerp outlook is the only possible perspective!