Sergio Leone Web Board
Other/Miscellaneous => Off-Topic Discussion => Topic started by: Banjo on December 10, 2005, 05:23:16 AM
-
This is really a question for USA members and as an Englishman i'm totally chuffed with our drawn group of England,Paraguay,Sweden and Trinidad-i'm sure we'll walk it-touch wood!!!
USA have drawn Italy,Ghana,and Czech Republic and i would like to know how many of you guys in the USA will be following your team?Soccer(we call it football) is our national game in the UK and i've always been under the impression that it is a minority sport in the USA played and enjoyed by teenagers at college,although saying that the are a small number of Amercans playing in our top league.I am amazed considering this that the USA team is ranked in the worlds top ten nations although some detracters claim that you play easy opposition all the time !How do you guys fancy your chances next year and do you think you'd stand a chance if you bumped into England?
-
I worked on a film called Goal, and if I hadn't lived in a country that lived and breathed Soccer then I would have been put off the sport by the film ;D. My sister, loves soccer, me its baseball all the way.
-
From looking at your personal profile you've thrown me Leone_Admirer-i took it that you are a born and bred Londoner!!
What was this film called Goal (and you involvement)and how long have you been in the UK?
-
Oh I am a New Yorker stuck in a Londeners body ;D . I'm just waiting till I can move over to the states and work on films there. (believe me it drives my family nuts). Goal is the first film in a planned trilogy (the second film is shooting now). It came out in September, I worked in the editing room for it. I got to go to see the cast and crew screening, which was the last time I go to see it, needless to say it wasn't my cup of tea
-
I read something by Hex about your involvement in film making but i had no idea you had got into it to such an extent (that explains your obscure (to me) top 10 movies-future director?-you must have lots of influences apart from Leone- i guess you know a whole lot more about directing than me-i know zilch really but am reasonable at telling whether a film is good or not!
-
You flatter me too much banjo :-[, I'm a director in training, but at the moment I am an editor/editors assistant. I have done a mixture of Adverts and Indie films. I have been working in the industry since I was 15. My motto is to watch as many different films as possible which is why I have a pretty big DVD collection and am always trying to learn about the history of film. I am currently in prep on my first proffesional short which is a noir flick, harking back to my favourite era of the studio system and with noir directors such as Preminger, Fuller and Dassin to name a few of the directorial influences that have helped me shape the idea of the short.
-
Wow i feel pretty amazed by all that and regretfully i haven't heard of the noir directors you mention.If i ever manage to get it toghether and write up a half decent SW review i'm going to have to watch my P's and Q's with a future director reading them-and i feel guilty about pushing all that Sabata etc stuff on you now he,he.
What sort of movie do you intend to make eventually?
-
Cinematic genres, noirs, westerns dramas etc. I'm in love with old Hollywood and I think audiences would like to see that re-interepreted (not by remakes but like Jacksons Kong or Polanski's Chinatown) I would love to do a Bond film. I wanna do an Woody Allen and shoto all my films in New York, except the westerns of course. Your comments about Sabata were very interesting, I liked the fact that I see two sides to a film and you never know, perhaps in the future I may re-evaluate it and like it (though I doubt it ;D )
-
Cinematic genres, noirs, westerns dramas etc. I'm in love with old Hollywood and I think audiences would like to see that re-interepreted (not by remakes but like Jacksons Kong or Polanski's Chinatown) I would love to do a Bond film. I wanna do an Woody Allen and shoto all my films in New York, except the westerns of course. Your comments about Sabata were very interesting, I liked the fact that I see two sides to a film and you never know, perhaps in the future I may re-evaluate it and like it (though I doubt it ;D )
Westerns,dramas,Bond films in the old style-you sound like my kinda guy!!!I not all that keen on all the endless effects laden movies we get served up which are indistinguishable from the computer games released with the films.Most of my favourite movies are pre-1980!
I didn't know Polanski was remaking Chinatown but i've got some of his movies on tape which i like The Nth Gate,Rosemarys Baby,Frantic(i think thats Polanski) and i'm sure one or two others!
-
Oh no apolgies, hes not remaking China town I just meant that he is re-interpretation of noir fascinated me. This years films, my fave has been Clooneys Good Night And Good Luck whcih was a damn good drama and also the best night of my life (it was the closing night gala of the London Film Fest and at the after premiere party I got to chat to George, dance with the main actress Patricia Clarkson and talk to Colin Salmon who plays Robinson in the bond films, that was only a few of the people I met. The best blockbuster I saw this year was War of the Worlds because it tried to tell a story and used the effects to help it, not drown it.
-
I was tempted by War of the Worlds(fantastic HG Wells story!) despite being a remake of the fifties classic but i'm not a huge Tom Cruise fan though i respect his acting talents.Another problem i find with modern day Hollywood productions is the vomit-inducing OTT sentimentality at the end of these films (i assumed there'll be loads of this with Cruise in WOTW) which just doesn't happen in British movies.Hopefully WOTW will turn up on TV in the next year so i can give it a fair look then!
I've completely forgotten this is a thread about next years World Cup Finals!!!
-
Me too, maybe we should rename it! Apologies for bringing it off topic.
-
So for an American in a Londoners body,if pushed, are you supporting England or the USA next year?
-
Both ;), If it comes to both playing each other, depends on if I want to annoy my family or not.
-
I was uncertain whether to answer this: an Englishman calling football "soccer".
P.S. Banjo, why did I ever have the impression that you were a belgian?
-
It was the only way i thought to catch the attention of USA football fans to which i was really addressing my questions to.However the only response so far is from an trans-nationalist Londoner.To think that the USA hosted this best tornament in the world in 1994 as well as (on paper,hehe)being in the top 10 teams.There must be some American members here that like their footie?
I'm a Sussex born and bred Englishman pretending to the cool dude in Sabata,the similarity being the instrument ,but not the bells!!
What do you think about Italys chances,Titoli-that is unless you are English(or something else) in disguise?
-
trans-nationalist Londoner
I think I'm going to ask to have this put on my passport when I get it renknewed ;D
-
You like baseball,but have you yet adopted the New York drawl?
-
Well I go politely rebuked by an editor for using American slang (I didn't mean to honest its just how I speak) but no, I've still got an upper middle class accent that sticks out a mile in Soho ;D
-
Well i should keep it because they say the Americans love the English accent!!
-
What do you think about Italys chances,Titoli-
I think it is hazardous to say, expecially 6 months before the event. My guess is that an european team is gonna win, as usual when the tournament is played over here. I think Italy's chances are as good as those of any other european leading team.
that is unless you are English(or something else) in disguise?
Sure.
-
You've got a tougher group than England Titoli with the Czech Republic and USA(if they live up to their ranking that is!).Don't know about Ghana though.
Although Brazil are every neutrals favourite team,apart from Germany or France(they had their turn only 7 years ago and they were lucky!) i would prefer a European team to win it next year.I'm envious of you having seen Italy win it in 1982-Paolo Rossi and that game with Brazil-WOW-and i pray to see England once more lift the trophy before i reach my zimmer frame!
-
Well, I think that we should have won the cup in 1978 and 1990 and not in 1982, when Brazil was the best team. And, don't laugh, I think we should have had our chance against Brasil in the last edition. Unfortunately our manager wasn't up to the technical level of the team and we succumbed to the odd manoeuvres against us made by FIFA rulers who sent a delinquent to be the referee in the match against Corea. I like english football, for me the only place where the game is played the way it was meant to be.
And I was really moved, as everybody else, by the recent demise of GB. RIP.
-
I can't remember 1978 all that well,only 11 then!
Brazil were definately the best team in 1982 but were badly let down by a dodgy defence and goalkeeper but Italy deserved it after knocking out brazil in that incredible game.England played well in 1982 and were unbeaten but went out because we couldn't score enough goals in the stupid second stage system.
Like England ,were Italy were knocked out on penalties in 1990?Its said both our countries are the unluckiest in the world in these stupid shootouts.In 1990 England would have murdered Argentina in the final to avenge that cheating Maradona had we beaten the lucky Germans in the semis penalty shootout.I also fancied our chances in 1998 before Beckham decided to get himself sent off in the quaters with help from Argentina.
We also threw it away in 2002 to Brazil with them having a man sent off and the flukey lob by the same player.
England just seemed destined to always mess up and it drives me nuts!!!
-
Talking about unluck, just remember how we lost a european championship to France.
-
France were undoubtably a better set up by 2000(no way were they the best team in 1998 and were lucky the way Brazil messed up in the final) but yes Italy were very hard done by that night !
-
Titoli,its looking a bit like only you and i care about the World Cup next year.Perhaps the USA membership on this site isn't very representative of sports fans there but maybe as i thought its only the kids there that are interested which is a shame.
How about an England versus Italy final and may the best team win!!!
-
Let's talk about it again in June, uh?
-
Yes,we'll resurrect this thread then!
-
OK Titoli-resurrected as promised!
Good news for England-it appears that Wayne Rooney might even be fit for Englands opener against Paraguay on Saturday :D .Any news about Totti?
-
Me thinks me beign cynical but the chances of England winning are... remote ;D
-
Are you going to be an Englishman again just for a month possibly? ::)
Anyway its all down to luck and our squad is as good as any other barring Brazil.
-
I don't like soccer/football but I'm not anti English, I'm just being realistic.
-
It is of course obvious that Sweden will win the tournament! ;D Atleast England can get the second place (I think because they start in the same group). ;)
-
I'd forgotten Sweden are Englands bogey team and the last time we beat you was when dinosaurs roamed the world! :(
-
Thanx, Banjo, for the thread.
A yellow card for LA having surreptitiously introduced the word "soccer", banned here.
Totti is the real question that can influence Italy's performance. With him playing the same way he was before he was slaughtered, Italy is among the candidates to the title. Actually, if we had all the players in top form and with no injured ones (like Zambrotta and Nesta) we could also play without him with good chances of doing a great tournament. The problem is that (as always happen) only 2 players seem to be in top form: De Rossi and Cannavaro. The rest of the team looked like it was way behind in training in the two test matches last week. But of course that has no value. To win a World Cup with 7 matches in a month you have to start slow and pick up speed gradually. Otherwise you do like we did in Argentina, when we were the best team in the first 2 weeks and lost both semifinals and small final. So what will be Italy's performance is anybody's guess.
And of course there's also the question of the scandal: in Italy nobody seems currently to be aware that the World Cup is about to begin: everybody is talking of the scandal. Last Sunday a Juventus F.C. fan was killed by an Inter F.C. fan: just to let you know where the interest lies.
Of course, there are also the words of Beckenbauer two weeks ago which would let presume that team Italy was going to be penalized by referees in this tournament because of the scandal.
-
Thanx, Banjo, for the thread.
A yellow card for LA having surreptitiously introduced the word "soccer", banned here.
To win a World Cup with 7 matches in a month you have to start slow and pick up speed gradually. Of course, there are also the words of Beckenbauer two weeks ago which would let presume that team Italy was going to be penalized by referees in this tournament because of the scandal.
Titoli i did change the offending word to "Football" today.
Like in 1982 Italy are the masters of starting slow and the gradually building momentum-you were very unlucky the way you went out to Korea in the last World Cup.
As an Englishman i'm mostly concerned about our inability to take penalties which is also a problem for Italy i remember.Statitiscally to get the final a country will encounter at least one penalty shootout.
-
will Rooney make it for first round?
-
will Rooney make it for first round?
Rooney has been filmed(much to Man Utds dismay ;D) in tha last day or two running around,kicking footballs including scissors kicks as if he doesn't have a care in the world.He may be fit enough to play Paraguay on Saturday but the general consensus is that he should be rested until the knock out stages-the rest of the squad should be good enough without him anyway-and with Rooneys propensity to pick up yellow cards very quickly i'd prefer he missed the easier games.
-
To be perfectly honest, I have about as much interest in the World Cup as the average European has in the Super Bowl. . . even if the US makes it past the first round (somehow I doubt it), I could care less. Sorry, I've just never been a soccer/football fan. (Then again, American football is the only sport I've ever really liked. . .)
-
Well the USA is a one-off it would appear in this respect because the rest of the world is totally football mad-you should see the hundreds of England flags already flying in my town and it doesn't start till Friday.
This apparent isolation from football , does this partly explain why you have "world series ;D" in sport events where the only participants are American teams? ::)
-
This apparent isolation from football , does this partly explain why you have "world series ;D"
we have what?
I dont follow sports no matter what nationality they come from.
I do enjoy Cricket though...(yes I lied) ;D
-
To be perfectly honest, I have about as much interest in the World Cup as the average European has in the Super Bowl. . .
You mean the World Series...
even if the US makes it past the first round (somehow I doubt it), I could care less.
What if they make the finals?
Sorry, I've just never been a soccer/football fan.
Yellow card.
-
Groggy and Firecracker,what kinda tv coverage and press attention are the Germany World Cup Finals getting in the USA? ::)
Did you know that USA are rated number 4 in the world? :o
-
Did you know that USA are rated number 4 in the world? :o
I wouldnt know Banjo. I dont follow any sports. Its far from my mind.
-
This apparent isolation from football , does this partly explain why you have "world series
Bit of baseball (the best sport ;) ) lore here. The reason it is called The World Series is because the series was named after the newspaper that funded it, which was called The World.
-
Banjo, don't you think we should begin making some guesses on the results of the matches? For example, how about the first match, Costarica-Germany?
My guess: 2-1 for Germany, with a scandalous refererral help.
-
How long does the soccer( ::) ) season last?
-
How long does the soccer( ::) ) season last?
When theres no World Cup or European Cup in England it runs from mid August to mid May-the FA Cup final is the last game usually.
-
Banjo, don't you think we should begin making some guesses on the results of the matches? For example, how about the first match, Costarica-Germany?
My guess: 2-1 for Germany, with a scandalous refererral help.
Costa Rica are an unknown quantity,Germany the home side-so i'll say 3-1 to Germany.We're have to keep a tally Titoli so see who is best with their predictions ;)
-
Groggy and Firecracker,what kinda tv coverage and press attention are the Germany World Cup Finals getting in the USA? ::)
Did you know that USA are rated number 4 in the world? :o
Actually I do watch ESPN on a regular basis, and they've been talking quite a bit about it (not to mention a lot of adverts).
I had heard the US was rated #5, but I could've heard wrong.
In re the World Series: there are Canadian teams in it. ;D
-
I quite fancy Costa Rica to get a draw in this opening game. Alot of pressure on the homeside, and their only true World Class player (Ballack) injured.
1-1
-
Banjo, you could set up a prediction tournament, you're good at that.
Anyway, I don't follow world football, so I have an advantage...
Let's not forget the other match, Poland-Equador: 0-2.
-
Banjo, you could set up a prediction tournament, you're good at that.
Anyway, I don't follow world football, so I have an advantage...
Let's not forget the other match, Poland-Equador: 0-2.
Poland 2 - Ecuador 2
-
Germany 3 Costa Rica 0
Poland 2 Ecuador 1
I've drawn Ghana in the sweepstake at work. They won't give me my money back.
Rooney fit for knockout stages ;D we'll need him against Germany/Poland (as is likely).
I think the USA started losing interest in football as a spectator sport when they got beat by Iran. It hasn't stopped them producing good players and if they have a decent cup, they should draw a lot of attention to themselves back home.
-
we'll need him against Germany/Poland (as is likely).
How come you always draw Germany? Or is the other way 'round? And never make it against Italy (I don't remember a match at the World Cup)? Anyway I feel that England supporters this time feel they can make it. And rightly so: I think this is their best team since 1970. Am I wrong?
-
Banjo, you could set up a prediction tournament, you're good at that.
Bit late in the day to work this out but i could keep a tally of yours,mine,Marco's,Half Soldiers plus anyone elses predictions maybe.
Englands squad isn't drastically different from Seoul 2002 and Portugal 2004 and our qualifying wasn't that much plain sailing-we lost against Northern Ireland and only just scraped a 1-0 win over Wales so i'm concerned we may be getting ahead of ourselves a bit with all the talk of winning.We had a great squad in 1990 too-having Rooney being given the all clear is a massive boost and its great to have a new striker Peter Crouch with a bit of height(6ft 7 :o ) who is confident and scoring lots of goals.maybe you're right Titoli-what about Italys chances?
-
No idea. Before the scandal I thought we were easily the best team around, good in all the roles (an austrian friend told me they had a special tv emission 2 weeks ago and a panel of experts from all over the world shared this view). Of course there was (and is) the problem with Totti, who is fully recovered but has to find the match rhythm: and nobody can tell when and if he'll do (I presume the same goes for Rooney). We have 3 fresh injured ones (Nesta, Zambrotta and Gattuso) who are mainstays of the team. The first 2 should make it against USA, but nobody knows if they'll fully recover. It seems like the basic problem is the physical condition of the rest of the team: everybody seems to have the ingrained conviction that we are never going to be 100% in this tournament and if we don't grab first position it would be Brazil in the eights. But they said the same thing in Spain...
As usual, nobody can tell what is going to happen. Reading the newspapaers and listening to the radios there are two favourite teams for final victory: Argentina and England, with Germany in the final four. Malvinas (pardon, Falkland) syndrome, uh?
-
Maybe we'll get some unbiased refs?! Weren't Switzerland neutral in the war ;D Pity Uncle Fester has retired now - somehow he always added something to a game.
England - Paraguay 2-1
Poland - Ecuador 1-1
Germany - Costa Rica 1-0
-
Argentina and England, with Germany in the final four. Malvinas (pardon, Falkland) syndrome, uh?
Thats probably a kiss of death for England-with some luck we may get to the semi's but need to avoid any penalty shootouts and hopefully also avoid dodgy referees too.I saw a quote from a German player who claims England may have their best squad in years but still have a mental block in the major tournaments-we've yet to disprove that one-especially with those dreaded penalties :'(
-
Don't mention the penalties... ;D we even missed our last two in the friendlies. :-[ Better get my predictions in before the first game starts.
Germany - Costa Rica 1-0
Poland - Ecuador 2-1
England - Paraguay 2-0
-
It seems like I got the right result by half...Missed the match, though.
-
Those effecient German buggers have done it again >:(
Germany 4 Costa Rica 2 Great 1st & 4th goals unfortunately :(
So its Le Bon o,Banjo 0,Half Soldier 0,Marco 0,Titoli 0,Columba 0
OK i reckon Poland 1 Ecuador 1
England 2 Paraguay 1
Sweden 3 Trinidad & Tobago 0
Agentina 3 Ivory Coast 1
-
Poland 1 Ecuador 1
England 2 Paraguay 1
Sweden 3 Trinidad & Tobago 0
Agentina 3 Ivory Coast 1
I'll make a prediction just for the hell of it.
But first I need to know who is up next?
-
Those effecient German buggers have done it again
Just because they managed to get two goals from Costarica? Come on...
-
Ok Titoli but i do believe with Ecuador winning 2-0 you are in the lead.
Firecracker tommorows games are the bottom 3 in my previous post.
-
Sweden - Trinidad 4-0
Argentina-Cote d'Ivoire 2-2
-
alright!
England 1 Paraguay 1
Sweden 2 trinidad & Tobago 1
Argentina 2 Ivory Coast 1
(our my numbers off?)
-
Right.... tomorrow....
England 1 Paraguay 1
Sweden 3 Trinidad & Tobago 1
Agentina 2 Ivory Coast 1
-
I see the traditional English flying start Bro? ;D
-
Forgot the England:
3-1 for the Whites.
-
LOL :-*
Good luck to Italy too-hopefully we're avoid each other until the final!
-
Right, i gave Englands score earlier so for the other two tomorrow, lets see...
Sweden 1 Trinidad & Tobago 1
Argentina 2 Ivory Coast 0
I think we'll see plenty of long range shooting after seeing the way the ball moved in germany's 4th goal!!
-
My reckonings are just what I think. No good neighbourhood policy. Fact is that England is good, apparently (in football, and expecially at the World Cup you can't make absolute predictions: this is why the game is so popular). Though in the first round matches are more levelled than in the following ones, I have the impression that the leading teams will leave their imprint on the tournament starting from the early matches.
-
I think we'll see plenty of long range shooting after seeing the way the ball moved in germany's 4th goal!!
It is left to be seen if the reason lies in the new balls or in the fact that Costarica gave room to their opponents. What about the goals in the other match?
-
A short introduction to the football feint and dribble technique for american forumists:
http://www.joga.com/VideoView.aspx?videoId=-4706983648070967161
-
A short introduction to the football feint and dribble technique for american forumists:
http://www.joga.com/VideoView.aspx?videoId=-4706983648070967161
That camera man sure sounds like he is enjoying himself what with all the whispery "yeah"s he is giving us.
-
Phew thank heavens England won :P
Anyway with todays results:-
England 1 Paraguay 0
Sweden 0 Trinidad & Tobago 0
Argentina 2 Ivory Coast 1 >:(
It seems we have a 3 way tie with Titoli,Firecracker and Marco with one correct prediction each.
My predictions for tommorow:-
Serbia & Montenegro 1 Holland 2
Mexico 2 Iran 0
Angola 0 Portugal 3
-
Banjo, I will share your predictions for tomorrow.
How about England's match? Really, the draw between Trinidad and Sweden is amazing, expecially considering it was without any goals and that Trinidad played the second half in 10. Didn't see the match and, I presume, you didn't either.
I saw part of the match of Argentina and the southamerican team was exactly what I expected: slow and with no players who can make the difference. The defense expecially was often in big trouble: why this genius of a trainer left home Zanetti and Samuel is one of those mysteries which render the game so impenetrable and fascinating.
-
Banjo, I will share your predictions for tomorrow.
How about England's match? Really, the draw between Trinidad and Sweden is amazing, expecially considering it was without any goals and that Trinidad played the second half in 10. Didn't see the match and, I presume, you didn't either.
I saw part of the match of Argentina and the southamerican team was exactly what I expected: slow and with no players who can make the difference. The defense expecially was often in big trouble: why this genius of a trainer left home Zanetti and Samuel is one of those mysteries which render the game so impenetrable and fascinating.
England were disappointing but who cares-we won ;D
I'm not worried about Sweden or Trinidad & Tobago but Argentina are a worry :-\ well at least their defending looks suspect possibly?
-
my prediction.
Serbia & montenegro 1 Holland 2
Mexico 1 Iran 1
Angola 1 Portugal 2
-
Did you watch any of the games Firecracker?
-
England were disappointing but who cares-we won
Yes, but did they show any good sign in view of the matches to come?
-
Did you watch any of the games Firecracker?
nope ;D
-
Yes, but did they show any good sign in view of the matches to come?
It was hard to gauge Titoli-i was in a packed,boiling hot smoky pub and most of the game was a haze-anyway England were hardly troubled in defence today-i'm sure we're improve.We'll be better in the later kick offs.
-
Well my predictions for today are....
Serbia & Montenegro 1 Holland 1
Mexico 2 Iran 1
Angola 0 Portugal 4
As for yesterday..... I thought the Argentina v Ivory Coast game was great, probably the best two sides in the tournament so far. The England result (not to mention the Sweden one!) was great, but I still feel that the manager is our weak link. The substitutions were yet again completely ineffective. And the forward selection that he has taken to Germany leaves us very vulnerable in the event of injury.
-
England...another second half malaise. Lets hope they sort this out soon and it will be cooler in the next two games which will help.
Right todays games...
Serbia & Montenegro 0 Holland 1
Mexico 1 Iran 1
Angola 0 Portugal 3
-
I was doing some extra work for a feature yesterday and was unable to see the match but certainly could hear it as the pubs of Soho suddenly became a hotbead of shouting and cheers.
-
NOT GUILTY(well not much!) ;D
2 results today so far:-
Serb & Mont 0 Holland 1
Mexico 3 Iran 1
Titoli,Firecracker,Marco,Le Bon have all so far made one correct prediction each-just Portugal v Angola to go this evening!
-
Ok, lets make this good!
Australia v Japan - 1-1
Italy v Ghana - 2-0
Czech v Usa - 1-1
Hopefully I've got the games right - I'm working from memory here! :D
-
Ok, lets make this good!
Australia v Japan - 1-1
Italy v Ghana - 2-0
Czech v Usa - 1-1
Italy 1 Ghana 1
what are the scores right now for the other two?
-
Okay Day four...
Australia 2 Japan 1
USA 0 Czech Rep 3
Italy 2 Ghana 0
-
Italy-Ghana 1-0
Australia-Japan 2-1
USA-Czech Rep. 1-2
-
Looks like no-one got Portugal 1 Angola 0 so we still have Titoli,Firecracker,Marco and Le Bon with a point each.
My predictions for today:-
USA 1 Czech Republic 2
Italy 2 Ghana 1
Australia 0 Japan 1
-
USA 2 Czech Republic 1
Italy 2 Ghana 1
Aurtralia 1 Japan 0
-
For tomorrow
Brazil 1 Croatia 1
South Korea 3 Togo 0 (sorry Togo)
France 2 Switzerland 1
Ghana are playing good against Italy - oh Italy have just scored, good goal too.
-
Brazil 1 Croatia 2
South Korea 2 Togo 1 (sorry Togo)
France 0 Switzerland 2
-
Okelydokily...
Brazil 2 Croatia 1
South Korea 2 Togo 0
France 0 Switzerland 0
-
OK todays results:-
Italy 2 Ghana 0
Czech 3 USA 0
Australia 3 Japan 1
I'll have to look back to see if anyones got any of these correct!
-
Blimey Le Bons got 2 out of 3 right today so he has 3 points now,Marco got 1 right giving him a total of 2,which leaves Titoli and Firecracker with 1 point each and me with zilch :-[
OK for tommorow i say:-
Brazil 3 Croatia 1
South Korea 1 Togp 1
France 2 Switzerland 0
-
Good grief, i got two today ??? If Ghana's finishing was better though... The Czechs looked pretty good too.
Two of the big boys tomorrow...
S Korea 1 Togo 1
France 2 Switzerland 0
Brazil 2 Croatia 1
-
Brazil 3 Croatia 1
South Korea 1 Togp 1
France 1 Switzerland 1
-
Well I got the France v Swis one right!
Tomorrows WILL be......
Spain 2 Ukraine 1 (although I can see Spain losing it)
Tunisia 1 Saudi Arabia 0
Germany 1 Poland 1
-
Spain-Ukraine 1-2
Tunisia-Saudi Arabia 0-0 (no idea whatever)
Poland-Germany 2-0
-
Spain 2 Ukraine 2
Tunisia 0 Saudi Arabia 1
Poland 1 Germany 2
-
Catch up time! :-[
OK yesterdays results were South Korea 2 Togo 1,France 0 Switzerland 0 and Brazil 1 Croatio 0.
The current prediction tally:-
Le Bon 3
Marco 3
Titoli 2
Firecracker 1
Half Soldier 0
Banjo 0
Todays predictions:-
Spain 2 Ukraine 0
Tunisia 1 Saudi Arabia 2
Poland 1 Germany 3
-
Ukraine 1 Spain 0
Tunisia 1 Saudi Arabia 1
Germany 2 Poland 1
-
I hate football, why do we have to put up with it all the time ruining all tv scheduals believe it or not most people in the UK can't stand the sport of kicking a bladder of air round a bit of grass trying to get it between two sticks.
But the Tv channels over here pander to the minority all the time
We pray for England to loose the next 2 games and sent home and while my ire is up how can we be proud of a sport that encourages violence on a horrific scale fuelled by over drinking, most football nuts in the UK are thugs full stop.
They should try a game of American football I have been a couple of times and what a great family outing it is.
I hope and prey football will not be somthing the USA takes to
come on ENGLAND LOOSE and get sent home
-
Saw the Germany: with a load of luck they can make it to the quarters, not beyond that.
-
yeah i agree titoli!
also, first time ever that i haven't predicted that Spain will win the WC, and they actually have a great start! against my dark horse Ukraine.
So, tomorrow will be....
Ecuador 3 Costa Rica 2
England 3 T&T 0
Paraguay 0 Sweden 0
-
Don't know about Spain, though it ranks with Italy, England and Netherlands as my favourite. Haven't seen the match. Sure,l they may have their best team ever.
Tomorrow's predictions:
Ecuador 2 Costa Rica 1
England 4 T&T 1
Paraguay 1 Sweden 2
-
I like this edition of the World Cup. I like those stadiums incredibly filled up, the shows on the tribunes and the games being played by teams that think they can play and win, even the ones that are manifestely inferior. That's why we had (and by pure chance) just two 0-0 results. Sure, we don't have the team or the two teams who give a great show (though let's wait for the eights matches) but, just as it had happened in Korea-Japan, you feel that the world's game is being played, that you are a part of it. I feel kind of being in symbiosis with all the billions of people watching the Tv screen.This doesn't happen to me with any other sports or other kind of event. Am I there all alone?
-
Two of todays games had exciting finishes. The Tunisia one and Germany's. Spain looked impressive also.
Tomorrow...
Ecuador 1 Costa Rica 1
England 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0
Paraguay 0 Sweden 1
-
The current prediction tally:-
Le Bon 3
Marco 3
Titoli 2
Firecracker 1
Half Soldier 0
Banjo 0
well I have kinda stopped betting.
I cant keep up if I dont watch the games.
-
I like this edition of the World Cup. I like those stadiums incredibly filled up, the shows on the tribunes and the games being played by teams that think they can play and win, even the ones that are manifestely inferior. That's why we had (and by pure chance) just two 0-0 results. Sure, we don't have the team or the two teams who give a great show (though let's wait for the eights matches) but, just as it had happened in Korea-Japan, you feel that the world's game is being played, that you are a part of it. I feel kind of being in symbiosis with all the billions of people watching the Tv screen.This doesn't happen to me with any other sports or other kind of event. Am I there all alone?
