hey mazza,
see how holland resorted to the same kind of “brainless” shots from far u were accusing ghana of ….
thinking about it v. bommel, sneijder and cocu arent as creative as would have been thought….they are just strong, they cant supply their frontline for love or money…
im quite dissappointed about how they went out though…..was betting on them.
all in all … GREAT WORLD CUP !!! definitely puts japan/south korea 02 to shame!
What?s good boys? I?ve a theory about the match today between Italy and Australia.
Obviously the Italians are a bigger side with a more notable football pedigree. What the Italians also have is the history of allowing teams that want to win bad enough the opportunity to eliminate them from competitions late in the game.
Two years ago, Italy allowed Sweden the chance to advance in the European championship when they should have been eliminated. Ibrahimovic scored with an audacious flick over Vieri?s head LATE IN THE GAME to secure the points for his country.
Four years ago it was South Korea who equalized to put the game into extra time with an equalizer LATE IN THE GAME which Ahn was able to win the match for his country.
Six years ago in the European Final, the Italians led the French when they allowed Wiltord and Trezequet to win the match for France LATE IN THE GAME. (That was also the catalyst for Wiltord and Pires coming to Arsenal.)
In ‘98 I can?t remember why but I?m sure Italy was eliminated the same way, LATE IN THE GAME that they should have won. So, I see this match ending one of 2 ways, Italy embarrassing the Ausies or Australia winning late.
Problem is that I can?t recall anyone embarrassing the Australians in any sport. It just doesn?t happen. Be it football, rugby, boxing, cricket, in the Olympics they always come to fight. You name it and the Ausies always give a good account of themselves and represent their country well.
I had hoped that the US would be able to exploit the Italians but we simply weren?t fit enough. It didn?t help that the US were relying on Donovan to provide offensive inspiration as he?s yet to recover from his Leverkusen failures being totally exposed as a wimp with no heart. He needs to take his punk-ass to to see the Wizard ofOz to get some heart. What a fuckin? yummie.
Kahn has spoken out about being dropped for a player who is in better form than him for the World Cup. He seems to think there should be some dumb-ass loyalty when he’s been crap this season. He says that though Lehmann is in better form than him he should still be the number one.
Boys, that’s got to be the dumbest thing I’ve heard all year. Come on, Ollie, it ain’t “rocket-surgery”? What a LOSER!
I kind of agree with Fred and his comments on the long shots by Holland yesterday.
It’s good to take the occasional distance shot to see if the keeper is awake, but the shot has to be on target. V. Bommel’s shots weren?t as they missed by a country mile, thus pointless attempts. It worked for R. Koeman in the 1980?s but his were on target.
As for supplying the Dutch frontline, it seemed like a Sisyphusean task anyway as Kuyt just didn’t have it yesterday, steering every shot right at the keeper. Why he was still in the game at 70 min. is beyond me. Every V. Persie cross from the right channel to the left was met by ? nobody. At Arsenal, those crosses would have been met by someone and probably resulted on a shot on goal. Holland played poorly; to my great regret as I was also, ?betting? (picked) them. That said, Portugal didn?t look much better but they prevailed and won.
After that match, I was reminded why I prefer club football to these internationals but yes, it?s been a good World Cup.
As for me, I generally support the underdog when my team goes out so I?m cheering for England, no Ghana to win the Cup. This would wake up a few of us arrogant European nations and be a great achievement leading up to South Africa in 2010.
Go you Black Stars!!!! Would that make them ?black holes? as a black star gives off no light? Who gives a sh*t, go you Black Stars. It?s just a crying shame their kit isn?t orange as I have lotsa of that at the moment.
Gerard… sorry your beloved Oranje failed to deliver yesterday.
You know the referee has had a good match when you don’t notice him. That hasn’t happened much in this World Cup.
Vive le France… and Thierry Henry.
I hope he stuffs it down Aragones racist bastard throat…
I’d LOVE to see Ghana shock Brazil as well… just can’t see that occuring.
Can’t see Italy losing to Austrailia today…
LOTS of good gossip running around though…
Yaya… yes yes!!!
Buffon!??!?
Treblesi??!?!
If Juventus get relegated… there will be a massive fire sale… I say we wait for the fire sale!!!
That way we can get Paddy back for a song!!!
I say relegate ALL 4 of the teams …
If Juventus is most guilty, send them to SERIE C, and the others to SERIE B.
If there is any doubt at all about the integrity of the game… there is no game. The reason we watch sports, is because we believe its on the up and up… that the outcome is not decided, that its unfolding before our eyes.
Anything else is like watching WRESTLING.
Thanks Stag133. Maybe in this short life I’ve been given, I’ll still live to see Holland raise the cup. Fortunately, I seen Arsenal lift a few so I’ve nothing to cry about.
Who would of ever thought that Italian style politics would have ever creep into the beautiful game. I’m just glad I’m not a Juve supporter living in North America with these dark clouds on the horizon. Never seen a Serie C game on TV here probably never will - brutal.
Yes let’s hold out for the big clearance sales coming out of Italy later this summer. Buffon in goal at Ashburton Grove could only help us in the EPL that is if Abramovich doesn’t just go and buy everything in Italy.
Australia deserved what they got. That team is incapable of playing unless they are a goal down and playing with four strikers. How the hell is Marco Bresciano the most expensive australian footballer ever and a previous target for juventus? He is a pub player and it was his fault that Neill got exposed with Grosso running at him.
That’s my accumalator down the pan after one match.
As i said, watching this year’s World Cup is like watching the referee show. Once again they were the one who decided the outcome of a match. Check out Aussie’s late penalty concede by Lucas Neill. He was lying on the group, couldn’t get out of the way, the Italian player falled over, and it’s a penalty?! What did the ref expect Neill to do? Crawling out of the pitch?
Having said that, i think Italy deserved to go through. As they were down by one man in yet ANOTHER 10 V 11 match and Aussie did not take advantage of that despite spending the large part of the second half in the Italy end.
Italy now got 3 players sent off in 4 matches. Has it really been such a violent World Cup?
of the Buffon transfer rumor, just to remind u guys, it took Juventus 32 million GBP to get him from Parma. He’s not an old player, very much in his prime, guess how much Juventus would be asking for if the rumor is true?
The only chance is if Juve really found gulity of match-fixing, then they would probably sell him cheaper, but still would be a lot of money i suppose.
although i’d very much like to see the Toure brothers team up at Arsenal, the way things developing lately though is not pleasant. From what i’ve read, it seems Yaya Toure is trying to work his way out of his club and come to England.
During the Colegate, Vieira/Real Madrid incidents, we condemned them for not being LOYAL enough to the club’s clause. Same thing the other way around: if we are going to sign someone, i’d perfer those their clubs are willing to sell them.
The thing is: if those players are messing around with their current clubs in order to move to a bigger club. Chances is that they may do the same to us in the future.
As Kolo Toure commented on his brother’s situtation - “he still get a contract to fulfill with the Greece club”
I’m certainly not going to condemn a good player from wanting to leave Greece for England or Italy or Spain… the big time.
The club gets a damned good fee, why would they want to impede his progress in the sport?
Greece’s top division is NOT close to England.
Big surprise out of Germany today. An Italian player falls way too easily to win a foul/pk/card and they go on and win the game. Big shocker that you would see players diving when Italy plays. Can’t believe it.
The only problem with waiting for a fire sale is that it may not happen. Then what? Not only that, but Arsenal would be competing with every big club in Europe who would be lining up to buy players on the cheap.
This is a better world cup than 02?! How so? I have yet to see a game that had any flow to it, or any shock teams like Korea, Turkey and Senegal beating the big teams and advancing far into the tournament.
No, Greece is far from the big time, and obviously playing in England, Italy or Spain would be far more attractive, not to mention lucrative. But the bottom line is that if a player signs a contract, he should honor it and not try and force the club into moving him.
Amazing how the Italians are getting all the breaks this time around. Choosing a Spanish ref for this game doesn’t really make any sense. La Liga is just as rampant in terms of cheating as it is in Italy. I feel bad for the Aussies, who probably would have nicked it in extra time. This World Cup, although exciting, is starting to annoy me more than anything. Arsenal Mania had a good article about it called “The Ugly Game”. Couldn’t be more spot on.
What?
This happens EVERY day of the week.
So the player should not try to move to a big league and earn the most money he can?
No way.
They have a small window of opportunity … a few years of their career to make the most money they can. They should do whatever they can to maximize the opportunity.
Its a bit different if it were someone playing for Newcastle or Everton, and they wanted to play for United or Chelsea… but THAT happens as well. It happens ALL THE TIME, every day of the week.
Teams SELL off players, even if the player wants to stay. They do what is best for the club.
The player has to do what is best for himself.
Its a 2-way street.
So The Aussies… up a man for the entire 2nd half, and they can’t get it done, but thats who’s fault?
They might have played down a man until Thursday and the Aussies still wouldn’t have scored.
THEY BLEW IT. Up a man, and didn’t get it done. I don’t blame Italy at all. The ref made the call, every team in the tournament has divers.
in less than 6 weeks I cried twice. One after the CL and one for the poor game I saw yesterday. I am ashamed to be football (soccer) fan. The refs are fu*king everything in the WC.
I ashamed from my freinds here … I told them how cool is this game ( I still beleive so), but this WC come to be a shame, every game is colored with tons of cards.
I think Portugal-Holland game would have been fun if the ref knew how to control it. From the first 10 minutes, the ref could have put the game in his control, but he descided to blow gas on the fire …
I am sad that I dont get to see Holland play more. Maybe I am big fan of Holland, but mostly I am big fan of MVB. He seems to carry great ideas in his brain, trusting players and helping to rais stars.
I am not if he will quit coaching or will keep on. But I would like that the Dutch keep the faith on him and use this expereince to move on.
1. It made me treasure Arsenal’s style of football even more! Our passing game is more exciting to watch than most of the World Cup finalists, even Brazil IMO!
2. It made me feel so lucky being a Premiership fan! Fast pace, action pack, and at least we get to see 11 Vs 11 a proper game of football in a regular base!
Yeah, but there’s probably a clause in his contract that says if Juve gets relegated he can leave for peanuts. Surely all top players have this written into their contracts, because there is no way they will play in a lower league. And a team like Juve will comply, because they would never expect to get relegated.
The referee has a poor game, Materazzi didn’t deserve to get sent off either.
As for the pen, I thought Neill deliberately tried to get in his way after going down - it was very subtle, but the decision was 50/50. Neill hardly even complained, which, considering the circumstances must be an admission of guilt.
Don’t want to wish my life away but yes bring on August and the first Arsenal kick off. Club football is so much more than these internationals if your really into the game. I’m already proud to be Dutch and I don’t need football to prove anything about my cultural heritage.
I disagree, the World Cup is not being ruined by referees but by cheats. If players tried playing football then the game would have been completely different, why even put the referee in such a situation?
The foul on Ronaldo in the first few minutes was terrible. Are you saying let him off? If it was against Arsenal you would have gone f*cking apeshit. The match was bad tempered with bad fouls and persistent cheating every few minutes.
If the referee is dishing out yellow cards like confetti, then maybe it’s a good idea not to do anything stupid? Duh! These players are brainless.
They should get rid of these national anthems, what a load of crap. I cannot identify with such stupidity. Show me a player who is playing for their country and I’ll show you a liar - they are playing for their own personal glory.
The only exception is maybe teams for very poor countries, where they know something of the people’s hardship and the pleasure that they will get from winning, but then that’s more about the people than pride in the country - if the country was one to be proud of the people would not be poor and dying in droves from war and didease.
It is amazing to me how the refs can continue on this stupid rampage even with everyone in the world complaining about them.
And I am still shocked that these so called world class refs still fall for diving. It is the same teams that do it year in and year out. Italians, South Americans, Mexicans are pretty blatant with their diving. How is it that the whole rest of the world can spot this type of cheating but the refs who control the game are blind to it? Pathetic.
And I don’t mean to single out the countries/teams I just mentioned because everyone in the world does it now. It just is much more prevalent with them than other teams. I am still embarrassed by Arsenal’s first goal in the CL. A blatant dive by Eboue he should’ve have been yellow carded at the very least. Fifa continues to say that they instruct their refs to crack down on diving but I have seen no evidence of this at all.
They deserved to be in extra time tied 0-0 because a stupid ref fell for a dive yet again by an Italian player. Australia you could say should’ve done more with an advantage but they didn’t deserve to lose, especially on a dubious penalty like that.
I wonder why he went off. He may have fractionally lost Shevchenko on one set-piece but apart from that he was growing into the game. He didn’t appear to be limping. Oh well, can’t be bothered to watch that game anymore. I was really looking forward to seeing Djourou playing a full 90.
shibby, i think part of the blame may go to FIFA. FIFA used every World Cup to PROMOTE the game, and introduce new rule occassionally (like prevent tackle from behind many years ago).
