The World Cup

Shinesalight · Post by **Shinesalight** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:45 pm

The Aussies have got to be absolutely gutted (unlucky Ash), that was a really dubious penalty decision. But I guess, like you said, the Italian did his upmost to sell it to the ref. I was really undecided with whom I wanted to win this game to be honest. My natural English instinct is to go for the underdog but I don't know if I could handle the Aussie brashness if they had won. Imagine if they'd somehow managed to get to the semis or even the final...the world would have never heard the end of it.

Muscles · Post by **Muscles** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 7:51 pm

Ads wrote:Hey Jack, you haven't been over to Scotland recently have you?.....just wondered if it was you that puched that kid wearing the England football shirt?

This whole anti-England thing gets on my tits sometimes. I know we're playing shit football at the moment, but this hatred from the rest of the UK is all a bit depressing really. Most of England always get behind Scotland, Ireland and Wales in sporting events and yet its never reciprocated. Anway, don't really want to go into that whole debate really.

I think its going to be 3rd time lucky for us against Big Phil. This time, more than any other time....this time!!

Nice Goal by SPICEBOY!

O.K!

Are you happy now?

JEEZ LOUISE!

Don't get your UNION JACK out just yet !

Post by **spzretent** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:44 pm

its a problem now that Marcelo Balboa(US commenator/pundit) uses the term "selling" instead of the correct term "diving". in away it legitamizes it. that sucks.
between Italy and Portugal I dont know who is worse. I know the Portugal vs Netherlands match was brutal but the ref was mainly to blame there.
the World Cup is becoming a farce. there is very little "jogo bonito" that Nike or Adidas or whoever it is keep ramming down our throats here being played.

ash · Post by **ash** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 1:29 pm

Yes, I'm crushed, gutted, etc, etc. Losing out to even a mediocre strike I would've been happy with, but to be nudged out by a rather dubious penalty decision in the last minute of a game is rather painful. Having said that, Italy did play very well when down to ten men (the red card in itself a bit of a dubious decision) and looked far more likely to score when they went forward. And in a way I was thankful it didn't go to e/t, penalties - didn't get to sleep 'til 4am as it was...

Ads, I don't know how brash we would've been over it - the media over here has been treating each step as a minor miracle, and there had been a bit of "what-if"ing over the past week or so. But I think if we'd won last night there'd have been a lot more surprise and excitement than grandstanding. Nobody expected the team to make it past the group stages, so I doubt there would've been a great deal of attitude. It's not like the cricket, where we're expected to win.

(and it's always terribly, terribly boring when we do...)

Will be very interested to see whether England can pick up the pace, although I'd like to see Ukraine ruffle a few feathers as the new underdog...

Muscles · Post by **Muscles** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 6:59 pm

Post by **spzretent** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 7:53 pm

ugh!
i should have known when it went to penalties this one was over.

Shinesalight · Post by **Shinesalight** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:04 pm

I am so, so gutted. It didn't help that, when we scored our first penalty, I jumped up and smashed a light in the pub where I watched it. That bloddy cost me Â£20!!! I guess,on our previous games we didn't really deserve to win the whole thing, but I didn't think we deserved to loose tonight.

Fuzzhead · Post by **Fuzzhead** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:09 pm

Hard luck England. You fought well today.

However, if you had a manager with even the slightest bit of creativity the World Cup could have been yours. You really don't deserve it playing such dull football.

Ronaldo has some nerve though eh?!

Shinesalight · Post by **Shinesalight** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 9:10 pm

Luckily, we've replaced Sven with Sven mark II!!!