You're not alone.. :)
I'm not really a football fan. I actually love baseball, but I have to say I feel very different about the World Cup. I don't know why, but all of a sudden I become a football addict (and so does everyone else here in Brazil..) and I like it, because unfornately this is one of the few things that brings our nation together.
-
Baseball in Brazil? Since when?
P.S. Anyway, I wasn't refrring to the nationalistic sense of unity you feel in this occasion. That you may have also during other sports event.
-
Nobody got anything right yesterday so the table stays:-
Le Bon 3
Marco 3
Titoli 2
Firecracker 1
Half Soldier 0
Banjo 0
Todays predictions:-
Ecuador 2 Costa Rico 0
England 2 Trinidad and Tobago 0
Paraguay 1 Sweden 2
-
I'm doing badly; see if I ca get something from today. Ecuador v Costa Rica has already started (Ecuador 1 up) so I won't predict that one.
England 3 T & T 0
Paraguay 1 Sweden 1
(England win group!)
-
Bloody Swedes getting that win just at the end!!! Doh!!
Ok, right, not sure what games are on tomorrow, but presumably it will include.....
Argentina 2 Serbia & Mont 0
Ivory Coast 2 Holland 1
-
You're not alone.. :)
I'm not really a football fan. I actually love baseball, but I have to say I feel very different about the World Cup. I don't know why, but all of a sudden I become a football addict (and so does everyone else here in Brazil..) and I like it, because unfornately this is one of the few things that brings our nation together.
I'm not into any sports. I never watch them. I was just betting to have some fun.
-
Well, the Swede victory will give interest to the match with England.
Argentina 0 Serbia & Mont 1
Ivory Coast 2 Holland 1
Mexico 3 Angola 1
-
Late goals seem to be popular, and England actually scored in the second half for once.
Argentina 2 Serbia & Mont 1
Ivory Coast 2 Holland 2
Mexico 2 Angola 0
-
Baseball in Brazil? Since when?
Actually I'm the "freak" who likes baseball... ;D I don't know anyone here who also likes it. Brazil is all about football... Although I've heard that there are baseball fields in the big cities.
-
Bloody Swedes getting that win just at the end!!! Doh!!
England never do that ;D
Le Bon got 2 right yesterday and surprise,surprise i'm now off the mark-phew :o
Le Bon 5
Marco 3
Titoli 2
Firecracker 1
Banjo 1
Half Soldier 0
Todays predictions:-
Argentina 3 Serb & Mont 1
Ivory Coast 1 Holland 2
Mexico 3 Angola 0
-
Portugal 1 Iran 0
Chech Rep. 1 Ghana 1
Italy 1 USA 0
-
Portugal 2 Iran 0
Czech Rep. 2 Ghana 0
Italy 2 USA 1
-
Portugal 3 Iran 1
Czech 2 Ghana 0
Italy 2 USA 0
I need to get some results right. But then being a York City fan I'm used to being down at the bottom.
-
Hey i got another point yesterday!
Le Bon 5
Marco 3
Titoli 2
Banjo 2
Firecracker 1
Half Soldier 0
Todays predictions:-
Portugal 3 Iran 0
Czech 3 Ghana 0
Italy 3 USA 0
-
Portugal 2 Iran 0
Czech Rep 2 Ghana 1
Italy 3 USA 0
-
But then being a York City fan I'm used to being down at the bottom.
I know the feeling i'm a Brighton & Hove Albion fan.We can never stay in one division for more than 2 seasons it seems.
I'm hoping England beat/draw against Sweden on Tuesday-i really don't fancy us playing Argentina :-\
-
I would like to avoid Argentina until the final! I'd rather meet Brazil definately. Although, as I may have mentioned earlier, I can see either Italy or Czechs beating Italy.
-
I can see either Italy or Czechs beating Italy.
Well, after Il Azzurri's awful performance against USA, almost anything is possible, but this may be a prediction to far.
-
Il Azzurri's
Gli Azzurri, actually.
Japan 0 Croatia 1
Brasil 1 Australia 1
France 1 South Korea 3
-
One point each to Le Bon and Marco for todays matches!
Le Bon 6
Marco 4
Titoli 2
Banjo 2
Firecracker 1
Half Soldier 0
Tommorows predictions:-
Japan 0 Croatia 2
Brazil 3 Australia 1
France 1 South Korea 1
-
Todays games...i wonder if there will be any suprises after yesterdays.
Japan 0 Croatia 1
Brazil 2 Australia 2
France 2 S. Korea 1
-
Japan 1 Croatia 1
Brazil 3 Australia 0
France 1 South Korea 1
-
Another point each to me and Marco!
Le Bon 6
Marco 5
Banjo 3
Titoli 2
Firecracker 1
Half Soldier 0
Todays predictions:-
Togo 1 Switzerland 1
Saudi Arabia 1 Ukraine 1
Spain 3 Tunisia 0
-
togo 1 Switzerland 1
Saudi Arabia 0 Ukraine 1
Spain 3 Tunisia 0
-
Phew, just in time to get my predictions in!!!
togo 0 Switzerland 1
Saudi Arabia 0 Ukraine 3
Spain 4 Tunisia 0
Crazy big score predictions from Marco!
-
Here's mine with the first match begun:
togo 0 Switzerland 2
Saudi Ar. 1 Ukraine 2
Spain 2 Tunisia 1
-
Titoli pulls one back!
Le Bon 6
Marco 5
Banjo 3
Titoli 3
Firecracker 1
Half Soldier 0
Hey Spain look quite beatable afterall but then again so do England-well at least we're no longer one of the favourites and it takes a bit of pressure off of us :-\
Tommorows predictions:-
Ecuador 1 Germany 1
Costa Rica 0 Poland 2
Paraguay 1 Trinidad & Tobago 1
England 2 Sweden 1(i wish ;D)
-
Equador 0 Germany 1
Costa Rica 0 Poland 2
Paraguay 1 Trinidad & Tobago 1
England 2 Sweden 0 ??? Well just hoping the Rooney Owen partnership gets us back on track??
-
A thumping great bore of a game,
England 0
Sweden 0
-
Equador 0 Germany 1
Costa Rica 0 Poland 2
Paraguay 1 Trinidad & Tobago 1
England 2 Sweden 0 ??? Well just hoping the Rooney Owen partnership gets us back on track??
So do i,but i think England have been totally over hyped prior to the tournament-mainly by the press scumbags(we cudda had Big Phil as our next coach if not for them) and this just adds unnecessary pressure to the team.We're not quite as good as we think we are especially when you consider the way we scraped through the qualifiers :-\
Juan Miranda-if it helps us avoiding Argentina any earlier than the final(well i can dream can't i? ;D ) then i'll settle for 0-0.
-
Costa Rica 0 Poland 2
Germany 2 Ecuador 2
Paraguay 2 T&T 0
England 2 Sweden 1
-
England - Sweden 0 - 6
;D
Too bad Zlatan might not be able to play. :-\ And even if he can he has been and is probably still suffering from some injury.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Eet0znI6IA&search=ajax%20amsterdam%20zlatan 8)
-
If you get that one right Sundance i'll award you 6 points. ;D
-
Ecuador 1 Germany 2
Costa Rica 0 Poland 1
Paraguay 0 Trinidad & Tobago 0
England 1 Sweden 1
-
Hey Half Soldiers off the mark!
Le Bon 6
Marco 5
Banjo 3
Titoli 3
Firecracker 1
Half Soldier 1
England win their group :D but can we get any further without poor Michael Owen? :'(
Good luck Sundance-i hope Sweden stuff the Germans ;)
Tommorows predictions:-
Holland 1 Argentina 2
Ivory Coast 3 Serb & Mont 1
Portugal 1 Mexico 1
Iran 1 Angola 1
-
Another scary England performance. But Ecudor is probably the best draw we could hope for.
Holland 1 Argentina 2
Ivory Coast 2 Serb & Mont 1
Portugal 1 Mexico 0
Iran 1 Angola 2
-
Another scary England performance.
Yeah i think with that typical England let down performance and the injurys maybe the best we can do is the quarter finals-but you never know -we came good in 1990 after an awful start. ::)
-
Yes, England are stumbling through the competition. Another poor 2nd half and now Owen looks out of it.
Holland 2 Argentina 1
Ivory Coast 2 Serb & Mont 0
Portugal 3 Mexico 1
Iran 1 Angola 1
-
I'd have had two tonight if not for the worst bit of defending in the competition so far by England in the last minute. And so to tomorrow ...
Holland 2 Argentina 0
Ivory Coast 2 Serbia etc 0
Portugal 2 Mexico 0
Iran 1 Angola 3
You watch, Iran - Angola will be 2-0 and the others will be 6-1 or something daft.
-
I've just remembered, I'm going away to the lovely Isle of Wight next week so I can't play since I won't know the fixtures for the quarters onwards. Can I predict the results AFTER I get back ;)
I might come across an internet cafe and sneak off.
-
Did anyone catch the ECSTASY OF GOLD Remix on ITV tonight, during the match preamble?
-
I did and posted something under ecstacy of gold thread in GBU section. I wasn't sure which to put it under
-
Can I predict the results AFTER I get back ;)
Sure you can ;)
-
Did anyone catch the ECSTASY OF GOLD Remix on ITV tonight, during the match preamble?
That drum machine back beat was just horrible >:(
-
Sorry folks, yesterday had troubles with my PC.
Holland 1 Argentina 2
Ivory Coast 2 Serb & Mont 2
Portugal 1 Mexico 2
Iran 2 Angola 0
-
......and now Owen looks out of it.
In truth, I'm not sure he ever looked "in" it! But it leaves us painfully exposed with a lack of strikers, i.e. a not yet fit striker (Rooney), a lanky and not up to the required standard "striker" (Crouch), and a never tried and tested and unlikely to play striker (Theo).
Yet again it demonstrates a really bad piece of management from one of the most over rated and over paid managers in the game.
-
You are so right Marco, but thankfully we have some useful goalscorers amongst the midfield rank :-\
-
Yet again it demonstrates a really bad piece of management from one of the most over rated and over paid managers in the game.
Would one of you please elaborate on this and make it clear? Maybe this is the best generation of players you had in decades, but how many managers made better than Eriksson from the '70's till now? And also take into consideration that your best man has had the problems we know, that you don't have a goalkeeper (yesterday one of the italian channel where the match was aired had fun in replaying the expression he had when Sweden hit the crossbar). I also wonder what David Beckham is there for? I agree with late George Best judgement about him.
-
but how many managers made better than Eriksson from the '70's till now?
As regards the Englands strikers i think Marco pretty well summed up the total hash that Erikson made with his squad selection-Owens been struggling for fitness and form for several months and shouldn't have been taken and to select Theo Walcott an 18 year who has never even played in the English Premier league is beyond belief,Peter Crouchs height helps the team alot but he is hardly word class.With both Owens and Rooneys injury doubts Sven should have brought at least one other striker.
His other real clangers when it really matters occurred in the last World Cup where we lost to a 10 man Brazilian team - Erikson lacked the tehnical know how to outwit Scolari and he never appears to have a plan B through substituting the right players at the right time.The way England sucumbed to Portugal in Euro 2002 after Rooney went off injured was totally unacceptable.
-
As regards Managers prior to Erikson-i think it was Ron Greenwood who was in charge in Spain 1982 when we had a great squad of players despite Kevin Keegans absense-we had a brilliant start winning all 3 of our group games and only went out of the 2nd phase because we couldn't score against Germany or Spain but we were the only team apart from Italy to not lose a game in that tournament so i'm glad they changed that crappy format.
Under Bobby Robson in 1986 and 1990 we also had very strong squads but had the ill luck of the "hand of god" in one and the first of our disastrous runs of penalty shoot outs in the other.
I believe that if Beckham hadn't have got himself sent off in 1998 we would have gone all the way under Glen Hoddle-France hadn't reached their peak at that point and were lucky to win the tournament.
I strongly feel that Japan/Korea 2002 was the only time England truly deserved to go out of the World Cup competition due to bad tactics and substitutions by Erikson :(
-
As regards the Englands strikers i think Marco pretty well summed up the total hash that Erikson made with his squad selection-Owens been struggling for fitness and form for several months and shouldn't have been taken and to select Theo Walcott an 18 year who has never even played in the English Premier league is beyond belief,Peter Crouchs height helps the team alot but he is hardly word class.With both Owens and Rooneys injury doubts Sven should have brought at least one other striker.
His other real clangers when it really matters occurred in the last World Cup where we lost to a 10 man Brazilian team - Erikson lacked the tehnical know how to outwit Scolari and he never appears to have a plan B through substituting the right players at the right time.The way England sucumbed to Portugal in Euro 2002 after Rooney went off injured was totally unacceptable.
Spot on Banjo. Although you rate Crouch a bit more than I do.
On paper, and possibly strikers aside due to injuries, oh and the goalkeeper haha, this is the best England team I can remember. But unfortunately with a joker at the helm.
As far as Beckham is concerned, in open play I agree that he often lacks, but his ability to cross and deliver set pieces is essential for us.
-
Anyway after todays games both me and LeBon get a point each
Le Bon 7
Marco 5
Banjo 4
Titoli 3
Firecracker 1
Half Soldier 1
Tommorows predictions
Czech R 0 Italy 2
Ghana 2 Usa 1
Japan 0 Brazil 2
Croatia 0 Australia 1
-
As far as Beckham is concerned, in open play I agree that he often lacks, but his ability to cross and deliver set pieces is essential for us.
I agree but i wonder how much better he'd be if he didn't have so much going on in his life apart from football.He used to score free kicks all the time for England but its now gone 3 years since the last one!
-
but his ability to cross and deliver set pieces is essential for us.
Maybe, but I wonder when it does show. And for the rest of the game he leaves the team playing in 10: actually yesterday, for the first half, me and the other people watching the match were wondering whether he was playing at all.
-
Titoli i bet Italy wouldn't be wary of playing England in this competition-we might struggle past Ecuador but Holland look inpenetrable :-\
-
Yes Beckham does not run the game like he used to...leading by example. Remember the Greece qualifier at Old Trafford. But his assists from free kicks can be vital. Robinson...well Sweden saw him flap at one cross in the previous game and put Ljundberg on him at corners. I would rather have him than Calamity James.
Czech Rep 1 Italy 2
Ghana 2 USA 0
Japan 0 Brazil 2
Croatia 2 Australia 2
-
Titoli i bet Italy wouldn't be wary of playing England in this competition-we might struggle past Ecuador but Holland look inpenetrable
I think that Italy is very much its own master. If they play like they did in the first match and Totti gains an acceptable form, we must not be wary of nobody. I'm still convinced that we have the best balanced team, maybe with Argentina (that didn't impress me tonight exactly as it did in its first match). Add to that that should we win tomorrow we'd have an highway to semi-finals. Tomorrow's I think the harder match of the next three, should we win, more for psychological reasons than anything else. What worries me is the referee: I would have preferred a european.
Anyway, generally speaking, the tournament starts with the eights: then we'll begin to understand what the real forces are.
Czech Rep 0 Italy 1
Ghana 1 USA 2
Japan 0 Brazil 3
Croatia 1 Australia 2
-
Czech R 0 Italy 1
Ghana 2 Usa 2
Japan 0 Brazil 4
Croatia 1 Australia 1
-
czech 0 Italia 2
Ghana 1 USA 1
Japan 0 Brazil 3
Croatia 1 Australia 2
-
We have finally played the ideal match at the World Cup: playing not good, against adversaries playing in ten for most of the match, risking drawing when you really should have ended the game in the first half. After the USA and today's matches you can only get better, hoping Totti will find his best self.
-
You're on route to play Argentina in the semi's Titoli-do you fancy your chances?
Hey i got both results spot on for this afternoons games ;D
-
Well, I don't know if both Italy or Argentina will make it to the semifinals. If they do, I presume we'll get there in a better condition because if we keep on playing like this I don't think we can make it to that round. On the other hand, I don't think Argentina can play much better than she's doing now, which didn't impress me a bit, though apparently I'm the only one on earth who wasn't.
-
I'm confident Italy will get past Australia and in the quarter finals you'll avoid the only danger team Spain from groups G and H so really i can only see Argentina in the semis blocking your route to the final.
Anyway i get 2 points,Le Bon and Half-Soldier 1 each:-
Le Bon 8
Banjo 6
Marco 5
Titoli 3
Half Soldier 2
Firecracker 1
BTW i'd be confident of England beating Brazil in our half of the draw if we were on top of our game and didn't have the problem with our strikers-we look miles away from being contenders at present :-\
-
No team at the moment looks like the real meat. Which it's only natural as the real thing starts Saturday. As I have told in the first days of the tournament, the traditional Powers left no room to surprises. But the real scale of values between them will start to be perceived in the in or out rounds. That goes for England too: forget about what went on before, it's another tournament about to start.
-
That goes for England too: forget about what went on before, it's another tournament about to start.
I hope you're right,i wonder what odds the bookies would give me for an England v Italy final? ;D
Todays predictions:-
Switzerland 2 South Korea 1
Togo 1 France 2
Ukraine 2 Tunisia 1
Saudi Arabia 0 Spain 6
-
Switz 2 S Korea 2
Togo 1 France 2
Ukraine 3 Tunisia 1
Saudi Arabia 0 Spain 2
I think for England to win the world cup it would have to be held in December or something. We just seem to keep fading away after half time :-[ Argentina still look by far the best team.
-
Switzerland 1 South Korea 1
Togo 0 France 2
Ukraine 3 Tunisia 0
Saudi Arabia 0 Spain 4
I must be due a correct prediction!!
I was gigging last night so missed the games. Did Brazil look more convincing? The score suggests so.
-
Did Brazil look more convincing? The score suggests so.
Only slightly in the second half,i'd rather England played them than Argentina if we're lucky to get that far :-\
-
Switzerland 2 South Korea 2
Togo 0 France 2
Late for the others.
-
Well, Togo 0 and France 2 was correct.
-
Thank God, the real Mccoy to start:
Germany 3 Sweden 0
Argentina 2 Mexico 1
-
One point each for Titoli and Marco.If only i'd known Spain were fielding their B side i wouldn't have said 6-0 >:( ;D
Le Bon 8
Banjo 6
Marco 6
Titoli 4
Half Soldier 2
Firecracker 1
Germany 2 Sweden 1
Argentina 3 Mexico 1
-
Germany 2 Sweden 1
Argentina 3 Mexico 1
-
Germany 1 Sweden 1 (Germany win on pens)
Argentina 2 Mexico 0
-
When they come to re-write dictionaries the world over, under the entry for "tedium" they will have to site "Ukraine Vs. Tunisia. World Cup Finals 2006."
-
I suspect you never watched a baseball match...
-
Germany win on pens
I hadn't considered the penalty shoot-out so for any outcome predicted correctly i'll award half a point!
-
England 2 Ecuador 0
Portugal 1 Holland 3
-
Both me and Titoli get a point each today but i'd much rather the lucky(again) Argentina had gone out of the competition-they should've been playing with 10 men in the 2nd half.Well at least they don't look unbeatable-i fancy the Germans to beat them.
Le Bon 8
Banjo 7
Marco 6
Titoli 5
Half Soldier 2
Firecracker 1
For tommorow:-
England 2 Ecuador 1
Holland 2 Portugal 1
-
at least they don't look unbeatable
Never thought they were. They are slow, and their manager foolishly does insist on leaving out their best players. But, as I said repeatedly, anything can happen from the eights on. They were lucky that Mexico has but average forwards, and also that they found that goal casually. I still think they have an edge against Germany, though.
Very curious about England tomorrow, as I presume lots of you are (actually the Brit colony here is more than just curious, of course. They have started already all the pre-match rites: have any, Banjo?). The match should be spectacular, as it usually is when you have south american teams pitted against european ones.
.
-
England 1 Ecuador 0
Holland 2 Porugal 1
One of the best games...Argentina v Mexico. And Argentina had a goal disallowed which was onside but like banjo said they should have been down to 10 men. Great 2nd goal though. :)
-
They have started already all the pre-match rites: have any, Banjo?).
What you mean superstitious stuff? ::) Not really but its probably the closest i ever get to turning religious when i'm worried about Englands fate ;D
I think its going to be another nail biter tommorow hence my 2-1 prediction to England.Apparently Rooney is being played alone up front which could be a huge mistake considering his fitness doubts :-\
I think Argentinas performance tonight has given the rest of us hope but Germany look like a real threat now-just like the Germany of old. :-[
-
Read in the paper today, England desribed as the Tim Henman of world football. ;)
-
Read in the paper today, England desribed as the Tim Henman of world football. ;)
But at least he won some minor tournaments-we can't even win the Euro championship ;D
-
Apparently Rooney is being played alone up front which could be a huge mistake considering his fitness doubts
For him goes the same that we have here for Totti. He's your best player and your chances of making it to the end depend in a very large percentage on his feet. And, as it happens with Totti, his only way of regaining form is by playing, there's no alternative. Anyway, as with Totti, I'd prefer a Rooney at 30% than whoever else you've got at 100%. with the added perspective of having him in almost or top form for the last matches.
-
i've heard that hargreaves will play full back, which will be crap! i do actually rate him, but not there! erikson has no clue!
England 2 Ecuador 0
Portugal 1 Holland 1 (Portugal on pens)
Tonights arg v mex game was a classic!
-
But at least he won some minor tournaments-we can't even win the Euro championship ;D
True...it's just that they put us through the emotional wringer. It is like a rollercoaster ride!!!
-
I hate it when we score first early on because afterwards we always sit back and let the opposition dominate us-we should follow the Germans example who were obviously uncontent with just 2 goals against Sweden yesterday.They continued to throw everything at Sweden throughout.
-
Phew we can relax till next Saturday-i'm glad Beckham scored the free kick because i'm sure that referee would have disallowed anything else-what an arse he was! >:(
Lets hope Portugal v Holland is an extra time/penalty thriller. ;D
-
Can't see what the referee has to do with the match. More than to Beckham salutes are due to opponents' goalkeeper, who was taking a nap when your player kicked. Anyway, I think there are some good news for England to be gleaned from this match.
-
No match fixing in the Premiere league though hey titoli !
As for fat Frank Lampard, 2nd best in the world - do me a favour.
Long live Roy Keane!
MUFC.
-
phew...what a game!! [Port v Holl] Well Portugal will be missing the two sent off including Deco, Ronaldo has an injury and FIFA could ban Figo for one game for the head butt for the England quarter final.
-
One point to LeBon
Le Bon 9
Banjo 7
Marco 6
Titoli 5
Half Soldier 2
Firecracker 1
For today:-
Italy 2 Australia 0
Switzerland 2 Ukraine 2(Ukraine win on penalties)
-
Italy 1 Australia 1 [Australia win on pens]
Switz 0 Ukraine 1
-
Just to clarify the half point for penalties-you have to guess the correct drawn score to stand a chance of getting that extra score.
-
Italy 1 Australia 0
Switzerland 1 Ukraine 2
-
Apparently Figo will not be banned. What a bloodbath of a game!!
I thought England played a bit better. I still think though that you can't play Rooney as a lone striker - he played really well but gets deep, meaning that the ball keeps coming back at our defence. How many corners did Ecuador win???? As we get nearer and nearer the tournament I guesss our chances of winnign increase, but in honesty it will be difficult to progress, even against a depleted Portugal. They will be a lot harder to break down.
A good point made on the radio early. Chelsea star players - Lampard, Cole (were head and shoulders above Tiago and Maniche) and Terry (always plays ahead of Carvalho). So why is it that they look so much better in their Countries colours?? Thats not pointing an accusing finger at the three English Chelsea lads, but does serve as a good comparative example.
Anyway.....
Italy 1 Australia 0
Switzerland 0 Ukraine 1
-
brasil 2 ghana 3
spain 1 france 3
-
A point each to Titoli and Marco for that dubious penalty goal-well i suppose Italy deserved to win-very impressive defense! ::)
Le Bon 9
Banjo 7
Marco 7
Titoli 6
Half Soldier 2
Firecracker 1
Brasil 3 Ghana 1
Spain 2 France 1
-
Annoyingly I so nearly went with a nil nil for that final game. Oh well!
As for today.....
brazil 3 ghana 1 (I think this would have been close, but for the loss of Essien with 2 yellows)
spain 2 france 2 (France win on pens) - But I hope not, the Spanish deserve to do well.
-
The penalty was dubious but the red card was undeserved.
-
Yes theres been some appalling refereeing already but thankfully so far(touch wood! :-\ ) England haven't suffered their usual ill luck with disallowed goals and sendings off that have cost us in the past.
No correct predictions today so the table stands the same:-
Le Bon 9
Banjo 7
Marco 7
Titoli 6
Half Soldier 2
Firecracker 1
-
No footie for two days!!! How will we survive!!
-
You won't believe it but the talk in Italy is also, rightly, about the suicide attempt of a former Juventus player turned into team manager of the same team recently. And, expecially, about the football trial about to open up tomorrow.
-
I have been having some computer problems :'( so missed yesterdays games. But i wouldn't have got them right anyway. :(
Two days break, i think i'm getting withdrawal symptoms!!
-
about the football trial about to open up tomorrow.
Yeah a bit was said on British tv about 4 top Italian clubs being investigated for corruption :o
Titoli,has there been match fixing in the Italian league and and if so to what extent?
-
To the extent that Juventus F.C won 8 of the last 12 or 13 championships (but I can safely say that they started practicing systematic cheating at least in the '70's. before it was occasional, I presume). I can safely say that my team (Roma) was cheated of at least 4 titles from the '80's on and brought on the verge of bankrupt because of the system created by Juventus and Milan in cahoots to secure themselves systematically the bigger share of TV rights and the uninterrupted admission to Champions League. It's really sad, expecially because we always knew and said things stood like that.
-
the system created by Juventus and Milan in cahoots to secure themselves systematically the bigger share of TV rights and the uninterrupted admission to Champions League.
You mean they were both bribing the smaller clubs into losing so that they could top the Italian league? :o
Who won the Italian league thats just finished and who will UEFA allow to represent Italy in the Champions League next season-though i appreciate that UEFA will probably await the outcome of the investigations?
-
You mean they were both bribing the smaller clubs into losing so that they could top the Italian league?
They had one or two satellite clubs, but they operated mostly by referees. In facts a dozen of them are suspended waiting for the trial.
Who won the Italian league thats just finished and who will UEFA allow to represent Italy in the Champions League next season-though i appreciate that UEFA will probably await the outcome of the investigations?
Not of the investigations, but of the trial which will start tomorrow. The championship was won by Juventus (owned by Agnelli family, i.e. FIAT, largest italian economic concern) and second was Milan (who else?) which, as you probably know, is owned by TV tycoon and former PM Berlusconi (that to give you an idea of the water these 2 clubs can draw: and yet, as the ball is round, they left nothing to chance by bribing referees, newspapermen and high functionaries in the italian football federation).
3th was Internationale F.C (clean):, 4th was Fiorentina (the Florence team). The president said they were blackmailed into accepting the Juventus methods and arranged some matches too, so did Lazio (6th). Rome (clean) was 5th. So of the first six only 3d and 5th were proved clean (unless something comes up in the future: which I doubt it).
-
Would you say many of the players themselves in those clubs were party to the match fixing?
-
I don't think so, but there's another investigation whose extent is still to be determined (they left things hanging as there was the World Cup) about illegal betting in which it seems some players are involved. In fact Italy's goalkeeper Buffon has been interrogated as he is supposed to have bet something like 1 and 1\2 million euro on his and other players account (among which there are some other National Team players). His defense was that he was betting on foreign matches but who'd believe that you'd bet sums that big on french league matches?
There are many motherloads about dirt in football investigated in varous part of Italy and nobody can predict the way they're gonna turn in the near future. But the trial which opened today doesn't see the involvement of players.
-
Titoli, to me it seems that Seria A has always had ummm "interesting" games at the end of the season, sometimes shock results benefiting even the small teams.
The Juventus issue is interesting isn't it. I heard some time back that there was every likelihood they could get relegated. Was the suicide attempt by the actual manager, or a member of the management team? And it is supposed to be unrelated isn't it?
Imagine the shoch though if Juve are relegated. It will be the biggest shock in football since Marseile.
-
Titoli, to me it seems that Seria A has always had ummm "interesting" games at the end of the season, sometimes shock results benefiting even the small teams.
What you're hinting at is common fare: if 2 teams at the end of the season have a common interest to lead a match to a draw not to be relegated or not to cause damage to a team that could sell them good players for the next season, an arrangement comes only natural, and I don't think it is so exceptional event to happen only in football or only in Italy.
The Juventus issue is interesting isn't it.
No just that: I think this is the greatest scandal in the history of modern sports, even bigger than the famous one of the World Series in 1919.
I heard some time back that there was every likelihood they could get relegated.
That is what they wish for themselves: they have already said that in that case they wouldn't oppose the sentence in a common-law tribunal. In all fairness they should be radiated and have to start in the lower, half-professional league.
Was the suicide attempt by the actual manager, or a member of the management team? And it is supposed to be unrelated isn't it?
This is what I thought as soon as I heard the news. Then it was hinted that the reasons are personal and that consist in a case of depression. In any case I think that Football Federation investigators should pay him a visit. Will they?
