World Cup

[BDA73]

Tell me something, do US networks show adverts during the hydration breaks? Here in the UK, people think they must do. Why else would they interrupt every game, no matter what the temperature or the venue?

Didn't the hydration breaks start last Cup finals? I get FIFA basically saying all games should have the same break as it completely stops momentum..why should some games/teams get that 3 minute chance to make strategic chances while others cant.

 

[BDA73]

No we don't, but it disrupts the flow of the game. Football is famously a game of two halves. It has now been transformed into a game of four quarters, solely to satisfy the greed of both US TV networks and FIFA. This week we have seen a four minute break for VAR assessment with water being passed around. five minutes after play was resumed, it was interrupted again for a scheduled hydration break, or to be more accurate a scheduled advertising slot. we are seeing more pundits talking than players kicking the ball.

Except this isn't first time hydration breaks came about, certainly not because the US dictated it.
Fox doesnt even get to direct their own live feed. Plenty of times US announcers are trying to describe something and the international feed is showing some celebrities in the crowd.

 

[TomTeacher19]

It's better for the athletes and the quality of the games improves with better athletes and it's going to really show that in the knockout rounds when they end up playing 120 minutes instead of 90. It also provides for commercials but who cares. There are commercials running all game around the side of the field and in the corner by the score. It can impact momentum but so do injuries and VAR and cards and it's soccer - momentum changes all the the time anyway. It's a positive overall

 

[ReallyRandyReader]

I’m much less perturbed by the break tha. I thought I’d be. I think the unending VAR breaks in the PL have me anaesthetised to breaking the rhythm of the game.

I think I’m actually liking that coaches can also do more real work and reorganise and give instruction during this time.

 

[MuffandNonsense]

Interesting to see that Norway, having qualified for the second phase, deliberately chucked the game against France by leaving Erling Haaland on the bench throughout the match.
With this year's enlarged format, they clearly wanted to rest him for the games to come.
The attitude seemed to affect the way the team played, especially with the casually struck penalty early in the second half.
Well done to Canada for their last-gasp win against South Africa.
Canada were the only one of the three host nations forced to travel for their "round of 32" tie.
Looking forward to watching Brazil v Japan this evening.

 

[LucieLou007]

Yeh i dont get hydration breaks plus should be in the middle of pitch away from managers

plus was like the England match recently was raining the 1st half isnt that enough water from the sky

 

[jonnoback]

Yeh i dont get hydration breaks plus should be in the middle of pitch away from managers

plus was like the England match recently was raining the 1st half isnt that enough water from the sky

Def should be in the centre circle and no coaching allowed. That's if they even have it as in my view they shouldn't as it's all about the adverts.

 

[TomTeacher19]

The hysterics over the hydration breaks are ridiculous. It's keeping players healthier. You have to make one rule that keeps it simple even when it feels less necessary sometimes because of that. I've watched almost every game. All the panic about "momentum" is ridiculous. It hasn't hurt momentum in any game. Injuries / fake injuries do WAY more of that WAY more often every game anyway. And VAR. Letting them be coached makes for better games too. Yes, it's used for advertising but there is constant advertising on the walls and in the icon floating in the corner and these players are walking billboards in their leagues so stop pretending that really bothers you.

 

[jonnoback]

We don't need a hydration break on a wet tuesday in fleetwood, or wallsall for that matter. So why now? Maybe it's temperature related but if so at what temperature and why in games when it's being raining solidly do we need one? And the coach can yell instructions from the sidelines constantly but once on the pitch the only people who can impact the game should be the players (oh and the ref and VAR and occasionally a beach ball) and as someone once said 'Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face'.

 

[Britva415]

why should some games/teams get that 3 minute chance to make strategic chances while others cant.

Is this a complaint about fairness? I can't tell.

It's not like one team gets to do it and the other one doesn't.

 

[SophieUK]

The hysterics over the hydration breaks are ridiculous. It's keeping players healthier. You have to make one rule that keeps it simple even when it feels less necessary sometimes because of that. I've watched almost every game. All the panic about "momentum" is ridiculous. It hasn't hurt momentum in any game. Injuries / fake injuries do WAY more of that WAY more often every game anyway. And VAR. Letting them be coached makes for better games too. Yes, it's used for advertising but there is constant advertising on the walls and in the icon floating in the corner and these players are walking billboards in their leagues so stop pretending that really bothers you.

“Hasn’t hurt momentum in any game” is a stretch … it’s happened, the commentators have pointed it out too..
‘Keeping players healthier’… even when it’s been raining and they’ve already been hydrating at other breaks in play..
I’m a bit old school and like the players being left to play rather than been coached and coached … it’s meant to be a flowing game ..
Rant over

 

[BDA73]

Is this a complaint about fairness? I can't tell.

It's not like one team gets to do it and the other one doesn't.

No...in prior Cup Final I belive only games that had extreme temp had a waterbreak... this presented a problem in that there were games with a break and some that didnt... so no no matter what all games have the break

 

[TomTeacher19]

“Hasn’t hurt momentum in any game” is a stretch … it’s happened, the commentators have pointed it out too..
‘Keeping players healthier’… even when it’s been raining and they’ve already been hydrating at other breaks in play..
I’m a bit old school and like the players being left to play rather than been coached and coached … it’s meant to be a flowing game ..
Rant over

I disagree. Coming out of the hydration breaks the games have been very consistent with what was happening before the breaks. Teams controlling possession and on the attack have continued to do so. The closest to momentum change has been underdogs that were playing well have not been able to keep that up, which happens all the time regardless of hydration breaks.

Yes it is clearly keeping players healthier and playing better the entire match. And that will only be even more noticable and important as they have matches go 120 instead of 90. And to avoid controversy you have to have one rule for all games, so yes it seems foolish in a rainy game but that's way better than people bitching about why they did or didn't get the breaks in games where the weather may be more borderline.

It's still a flowing game. It is absolutely an "old school" complaint. Like the complaints about 48 teams and VAR and women refs. It's not hurting the game and it's making it better, but it's change and some will always oppose that.

 

[caullywally]

Interesting to see that Norway, having qualified for the second phase, deliberately chucked the game against France by leaving Erling Haaland on the bench throughout the match.
With this year's enlarged format, they clearly wanted to rest him for the games to come.
The attitude seemed to affect the way the team played, especially with the casually struck penalty early in the second half.
Well done to Canada for their last-gasp win against South Africa.
Canada were the only one of the three host nations forced to travel for their "round of 32" tie.
Looking forward to watching Brazil v Japan this evening.

Brazil v Japan... very much like the old master ... v the new incumbent... I hope Japan go through

 

[Shaglus_Ziegler]

I actually hate the hydration breaks

Their fake and gay, pushing climate narratives.

 

[Shaglus_Ziegler]

Var robbed Iran. Hydration breaks are lame. I’m rooting for Norway. I think FIFA is political and agenda based.

 

[jonnoback]

Hydration breaks do not make a player fitter so they can last 120 mins instead of 90 any better than they do today as they've already run 10k - will a drop of water mean they can run another 3k at the same pace? If so, then I expect you'd have elite athletes everywhere gagging to get whatever the footballers are drinking!

We also don't need the game divided into quarters to make it even longer than it already is with the stupidly long injury time we now have.

I don't mind the 48 teams but that's just a world cup thing and just means a load of minnows get thrashed.

 

[Britva415]

this presented a problem in that there were games with a break and some that didnt

I'm still not seeing why it's a problem.