Starfish · Post by **Starfish** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 10:17 pm

I like the comment from Alan Shearer in the studio about Rooney "sticking one on" Ronaldo when pre-season training starts at Man Utd...

spacemanrich · Post by **spacemanrich** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 12:18 am

Shite, excuse me as I am pissed at the moment. Just got back from my pub watching the France vs. Brazil game. Brilliant ! I knew that France was going to pull it off. I was very unimpressived with Brazil - easy 1st round w/ Japan, Australia, etc. France was also unimpressive during the 1st round, but came round with the win over Espana. Called my friend in France (about 6pm) and spoke for about 1/2 hr. before she brushed me off, because she and her husband were off to a bar to meet a couple of friends for the 9pm game (europe time). I knew that Germany would beat Argentina (home field advantage) and that Portugal would beat England ( England didn't look good during the 1st round and limped thru the second round on the Beckham Bend - brilliant by the way). Germany will beat Italy and France will beat Portugal to set up the Germany vs. France final with Deutschland winning it all ! That's all for now ...

ash · Post by **ash** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 2:26 am

Starfish wrote:I like the comment from Alan Shearer in the studio about Rooney "sticking one on" Ronaldo when pre-season training starts at Man Utd...

I missed most of the second half, so didn't see exactly why Rooney was sent off until I saw the round-up this morning... and oh my, that was one fair boot in the nads...

Germany - France final?

Post by **spzretent** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 3:58 am

this is what I have figured out from watching most of the matches. the really good teams are hitting their stride now. it must be hard to build any sort of "team" practcing for 3 days here and four days there until you get to the pre World Cup final stage. then what do you have 3 weeks? 1 month?
France really seem to be getting better each match. as a "team". Italy have played better and better too.
but England were lucky to get to this stage. every couple of years its always something. Beckham red card. Rooney red card. and oh the penalties???
is Lampard getting grilled in England this morning? Rooney? Sven? Svens's comments were idiotic after the match. "We practice penalties a lot. Nothing more I can say."

Post by **runcible** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 6:08 pm

Fuzzhead wrote:Hard luck England. You fought well today.

However, if you had a manager with even the slightest bit of creativity the World Cup could have been yours. You really don't deserve it playing such dull football.

Ronaldo has some nerve though eh?!

This post sums up Eriksson's team tactics very succintly. Crap basically. And dull as any team I've ever seen.

However I will say that the only time I saw the tactics work was when Rooney was sent off - England changed into a rearguard action and it worked. I was astonished - Eriksson had to change things and he got it right. However playing for penalties with the remarkable record we have is somewhat naive. Everyone supporting England must have felt doomed at that point! All England's penalties were terrible, including the one that went in. Robinson has never been a good penalty stopper - he was the same at Leeds even though he's a good keeper.

Ronaldo is an arse and has been ever since I first saw him play.

Brazil's complacency is what seems to have cost them. I was actually sitting outside having a fab supper in the warm supper night and a choice glass of wine during most of that game. Saw the end bit and France looked far superior.

So now - I don't want Germany to win because... well, sadly I never want them to win. And I don't want Portugal to win because I think they cheat too much and their best player, Figo, is a right tosser. Italy? Hmmm, with the recent scandal going on I'm unconvinced Italian football deserves the World Cup. Which leaves France... Henry going down clutching his face after Puyol's challenge is all I have against them. So I guess I'll be hoping Les Blues finish off as Champions.

Fuzzhead · Post by **Fuzzhead** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 6:34 pm

runcible wrote:
Ronaldo is an arse and has been ever since I first saw him play.

I think you've just spoken for the entire English nation!

Plenty of Man United fans share this view now too.

I don't know if we'll see him back on English shores - and I can't say I'd be too annoyed.

Post by **runcible** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 7:01 pm

spzretent wrote: is Lampard getting grilled in England this morning? Rooney? Sven? Svens's comments were idiotic after the match. "We practice penalties a lot. Nothing more I can say."

It is Eriksson who is getting the biggest slating, and rightly so. His choice of strikers was exposed last night. If we'd have got to the semis we'd have just Crouch and Walcott to choose from. Idiotic. If they practice lots of penalties I hate to think what they were like before!