Imagine the shoch though if Juve are relegated.
The joy, also. I've been waiting for it since I started developing an interest in football. Can't stand cheaters, sorry.
Argentina 3 Teutschland 0
Sorry, but I think that germany has no chances and it would have been the best opponent for us to challenge in semi-finals, should we gain access. All experts here, though, say that Argentina is to be preferred to Germany as an opponent. Hope they're right.
Italy 1 Ukraine 0
-
Thanks Titoli. A helpful insight!
Predictions time.....
Argentina 2 Germany 1
Italy 0 Ukraine 0 (Italy win on pens)
-
Argentina 2 Germany 1
Italy 1 Ukraine 0
-
Germany 2 Argentina 1
Italy 2 Ukraine 0
-
So Germany finally made it. Glad I was wrong. Anyway Argentina wasn't such a crack.
-
I guess the tournament really is wide open now but who would want to play Germany now?Do they ever miss in a penalty shoot-out? :-\
-
Hey Titoli a nice easy ride for your team tonight without any yellow cards even.I don't think it will be plain sailing for England tommorow but with a weakened Portugal team we can have no excuses :-\
-
But even should we arrive at shootouts, we have a good goalkeeper, haven't we? (that goalkeeper might, BTW, find himself suspended for two years for the question of illegal betting).
No, I don't think we'll need those if we keep on getting better. All the idiocies a german newspaper wrote last week about italians were just an attempt to muddle things up, make the players nervous and also preparing themselves for a probable defeat. Sure, there is no value established in this competition as all the teams are really at a low level phisically, anything can happen. Still the best teams all made it to the fourths with the exception of Spain. So I think we got on edge against adversaries who can count on public and referees, which is a lot but not much if we play our game.
England 2 Portugal 0
Brasil 1 France 2
-
It was not an easy ride, because we are far from our peak phisically. in the first part of second half we ran many risks and only a bit of luck prevented ukrainians from scoring. But we would have won anyway in the end, I think.
Tomorrow I think you shouldn't have problems against a decimated Portugal.
-
Like England do you think Italy haven't really been tested by a true quality team so far?
England 3 Portugal 1
Brazil 2 France 2(France win on penalties)
Germany were definately helped by the referee today but i don't feel sorry for Argentina who aren't renowned for their "fair play" to say the least.
-
It was not an easy ride
Ukraine had a couple of chances but Italy looked very comfortable to me throughout.
-
Like England do you think Italy haven't really been tested by a true quality team so far?
Maybe. I'm not 100% sure. Argentina was judged best team of the tournament but against Germany didn't make such a big impression. Referee helped Germany? I've seen worse (much worse) and anyway there was a clear penalty for Germany denied. Maybe we will fall victim to the referee next tuesday, but when you're playing home the tournament a certain help it is only to be expected (want me to remind how England won in 1966?). Only way to do that is scoring fast and repeatedly and I think Italy can do it with a bit of luck.
England has a big chance, as Italy, to get to the semifinals without having spent many energies, which in a 3 week tournament are the most important factor. I think Rooney has recovered (as Totti: both are at 70-80 % of their potential) so you're in the best position to keep staying there next week.
To conclude, we might even discover that England and Italy are the best teams of the lot.
-
want me to remind how England won in 1966
No thanks,but didn't Mussolini have a hand in Italys first two World Cup wins? ;D Anyway with a Russian linesman i don't think it mattered where England played West Germany.
I'd settle for an England v Italy final ;)
-
No thanks,but didn't Mussolini have a hand in Italys first two World Cup wins?
Uh? Never heard of this. And even assuming he had a hand in the first which was played in Italy, how could he arrange things in France?
I'd prefer a final with Brasil, but I doubt they will make it (well, I said the same about Germany...). With France we have an account to settle. With England it would be fun.
-
If you want to be caustic you should mention how we won the 1982 title. True, we had those 4 great matches, but we probably arranged things to make a draw with Cameroun in the first phase.
-
You didn't know that, uh? :D
-
England 1 Portugal 1 (Damn those portugese winning on pens!)
Brazil 1 France 2
-
(Damn those portugese winning on pens!)/quote]
In Italy we call it "scaramanzia". No english equivalent comes to mind.
-
Uh? Never heard of this. And even assuming he had a hand in the first which was played in Italy, how could he arrange things in France?
Theres been a documentary showing every now and again on BBC4 called Football & Fascism where its discussed how Hitler,Mussolini and Franco used football as a political tool to varying degrees of success and how Mussolini especially influenced the World Cups of 1934 where he bribed referees
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1934_FIFA_World_Cup
and 1938 when possibly he was responsible through death threats for Hungary throwing the game in the final
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1938_FIFA_World_Cup
-
If you want to be caustic you should mention how we won the 1982 title. True, we had those 4 great matches, but we probably arranged things to make a draw with Cameroun in the first phase.
I agree Italy were magnificent in 1982 by beating the likes of Brazi,Argentina and West Germany.I wasn't being caustic-far from it ;)
I didn't know about the arranged draw with Cameroon though :o Didn't West Germany and Austria play for a draw in the same tournament? ::)
-
Hitler,Mussolini and Franco used football as a political tool to varying degrees of success
Then it is very strange that on the italian government-controlled newspapers of the time these victories were given little space.
-
I agree Italy were magnificent in 1982
Still the match with Cameroon was arranged.
-
Then it is very strange that on the italian government-controlled newspapers of the time these victories were given little space.
Hopefully the BBC will repeat this again so i could expand on this(i'll burn off a dvd for you!) but all three dictators placed a very high value on their football teams excelling for propaganda and other reasons.
-
Still the match with Cameroon was arranged.
Titoli isn't it said that it was arranged for Argentina in 1978 to reach the final by them beating a country(whose names slipped my mind) by an unbelievably high score? ::)
-
Titoli isn't it said that it was arranged for Argentina in 1978 to reach the final by them beating a country(whose names slipped my mind) by an unbelievably high score? ::)
Just found this:-
"There is a lot of controversy surrounding this World Cup, most notably dealing with Argentina's final game in the second round against Peru. Because of goal difference, Argentina needed to defeat Peru side by at least four goals to qualify for the final instead of Brazil, thanks to Brazil's 3-1 victory against Poland played a few hours earlier. The controversy lies with the fact that the Peruvian goalkeeper at the time (Ramón Quiroga) was actually born in Argentina and had, until that game, only let in six goals in five matches. Argentina, it should be noted, had only scored six goals in the competition up to this point; they put the same number past Peru, winning 6-0 and advancing to the final. Nevertheless, players of both sides still deny any agreement to favor Argentina."
-
Then it is very strange that on the italian government-controlled newspapers of the time these victories were given little space.
Titoli i've just found this link for that "Football & Fascism" documentary that looks at "how Europe's right-wing dictatorships pounced on the working man's sport as a means of drumming up support for their politics" including how Mussolini fixed the 1934 tournament.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3128202.stm
-
Thanx for the link, but there is nothing significant.
In Italy's semi-final against Austria, the referee actually headed the ball to an Italian player.
How did that action ended up?
The same referee was drafted for the final and invited alone to meet Il Duce before the match. During the game the Italians' aggressive style of play went unpunished and the home team eventually won 2-1.
Can't see nothing wrong in it.
About the Argentina-Peru match, you can't remember it but the result was predicted by all people "before" the match.
-
Thanx for the link, but there is nothing significant.
Nothing significant? :o
"But although Italy was a strong team at the time, its victory in the World Cup could not be assured. So it seems Mussolini, who dubbed himself Il Duce - the leader - set about fixing the tournament.
At times, Italy appeared to have more sway than the official organiser, Fifa. Mussolini dictated which referees would oversee each match, and once on the field their behaviour immediately led to talk of corruption.
The referees of two Italy matches were suspended by their home countries because of the poor standard of their officiating.
In Italy's semi-final against Austria, the referee actually headed the ball to an Italian player. The same referee was drafted for the final and invited alone to meet Il Duce before the match. During the game the Italians' aggressive style of play went unpunished and the home team eventually won 2-1."
As i remember West Germany and Austria drew thei last group game 0-0 to ensure that they progressed to the second stage at the expense of i think Algeria.This was when the last group games were played one after the other which left it more open to match fixing.
-
Match fixing, no matter which countries are involved or how it's done, takes the enjoyment out of the game for the majority of footie lovers. It seems a shame that things that happend in the past can still have an impact on what should be a great game - sepecially the World Cup.
-
Match fixing, no matter which countries are involved or how it's done, takes the enjoyment out of the game for the majority of footie lovers.
Yes it seems that the teams currently on trail for corruption - Milan,Juventus,Internationale FC and Fiorentina all took a leaf out of Mussolinis book.In fact Italys Serie A was created by Italian fascism:-
http://www.threemonkeysonline.com/threemon_article_football_and_fascism_the_creation_of_serie_a.htm
-
England 1 Portugal 0
Brazil 1 France 2
-
Internationale FC is not involved in the current scandal.
About the "aggressive style", that reminds of a comment I heard yesterday of the Germany match, which I do not think was particularly badly led by the referee. Still there were people who said he was systematically whistling against Argentina. So you can imagine what can be said of a match plyed 70 years ago with no support of the images like we have today.
-
Internationale FC is not involved in the current scandal.
About the "aggressive style", that reminds of a comment I heard yesterday of the Germany match, which I do not think was particularly badly led by the referee. Still there were people who said he was systematically whistling against Argentina. So you can imagine what can be said of a match plyed 70 years ago with no support of the images like we have today.
To my eyes and the opinion of the British media the referee in yesterdays game was a "homer".This sort of bias towards the home side always seems to favour Manchester United when they're playing at home.
I can't remember from that documentary whether some actual film footage exists of that tournament but it wouldn't be surprising if such a fascist tactic was used to win football games as well as influence all other things in society,would it not?
I remember that Austria were bribed by Hitler to lose against Germany for the "good of the Fatherland" .
-
Footage it does certainly exist but is scarce and qualitatively irrelevant. I don't want to say that arrangements weren't made in those tournaments, only that there wasn't much more of what was done in 1966 or 1978 or 2002. About the way some famous clubs are protected in their own Leagues or in Euro Leagues (like Real Madrid is) that is common knowledge of football fans. Still, compared to what was happening in Italy these last 10 years all the cases we have debated are boys stuff.
-
I am really gutted by England's exit. But in truth, well we probably didn't deserve to get to the semi's despite our best performance. although, you have to say why did it take us to get to 10 men to start performing.
To me, I stand by my initial critiscism of Sven. The decision to only bring 4 strikers (2 of which weren't fit) slapped us in the face. Rooney was never going to be an out and out striker. and i'm sure it was largely through him playin that role that got him sent off - through frustration.
i just wish i fely more confident in Svens replacement (I have said for ages that Sven was a waste of space). Unfortunately, Maclaren is not the man. Possibly the best ever generation of England players wasted.
Plus, am I also the only one that though that the much critisced Own Hargreaves was the best England player of the tournament?
-
Thank god England are out maybe the country can get back to important stuff, football hooligans go home and shut up as usual not good enough could have told you that before we started.
Get into music instead at that this fair isle excels.
-
lol i see your point, but the World Cup (hooligans aside) does give us a few weeks of collective, if ultimately unfulfilled, hope.
-
Thank god England are out maybe the country can get back to important stuff, football hooligans go home and shut up as usual not good enough could have told you that before we started.
Get into music instead at that this fair isle excels.
Don't worry franksgrandon the qualifyers for Euro 2008(Austria & Switzerland) start in September,and we've got rid of Sven,C'MON ENGLAND ;D
Well done to Portugal today and i hope you go on to win the tournament-a new winner will be healthy for the "beautiful game"
I'm relishing the conclusion of Germany 2006 ;)
-
I'm in trouble at home, rest of the family are football suporters. Regarding the Rooney Red Card, I said if it was the other way round and England got a Portugal player sent off, we would be praising them for their ingenuiuty ;D :-[
ahhh Back to Baseball :)
-
ahhh Back to Baseball :)
Whadya mean,the World Cup doesn't finish until 11th July and i just watched the brilliant France v Brazil game.Titoli you must be rubbing your hands together now,eh?
-
Whadya mean,the World Cup doesn't finish until 11th July and i just watched the brilliant France v Brazil game.Titoli you must be rubbing your hands together now,eh?
I was only roped in to watch the England games, now I don't have to watch football I can go back to the sport I like.
-
I don't want to say that arrangements weren't made in those tournaments, only that there wasn't much more of what was done in 1966
Titoli do you really think that one dubious linesman decision amounts to the same as match fixing?Don't forget that England scored a 4th goal in the final .I wasn't born then but the only other contentious issue i'm aware of in those championships was the sending off of Argentinas Rattin.
-
Get into music instead at that this fair isle excels.
I enjoy music(playing and listening) as well as sport and i don't allow a tiny minority of thugs to ruin either for me,and anyway you should respect other peoples interests.As a Brighton & Hove Albion supporter i'm more than used to taking defeats on the chin which makes winning all the more sweeter ;)
-
I seem to remember that the portuguese team wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the direction of the semi-final. But I don't want to start a discussion on that because what is past is past and I also think that England got just the fair amount of favours a home team usually gets. And that is what Italy in 1934 did get, I also think, as there never was a great talk about scandalous directions. Maybe just because football wasn't as important as it is was going to be later.
But to come to actuality, which I find more interesting, I had said when you first opened up this topic, that a european team was going to win. I never believed in Brasil (my predictions are there to confirm this from the start) and also Argentina didn't convince me. Now I must admit that France has become the favourite for the final win, but in this tournament much of the results depend on athletic condition (which for some teams is going up) and referral decisions. So all the results are possible.
And when the tournament will be over we'll dedicate our attention to more important things like the trial on the arranged italian tournaments and the trading of players for the next season.
-
France 1 Brazil 0...
-
Titoli,I just did an internet search "england 1966 cheating" and inevitably but amusingly all it brought up were a few jealous Scotsmans spouting off about the Russian linesman.Anyway my conscience is clear ;D
You're probably right about France as favourites now but theres really not much between all 4 remaining sides now and i still feel Germany with the home advantage must be joint favourites.
Titoli do you really think that the trails and pre-season transfers are more important than Italy winning the world cup?
-
France 1 Brazil 0...
Thanks for reminding me and well done tonight Noodles Leone.
The current standing remains-
Le Bon 9
Banjo 7
Marco 7
Titoli 6
Half Soldier 2
Firecracker 1
-
The trial, for me, it sure is: I've been waiting almost all of my football fan's career for it and until 2 months ago I didn't know if it would ever happen, let alone see it.
Actually I can say that, if things go as they should, I could even stop being interested in football (well, I'm joking: but not that much).
About the transfers, the matter is directly connected to the outcome of the trial.
-
Hopefully it'll prove to be a fair trial and Fiat etc won't be trying to buy off the judge :-\
-
If they manage to arrange a trial victory they might end up losing the war because the supporters of other teams would not renew their pay-tv contracts and stadiums would go deserted. Also, a president might decide to inscribe the team (as I had wished to in the past) in another country's league if the culprits are not punished. Everybody here is curious how things are going to develop. I'll keep you updated.
-
I am really gutted by England's exit. But in truth, well we probably didn't deserve to get to the semi's despite our best performance. although, you have to say why did it take us to get to 10 men to start performing.
To me, I stand by my initial critiscism of Sven. The decision to only bring 4 strikers (2 of which weren't fit) slapped us in the face. Rooney was never going to be an out and out striker. and i'm sure it was largely through him playin that role that got him sent off - through frustration.
i just wish i fely more confident in Svens replacement (I have said for ages that Sven was a waste of space). Unfortunately, Maclaren is not the man. Possibly the best ever generation of England players wasted.
Plus, am I also the only one that though that the much critisced Own Hargreaves was the best England player of the tournament?
I think that pretty much sums up the way how all England supporters feel.I've been enjoying the tournament but none of Englands performances.Especially considering how good they are meant to be,it has been by far the most disappointing and frustrating England campaign i've ever seen in a finals tournament.
Apart from the total cock-up of the squad selection and Sven not being able to settle with a formation/line up that worked i was amazed at the apparent fear and respect we gave Portugal (just look at how France took on Brazil last night!)which obviously disappeared as soon as Rooney was sent off and we went for it-i'm very proud of the 10 men left on the pitch and yes i 'm sorry to say i jumped on the anti-Hargreaves bandwagon but i see now he is a class act.
I fear you may be right Marco about McClaren but at least you'd hope he'd go a different way to Sven and as an Englishman instill a bit more guts in the team.
-
Well Argentina were my favouites to win it, which is obviously a no-goer!! Infact all of my last 4 predictions have gone (England, Argies, Ukraine and Brazil.
England and Brazil never really looked at the races. Both had players that never really lived up to their potential (Lampard and Ronaldinho for starters).
Once the fun and games of the tournament are over (and I'm going to have to say Germany now to win, which I didn't think was possible at the beginning of the tournament) we should each come up with a "team of the tournament" i.e. the best 11 players.
-
How about Scolari for Eriksson? I heard he might succeed him. Or you're going all the way with McLaren?
-
The FA in their wisdom named him (Scolari) a few weeks before the start of the World Cup. Our media swamped him even though he still had a job to do for Portugal. He, understandably, decided it wasn't for him after all. Maclaren is from here (York) and the local rag has been spouting about the pride of it all etc etc. I think he'll be a bit weak as a manager and probably only appointed as a result of the respect he has from the players. I think he'll lack the passion when it's needed. A bit like Sven really.
-
Our media swamped him
Why?
-
Because thats what they do
-
I'm surprised that Scolari didn't latch onto how scummy our press is earlier,even the way they treated loser Sven was totally disgraceful :(
-
I'm surprised that Scolari didn't latch onto how scummy our press is earlier,even the way they treated loser Sven was totally disgraceful :(
Scolari does, in my opinion, play a bit of a dirty game - very evident in both Portugal and his earlier club management in Brazil. That said, he DOES get results. I think it would have been a great choice.
-
Maclaren does seem to be a pragmatist like Sven. When you think about it we seem to have got worse not better in tournaments under Sven. We seemed to play better saturday with 10 men, as if the shackles had been released, with more freedom.
-
Italy 1 Teutschland 0
-
Any thoughts on who should be the next England captain?I'd prefer Steven Gerrard bearing in mind the way he inspired Liverpool to turn over last years European Champions League Final and also this years FA Cup final.John Terry would be a good second choice but as for Gary Neville-i don't trust his temperament ::)
-
Let's be it Rooney: maybe he will straighten up.
-
Let's be it Rooney: maybe he will straighten up.
Well if everyone follows his example we'll be down to 5 a side ;D
In retrospect Titoli,if England hadn't have taken injury doubts Rooney and Owen no doubt we'd be in the semi's now.With Rooneys temperment i have my doubts about how much of an asset he actually is ::)
-
For tommorow Italy 1 Germany 1(Germany win on penalties-i hope im wrong Titoli :-\)
-
I would prefer Terry as captain myself. Can you imagine Rooney ::) Tomorrow i think Germany will find Italy's defence hard to break down so i am going for...
Italy 1 Germany 0
-
To make a well-gifted but temperamental player a captain is usually the way to calm him down. This is a common truth in football.
About Italy's performance, there's a good percentage of people (20-30%?) rooting against it because they cannot stand the manager (he was the manager of Juventus when this team made intensive use of doping; and said in a debate that the football system had to be accepted the (dirty) way it was). Infact, should we make it to the end, I would turn off the tv set not to see those faces smiling: that is a perspective that makes me puke.
Also there's a fear that if we win the tournament that will serve as an excuse to save most of the teams and people involved in the scandal.
If I were sure this is what is going to happen I would root against the team myself.
-
Italy 1 Germany 2
... and if I don't get the chance later
France 3 Portugal 0
-
To make a well-gifted but temperamental player a captain is usually the way to calm him down. This is a common truth in football.
I understand what you are saying. In fact you could say it helped Beckham who was red carded at a world cup when he was younger. But for Rooney i would still wait a few years more.
-
Some requests of the prosecutor at the trial:
Juventus F.C. relegated in 2nd division with -6 points.
Milan F.C. relegated in 1st division with -3 points
Fiorentina F.C. relegated in 1st division with -15 points
Lazio S.S. relegated in 1st division with -15 points
-
Titoli, are those YOUR requests to the trial, or those being made by the prosecuter? I agree 100% that if wrong has been done, then punishment has to be delivered along the lines of those you have stated. However, surely this is going to have a big BIG impact on the commercial aspects of Seria A. Will the TV revenue (particularly foreign market) still be there if 4 of its biggest clubs are relegated? I am watching with interest as to how this turns out.
As for the games.....
Italy 1 Germany 1 (Germany on pens)
France 1 Portugal 0
-
France 2 Potugal 0
-
Yes, my english wasn't up to the task: those are the very requests the prosecutor made this morning at the trial. Actually I was uncorrect about the request he made about Juventus. He didn't request relegation in 2nd division but in a league below the 1st. So it could be anything up to the half-amateurs.
About the TV revenues, as the lion share was made by Milan and Juventus I couldn't care less. This is Murdoch's problem. He probably will make new contracts and have the same teams in a inferior league saving money. Anyway, these are just the requests. The verdict will be served next week.
-
titoli, italy were fantastic tonight! a great great game.
-
PHEW...Follow that!!
What a game!! It was looking like going to penalties and you would fancy the Germans for that. But then those two late goals.
For tomorrow
France 2 portugal 1
-
INCREDIBLE!! My ex called me from Milan, it sounded like the entire city was going crazy. I would love to be in Italy for the final. Bellissima!
-
Portugal 2 France 1
-
France 1 - Italy 2
Surely Italy must win it this time? France were messy against Portugal and only won through a terrible bit of refereeing.
-
Viva Italia!
-
CJ, what are you doing here? :o Ever seen a football match? Are you going to watch the finale?
At the end of a tournament like this what counts are energies. I have no idea which team of the two got more left. Sure, France and Italy are the teams more balanced we saw in this low-quality championship. France's goalkeeper though, could be their Achilles' heel (now I've said this and Barthez is going to play the match of his life next sunday ;D). Yesterday I thought that Italy was near exhaustion: then we had those good overtimes. But have to admit that France (with some exception) is not faring any better. We're all curious what the finale is gonna be like.
-
CJ, what are you doing here? Ever seen a football match? Are you going to watch the finale?
Yes a little bit, one cousin Ugo Galeazzi was on a team in Italia, and was involved with the New York Cosmos, another cousin Angelo Tedesco was involved with a Canadian team.
I'll watch or record it.
-
CJ, are you a paisan with all those wop cousins? :o
-
Si, ;)
My mothers familia from Belforte, near Borgo Val di Taro, My father's familia lived in Ossero, in the Dalmation Islands, now they are mostly in the Monfalcone area.
-
Hadn't guessed it.
-
Hadn't guessed it.
My mothers side of the family has been here since 1911.
-
Before it passes off my mind:
Portugal 2 Teutschland 1
-
Germany 2 Portugal 0
Italy 1 France 0
-
Germany 2 Portugal 1
-
Italy 1 France 0
-
Italy 2 France 1
-
Pheew...
-
I got to watch it from 15 minutes in great game, Viva Italia!
-
Hey i'm been missing all the fun these last few days because we've been cut off the phone/internet because of a line fault- but CONGRATULATIONS TITOLI and ITALY for a very well deserved World Cup victory.You were magnificent!!! ;)
-
titoli, congrats. Va bene.
-
Hey Dave, I appreciate but you know what you're talking about? Don't tell me that you're a paisano in disguise like CJ, uh? You saw the match?
Banjo, I appreciate the congratulations, but really France was tremendous in the second half and in the overtime. Still I think that Zizou lost his head (pun intended) when he realized that France could never have made it against that defense. This is the first time that a World Cup is won by the defense, though it can't be said that we played a defensive game.
P.S. Tomorrow, at 6.00 p.m. we'll know the verdict 1st degree of the trial.
-
italy did you proud Titoli. With Cannavaro the man of the tournament quite possibly.
-
With Cannavaro the man of the tournament quite possibly.
Wasn't it Zidane? ::)
-
Zidane was voted player of the tournament yes.
Congrats from me too ;D Worthy winners.
-
A question: are the British contributors to this topic happier for Italy's victory or for France's defeat?
-
A question: are the British contributors to this topic happier for Italy's victory or for France's defeat?
your question is moot w/ me tit. ITALY ! ;D
-
A question: are the British contributors to this topic happier for Italy's victory or for France's defeat?
Italy because of the spaghetti westerns!
-
Italy because of spaghetti AND spaghetti westerns AND spaghetti women.
-
Spaghetti women? What's that?
-
For me Italy was always my choice after England and that was before my interest in Spaghetti Westerns :)
-
I can reciprocate by saying that England was always my choice after Italy. Fact is that I am sentimentally involved with the 1966 Cup (which ended in disaster for Italy, though we had one of our best teams ever) because is the first I saw on TV: I like the red jerseys with the three lions and the long sleeves (those I saw in the pictures, later. In Italy the first world championship televised in colour was 1978). And then the kind of game played in Premiership is my favorite. A pity that only rarely it seems to be aptly transposed in the national team performances. But I think that England's hour will come when least expected: that's why we love football, don't we? If Greece was able to win a big tournament, why should not happen to one of football leading nations?
But I heard from some american friend also that the torunament was a success in USA. Can anyone confirm?
-
yeah:
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/07/05/164537.php
-
in american sports , in general , american football , boxing, basketball, there is a bogusness of circus
atmosphere that sadly consumming except baseball.
so, as mentioned england's hour will come ;) and,
americans are really getting the bug, if for no other
reason, a breath of fresh air from all that hype were used to getting.
Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string.
- Pelé
-
Titoli has there been any news on the 4 clubs on trial for corruption?During the BBC coverage of the final it was mentioned that an anouncement was due last Monday ::) Will the involved clubs and their players get off lightly because of the World Cup glory?
I'm pleased that football is really starting to catch on in the USA because with great tournaments like the World Cup it really should involve every nation and its people.You can't beat the "beautiful game" and i'd rather London had given Paris the 2012 Olympics for an England place in the 2006 World Cup even if we had lost on penalties like France.
The Olympics just doesn't do it for me and in general seems more of an individual quest for honours rather than something a whole nation can unite behind like a football match.I couldn't give a monkeys about the UK hosting the Olympics or how many gold mdeals we win.To me its marginally better than Wimbledon which i totally loathe.
-
As you say, there is much hype about Olympics but can you imagine a nation rallying unto itselfl for a curling match? I mean, there is enthusiasm but you don't actually play the match like we do for football which is the beautiful game because is the simplest. It would take you half an hour of watching to understand how it works: how many lifetimes would it take to anybody to understand by himself how baseball or cricket work? In fact Rome mayor has announced that Rome won't candidate for organization of Olympics in 2012. Everybody is feeling better for it: a nuisance for the citizens who live here. Let Milan have it.
Last Sunday I was with about 30 people watching TV they actually stood up and sang the national anthem with the players (I didn't as I don't like it: I would have rather sung La Marseillaise, which is my favourite national anthem: but of course it would have been folly). They won't do that for any other event, sport or else: be assured. Especially in Italy, nationalism does exist only for the national football team (and there were millions actually rooting up against it because of various reasons, as I wrote in other messages).
About the trial, a decision was expected for Tuesday, but it has been delayed until tomorrow or Friday. Some people say that we should be more lenient because of the victory, because of the money involved but this is baloney. The problem is: if they are lenient who's gonna subscribe for the pay tv or the season at the stadiums? And then what is going to hinder somebody else from adopting the same tactics if they go unpunished?
-
Hey titoli, whats the scoop in Italy over what Materazzi said to Zidane, the sports newspapers are having a field day here here is a sample blog ;D:
Now that we’ve learned not to trust lip-readers after getting two different readings from three different sources . . . let’s look at a fourth! The BBC offers this lip-reading, in which Marco Materazzi wishes “an ugly death” to Zidane and his family — on the same day, as it happens, that Zidane learned his mother was in the hospital.
So then, to recap, our expert lip-readers have come up with “your sister is a prostitute,” “son of a terrorist whore,” another “son of a terrorist whore” and now “an ugly death for you and your family.”
In any case, we hope at least one labial specialist has seen this video of the incident taken from a new angle, mainly because we want to wrap this blog up already.
If he actually did say somthing it was a pretty good psychout ;D.
-
Everybody in Italy is wondering what he told too. It seems that, actually, he was referring to Zidane's sister. Just to prove how little nationalists we are, Zidane is finding in Italy more defenders than Materazzi, who is the real victim (hope you agree on this). When Totti spat on the danish player two years ago at the Euro championship everybody (first of all in Italy ) was offended by this and nobody wondered what the danish player might have said to provoke the reaction. How come this time everybody is worried about the words and not by the act?
-
Thats true,
I'm not worried.
This could be a great game lets post what he night have said:
Materazzi: "Zidane if you wore a burlap sack with two soccer balls in it around your neck we could all call you Dick!"
your turn, ;D
-
This game is actually played in many italian football forums. But your assumption is overlong. Must have been something more short and direct.
"Your sister is not even good for (bip) the whole algerian army."
-
Random fact:
Italy was the first team to win the world cup series on foreign soil (France).
-
Zizou has confirmed that Materazzi offended both his mother and sister. There was nothing racist in the offence. He also said that he was justified in his reaction.
Materazzi said he didn't offend the mother as he lost his own as a young man.
So it's the sister.