As this year’s motto goes - MY GAME IS FAIR PLAY. Clearly they want to create a clean, fair sporting image of football.
I suspect they may have instructed the refs to go harsh on players who committed a foul, in order to live up with their MY GAME IS FAIR PLAY rubbish.
‘Cos otherwise, i can’t think of any reason why suddenly there have been so many yellow and red cards given by referees, and not just one single ref, many refs did the same.
Record shown the red and yellow card number already broken the all time World Cup Finals record, and we are just into the round of 16. Many of those refs (European) took charge of the CL matches as well, yet i don’t recall there were so many cards being shown. So if this is not FIFA’s instruction, i can’t think of any other reason.
I remember when they first introduced the tackle from behind rule (supposed to send off the player once he commit a foul like this) in a World Cup, it confused the referees big time. ‘Cos if they followed the rule book, then it would have been a disaster as a lot of players would get sent off. As a result, some refs followed the rule, some used their common sense and handed out a yellow card instead. And it caused a lot of inconsistent decisions from the refs.
I just don’t understand why FIFA like to use this biggest tournament of world football to introduce all those new rulings. And the new ball as well. Players take time to adapt to those new stuffs. Already we have seen two penalty shot flew straight into the stand. Did it has anything to do with the new, lighter version of the match ball?
World Cup is the most important event in world football, apart from the 32 finalists, most of the fans around the world have no particular team to support. All we want and the expectation is to watch a HIGH LEVEL of football play by supposingly the 32 best teams in the world. Yet we end up watching the 11 vs 10, or 9 vs 10 football match. With football playing in one half of the pitch.
Just because it happens doesn’t necessarily make it right. I agree, a player does have a small window of opportunity, but maybe that should be considered BEFORE signing a long term contract or agreeing to ply your trade in a backwater league.
I’ve seen more than a few dubious penalties given. (see the USA v. Ghana)
So I don’t want to hear it. They can cry somewhere else… had their chance up a man for the entire 2nd half.
Australia can only blame themselves.
Sorry.
I’ve been curious about the ball too Andez b/c a lot fo matches I’ve seen, even the World Class players have these just awful touches sometimes. I know as an American fan watching our 1st match against the Czechs, our play wa sbad enough as it was but even when we had the ball our touches were just amateurish.
But I’ve seen these dreadful touches with every team in the tournament. Also, a lot of passing doesn’t seem crisp or is more wayward than normal… but who knows?
And the other thing that gets me is if the refs are going to be forgiven for calling fouls so strict, ALSO CALL DIVING STRICTLY TOO. Maybe if we get a few matches ending in 8 v 7, 7 v 7 or forfeitig b/c of the ridiculous amount of cards maybe FIFA will have to go back on their ruling…
Although, at times I can’t agree about #2. Watching Chelse and Liverpool play in some games was painful. But overall, yeah I agree that the EPL is much better than La Liga or Seria A in terms of diving.
regarding your comment above about relegating the 4 Italian teams, I couldn’t agree more That way, like you said, I am hoping for a major end of season sale Buying players for 2-1, or buy one player, get the second player for half off
But from what I read only Juve might go down not AC. Would be better if both Juve and AC go down. Might open the league up more and give other teams more belief…
Ok here’s a question for anyone.
How do I defend the question I keep getting asked from non-soccer followers about why soccer players dive? I said some cheat but mostly the rest are fair. Then they argue that almost all teams they have seen in the last few weeks have players that dove (which I know is not true) but the problem is the few that dive keep making the headlines. Argh!
Thankfully at Arsenal, there are not too many who could be accused of going down a bit too easy. And even if a player tried to fake diving for Arsenal, I am sure Wenger will give him an earful, like he did with Eboue.
But when is the true Joga Bonito going to come out in the open?
They dive because they want to cheat and they know they can get away with it because FIFA and the refs are too stupid to open their eyes and realize that this type of behavior is ruining the game. This is why I can’t watch many other league besides the Premiership becuase you have to put up with constant diving/faking injuries. These players are babies. Everytime they go down they act as if they’ve been shot.
You can’t really defend what we see all too regularly. The ridiculous diving and falling over when barely touched… the play acting… its utterly ridiculous. They need more than one ref to monitor the crap that goes on… and if you play act, and roll around like you were shot, when you were barely touched, perhaps you should be suspended & fined.
Not sure how else you can change it. Its grown to epic proportions, and it borders on making the game farcical at times.
I think France takes it tomorrow 2-1. I see PV playing better than the last time he played against Cesc, who probably will start. TH gets one of the goals. This could be his last WC. Barthez needs to have a good game also.
I half agree with DannyT?s comments on this WC being ruined by cheaters and dumb lummoxes, not the referees.
I half agree because it could be said that all these cards are a further indication that the referee truly doesn’t have control of the match ? their not seen as authorities. Figo?s head but and his later play acting with his brush up against an elbow doesn?t excuse Robben or Kuyt from diving like they had just graduated from Van Nistelrooy Academy of Diving. The referees have been inconsistent, made way too many bad calls, been too harsh on simple infractions, and carried away by others. I cannot just dismiss their seemingly amateur calls as they?ve made some really stupid mistakes.
The other half of the argument makes as much sense. Many of these players are just overpaid athletic ?punters? anyway ? overdosed testosterone jock straps. Testosterone brings out the man in you. The arrogance of some players brings out the cheating. The funny notion of National Pride makes us think that somehow it matters to win at this sport. The cash helps relieve the player?s pain. Many of their egos are about as big as their paychecks. It disgusts me, not the paychecks but the cheating and all these players that think its part of this game to cheat. I hate it from the get go, and SacchineG I hate telling my dear very old mother that this is not the sport that her father taught me to love.
I loathe watching all this cheating and as Andez points out, it?s beginning to look you?re your watching the ?Ugly Game? not the other one we all first fell in love with. I hope Ghana vs. Brazil tomorrow shows us the beauty of this game.
DannyT, your spot on, if one of our Arsenal players was tackled like some of these two footed nasty tackles and all those cynical trips in this WC, we?d probably all be screaming for blood or a head on a stake.
Speaking of blood, ScottyUS did you contact that triggerman for Dan Smith yet? Let?s hope Diaby is well soon ? I think I made my point and it is not about ScottyUS.
I guess it is another way of looking at it.
Being a recent Ghana - Black Stars supporter, I hope this game gets a good Ref. and that Ronaldinho actually does something with the ball instead of bobbling it on his head.
They put two Refs on the pitch, one on each side. That way one could watch behind the play at all times. They have a third Ref monitoring the TV feeds to actually see what went on based on a decision by the third Ref they could hand out a yellow. Don’t like two Ref.s like me then just put the second Ref behind the TV.
Gerard…
I want to see Ronaldinho bobble the ball on his head, make a miraculous pass… try a crazy shot at goal… and then smile and laugh and enjoy the fact that he’s playing a game.
I think thats what people actually like about Brazil. They DO try to play the beautiful game, and for the most part, seem to ENJOY themselves when they are playing football.
Ronaldinho is a good face for the sport. Henry is another, but for different reasons. Henry can tackle racism tomorrow… if they beat Spain, and he plays well… he can “Stand Up and Speak Up” about Aragones and his idiotic commentary.
Ambassadors for the sport… Step UP tomorrow Mr.Henry and Ronaldinho.
I also think this entire Aragones issue might fire the French up to defeat Spain. I hope it does. Because Henry needs to brighten the world cup and what better place than in front of that @#*@# manager.
Henry needs to win this game and the World Cup. Not only that but he needs to be the reason that France wins this tournament. It will solidify his legacy.
The CL final against Barcelona was another chance he was given and to be fair I believe he was up for it. He was playing like a true champion earlier on but with 10 men it’s too hard.
Pele and Maradona were truly great players because they could win a game by themselves. Henry has that ability and just needs to produce the goods now. It would earn him that elusive Player of the Year award as well as mark him a true World footballing legend.
With Henry’s ability his name should be argued in the same breath as Pele and Maradona as who’s the greatest player ever. First he’s got to win something other than EPL titles. He’s got to be the best on the world stage. Pele won three world cups for crying out loud.
I can’t wait for the last game of the round of sixteen to get started, i just feel impatient, hopefully we don’t see much of the ref on this one because i really wanna enjoy this two teams take it to one another, i know they’re bringing all they got and plus it’s a couple of duels from last year’s CL in Vieira-Fabregas and Henry-Puyol.
You guys must know i’m with France in this tournament although it’s obvious they’re not really the best team, but this is football, right?, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to liking or disliking a team, except for certain EPL teams, although i’d rather watch Manure play any other EPL team than having to watch that Portugal game again.
I don’t see many predictions here in the comments….what 4 teams you think will make it to the semis, so far i think it’ll be Germany, England, Italy and i’d say France but they have to make it through tomorrow first.
So the only chances of the Cup not staying in Europe are Ghana, Brasil and Argentina, and one of the first 2 is going home tomorrow, that’s interesting, i wonder if there were any constant factors that influenced this, maybe climate, refereeing?, fan support, types of food, who knows?.
Well i just hope we all love the games tomorrow and will be able to come back here with positive comments and that type of joy that only this game brings us all gooners, except for gerrard in case his Black Stars lose in which case i’d expect him not to feel disappointed but to pick a new candidate…maybe France???.
Anyway as always hope for a big performance from Henry and maybe a goal or two…or three.
joshaud, i agree, in order for Henry to truely live up the the GREAT players list, he has to rise to big occassions like World Cup.
But IMO there was only TWO players who had the ability to singlehandly carry their team to victory in major tournament - Diego Maradona and Michel Platini.
NOT PELE. Brazil’s first World Cup win back in the 50s, with our without Pele, they would still have won it. They were blessed with a lot of super talents. In 1962 World Cup Brazil’s victory, Pele hardly involved neither. And in the 1970 World Cup, Brazil had the greatest team in World Cup history, they would still have won it without Pele.
Maradona, on the other hand, led an average Argentina side to World Cup 1986 glory. Without him, Argentina didn’t stand a prayer.
Michel Platini, as a midfielder, scored an unbelievable 9 goals in France’s EURO 1984 victory.
I have never seen any other player had that kind of impact to their teams than the pair.
Henry right now is in an average France side. If offers him a great opportunity to show what he really got. He surely got the ability, but i’m not sure if he has the nerve and gut to rise to occassion when things matter most.
talking about stars, World Cup has always been a occassions to see the birth of a true superstar.
Since i started watching, i saw Maradona officially became the world’s greatest player in 1986, Baggio made his name in World Cup 90, Romario ruled in World Cup 94, and an emerging star named Michael Owen shone in 1998, Ronaldo proved the whole world wrong in 2002….
So who is or will be the star of World Cup 2006? We have seen some good performance from some individual player, yet none of them has really lit up the tournament have them?
The best guess should be on Ronaldinho, Henry or Rooney. So far they have been below par. Hopefully someone will step up during the remaining games. Otherwise we may go on and remember World Cup 2006 as a World Cup of Red Cards!
The card happy refs aren’t punishing diving, but they’re killing the contests in every other way so its become the predominant strategy in this Cup. F*cking lame.
Btw, you’re doing pretty well as of yesterday in the WC fantasy thing. Good job.
Well Henry already has a World Cup winners medal to go with his Euor Championship medal. If you want him to win the WC on his own, you’d better get Domenech on the phone, because just like for Pele and Maradona the team has to be set up to play around them.
The ref is the manager of the game for 90 minutes. He can make the game heated with punches or force it to be calm and cool. There are 23 human beings on the fld with some other 23 human sitting on the line … human have emmotions and it can be controlled.
I was once thrown out of game that I was coaching cause I told the ref that my 12 years player did not dive and he does not deserve a yellow. I said it so politly ..but the ref took it as an insult and threw me out of the state cup semi .. well guess what the game was a fight after this, The ref handed bunch of 12 years yellow cards (several) AND a red. For the whole season i saw one yellow card in this level.
So simply the ref can control emotions. Simply if the ref went to Figo and to Khalid B and told them to stop kicking around so the game will go on normally ..or I will kick both of you out and the yellow cards for both were ok. In other words he should be the peace maker rather than the war maker. Then Ronaldo is not injured and he is such a girl.
Andez, Maradona may have carried the team but in my opinion he was the father of modern cheating in the game and sets a poor example for the sport. His “hand of god” goal was more like a “hand job” of a whore. I guess either way you cum but I’d rather have some love with my sex.