Rooney will have a shit time for a while when he plays in the Premiership - what a dickhead. And Lampard, possibly the best midfielder in his class I can think of, was crap in every game I saw him play. Mysteriously he had more shots in the World Cup than anyone else - it's just that most of them reached the second tier of the stand behind the goal. For me he was the most disappointing player for England.

spacemanrich · Post by **spacemanrich** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:54 am

Runcible,

It wasn't a suprise that England lost, considering their poor play and it didn't seem that they had the 'chemistry'. They only beat Ecuador on that beautiful Beckham Bend. Even though everyone was rooting for Brazil and they won their group easily, I was unimpressed with their play. I thought Argentina was the better team in S.America. Very impressed with Germany - home team advantage helps a lot. France was also mediocre in the first round with two draws and a 2-0 victory over Togo - not exactly a futbol powerhouse, but watching that game it seemed that they had team chemistry going for them and extended that with the win the suprissing win over Spain. I knew that France would Brazil - can't explain it. I knew that Zizou, Henry, Ribery and Viera had something to prove and that the the futbol world doesn't revolve around Ronaldo, Ronaldhino, Kaku, Cafu and R.Carlos !

Germany vs. France and Germany takes the Cup !

ash · Post by **ash** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 6:01 am

*cough*

spacemanrich · Post by **spacemanrich** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:22 pm

Kinda tasteless, innit ? You go live in Ghana in 110 degree sweltering heat, eating gruel and walking 5 miles to get water where you have to boil to kill the bacteria and viruses ...

sly saxon · Post by **sly saxon** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:23 pm

spacemanrich wrote:Kinda tasteless, innit?

No flies on you, are there?

I don't think Ghana's one of the bad ones... as long as we keep buying their chocolate they'll be ok (for Africa).

*keeps buying chocolate*

a beautiful noise · Post by **a beautiful noise** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 5:07 pm

Les Blues finish off as Champions.[/quote]

well i hope Les Bleus take it.

sorry, my father would have disowned me if he knew that i didn't correct that.

m
e

apesgrapes · Post by **apesgrapes** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:09 pm

much as i wanted his plane back to portugal to crash (fuck the collateral damage) i thought that cheeky wink was

x10000.

Muscles · Post by **Muscles** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 2:17 am

SVEN is shit. My sister could coach better! WHY THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!
would he take out LENNON?
dude was having a fantastic game!
CLOWN he replaced him with MISSED THE FUCKING SHOT!

So....

Everybody got their SAUERKRAUT, BRATWURST,BIERS ON ICE!!!!!!!!!!!

HEEEEHAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Muscles · Post by **Muscles** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:26 pm

???????????????????

???????????????????????????????????????

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Starfish · Post by **Starfish** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:27 pm

fucking awesome match.

Starfish · Post by **Starfish** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:31 pm

The referee had so much to do with why it was a great game.
It was end to end stuff, the game kept flowing and the reason for
that was that the referee refused to oblige any diving or play-acting
... meaning that after a while, the players realised it was a pointless
ploy and so got on with the game.

I loved Grosso's "Tardelli moment" too.

(I always thought he looked a bit like Jason Pierce..)

Post by **runcible** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:56 pm

Yeah spot on. The best ref performance so far. Mind you that's not saying much - the standard has been dreadful.

2 fab goals too - I really thought no one would score.

The compettition needed it. Personally I think it's been a pretty drab tournament with few classic games, way too much cheating and lots of very negative tactics. Before anyone leaps in and says I'm grumbling cos I'm English I'll say again that England were the most boring team in it. I'll add that the greatest ever World Cup (sadly bar the final itself) was USA 94 which had endless glorious matches and in which England didn't play... Still remains the World Cup I enjoyed the most.

Post by **spzretent** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 10:58 pm

it is a great game when the diving wussies realize they aren't getting the fouls. those two goals were not only brilliant but with under 2 minutes left. To quote one Mr. Bart Simpson.."Aye Carumba"!
Now I understand Jogo Bonito.

spacemanrich · Post by **spacemanrich** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:47 am

Great Game ! Great Ref ! He let them play on. If you want to flop you ain't going to get the call ! I noticed that most of the Italians were trying to get the sympathy on the most slightest things. Oh, the German player touched me, I'm going to go down and plea injury - it ain't going to work and that's what it should be. Thought that it was going into PK's, but that it was a brilliant first goal and it broke down after that. Lehman worked his fucking butt off blocking all those shots on goal that's for sure.