-
Zidane is a great player but it doesn't matter how serious Materazzis comments were because Zidane should have been old & wise enough to know better.Like English people were with Rooney,and also Beckham in 1998 if i were French i'd feel really angry and let down by Zidanes actions last Sunday.
-
One good joke I heard this morning is whether Zidane started to play football at Oxford...
-
Theres talk about a mass exedus of players from those 4 Italian clubs if they are relegated.Titoli do you think they should be blocked from doing so?
I don't think FIFA or UEFA will take kindly to any leniency which will only serve to undermine the credibilty of the trials.
-
Theres talk about a mass exedus of players from those 4 Italian clubs if they are relegated.Titoli do you think they should be blocked from doing so?
The fact is that if the clubs are relegated (sentence first degree has just been officially announced for tomorrow, I presume after the closing of the stock exchange) they would be able to honour they contracts as they couldn't count on the money from the pay-tv. Also, many players have already announced that they won't accept a league below premiership.
I don't think FIFA or UEFA will take kindly to any leniency which will only serve to undermine the credibilty of the trials.
Yesterday the special commissioner Rossi has announced just that.
-
Yesterday the special commissioner Rossi has announced just that.
Surely not Paolo Rossi? ;D
-
Surely not. This is a Harvard graduate who never had to do with clandestine bets like Paolo Rossi did.
Verdict confirmed for tomorrow at 6.00 p.m.
-
Thanks Titoli
Sorry i forgot to show the final table standings.Marco got a point for France beating Portugal 1-0 in the semi's(i think :-\)Well done to Le Bon
Le Bon 9
Marco 8
Banjo 7
Titoli 6
Half Soldier 2
Firecracker 1
This thread has been such as success that once the European qualifyers start i'm gonna change the subject title to keep it going :)
Titoli , Noodles Leone and Sundance we'll want updates on your teams performances please and that goes for any other European country other than my team England.
-
The new Manager of Italy has been announced today: Roberto Donadoni, former player with Milan AC.
-
baseball.
My fave sport ;D . Did you catch the All Star Game on Tuesday?
-
The verdict (1st degree):
Juventus relegated from Premiership to 1st division starting from minus 30 points. The last two titles are revoked.
Fiorentina relegated from Premiership to 1st division starting from minus 12 points
Lazio relegated from Premiership to 1st division starting from minus 7
Milan AC is saved in Premiership, but will start from minus 15 and won't be admitted to this year's Champions League.
I don't like this sentence.
Banjo, have you seen the movie "Hooligans"?
-
I don't like this sentence.
Whys that Titoli?-i thought you wanted the authorites to come down hard on the offenders and it'll let the clubs that play fair like your Roma have a chance of winning the title and getting into the Champions league.BTW with the likes of Juventus and AC Milan being ousted out of Europe next season,are UEFA letting in the lower placed clubs?
I think its a great verdict and an excellent deterent against future match fixing.Compared to all the English clubs which were banned from Europe in the 1980's for many years because of ONE teams(Liverpool) drunken fans is what i call harsh.
No i haven't seen Hooligans and although i used to avidly follow Brighton home and away i don't count myself in that category.
-
I didn't imply that you're a hooligan, I just wanted to know if yoiu have seen what I consider not a bad british movie. Actually I wanted also to ask you what language they are speaking in the film as I can't understand more than 1% of what is said.
About the Sentenza, it has many flaws and I can't help feeling cheated, like many comments pointed out yesterday and today. To relegate simply Juventus in 1st division with a minus 30 handicap may seem a harsh measure, but in facts it preserves Juventus integrity as it can still count on TV contracts and also keep some main players. And for a club which arranged 2 torunaments (but presumably even more). Had it been 2nd division, they should hace declared financial failure and start from scratch, with another name like it already happened with other clubs in the past for lesser crimes.
But the real scandal is in the Milan verdict. Just a handicap of 15 points for a team already strong and about to buy some ace players from Juventus like Zambrotta and Buffon, is ridiculous in a 20 teams tournament. They could easily win the Premiership in spite of the handicap. And as compared to the measures against the two other teams (Lazio and Fiorentina) which were debatably responsible for lesser crimes (especially Lazio) it is a crying shame.
Really, if the verdict is going to be mantained in the second degree sentence, I'll try to find something else to do on Sundays.
-
Titoli, with Juve being stripped of the title for the last two seasons, have Inter been awarded it? ???
-
No. And rightly so.
-
So presumably no-one will be awarded it then?
Looks like there may be a player exodus! The big premiership clubs are sniffing around.
-
The president of Inter claimed the title, so there'll have to be a decision about it.
About players leaving, it seems that Zambrotta, Emerson and Cannavaro are already on the way to Madrid.
-
This is really a question for USA members and as an Englishman i'm totally chuffed with our drawn group of England,Paraguay,Sweden and Trinidad-i'm sure we'll walk it-touch wood!!!
USA have drawn Italy,Ghana,and Czech Republic and i would like to know how many of you guys in the USA will be following your team?Soccer(we call it football) is our national game in the UK and i've always been under the impression that it is a minority sport in the USA played and enjoyed by teenagers at college,although saying that the are a small number of Amercans playing in our top league.I am amazed considering this that the USA team is ranked in the worlds top ten nations although some detracters claim that you play easy opposition all the time !How do you guys fancy your chances next year and do you think you'd stand a chance if you bumped into England?
To answer your question...
Kate Beckinsale (english actress) was on an American Talk show recently while visiting the U.S. . She says she goes to the bars every night and sees the next football game and she realizes nobody is in the bar watching it with her.
Football is of little interest to us Americans unless you happen to be central or South American.
However I do think the Football craze that you guys go mad for is starting to have a bit of a cult following over here, I dont know if this is from Europeans who moved over to the US or what but its happening.
Last year I dont remember the World Cup being mentioned at all but this year I have heard some buzz from the local news.
Maybe next year it will be even bigger. Quein Sabe?
I for one care not for Football nor do I care for American Football. In fact I dont care much for sports at all. Baseball is the only sport I can sit through when on the tele.
-
Maybe next year it will be even bigger. Quein Sabe?
Well the next one in four years time will be in South Africa so it'll be interesting to see what happens with the difference in time zones.I didn't like having to watch games first thing in the morning during the 2002 Japan/Korea World Cup.
-
Last year I dont remember the World Cup being mentioned at all but this year I have heard some buzz from the local news.
Maybe next year it will be even bigger. Quein Sabe?
Thats funny, i don't mean to have a go, but you do just remind me of the 2 american so called presenters on the budweiser adverts at the start of itv's coverage of the world cup this year.
The world cup is every 4 years, thats why you won't have heard anything last year, ha.
I don't know anything about the world series or american football, really so we are about even.
I heard a funny joke from chubby brown the other day, saying that america only win the baseball world series is becuase they don't let other countries play in it, ha, and the reason they aren't very good at football is because other countries play.
It just made me laugh that was all.
Each to their own, but i feel sorry for americans not being given the chance to really embrace the greatest game of all, they just don't know enough about it, it's not there fault.
-
I heard a funny joke from chubby brown the other day, saying that america only win the baseball world series is becuase they don't let other countries play in it,
No, it's because the other countries don't care playing it. Baseball sucks. Italy has won many european championships but if outside of the 4-5 (small) places where there's a following, nobody has any idea what the sport is like.
ha, and the reason they aren't very good at football is because other countries play.
Which, in other words, mean that USA can't wave the flag each edition like they would like to, even if they became a leading nation in the game. That's the question, I think. Brasil has won 5 editions of the World Cup from 1950 on. Still they had a hyatus from 1970 to 1994 (when they won at shootouts) without a finale, not to mention a title. Italy from 1970, made a final every 12 years, winning those played in Europe. England made just a finale (which is incredible considering the wins with the clubs!). Those are not rhythms that would persuade sponsors to invest money in the game. I think the situation can change only if a growing presence of latinos will help developing the local movement that will see the World Cup not as the only event but just as the most important.
-
Last year I dont remember the World Cup being mentioned at all but this year I have heard some buzz from the local news.
Maybe next year it will be even bigger. Quein Sabe?
Thats funny, i don't mean to have a go, but you do just remind me of the 2 american so called presenters on the budweiser adverts at the start of itv's coverage of the world cup this year.
The world cup is every 4 years, thats why you won't have heard anything last year, ha.
I don't know anything about the world series or american football, really so we are about even.
how funny.
sorry about the mix up. I didnt know it was every 4 years (though I shudda known).
I dont know much about American Football myself.
-
The FIFA Zidane/Materazzi hearing was a bit of a pointless farce wasn't it?
Zidane banned for 3 games when he's already retired,and Materazzi unfairly punished for the sort of banter that occurs in every football match.
Is it really worth the £3000 0r £5000 fines which is just pocket money for players at that level?
Firecracker we also have the European Championships every 4 years,the South American(and Mexico) have their own equivalent.Does anything happen for the USA football team in between world cups? ::)
-
There is a central American tournament which USA play in. And I think on occasion they have been "invited" to play in the South American Championships.
-
Copa America is the name of the tournament.
I think the decision about Zidane, whatever one may think about it, is dangerous should it be considered as a precedent. A player who does a foul can always claim (falsely) he was provoked. Or maybe, even without doing a foul, he can claim he was provoked. And, also, how is a provocation going to be established? And how many matches are going to be terminated 11 against 11 just because of foul language being used?.
But in the decisions of FIFA (or UEFA) there is always an element of buffoonery that prevents them from being adopted. This is a one-time decision which will remain so, hopefully.
-
There is a central American tournament which USA play in. And I think on occasion they have been "invited" to play in the South American Championships.
I'm still amazed at how USA had a top 10 seeding prior to the world cup so i can only assume that they must have at least beaten one or two heavyweight countries to attain this ranking.I can't imagine them doing too well in the South American championship so perhaps they won the Copa America? ::)
-
Titoli hows the world cup euphoria going in Italy at the moment and how does it compare with 1982?
-
The euphoria ebbed down after 2, 3 days. And though there was a huge event at Circo Massimo in Rome after the comeback of the team and some other smaller events in the places of birth of the players, I don't think it can be compared to what I witnessed in 1982. An example: the number of national flags exposed on the windows and terraces of apartments cannot even remotely compared to what it was in 1982 or to the even bigger number I saw (alas!) in 1970. In 1982 all kinds of people went down on the streets after the end of the match: that didn't happen this time.
And of course what on the second day everybody and all the sport radios were talking about is the sentence of the trial and the transfers (you saw what happened to the juventus players). As I write the second degree trial has started. Next week we'll have the definitive sentence.
-
Yes Italy's achievement on the football pitch in 1982 will really take some beating when you compare the matches they played.Up until Germany,Italy really had an easy ride this World Cup and winning the final on penalties cannot really compare with defeating West Germany 3-1(i think) in 1982.
The 1982 win totally transformed Italys standing,wellbeing and economy i understand? ::)
-
About Italy's economy and well-being, I don't know. Surely, not mine own. :(
-
About Italy's economy and well-being, I don't know. Surely, not mine own. :(
Well i guess you'd be better informed than the British news bulletins we get here,in the build up to the final the BBC were saying how 1982 totally transformed Italys fortunes.
Going back to the last world cup do you agree Italys high point was the 2 last minute goals in extra time to prevent a possible defeat on penalties by the Germans.
There wasn't really a Tardelli moment for Italy this time round dontcha think?
-
Well i guess you'd be better informed than the British news bulletins we get here,in the build up to the final the BBC were saying how 1982 totally transformed Italys fortunes.
The french media were doing the same, I think with more foundation: they had a very well-registered team. But both forget the players we had in that team: I was convinced (because it had already been seen 4 years before in Argentina) that we had the best team by far. The problem was to be allowed to find the right physical condition in the decisive 2 weeks. In Argentina they had found it too early and after a brilliant first round they lost their supremacy. Actually I think we had the best teams in all the editions of world cup from 1978 to the last one with the exception of 1986 and 1994.
I was thinking the other day that no team between Argentina, Brasil, Italy and Germany (apart from Uruguay, the most winning national teams) has ever beaten the other 3 to a title except Italy in 1982. Of course, after you had beaten that Brasil team (probably the best of the last 35 years: some brasilians say the best ever) the match against Germany was considered a formality: just take into consideration how nobody lost his mind after the missed penalty in the first few minutes: the italian players knew they were unbeatable. Really, the sufferance of the match against Brasil (3-2: for Brasil a draw was enough to qualify for the semifinals) made the possible tension of the match against Germany a joke. Nobody in Italy, in the stadium and on the field thought (if not, maybe, for a matter of superstition) that they could lose against Germany.
I think the high point was rather the penalty Totti shot against Australia: you need balls to do that, man! Against Germany everybody saw that Germany was never going to score and that the manager in the overtime made something he never did in his career, i.e. to play with 4 strikers like Brazil because he knew that the germany defense was end-of-the-line. But at the shootout I don't think we would have started with a disadvantage, as we have the best goalkeeper in the world (and, believe it or no, goalkeeper n.2 is on the same level if not better). (In spite of that, though, I didn't find the guts to watch the shootout live).
About the Tardelli moment, 3 or 4 days ago Fox sports made a hit list of the best moments in sports (which is only 2 inches short of ridiculous: just figure that you don't have any black sportsman in it, but there's a horse instead!) and they have included, confirming the absolute ignorance of football by the americans, Grosso.
Apparently, anyway, you missed this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPyu-C5mdHs
-
Apparently, anyway, you missed this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPyu-C5mdHs
I dont think anybody could possibly miss that.
-
Haha i like it.What was the thumb sucking all about?
Is this really the high point because Australia were never gonna score in that game and i'm sure Italy would've beaten them in extra time even with ten men.
-
Haha i like it.What was the thumb sucking all about?
Frankly, I don't know. I heard 2 or 3 different versions, so I presume it is an inside joke.
-
What was the thumb sucking all about?
Was he thinking of his Mama? Mama mio?
-
Actually I think we had the best teams in all the editions of world cup from 1978 to the last one with the exception of 1986 and 1994.
Its interesting you say that about 1994 obviously with Italy reaching the final,because even when top nations like Germany and Brazil have relatively substandard teams they also seem to progress very far into tournaments and i can only think to put this down to mental strength and supreme confidence which has been lacking in England teams who purportedly are meant to contain as many quality players(espescially recently) as any other country.English players perform to a high standard and achieve domestically and in the European club tournaments but seem to possess a mental block playing for England when it really matters in the big games.I guess the same applies to Spain.
-
and i can only think to put this down to mental strength and supreme confidence
And also some referral aid. Just think about 1986. You could have won there. Due to the fact that is a very balanced game, a single episode may have a tremendous bearing on the final result. England wasn't very lucky.
About 1994, actually I think we may also have had the best team if only Roberto Baggio hadn't injured himself and been playing that tournament at 30% of his capabilities, like Totti did in this last one. Sacchi made a big mistake to let him play the finale when Signori could have substituted him very well.
But what is the case with England I am not able to say. It is sure a big mystery. I think that about Germany the fact is that they play these tournaments always at their best physical condition. In consideration of how they got their first world cup against the formidable 50's Hungary, that might mean more of what it sound to a non expert...
About Brasil, don't forget that after 1970 they did have no result until 1994. A 24 years hyatus is no little thing.
-
About the italian reactions to the victory, there were also some promises that have to be maintained in case Italy would win:
http://www.deejay.it/dj/video?idProgramma=26&idVideo=935&idVideogallery=196&pageVideo=&ref=hprad1
-
Can't get that video short to work.It connected to media ok and said "ready" but afterwards nothing even when i pressed play.Did the dj do the "full monty" i wonder?
-
About Brasil, don't forget that after 1970 they did have no result until 1994. A 24 years hyatus is no little thing.
And the workman like Brazil in 1994 weren't very pretty to watch in 1994 i remember,unlike in 1982 and that epic game against Italy was the best ever possibly?
-
Can't get that video short to work.It connected to media ok and said "ready" but afterwards nothing even when i pressed play.Did the dj do the "full monty" i wonder?
Fortunately it wasn't the dj's. I can't help you about making it work: are you sure you have dl the right software?
And the workman like Brazil in 1994 weren't very pretty to watch in 1994 i remember,unlike in 1982 and that epic game against Italy was the best ever possibly?
The problem with the american edition was that the matches were played at impossible hours with high temperatures and all that humidity. You remember it of course. Impossible to have tolerably good matches.
And no, about Italy-Brasil 3-2 I don't think it was technically a great match because of the brasilian defense being too weak for our team, expecially for a vulture like Rossi. Exactly as it was the epic Italy-Germany 4-3: until the overtime it was the dullest match ever played.
I think a greater match was Brasil-England in Mexico: that is a match I would like to see again. Also the 1974 final.
-
They showed that 1970 Brazil v England epic in its entirerity prior to Englands encounter with Brazil in the 2002 world cup.Its amazing how fondly remembered that game is here considering that we lost 1-0 but i guess that Banks save and Bobby Moores performance has something to do with that.Of course i was too young to remember but its still hard to comprehend how England threw away the game to West Germany after being 2-0 up :-[
I never saw the 1974 final,the first world cup i saw was Argentina 1978 when Ally McCleod kidded everyone that Scotland were going to win the cup ;D
Which world cup did Italy beat Germany 4-3?
-
Hey man, this is football legend...after Germany beated England! This is the match most fondly remembered in Italy, more than any other.
I saw Brazil-England 36 years ago, b\w; and though I wasn't able to appreciate it critically, I liked it even then.
-
Hey man, this is football legend...after Germany beated England! This is the match most fondly remembered in Italy, more than any other.
I saw Brazil-England 36 years ago, b\w; and though I wasn't able to appreciate it critically, I liked it even then.
Well if they ever show it on the BBC in colour again i'll run you off a copy.
Anyway it was only a group game i thought,and Germany knocked England out at the quarter final stage.Why oh why did Ramsey take off Bobby Charlton to rest him and if only Gordon Banks hadn't had the food poisoning...
I find it hard to believe Italians fondly remember the Brazilian game.Italy are now the 2nd most succesful football nation and there must be several more memories of Italian than English games! ::)
-
Thanx for the thought!
Anyway I was referring to Italy-Germany 4-3 as the most cherished match here in Italy.
Brasil-England is strictly for (very) ingrained fans.
-
Definitive sentenza: a scandle in the scandle.
Well, I'll find something else to do on Sunday.
-
Definitive sentenza: a scandle in the scandle.
Well, I'll find something else to do on Sunday.
What the hells going on with these reductions in punishments with only Juventus being relegated now.Is the judge spineless or has he been paid off?The whole things a complete joke now that everyones got away with it.
I suspect this will not be the last time these clubs fix matches now!
-
I'm disgusted. Can't find words to express my feelings. They will keep on with their tournaments and the rest, but for me is kaputt.
-
I'm disgusted. Can't find words to express my feelings.
Is that the general consensus in Italy(excepting fans of the four clubs of course) and what do the Italian media make of it all?
I can't understand why the appeal court couldn't uphold or impose an even severer penalty on those concerned >:(
I've no idea of all the nitty grity details of the crimes but hopefully FIFA or UEFA will intervene and any Euro ban will still stand at the very least.
I feel very sorry for the other Italian clubs that play fair and have obviously been losing out achievement wise and financially because of these cheats.
-
Somehow I had a stinking feeling that it would end up like that. Whats the chances of Juve even starting the season in Seria A? ::)
-
Inter F.C: has just been awarded last season title. I don't think it is right, but well...
The situation is still fuzzy and these people,really, are shamefacedly cheaters. UEFA is going to evaluate the fact that Milan A.C. was given only a minus 30 point penalty for last season which still allows it to play first round of Champions League this year. This also in spite of the fact that they will start next championship with a minus 8 penalty.
The acting president of the club Galliani (Berlusconi's right arm man) was recorded while having a call from his employee who took care of the referees and which for this was payed 150.000 euros a year from the club. He told Galliani: "Do I have to push for the linesmen?"(meaning that he would "push" with authorities friendly names of linesmen to be assigned to the Milan's next match) and Galliani would answer "Yes, yes" all the way. That is not enough to be relegated because...well, you ask the judges. They say that emplyee was not an important figure, though he sat every match on team's field bench, because he had not what is called "signature power". Meaning that, from now on, each team will have to have an employee which will take care of setting up matches choosing the referees: as long has he's payed under the counter he can do that scotfree. Can you believe that?
Just the word football makes me puke.
-
Milan said they would accept the sentenza (of course!). The other teams, including Juventus, said yesterday they would try other judiciary ways. Nobody can say at the moment what is going to happen.
Just to make you understand what Juventus was doing, they weren't just deciding what referrees they would have for their own matches, but also those of other matches where there were teams due to confront with Juventus in the weeks to come and whose most relevant players were given absurd yellow and red cards. This mechanism was amply denounced in the years past but there weren't proofs.
Also, other teams were blackmailed into selling or just plain let go their players if they wanted to have their pay tv contracts. (there's a phone call from president of Juventus about Emrson transfer from Roma).
Now they have proofs and instead of letting start that team from scratch they just relegate it into Serie B (1st division) with a ridiculous minus 12 which will allow them to come back up in Premiership next year, after having stolen 7-8 titles in the last dozen of years and sent bankrupt other teams which just couldn't cope with their cheating. And still they protest because of the different treatment Milan had. Which is right, in a sense.
-
I still don't understand why the powers that be couldn't at the very least uphold the original sentences.Maybe the courts are corrupt too and they knew all along that the sentences would be reduced on appeal.The whole court episode was maybe a charade to escape punishment from the higher powers of UEFA and FIFA.
-
UEFA could decide not to admit A.C. Milan to the CL.
About the sentence, the fact is that the first degree sentence was established by former judges, nominated this year by the special commissar, the second degree court court was composed of lawyers, colleagues of the lawyers defending the clubs and put there by the former president of italian football federation who was a defendant and that, in fact, was found innocent.
-
UEFA could decide not to admit A.C. Milan to the CL.
About the sentence, the fact is that the first degree sentence was established by former judges, nominated this year by the special commissar, the second degree court court was composed of lawyers, colleagues of the lawyers defending the clubs and put there by the former president of italian football federation who was a defendant and that, in fact, was found innocent.
What a fcuking joke and i can sympathise that you're now totally disillusioned with club football :(
-
Just to disintoxicate myself from the sewer air of italian football, I watched the first half of Brasil-England at Mexico WC 1970. I was amazed. I din't remember Brasil was playing so bad (4 men blocked in defense, midfiled playing midfield and just some long pass to the wings - usually Jairzinho on the right - throwing it at the center for Pelé or Tostao) but most of all England playing so well. Of course everybody knows that Gordon Banks was the best goalkeeper England ever had (he is my all-time favourite, actually) the way he reacted to Pele head strike proves it clearly. And Bobby Moore: what a player: on a par with Beckenbauer: I remembered that, but it was a pleasure all the same watching him again. But what amazed me most was Bobby Charlton. I didn't remember the way he played and how he played. He was the same kind of player Di Stefano and Cruijff were; he's on all parts of the field, never giving to the other team a chance to know where he will find himself. Technically superb, athletically perfect. England missed 3-4 good chances to score in that first half. What a team!
-
Just watched the second half. Brasil had a athletic preponderance which allowed them to score a goal with english defense not very well ready. Then it was like the first half. No, worse, because England had three clear chances to score (thanks to the happy-go-lucky defense which make Brasil such a pleasure play against) and missed them (hit a crossbar, too). Pelè was nowhere to be seen. That heightens my regret that Italy didn't play the semifinal against England instead of Germany. It seems like destiny that the two teams never played, for one reason or the other, a World Cup Match. Sure, maybe wouldn't have had that historical 4-3, but I would have liked to see that match. And have to admit that England had a 60% chance to win it.
What everybody can see in the match id the physical preponderance the english players had against their opponents. That was never to be seen again.
-
Yes that game still has legendary status among English fans which i find surprising considering England didn't even score a goal,let alone lose the game.But considering Brazil at the time were head and shoulders above everyone else i guess we didn't do too badly.I've only seen this game once,shown the night before the 2002 encounter and i agree with what Titoli says about Englands passing and athleticism,the enduring memory being Bobby Moores endless perfect tackling.
Many say we had a better squad than in 1966 and maybe had we not had the bad luck (food poisoning ,scandals etc)plus the tactical errors in the W.Germany game we could've gone further-a sign of things to come methinks ::)
-
About Brasil being head and shoulder above the rest...maybe . Surely not above England. And I agree with the ones who say that team was better than the one of 4 years before: much better, actually.
I think altitude and heat had very much to to with the final result. That's why I like the tournament more when played in Europe. Brasil did impress me: unfavourably. Now I understan those who says the 1982 team was much better (don't know if their best ever as I don't have seen the 1958 matches).
-
Well i was only 3 years old and this being the only England game i've seen from this era i'll happily take your word for it that England weren't that much inferior to Brazil-but we must've really gone downhill afterwards because England failed to qualify in both 1974 and 1978.
From what i saw in 1982 Brazil were never more exciting than they were in Spain-their obvious weakness being a bad defence and a dodgy goalkeeper.They've never really done it for me since and the way they grinded out the world cup win in 1994 was uninspiring.I prefered it when they played with a total freedom-entertainment and flair was all and NOT the result- before all the cynicism(play acting,bad tackling etc)of the last few years crept in.Remember the Rivaldo incident with him grabbing his face in agony in the Japan World Cup? :(
-
You've gone downhill because the world of sports goes on in cycles. And in football you can't have a good team for all editions. Brasil, after 1970, wouldn't have a competitive team for 24 years. And they have a population almost four times Englands. And add that the european qualifying matches are much harder than the south-americans. Just think about players like Banks, Moore and Charlton: to have 3 players like those in the same generation is not a very frequent event. They would easily be present, that's pat, in England's all time best 11 in their roles.
About the brasilian defense and goalkeeper, they were always the same: that of 1970 was even worse than 1982: see the two occasions England had in 2nd half!
But I would rather wonder how come England never plays the same kind of football its clubs play: that was always a mystery to me.
No, I don't remember the Rivaldo incident. Didn't follow the matches after the italian scandalous elimination.
-
But I would rather wonder how come England never plays the same kind of football its clubs play: that was always a mystery to me.
No, I don't remember the Rivaldo incident. Didn't follow the matches after the italian scandalous elimination.
English players not producing their club form is a mystery to me also-maybe they can't handle the pressure of expectation from the nation.To be honest i half expected England to go out round about the quarter final stage and i can see the same thing happening in Austria/Switzerland 2008-a complete lack of winning mentality.
Someone correct me if i'm wrong,but i think a ball was thrown at Rivaldo in temper,it hit him in the stomach but Rivaldo grabbed his own face in agony.It was so obvious,it was embarrasing.
-
The good thing in football is that you're endlessly proven a liar. And the good (as the bad) things come when least expected. That's why is the world's game. I wouldn't be so sure about England's (or any team's) future. Still it is strange what you say about english players getting under pressure. One of the commonplaces of italian football commentators is that the italian players are the ones who feel more the pressure while the english ones are the ones who suffer it less! But, apart from episodes that you had against in many WC editions, I don't think you ever had a team like the one of 1970. Which still went nowhere, like Brasil in 1982 or Italy in 2002.
-
I don't think you ever had a team like the one of 1970. Which still went nowhere, like Brasil in 1982 or Italy in 2002.
Being able to score in penalty shoot-outs would be a start for England,until a month ago Italy suffered suffered the same problem so that may be encouraging.But as you've said before to win a major tournament you need a few referee decisions going your way.The other big element is luck,its still hard to believe Greece won the last European tournament with a mediocre team-i guess they struck lucky managing to knock in all their chances-only one chance in most of their games including the final,but they've been rubbish ever since.No way were Greece the best team in Europe in 2004 :-\
-
Of course. But you know, I think that the most important thing is to have a "team". This may seem commonplace, but actually is a great truth. This year Italy had a team. You could sense that. What happened off the game field helped the team to concentrate and to insularize itself. Greece sure had luck but also that attitude when playing: you could sense they were all rowing in the same direction, though a mediocre team. In this kind of comnpetitions (european and world cup) played in a restricted lapse of time you need first of all a common intent and concentration in the utmost degree. Those are the basics. It would seem an easy thing to reach, but it isn't so when you're dealing with professionals.
About penalties, it is not entirely correct what you say: remember the semifinal in european championship in 2000 against Holland.
-
About penalties, it is not entirely correct what you say: remember the semifinal in european championship in 2000 against Holland.
You mean Italy won that one?England did actually manage to beat Spain on penalties in Euro '96 i remember but inevitably lost out to the Germans in the same manner for the semi-finals :-[
What you say about "what happened off the game field" for Italy in 1982 and 2006-are you glad in a way that this corruption happened because as you state this helped polarise Italy into a great team to achieve both world cup wins? ::)
-
No, absolutely. I mean this is the only good effect it had.
-
In 1982 i understand that the Italian team completely shut up shop and refused all media contact-was it the same this time round?
-
KInda. That time the reason though was the newspapers had spread some stories about alleged "unhortodox" relationships between some players.
-
England are playing their first game since the world cup tonight,a friendly against Greece,and its the first time Beckhams been dropped for nearly a decade ::)
Titoli is your team in action as well?
-
Yep. I don't think I'll see the match, though.
About Beckham, I think it is the first right move a England's trainer does since I can't remember when. I never made much of him as a player and can't understand why so many do. A no-player like that is a luxury no team can afford.
-
bump
-
Yep. I don't think I'll see the match, though.