The best thing of that Brazil // Ghana game is that is was played with good sportsmanship between the both sides. No diving or cheating. Just a good clean game with both sides showing respect to each other. Okay, it wasn’t as exciting as the Arg. // Mex. game but it was refreshing.
You know why Brazil doesn’t generally resort to cheating, because they don’t have to. You gotta respect that of them unlike so many of the other cheating sides, yes including my beloved.
Now that the Black Stars are out, I’ll have to cheer for the next underdog which in my humble opinion is England.
As for France later, I hope the Spaniards have already been to the pool this morning, so as not to be tempted to dive during the game. I’d love to see Henry wipe the smirk off the Spain coach and go on to show the world what a great player he truly is in this WC. In the end though, he has nothing to prove to me - I already know his quailty.
My problem is I lived in Paris in the seventies and I still have hangups about the French. Ironically, I owe my career to the Germans, speak fluent German, but at this household the slogan is “Anybody but the Germans” even though I love Germany.
Yes he is. My problem arose when I started picking with my heart instead of my mind. Damn that’s got me in trouble before. You’d think I’d of learned by now.
Rubenesque Ronaldo, has just set the record for most goals in the history of the Cup, which might give him the edge in terms of stars. Not exciting but certainly efficient.
and there was any game in 02 with any kind of flow ??????
i like it when underdog teams that are strong advance!….not weak hopeless teams like Turkey, Senegal (who didnt even qualify this time) and Korea (out in first round) fluking it out and going far………while the quality sides are out…….
I don’t agree that Brasil won this easily. Ghana played really well, but they did not finish their chances. Also Brasil’s second goal was a clear offside.
I think that they will find it hard in the quarters if they play against Spain.
Many players may have played better in the pre-World Cup friendlies or Finals group stage matches, yet in their last two matches, Patrick Vieira scored two crucial goals along with two vital assists to send France into the final 8. As I said before, Paddy is a big game player, who rises to occassion when things matter most. And that’s what it really matters.
And it’s great to see Spanish out of the World Cup. If you hate cheaters and divers, look no further than Spain. Particular that guy F.Torres. He could have won Spain a second penalty in the first half, and got Vieira sent off in the second half with his master play-acting act.
Let’s face it, a lot of players today try to cheat from time to time. Yet most of them at least have the dignity to just get up straight away when their cheating attempts failed. The Spanish, on the other hand, always falled to the group like being hit by a bullet. It is disgusting to watch.
Heard that FIFA finally told the refs to clam down on the cards. And i think the ref today did a good job. at least he didn’t fall for the Spanish’s cheating act.
Great gane to watch. Just very disappointed in Henry’s fake hit to the face which set up the winning goal. Henry initiated the contact and the referee got it wrong. He may be our captain, but I have lost a little respect for him because of this.
I LOVE THIS WORLD CUP (the refs aside)….
now, if only holland or ivory coast was there in place of ukraine and you’re looking at a dream QF fixture lineup!!
as it is no one can convincely call any of these games…..any could go either way! absolutely brilliant!
You can talk about the Spanish but Henry did himself no favours by pretending to be caught on the face just before Vieira’s goal. That will haunt him I am sure.
Yep, Vieira has really stepped it up in the last two matches and deserves credit. The sort of set-up is made for him, one-off matches in a knockout format with unique circumstances. Not the hum-drum of league football and annual champions league disappointment.
I was always confident France would beat Spain. Believed Spain’s attack was hugely overrated and would be snuffed out by the defensive quality France possess. France are a very physically imposing side, even at their worst, and when they find their fluency it is a pretty potent combination.
France are in the quarter-finals, the team I support. Henry had a silent game, but that doesn’t matter, when France won.
Now I must say that I’m disappointed with Thierry’s act. He was hit in the chest by Puyol, and he acted like he was hit in the face, just Puyol to be sent off. I thought that Henry is a sportsmanship person, but after today, I don’t know…
Although, I don’t want to say this, but “stag133, you was right about PV4 all the time”. He has a great World Cup, with 2 goals and 2 assists. Great pass to Ribery(he is starting to show his value after the slow start of the tournament) for the first goal, and a nice header, witch he would have missed, if the ball didn’t hit Ramos. But that doesn’t mean that we should bring him back.
Mazza, as i said, a lot of players today did dive and cheat. Yet most of them did have the dignity to get up straight away. I have lost hope to stop the diving/cheating act, how u gonna prevent it? What i hate is those players who act like si$$y pu$$y and lie on the groud rolling around like a baby.
Very quiet day for Henry.
He didn’t play well…
but as all the world saw…
PATRICK VIEIRA stepped up, in the clutch and LED his team to victory. He was the LEADER today.
He set up one, scored the WINNER… and he and Makelele controlled the midfield.
Cesc was anonymous. The old leader was in charge today… leading his team to a famous victory.
All you Vieira bashers TAKE NOTE… the king is dead, long live the king… Vieira is a CHAMPION.
Champions rise to the occasion…
Next up BRAZIL. I think they can take them out too.
And exactly which underdog has advanced very far? In 2002, Turkey finished 3rd, Korea 4th and Sengal made the quarterfinals while Argentina and France crashed out of the first round. I wouldn’t exactly call that weak or flukey. Besides, if a team is really strong, then they aren’t really much of an underdog.
still think it was a foul, puyols fault. henry wasnt goin anywhere. but henry made a complete meal of it, i think has lots to do with the bad blood of the CL final, he probably wanted to get puyol sent off. I am sure this will cause him to lose some of his shine as the games greatest ambassador…was suprised myself.
cesc was hardly quiet, he was the centre of all things good from spain. thts y their coach took of xavi and cesc, dont be blind and slate cesc. Agreed viera had a great game, but even today you could see he is no longer the box to box type player. NO lung busting runs no leg crunching tackles, but yes great game from him and makele to control mid field.
Xabi alonso isnt rubbish either he is an amazing player give him space and he can spray around passes like no one else. His long range passing is unbelievable
Vieira played well today. He was perfectly positioned to score the game winning goal and smashed it in when he had the chance. It was good to see the old Paddy. I am a bit disappointed with Henry’s acting - I always thought he was above that. When he got the foul that led to the free kick I thought that it would be a shame if a goal came out of that.
hahaha….well, in ‘74 i was not born and in ‘82…too young………so i won’t comment on those teams….
but i would think the gap between the big and small teams those days would be far greater as most of the zaireans and the el salvadorians would probably have been playing in their own local league rather than in europe….
while most of togo’s squad play in europe…albeit in lower leagues……
frankly i just hate the attitude the togo players came with….stupid, selfish and undisciplined….
Yeah but his passing rarely hurts you. Too many horizontals and not enough verticals. He also does not make enough runs through the middle and does not possess the defensive capability to justify a role as the holding midfielder.
agreed his is the kinda passing tht is more suited for quick counter attacks , breaking up opposition moves and launching the ball forward qucikly… not really the kinda passing for slow attacks thru centre (ala say cesc or deco or riquelme). probably not mean enough of a tackle…but still think hes a top top player
France played well, and Vieira proved he’s not quite finished yet - although he’ll never really be the player we saw at Arsenal again.
I was very disappointed with Spain, I thought it was a poor game. Henry did not play well, Zidane scored a great goal but does still not look anything like the old Zidane. Spain did they always do, bottled it when the going got tough - maybe they have too many young key players - experience won in the end.
As for Henry’s dive, not nice, no. But I think he wanted revenge on Puyolf for kicking him all over the picth and the Champions League final. Not an excuse, but an explanation perhaps.
I think Brazil will beat France, but then I thought Spain would beat them too. There’s no doubt France have improved as a team, slowly but surely - but after the embarrassing two opening games, they couldn’t have been much worse.
Still rather have Fabregas than Vieira. Fabregas is the future, Vieira the past. One is showing flashes of what he will be, the other is showing flashes of what he once was.
Henry’s ego has been getting the better of him lately. Have you noticed that everytime he miscontrols the ball he blames his studs, or the pitch, or the passer?
He has earned most of his plaudits, but it’s not good to see a nice guy turn into something less nice because he believes too much of the hype. I am sure this is why he didn’t want to go to Barcelona, he’d rather be the main man at Arsenal and get 100% of the attention 100% of the time. Not that I care, as long as he keeps doing the business.
“Still rather have Fabregas than Vieira. Fabregas is the future, Vieira the past. One is showing flashes of what he will be, the other is showing flashes of what he once was.”
Totally agree on the fab vs viera part
and viera no longer has the legs to run box to box and make crunching tackles anymore, he left tht part to makele. He fancies himself purely as an attacker now (which he is still good at), but fab is a different league when it comes to vision.
What is good for the goose pate is also good for the roasted gander. Henry gets bumped in the chest and holds his face in embellishment. Tisk, tisk shame on you Henry. Maybe he’ll see after watching the game again that this isn’t the way to go. I almost wish he was carded to dissuade him from doing it again.
Henry deserves the benefit of the doubt, because his history is pretty unblemished in this respect. He doesn’t dive every single week like Van Nistelrooy, Drogba. Robben or Deco.
He clearly dislikes Puyol as an indiviual, and when Puyol took him out he thought,”f*ck him for that, I’m gonna cheat”.
I’ve been reading of a transfer rumour the would bring Kuyt to Ashburton Grove.
Someone please tell me this is not true.
Even though my blood runs oranje, I don’t think the team needs yet another player who can’t finish. Kuyt in the WC was an embarrassment and didn’t amount to anything. With Reyes not scoring and RVP not getting goals in the big games (yet) I personally don’t think he’d serve the needs of this team after Pires has gone.
Then again Wenger knows - I just hope he’s right if he comes to the EPL.
I’m willing to give Henry the benefit of the doubt on this one. He’s the type who fights through fouls and keeps on going. I just wish he could have been a little less obvious about it, you know, maybe grab his chest instead of his head.
Agree, that chance he had at the end of the portugal game was wasted by his nothing shot.. He does put his head in where it hurts, which is good, but I think we need more than that.
cant see myself giving him the benefit of the doubt
being an out and out henry supporter, got a very tough time from my arsenal and henry hating (yes ppl can be tht stupid!) friends.
and even i thkn he wanted revenge on puyol but that doesnt excuse his behaviour.
also think henry had a shocker…not much of service i guess and he doesnt like playing alone. and tht nut domenech is gonna think this was the right way to go just coz they won..and we’ll prob see more of the same vs brazil.
I don’t see Wenger buying a striker to be honest, he has Adebayor, Henry and Van Persie, if he buys another then someone will not be even getting on the bench - and won’t be very happy about it either. Since when has Wenger crowded any particular position? He never has enough players, and Arsenal always pays for that when there’s a bad run of injuries.
think its nothing but crap his agent prob trying to get him noticed. last strong rumor i heard abt him was to pool….think of it cisse, morientes, crouch, fowler and kuyt….wow vot a golden quartet! he wud fit in perfectly
why are we even being linked with strikers unless vanP, reyes or ade is leaving, even then we have ali, lupoli and brednter. wud much rather see DM and CB and RW (anyone seen quaresma of porto?)
The novelty of underdogs exceeding expectation wore off a long time ago for me. Look at Switzerland/Ukraine match, it was like watching barnsley versus colchester.
While the underdogs add a bit of spice, you want to see the big teams and the big players square off against eachother. What would prefer to watch, France versus Spain or Spain versus Togo? No contest for me. The whole match would be Spain just dominating and Togo trying to nick something on the break. By knockout stage you wanna a proper quarter-final or semi-final, not a glorified group game.
The luck enjoyed by South Korea four years ago was unreal, with dodgy sending offs and offside goals going for them.
Yeah, Quaresma is something extraordinary. When he signed for Barca, I read that Wenger tried to sign him and I was really pissed off that we didn’t manage to get him. Then he had a great friendly tournament in the USA, ripping apart the whole Milan defence with his great dribbling skills. At that time I thought that one day he would became the Best Player in the World, he was that good I can tell you. And then when the season started he didn’t get much chances to prove himself, almost every appearence was from the bench. The next season Barca signed Giuly and sent Quaresma to Porto, and I must say that I rate Quaresma above Giuly. This season he was one of the best players in the Portuegese league, if not the best, and I really don’t know why Scolari didn’t take him to Germany. Yes, Portugal already have great wingers in Ronaldo, Figo and Simao, but I think that Quaresma is better than Boa Morte and should have gone to the World Cup.
But, now we don’t need RW. We have Hleb and Freddie there, maybe LW, because we are only with Reyes on the left flank. Maybe Rosicky will play there but he will not fulfill his potential in that position, his best position is a central attacking midfielder.
Yeah, I have to agree to a point - watching Togo play in the knockout phase would be too painful to bear. There is a fine line between a true underdog that got lucky and made it through and an under rated football team. In 2002, Korea got extremely lucky. Senegal and Turkey on the other hand, weren’t afraid to play with anyone. Senegal beat France and Turkey gave Brazil all they wanted.