France over Portugal tomorrow.

Jasonsmith · Post by **Jasonsmith** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 2:10 am

I was at the game, and Italy deserved the win. Germany didn't create enough chances and were slow getting forward. Ballack was off his game too. The German crowd were a bit rubbish though, whistling throughout the Italian national anthem and while Italy had possession, and chanting 'you're just a bunch of pizza deliverers'. Not even England were that rude, at least against Sweden.

ash · Post by **ash** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 2:37 am

Jasonsmith wrote:'you're just a bunch of pizza deliverers'.

Best. Chant. Ever.

At least now my German neighbours will stop waking me up with their earsplittingly loud banter at 4am...

Post by **spzretent** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 2:33 pm

I know this isn't World Cup related but since i liken this as the equivalent of the Spz Message board sports page i'm posting it here.
This was my day as a Detroit sports fan Monday.
Steve Yzerman, the Red Wings longest serving captain(20 years) in our ice hockey team's history and the most humble, classy player on and off the ice retired. He had his knee reconstructed a few years ago and no athlete I know of has ever had this surgery and still gone on to play at a high level. While this is sad it was somewhat expected and truly is the end of an era for Detroit sports fans, where ice hockey is rabidly supported, everywhere. And he managed to play his entire career with one team which is very rare.
Then, late monday night, the heart and soul of the Detroit Pistons our pro basketball team, Ben Wallace, signed with the Chicago Bulls. Pretty much our main rivals thru the years. No one in Detroit thought this was even a remote possibilty and yet it happened. And it was about one thing, money.
Just another indication of how money has totally ruined sports.
So in the space of 12 hours we had the heart ripped right out of two of the four major sports teams here.

spacemanrich · Post by **spacemanrich** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 3:47 pm

Your right Spzretent this isn't World Cup related. Maybe you should have started another post under the header, " Tribute to Detroit Sports Players " or " The demise of them " or something like that

Muscles · Post by **Muscles** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 4:37 pm

I went to an INDEPENDENCE DAY PARTY last night and got a bag of COCCAINE and drank 400 BEERS ...

I still remember the score and those GOALS.

I am still fucking miserable...

With any luck...

ITALY will win it ALL!

My friend was over for the game and his dad was from ITALY.

I knew I should have watched the game alone.

He kept chanting "GO GUIDO" for the fucking entire match.

Post by **spzretent** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 5:59 pm

spacemanrich wrote:Your right Spzretent this isn't World Cup related. Maybe you should have started another post under the header, " Tribute to Detroit Sports Players " or " The demise of them " or something like that

I just thought I would share this rather shitty sports day w/those who feel as passionately about sport(s) as I do. I'm pretty sure most of those i'm talikng about peruse this thread.
So as gutted as Ash and Ads feel about their respective teams so do I. Except I have to see one player now playing for a bitter rival and one not ever playing again.
So I too am gutted. At least i dont have to wait another 4 years.

Shinesalight · Post by **Shinesalight** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 7:55 pm

Yeah, its a real gutter when a player you love leaves your team...especially when they head off to the rival team. However, you should consol yourself with the fact that you have a local team in 4 major sports (although, as I've said before, and will again, how baseball can be considered a sport, let alone the national sport beats me!!!

).

I feel lucky in that Brighton has a football team (admitedly a not very good one) and our county cricket team can be quite useful. There is a basketball team too but I know shit all about them and have no desire too. Rather go and watch my God-daughter in her netball tournamount!

Post by **spzretent** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:12 pm

Baseball is as big as it is because for the better part of a half century it was our version of soccer. It was the only major sport. Its hard to explain but you can go to a game and bullshit with friends and the game moves along at its own pace. I love that part of it. I'm not one of those that needs constant action.
Its ironic that people here think of ice hockey as a minor sport exept for Canadians and a few markets in the US.
I suppose most N Americans would say the same about cricket.