About Beckham, I think it is the first right move a England's trainer does since I can't remember when. I never made much of him as a player and can't understand why so many do. A no-player like that is a luxury no team can afford.
Yeah Bobby Robson famously did the same with Kevin Keegan following the 1982 World Cup and Glen Hoddle left Paul Gascoigne out for the France 1998 finals.
I'm please Terry Venables has been given the assistant coach reins though really he should be the head coach with his track record.Steve McClaren is gonna struggle to throw of the yoke of Sven i think,but at least teenager Theo Walcott has been relegated to the under 21 side where he should be!
-
norway is playing a friendly game againts brazil today. we've pnly played against them once before, and we beat them!
but I doubt we'll win tonight.
-
Yeah Brazil,who are they? ;D
Anyway did ya win? ::)
Titoli i watched the England game last night and they mentioned at half time that Italy were 2-0 down to Czech Republic :o-what happened in the end?
England played well last night beating Greece 4-0(all goals in the 1st half) but they really were poor oppostion with a dreadful defence-still a good confidence booster!
I got the impression from the body language that it was really football genius Terry Venables(assistant coach) and not Steve McClaren that was calling all the shots-and rightly so!!!
-
Actually we were playing against Croatia. As I've told you yesterday I didn't see the match, except one or two minutes. Don't know why they did it: probably for money. But it had no meaning as it was a test match, as nobody of the 22 who played the WC was playing and some of the ones who played yesterday have no chance to ever play again (one of them, at his 1st cap, is 33 years old). As of now I still don't know whether the final result was 2-0. Probably.
As to England, with all the good managers you've had in the clubs can't understand why you chose first Eriksson and then this McLaren. These are football's mysteries.
-
As to England, with all the good managers you've had in the clubs can't understand why you chose first Eriksson and then this McLaren. These are football's mysteries.
Maybe its because England managers get so much hassle from the English media especially when bad results happen and all the prying into their private lives that most just don't fancy the job.Phil Scolari got a small taste of this from the British press which is why he turned down the job.
-
I wonder what they could have turned up with about Ramsey...
-
it ended 1-1, only bad luck kept us from beating them. surprisingly enough.
-
England 5 Andora 0
Another good performance from McClarens new regime but are we get a little over confident(again!!) with such awful opposition?
Titoli,what happened to your guys yesterday-scraping a 1-1 draw with Lithuania :o?
-
I didn't see the match, can't tell anything. But surely we are as to physical training way behind other teams which have started the new season well ahead of us. And then there's also the question of starting a new cycle with a new trainer and so on.
-
we beat hungary 4-1 yesterday, no idea if they're any good.
-
we beat hungary 4-1 yesterday, no idea if they're any good.
Well done Norway! ;)
Yes...ahem... Hungary have been known to humiliate England once or twice in the past ::)
-
I didn't see the match, can't tell anything. But surely we are as to physical training way behind other teams which have started the new season well ahead of us. And then there's also the question of starting a new cycle with a new trainer and so on.
Don't suppose you're too worried eh,must seem like a bit of a Mickey Mouse tournament being World Champions and all ;D ?
Hey did you see Kaka's goal for Brazil during the 3-0 defeat of Argentina yesterday?Maradona 1986 or what! :D
-
Don't suppose you're too worried eh,must seem like a bit of a Mickey Mouse tournament being World Champions and all?
No football tournament is a Mickey Mouse one. We learned this in Middlesborough in 1966, exactly as you learned it in 1950. The values are too near. A new start, with a new trainer at the beginning of the season is very hard to cope with.
No, I didn't see the Kaka's goal, been football teetotalling lately.
-
i'm from middlesbrough, and my dad went to that game at ayrsome park in 1966, he's still got the tickets as well
-
Try to sell them to a north-korean, then.
I saw the Kaka goal but didn't see the Argentina's defense. I could see England's defense when Maradona scored.
-
do i get the feeling that your upset there
-
My, man, you sure dig people...
-
Don't know if Italy are playing tonight but my prediction tonight is
MACEDONIA 1 ENGLAND 2
-
C'mon Banjo!? It's France-Italy tonight! Agin! (No overtime, though)
-
I only saw the first hour, but surely it was a good match: I'd say better than most seen at the WC. Problem is that Italy is way back in training as the national tournaments will only start this week, so italian players couldn't press as they would have with a better condition, expecially as we were behind in the score from the start as the german referee conceded a goal from an action in offside (he also didn't see a penalty as big as a house: Italy didn't really need a german referee, did it?). But also I had the impression that our new trainer didn't have an idea about what to do. Of course he's a newby and we really didn't need a team as France in this time of the season to start a new cycle.
-
we beat moldova tonight 2-0 ;D
-
I only saw the first hour, but surely it was a good match: I'd say better than most seen at the WC. Problem is that Italy is way back in training as the national tournaments will only start this week, so italian players couldn't press as they would have with a better condition, expecially as we were behind in the score from the start as the german referee conceded a goal from an action in offside (he also didn't see a penalty as big as a house: Italy didn't really need a german referee, did it?). But also I had the impression that our new trainer didn't have an idea about what to do. Of course he's a newby and we really didn't need a team as France in this time of the season to start a new cycle.
France 3 Italy 1 :o
A good game judging by the highlights!
Surely you're not gonna allow the likes of Scotland to pip you for qualification? :-\
Macedonia 0 England 1
England looked typically shaky yesterday towards the end of the game-why can't they keep possession of the ball?Looking forward to Roonies return!
-
Surely you're not gonna allow the likes of Scotland to pip you for qualification?
I think that some joker down here just begins to understand what Francesco Totti means for this team:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxhJneJwT_k
-
Just to demonstrate more what a total joke the FIFA rankings are i've just learnt that England have been promoted to 4th place (above 5th placed newly crowned world champions Italy) based on us beating a mediocre Greece in a friendly,thrashing part timers Andora and barely just managing to defeat a very average Macedonia.
Have FIFA forgotten already just how crap England performed in Germany? :o
-
Before the World Champioship Italy was ranked 12, after a great football power like USA...Now we're 5th? good, hope we make it to number 12 before South Africa.
This is a monkeying of rankings of other disciplines, like tennis, which have a real necessity for this kind of crap. The problem is that football has nothing to do with them, but of course at FIFA they don't know it. They don't know that the force of a national team can be checked only in official competitions, because the test matches have no value whatever and the clubs don't give their players to the national teams gladly.
Another monkeying of other sports is the number of jerseys from 00 to 99 and the chance to retire the jerseys themselves. This is ridiculous and annoying because in football, before this idiocy, the number on the jersey indicated the role the player was playing in. And then the major teams (both clubs and national ones) have had more than one player playing with the same number.
-
Banjo, what's he taking notes about?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abioqGXPQdU&mode=related&search=
-
Perhaps he's working out his excuses for the worst and most depressing England performance i've seen in living memory but even as an Englishman i had to laugh at that own goal ;D
Did we get rid of Sven too early,he only lost one qualifier all the time he was in charge and McClaren has equalled that already? :(
Theres even talk of bring back David Beckham :o
Good to see Italy back on track because otherwise i can see Scotland qualifying and England not,and that would never do,would it? ;)
-
We're not back on track yet, though results are OK. Anyway, believe me, I find more exhilarating the fact of him taking notes after a goal like that, than the goal itself. BTW, is McClaren scottish?
-
BTW, is McClaren scottish?
Don't think so.
On a surname basis some have already claimed that Rooney should be playing for Ireland and Owen for Wales ::)
-
Who knows, maybe that was a devious way to say they shouldn't play with England at all...
Anyway, I think any team can lose against Croatia. It's the draw with Macedonia which should cause more worry, though I haven't see both matches. But that goes to prove that football is unpredictable, especially only a few months after a WC.
A question: is Robinson really the best english goalkeeper?
-
I don't really watch any of the Premiership enough nowadays to suggest who really is the best. :-[ David Seaman was a good goalie but we haven't had a truly great keeper since the likes of Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence.
Tonights friendly prediction:-
Holland 3
England 1
I'm already despondent with McClaren so i hope i'm proved wrong,and get well soon Michael Owen-you are badly needed!!
Are Italy playing tonight Titoli?
-
Yes, a test match against Turkey to honour the demise last month of Giacinto Facchetti. All new faces. Small value.
Well, it's sad if you can't come up with a better goalkepper: I just can't imagine what the other ones are like! And I'm not saying this because of the blooper in the last match, but because of what I saw of him at the WC, when he was shown visibly afraid in front of the violence of a shoot: I never saw a goalkeeper doing that in 40 years of watching matches!
-
when he was shown visibly afraid in front of the violence of a shoot: I never saw a goalkeeper doing that in 40 years of watching matches!
I agree and it really is a dire situation for England if our best keepers are Robinson and David (Calamity) James!
As expected last Wednesday there was nothing to get excited about with the dire 1-1 draw and Holland were even worse than England :o
I didn't catch how the Italy v Turkey match went ::)
-
Well, that's how it went:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJpHeZIk5Kc
It would seem like Robinson has a distant cousin in Turkey...
-
What the hell is going on with the England team at the moment?Unable to break down a mediocre Israel last weekend and tonight an extremely poor performance against Andorra-the 3-0 scoreline (all scored late on in the game with 2 being individual efforts)was in no way an accurate reflection of Englands lack of ideas,ambition or confidence.
I can't quite pin it down to Steve McClarens ineptitude as coach or whether the players are a bunch of overpaid prima-donnas.I'm beginning to view the Sven years as a golden age and we're even missing Beckham.
Titoli,a good result tonight but i didn't see the game.Are your team back on track?I know its a hard life being world champs and all that! ;D
-
Don't get me wrong Banjo,England sure has a magnificent team on paper,but when they start playing all the magic is gone.Strange stuff,they have the Holland sindrome I'd say...
-
Of course the most important thing is that Monday is Opening Day at Yankee Stadium O0
(Also surprised about a thread that is not about anything to do with film is in the top 10 Threads with most posts. :o
-
(Also surprised about a thread that is not about anything to do with film is in the top 10 Threads with most posts. :o
Thats the universal appeal of the "beautiful game"! ;)
Just wait until the next Euro/World Cup finals and it'll be number 1 O0
Anyway i'm not sure some of the other top 10 topics Gossipy Pub,Beautiful Women or History photo's are much to do with movies either! ;D
-
LA's message should be canceled from this thread: this is enemy's propaganda, though ineffective (if americans couldn't export in Europe their travesty of a game at a time when they were the unisputed model for every kind of mass escapism there must be a reason).
About the other day's match, had it been played last year after the WC it would have ended differently. Now the new manager is getting his bearings and made the right choices, waiting for Totti to come back in September. The players had their head on the match (this was the main factor) and the result was that Scotland made , maybe, only a half-shot to our goal throughout the match, while Italy could have laid them waste. Scotland is a low-middle-level team, I don't think it's as good as Ukraine, though it is a better team than it was in the past as the players have generally a better individual technique and are better tactical understanding oif the game.
But everybody here is waiting for wednesday's CL' round: we have SAF's pups to deal with. what do you think, Banjo? I've seen MU's people faces after the couplings and the were all glad they had Rome, judged to be above only PSV . Also, on a MU's forum they already see themselves in the final vs. Liverpool. What they do not even suspect is that over here everybody was happy we crossed our path with United: we're gonna be seen throughout the world. And hopefully the referees aren't going to hail us with yellow cards as they did against Lyon, maybe to ingratiate themselves to the new UEFA president. Anyway, I think MU's fans are in for a surprise: I'm curious to see their defense against our attack. And I'm afraid they know very little about our defense (though we have some injury problem partly due to the referee in the away match with Lyon).
-
LA's message should be canceled from this thread: this is enemy's propaganda, though ineffective (if americans couldn't export in Europe their travesty of a game at a time when they were the unisputed model for every kind of mass escapism there must be a reason).
About the other day's match, had it been played last year after the WC it would have ended differently. Now the new manager is getting his bearings and made the right choices, waiting for Totti to come back in September. The players had their head on the match (this was the main factor) and the result was that Scotland made , maybe, only a half-shot to our goal throughout the match, while Italy could have laid them waste. Scotland is a low-middle-level team, I don't think it's as good as Ukraine, though it is a better team than it was in the past as the players have generally a better individual technique and are better tactical understanding oif the game.
But everybody here is waiting for wednesday's CL' round: we have SAF's pups to deal with. what do you think, Banjo? I've seen MU's people faces after the couplings and the were all glad they had Rome, judged to be above only PSV . Also, on a MU's forum they already see themselves in the final vs. Liverpool. What they do not even suspect is that over here everybody was happy we crossed our path with United: we're gonna be seen throughout the world. And hopefully the referees aren't going to hail us with yellow cards as they did against Lyon, maybe to ingratiate themselves to the new UEFA president. Anyway, I think MU's fans are in for a surprise: I'm curious to see their defense against our attack. And I'm afraid they know very little about our defense (though we have some injury problem partly due to the referee in the away match with Lyon).
Yes Amercican Football is rugby for fairies talking of which it was great seeing Italys historic double victory in the Rugby Six Nations though i suspect you're not in the slightest bit interested Titoli though i heard that its non-violence amongst Italian sports fan goes very much appreciated especially in light of the tragic recent events in Italian domestic football-how has this hooliganism problem (very much like Britain in the 1980's :()been addressed Titoli?
I didn't see highlights of the Italy v Scotland match though i suspect that on current form Scotland would take England to the cleaners.It seems that we no longer have a reliable English striker and have to rely on our midfielders for goals-a fact not helped by most of the Premiership top scorers being overseas players.
Yes i think Man Utd will find Roma a completely different kettle of fish to their Premiership rivals (that idiot Wayne Rooney can't cope with tight marking)and as usual like the majority of non-trophy hunting English football fans i'll be cheering on the opposition. O0
-
it's baseball not Football I was talking about ;) . I couldn't help a little post and I apologise but stand by my views ^-^
-
As for preofessional reasons I get in touch with all the supporters coming to my city to see the matches, I got interested in rugby. But very little. The fact is that a sport played professionally only in ten nations (assuming Italy as part of these ten, which is dubious, as the best players, like the argentinian, have to go to play abroad to earn respectable wages ) cannot be taken seriously. Otherwise we should take seriously baseball (played only in North America, central america and Japan) or american football (played only in USA). And Italy is still playing with foreign players. That isn't fair. Of course rugby won't ever be popular like football. But maybe not even like basketball.
Are you going to see the match next wednesday? Rooney won't be tight marked, that's not the way Rome plays. But of course I'm referring to the marking you can find in Italy. which is not what you find in England, where the marking is rather loose. But I think the very decisive factor will be how the Utd defense will cope with Rome attack: I'm expecially curious about how they're gonna cope with Mancini. I never saw United play as I don't have no satellite tv, but I'm told that their defense is old and slow. This is what Mancini, in an inspired day, can do:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfbQ5U_Pu14&mode=related&search=
Of course Ronaldo can do about the same, so the problem is to see what the defenses can do against this kind of players. The weak spot of Rome is a short bench; and the yellow cards they got in the first match against Lyon (9! some were invented by the referee, like the one given to Totti) are going to play a heavy role expecially if the referee is gonna play primadonna. But I gather that Utd bench too isn't that good as well, is it?
(In Italy we share the same habit of going against italian teams playing in Europe. Actually my best sensations were those I got supporting european teams playing against Juventus, the main enemy: last summer everybody saw why).
About the violence, they did practically nothing. As they did for the fixed matches scandal.
-
As for preofessional reasons I get in touch with all the supporters coming to my city to see the matches, I got interested in rugby. But very little. The fact is that a sport played professionally only in ten nations (assuming Italy as part of these ten, which is dubious, as the best players, like the argentinian, have to go to play abroad to earn respectable wages ) cannot be taken seriously. Otherwise we should take seriously baseball (played only in North America, central america and Japan) or american football (played only in USA). And Italy is still playing with foreign players. That isn't fair. Of course rugby won't ever be popular like football. But maybe not even like basketball.
Are you going to see the match next wednesday? Rooney won't be tight marked, that's not the way Rome plays. But of course I'm referring to the marking you can find in Italy. which is not what you find in England, where the marking is rather loose. But I think the very decisive factor will be how the Utd defense will cope with Rome attack: I'm expecially curious about how they're gonna cope with Mancini. I never saw United play as I don't have no satellite tv, but I'm told that their defense is old and slow. This is what Mancini, in an inspired day, can do:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfbQ5U_Pu14&mode=related&search=
Of course Ronaldo can do about the same, so the problem is to see what the defenses can do against this kind of players. The weak spot of Rome is a short bench; and the yellow cards they got in the first match against Lyon (9! some were invented by the referee, like the one given to Totti) are going to play a heavy role expecially if the referee is gonna play primadonna. But I gather that Utd bench too isn't that good as well, is it?
(In Italy we share the same habit of going against italian teams playing in Europe. Actually my best sensations were those I got supporting european teams playing against Juventus, the main enemy: last summer everybody saw why).
About the violence, they did practically nothing. As they did for the fixed matches scandal.
To be honest being a supporter of a lower division team(Brighton & Hove Albion) i never bother watching Premiership sides full of overpaid prima donna's plus theres nothing worse than seeing a crowd of smug Man Utd fans celebrating their teams goals especially considering the huge financial disadvantage most teams have that play Man Utd or Chelsea but i'm gonna make a point of watching next Wednesdays game.
Viva Roma!
BTW Rugby Union is universally played for there to be a world cup held every 4 years.
-
BTW Rugby Union is universally played for there to be a world cup held every 4 years.
The fact that a game is universally played means nothing. Even american football is played in Italy, with a championship of sorts. What counts is how many proifessional leagues you can find around the world.
-
Are you sure that rugby union is only played professional by about 10 countries?
Outside of the 6 European nations there's of course New Zealand,Australia and South Africa but i'm sure its popular enough in other countries such as Argentina,Canada,Japan,Fiji ,Tonga,and Samoa for there to be professional leagues.Not sure how to check this but at least there seems to be a representation for rugby union in every continent.
-
Are you sure that rugby union is only played professional by about 10 countries?
You tell me,you're the expert. Anyway don't expect me to take seriously in any team sport Tonga, Fiji, Samoa or Faroer (we're gonna have a match with the last named for Euro 2008 next June). Sure Argentina must have a championship of sorts, like Italy, that's why I named 10 nations. But their best players, if they want to see money, must play abroad. About Japan, well, they take everything.
-
Half-time score :-
Roma 1(Taddei) Man Utd 0 :D
Looking good Titoli but i'd say Roma need another couple to virtually seal a semi-final place and with Scholes sent off i fancy their chances.
And Chelsea are 1-0 down to Valencia too!! ;D
-
Result:-
Roma 2(Taddei,Vucinic) Man Utd 1(Rooney)
Looks like Man Utd were let off the hook slightly and its a pity Totti hit the post :(
Have to say though that Rooneys goal was absolutely outstanding.Why can't he do this for England?
It looks all set for a tantilising 2nd leg.
-
No offence,but its all to do with that padding! ^-^
-
No my best friend plays rugby. We play it over here too
I wouldn't exactly call myself a fairy but i'd never play rugby or American footie.Much too rough!! ;D
-
Roma took some risk when playing 11 against 10 ("Sir" Alex F*ckofferguson ranting against the referee saying his team played 10 against 12: did you have that impression, Banjo?). it was no luck because we were hit in a fast-break actilon. But you have to take the risk anyway, playing with the back up, even against a Ronaldo. In a way I'd have maybe preferred a 1-1. We run the risk in the away match not to play concentrated, waiting for United instead of attacking a team which has an italian b-league defense. I hope the manager will work on the players to convince them to put pressure on Utd instead of waiting for them.
Anyway, Banjo, I presume you enjoyed the match. I wasn't particularly stricken by Rooney's goal: it was Ronaldo who confirmed what a great player he is: the goal is all his. I presume MU doesn't play that way in Englend (I'm talking before Scholes red). Were you surprised?
-
It seems like United's fans agree with SAF's opinions on the referee (thank God some roma's fan can answer them):
http://www.redcafe.net/showthread.php?t=149626
I had always thought that it was only we italians who took it with the refree when losing...
-
Roma took some risk when playing 11 against 10 ("Sir" Alex F*ckofferguson ranting against the referee saying his team played 10 against 12: did you have that impression, Banjo?). it was no luck because we were hit in a fast-break actilon. But you have to take the risk anyway, playing with the back up, even against a Ronaldo. In a way I'd have maybe preferred a 1-1. We run the risk in the away match not to play concentrated, waiting for United instead of attacking a team which has an italian b-league defense. I hope the manager will work on the players to convince them to put pressure on Utd instead of waiting for them.
Anyway, Banjo, I presume you enjoyed the match. I wasn't particularly stricken by Rooney's goal: it was Ronaldo who confirmed what a great player he is: the goal is all his. I presume MU doesn't play that way in Englend (I'm talking before Scholes red). Were you surprised?
"Sir" Alex F* ,yes the old bag figurehead hands out her crummy knighthoods to any Tom,Dick or Harry nowadays it seems and apart from his reasonable success(considering their massive financial advantage) for Man Urinal with his apparent alcoholism and violent conduct in the dressing room (Sven would never have thrown a boot at Beckhams head)he's hardly a role model for any decent Brit to look up to!
How Ferguson has the gall to complain about a referee bias when its well known fact that an away team is never awarded a penalty at Old Trafford is beyond me.Having said that the British commentary mentioned a "history" with that certain referee including Roy Keane being sent off against Porto in a previous Champions League fixture,but anyway i didn't have a problem with the ref,afterall a Roma forward got yellow carded for diving in the box.Ferguson as usual is a poor loser,its as simple as that.
Ronaldo is MU's best player though its hard to like him too much with Englands world cup exit still firmly in the memory and yes he had a major hand in the goal but Rooneys level headed finishing was pure class.
I missed Scholes first yellow card because Mrs Banjo sent me running down the road for fish 'n' chips/beer just before the game started and i neglected to watch the replay at half time because i logged on here,but i enjoyed the sending off.I don't usually watch MU in Premiership games but grudgingly i have to admit that their response after being reduced to 10 men was admirable but i still want Roma to make it to the semi's 100%
-
It seems like United's fans agree with SAF's opinions on the referee (thank God some roma's fan can answer them):
http://www.redcafe.net/showthread.php?t=149626
I had always thought that it was only we italians who took it with the refree when losing...
Ha,ha that site is what i'd call a moderators nightmare. ;D
Ferguson (and i guess most of his armchair glory hunting supporters who probably couldn't pinpoint Manchester on a map) is famous for blaming defeat on anything but his team and there's been a few laughable ones including MU's grey away strip when his players had trouble picking out their team mates! :D
-
About italians (expecially romans) taking it with the referee, of course I forgot to add they were proven right last summer...
Anyway I'm looking forward to Tuesday match, gonna be fun: i'm curious to know what MU is gonna do. I think that Ferguson won't push up on pressure. He knew what it was waiting for his team, in spite of all the crap he said. In facts yesterday, even before the red to Scholes, MU was playing conservatively. And it makes me laugh when people said he showed guts not to put a defender when in 10: he just showed he's no fool (and a lucky one at that).
-
As you know I have next to no knowledge of football (see I didn't say soccer despite temptation) but from what I saw in the news last night the Italian police went overboard. They were reporting that there will be some investigations into police behaviour. Anything been brought out from that or did the fans deserve it?
-
I was about to post on this news. I think first of all one should know all the facts and not just being indignant at images of "fans" being beaten by police. It seems (I've heard roman radios today and read some newspapers: I usually don't) that about 1500 english "fans", all of them without a ticket and all on their cups (this goes without saying, does it?) were allowed by the authority into the stadium. This happened because the authority thought it expedient not to let them at large into the city, drunk and angry. I think it was a mistake, but that's that. After the match started they just limited themselves to taunt verbally the Rome fans near them. After the red card and expecially after Rome goal they started throwing all kinds of stuff at the ROme supporters (some said some bottles were thrown at them with yellow liquid inside that it was not tea. I can easily believe it as I remember well in 1999 or 2000, when there was a match England-Italy, some english "fan" relieving himself against a wall like no passers by were around him in one of the most populated areas of the town). Now, we have all kind of british fans coming to Rome and nothing ever happens. Onlt with english football supporters this kind of problems invariably surface. And each time the english authorities defend them (though I would like to know what would happen if 1500 rome supporters would arrive drunk in front of OT next week: shall I tell it?). I think the english authorities, or the people who speak for them, should be ashamed.
-
About italians (expecially romans) taking it with the referee, of course I forgot to add they were proven right last summer...
Anyway I'm looking forward to Tuesday match, gonna be fun: i'm curious to know what MU is gonna do. I think that Ferguson won't push up on pressure. He knew what it was waiting for his team, in spite of all the crap he said. In facts yesterday, even before the red to Scholes, MU was playing conservatively. And it makes me laugh when people said he showed guts not to put a defender when in 10: he just showed he's no fool (and a lucky one at that).
You mean the Zidane incident? ;D
Yes i'd say the tie is even stephens at the moment and i'm looking forward to the 2nd leg.
-
I was about to post on this news. I think first of all one should know all the facts and not just being indignant at images of "fans" being beaten by police. It seems (I've heard roman radios today and read some newspapers: I usually don't) that about 1500 english "fans", all of them without a ticket and all on their cups (this goes without saying, does it?) were allowed by the authority into the stadium. This happened because the authority thought it expedient not to let them at large into the city, drunk and angry. I think it was a mistake, but that's that. After the match started they just limited themselves to taunt verbally the Rome fans near them. After the red card and expecially after Rome goal they started throwing all kinds of stuff at the ROme supporters (some said some bottles were thrown at them with yellow liquid inside that it was not tea. I can easily believe it as I remember well in 1999 or 2000, when there was a match England-Italy, some english "fan" relieving himself against a wall like no passers by were around him in one of the most populated areas of the town). Now, we have all kind of british fans coming to Rome and nothing ever happens. Onlt with english football supporters this kind of problems invariably surface. And each time the english authorities defend them (though I would like to know what would happen if 1500 rome supporters would arrive drunk in front of OT next week: shall I tell it?). I think the english authorities, or the people who speak for them, should be ashamed.
I can well believe what happened Titoli but i'd say that hooliganism is an unfortunate disease that affects most European nations(and others worldwide) it seems ,including Italy where i understand football for a short period was cancelled recently following deaths.But i think its fair to say that some country's police force's are more adept at dealing with this problem during European fixtures than others.
-
I wasn't complainig about english popular newspapers doing all that brouhaha about what happened (did they do the same about yesterday's events in Seville, BYW?). They have to sell their crap and foster the prejudices of the poor fools who buy it. No, I was complainig about the official authorities (which surely do know better about this kind of problem) siding with this scum (this happened also 8 years ago). Actually, I think that these folks shouldn't haven't be allowed to leave England and, assuming some arrived in Rome, these should have been sent back home without being allowed to leave the airport once they couldn't produce a ticket for the match. I can't believe the Interpol don't know them by name each and everyone. So I can't understand how these things can happen. And when I see policemen cracking their sawdust heads, sure I do not cringe: sorry folks.
-
Actually, I think that these folks shouldn't haven't be allowed to leave England and, assuming some arrived in Rome, these should have been sent back home without being allowed to leave the airport once they couldn't produce a ticket for the match. I can't believe the Interpol don't know them by name each and everyone. So I can't understand how these things can happen. And when I see policemen cracking their sawdust heads, sure I do not cringe: sorry folks.
I agree.Many British thugs are entering the continent and getting away with murder simply because they can't now in the UK where on the whole we've beaten the problem.I'm sure that Interpol have been sending back the known idiots but of course there's plenty more that haven't been detected :(
I'm curious Titoli but why do Italian grounds allow fireworks in the terraces?In the UK its a criminal offence to light such a device in public.
-
They aren't allowed. At least those of the dangerous kind. In facts every year in the days before NYE there are lots of requisitions by police. But of course what can you do about fools buying it?
-
They aren't allowed. At least those of the dangerous kind.
So not all flares are dangerous?
When i see these fireworks being let off during a game it always strikes me as being provocative to the opposing fans.What do you think Titoli?
-
You mean something different, i.e. the fireworks in the stadiums. About 30 years ago a supporter of Rome's "other" team (Lazio) was killed by a rocket shot from the opposite stand by a Roma "supporter" (an idiot, I'd rather call him: he had the young age on his side to partially redeem his act). From then on all kinds of laws (the last one three months ago) have been decreed forbidding this kind of gimmicks, to no avail. One of the reasons I don't like going to live matches it is because I don't like the idiots who let them explode ("flare" it is not the right term, I presume). I also don't like drumming to intone the choirs, which starts 2 hours before the match. And I don't like all kinds of organized supporting. That's why I watch football on TV: I like the game but I don't like the way supporting the teams has developed from the early '70's on.
And as long as there are people who complain about policemen beating innocent supporters we won't resolve the question (I'm not referring only to recent event: unfortunately this goes also for italian politicians who draw, or think they do, support among local hooligans). I don't particularly like policemen's mentality and acting (never did, actually), but if the alternative is power to morons, then I'm left with no choice.
Anyway, today MU lost, while Roma (stuffed with 2nd liners) won. Hope it means what I saw last Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to Tuesday match, is gonna be a thrilling one. And I bet whatever that SAF ain't gonna tell his players to start full speed ahead. Whaddaya think?