Haunt him?
Are you serious…?
No way. He might look back and think it was silly and not right, but it will hardly haunt the man. He never dives… out of character.
Vieira was the man. He bossed the midfield. His team is on to the next round. Cesc did nothing. His team is watching.
Don’t care about who is old, who is young, who you’d rather have…. really don’t care what DonkeyDanny has to say…
France WON. Vieira ruled. Scored the WINNER again… the whole world saw it.
You can say whatever you want, but it doesn’t change the facts.
I didn’t say France WOULD win, but they definitely CAN win on Saturday. No reason they can’t.
Game is won in midfield. With Vieira playing like this, they can control the midfield… Makelele as the shield… Henry with another chance to excel.
I like their chances.
Sorry Gerard, I know you are feeling the pain of Holland’s defeat… but no drugs for me. I just see a team on the RISE. Playing better in each match as they go along. I don’t see that bloated Ronaldo beating the French defense…
Watched the match… enjoyed it immensely. You can’t take away the facts. France and Vieira, big win… just give the credit where its due.
Not to worry Stag133 I won’t miss the match and I can assure you that I also won’t be cat calling back I told you so, okay maybe just a little bit.
Brazil already has their named engraved on this cup and after six cups maybe they should give this one to them and get another artist to design a new one.
Oh yeah, sugar coated would make it like kids medicine.
I was thinking of something more serious.
I do feel the pain of Hollands loss but it’s a little more like anger that the squad looked like sh*t against Portugal, even though they held the score to 0-1. Our historical striking soccer just wasn’t there and I could see Kruyf cringing in the stands every time the squad went forward. It just didn’t seem like a team with Van Basten in it.
I know few people have talked about Henry’s fall already. But I remember this quote by him after the CL loss:
‘Maybe next time I’ll learn how to dive. I expect the referee to do his job but I don’t think he did.’
I don’t feel sorry for Puyol. He got away with a lot with Barca in that CL final but today justice came back in a strange way. It was a foul but I saw Henry do what he has never done. Probably frustration on his part. In the past, he has been known to speak his mind even to his team-mates when things go wrong, but I have a feeling he had enough of Puyol and certain Spanish players who get away with plenty (Villareal).
Shame that in order to win, a fair person has to resort to the tactics of the unfair opponent but such is the malice in the modern game. Hopefully, this is the one and last time he has to resort to this.
6 past World Cup winners in the Quarter finals, and 6 European teams, with the top 2 teams from South America. On paper, that is a mouth-watering line up. Just hope the games have goals and good futbol, especially Italy-Ukraine and England-Portugal!
The French coach really has no clue. When I saw the lineup and saw Henry was alone, I figured, France are going to lose because Henry can’t do much alone. But they got through — all 3 goals from midfield.
I agree with your comments about Henry and Puyol. In fact, I don’t think Henry would have acted like that it was some other player who fouled him
Thanks. I got lucky with some of my picks You are not that far behind though. The quarter finals picks are going to be tricky for 2-3 games and a lot of points could change things
It was a night for revenge, wasn’t it? Vieira on Fabregas and Henry on Puyol. There is little doubt in my mind that Henry made a meal out of Puyol’s challenge. But after the CL final, can you blame him? I just hope he doesn’t do it again for Arsenal. Vieira had a great game. He made France tick. I don’t mind him playing well for France as long as Henry and Cesc play well for Arsenal.
I don’t support France. But the way people are discrediting their wins by saying that Togo was the worst team and Spain are serial underachievers reminds me of the way people didn’t give enough credit to Arsenal by saying that Real and Juve were past it. They produced the goods when it mattered. In the knockout games, it’s all about winning. France and Portugal have done it. So have England, Italy and Brazil (despite not playing well). Holland and Spain have not (sigh).
By the way, on Arsenal.com, Lehmann is 3rd in the player of the season poll. That’s quite sad. I am pretty sure Henry will top it again. I think Lehmann deserved better.
I think the coverage of this henry playacting shows exactly how rare it is, in fact I can’t think of another occassion when the great man has done that…and it was hardly roll around the ground stuff, it was not worse than Figo the other day.
Puyol made no attempt to go for the ball, ran right across Henry and his elbow did catch him in the chest, it was definitely a free kick and yellow card. That Henry held his face just showed that he’s learnt how to play against Puyol since being mugged by him and Marquez in the CL final.
For your viewing pleasure…(I suspect these 2 don’t like each other much)
I agree that Vieira was man of the match (even though half the idiot pundits in the uk reckon it was Zidane - who doesn’t pass perfectly any more, how many times were teammates stretching to reach his pass and how much does he slow it all down). Vieira did nothing except stand next to Makalele until Spain scored and then he discovered his legs and started running and drving the team forward. France need a few more games like that out of him.
Can’t agree with assessment of Cesc, he did exactly what was asked of him and he did it well - to be the shining light of the spanish midfield is not bad. At times some of the spanish passing was brilliant, just lacking a cutting edge (as usual). If Spain had found that cutting edge, we’d all be raving at their masterly possession football (63%) and how good Fabregas was - it’s not his fault that Raul is sh!te (how did he get 4 appearances and Reyes none?), Xavi worried about getting hurt and Torres one of the most overrated players in world football.
Vieira, 30, excellent performance.
Cesc, 19, good performance.
fifa is completely to blame for the refeering debacle.why in the world do they deemed it necessary to introduce new rules for the world cup is beyond me.why not introduce it during the season so that referee can get use to it. the wc referees are under so much pressure now that most of them are terrified of taking a decission. and then that **AYE CARUMBA**(censored) blatter has the gall to critisize them. having said that i would like to see some of the new rules applied to the premiership who is simply getting too physical. ootball is a contact sport i accept but it is also supposed to be the beautiful game.
I agree. I believe the refs were following FIFA’s instruction at the first place. Players, coaches, media and fans have every right to complain about the refs, but not the chief of FIFA - Sepp Blatter.
To me, he’s such a show man. We always read his comments on the papers, of this and that, lot of them had nothing to do with him or FIFA. Like years’ ago the Man U/Arsenal crash; and lately Chelsea’s spending power. He came out and say it’s not right for a team to spend so much. Yet as the chief of FIFA, if u think it’s wrong, why don’t u just DO something? What’s the point and coming out to tell the world something we already known? Since FIFA has not done anything to stop a club trying to buy title and play the monopoly of the transfer market, it’s better off just keep his mouth shut.
He said it after the CL final game against Barcelona that maybe I should just fall down more, like Puyol or like a woman. He just gave Puyol some of his own medicine and luckily it lead to a goal. Ironic, isn’t it?
Did you see the look on Henry’s face when he collided with Puyol and Puyol went down in agony, like he’s been shot? I knew then that there would be more.
I agree the cards are affecting the games, but soon all of the yellows will come into play and the semis and final itself will be short of some of the stars of the games, due to bad decisions.
That said the players should not dive and cheat so much.
Diving, rolling around, shirt pulling are getting worse.
the thing that gets me is set pieces where defenders block, tug and push strikers to stop them reaching the ball. The refs need to stop this at once.
FIFA should not have said it was bothered by elbowing but by play acting and diving.
They’ve done more than 24 other teams have.
That is all that matters.
Its pretty simple.
The object is to advance… like Arsenal in the CL.
They don’t choose their opponents, they just beat them.
England… advanced. Got it done.
Ukraine… advanced. Got it done.
June 26th, 2006 at 9:56 am
hey mazza,
see how holland resorted to the same kind of “brainless” shots from far u were accusing ghana of ….
thinking about it v. bommel, sneijder and cocu arent as creative as would have been thought….they are just strong, they cant supply their frontline for love or money…
im quite dissappointed about how they went out though…..was betting on them.
all in all … GREAT WORLD CUP !!! definitely puts japan/south korea 02 to shame!
June 26th, 2006 at 10:30 am
What?s good boys? I?ve a theory about the match today between Italy and Australia.
Obviously the Italians are a bigger side with a more notable football pedigree. What the Italians also have is the history of allowing teams that want to win bad enough the opportunity to eliminate them from competitions late in the game.
Two years ago, Italy allowed Sweden the chance to advance in the European championship when they should have been eliminated. Ibrahimovic scored with an audacious flick over Vieri?s head LATE IN THE GAME to secure the points for his country.
Four years ago it was South Korea who equalized to put the game into extra time with an equalizer LATE IN THE GAME which Ahn was able to win the match for his country.
Six years ago in the European Final, the Italians led the French when they allowed Wiltord and Trezequet to win the match for France LATE IN THE GAME. (That was also the catalyst for Wiltord and Pires coming to Arsenal.)
In ‘98 I can?t remember why but I?m sure Italy was eliminated the same way, LATE IN THE GAME that they should have won. So, I see this match ending one of 2 ways, Italy embarrassing the Ausies or Australia winning late.
Problem is that I can?t recall anyone embarrassing the Australians in any sport. It just doesn?t happen. Be it football, rugby, boxing, cricket, in the Olympics they always come to fight. You name it and the Ausies always give a good account of themselves and represent their country well.
I had hoped that the US would be able to exploit the Italians but we simply weren?t fit enough. It didn?t help that the US were relying on Donovan to provide offensive inspiration as he?s yet to recover from his Leverkusen failures being totally exposed as a wimp with no heart. He needs to take his punk-ass to to see the Wizard ofOz to get some heart. What a fuckin? yummie.
June 26th, 2006 at 10:53 am
Kahn has spoken out about being dropped for a player who is in better form than him for the World Cup. He seems to think there should be some dumb-ass loyalty when he’s been crap this season. He says that though Lehmann is in better form than him he should still be the number one.
Boys, that’s got to be the dumbest thing I’ve heard all year. Come on, Ollie, it ain’t “rocket-surgery”? What a LOSER!
June 26th, 2006 at 11:08 am
I kind of agree with Fred and his comments on the long shots by Holland yesterday.
It’s good to take the occasional distance shot to see if the keeper is awake, but the shot has to be on target. V. Bommel’s shots weren?t as they missed by a country mile, thus pointless attempts. It worked for R. Koeman in the 1980?s but his were on target.
As for supplying the Dutch frontline, it seemed like a Sisyphusean task anyway as Kuyt just didn’t have it yesterday, steering every shot right at the keeper. Why he was still in the game at 70 min. is beyond me. Every V. Persie cross from the right channel to the left was met by ? nobody. At Arsenal, those crosses would have been met by someone and probably resulted on a shot on goal. Holland played poorly; to my great regret as I was also, ?betting? (picked) them. That said, Portugal didn?t look much better but they prevailed and won.
After that match, I was reminded why I prefer club football to these internationals but yes, it?s been a good World Cup.
As for me, I generally support the underdog when my team goes out so I?m cheering for England, no Ghana to win the Cup. This would wake up a few of us arrogant European nations and be a great achievement leading up to South Africa in 2010.
Go you Black Stars!!!! Would that make them ?black holes? as a black star gives off no light? Who gives a sh*t, go you Black Stars. It?s just a crying shame their kit isn?t orange as I have lotsa of that at the moment.
June 26th, 2006 at 11:11 am
Take another look at him, Kahn that is. He’s a character from a Marry Shelly story. Obviously one of his neck screws is loosened.
June 26th, 2006 at 11:31 am
Gerard… sorry your beloved Oranje failed to deliver yesterday.
You know the referee has had a good match when you don’t notice him. That hasn’t happened much in this World Cup.
Vive le France… and Thierry Henry.
I hope he stuffs it down Aragones racist bastard throat…
I’d LOVE to see Ghana shock Brazil as well… just can’t see that occuring.
Can’t see Italy losing to Austrailia today…
LOTS of good gossip running around though…
Yaya… yes yes!!!
Buffon!??!?
Treblesi??!?!
If Juventus get relegated… there will be a massive fire sale… I say we wait for the fire sale!!!
That way we can get Paddy back for a song!!!
I say relegate ALL 4 of the teams …
If Juventus is most guilty, send them to SERIE C, and the others to SERIE B.
If there is any doubt at all about the integrity of the game… there is no game. The reason we watch sports, is because we believe its on the up and up… that the outcome is not decided, that its unfolding before our eyes.
Anything else is like watching WRESTLING.
June 26th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
The absolutely BRUTAL refereeing continues in today’s Italy / Australia match-up.
June 26th, 2006 at 12:37 pm
Thanks Stag133. Maybe in this short life I’ve been given, I’ll still live to see Holland raise the cup. Fortunately, I seen Arsenal lift a few so I’ve nothing to cry about.