On a W Cup note, nice to see C Ronaldo become the most reviled player in the tournament.

a beautiful noise · Post by **a beautiful noise** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 10:44 pm

ohh i can't wait to see ronaldo and rooney at that first practice together.

can you believe it, Les Bleus in the final. excellent and well done. they are gonna need everything they got to crack that "pizza delivery" defence.

i've been saying it since the start, ANYBODY BUT ITALY.

sorry, i live in the area of little italy here in sun diego and have been bombared with it for almost a year, i don't think i could handle it if they actually win it.

here's to sunday, may at be a great one.

m
e

spacemanrich · Post by **spacemanrich** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:47 pm

One word, " Zizhou " ! Beautiful, another well reffed game. Portuguese were flopping like fishes, but not as much as the Italians. The Italians vs. Germans were pathetic ! One single touch and they go down with hands on their faces grimacing with pain ! Get up you fucking p*ssies ! Takes away from flow of the game ...

Post by **spzretent** » Thu Jul 06, 2006 1:10 am

Wish the refs would have been doing that from game 1!

sly saxon · Post by **sly saxon** » Thu Jul 06, 2006 9:41 am

spzretent wrote:
spacemanrich wrote:Your right Spzretent this isn't World Cup related. Maybe you should have started another post under the header, " Tribute to Detroit Sports Players " or " The demise of them " or something like that
I just thought I would share this rather shitty sports day w/those who feel as passionately about sport(s) as I do. I'm pretty sure most of those i'm talikng about peruse this thread.
So as gutted as Ash and Ads feel about their respective teams so do I. Except I have to see one player now playing for a bitter rival and one not ever playing again.
So I too am gutted. At least i dont have to wait another 4 years.

I am a Southampton FC follower. It's all go there, I'll tell you.

Actually, it seems to be looking up for once. Maybe by the end of the season we'll be able to look Harry Redknapp in the eye.

Shinesalight · Post by **Shinesalight** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:05 pm

What on earth was Zidane thinking? What a way for a legend to end their football career. Be interesting to hear the inside story. Well done Italy. Now England really do have the worst record at taking pens.

Post by **runcible** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:15 pm

And so it ends...

My blog thing:
- The worst World Cup Tournament I can ever remember. I have watched avidly since 1982 although am old enough to remember a lot of 1974 and 1978. There were so few games of any memorable quality (sure - a couple, but fewer than ever before).

- The team with the most corrupt football in the world won it. How appalling is that? Almost as bad as the nastiest team in the world winning the UEFA Cup Final in 2000, and then being awarded the Champions League Final in 2005. Leeds fan bias? I'd have felt the same no matter who I'd supported - I was even supporting Man U against them a few years earlier which shows how low they rate for me. But that's another story.

- The team I wanted to win the final lost, but by the time they did my disgust for Zidane was in full swing. Quite what he thought he'd achieve with his headbutt is beyond me. He was the best player on the pitch, yet he will be remembered for being a tosser. He cost his country dear and I am absolutely appalled at what happened.

- For it to finish on penalties is, quite simply, rubbish.

- Football is basically about 2 things: greed and cheating. The latter was rife throughout the tournament. Both are what have ruined the sport for me. The greed is tricky to deal with, the cheating simple, yet no one does anything about either.

Ah well. All too predictable - from the diving and ref conning to the England no-show. Personally I'd like to see Aussie Rules introduced here. It's just as exciting and the people who play it are so fucking hard the very idea of cheating is somewhat remote. If someone stays on the ground its normally because of something serious, such as head-loss or abdomen dismemberment. No fucking around there.

Pissed off with the whole World Cup thing to be honest.

jack white · Post by **jack white** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:17 pm

well its kinda par for the course for materazzi. but even taking into account the twat he can be, the fact that zidane has always had that temper, it's still shocking and disappointing he acted upon it tonight.

but, though it was a terrible, terrible match, and the french actually the better side on the night (though, thats not exactly high praise), im happy the italians won. ive grown up on italian football (thanks to james richardson), and there are a bunch of footballers in that squad that deserve no less than a world cup winners medal (though the likes of de rossi and materazzi deserve something else altogether). and it will hopefully do wonders for italian football in general which has had a torrid time over the past 12 years.
and they have been the most solid and consistant team in this competition, outside of argentina the best football side and are winners who deserve it.

ash · Post by **ash** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 1:21 am

runcible wrote:The team with the most corrupt football in the world won it. How appalling is that?

