Added Time At World Cup -- Added Strain Or Added Drama?
Zeeshan Mehtab Published November 22, 2022 | 06:10 PM
Doha, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Nov, 2022 ) :Do not adjust your television sets: England and Iran really did play nearly half an hour of injury time in their World Cup game.
And that was not the only match in Qatar to drag on well beyond the alloted 90 minutes.
It is early days at this World Cup, but already a very noticeable trend has emerged: games are going on much, much longer than normal.
So what is going on? It is no accident.
Prior to the World Cup kicking off on Sunday, Pierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA's referees committee, said four officials would be keeping a firm eye on time lost during games.
That could be due to injuries, substitutions, red or yellow cards, video assistant referee interventions and also some old-fashioned time-wasting from teams trying to hang on to a lead.
"In Russia (World Cup 2018), we tried to be more accurate in compensating for time lost during games and that's why you saw six, seven or even eight minutes added on," he told reporters at a pre-tournament briefing.
"Think about it: if you have three goals in a half, you'll probably lose four or five minutes in total to celebrations and the restart." - 'A long time to focus' - For players and coaches already worried about the sheer amount of football squeezed into an already congested season, this can only be bad news.
England coach Gareth Southgate was delighted with many aspects of his side's 6-2 hammering of Iran on Monday, but noted the amount of stoppage time.
Largely because of a nasty facial injury to Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, the first half dragged on for nearly an hour instead of 45 minutes.
Similarly, Mehdi Taremi's consolation penalty, nearly the last kick of the game, came in the 13th minute of stoppage time.
"We had, I think, 24 minutes of added time across the game," Southgate told the BBC, suggesting his players were drained and more susceptible to conceding a goal as the game ebbed deep into added time.
"So it's a long time to focus, but we just lost concentration and when we play at a slower tempo, we're nowhere near as effective." According to statistics experts Opta, those elongated halves in the England-Iran game, plus added time in the second half of the United States versus Wales (10 mins 34 secs) and second half of Senegal against the Netherlands (10:03), were the most stoppage time in the World Cup on record, going back to 1966.
All happened on Monday, the second day of the Qatar tournament, suggesting this is just the start.
Marc Wilmots, the former Belgium coach, said it was harmful to the players.
"What amazes me are the cramps, the injury problems and the players are already exhausted," he told broadcaster RTBF.
The coaches -- or least those winning the match in question -- also may not like it, but observers sick of players time-wasting are applauding FIFA's hardline stance.
"Enjoying the amount of time that is being added on by the officials at the Qatar World Cup 2022, there is too much time wasting in football!" former England defender Jamie Carragher tweeted.
Former Chelsea and Tottenham defender Jason Cundy, who is now a broadcaster, told his radio show that he would not be happy if it was England hanging on for victory at the end.
But he added: "Does it give the viewer, as a neutral, it's like, 'Oh my god, something could change, there's 10 minutes of injury time, 10 minutes!'"I think what it's doing is adding a little bit more jeopardy to the game."
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Infinix Unveils a Vibrant New Chapter with Wahaj Ali: The face of Infinix NOTE 4 ..
PM makes two more appointments in his team
Terrorists of Shangla suicide attack will be brought to justice: Interior Minist ..
Applications Open for 6th Cycle of Start-up Incubation under the National Expans ..
Join vivo's "Light it Up" Social Media Contest in Ramadan to Win vivo V30 5G
Pakistan v New Zealand T20I series: Tickets to go on sale from today
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 29 March 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 29 March 2024
Journalists call for global action to end Gaza’s humanitarian crisis
CM for generating opportunities to bring direct int'l investment
Pakistan retains position in FTSE secondary emerging market
High Commissioner of Malaysia hosts Iftar dinner reception
More Stories From Sports
-
Pakistan v New Zealand T20I series: Tickets to go on sale from today
3 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP-WTA Miami Open results: collated
16 hours ago -
Pak, NZ T20I series online ticket booking from tomorrow
17 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A table
18 hours ago -
Nottingham Forest's double European Cup winner Lloyd dies
18 hours ago -
Two more matches decided in Inter College Ramadan T-20 Cup
18 hours ago
-
PCB dismisses FICA's claims of unpaid dues in PSL
1 day ago -
Sinner and Medvedev book Miami Open semi-final clash
1 day ago -
Collins and Alexandrova fight into Miami semi-finals
1 day ago -
Van Aert breaks collarbone, ribs in Flanders fall
2 days ago -
Van Aert in high-speed crash in Around Flanders race
2 days ago -
PCB announces inter-club One-Day tournament
2 days ago