Who would of ever thought that Italian style politics would have ever creep into the beautiful game. I’m just glad I’m not a Juve supporter living in North America with these dark clouds on the horizon. Never seen a Serie C game on TV here probably never will - brutal.
Yes let’s hold out for the big clearance sales coming out of Italy later this summer. Buffon in goal at Ashburton Grove could only help us in the EPL that is if Abramovich doesn’t just go and buy everything in Italy.
June 26th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
That last penalty was particularly brutal and maybe not exactly a good call.
June 26th, 2006 at 12:55 pm
Why did Neil go to ground? Why does anybody go to ground when you don’t need to? Stay on your feet! What a freaking clown!
June 26th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Australia deserved what they got. That team is incapable of playing unless they are a goal down and playing with four strikers. How the hell is Marco Bresciano the most expensive australian footballer ever and a previous target for juventus? He is a pub player and it was his fault that Neill got exposed with Grosso running at him.
That’s my accumalator down the pan after one match.
June 26th, 2006 at 1:02 pm
Fair enough.
It’s been a great world cup but it’s gradually getting worse, with teams playing more cautiously.
June 26th, 2006 at 1:05 pm
As i said, watching this year’s World Cup is like watching the referee show. Once again they were the one who decided the outcome of a match. Check out Aussie’s late penalty concede by Lucas Neill. He was lying on the group, couldn’t get out of the way, the Italian player falled over, and it’s a penalty?! What did the ref expect Neill to do? Crawling out of the pitch?
Having said that, i think Italy deserved to go through. As they were down by one man in yet ANOTHER 10 V 11 match and Aussie did not take advantage of that despite spending the large part of the second half in the Italy end.
Italy now got 3 players sent off in 4 matches. Has it really been such a violent World Cup?
June 26th, 2006 at 1:08 pm
of the Buffon transfer rumor, just to remind u guys, it took Juventus 32 million GBP to get him from Parma. He’s not an old player, very much in his prime, guess how much Juventus would be asking for if the rumor is true?
The only chance is if Juve really found gulity of match-fixing, then they would probably sell him cheaper, but still would be a lot of money i suppose.
June 26th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
although i’d very much like to see the Toure brothers team up at Arsenal, the way things developing lately though is not pleasant. From what i’ve read, it seems Yaya Toure is trying to work his way out of his club and come to England.
During the Colegate, Vieira/Real Madrid incidents, we condemned them for not being LOYAL enough to the club’s clause. Same thing the other way around: if we are going to sign someone, i’d perfer those their clubs are willing to sell them.
The thing is: if those players are messing around with their current clubs in order to move to a bigger club. Chances is that they may do the same to us in the future.
As Kolo Toure commented on his brother’s situtation - “he still get a contract to fulfill with the Greece club”
June 26th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
I’m certainly not going to condemn a good player from wanting to leave Greece for England or Italy or Spain… the big time.
The club gets a damned good fee, why would they want to impede his progress in the sport?
Greece’s top division is NOT close to England.
June 26th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
Big surprise out of Germany today. An Italian player falls way too easily to win a foul/pk/card and they go on and win the game. Big shocker that you would see players diving when Italy plays. Can’t believe it.
June 26th, 2006 at 1:40 pm
The only problem with waiting for a fire sale is that it may not happen. Then what? Not only that, but Arsenal would be competing with every big club in Europe who would be lining up to buy players on the cheap.
June 26th, 2006 at 1:43 pm
This is a better world cup than 02?! How so? I have yet to see a game that had any flow to it, or any shock teams like Korea, Turkey and Senegal beating the big teams and advancing far into the tournament.
June 26th, 2006 at 1:46 pm
No, Greece is far from the big time, and obviously playing in England, Italy or Spain would be far more attractive, not to mention lucrative. But the bottom line is that if a player signs a contract, he should honor it and not try and force the club into moving him.
June 26th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
Amazing how the Italians are getting all the breaks this time around. Choosing a Spanish ref for this game doesn’t really make any sense. La Liga is just as rampant in terms of cheating as it is in Italy. I feel bad for the Aussies, who probably would have nicked it in extra time. This World Cup, although exciting, is starting to annoy me more than anything. Arsenal Mania had a good article about it called “The Ugly Game”. Couldn’t be more spot on.
June 26th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
What?
This happens EVERY day of the week.
So the player should not try to move to a big league and earn the most money he can?
No way.
They have a small window of opportunity … a few years of their career to make the most money they can. They should do whatever they can to maximize the opportunity.
Its a bit different if it were someone playing for Newcastle or Everton, and they wanted to play for United or Chelsea… but THAT happens as well. It happens ALL THE TIME, every day of the week.
Teams SELL off players, even if the player wants to stay. They do what is best for the club.
The player has to do what is best for himself.
Its a 2-way street.
June 26th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
So The Aussies… up a man for the entire 2nd half, and they can’t get it done, but thats who’s fault?
They might have played down a man until Thursday and the Aussies still wouldn’t have scored.
THEY BLEW IT. Up a man, and didn’t get it done. I don’t blame Italy at all. The ref made the call, every team in the tournament has divers.
Australia deserved NOTHING. They blew it.
June 26th, 2006 at 2:17 pm
in less than 6 weeks I cried twice. One after the CL and one for the poor game I saw yesterday. I am ashamed to be football (soccer) fan. The refs are fu*king everything in the WC.
I ashamed from my freinds here … I told them how cool is this game ( I still beleive so), but this WC come to be a shame, every game is colored with tons of cards.
I think Portugal-Holland game would have been fun if the ref knew how to control it. From the first 10 minutes, the ref could have put the game in his control, but he descided to blow gas on the fire …
I am sad that I dont get to see Holland play more. Maybe I am big fan of Holland, but mostly I am big fan of MVB. He seems to carry great ideas in his brain, trusting players and helping to rais stars.
I am not if he will quit coaching or will keep on. But I would like that the Dutch keep the faith on him and use this expereince to move on.
June 26th, 2006 at 2:37 pm
The bright side is:
1. It made me treasure Arsenal’s style of football even more! Our passing game is more exciting to watch than most of the World Cup finalists, even Brazil IMO!
2. It made me feel so lucky being a Premiership fan! Fast pace, action pack, and at least we get to see 11 Vs 11 a proper game of football in a regular base!
June 26th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
Yeah, but there’s probably a clause in his contract that says if Juve gets relegated he can leave for peanuts. Surely all top players have this written into their contracts, because there is no way they will play in a lower league. And a team like Juve will comply, because they would never expect to get relegated.
June 26th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
I’m still crying and probably will until August and the first Arsenal kick off. Then it will all go away for another four years (thank goodness).
June 26th, 2006 at 2:54 pm
The referee has a poor game, Materazzi didn’t deserve to get sent off either.
As for the pen, I thought Neill deliberately tried to get in his way after going down - it was very subtle, but the decision was 50/50. Neill hardly even complained, which, considering the circumstances must be an admission of guilt.
June 26th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
Don’t want to wish my life away but yes bring on August and the first Arsenal kick off. Club football is so much more than these internationals if your really into the game. I’m already proud to be Dutch and I don’t need football to prove anything about my cultural heritage.
Good luck Switzerland and Ghana.
June 26th, 2006 at 2:59 pm
You cried about that?!?
I disagree, the World Cup is not being ruined by referees but by cheats. If players tried playing football then the game would have been completely different, why even put the referee in such a situation?
The foul on Ronaldo in the first few minutes was terrible. Are you saying let him off? If it was against Arsenal you would have gone f*cking apeshit. The match was bad tempered with bad fouls and persistent cheating every few minutes.
If the referee is dishing out yellow cards like confetti, then maybe it’s a good idea not to do anything stupid? Duh! These players are brainless.
June 26th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
They should get rid of these national anthems, what a load of crap. I cannot identify with such stupidity. Show me a player who is playing for their country and I’ll show you a liar - they are playing for their own personal glory.
The only exception is maybe teams for very poor countries, where they know something of the people’s hardship and the pleasure that they will get from winning, but then that’s more about the people than pride in the country - if the country was one to be proud of the people would not be poor and dying in droves from war and didease.
June 26th, 2006 at 3:24 pm
It is amazing to me how the refs can continue on this stupid rampage even with everyone in the world complaining about them.
And I am still shocked that these so called world class refs still fall for diving. It is the same teams that do it year in and year out. Italians, South Americans, Mexicans are pretty blatant with their diving. How is it that the whole rest of the world can spot this type of cheating but the refs who control the game are blind to it? Pathetic.
June 26th, 2006 at 3:27 pm
And I don’t mean to single out the countries/teams I just mentioned because everyone in the world does it now. It just is much more prevalent with them than other teams. I am still embarrassed by Arsenal’s first goal in the CL. A blatant dive by Eboue he should’ve have been yellow carded at the very least. Fifa continues to say that they instruct their refs to crack down on diving but I have seen no evidence of this at all.
June 26th, 2006 at 3:29 pm
They deserved to be in extra time tied 0-0 because a stupid ref fell for a dive yet again by an Italian player. Australia you could say should’ve done more with an advantage but they didn’t deserve to lose, especially on a dubious penalty like that.
June 26th, 2006 at 3:42 pm
Djourou OFF injured in minute 33.
Better get a Center Back Arsene… ours are going down like flies!
June 26th, 2006 at 3:59 pm
I wonder why he went off. He may have fractionally lost Shevchenko on one set-piece but apart from that he was growing into the game. He didn’t appear to be limping. Oh well, can’t be bothered to watch that game anymore. I was really looking forward to seeing Djourou playing a full 90.
June 26th, 2006 at 4:34 pm
shibby, i think part of the blame may go to FIFA. FIFA used every World Cup to PROMOTE the game, and introduce new rule occassionally (like prevent tackle from behind many years ago).
As this year’s motto goes - MY GAME IS FAIR PLAY. Clearly they want to create a clean, fair sporting image of football.
I suspect they may have instructed the refs to go harsh on players who committed a foul, in order to live up with their MY GAME IS FAIR PLAY rubbish.
‘Cos otherwise, i can’t think of any reason why suddenly there have been so many yellow and red cards given by referees, and not just one single ref, many refs did the same.
Record shown the red and yellow card number already broken the all time World Cup Finals record, and we are just into the round of 16. Many of those refs (European) took charge of the CL matches as well, yet i don’t recall there were so many cards being shown. So if this is not FIFA’s instruction, i can’t think of any other reason.
I remember when they first introduced the tackle from behind rule (supposed to send off the player once he commit a foul like this) in a World Cup, it confused the referees big time. ‘Cos if they followed the rule book, then it would have been a disaster as a lot of players would get sent off. As a result, some refs followed the rule, some used their common sense and handed out a yellow card instead. And it caused a lot of inconsistent decisions from the refs.
I just don’t understand why FIFA like to use this biggest tournament of world football to introduce all those new rulings. And the new ball as well. Players take time to adapt to those new stuffs. Already we have seen two penalty shot flew straight into the stand. Did it has anything to do with the new, lighter version of the match ball?
World Cup is the most important event in world football, apart from the 32 finalists, most of the fans around the world have no particular team to support. All we want and the expectation is to watch a HIGH LEVEL of football play by supposingly the 32 best teams in the world. Yet we end up watching the 11 vs 10, or 9 vs 10 football match. With football playing in one half of the pitch.
June 26th, 2006 at 4:44 pm
“The referee had a poor game” - unfortunately, that seems to be the tagline for this WC.
June 26th, 2006 at 4:47 pm
Just because it happens doesn’t necessarily make it right. I agree, a player does have a small window of opportunity, but maybe that should be considered BEFORE signing a long term contract or agreeing to ply your trade in a backwater league.
June 26th, 2006 at 4:52 pm
I’ve seen more than a few dubious penalties given. (see the USA v. Ghana)
So I don’t want to hear it. They can cry somewhere else… had their chance up a man for the entire 2nd half.
Australia can only blame themselves.
Sorry.
June 26th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
And if linesman can consult with refs about elbowing & jostling off the ball, “why can’t the linesmen spot it either?,” is what I want to know…
June 26th, 2006 at 6:36 pm
I’ve been curious about the ball too Andez b/c a lot fo matches I’ve seen, even the World Class players have these just awful touches sometimes. I know as an American fan watching our 1st match against the Czechs, our play wa sbad enough as it was but even when we had the ball our touches were just amateurish.
But I’ve seen these dreadful touches with every team in the tournament. Also, a lot of passing doesn’t seem crisp or is more wayward than normal… but who knows?
And the other thing that gets me is if the refs are going to be forgiven for calling fouls so strict, ALSO CALL DIVING STRICTLY TOO. Maybe if we get a few matches ending in 8 v 7, 7 v 7 or forfeitig b/c of the ridiculous amount of cards maybe FIFA will have to go back on their ruling…
June 26th, 2006 at 6:37 pm
Cygan to the rescue!