Agreed. My hope is that the case now doesn't go along the lines of "oh, well we've just won the World Cup, and half these fantastic players are going to be punished along with their teams, and we can't have that now, can we - you're all off scott free". Or something like that.

Also the team with the highest quotient of "oh noes I've just had a bit of a tap from an elbow to my shoulder I think I'd better writhe around on the ground for a few minutes with both hands on my face just in case anybody missed it" won it. Is this what all of Serie A is like?? At least Zidane sat there with little more than a grimace after he'd dislocated his shoulder. (Can't wait to find out what Materazzi said to him...)

I feel sorry for the stretcher bearers in attendance at Italy's games. The number of times they had to run on, only for the seemingly near death player to miraculously spring up and continue the game as soon as they'd arrived, was amazing...

runcible wrote:Personally I'd like to see Aussie Rules introduced here. It's just as exciting and the people who play it are so fucking hard the very idea of cheating is somewhat remote. If someone stays on the ground its normally because of something serious, such as head-loss or abdomen dismemberment. No fucking around there.

Tell you what, if you're ever down this way, let me know and I'll take you to a game.

Post by **spzretent** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 1:56 am

ash wrote:
(Can't wait to find out what Materazzi said to him...)

.

Must have been the mother of all insults based purely on the reaction it got.

I think Australia is a lot like the US in that we dont tolerate cheating/diving like apparently FIFA does. And especially the European teams. Specifically, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, The Czechs....

Post by **spzretent** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 2:34 am

i just read online the remark was thought to be racist in nature.
Now Materazzi will of course deny it. Because thats what they do. Lie, cheat, dive and on and on.

jack white · Post by **jack white** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 2:35 am

pfft. all materazzi did was give zizou a titty nip and call him baldy. zidane is just an surly old bastard. "surly looks out for one guy - surly!"

and italians are no worse than the english or portugese at the old diving business.

Post by **spzretent** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 2:55 am

i think they are far worse than the English.

Muscles · Post by **Muscles** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 3:50 am

Congratulations to ITALY! At the end of the day they are THE WORLD CHAMPIONS. I thought it was a fantastic game. Tons of Drama!
I wanted DEUTSCHLAND but ya know they were hosting and the country won...

ZIDANE lost it for his country. Michael Jordan I am sure has been called alot of things, but I have never seen him headbutt anyone in a championship game!

RIDICULOUS!!!!!! anyway you slice it.

The players only behave in a way that the LEAGUE allows so WHY blame them?

LET ITALY!!!!! have their moment in the sun!

It's been fucking since 1983?

I must say I watched alot of games and I wish this would be every year instead of every 4!

VIVA ITALIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

VIVA WORLD CUP!

Now where can I buy some PERONI!?!?

ash · Post by **ash** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 5:42 am

Muscles wrote:LET ITALY!!!!! have their moment in the sun!

It's been fucking since 1983?

Jeepers, they've been fucking longer than STING!

You can see it in the look on Materazzi's face as he goes down after that paltry little head shiner from the Bald Master.

clewsr · Post by **clewsr** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:22 am

runcible wrote:And so it ends...

My blog thing:
- The team with the most corrupt football in the world won it. How appalling is that? Almost as bad as the nastiest team in the world winning the UEFA Cup Final in 2000, and then being awarded the Champions League Final in 2005. Leeds fan bias? I'd have felt the same no matter who I'd supported - I was even supporting Man U against them a few years earlier which shows how low they rate for me. But that's another story.

I find it bizzarre that you manage to find a way to slag of Liverpool amongst your rant against the world cup. And your description of them being the nastiest team in the world just doesn't fit with me. I'm no big Liverpool fan, but you seem to have found any excuse to have a pop.

Overall I think I'm happy the Italians won it. The French didn't do enough to desereve it, and with 1998 and 2000 they've won enough recently.