-
You mean something different, i.e. the fireworks in the stadiums. About 30 years ago a supporter of Rome's "other" team (Lazio) was killed by a rocket shot from the opposite stand by a Roma "supporter" (an idiot, I'd rather call him: he had the young age on his side to partially redeem his act). From then on all kinds of laws (the last one three months ago) have been decreed forbidding this kind of gimmicks, to no avail. One of the reasons I don't like going to live matches it is because I don't like the idiots who let them explode ("flare" it is not the right term, I presume). I also don't like drumming to intone the choirs, which starts 2 hours before the match. And I don't like all kinds of organized supporting. That's why I watch football on TV: I like the game but I don't like the way supporting the teams has developed from the early '70's on.
And as long as there are people who complain about policemen beating innocent supporters we won't resolve the question (I'm not referring only to recent event: unfortunately this goes also for italian politicians who draw, or think they do, support among local hooligans). I don't particularly like policemen's mentality and acting (never did, actually), but if the alternative is power to morons, then I'm left with no choice.
Anyway, today MU lost, while Roma (stuffed with 2nd liners) won. Hope it means what I saw last Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to Tuesday match, is gonna be a thrilling one. And I bet whatever that SAF ain't gonna tell his players to start full speed ahead. Whaddaya think?
I say "flares" because these fireworks light up like a flare but its a shame that police on the continent aren't more stringent at catching the idiots who smuggle in these devices.Don't they have CCTV in Italian grounds to pick these people out?,and if they are caught they should then receive a life ban from all football grounds-this sort of measure is probably as good a deterrent as you can get in the UK.
I never really experienced any hooligan trouble when i used to support Brighton & Hove Albion home and away a few years ago as i'd usually stick with a laid back friendly bunch that would stick to the quieter bars before the games though there are certain supporters i've had to be wary of ie Crystal Palace,Portsmouth,Leeds,Chelsea,Cardiff(the xenophobic Welsh fans are the most frightening!).Keeping a low profile's the best policy though really it shouldn't be like that.Most of the British police at grounds seem to be OK chaps but like any professional there's a few bad apples and i've witnessed some unneccessarily heavy handed ones.But i'm in agreement about it's better to have order in the hands of some dodgy policemen rather than football thugs.
Yes i love it when MU lose and predictably SAF put it down to last Wednesdays defeat ;D But unfortnately he's a wily old fox so i wouldn't like to say what the outcome will be in the 2nd leg but i can't see MU sitting on the backburner.
-
I know I'm alone there, even with fellow Roma supporters. I think that MU must keep adrenalin and pace low to have more chances. So I hope all of you are right. We'll see tomorrow.
-
I know I'm alone there, even with fellow Roma supporters. I think that MU must keep adrenalin and pace low to have more chances. So I hope all of you are right. We'll see tomorrow.
C'mon Roma O0
-
We made history tonight. Humiliation is the fit word for the result: 7-1. Explanation? it is hard to explain something like this. But there are two options. The psychological one and the technical one. I think that is easily the second one. We had no runners. We could patch up the absence of one, two runners but not of the third. Everybody was frightened when we heard that Taddei (the one who scored the first goal in the home game). The rest was made by Totti tragical physical condition and Mancini's absent-mindedness. As I have said in a former post, we have a short bench and tonight it showed.
I was right in supposing MU wouldn't push on the pedal in the first minutes. They did after the first goal which our goalkeeper did little to stop.
Hope we'll make better next year.
-
Very disappointed about tonights one way traffic game and i would've changed channels to watch the Chelsea game if you team hadn't have been playing.
I assume that was Roma's worst ever European defeat? :-\
-
If you ask me now I assume it is the most tragic difeat in the history of football.
Anyway we only lost once with same score in the '40's against the so called "great Torino" (the team that ended up in 1949 like Manchester United 10 years later).
Anyway, the regret is big. I don't think we'd have lost tonight until I knew Taddei wouldn't play. We had a chance and we blew it. Amen.
-
If you ask me now I assume it is the most tragic difeat in the history of football.
Anyway we only lost once with same score in the '40's against the so called "great Torino" (the team that ended up in 1949 like Manchester United 10 years later).
Anyway, the regret is big. I don't think we'd have lost tonight until I knew Taddei wouldn't play. We had a chance and we blew it. Amen.
Yes you blew it in the 1st leg by conceding and if Totti hadn't have hit the bar the outcome could've been very different.
-
No, I don't think so. We blew it but couldn't be otherwise because we just don't have as many players as MU. Yes, they had players out too, but our defection were all of players which run and press. And we couldn't even try to patch it up (i don't think we could have, anyway) during the week as the last defection happened one hour before the match.
-
It must be galling for you seeing match fixing cheats AC Milan in the semi's.
Are you hoping for an all English final?
-
Frankly, I don't care at all. I have no energy left at the moment to support whomever. :'(
-
Well at least you've had the pleasure of your teams winning something in your lifetime.I don't really know much about Roma's history but two World Cups is pretty enviable.
My club team Brighton (never won anything :() doesn't even have a permanent home,our beloved Goldstone Ground was sold off by crooked moneymen 10 years ago and we're still being blocked by heartless politicians to get a new one erected :'(
-
You know better than me what is like to support a team which never goes anywhere or near. But there's pride expecially in "not" supporting the winning teams as well (and expecially in Italy, I guess, where rules have less been respected than anywhere else). I think one should support his local team and that's that.
-
You know better than me what is like to support a team which never goes anywhere or near. But there's pride expecially in "not" supporting the winning teams as well (and expecially in Italy, I guess, where rules have less been respected than anywhere else). I think one should support his local team and that's that.
I agree.I live in the English county of Sussex where Brighton & Hove Albion is the only football club with league status but apart from the town itself(i'm in Eastbourne 26 miles along the coast) you never see an Albion shirt but instead a countless sea of shirts representing the very top Premiership teams.It seems there very little pride in supporting local teams with parents that support the likes of MU encouraging their kids to do the same.Its a great shame because there has always been the potential in Sussex for Brighton to be massively successful and to actually achieve getting a new plush all seater stadium (in Falmer hopefully) would go some way in the right direction for us.
About "not supporting the winning teams".This makes winning the odd game all the more satisfying as it must be very samey winning every week. :)
-
Frankly, I don't care at all. I have no energy left at the moment to support whomever. :'(
Liverpool got through to the Champions League final and its good to see the back of that arrogant Jose Mourinho.Reading the papers this morning reminded me of Liverpool beating Roma on penalties in the 1984 final.Have Roma ever won it Titoli?
Not sure who i want to lose out of MU and AC Milan tonight.Milan (as well as being match fix cheats) are the Italian MU aren't they?
-
No, we never won it. This year could have been the right year but we were short of bench and Totti hasn't recovered from the severe injury he suffered a year ago.
No, MIlan isn't the MU of Italy: that is Juventus. Which has been relegated to B league this year when it sho0uld have been radiated and start from amateur league. Instead we'll have it again among us next year. Milan was close second as to cheating. They saved their neck as they let the arrangements with referees being held by a person who, though not having a official role in the sovciety, was sitting each match they played on the bench. Can you believe this? Of course they also saved their neck and were allowed to play CL because of Berlusconi: what can anybody say against that. So they had the exact amount of points of penalization to enable them to play CL (and probably win it). At Uefa they said to italian football authorities they would have rather done without this crap, but hte italian authorities couldn't budge from what the ridiculous sport courts had decreed. You want me to puke?
-
So they had the exact amount of points of penalization to enable them to play CL (and probably win it).
That stinks! :o
Well in that case i'm definately backing Liverpool in the final.I could only listen to the match on the radio last night and its sounds like Milan absolutely trounced MU who didn't offer any resistance until the 2nd half it seems.
Its going to be an interesting final,a rematch.Milan will be wanting to avenge that 3-0 lead they gave away in the last game and are strong favourites.But its impossible to discount Liverpool who have such a strong tradition in this tournament.They haven't played as many games as either MU or Chelsea this season and are likely to offer a stronger physical challenge and they always seem to have the luck on their side.
But in Liverpools case i think its stretching it a bit to call it the Champions League because they haven't won the English Premier League since i can't remember when,either the late 80's or early 90's.Maybe Mourinho's right in calling them a cup team only?
-
To win a league you have to have at least 20 players for turnover. That means money. In Italy, this year, Inter had 30 (!) to alternate that's why they were so many points ahead of 2nd, poor us. In a home and away match anything can happen. Let alone a final. Still I think that, at the moment, Milan comes up as a favourite because they have more talent, though at the end of the season the decisive factor will be physical. Liverpool is very much what Milan is in Italy (they won more abroad), though they didn't cheat as much.
-
To win a league you have to have at least 20 players for turnover. That means money.
My team Brighton & Hove Albion were in the English top flight 1979-1983,and in 1983 the season we went down we came within a whisker of defeating MU in extra time of the FA Cup Final.We've always had huge financial problems mainly due to crooked uncaring businessmen,and having had our ground sold in an very underhanded manner 10 years.
We never received any financial subsidies during that initial relegation but its totally different now with teams being relegated being given multi-million pay-offs to allowing them a huge advantage in getting repromoted.The gulf is constantly widening between the major corporation clubs and the small clubs and the only hope my team has of achieving anything(once they finally allow us a home to play at!) is a multi-millionaire like Abramovich very heavily investing in us.
The club game is financially ruined which is why in many respects i prefer Internationals.
BTW 2005 (and potentially 2007) European Champion Champions Liverpool last won the Premiership(actually the old 1st division) in 1990.......
-
the only hope my team has of achieving anything(once they finally allow us a home to play at!) is a multi-millionaire like Abramovich very heavily investing in us.
That is the hope everybody has. Nafta was a russian concern even bigger than Abramovic which got interested in A.S. Roma couple of years ago. They ran for life when they knew how much in debt the team was. So there's only Bill Gates left for us, I'm afraid...
-
Titoli did you happen to watch that snoozefast masquerading as an FA Cup final at the new Wembley Stadium earlier today?Well at least Drogba's goal was worth the wait.
Anyway i'm looking forward to next Wednesdays CL final which i trust will be a lot more exciting.
-
No, I didn't. I'm rather watching America's Cup Regattas. I don't think I'm gonna watch wednesday's finale too.
BTW, A.S. Roma won the national cup last Thursday.
-
No, I didn't. I'm rather watching America's Cup Regattas. I don't think I'm gonna watch wednesday's finale too.
BTW, A.S. Roma won the national cup last Thursday.
Hey thought you were a fan of the English style :o which is just as well as it was the worst final i've seen in years.
Well done to Roma O0 Is that Italy's equivalent to the FA Cup?
-
Nominally. The formula doesn't allow little teams to make much headway as you have a home and away match. In fact, after years of diminishing audiences they will change it. But in the home match two wendesdays ago we won 6-2 in the home match against Inter. The cup isn't not even remotely as important as the scudetto, but is the second national football competition anyway. It is bound to augment his status if they will adopt the english FA cup formula and, most of all, if the winner will have granted a slot in CL.
-
The National Cup sounds very much like our Carling Cup(formerly the League Cup) which totally lacks the charm and magic of the FA Cup which allows all non-League to also participate allowing plenty of scope for fairy tale heroics.
-
Well, you can't also ignore that is the oldest football competition. But fact is that the italian football authorities (people who earn princely rewards to keep the football world going) have not understood the simple fact that they should take the english model to make the competition go.
-
Us English can't play the game very well but we're very good at inventing competitions! ;)
-
AC Milan 2 Liverpool 1
And for the 2nd time in 3 seasons the 2nd best team won! ;D
-
Don't you think that the title of this thread should be changed?
-
What to?
European/World Football maybe?
-
Well Banjo, our autumn almanac it's just about to begin, but let's talk about this Beckham business. He gets all that money to do precisely what? I am really befuddled about all the money he's gonna bring home. Can his permanence in MLS generate as much? Can he help football growing in USA? I doubt it. But maybe they hope to get even by selling jerseys?
-
Hadn't noticed your answer to my former request, sorry.
Anyway it depends on you, it's your thread: just make it more general, less specific.
-
Sorry Titoli i haven't looked on this thread in ages but the whole USA Beckham phenonmenon is a joke.As a player he's barely world class nowadays and is trading purely on his superstar looks and celebrity,i hear he's already buddied up with the likes of Tom Cruise.
If the likes of Pele,Bobby Moore and George Best,all true greats,couldn't convert the American public to football in the 1970's then Beckham has no chance,but obviously he's more concerned with dollar signs than anything else.
I find the whole business a tedious bore.LA Galaxy have more money than sense.
BTW i had to go out last Tuesday so i missed Romas loss to MU.Was it a fair result?
Oh yes whats the general reaction in Italy to the "Dida" incident a couple of days ago?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DZviLX37sMY
I'm not sure who commited the bigger crime,the idiot on the pitch or Dida's girlish play acting. ;D
-
Sorry Titoli i haven't looked on this thread in ages but the whole USA Beckham phenonmenon is a joke.As a player he's barely world class nowadays and is trading purely on his superstar looks and celebrity,i hear he's already buddied up with the likes of Tom Cruise.
The first game he played with LA, an exhibition with Chelsea I think, was funny. The whole game the TV cameras just focused on Victoria, Katie Holmes, Cruise's wife, and Eva Longoria. The commentators kept making fun of Posh because she was wearing sunglasses in a luxury suite with the sun setting.
I agree though that this whole thing is overblown. But if it gets more Americans interested in soccer, I'm all for it. I've been to a couple Fire games and they are fun to watch, but most people just can't get into the sport. :'(
-
BTW i had to go out last Tuesday so i missed Romas loss to MU.Was it a fair result?
No, we should have won but we missed easy score occasions and were denied a clear penalty. No big deal, though: we'll even up things at a later date.
About the Dida incident, it is embarassing to everyone. The idiot is less culpable than the Milan player: he's an idiot, the other one is a cheater whom I hope won't hbe disqualified: as Milan adversaries we prefer to have Dida playing.
-
That is the hope everybody has. Nafta was a russian concern even bigger than Abramovic which got interested in A.S. Roma couple of years ago. They ran for life when they knew how much in debt the team was. So there's only Bill Gates left for us, I'm afraid...
I'm a fan of Parma, what should I say? Someone would have to invade Iraq, Saudi Arabia & Iran to buy us...
-
But if it gets more Americans interested in soccer, I'm all for it. I've been to a couple Fire games and they are fun to watch, but most people just can't get into the sport. :'(
Not even the USA hosting the 1994 World Cup finals made any difference so i'm very doubtful about this.Interestingly though i found out recently that the USA women's national team have won their version of the World Cup twice!!! :o
-
About the Dida incident, it is embarassing to everyone. The idiot is less culpable than the Milan player: he's an idiot, the other one is a cheater whom I hope won't hbe disqualified: as Milan adversaries we prefer to have Dida playing.
I'm not sure what Dida's motives were.Was he trying to get the result anulled?
-
I'm a fan of Parma, what should I say? Someone would have to invade Iraq, Saudi Arabia & Iran to buy us...
Can't believe Chelsea let go of Morinho in favour of one of Abramovic's chums who's only ever managed the mighty Israel. ;D
Big mistake! :D
-
Not even the USA hosting the 1994 World Cup finals made any difference so I'm very doubtful about this.Interestingly though i found out recently that the USA women's national team have won their version of the World Cup twice!!! :o
Don't worry, as soon as someone big sees profit in it, it'll become very popular.
As for the USA women national team winning the World Cup; it is like Nottingham Forrest winning the CL twice. Although it did happen, people wouldn't believe you...
Can't believe Chelsea let go of Morinho in favour of one of Abramovic's chums who's only ever managed the mighty Israel. ;D
Big mistake! :D
The guy (Avram) is there just to fill the position until someone better comes along. Can't wait to see who will that be.
For a team like Chelsea, that now has players for about 2-3 teams, the arrogant Mourinho was the best man for the job. Only someone more arrogant than those stars could give them orders...
-
I'm not sure what Dida's motives were.Was he trying to get the result annulled?
What else.
Too bad his mind is too slow, now he's just an idiot.
How can someone normally walk on the stadium after something like that? I don't understand.
But it's not strange, he is Dida, and he is playing for Milan. Not a big revelation after all.
-
That team that some say should have lost to Roma have just beaten Wigan 4 - 0 despite some of their players being injured.
Should've been more - ref missed a definite penalty.
:)
-
That team that some say should have lost to Roma
Wonder who that may be...
have just beaten Wigan 4 - 0
Uh? Beaten what?
-
Uh? Beaten what?
Wigan is said to be one of the 20 football teams in the English Premiership. Some say it's more famous for its Pier and the sport of Rugby. There's also a line dance called the Wigan Walk but we'd better not go there.
:)
-
... and it's reported that Paul Simon wrote the song "Homeward Bound" at Wigan Railway Station but this is disputed:
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=4705
I'm sittin' in the railway station
Got a ticket for my destination ...
:)
-
Not even the USA hosting the 1994 World Cup finals made any difference so i'm very doubtful about this.Interestingly though i found out recently that the USA women's national team have won their version of the World Cup twice!!!
There was also some recent controversy with the US goalies, the U.S. coach pulled his goalkeeper after she'd gone some ridiculous amount of minutes, like 3, 400 minutes, without allowing a goal for Brianne Scurry. She'd had success against Brazil in the past, but not this time around. Four goals and a U.S. loss... :'( ;)
-
it is like Nottingham Forrest winning the CL twice. Although it did happen, people wouldn't believe you...
Hey you must live be in the UK to know this sort of stuff(your profile sys "somewhere in the Wild West" though the Cornish consider themselves to be there),though in those days it was called the European Champions Cup.Think i prefered it then when every stage was a knock out. :)
-
No, I'm from the Continent. But I know these things. ;)
-
I see :)
I've got a strong feeling your national team may have a major bearing on how England will fare in their current campaign. ;)
-
Your feeling is wrong, and the little bird that told you something also. ;) :D
-
This is what this Beckham business was all about:
http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUSL0923070020071110
Actually, without the rasta look, he had got me perplexed for a moment.
-
It seems like the english contributors took up their time about how Euro 2008 would turn up for them before rising this thread agin. Do we want to freshen up things or still wait until next Wed.? It seems like the english fans are just like the italian fans and, probably, football fans everywhere. The story they wrote (in forums and blogs) with these qualifiers I saw it so many times... And it's fun how the McClaren story is debated in the same way as Donadoni's. :D
-
It seems like the english contributors took up their time about how Euro 2008 would turn up for them before rising this thread agin. Do we want to freshen up things or still wait until next Wed.? It seems like the english fans are just like the italian fans and, probably, football fans everywhere. The story they wrote (in forums and blogs) with these qualifiers I saw it so many times... And it's fun how the McClaren story is debated in the same way as Donadoni's. :D
Yes England are extremely fortunate the way it turned out yesterday by Israel scraping a win in the last minute against Russia against the run of the play i hear,and also unbelievably Croatia going down 2-0 to Macedonia.England only need a draw now against Croatia at Wembley but as has proved again and again so far you can't take anything for granted under McClarens regime.
Theres been much talk in the last week about the national team suffering because of the huge amount of foreign players who currently outnumber English players by 2:1 in the Premiership.Thankfully it seems that FIFA president Sepp Blatter is looking into introducing quotas which i think makes sense because England only have to lose a couple of key players like Owen or Rooney and we're looking like a reserve team as theres so little else to pick from in our top league.
I understand Titoli that Italy used to have a maximum quota of 2 foreign players.Whats the situation like in Seria A now?
-
Yes, there's a block for non-communitarian players but with many of these players coming from argentina and brasil you have lots of them having a double passport. So you have a team like Inter having almost only foreign players. And they riled at Blatter's words but I think it's only fair to have a side playing with players of the nation where the club is located. Celtic Glasgow won in 1967 the then called Champions Cup with a team composed of players born within a radius of 30 miles. (Against Inter, btw). Now it is impossible to have that again: but AS Roma, f.e., which can't compete with the richest clubs, draws many outstanding players grown in its junior teams (top-players like Totti, De Rossi, Aquilani and even the Robinson-like gk Curci are roman-born and AS Roma raised) and always took care to have at least a relevant inside raised player in the starting team. Mind, I wouldn't like a team like Bilbao made up only of local players but I don't like so many foreign players playing in european teams: you know how many brasilian players are playing abroad? 2500! That just can't be. We have a national team made-up (with one exception) of italian players (very different from England and France teams) and I like it like that: I don't care to win with a team you don't know what it stands for.
Anyway, the big debate in England is whether McClaren has to stay anyway or drop him off before Euro 2008, for an expert substitute like Mourinho or Scolari or an english one. What is your opinion? Mine is that he earned it (I'm sure you will abundantly make it next wed.) and has to stay. Football is a peculiar beast. As all football lovers know, almost every newspaper wanted Bearzot out after the test matches before Spain '82. Everybody wanted him out after the first round. And everybody knows how it ended up...
-
I agree despite it being touted as the "best league in the world" i have absolutely no interest whatsoever in the Premiership because i can't relate to it as an "English" league anymore.
I agree about McClaren mainly because he seems to have the support of the players.Our recent form with all the various 3-0 wins has been encouraging.I never saw the defeat to Russia but i hear England played well in that game and were unlucky to lose.
-
England 2 Croatia 3
Nightmare result last night,i didn't see the game as i was playing a pub gig but i heard the groans from the other bar.But i recorded the game and fast forwarded to the "highlights" when i got home and it was pretty humiliating stuff.Can't remember since we last conceded 3 goals at Wembley. :(
Well McClarens gone,there was no other way.I'm not holding my breath on who'll be his replacement as undoubtedly the FA fuddy duddys will plump for the usual uninspired yes man.The English public want Jose Mourinho but we never get who we want.Martin O'Neil would be another good choice but i wouldn't be surprised if he told the FA to get lost after being turned down in favour of McClaren last year.
Theres also again been a mass outcry against the majority of foreign players in the Premiership but it seems unlikely the FA will do anything.
Titoli apparently Fabio Capello,former manager of Roma,AC Milan and Real Madrid has expressed an interest.Any thoughts?
Anyway who do i want to win next years Euro's? Someone thats never won it before so why not
Croatia? O0
-
I saw the highlights too and England simply decided to suicide: how can you put a keeper with just one cap in a match like that? This is football ABC. I am in the wrong business, for sure.
Well, manager's choice is an important step FA has to take. The first should be for them to resign and, like it happens everywhere, they won't. So you want to take a new manager. To do what? I do not follow PL but it is apparent you need a reform from within of all the movement. I have the feeling that England is not marching in step with the evolution of football elsewhere, in spite of the clubs achievements in CL, the import of foreign players and managers. On the other hand, I like the way football is played in the isle, so it is a matter of choosing what one wants.
Capello was a great player (he scored for Italy in our first victory over England in 197...) and proved a good manager. But you should wonder why he was fired from Madrid some months ago after having won the Liga...He has a very factual attitude when he becomes a manager: he accepts to manage only a team which buys exactly the 3-4 players he wants. Now, England could buy players for his team? I think he would dissatisfy fans for the game he would let the side play: if the choice is Capello, then I'd rather take Eriksson back. What I hope for you is that you take an innovative manager but allowing him to have the team available for training most of the year.
-
Here's an interesting discussion on the next manager:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/11/22/why_england_should_give_capell.html
If it were me to choose I'd go with Klinsmann or Benitez. Capello (or Lippi), though, have a great advantage: they don't speak english yet.
-
I saw the highlights too and England simply decided to suicide: how can you put a keeper with just one cap in a match like that? This is football ABC. I am in the wrong business, for sure.
Well, manager's choice is an important step FA has to take. The first should be for them to resign and, like it happens everywhere, they won't. So you want to take a new manager. To do what? I do not follow PL but it is apparent you need a reform from within of all the movement. I have the feeling that England is not marching in step with the evolution of football elsewhere, in spite of the clubs achievements in CL, the import of foreign players and managers. On the other hand, I like the way football is played in the isle, so it is a matter of choosing what one wants.
Capello was a great player (he scored for Italy in our first victory over England in 197...) and proved a good manager. But you should wonder why he was fired from Madrid some months ago after having won the Liga...He has a very factual attitude when he becomes a manager: he accepts to manage only a team which buys exactly the 3-4 players he wants. Now, England could buy players for his team? I think he would dissatisfy fans for the game he would let the side play: if the choice is Capello, then I'd rather take Eriksson back. What I hope for you is that you take an innovative manager but allowing him to have the team available for training most of the year.
Yes complete lunacy regarding the rookie goalkeeper,leaving experienced players like Beckham on the bench etc and i'm so glad i never sat through this whole debacle Wednesday night.
It seems that we have a choice of having the "best league in the world" with this huge influx of foreign players at the expense of a mediocre national team or introduce quotas in order to revert to a more "English" league obviously resulting in the PL being much less attractive to many fans.From messages i've read elsewhere many of the English public are less concerned about their national team than their clubs.Personally i like seeing great players like Drogba or Ronaldo but it would be enough for me to catch these in the CL or international competitions.
I guess there's probably too much money tied up in the PL for major changes to be made. >:(
I don't know much about our "grass roots" system about nurturing young players but i hear but i hear compared to other European countries this is an area where we are sadly failing.So it seems
that if England are to regain their former standing amongst the worlds best then drastic measures have to be taken by the FA etc. Disturbingly during the news conference announcing McClarens sacking yesterday the FA speaker stated that "significant progress has been made" in the 16 months of McClarens reign.We are still waiting for details about what this progress is.
Actually its a shame that Eriksson isn't in charge still as undoubtably we'd be playing in the finals
next year.He's currently performing miracles at Manchester City.
-
Here's an interesting discussion on the next manager:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/11/22/why_england_should_give_capell.html
If it were me to choose I'd go with Klinsmann or Benitez. Capello (or Lippi), though, have a great advantage: they don't speak english yet.
Klinsmann is charismatic enough,and only today (an apparently disgruntled) Benitez hinted that he'd like the England job but i'm not sure how serious to take this.
Mourinho and O'Neill have already ruled themselves out.The prospect of either Rednapp or Coppell doesn't inspire me as all they've ever done is gain promotion or avoid relegation with lesser teams.We need a proven winner at the top levels and both Capello and Lippi fit the bill.The only negative i've heard against Capello(the frontrunner it seems) is that he has no current connections with English football.Well in that case neither did Eriksson!!
-
I don't know whether PL is the best League in the world, I do not follow it as I haven't got satellite connection. But believe me: ask any player who played in both PL and Serie A and he'll tell you our League is the toughest: always been and probably always will (there was an interview with Vialli on the matter today on a roman newspaper). Here the pressure is by far higher at all levels in every minor league. Now, I have always liked english football for having retained much of the original spirit of the game, without much tacticism and a devil-may-care attitude. But this wasn't good enough to mantain supremacy already in the '30's of the past century. The reform which I think was never made (for incapability or maybe because FA's board was too much incompetent to do it) and should have been made expecially before massively opening up to foreign players, was to create academies for adolescent players like I believe is common practice in the leading football nations. It is not a matter of blocking import from other countries (we opened up gates again from early '80s but kept producing good players ininterruptedly since then) but to teach the young ones. Also Vialli was pointing to some amateurishness still active in the english players approach to their profession. Now, I don't know if I would like that spirit to disappear, but it is a matter of choice.
-
All said, I would be extremely curious to see Capello manage the english team, what the newspapers would say about him, the ugly style of playing he would give to the team, how he would manage folks like Rooney and all the crap. I was surprised that he was interested in getting the job at all. So he must have something in mind (unless he need some restyling for his villa in Spain).
-
I have to agree with Titoli here; don't know which league is the best but the Italian is for sure the toughest to play in.
-
I don't know whether PL is the best League in the world, I do not follow it as I haven't got satellite connection. But believe me: ask any player who played in both PL and Serie A and he'll tell you our League is the toughest: always been and probably always will (there was an interview with Vialli on the matter today on a roman newspaper). Here the pressure is by far higher at all levels in every minor league. Now, I have always liked english football for having retained much of the original spirit of the game, without much tacticism and a devil-may-care attitude. But this wasn't good enough to mantain supremacy already in the '30's of the past century. The reform which I think was never made (for incapability or maybe because FA's board was too much incompetent to do it) and should have been made expecially before massively opening up to foreign players, was to create academies for adolescent players like I believe is common practice in the leading football nations. It is not a matter of blocking import from other countries (we opened up gates again from early '80s but kept producing good players ininterruptedly since then) but to teach the young ones. Also Vialli was pointing to some amateurishness still active in the english players approach to their profession. Now, I don't know if I would like that spirit to disappear, but it is a matter of choice.
I don't know what this very often quoted "best league in the world" is based on and i've no idea if this view is shared outside of England-probably not ;D Maybe because it has a larger ratio of the worlds top players than anyone else,and therefore better quality play.Possibly it has the largest worldwide audience.Quite probably its the most financially lucrative in the world.
My opinion is that its us English blowing our own trumpet.Personally i hate the PL and what it stands for with the multi-million corporation top clubs making it virtually impossible for lower league sides like my team Brighton to access.
I share Tuco's view about Seria A being the toughest and it has always been very highly regarded
in the UK.
Yes Titoli you've probably hit the nail on the head regarding our failure with the academies.
-
All said, I would be extremely curious to see Capello manage the english team, what the newspapers would say about him, the ugly style of playing he would give to the team, how he would manage folks like Rooney and all the crap. I was surprised that he was interested in getting the job at all. So he must have something in mind (unless he need some restyling for his villa in Spain).