J/k, Stag, don’t roast me over that! Even I am not optimisitic enough to want to ride my luck with Cygan at center back all year!
June 26th, 2006 at 6:42 pm
Andez, I felt the same thing about your Point #1.
Although, at times I can’t agree about #2. Watching Chelse and Liverpool play in some games was painful. But overall, yeah I agree that the EPL is much better than La Liga or Seria A in terms of diving.
June 26th, 2006 at 6:44 pm
hey stag,
regarding your comment above about relegating the 4 Italian teams, I couldn’t agree more
That way, like you said, I am hoping for a major end of season sale 
Buying players for 2-1, or buy one player, get the second player for half off 
But from what I read only Juve might go down not AC. Would be better if both Juve and AC go down. Might open the league up more and give other teams more belief…
June 26th, 2006 at 6:54 pm
Ok here’s a question for anyone.
How do I defend the question I keep getting asked from non-soccer followers about why soccer players dive? I said some cheat but mostly the rest are fair. Then they argue that almost all teams they have seen in the last few weeks have players that dove (which I know is not true) but the problem is the few that dive keep making the headlines. Argh!
Thankfully at Arsenal, there are not too many who could be accused of going down a bit too easy. And even if a player tried to fake diving for Arsenal, I am sure Wenger will give him an earful, like he did with Eboue.
But when is the true Joga Bonito going to come out in the open?
June 26th, 2006 at 7:02 pm
They dive because they want to cheat and they know they can get away with it because FIFA and the refs are too stupid to open their eyes and realize that this type of behavior is ruining the game. This is why I can’t watch many other league besides the Premiership becuase you have to put up with constant diving/faking injuries. These players are babies. Everytime they go down they act as if they’ve been shot.
June 26th, 2006 at 8:54 pm
You can’t really defend what we see all too regularly. The ridiculous diving and falling over when barely touched… the play acting… its utterly ridiculous. They need more than one ref to monitor the crap that goes on… and if you play act, and roll around like you were shot, when you were barely touched, perhaps you should be suspended & fined.
Not sure how else you can change it. Its grown to epic proportions, and it borders on making the game farcical at times.
June 26th, 2006 at 10:13 pm
I think France takes it tomorrow 2-1. I see PV playing better than the last time he played against Cesc, who probably will start. TH gets one of the goals. This could be his last WC. Barthez needs to have a good game also.
I can’t decide if Zidane should start or not.
June 26th, 2006 at 10:23 pm
I half agree with DannyT?s comments on this WC being ruined by cheaters and dumb lummoxes, not the referees.
I half agree because it could be said that all these cards are a further indication that the referee truly doesn’t have control of the match ? their not seen as authorities. Figo?s head but and his later play acting with his brush up against an elbow doesn?t excuse Robben or Kuyt from diving like they had just graduated from Van Nistelrooy Academy of Diving. The referees have been inconsistent, made way too many bad calls, been too harsh on simple infractions, and carried away by others. I cannot just dismiss their seemingly amateur calls as they?ve made some really stupid mistakes.
The other half of the argument makes as much sense. Many of these players are just overpaid athletic ?punters? anyway ? overdosed testosterone jock straps. Testosterone brings out the man in you. The arrogance of some players brings out the cheating. The funny notion of National Pride makes us think that somehow it matters to win at this sport. The cash helps relieve the player?s pain. Many of their egos are about as big as their paychecks. It disgusts me, not the paychecks but the cheating and all these players that think its part of this game to cheat. I hate it from the get go, and SacchineG I hate telling my dear very old mother that this is not the sport that her father taught me to love.
I loathe watching all this cheating and as Andez points out, it?s beginning to look you?re your watching the ?Ugly Game? not the other one we all first fell in love with. I hope Ghana vs. Brazil tomorrow shows us the beauty of this game.
DannyT, your spot on, if one of our Arsenal players was tackled like some of these two footed nasty tackles and all those cynical trips in this WC, we?d probably all be screaming for blood or a head on a stake.
Speaking of blood, ScottyUS did you contact that triggerman for Dan Smith yet? Let?s hope Diaby is well soon ? I think I made my point and it is not about ScottyUS.
I guess it is another way of looking at it.
Being a recent Ghana - Black Stars supporter, I hope this game gets a good Ref. and that Ronaldinho actually does something with the ball instead of bobbling it on his head.
Go Ghana go!!!
June 26th, 2006 at 10:27 pm
They put two Refs on the pitch, one on each side. That way one could watch behind the play at all times. They have a third Ref monitoring the TV feeds to actually see what went on based on a decision by the third Ref they could hand out a yellow. Don’t like two Ref.s like me then just put the second Ref behind the TV.
June 26th, 2006 at 11:20 pm
Gerard…
I want to see Ronaldinho bobble the ball on his head, make a miraculous pass… try a crazy shot at goal… and then smile and laugh and enjoy the fact that he’s playing a game.
I think thats what people actually like about Brazil. They DO try to play the beautiful game, and for the most part, seem to ENJOY themselves when they are playing football.
Ronaldinho is a good face for the sport. Henry is another, but for different reasons. Henry can tackle racism tomorrow… if they beat Spain, and he plays well… he can “Stand Up and Speak Up” about Aragones and his idiotic commentary.
Ambassadors for the sport… Step UP tomorrow Mr.Henry and Ronaldinho.
June 26th, 2006 at 11:54 pm
Hey Stag,
I also think this entire Aragones issue might fire the French up to defeat Spain. I hope it does. Because Henry needs to brighten the world cup and what better place than in front of that @#*@# manager.
June 27th, 2006 at 3:50 am
Henry needs to win this game and the World Cup. Not only that but he needs to be the reason that France wins this tournament. It will solidify his legacy.
The CL final against Barcelona was another chance he was given and to be fair I believe he was up for it. He was playing like a true champion earlier on but with 10 men it’s too hard.
Pele and Maradona were truly great players because they could win a game by themselves. Henry has that ability and just needs to produce the goods now. It would earn him that elusive Player of the Year award as well as mark him a true World footballing legend.
With Henry’s ability his name should be argued in the same breath as Pele and Maradona as who’s the greatest player ever. First he’s got to win something other than EPL titles. He’s got to be the best on the world stage. Pele won three world cups for crying out loud.
June 27th, 2006 at 3:53 am
I can’t wait for the last game of the round of sixteen to get started, i just feel impatient, hopefully we don’t see much of the ref on this one because i really wanna enjoy this two teams take it to one another, i know they’re bringing all they got and plus it’s a couple of duels from last year’s CL in Vieira-Fabregas and Henry-Puyol.
You guys must know i’m with France in this tournament although it’s obvious they’re not really the best team, but this is football, right?, there’s no right or wrong when it comes to liking or disliking a team, except for certain EPL teams, although i’d rather watch Manure play any other EPL team than having to watch that Portugal game again.
I don’t see many predictions here in the comments….what 4 teams you think will make it to the semis, so far i think it’ll be Germany, England, Italy and i’d say France but they have to make it through tomorrow first.
So the only chances of the Cup not staying in Europe are Ghana, Brasil and Argentina, and one of the first 2 is going home tomorrow, that’s interesting, i wonder if there were any constant factors that influenced this, maybe climate, refereeing?, fan support, types of food, who knows?.
Well i just hope we all love the games tomorrow and will be able to come back here with positive comments and that type of joy that only this game brings us all gooners, except for gerrard in case his Black Stars lose in which case i’d expect him not to feel disappointed but to pick a new candidate…maybe France???.
Anyway as always hope for a big performance from Henry and maybe a goal or two…or three.
June 27th, 2006 at 4:52 am
joshaud, i agree, in order for Henry to truely live up the the GREAT players list, he has to rise to big occassions like World Cup.
But IMO there was only TWO players who had the ability to singlehandly carry their team to victory in major tournament - Diego Maradona and Michel Platini.
NOT PELE. Brazil’s first World Cup win back in the 50s, with our without Pele, they would still have won it. They were blessed with a lot of super talents. In 1962 World Cup Brazil’s victory, Pele hardly involved neither. And in the 1970 World Cup, Brazil had the greatest team in World Cup history, they would still have won it without Pele.
Maradona, on the other hand, led an average Argentina side to World Cup 1986 glory. Without him, Argentina didn’t stand a prayer.
Michel Platini, as a midfielder, scored an unbelievable 9 goals in France’s EURO 1984 victory.
I have never seen any other player had that kind of impact to their teams than the pair.
Henry right now is in an average France side. If offers him a great opportunity to show what he really got. He surely got the ability, but i’m not sure if he has the nerve and gut to rise to occassion when things matter most.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:01 am
talking about stars, World Cup has always been a occassions to see the birth of a true superstar.
Since i started watching, i saw Maradona officially became the world’s greatest player in 1986, Baggio made his name in World Cup 90, Romario ruled in World Cup 94, and an emerging star named Michael Owen shone in 1998, Ronaldo proved the whole world wrong in 2002….
So who is or will be the star of World Cup 2006? We have seen some good performance from some individual player, yet none of them has really lit up the tournament have them?
The best guess should be on Ronaldinho, Henry or Rooney. So far they have been below par. Hopefully someone will step up during the remaining games. Otherwise we may go on and remember World Cup 2006 as a World Cup of Red Cards!
June 27th, 2006 at 7:53 am
The card happy refs aren’t punishing diving, but they’re killing the contests in every other way so its become the predominant strategy in this Cup. F*cking lame.
Btw, you’re doing pretty well as of yesterday in the WC fantasy thing. Good job.
June 27th, 2006 at 8:03 am
It will definitely INSPIRE Henry and France.
I agree totally.
June 27th, 2006 at 8:07 am
Riquleme is pretty much everyone’s choice so far.
June 27th, 2006 at 8:12 am
Well Henry already has a World Cup winners medal to go with his Euor Championship medal. If you want him to win the WC on his own, you’d better get Domenech on the phone, because just like for Pele and Maradona the team has to be set up to play around them.
June 27th, 2006 at 10:32 am
ODD FACT of the World Cup…
The Swiss get knocked out despite not allowing a SINGLE goal in any of their games. Never happened before!
June 27th, 2006 at 10:38 am
Danny the thing here is as follow :
The ref is the manager of the game for 90 minutes. He can make the game heated with punches or force it to be calm and cool. There are 23 human beings on the fld with some other 23 human sitting on the line … human have emmotions and it can be controlled.
I was once thrown out of game that I was coaching cause I told the ref that my 12 years player did not dive and he does not deserve a yellow. I said it so politly ..but the ref took it as an insult and threw me out of the state cup semi .. well guess what the game was a fight after this, The ref handed bunch of 12 years yellow cards (several) AND a red. For the whole season i saw one yellow card in this level.
So simply the ref can control emotions. Simply if the ref went to Figo and to Khalid B and told them to stop kicking around so the game will go on normally ..or I will kick both of you out and the yellow cards for both were ok. In other words he should be the peace maker rather than the war maker. Then Ronaldo is not injured and he is such a girl.
June 27th, 2006 at 10:58 am
Andez, Maradona may have carried the team but in my opinion he was the father of modern cheating in the game and sets a poor example for the sport. His “hand of god” goal was more like a “hand job” of a whore. I guess either way you cum but I’d rather have some love with my sex.
June 27th, 2006 at 11:00 am
right on
June 27th, 2006 at 11:10 am
Radio for U.S. listeners:
http://clients.mediaondemand.net/theSun/?Channel=1
June 27th, 2006 at 11:11 am
And what a way to go. HORRIBLE shoot out.
June 27th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
Brazil ROLL ON.
Might not be any stopping this team.
3-0.
Easy like Sunday Morning.
June 27th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
http://usa.worldcupblog.org/group-e/secret-italian-training-video.html
Hope you all enjoy it as much as me. It’s sad because it’s probably true.
June 27th, 2006 at 1:41 pm
That was like one of those jokes where you could put in almost any team i.e. Dutch Training camp.
Good one!
June 27th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
The best thing of that Brazil // Ghana game is that is was played with good sportsmanship between the both sides. No diving or cheating. Just a good clean game with both sides showing respect to each other. Okay, it wasn’t as exciting as the Arg. // Mex. game but it was refreshing.
You know why Brazil doesn’t generally resort to cheating, because they don’t have to. You gotta respect that of them unlike so many of the other cheating sides, yes including my beloved.
Now that the Black Stars are out, I’ll have to cheer for the next underdog which in my humble opinion is England.
As for France later, I hope the Spaniards have already been to the pool this morning, so as not to be tempted to dive during the game. I’d love to see Henry wipe the smirk off the Spain coach and go on to show the world what a great player he truly is in this WC. In the end though, he has nothing to prove to me - I already know his quailty.