The lack of goals in open play has been really disappointing. Perhaps they need to make the goals bigger!, or perhaps introduce multi balls like in the becks advert.

The the that strikes me most is that with a slightly more sensible formation and perhaps a tactic or two I would have fancied England's chances against any of the Semi Final teams - none of them were that good. This was a very winnable world cup, so our ignoble exit is even more disappointing.

Starfish · Post by **Starfish** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:58 am

ash wrote:I feel sorry for the stretcher bearers in attendance at Italy's games. The number of times they had to run on, only for the seemingly near death player to miraculously spring up and continue the game as soon as they'd arrived, was amazing.

Yeah, it was like the stretcher-bearing vultures in the Bedknobs & Broomsticks football match.

Starfish · Post by **Starfish** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:11 am

just heard that Zidane has been awarded the Golden Ball as FIFA's player of the tournament.

This is not a joke, apparently.

Leggy Mountbatten · Post by **Leggy Mountbatten** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:43 am

Oh, well done everybody.

At least the Federation Internationale is as completely fucking inept as our own dear FA.

I can't help thinking England would have done a bit better if the great British Press hadn't decided to get the manager sacked before the tournament. That's not to say he wasn't useless, but...

mark · Post by **mark** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:43 pm

clewsr wrote:
runcible wrote:And so it ends...

My blog thing:
- The team with the most corrupt football in the world won it. How appalling is that? Almost as bad as the nastiest team in the world winning the UEFA Cup Final in 2000, and then being awarded the Champions League Final in 2005. Leeds fan bias? I'd have felt the same no matter who I'd supported - I was even supporting Man U against them a few years earlier which shows how low they rate for me. But that's another story.
I find it bizzarre that you manage to find a way to slag of Liverpool amongst your rant against the world cup. And your description of them being the nastiest team in the world just doesn't fit with me. I'm no big Liverpool fan, but you seem to have found any excuse to have a pop.

Overall I think I'm happy the Italians won it. The French didn't do enough to desereve it, and with 1998 and 2000 they've won enough recently.

The lack of goals in open play has been really disappointing. Perhaps they need to make the goals bigger!, or perhaps introduce multi balls like in the becks advert.

The the that strikes me most is that with a slightly more sensible formation and perhaps a tactic or two I would have fancied England's chances against any of the Semi Final teams - none of them were that good. This was a very winnable world cup, so our ignoble exit is even more disappointing.

Think Runicibles talking about Galatasaray and turkish football, and as a leeds fan, he has reason to bear a grudge.

clewsr · Post by **clewsr** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 1:23 pm

ah. I think you are right. No arguments there then.

Post by **spzretent** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 2:53 pm

Starfish wrote:just heard that Zidane has been awarded the Golden Ball as FIFA's player of the tournament.

This is not a joke, apparently.

He would have won the Golden Head too but he missed his target by about a foot.

spacemanrich · Post by **spacemanrich** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 3:03 pm

Pretty intense, nerve wrenching game. Again, another good referee that kept the game in check. Shit, it was good up until the point where Zizhou headbutted the Italian player. Totally, would have to be a racist/ethnic slur for him to do that late in the game. Not only the championship game, but his very last professional game ! Give it to the Italians to flop and call people racist names to win. If they want to win that way, then fuck them !

Post by **runcible** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 5:13 pm

mark wrote:

Think Runicibles talking about Galatasaray and turkish football, and as a leeds fan, he has reason to bear a grudge.

Glad someone worked that one out. No problem with Liverpool.

All of football saw the horrors of Turkish football fans at their worst, and I suspect most people feel the same way I do no matter who they support.

But that was a digression. On the diving front everyone has some guilt, its just the Italians are among the most guilty - equal with Germany and just behind Portugal. The day John Terry starts diving is when I know football is dead. I suspect that might be a long way off. Try and imagine people like Jack Charlton or Tommy Smith throwing themselves to the floor in years gone by - its unthinkable.

Blatant cheating. Its overtaken greed as the element that is destroying what I used to call football.