I take it that Capello wasn't highly regarded at Roma then? :-\
I haven't looked into his teams close enough to know about his "ugly style" of playing but if he can get us the results thats good enough for me. ;D Afterall i'm used to England playing an extremely ugly style of rugby and we only narrowly missed out on winning our 2nd world cup in a row last month.
On todays BBC Football Focus at lunchtime they're going to feature an interview with Capello which i'll watch with interest.
With so many English managers ruling themselves out of contention its looking likely that we will have our 2nd overseas boss with Klinnsman's name coming into the fray in this mornings newspapers.My only reservation about him is that unlike Capello,Lippi or Benitez he isn't a proved
winner at top level,he only got one stage further than Eriksson.Plus he never had the task of having to qualify for the last world cup of course.
Unsurprisingly England have dropped to 2nd seeds in the ranking which 'll mean we'll have the pleasure in playing the likes of Italy,France,Germany or Holland etc in the world cup qualifiers so hopefully we'll lose all that apparent complacency that we had before.
-
I take it that Capello wasn't highly regarded at Roma then?
When he came he asked and was given players like Batistuta, Emerson and other ones I don't remember.
Rome was brought on the bring of finacial failure, but we won a title against Juventus cheaters. Still he was responsible for making us lose the next title when he insisted , in a match away in Venice, on a too defensive side. He goes for too difensive, cautious tactics: that's why he was scythed at Madrid in spite of results. And that's why nobody likes winning with him.
But of course in England that's just what they've been looking for since 1966. The great question mark is: how could he cope with not being able to buy the players he thinks he needs?
Still, I must admit that, as TV opinionist he is the best I ever heard: he really digs the game and is able to explain minutely what happens on the pitch. So I presume he's able to do that with players with whom he's working throughout the week(it's ridiculous how journalist make a great fuss about his not speaking english: how was he communicating with Beckham at Madrid?). But a national team he has only for a few days of the year? Still he's not a man to talk air. In the last year he was at Roma he said at the beginning of season that, as the team hadn't been reinforced it couldn't aim above 4th-5th place. So if he said that he can do something with your team, it means he believes it.
About Klinsmann, it's true he just made semifinals: but he had a side much more inferior to many other ones. England was much better as to individual players, I firmly believe that, in spite of what is popular to say these days.
Yes, I would like to see Capello there, though the best choice would be Klinsmann, in my opinion. It would be a field day for the yellow press you have over there, still making WWII innuendos (my gosh, I saw such crap on the Guardian on line: that is a "serious" newspaper? I'm not even sure new generations are able to get the hints). Seeing Capello mangle the english press: that would be a show!
-
Saw a little bit of Capello on todays Football Focus and what tiny snippets they showed were pretty much the same that has been quoted in the newspapers .He seems to be very enthusiastic and i don't have a problem with him being currently installed as the 2/1 favourite to succeed McClaren afterall he has won 7 Serie A and 2 Spanish league titles.Though remembering his fallout with Beckham,the BBC football pundits were of the opinion that Capello's arrogance may rub the English players up the wrong way,pointing out that the much more easy going Phil Scolari would be better in this respect.
Yes Capello seems to have no worries about the gutter English press after having already dealt with the equally if not more scathing Italian and Spanish press.
Assuming that nothing will come of Jose Mourinho i'm hoping that the FA take up Capello's offer rather than appoint someone like Harry Rednap who admitted today that he would never turn down the England job.
-
the BBC football pundits were of the opinion that Capello's arrogance may rub the English players up the wrong way
This is what all english football fans want. By saying that they're making him popular. And he's no arrogant: he's a 100% pro. And wants the other people he's dealing with to be pro like him.
And Capello is no fool. See what he did at the circus called Real Madrid this year: he put the ones who didn't fit on the bench and, in the case of Beckham, let him play again when he thought he was fit for it. In fact Beckham had nothing against Capello when he left Madrid.
The more we talk about this the more curious I become to see him land the bench.
(Another factor against him is his little enthusing record in knockout tournaments. Apart from the CL won with the stellar Milan, he did little.)
-
This is what all english football fans want.
Yes we need a strong no nonsense figure to give our overpaid prima donnas a good kick up the backside rather than pandering to them like i hear McClaren did.
Read another quote from Capello about him intending to alter the psychology of the "underachieving" English players,and apparently he's already lining up Gianfranco Zola in his projected management team.I'm really starting to like the sound of this guy.Did he ever pursue the Italian head coach job Titoli?
Just seen the 2010 World Cup draw and England have Croatia(again!!),Ukraine,Belarus,Kazakhstan
and Andorra(again).Respect to Croatia(for obvious reasons) but i think we came out of this quite fortunate.
Italy have got Republic Of Ireland in their group but i didn't note down the other countries.
-
I don't remember if he did ever do a serious bid to be chosen as national coach, but it must have not been a serious thing, if he did at all. This time he is going out of his usual way to get it (they usual propose to him, not the reverse) and it is amazing. Of coujrse he knows this is last stop for him for a job as manager of a national team and maybe he relishes the taste of the challenge: with what he achieved as a manager and as a player (he won titles with Roma, Juventus and Milan: but not with the national team) maybe he needs jnew stimulus to put himself to work. If he's so keen on the job I think it should be given to him. Like me he probably presumes England has been badly managed these last years and has been constantly underachieving until this last farce. My curiosity to see what an old school italian manager can do with England grows higher and higher.
-
By names only we're in the most accesible group (Bulgaria, Montenegro, Cyprus, Georgia) but we know that Iitaly gives the best only with the big names or in dire situations(always been like that).
I don't think Capello ever did have anything to do with Zola. But the fact that he's going to pick him up as his right hand in the prospect job tells all about Capello seriousness oif intents and capacity to adapt to different situations. Of course in knockout competition you can always blow a chance and miserably fail. But I'm sure he's gonna get 100% out of his players.
-
I don't think Capello ever did have anything to do with Zola. But the fact that he's going to pick him up as his right hand in the prospect job tells all about Capello seriousness oif intents and capacity to adapt to different situations. Of course in knockout competition you can always blow a chance and miserably fail. But I'm sure he's gonna get 100% out of his players.
I'm sure Capello's aware that Zola is universally liked in England through his time playing with Chelsea so thats a clever move to bring him into the equation.Because Capello is so keen on the job along with his brilliant credentials i think we've got to snap him up before someone else does.
I'm already bored hearing about how one minute Mourinho says "come and get me" and the next theres total denial that he's made any noises in this respect,and i'm hearing mixed messages from all the other candidates.
Michel Platini annoyed me yesterday by insisting we get in an Englishman in or else "lose our identity".I don't see why he's so interested anyway as he's already put himself in as an obstacle against England hosting the 2018 World Cup.I don't think we did too bad a job in 1996 did we?
-
Redknap called himself out, didn't he? ::)
Anyway, I'm curious if at FA they will have the guts to get Capello. He will bring clarity in a muddled situation, you can count on it. And I'd bet a solid 100 that he would take you to South Africa. You could then change him with a local trainer just before the trip. 8)
I had heard those blockheads at FA were going to decide this week, any news?
Platini is a politician. I think that after more than 50 years England has a right to host again the WC as Brasil, Italy and Germany before her. But maybe Monsieur is thinking to give France a third...
About losing your identity, I would like to ask him about all those black players in his national team.
Get Capello!
-
I really don't know why we have an FA.They're so clueless about who to choose as our next coach that Barwick and co have been consulting every Tom,Dick and Harry about who we should plump for.I suspect the reason for this is that they can shift the blame if the choice backfires on them.
About this week,well from glancing on the back pages of todays newpapers it seems that the FA may be making a move very soon on Mourinho.Couldn't see anything about Capello.
I don't mind either of these two.
-
So it's Capello... O0
-
Yes it looks very much that way and i'm finding the prospect quite exciting.I'm glad we're getting Capello (rather than Mourinho) who i understand wanted the England post as far back as 2000.He is the best possible candidate with a CV second to none,a strict non nonsense disciplinarian who's gonna sort out the overpaid prima donnas present in the team.I don't care if we don't play pretty just so long as we can actually qualify for the next World Cup and maybe even go a stage further than we did with Erikson.
I hope. :)
-
It seems like 2\3 of England's supporters agree with you. I am curious in the utmost degree to see how your players will fit into rather different Capello's schemes . And so, I think, is the rest of the football world.
But if the people at FA would be really smart (which I doubt, though hiring Capello is a smart move) what they would first charge Capello's with would be reorganizing the way football is taught (if at all) in England. He's a born organizer and proved himself at it BEFORE he even started coaching. He also should do weekly training conferences for english coaches at all levels. As to organization of a whole structure, he's probably the number one in the world. And he's a dedicated man like few to his job. So (I repeat myself), though I think Klinsmann could have been a better choice as to the way the team would play, Capello is probably the best in this particular moment. As to the english popular press, they're a chocolate fudge for Capello.
And, last but not least, as a football fan was reminding me a few minutes ago, (though I do not believe in fortune) Capello is a lucky man.
-
It seems like Capello can actually speak some basic english. Here's an anticipation (I took this from a AS ROMA fans forum):
(http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4713/fabiocapellole5.jpg)
"From the technical/tactic point of view..."
"I don't usually talk about the ref, but there were three throw-ins for us more"
"The grass was too rough"
"I'm not interested in coaching the France/Italy/Russia/Arab Emirates National team"
"Are you a local or national radio?"
-
It seems like 2\3 of England's supporters agree with you. I am curious in the utmost degree to see how your players will fit into rather different Capello's schemes . And so, I think, is the rest of the football world.
But if the people at FA would be really smart (which I doubt, though hiring Capello is a smart move) what they would first charge Capello's with would be reorganizing the way football is taught (if at all) in England. He's a born organizer and proved himself at it BEFORE he even started coaching. He also should do weekly training conferences for english coaches at all levels. As to organization of a whole structure, he's probably the number one in the world. And he's a dedicated man like few to his job. So (I repeat myself), though I think Klinsmann could have been a better choice as to the way the team would play, Capello is probably the best in this particular moment. As to the english popular press, they're a chocolate fudge for Capello.
And, last but not least, as a football fan was reminding me a few minutes ago, (though I do not believe in fortune) Capello is a lucky man.
Yes well done to the FA for ignoring the whingers who were calling for an English coach.Lets face it at present we just don't have anyone who is up to the task.I was getting sick about hearing Harry Redknapps name who has never won anything with anyone,he just not in the same league as Capello.And Martin O'Neill,he's Irish anyway!!
But i can't understand the FA's insistence of having an English name added to Capello's team.We should trust this proven winner to bring in the people that he wants without having to include a token Englishman for the sake of it .And it has been proved with McClaren that grooming an English subordinate for a future coaching role doesn't work.
It would be great if Capello could implement the grass root changes which you suggest,if he was willing enough,but i suspect that he may end up treading on Trevor Brookings toes as he is currently in charge of such matters.
I'm looking forward to seeing how Capello will deal with our gutter press.
-
It seems like Capello can actually speak some basic english. Here's an anticipation (I took this from a AS ROMA fans forum):
(http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4713/fabiocapellole5.jpg)
"From the technical/tactic point of view..."
"I don't usually talk about the ref, but there were three throw-ins for us more"
"The grass was too rough"
"I'm not interested in coaching the France/Italy/Russia/Arab Emirates National team"
"Are you a local or national radio?"
;D
I don't see the language issue as being a problem.I understand he's already fluent in one or two languages other than Italian and by the time the World Cup qualifiers start next Autumn his English will be very good. :)
-
I don't see the language issue as being a problem.I understand he's already fluent in one or two languages other than Italian and by the time the World Cup qualifiers start next Autumn his English will be very good.
Actually it seems like he's not totally foreign to the language. He can speak it on a basic level. If I were him I wouldn't mind upping it up: what for? Press conferences? This is a bs issue. yeah, Benitez said that it is essential for half-time encouraging and direction. But Capello has Baldini with him who can manage 5 languages, in case. Actually, as he is wont to set a distance between he and his players, not knowing the language could turn up an advantage: if the folks playing for him can't understand him that will make him all the more redoutable to them. And he is wont to play on these psychological approaches.
Of course, his main problem is the keeper. That's why he brought with him Tancredi (former AS ROMA and italian national team keeper). I wonder what he can do with a monthly session (if at all) with your keepers, but I am sure they can only get better.
As one of his two only friends in football world said:"If something can be done with those players, he's the only one who can do it". Anyway, is worthwhile reflecting on the fact that nobody laughed when it was written that his aim (which it is) is to win a WC for England. it will be different after a first lamentable performance (which I'm sure it is bound to happen) but nobody laughed now.
About an english manager, that is only a proof of how little the english press know about football history. In Italy we imported english coaches until the '50's (some even later) because England was in the vanguard as to football strategies and training methods. That din't hinder us from winning 2 WC in the '30s. These people writing this kind of crap should tell which english trainer has accomplished anything worthwhile in the last 20 years. And if SCS is a prime example of their abilities...
I don't know whether Capello will accept a second in command. In case he might make sure he's not one who can understand italian like David Platt...
-
Even if Capello can remove this supposed "mental block" with such things as penalty shoot outs i think any thoughts of winning the World Cup maybe over ambitious.England just doesn't have the same depth of talent as other countries and we only need to be missing a handful of key players to be struggling as the Croatia game demonstrated.
Its also doubtful that a European country will triumph in the climate of South Africa which'll surely favour a South American team.
Yes the goalkeeper is one huge problem that needs solving.
Hopefully Capello's impact will be so immediate that the token Englishman idea can be forgotten about.
-
He took Baldini with him as talent spotter. That means (I guess) he intends to build on a larger basis than just PL stars.
One big question mark is how his relationship with big team managers is gonna develop. Really, I can't wait to see what he's gonna do.
-
I didn't watch the match, Banjo. Whaddaya think of it and Fab?
-
It was an encouraging start for Capello and England considering that this was a totally different line up,afterall Rome wasn't built in a day! :)
It was great to see the very imposing figure of Capello standing on the touchline throughout much of the game.It would appear that he has already gained the respect of his players despite the tough new regime of double training sessions,no wives/girlfriends/mobile phones etc.
Looking forward to the France game next month.
-
Good luck tonight Titoli against MU O0
-
Good luck tonight Titoli against MU O0
Thanx, man. You'll watch the match?
-
We lost, agin. Still we were most unlucky and MU grabbed the chances. But this squad as good as Brasil? I never saw Brasil playing catenaccio like MU did tonight. And they played catenaccio even after their first goal: embarassing. They waited for a chance praying in the meantime not to get a goal. I'm curious to see the Old Trafford's second leg: if we have half the luck MU had tonight it will be very interesting even if Totti (as most probably the case will be) won't be playing.
-
But this squad as good as Brasil?
I don't think Brazil would include such a knucklehead like Rooney in their side who with his thuggish temper is probably more of a liability than an asset for England.
I really hope Roma can perform miracles and overturn the deficit in the return leg but they might need more than luck because referees at Old Trafford are more than usually biased towards the home team. :(
-
I don't think Brazil would include such a knucklehead like Rooney in their side who with his thuggish temper is probably more of a liability than an asset for England.
You didn't watch the match, I presume. Rooney is the only player in MU that I admire. He was the match-winner and he has an exemplary behaviour (not like clownish Ronaldo).
I really hope Roma can perform miracles and overturn the deficit in the return leg but they might need more than luck because referees at Old Trafford are more than usually biased towards the home team. :(
Not so much (I hope). I think referees in CL (with exceptions) are more fair headed than in national leagues because of the importance of the competition. What we need is just somebody who can make a goal out of the many and clear chances we create in a match. Yesterday we had none.
-
You didn't watch the match, I presume. Rooney is the only player in MU that I admire. He was the match-winner and he has an exemplary behaviour (not like clownish Ronaldo).
I did see the game but admittedly i rarely watch MU in the Premiership.Maybe Ferguson has a tighter rein over Rooney than say Eriksson because undoubtably he has cost England dearly in the past.Maybe on evidence of last Wednesdays game he has matured somewhat.I respect his ability but we never see the appalling on pitch behavior from the likes of Ronaldinho that Rooney has displayed in the past.
Hopefully Rooney will be wary enough to be wary of Capello's wrath to behave in an England shirt in future.
-
I saw all the matches he played against us last year and this one and he has always been correct and (alas!) most decisive man on the pitch. He's a no frills player who's there to score. He has no qualms about doing humble tasks like running behind a ball for half a field and save a corner to get a side throw instead (He did this last night and last year too: and, guess what, that's what struck most A.S. Roma fans, judging from talk shows on the local radios). Anyway. I'm very curious about next wednesday's match. And I'd bet that SAF's gonna play catenaccio at OT too. Hope luck will be with us this time: that's all we need. ;)
-
Hope luck will be with us this time
I do too and (contrary to what the British media would have you believe) that goes for most of the non-MU fans here too. O0
-
Totti won't be on the pitch, alas! But the rest of the squad is alive and well.
-
Well it all starts on Saturday and its a tough opening for Italy against Holland on the 9th June.Wonder if Cannavaro will have recovered in time?
-
Like we did for the last World Cup finals is anybody up for a match prediction competitions for the Euro's starting tomorrow?
I'll again keep a game by game points tally. ;)
I'll start by saying Switzerland 1 Czech Republic 2
Portugal 2 Turkey 1
-
Cannavaro won't recover, he's kaputt for two months.
Banjo, I really have no idea about these matches so I can't make predictions. Let's wait for the second round, at least.
-
Titoli,when the last World Cup finals started i remember it was your idea for the guessing game we held at the time. ???
But if no-one else wants to join in now :( i suppose it'll have to wait until the knockout stages.
-
I do not mean the knockout stages but the second round of eliminatory matches. Anyway, if it's only me and you there's little to predict.
I've seen some of the Portugal match tonight and I've seen that, predictably, the teams are tired after a trying season. That does explain why this tournament has always been unpredictable.
-
Well LeBon tells me he's gonna join in! ;)
I'd say the results so far have gone with form though Switzerland were very unlucky to not get at least one penalty as well as losing Frei to injury.
Today i reckon Austria 0 Croatia 2
Germany 2 Poland 0
But i'd love to see an upset in this evenings game. :)
-
It's just kicking off but i'll go for....
Germany 2 Poland 1
-
I saw the Germany match and second half of Austria's. Germany's defense was far from redoutable, though their attack play was fast (but Ballack is still carburating). They might have the advantage of having an easy eliminatory round (which Italy and France shouldn't have). I expected more from Croatia, but phisically they were very down. The fact they have won might mean though they're on the way up and in this kind of competitions starting slow is essential.
-
And Italy are the masters of the slow start aren't they?
Banjo 1 point
Le Bon 0 point
Titoli ? points
Still no shocks so far!
But i'll claim my point for guessing the correct score for Germany v Poland.
I'll reset the tally's to zero once Titoli and whoever jumps onboard,talking of which Italy have got a massive game tomorrow night against Holland.
For tomorrow i predict Romania 1 France 1
and Italy 1 Holland 1
We haven't had a draw yet and i think this "group of death" is gonna be very tight.
-
Yes this is a tough group. I'll have to sleep on it and post my predictions for the games tomorrow. Are we going to start for real on the second round of group games?
-
I think that's what Titoli means. :-\
Really looking forward to todays games.I hope that Romania manage to turn over France. 8)
-
Right. Well i missed predicting the first game. France were very poor i thought.
Holland 0 Italy 1
-
Banjo 1 point
Le Bon 0 point
Titoli ? point
Great game tonight following the debacle earlier on.Two great counter attack goals from Holland apart from the dodgy offside goal.Italy were excellent in the 2nd half and were unlucky not to score.I still think Italy will qualify based on the uninspired performances from both France and Romania.
-
The match proved why people here didn't want Donadoni as substitute for Lippi. Now, it is true that without Cannavaro we lose a great deal of our power (the goals prove this). But the basic mistake (and everybody, including me, said it BEFORE the match) was to have the midfield of Milan starting instead of having Pirlo with De Rossi and Aquilani. Gattuso and Ambrosini didn't make a great season playing poorly or not at all, (and Milan barely qualified for UEFA Cup) so, even though the team showed improvement in the second half, still the manager proved his not being up to the task, expecially since he should have made substitutions earlier. Also, having Barzagli and Materazzi playing center defense was absurd as Materazzi had a far from brilliant season. And Panucci shouldn't have been made playing at all because of a recent injury from which he has still to recover. In fact I wondered why Grosso wasn't playing from the start, as he gave much strenght to the team in the second half. I think we have a great team as we showed in the second half, but the manager might spoil it all anytime. But it also must be remarked that Netherlands made an excellent match and remains to be proven whether things might have been different for us anyway. So let's wait for the next match and see what happens. We must remember that Italy made his great performances whenever there was discussions before the tournaments. This time everything was just too quiet.
-
I also saw the match of France and barely could keep my eyes open. I'll start making predictions myself on Wed.
-
My prediction today:-
Spain 2 Russia 0
Greece 1 Sweden 2
-
Spain definitely look strong contenders after yesterdays easy win against Russia.
Greece with their cynical tactics look like a spent force and fortunately Sweden deservedly scored twice in the end.
For today i reckon Czech Republic 1 Portugal 2
Switzerland 0 Turkey 2
-
Czech Republic 0 Portugal 4
Switzerland 2 Turkey 2
-
Damn that Ronaldo for scoring in injury thus ruining my prediction. ::)
-
I missed the first of todays games but i can do the second one.
Switzerland 1 Turkey 2
-
I guess we started properly today.
Le Bon 1 point
Banjo 0 point
Titoli 0 point
-
Well another late goal to go with the Ronaldo one.
-
Austria - Poland 2 - 1
Germany - Croatia 1 - 1
-
Austria 1 Poland 1
Germany 2 Croatia 1
-
Austria 1 Poland 2
Germany 2 Croatia 0
-
Seems like we're going nowhere uh? Anyway
Italy - Romania 3 - 1
France - Netherlands 2 - 1
-
I will be away till Wednesday so what i will do is put my predictions for the games up to Wed here... :-\
Italy 2 Romania 0
France 1 Netherlands 2
SATURDAY
Sweden 1 Spain 3
Greece 0 Russia 1
SUNDAY
Switz 0 Portugal 2
Turkey 1 Czech Rep 1
MONDAY
Austria 0 Germany 1
Poland 0 Croatia 3
TUESDAY
France 0 Italy 1
Neth 2 Romania 1
-
Le Bon 2 points
Banjo 0 points
Titoli 0 points
Italy 2 Romania 1
France 0 Holland 2
-
Banjo you guessed right about the Italy result. But the referee cheated you of the point. >:(
Anyway, people here are hoping that by next wed. we'll have got rid of Donadoni.
-
Yeah Luca Toni was robbed! :(
I'd say you've still got a 50/50 chance of going through and i'm guessing that your game against France could go all the way to penaltys (assuming Romania lose to the (so far) brilliant Holland) as the goal differences are identical.
If next Wednsdays game is anything like yesterdays football,i can't wait.
Le Bon 2 points
Banjo 0 point
Titoli 0 point
-
For today Sweden 0 Spain 3
Greece 0 Russia 2
-
Sweden - Spain 2 - 2
Greece - Russia 1 -1
-
Yeah Luca Toni was robbed! :(
I'd say you've still got a 50/50 chance of going through and i'm guessing that your game against France could go all the way to penaltys (assuming Romania lose to the (so far) brilliant Holland) as the goal differences are identical.
If next Wednsdays game is anything like yesterdays football,i can't wait.
Matches should be next tuesday. I hope you're right about the percentage but it's actually nil, as to go to the ko stages we should 1) beat France (and it's not an easy task) 2) Romania should not win against Holland (and that it's gonna be even harder as, presumably, Holland shouldn't run the risk of finding an improved french or italian team in semis. Or, simply, will save his best players a match). So by next wed or a week later Lippi should be back.
-
LeBon 3 points
Banjo 0 points
Titoli 0 points
Holland might not field their strongest team but i'm sure they'll do their utmost not to lose as they'll want to retain confidence and momentum for the rest of the competition.
I really think for 2nd place in that group, it's between France and Italy.
-
Switzerland 1 Portugal 3
Turkey 1 Czech Republic 2
-
Switzerland 2 Portugal 3
Turkey 2 Czech Republic 1
Well, we'll see. But beating France will be tough.
-
Just looked at the current Group C standings
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Netherlands 2 2 0 0 7 1 +6 6
Romania 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 2
Italy 2 0 1 1 1 4 −3 1
France 2 0 1 1 1 4 −3 1
It's shaping up to be an explosive finale between France and Italy because with Romania's goal difference neither can afford to draw in case Romania manage to hold Holland level.
-
Of course. But it's gonna be wasted energies for both anyway. The betting agencies have no illusiions on this.
-
LeBon 2 points
Banjo 0 points
titoli 0 points
Didn't see last night's games but Turkey coming back from 2 nil down to defeat Czech Republic sounded like an absolute thriller.Hope to catch a repeat of this on tv today.
Austria 0 Germany 3
Poland 0 Croatia 2
-
Austria 3 Germany 2
Poland 1 Croatia 2
-
LeBon 3 points
Banjo 0 points
Titoli 0 points
Italy 2 France 1
Holland 2 Romania 0
-
Italy 1 France 2
Holland 1 Romania 2
Van Basten changed 9\11 of his starting line-up, but kept his gk.
-
LeBon 3 points
Banjo 1 point
Titoli 0 points
Looks like Donadoni's job is safe until next Monday at least. ;)
-
He must say a good thanx to Van Basten. Now this is becoming very interesting because now we can get to the end. Italy has always had troubles in the first round of tournaments, expecially the european championship because you meet much better teams than at the WC. Donadoni, though, with his unexplainable choices in the first match did his best to bring us all back home tomorrow. But now he seems to have understood a few, easy facts: 1) De Rossi is the best midfielder Italy has (actually he would make starting team in ANY team. This everybody seemed to know but him) 2) Once Cannavaro was out it was absurd to have central defense with Materazzi and Barzagli, who didn't make a great year and need a lead. Donadoni at last realized that Panucci and Chiellini is the best he can have now. 3) Cassano can't be left out.
This is was most critics and fans were saying BEFORE the match with Holland. How he did arrive at those incredible decisions is a mystery but to him. But now that he realized the mistakes he made, he had the great luck to be given a second chance. And Italy becomes, in my book, the favourite team for the final victory unless Donadoni wants to try to play genius again. If we beat Spain (far from impossible as I wasn't impressed by that team which seems to play a little too slowly) we could have the rare chance of playing again that damned first game.
A pity Pirlo (and Gattuso) won't be able to play against Spain. But the way the team has started to carburate, wnybody who gets in makes no diference.
-
And Italy becomes, in my book, the favourite team for the final victory unless Donadoni wants to try to play genius again.
Very possibly so and one only needs to remember Italys slow start in Spain 1982.Its all about peaking at the right time and i feel that Italy are due one or two exceptional performances.Holland have undoubtably been the strongest team so far but how long can they sustain playing at such a high level as in the past they have a tendency to falter in the later stages following a promising start?
Greece 0 Spain 2
Russia 1 Sweden 2
-
Greece 0 Spain 2
Russia 1 Sweden 0
-
The WC of 1982 is a once in a lifetime event. We had problems in other editions of these tournaments (the 1994 and 2006) but this time it is different because it was Donadoni who searched for the trouble when there was no need. This time we are waiting for Toni to start to score: if he does (as it is only to expect), game over. Pirlo is gonna miss next match and is a great loss but we can arrange a good midfield anyway.
-
Jusy got home and it's ten minutes till kick off. So for tonight's games....
Greece 1 Spain 2
Russia 1 Sweden 1
-
Anyway let's have some fun waiting for today's match:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULH-5EvtB30
-
This is even better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goSnvCpG6aQ&feature=related
-
Very original!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z-pJ6t52BQ&feature=related
-
Portugal 3 Germany 0
-
Anyway let's have some fun waiting for today's match:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULH-5EvtB30
Thats incredible.Is that referee still working i wonder? ;D
-
This is even better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goSnvCpG6aQ&feature=related
Pretty unbelievable behavior all round!! :D
-
Very original!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z-pJ6t52BQ&feature=related
And a bit more effective than this attempt:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spuvWxlnya0
-
LeBon 4 points
Banjo 1 point
Titoli 0 points
Portugal 1 Germany 2
-
Portugal 2 Germany 1
Amazing videos!!
-
:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
That's how all of Europe (except Portugal) feels after Ronaldo's early goodbye to the tournament. ;D
Really, the Portugal defense I thought it was bad, but not THAT bad (they were like statues in the second goal). Anyway Germany has a better team than in 2006. But Portugal gave the match away: which is what happens often when the play gets tough. I think this is the most intersting Euro championship in years, isn't it?
And the fact that England was thrown out by 2 of the final 8 it means something.
-
Croatia 3 - Turkey 0
-
And the fact that England was thrown out by 2 of the final 8 it means something.
Maybe but i'm hoping that we won't have to miss out again in a hurry.Croatia could once again be a major stumbling block to our qualification for the next World Cup. :-\
As much as dislike for Ronaldo as a MU player its still impossible not to admire his ability as one of the worlds best players.Yes i feel very sad to see the multi talented Portugal exit this early to the more workman like Germany.Other than the poor defence Portugal ran circles around Germany but as always the Germans always seem to manage to bulldoze their way through.