My problem is I lived in Paris in the seventies and I still have hangups about the French. Ironically, I owe my career to the Germans, speak fluent German, but at this household the slogan is “Anybody but the Germans” even though I love Germany.
June 27th, 2006 at 1:59 pm
I know it has to be but I have always hated goal kicks to end a match. I prefer this new system than the silver and golden goal though.
June 27th, 2006 at 2:02 pm
Yes he is. My problem arose when I started picking with my heart instead of my mind. Damn that’s got me in trouble before. You’d think I’d of learned by now.
June 27th, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Nothing will stop them!
June 27th, 2006 at 2:08 pm
wait a minute, poor refereeing might just ruin their day
June 27th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
Yes I’m rooting for France to beat Spain. My new underdog is England and I pick Brazil to win it all.
June 27th, 2006 at 2:14 pm
Rubenesque Ronaldo, has just set the record for most goals in the history of the Cup, which might give him the edge in terms of stars. Not exciting but certainly efficient.
June 27th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
Agree… Henry has ZERO to prove.
My prediction, “PAIN” (see Clubber Lang, Rocky 3)
Henry puts a hurtin’ on that donkey Aragones… Go on Thierry… show’em all.
June 27th, 2006 at 2:28 pm
No diving or cheating? I don’t agree with that. Adriano and Asamoah Gyan were booked for diving in the penalty box.
June 27th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
and there was any game in 02 with any kind of flow ??????
i like it when underdog teams that are strong advance!….not weak hopeless teams like Turkey, Senegal (who didnt even qualify this time) and Korea (out in first round) fluking it out and going far………while the quality sides are out…….
June 27th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
I don’t agree that Brasil won this easily. Ghana played really well, but they did not finish their chances. Also Brasil’s second goal was a clear offside.
I think that they will find it hard in the quarters if they play against Spain.
June 27th, 2006 at 2:45 pm
Overall, it was a very good clean game and the diviers where booked what more could one ask for. I don’t think Adriano dove he simply tripped.
June 27th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
Spain is done.
Thierry Henry will take care of that.
June 27th, 2006 at 4:58 pm
Many players may have played better in the pre-World Cup friendlies or Finals group stage matches, yet in their last two matches, Patrick Vieira scored two crucial goals along with two vital assists to send France into the final 8. As I said before, Paddy is a big game player, who rises to occassion when things matter most. And that’s what it really matters.
And it’s great to see Spanish out of the World Cup. If you hate cheaters and divers, look no further than Spain. Particular that guy F.Torres. He could have won Spain a second penalty in the first half, and got Vieira sent off in the second half with his master play-acting act.
Let’s face it, a lot of players today try to cheat from time to time. Yet most of them at least have the dignity to just get up straight away when their cheating attempts failed. The Spanish, on the other hand, always falled to the group like being hit by a bullet. It is disgusting to watch.
Heard that FIFA finally told the refs to clam down on the cards. And i think the ref today did a good job. at least he didn’t fall for the Spanish’s cheating act.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Great gane to watch. Just very disappointed in Henry’s fake hit to the face which set up the winning goal. Henry initiated the contact and the referee got it wrong. He may be our captain, but I have lost a little respect for him because of this.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
great to see the spanish out…i hate them!
but france haven’t done sh-t…yet !! beating togo (the worst team ever to play in a world cup) and spain (serial chokers) is no big achievement.
up next….brazil………mouthwatering for sure!
germany-argentina
england-portugal
italy-ukraine
brazil-france
I LOVE THIS WORLD CUP (the refs aside)….
now, if only holland or ivory coast was there in place of ukraine and you’re looking at a dream QF fixture lineup!!
as it is no one can convincely call any of these games…..any could go either way! absolutely brilliant!
June 27th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
You can talk about the Spanish but Henry did himself no favours by pretending to be caught on the face just before Vieira’s goal. That will haunt him I am sure.
Yep, Vieira has really stepped it up in the last two matches and deserves credit. The sort of set-up is made for him, one-off matches in a knockout format with unique circumstances. Not the hum-drum of league football and annual champions league disappointment.
I was always confident France would beat Spain. Believed Spain’s attack was hugely overrated and would be snuffed out by the defensive quality France possess. France are a very physically imposing side, even at their worst, and when they find their fluency it is a pretty potent combination.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:11 pm
France are in the quarter-finals, the team I support. Henry had a silent game, but that doesn’t matter, when France won.
Now I must say that I’m disappointed with Thierry’s act. He was hit in the chest by Puyol, and he acted like he was hit in the face, just Puyol to be sent off. I thought that Henry is a sportsmanship person, but after today, I don’t know…
Although, I don’t want to say this, but “stag133, you was right about PV4 all the time”. He has a great World Cup, with 2 goals and 2 assists. Great pass to Ribery(he is starting to show his value after the slow start of the tournament) for the first goal, and a nice header, witch he would have missed, if the ball didn’t hit Ramos. But that doesn’t mean that we should bring him back.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:15 pm
Mazza, as i said, a lot of players today did dive and cheat. Yet most of them did have the dignity to get up straight away. I have lost hope to stop the diving/cheating act, how u gonna prevent it? What i hate is those players who act like si$$y pu$$y and lie on the groud rolling around like a baby.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:24 pm
Fred, how u can be sure Togo was the “WORST TEAM EVER” in a World Cup?
In 1974, Zaire scored 0 and conceded 14 goals in 3 group matches, including a 0-9 defeat to Yugoslavia.
1982, El Salvador scored 1 and conceded 13 in 3 group matches, including a 1-10 defeat to Hungary.
Were they better than Togo?!….
June 27th, 2006 at 5:28 pm
Very quiet day for Henry.
He didn’t play well…
but as all the world saw…
PATRICK VIEIRA stepped up, in the clutch and LED his team to victory. He was the LEADER today.
He set up one, scored the WINNER… and he and Makelele controlled the midfield.
Cesc was anonymous. The old leader was in charge today… leading his team to a famous victory.
All you Vieira bashers TAKE NOTE… the king is dead, long live the king… Vieira is a CHAMPION.
Champions rise to the occasion…
Next up BRAZIL. I think they can take them out too.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
And exactly which underdog has advanced very far? In 2002, Turkey finished 3rd, Korea 4th and Sengal made the quarterfinals while Argentina and France crashed out of the first round. I wouldn’t exactly call that weak or flukey. Besides, if a team is really strong, then they aren’t really much of an underdog.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:32 pm
Cesc played very well first half. Second half France just suffocated the whole Spanish team. Xabi Alonso is a pile of rubbish.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:33 pm
still think it was a foul, puyols fault. henry wasnt goin anywhere. but henry made a complete meal of it, i think has lots to do with the bad blood of the CL final, he probably wanted to get puyol sent off. I am sure this will cause him to lose some of his shine as the games greatest ambassador…was suprised myself.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:36 pm
cesc was hardly quiet, he was the centre of all things good from spain. thts y their coach took of xavi and cesc, dont be blind and slate cesc. Agreed viera had a great game, but even today you could see he is no longer the box to box type player. NO lung busting runs no leg crunching tackles, but yes great game from him and makele to control mid field.
Xabi alonso isnt rubbish either he is an amazing player give him space and he can spray around passes like no one else. His long range passing is unbelievable
June 27th, 2006 at 5:37 pm
Vieira played well today. He was perfectly positioned to score the game winning goal and smashed it in when he had the chance. It was good to see the old Paddy. I am a bit disappointed with Henry’s acting - I always thought he was above that. When he got the foul that led to the free kick I thought that it would be a shame if a goal came out of that.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:42 pm
hahaha….well, in ‘74 i was not born and in ‘82…too young………so i won’t comment on those teams….
but i would think the gap between the big and small teams those days would be far greater as most of the zaireans and the el salvadorians would probably have been playing in their own local league rather than in europe….
while most of togo’s squad play in europe…albeit in lower leagues……
frankly i just hate the attitude the togo players came with….stupid, selfish and undisciplined….
June 27th, 2006 at 5:43 pm
Yeah but his passing rarely hurts you. Too many horizontals and not enough verticals. He also does not make enough runs through the middle and does not possess the defensive capability to justify a role as the holding midfielder.
He’s not rubbish but is overrated in my opinion.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:47 pm
Of course he played well. He had to. He’s only got Serie B football to look forward to next season.
But seriously, Paddy’s a diva. Henry, too, really. Sigh…such is the French way.
June 27th, 2006 at 5:48 pm
agreed his is the kinda passing tht is more suited for quick counter attacks , breaking up opposition moves and launching the ball forward qucikly… not really the kinda passing for slow attacks thru centre (ala say cesc or deco or riquelme). probably not mean enough of a tackle…but still think hes a top top player
June 27th, 2006 at 6:05 pm
France played well, and Vieira proved he’s not quite finished yet - although he’ll never really be the player we saw at Arsenal again.
I was very disappointed with Spain, I thought it was a poor game. Henry did not play well, Zidane scored a great goal but does still not look anything like the old Zidane. Spain did they always do, bottled it when the going got tough - maybe they have too many young key players - experience won in the end.
As for Henry’s dive, not nice, no. But I think he wanted revenge on Puyolf for kicking him all over the picth and the Champions League final. Not an excuse, but an explanation perhaps.
I think Brazil will beat France, but then I thought Spain would beat them too. There’s no doubt France have improved as a team, slowly but surely - but after the embarrassing two opening games, they couldn’t have been much worse.
Still rather have Fabregas than Vieira. Fabregas is the future, Vieira the past. One is showing flashes of what he will be, the other is showing flashes of what he once was.
June 27th, 2006 at 6:10 pm
Henry’s ego has been getting the better of him lately. Have you noticed that everytime he miscontrols the ball he blames his studs, or the pitch, or the passer?
He has earned most of his plaudits, but it’s not good to see a nice guy turn into something less nice because he believes too much of the hype. I am sure this is why he didn’t want to go to Barcelona, he’d rather be the main man at Arsenal and get 100% of the attention 100% of the time. Not that I care, as long as he keeps doing the business.
June 27th, 2006 at 6:16 pm
“Still rather have Fabregas than Vieira. Fabregas is the future, Vieira the past. One is showing flashes of what he will be, the other is showing flashes of what he once was.”
Nice.
June 27th, 2006 at 6:46 pm
Totally agree on the fab vs viera part
and viera no longer has the legs to run box to box and make crunching tackles anymore, he left tht part to makele. He fancies himself purely as an attacker now (which he is still good at), but fab is a different league when it comes to vision.
June 27th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
What is good for the goose pate is also good for the roasted gander. Henry gets bumped in the chest and holds his face in embellishment. Tisk, tisk shame on you Henry. Maybe he’ll see after watching the game again that this isn’t the way to go. I almost wish he was carded to dissuade him from doing it again.
June 27th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
“Next up BRAZIL. I think they can take them out too.” Stag133
I want some of the drugs your on - keep dreaming.
June 27th, 2006 at 7:01 pm
Henry deserves the benefit of the doubt, because his history is pretty unblemished in this respect. He doesn’t dive every single week like Van Nistelrooy, Drogba. Robben or Deco.
He clearly dislikes Puyol as an indiviual, and when Puyol took him out he thought,”f*ck him for that, I’m gonna cheat”.
June 27th, 2006 at 7:08 pm
I’ve been reading of a transfer rumour the would bring Kuyt to Ashburton Grove.
Someone please tell me this is not true.
Even though my blood runs oranje, I don’t think the team needs yet another player who can’t finish. Kuyt in the WC was an embarrassment and didn’t amount to anything. With Reyes not scoring and RVP not getting goals in the big games (yet) I personally don’t think he’d serve the needs of this team after Pires has gone.
Then again Wenger knows - I just hope he’s right if he comes to the EPL.
June 27th, 2006 at 7:08 pm
I’m willing to give Henry the benefit of the doubt on this one. He’s the type who fights through fouls and keeps on going. I just wish he could have been a little less obvious about it, you know, maybe grab his chest instead of his head.
June 27th, 2006 at 7:09 pm
Poor Stag. If you make 15 stupid predictions one of them is bound to go your way in the end.
When it eventually happens he starts shooting his mouth off in attempt to whitewash all the other drivel he got wrong.
Trust me, if Brazil beats France, you won’t hear from him again until pre-season.
June 27th, 2006 at 7:10 pm
Agree, that chance he had at the end of the portugal game was wasted by his nothing shot.. He does put his head in where it hurts, which is good, but I think we need more than that.