Post by **runcible** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 5:17 pm

ash wrote:
runcible wrote:
runcible wrote:Personally I'd like to see Aussie Rules introduced here. It's just as exciting and the people who play it are so fucking hard the very idea of cheating is somewhat remote. If someone stays on the ground its normally because of something serious, such as head-loss or abdomen dismemberment. No fucking around there.
Tell you what, if you're ever down this way, let me know and I'll take you to a game.

Very kind - that would be fun. I've been to a couple. Last one was Melbourne (Christ - North Melbourne? Black vest with a diagonal red stripe) vs Geelong (with the legendary Gary Ablett) in 1990 at the MCG. I have a lot of family in Australia (all Carlton fans) so I have some interest.

jack white · Post by **jack white** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:20 pm

runcible wrote:The day John Terry starts diving is when I know football is dead. I suspect that might be a long way off.

oh come on. is there a vomit emoticon on this board?

terry is a grade A cunt. and to suggest that he is above getting an unfair advantage on the football pitch is outrageous. i know its not diving, but cheating is cheating and this is a guy who has mastered the art of a penaltybox handball. he was called on it once last season when really there were at least another 8 or 9 occassions that spring to mind straight off the bat.
and im pretty sure he isnt adverse to falling over at the slightest touch either. for lampard and cole certainly arent (the latter makes the portugese look saintly).

david weatherall, now there was a man!

Post by **runcible** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:40 pm

Ha ha! Terry may be guilty of what you say, but I think what we're really going on about are the ones who clutch their limbs as if bitten by a pitbull terrier, get the foul, then come straight back into the game.

Cheating is a varying affair. Jack Charlton dived to save a shot at the end of the 1966 semi-final against Portugal. They didn't send them off for that back then - the Portuguese scored with the resultant penalty. I don't think Big Jack thought he'd get away without conceding the foul somehow!

It's the frenzied writhing and play acting which disgusts most people, although I hate the ludicrous dives that often accompany said injury fakers. Steven Gerrard must be one of the strongest players in the world, yet in the penalty box he'll fall if brushed by the opposition. Emile Heskey was the same (by the way I am not comparing talent here, just actions).

Starfish · Post by **Starfish** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:46 pm

runcible wrote:
mark wrote: Try and imagine people like Jack Charlton or Tommy Smith throwing themselves to the floor in years gone by - its unthinkable.

Almost. Same era gave us Francis Lee, one of the biggest cheating divers of all time.

Post by **runcible** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 11:16 pm

Starfish wrote:
runcible wrote:
mark wrote: Try and imagine people like Jack Charlton or Tommy Smith throwing themselves to the floor in years gone by - its unthinkable.
Almost. Same era gave us Francis Lee, one of the biggest cheating divers of all time.

And Rodney Marsh - a total nob (and who still is for anyone who listens to Talk Sport radio in the UK).

Cheating was around at that time, more on the continent where it was pretty common. My dad went to a lot of away Leeds games in Europe in the glory era and still goes on about how everyone was astonished at what was commonplace all over mainland Europe. A few bits of video footage are about still that were extraordinary at the time but which look normal nowadays.

But those 2 players I mentioned? Oh no. Chuck into that hard cases like Ron Harris (who only cheated by kicking people into next week), Billy Bremner, Don Mackay, Ray Kennedy, Joe Corrigan... Players like this would take a kick and get on with it.

Speaking of Francis Lee... Anyone remember the hilarious fight between him and Norman Hunter (one of the greatest hard men of all)? Lee looked like the kid in the playground who loses it and was swinging wildly at thin air as big Norman dodged his blows. Both get sent off and then start fighting again as they reach the tunnel. Quality.

jack white · Post by **jack white** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 11:37 pm

all materazzi said was that he had slept with zidanes mother the previous night and that she was an algerian whore.

the twist is that on sunday morning zidanes mother fell ill, or sicker as she had been ill for some time, and it was an extra sensitive issue with him.

materazzi didnt call him a terrorist. nor was overtly racist (though he has been previously).

he is an absolute cunt and certainly seems to have had that attack coming for a long time. if not much worse.

Spiritualized

The World Cup

The World Cup -