I agree Spaw... there is far too much "spread" on how refs ref a game. I was taken aback several times in The England game by the reffing.

Speaking of that game, I was VERY taken aback by the lack of coordination by England... perhaps I am missing sommat as I don't watch football a lot, but, it would seem to me that a team should play for the event of a cross field ball, intended or simply as a vent for control. Same problem with corners.

Algeria did it well and they also played their corners smartly while England played their corners as if they were playing with the same old ball... same with the strikes.

Seems to me England refuses to adapt to the new ball. If they don't do it soon, they will be toast.

Re the cross field play and corners, I think they need a Canuck hockey coach to teach them sommat about "covering the wing". The Algerians did it reasonably well but so many times the English were dispossessed of the ball because there was no backup on the wings.

And, some of the "stopping short" I saw by the "wingers" (sorry, I don't know the terms... forwards?) would earn them a spot on the bench in hockey. But, perhaps that's part of football of which I know not... some kind of defensive strategy where you are worried about being out of a defending position?

Seems odd to me but there it is... if you can't defend with one man less who could get back up the field if need be, you need to find players who can run a clip.

Or am I just a dumb Canuck who don't know shit about football?