June 27th, 2006 at 7:12 pm
cant see myself giving him the benefit of the doubt
being an out and out henry supporter, got a very tough time from my arsenal and henry hating (yes ppl can be tht stupid!) friends.
and even i thkn he wanted revenge on puyol but that doesnt excuse his behaviour.
also think henry had a shocker…not much of service i guess and he doesnt like playing alone. and tht nut domenech is gonna think this was the right way to go just coz they won..and we’ll prob see more of the same vs brazil.
June 27th, 2006 at 7:13 pm
I don’t see Wenger buying a striker to be honest, he has Adebayor, Henry and Van Persie, if he buys another then someone will not be even getting on the bench - and won’t be very happy about it either. Since when has Wenger crowded any particular position? He never has enough players, and Arsenal always pays for that when there’s a bad run of injuries.
June 27th, 2006 at 7:15 pm
think its nothing but crap his agent prob trying to get him noticed. last strong rumor i heard abt him was to pool….think of it cisse, morientes, crouch, fowler and kuyt….wow vot a golden quartet! he wud fit in perfectly
why are we even being linked with strikers unless vanP, reyes or ade is leaving, even then we have ali, lupoli and brednter. wud much rather see DM and CB and RW (anyone seen quaresma of porto?)
June 27th, 2006 at 7:18 pm
The novelty of underdogs exceeding expectation wore off a long time ago for me. Look at Switzerland/Ukraine match, it was like watching barnsley versus colchester.
While the underdogs add a bit of spice, you want to see the big teams and the big players square off against eachother. What would prefer to watch, France versus Spain or Spain versus Togo? No contest for me. The whole match would be Spain just dominating and Togo trying to nick something on the break. By knockout stage you wanna a proper quarter-final or semi-final, not a glorified group game.
The luck enjoyed by South Korea four years ago was unreal, with dodgy sending offs and offside goals going for them.
June 27th, 2006 at 7:42 pm
The only worry there is that one of those stupid, selfish undisciplined players happens to play for Arsenal.
June 27th, 2006 at 7:43 pm
Yeah, Quaresma is something extraordinary. When he signed for Barca, I read that Wenger tried to sign him and I was really pissed off that we didn’t manage to get him. Then he had a great friendly tournament in the USA, ripping apart the whole Milan defence with his great dribbling skills. At that time I thought that one day he would became the Best Player in the World, he was that good I can tell you. And then when the season started he didn’t get much chances to prove himself, almost every appearence was from the bench. The next season Barca signed Giuly and sent Quaresma to Porto, and I must say that I rate Quaresma above Giuly. This season he was one of the best players in the Portuegese league, if not the best, and I really don’t know why Scolari didn’t take him to Germany. Yes, Portugal already have great wingers in Ronaldo, Figo and Simao, but I think that Quaresma is better than Boa Morte and should have gone to the World Cup.
But, now we don’t need RW. We have Hleb and Freddie there, maybe LW, because we are only with Reyes on the left flank. Maybe Rosicky will play there but he will not fulfill his potential in that position, his best position is a central attacking midfielder.
June 27th, 2006 at 7:47 pm
Yeah, I have to agree to a point - watching Togo play in the knockout phase would be too painful to bear. There is a fine line between a true underdog that got lucky and made it through and an under rated football team. In 2002, Korea got extremely lucky. Senegal and Turkey on the other hand, weren’t afraid to play with anyone. Senegal beat France and Turkey gave Brazil all they wanted.
June 27th, 2006 at 10:07 pm
Haunt him?
Are you serious…?
No way. He might look back and think it was silly and not right, but it will hardly haunt the man. He never dives… out of character.
June 27th, 2006 at 10:09 pm
France haven’t done sh-t yet?
They are in the Final 8.
24 other teams can’t say that.
Thats hardly doing sh-t.
June 27th, 2006 at 10:17 pm
You all can sugar coat it all you like…
Vieira was the man. He bossed the midfield. His team is on to the next round. Cesc did nothing. His team is watching.
Don’t care about who is old, who is young, who you’d rather have…. really don’t care what DonkeyDanny has to say…
France WON. Vieira ruled. Scored the WINNER again… the whole world saw it.
You can say whatever you want, but it doesn’t change the facts.
I didn’t say France WOULD win, but they definitely CAN win on Saturday. No reason they can’t.
Game is won in midfield. With Vieira playing like this, they can control the midfield… Makelele as the shield… Henry with another chance to excel.
I like their chances.
Sorry Gerard, I know you are feeling the pain of Holland’s defeat… but no drugs for me. I just see a team on the RISE. Playing better in each match as they go along. I don’t see that bloated Ronaldo beating the French defense…
Watched the match… enjoyed it immensely. You can’t take away the facts. France and Vieira, big win… just give the credit where its due.
June 27th, 2006 at 11:26 pm
Not to worry Stag133 I won’t miss the match and I can assure you that I also won’t be cat calling back I told you so, okay maybe just a little bit.
Brazil already has their named engraved on this cup and after six cups maybe they should give this one to them and get another artist to design a new one.
June 27th, 2006 at 11:31 pm
Oh yeah, sugar coated would make it like kids medicine.
I was thinking of something more serious.
I do feel the pain of Hollands loss but it’s a little more like anger that the squad looked like sh*t against Portugal, even though they held the score to 0-1. Our historical striking soccer just wasn’t there and I could see Kruyf cringing in the stands every time the squad went forward. It just didn’t seem like a team with Van Basten in it.
June 28th, 2006 at 1:04 am
I know few people have talked about Henry’s fall already. But I remember this quote by him after the CL loss:
‘Maybe next time I’ll learn how to dive. I expect the referee to do his job but I don’t think he did.’
I don’t feel sorry for Puyol. He got away with a lot with Barca in that CL final but today justice came back in a strange way. It was a foul but I saw Henry do what he has never done. Probably frustration on his part. In the past, he has been known to speak his mind even to his team-mates when things go wrong, but I have a feeling he had enough of Puyol and certain Spanish players who get away with plenty (Villareal).
Shame that in order to win, a fair person has to resort to the tactics of the unfair opponent but such is the malice in the modern game. Hopefully, this is the one and last time he has to resort to this.
6 past World Cup winners in the Quarter finals, and 6 European teams, with the top 2 teams from South America. On paper, that is a mouth-watering line up. Just hope the games have goals and good futbol, especially Italy-Ukraine and England-Portugal!
June 28th, 2006 at 1:07 am
The French coach really has no clue. When I saw the lineup and saw Henry was alone, I figured, France are going to lose because Henry can’t do much alone. But they got through — all 3 goals from midfield.
I agree with your comments about Henry and Puyol. In fact, I don’t think Henry would have acted like that it was some other player who fouled him
June 28th, 2006 at 1:08 am
Thanks. I got lucky with some of my picks
You are not that far behind though. The quarter finals picks are going to be tricky for 2-3 games and a lot of points could change things
June 28th, 2006 at 2:12 am
It was a night for revenge, wasn’t it? Vieira on Fabregas and Henry on Puyol. There is little doubt in my mind that Henry made a meal out of Puyol’s challenge. But after the CL final, can you blame him? I just hope he doesn’t do it again for Arsenal. Vieira had a great game. He made France tick. I don’t mind him playing well for France as long as Henry and Cesc play well for Arsenal.
I don’t support France. But the way people are discrediting their wins by saying that Togo was the worst team and Spain are serial underachievers reminds me of the way people didn’t give enough credit to Arsenal by saying that Real and Juve were past it. They produced the goods when it mattered. In the knockout games, it’s all about winning. France and Portugal have done it. So have England, Italy and Brazil (despite not playing well). Holland and Spain have not (sigh).
By the way, on Arsenal.com, Lehmann is 3rd in the player of the season poll. That’s quite sad. I am pretty sure Henry will top it again. I think Lehmann deserved better.
June 28th, 2006 at 2:14 am
Exactly SachinG, i was gonna to say the same!
btw Gerard, of the transfer rumor of Kuyt, it’s NOT TRUE!
June 28th, 2006 at 4:27 am
I think the coverage of this henry playacting shows exactly how rare it is, in fact I can’t think of another occassion when the great man has done that…and it was hardly roll around the ground stuff, it was not worse than Figo the other day.
Puyol made no attempt to go for the ball, ran right across Henry and his elbow did catch him in the chest, it was definitely a free kick and yellow card. That Henry held his face just showed that he’s learnt how to play against Puyol since being mugged by him and Marquez in the CL final.
For your viewing pleasure…(I suspect these 2 don’t like each other much)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl3f4xnLuok&search=fredrick
June 28th, 2006 at 4:47 am
I agree that Vieira was man of the match (even though half the idiot pundits in the uk reckon it was Zidane - who doesn’t pass perfectly any more, how many times were teammates stretching to reach his pass and how much does he slow it all down). Vieira did nothing except stand next to Makalele until Spain scored and then he discovered his legs and started running and drving the team forward. France need a few more games like that out of him.
Can’t agree with assessment of Cesc, he did exactly what was asked of him and he did it well - to be the shining light of the spanish midfield is not bad. At times some of the spanish passing was brilliant, just lacking a cutting edge (as usual). If Spain had found that cutting edge, we’d all be raving at their masterly possession football (63%) and how good Fabregas was - it’s not his fault that Raul is sh!te (how did he get 4 appearances and Reyes none?), Xavi worried about getting hurt and Torres one of the most overrated players in world football.
Vieira, 30, excellent performance.
Cesc, 19, good performance.
June 28th, 2006 at 4:50 am
Henry hit back: “I know what happened and I never go down easy. I am not a guy who cheats.
“You can ask Puyol whether I cheated. He came up to me afterwards to apologise.
“At the end of the day, Pernia the left- back was going to get the ball easily. I don’t know why Puyol left his position and came into me.
“If that’s cheating then . . . . You know me back in England. I don’t go down easily but people can say whatever they want to say about me.
“I can look at the replay. I’d be happy to do it. Puyol left his position and came right into my face with his shoulder.
“If we were playing basketball, it would have been a good block. But we were playing football.”
June 28th, 2006 at 7:56 am
fifa is completely to blame for the refeering debacle.why in the world do they deemed it necessary to introduce new rules for the world cup is beyond me.why not introduce it during the season so that referee can get use to it. the wc referees are under so much pressure now that most of them are terrified of taking a decission. and then that **AYE CARUMBA**(censored) blatter has the gall to critisize them. having said that i would like to see some of the new rules applied to the premiership who is simply getting too physical. ootball is a contact sport i accept but it is also supposed to be the beautiful game.
June 28th, 2006 at 8:26 am
I agree. I believe the refs were following FIFA’s instruction at the first place. Players, coaches, media and fans have every right to complain about the refs, but not the chief of FIFA - Sepp Blatter.
To me, he’s such a show man. We always read his comments on the papers, of this and that, lot of them had nothing to do with him or FIFA. Like years’ ago the Man U/Arsenal crash; and lately Chelsea’s spending power. He came out and say it’s not right for a team to spend so much. Yet as the chief of FIFA, if u think it’s wrong, why don’t u just DO something? What’s the point and coming out to tell the world something we already known? Since FIFA has not done anything to stop a club trying to buy title and play the monopoly of the transfer market, it’s better off just keep his mouth shut.
June 28th, 2006 at 8:50 am
Rocky III. That’s classic stag133.
June 28th, 2006 at 8:56 am
He said it after the CL final game against Barcelona that maybe I should just fall down more, like Puyol or like a woman. He just gave Puyol some of his own medicine and luckily it lead to a goal. Ironic, isn’t it?
Did you see the look on Henry’s face when he collided with Puyol and Puyol went down in agony, like he’s been shot? I knew then that there would be more.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:06 am
I agree the cards are affecting the games, but soon all of the yellows will come into play and the semis and final itself will be short of some of the stars of the games, due to bad decisions.
That said the players should not dive and cheat so much.
Diving, rolling around, shirt pulling are getting worse.
the thing that gets me is set pieces where defenders block, tug and push strikers to stop them reaching the ball. The refs need to stop this at once.
FIFA should not have said it was bothered by elbowing but by play acting and diving.
June 28th, 2006 at 9:50 am
yes, stag, i guessed u’ll be here jumping to their defense….
the haven’t done SH-T yet…..
ukraine is also at the final 8 … so please….
so there u go, France haven’t done a thing….same with England…
June 28th, 2006 at 10:28 am
France DOMINATED the 2nd half.
Not a sniff from Spain.
They didn’t really create good chances all match.
Their penalty was **AYE CARUMBA**(censored).
June 28th, 2006 at 11:30 am
They’ve done more than 24 other teams have.
That is all that matters.
Its pretty simple.
The object is to advance… like Arsenal in the CL.
They don’t choose their opponents, they just beat them.
England… advanced. Got it done.
Ukraine… advanced. Got it done.
24 teams are WATCHING on TV.
so in f