-
Croatia 2 Turkey 1
-
Apparently my irony on Ronaldo went lost...Ronaldo is a great player but he still has to learn to be a champ 360°: his derisive behaviour toward his adversaries is untolerable. So I sincerely hope this mediocre performance of his team will cost him the Golden Ball. And I don't think that Portugal was beaten phisically but that the portoguese players beat themselves in the first 30' of the match.
-
Apparently my irony on Ronaldo went lost...
:-[
I just noticed the " ;D" at the end of your comment.
With such a suspect defence i'm surprised at your glee at Portugal going out because as always Germany are going to be very hard to beat if Italy(or anyone) has to play them?
A1,yeah i heard that and it suits me if SAF keeps him in the stands all next season though i strongly suspect that Madrid will get their man at a cost.
-
With such a suspect defence i'm surprised at your glee at Portugal going out because as always Germany are going to be very hard to beat if Italy(or anyone) has to play them?
There's still a week to pass and nobody can be sure that Italy might beat Spain or even whichever team in the semifinals (and the same goes for Germany). My glee was exclusively for Ronaldo's farewell, that's all. Still a final Italy-Germany would be the best finale one can imagine in a Euro Cup, even if we risk to lose it. But I prefer losing against Germany (or Brazil at WC) than against Portugal.
(http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5837/22uk5.jpg)
-
Croatia 3 Turkey 1
-
I haven't seen the extratime and the penalties but Turkey was denied a penalty by the infamous italian referee (he cost us the scudetto this season, with his scandalous direction of Inter-Roma) and earned the semi in the first 90'. I have though the impression that Croatia suffered the hot weather.
(http://www.supertangas.com/contris/thumbs/lrg-1598-st-2008-000778.jpg)
Russia 1 Holland 3
-
This thread is about soccer, right?
-
GTFOOH! >:(
-
>:D
-
With that piece of ass i can forgive Croatia getting to the finals at our expense!!! :D
-
LeBon 4 points
Banjo 1 point
Titoli 0 points
Holland 3 Russia 1
-
So Turkey get through again somehow. ??? Croatia really had the wind knocked out of their sails by that equaliser and copied Englands penalty taking. An exciting end to a drab game.
Holland 2 Russia 1
-
I wonder what happened to all of the teams who went strong in the eliminatory groups: they can't seem to be able to be standing, let alone run. Hope tomorrow will be the same.
Italy 2 Spain 0
Anyway, Banjo, those Russians weren't so bad after all.
-
Unfortunately I wasn't around for a few weeks so I missed all the action here on this thread... :'(
But boy, did Russia break Holland today - HOO HA!
-
I didn't see any Holland playing tonight.
-
You mean they were playing poorly or that I should have said - Netherlands?
-
That they didn't play at all.
-
They had a kinda positive period towards the end of the first half, but that was all. They were very lucky not to get bangered with 6 or more goals...
-
Anyway, Banjo, those Russians weren't so bad after all.
Not half! :o
I'm only glad that England aren't having to face Russia as well as Croatia in the world cup qualifiers. :D
I've got a strong feeling that those two old wiley campaigners Italy and Germany are gonna be this years finalists.
Italy 2 Spain 1
LeBon 4 points
Banjo 1 point
Titoli 0 points
-
I've got a strong feeling that those two old wiley campaigners Italy and Germany are gonna be this years finalists.
It seems like no result can be foreseen in this tournament, so I wouldn't be amazed not to see them at all in a finale.
-
Croatia and Russia....maybe Englands was a tougher qualifying group than was thought :-\
Italy 1 Spain 2
-
Italy 1 Spain 2
Good one! ;D
-
The best ones won. This was the only quarte of final played by two equivalent teams. I think that with Pirlo could have been a better match for Italy because Aquilani did nothing. But that reasoning leads you nowhere. It will be an interesting match in the semi for Spain with Russia.
-
It will be an interesting match in the semi for Spain with Russia.
LeBon 4 points
Banjo 1 point
titoli 0 points
I didn't catch yesterdays game until i watched the recording very late last night and again i was disappointed with Italy's performance,they never really got going in this tournament.Is Donadoni on his way out now?
Both Spain and Russia have been one of the bright lights so i'd like to see either of them go and and win it now.
-
When England are not involved i support Italy but as lasts nights game developed i had to wish for Spain to win. Donnadoni has not had any backing today so it looks like it could have been his last game.
-
Lippi''ll be back on saddle first of July. Which is a solution I don't like at all. He was the trainer when at Juventus made use of drugs (the club's doctor, BTW, still being there), was involved heavily with the scandals even through his son, players agent. The man for the job should be Ancelotti, but Milan won't let him go, apparently. Donadoni sholuldn't have been there in the first place.
-
Did you object to Lippi before the last World Cup? ??? Though i suppose his dirty dealings may not have been made public back then.I know how strongly you felt about the match fixing scandels etc.
I'm curious as to why he never held onto his job following Italys success in 2006? :-\
-
Did you object to Lippi before the last World Cup? ??? Though i suppose his dirty dealings may not have been made public back then.I know how strongly you felt about the match fixing scandels etc.
I'm curious as to why he never held onto his job following Italys success in 2006? :-\
Because his dirty dealings (but already those with doped Juventus should have granted him a kick off) were made public just before the beginning of the WC and he was kept in place on condition he resigned after the WC, whatever the result. The mistake was double: leave Lippi in his post and hire Donadoni (who had as his only experience in Serie A only 15 matches as a trainer before he was kicked out of his post. He was given Lippi's post only because he's friend with former Milan mate Albertini, who was put in one of the leading positions inside italian FA) after. But the problem was (and his) that the same people who were involved in these dealings (with the exception of n. 1 & 2 of Juventus, who are currently on trial) are still there (this was also because of the WC result). Italian way.
-
Germany 1 Turkey 0
-
Germany 3 Turkey 0
-
I'm pissed up having been out on the razzle all day. :P
The game is obviously over but i 'm guessing 4 nil to Germany.
Just about to check out the teletext etc. :)
-
Spain 2 Russia 1
-
I'm sorry i missed yesterdays game(dads birthday),it sounded a cracker. :(
Russia 3 Spain 2
-
Yes it was a very good game. Turkey are really unlucky to got out. Germany were quite poor. There were two power blackouts due to the storm in Vienna which affected the world feed. The BBC swithced to Radio 5 commentary when this happened. The cut outs were about 5 mins each time so nthey were not too long although we missed the 2nd German goal. It sounds like yoyu had a good day though Banjo. ;)
Spain 1 Russia 2
-
Yes, poor performance. Their psyche is their weakness. So we play best against the other 'great' soccer nations.
My main hope here for the final: after a bad or mediocre game they always came back with a great or good (enough) performance. After 12 years we need another title. :)
It is our 6th final, it could be the Russians 5th (incl. USSR). We won the title 3 times (72 against USSR), the
Russians only won the very first Euro Finals in 1960).
Then again I want ESPANA to win today!
And on Sunday Mario Gomez' comeback with two goals.
-
It sounds like yoyu had a good day though Banjo. ;)
I'm still groaning about it!! :-[
Don't think you've anything to worry about Mike,i feel it's inevitable that Germany win again after 12 long years.Not quite as bad as 40 odd years though is it? ::)
-
For Spain it would be 44.
-
Germany 2 Spain 1 after OT (1-1 at 90').
-
Just about to kick off!!
Spain 3 Germany 2
-
Just made it in time
Spain 2 Germany 1
-
I'm glad Germany didn't make it. ;)
-
So am I. >:D
-
Yes i'm glad that the best team in the tournament won. O0
I'm astounded how with such an average team in recent years Germany keep coming within a whisker of winning something.I guess its their fighting spirit,something unfortunately England lost a long time ago.
Well done to LeBon for winning the predictions game.
-
I'm astounded how with such an average team in recent years Germany keep coming within a whisker of winning something.I guess its their fighting spirit,something unfortunately England lost a long time ago.
Out of the last 30 odd games they lost only four I guess. So I guess we did o.k. :)
But ESPANA was the best possible winner of the tournament, no question about it.
Although it could have been a better, suspenseful final if 90% of the German team would not have
been elsewhere with their heads.
-
I kept thinking during the game that the equaliser was coming. Not because Germany were playing well (only one half chance with the Ballack shot) but because of their spirit and determination....not this time though.
-
I think spain will win. Oh, too late (sorry Banjo).
If I'd have read me PM in time I'd have honestly gone for the Czechs.
-
I think spain will win. Oh, too late (sorry Banjo).
If I'd have read me PM in time I'd have honestly gone for the Czechs.
I'd better take your predictions for South Africa 2010 now then,in case you're too late next time. ;D
-
York City for the Blue Square.
Beat a path to William Hills now!
-
York City
Thats where Capello will be heading if we don't qualify this time. ;D
-
Hey Banjo, how's Capello doing?
-
I didn't see the Andorra game last Saturday as it was a pay-per-view match .But typically(for our fickle press) Capello came in for a lot of criticism because we only beat them 2-0 even though the whole Andorran side sat back in defence.But still everyone was saying that we are no better than under McClaren.
Again before last nights game people were predicting the worst.Another pay-per-view game only but i went out to a pub and watched it because of the superior oppostion.It was a shaky start but once we got that first goal it was an excellent team performance,the best i've seen them in a long time .Croatia (who had never been beaten at home in a qualifier) only managed two shots on all night but undoubtably it was made easier for us following the sending off.It was a relief Walcott scoring the hatrick because we've been severely lacking up front.
Now everyone is hailing Capello as a tactical genius!
I wasn't able to see highlights of the other games but i see Italy won comfortable against (i think)Georgia?
-
Yeah, but I want to know what YOU think about Don Fabio.
Italy managed to win two matches with many players out of form. That was good. These are matches that played next month wouldn't have caused any trouble. But now (as Lippi complained) whoever you're playing against it's a problem, with Serie A being the last league to start.
-
Yeah, but I want to know what YOU think about Don Fabio.
Italy managed to win two matches with many players out of form. That was good. These are matches that played next month wouldn't have caused any trouble. But now (as Lippi complained) whoever you're playing against it's a problem, with Serie A being the last league to start.
We looked ordinary and uninspired throughout the friendlies leading up to the qualifiers but to be fair to Capello these games are pretty meaningless but served a useful function for him to assess his players and systems.
Last night was the first real test and i don't need to say Capello passed with flying colours.Its our most outstanding result since beating Germany away from home 5-1 seven years ago.
I like Capello a lot.He has passion,charisma and has instilled belief in the team.But as regards how far he can take us,in reality he's only as good as the players and at present i'm sure there are a few teams better than England.
-
A result for all genuine football fans everywhere!! :)
My team Brighton & Hove Albion have just knocked the now " richest club in the world" Manchester City out of the Carling Cup. :D
And we're struggling mid league two divisions below them. ;D
-
Yes, journalist are scum everywhere, but still I'm amazed how some creeps are payed to write such nonsense:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/oct/15/england-belarus-world-cup-qualifier
What does the ordinary fan says, Banjo?
-
Yes, journalist are scum everywhere, but still I'm amazed how some creeps are payed to write such nonsense:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2008/oct/15/england-belarus-world-cup-qualifier
What does the ordinary fan says, Banjo?
I've read a lot worse from the press.He does make some valid points and i agree that England aren't quite as good as are results suggest but as Capello quire rightly says,winning is all important and in winning all 4 of our games so far he has exceeded everyone's expectations of him.It is very encouraging that we are winning games quite comfortably at present whilst there are still areas where there is room for improvement.If Capello sustain can iron out these problems whilst sustaining the results its going to be very exciting in South Africa,assuming we qualify of course.
-
Of course you cannot pretend that everything is working fine so soon, but to have won 4 matches in a row is no ordinary feat, expecially for a team like England. I don't know how you can be in doubt about qualifying: Capello is no McLaren but not even an Eriksson: that should be clear to everybody by now. You want to see good football being played and winning against more significant adversaries? You'll have to wait for that: the goal is 2010, the rest counts for nothing. But to have resurrected a team in such a short time is the sign of the great leader at the helm. And to criricize the fact that you don't see much of a game played is absurd.
-
You are totally right and Capello has already set a new record of winning the first 4 world cup qualifiers in a row. O0
I guess i'm used to England having impressive qualifying campaigns(not so much in the recent past admittedly) and then flopping badly when it really matters in the finals.Maybe the typical English fan should develop a more confident outlook just like what Capello is instilling in the team.
-
I just noticed this on youtube which is the funniest ever unintentional comedy i've seen.It's quite a lengthy docu covering Englands ill fated campaign to qualify for the 1994 World Cup finals but stick with it as there are umpteen priceless moments especially Phil Neal mimicking Graham Taylor on the England bench. ;D
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=f8XIrYDVfOE
-
The way to go:
(http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/3964/6330gu5.gif)
-
I should say so. O0
-
Something new:
http://tv.repubblica.it/copertina/la-punizione-alla-holly-e-benji/28963?video
-
Think it's safe to say that England won't be much of a threat to anyone based on last nights performance where Spain completely ran circles around us.Really don't think Capello can improve us enough in a year or so's time to compete at such a level.Looks like Spain's number one rating is well justified and Villa's individual goal was outstanding.
-
They do the cradle and the other team scores:
http://tv.repubblica.it/copertina/esultano-con-la-culla-e-gli-altri-segnano/29934?video
-
Serves then right! ;D
Hey Titoli what happened with Roma last night? :(
-
Looks like Spain's number one rating is well justified...
Yeah, sure.
-
He gives back the ball to the GK but then he steals it from him to score: >:D
http://www.corrieredellosport.it/video/curiosita/2009/08/24-14590/Rid%C3%A0+la+palla+al+portiere+e+poi+gliela+ruba
-
And i thought my team (Brighton - bottom of the league >:( ) were bad! ;D
-
This one would make a good central defender for my team this very moment :-[:
http://tv.repubblica.it/copertina/la-picchiatrice-del-calcio-usa/38793?video
-
This one would make a good central defender for my team this very moment :-[:
http://tv.repubblica.it/copertina/la-picchiatrice-del-calcio-usa/38793?video
Hahaha, I saw that earlier, the female Vinnie Jones! ;D
The mystery is that she doesn't look bad.
-
Yea that was all over the news here too O0
-
And on breakfast news in the UK.
Vinnie Jones is a pussy in comparison! :D
-
Everybody saw this, but it's worth posting as it is a good example of how football can proficuely turn again into rugby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8woNGFj9fxM
-
Titoli,isn't it about time for goal line technology to be introduced to avoid such calamities?
-
Titoli,isn't it about time for goal line technology to be introduced to avoid such calamities?
I've been supporting this since about 1970. But this would mean diminishing the power of FIFA and all the other organizations which govern the business. Because having France instead of Ireland at the WC was merely a matter of business.
-
Yes the seeding used for the play-offs is another indication of this. >:(
But if FIFA are to retain any remnant of credibility sooner or later they are going to have to follow the example of other sports by bringing this in.I think next years WC finals would be the perfect platform to introduce the technology followed swiftly by next years Champions league competition.
-
Yes the seeding used for the play-offs is another indication of this. >:(
But if FIFA are to retain any remnant of credibility sooner or later they are going to have to follow the example of other sports by bringing this in.I think next years WC finals would be the perfect platform to introduce the technology followed swiftly by next years Champions league competition.
Yeah, sooner or later...But in Europe League this year UEFA preferred to introduce other referees behind the goal line (who kept making mistakes) instead of the easier solution of tv instant replay.
-
Yes we need to eradicate any possibilty of bias and human error.It wouldn't take more than 30 seconds for the instant replays to be checked which the referee can easily add on the end as part of the stoppages.In the English league all 92 clubs already have camera's installed for every game so here it least it wouldn't be difficult to implement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-8dOjeVC80 ::)
-
Yes we need to eradicate any possibilty of bias and human error.It wouldn't take more than 30 seconds for the instant replays to be checked which the referee can easily add on the end as part of the stoppages.In the English league all 92 clubs already have camera's installed for every game so here it least it wouldn't be difficult to implement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-8dOjeVC80 ::)
Same over here and, I presume, in all the other major eurpean leagues. So, you see, it is just a matter of will.
-
Our experiences with the NFL and NHL's replay system have shown them to be far from flawless.
-
Well it's definitely been a success in NFL's mother sport ie rugby-both league and union, along with cricket and tennis. In tennis of course the players are awarded a limited number of decision challenges and it's been suggested that something similar may work for football? I do think that the flow of the game would be improved with instant replays in that players are less likely to take dives,feign injury or injure others in the fear of the result of a certain booking.
-
The aim it is not to eliminate mistakes, but to prevent the biggest teams from being overly advantaged over the smaller ones.
-
And i hope to provide some substance to FIFA's oft-spouted "fair play" banner as i've seen little evidence of this so far.
-
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hoT8bp7XBpfAKTyKhFu2S796jySQ
Allowing this request would mean they'd be one odd group of five countries who'd be playing one more match than everyone else.
Never in a million years eh Titoli? ::)
-
By the same reasoning, we would allow all the matches where a referee took the wrong decision to be replayed. Can you imagine that? I don't understand who had this idea and who allowed it to be made of public domain: but I'm sure they weren't football fans. Even because they would have first to demonstrate that Ireland would have gained the qualification without that mistake. This is crap.
-
As somebody said on a roman local radio before the draw: "Wish I could be a pot".
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01447/celeb-summary_1447887c.jpg)
-
Yeah never mind the easier groups we both got yesterday! :P
Typically over here England have been made one of the (3rd)favourites, even above Italy. ::) For me i think that Spain are gonna be the team to beat.
-
It is ridiculous to make predictions now. You can't anticipate what will happen to players from here to June. Somebody might not even be there, somebody might. For example, Totti and Nesta: should they be in good form by that time, they would make another team out of Italy. But still, without them, I see no scandal in placing England above Italy. This is gonna be even more atypical than all the other WC not played in Europe, I've learnt yesterday that some matches are gonna be played in altitude. The draw was good for some teams, bad for others: but you can say that only after the fact.
-
Yes you are quite right about missing/injured key players as England experienced with Kevin Keegan in 1982 and Bryan Robson in 1986. And of course for the last WC finals we qualified for there was the striker fiasco following Michael Owens departure in the first game. :(
Italy(and Germany) have the advantage over England of knowing how to play tournaments,often starting poorly but peaking at the right time when it matters. Not to mention Englands inability to win penalty shoot outs!
-
Capello knows everything there is to know.
-
What is the gk saying to the ref to justify himself?
http://www.corrieredellosport.it/video/calcio/estero/2009/12/11-17979/Romania%2C+entrata+brutale+del+portiere
-
Capello knows everything there is to know.
Maybe but so far(at least competatively) England haven't beaten anyone of note. Capello won the "best coach" award in the BBC 2009 Sports Review event but he was wise to point out that our chances rely heavily on retaining a fully fit squad of our best players.I'm hoping that the likes of Chelsea,Arsenal and Man Utd falter badly in the CL to lessen the risk to certain players.I really don't understand why knocked out Liverpool should have a second bite of the cherry in the UEFA Cup now. ???
-
Maybe but so far(at least competatively) England haven't beaten anyone of note. Capello won the "best coach" award in the BBC 2009 Sports Review event but he was wise to point out that our chances rely heavily on retaining a fully fit squad of our best players.I'm hoping that the likes of Chelsea,Arsenal and Man Utd falter badly in the CL to lessen the risk to certain players.I really don't understand why knocked out Liverpool should have a second bite of the cherry in the UEFA Cup now. ???
Even if you had beaten Brasil, Italy and Spain last week that would mean little. Football is today. Variants at work in a tournament like WC are so many that you cannot predict what is gonna happen at half-time. You can only be sure that Capello won't leave any regret: what England can achieve, it will. (well, I shouldn't say so, as he left me with many regrets here in Rome during his stay). The players can injure themselves during training too and anyway all of the major teams include players doing the club tournaments. It is right to incentivate the level of Europe League: that's why I agree with the second bite.
-
Unfortunately i feel that England lack the depth of talent prevalent in other countries and only need to be missing a couple of key players to make us look very ordinary.
If Liverpool (a losing team!) now go on to win the Super Cup and then the World Club Cup next year don't you think this is a mockery ?Their qualification for the "Champions" league is already a bit of a joke considering they haven't won the English league for over 20 years.
-
Unfortunately i feel that England lack the depth of talent prevalent in other countries and only need to be missing a couple of key players to make us look very ordinary.
If Liverpool (a losing team!) now go on to win the Super Cup and then the World Club Cup next year don't you think this is a mockery ?Their qualification for the "Champions" league is already a bit of a joke considering they haven't won the English league for over 20 years.
I think a european league is in order, we're just wasting time with this restricted (and misnamed) CL tournament.
-
I always thought that the old system of the European Champions Cup which included the league winners of each country only,the Cup Winners Cup which featured the English FA Cup holders and it's Euro equivalents,and the UEFA cup for lower placed league teams was the perfect arrangement that we all should have stuck with.
With so many domestic/international games already i really don't see the need for a Euro league,afterall the CL only really becomes interesting in the latter knock- out stages which of course was the old format of the Champions Cup.
-
What you're saying had a reason to be before satellite tv. I think that the more relevant clubs of a nation should play agasnst the major ones of the other european nations instead of the smaller ones of their own nations. That would guarantee a smaller number of matches to the players and less injuries, maybe, (i'm sanguine about it) even less recourse to doping and a smaller number of players for each side. Champions League was invented to give vent to the different conditions imposed by pay-tv. I think that probably this will be the next step of euro football.
-
(http://www.repubblica.it/sport/calcio/calciomercato/2010/01/23/foto/manchester_united_protesta-2052599/images/160616011-653d9071-4332-476e-9880-51542162069c.jpg)
>:D >:D >:D
-
It seems that at the moment Inter Milan are as hated as much in Italy as MU are in England.At the moment i'm watching the Inter v Chelsea CL tie and the commentators say that Morinho is unpopular with everybody in Italy.Why's this? He was the English people's choice for the national coach before Capello got the gig!
-
It seems that at the moment Inter Milan are as hated as much in Italy as MU are in England.At the moment i'm watching the Inter v Chelsea CL tie and the commentators say that Morinho is unpopular with everybody in Italy.Why's this? He was the English people's choice for the national coach before Capello got the gig!
You forget juventus turin: that makes the trio complete. About why people hate these teams, is a long story (though combined they make up 80% or more of the italian fans). I advise you to read the John Foot's book on the italian football: it is very good and it does explain everything about hates and the rest. Anyway, the last things that happened are very recent. Last saturday mourinho put on a show because a referee dared to sanction the fouls that usually are let to pass with Inter (which has a defense line composed of maulers but that never gets yellow or red cards). So finally this referee expelled two players and they had to play 9 vs 11. Everybody concurred that the red cards were absolutely right, but mourinho as usual had to puit on a show, crossing his arms probably meaning that the referee should have been sent to jail:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-tArOHgaxg
Milan: is something of a few hours ago: they won in Florence after the referee (a real kiiller: everybody knew and wrote and said he was going to favour Milan as he did in the past, regularly with A.S. Roma playing against the 2 Milan teams) denied an eveident penalty against MIlan. Last Sunday same happened in Bari and throughout this tournament.
Juve: most recent things happened in the last four matches, with penalties and irregular goals awarded.
-
Yes they mentioned the double sending off incident later on in the game. :D Whilst at Chelsea I wasn't a fan of Mourinho's arrogance though this won many admirers here as people like a rebel/character eg Brian Clough.Which John Foot book were you talking about as he's written a number of them about Italian football?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=john+foot&sprefix=john+foot
There should be an equivalent about English teams!
-
Which John Foot book were you talking about as he's written a number of them about Italian football?
I am halfway through this:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51jRFLtG99L._SS500_.jpg)
He has out or about to an updated edition under a different title. But this is more than enough to get the story and you can get it cheap.
I have read McIlvanney on football which is very good (as his book on boxing) and something else (Glenville).
I read an illustrated history of English football but the text wasn't up to Foot's, who covers each and every aspect of the italian football: do you know any book covering in detail (not just what happens on the pitch) england's football history?
I have the impression that everybody is fed up with mourinho's shows, even his president and the fans, though they have to defend him this particular moment. The things he did and said since he came over here are not particularly endearing to anyone: only yesterday he said to the Naples's manager "you're an ass".
-
Thanks Titoli i'll check with my local library but otherwise i may well buy this.The only football literature i've ever bought are Brighton match programs so i'm sorry i don't know any books to recommend to you.
Sounds like Mourinho should've stayed in England but he has a reasonable chance of winning the CL.I'd rather Inter than MU,Chelsea or Arsenal.
-
Sounds like Mourinho should've stayed in England but he has a reasonable chance of winning the CL.I'd rather Inter than MU,Chelsea or Arsenal.
Sorry, over here it works in the opposite direction. Let's compromise on a spanish team, uh?
-
Sorry, over here it works in the opposite direction. Let's compromise on a spanish team, uh?
Well i'm going for Barcelona!
-
Whatever, as long as it isn't from Milan or Turin.
-
What do they think about Mourinho in Italy now?
-
I can tell you what I think: a clown.
-
A treble winning clown! :D
-
He could have lost at least 2 of those titles if some nearsighted referee had seen a penalty against Chelsea or Barcelona of the many that could be whistled against his team in those matches. No use talking about what happened in Serie A, even in the last match. Still none of the coaches that went unjustly defeated against him put up his kind of show.
-
I didn't see either of Chelsea or Barcelona ties but i hear that Chelsea were very much outclassed and the result against the Barcelona with only 10 men sounds impressive.
I don't really know much about what happened in Serie A other than Mourinho whining about "being handcuffed by the referees."
-
Yeah. A pity he didn't do the same shows in CL. I really hope he gtfoh to Madrid.
-
A future coach of Italy? :D
-
He goes to Madrid. Future national team coach will be Prandelli.
-
Well on past form you guys definately don't need any help from outsiders. O0 Did Italy play last night?
Despite the 3-1 against Mexico last night England were unconvincing.It always baffles me how we lack the skill levels of a few other teams and i think getting beyond the quarter finals next month is wishful thinking.
-
I have no idea about national teams friendlies. They are worthless for viewers. The same goes for England which, I hope, will make it to the final. Against whom, I have no idea. Italy has a great adavantage this year: nobody over here thinks it can go far. A great result would be to make it to the 1\4 final. The team is old (Cannavaro, Pirlo, Zambrotta played awfully last season) and there are no young players of relevance to substitute those who won last WC. But in this kind of tournament anything can happen and that goes for all the major teams.
-
England had a great qualifying campaign but the Croatia we twice beat so emphatically was not the same team we lost out to in the last Euro's and i feel we haven't really beaten anyone of consequence. Rooney is our solitary world class player and our overall ability to keep possession of the ball is still at times suspect.But as always a lot of it is down to luck(England are overdue plenty of this! ;D ) and i agree any one of a number of teams can win it including Italy.
BTW does Totti figure at all in the Italian squad?
-
No, Totti wasn't called.
-
So, folks, here we are again. Today most of the teams will fly to SA. Friday it's the beginning. What is your favourite team? It's hard to tell, of course, but over here everybody agrees it's not Italy. That's a good starting point.
As of now, if I had to bet a euro it would go to Spain.
-
Yeah i agree Spain are the clear favourites but you've as always you gotta favour Brazil too.
Are you up for the usual match prediction competition Titoli and the invitation goes out for anyone else that's interested? I see LeBon took part last time round so i'll send him a pm.It'll be good if we can get more than just the 3 of us this year especially as both England and the USA are playing,and not forgetting that we have German members too!
-
I think the two of us is more than enough, though everybody else is welcome. You know, I don't care for the predicting (I'm not much good at that), but I like talk about the matches and what else.
Anyway, Brazil has the best defense but in midfield it all depends on how Kaka is gonna play. He usually plays a month a year: if this is the right month, then they can go to the end, but if he doesn't play, like he did in the last three years? About strikers, they only have Fabiano: the rest is nothing worth mentioning.
Argentina is absolutely the best manned, but their coach well. we know who it is. ::) He left Cambiasso and Zanetti home, that tells the whole story.
What about the Ferdinand's sub?
-
Yes i'm also wary about England facing Argentina but i agree the weakest link is Maradonna and with the players they have it's astounding how they scraped by to qualify.After seeing Inter Milan in the CL i'm as worried about Milito in front of the goal as i am about Messi.
Fedinand's departure is a bit of a blow though he had been struggling with fitness for a while.Haven't seen too much of his replacement Matthew Dawson but i hear he has been impressive with Tottenham all season.
-
All kicks off in a few hours.I reckon:-
South Africa 0 Mexico 3
Uruguay o France 2
-
Uhm...
South Africa 1 Mexico 1
Uruguay 1 France 0
-
Still the best left around:
http://www.corrieredellosport.it/video/calcio/mondiali_2010/girone_b/argentina/2010/06/10-23548/Maradona+show%3A+che+punizioni+in+allenamento!
-
Result:South Africa 1 Mexico 1
Well predicted Titoli.
Good second half i think and a fair result.
Titoli 1
Banjo 0
-
Still the best left around:
http://www.corrieredellosport.it/video/calcio/mondiali_2010/girone_b/argentina/2010/06/10-23548/Maradona+show%3A+che+punizioni+in+allenamento!
Maybe but this is a joke isn't it?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8735592.stm
-
;D
But, come on, you know the fella, don't you?
-
Result: Uruguay 0 France 0
What a bore that was! Can't believe how mediocre the French were.
Titoli 1
Banjo 0
-
I didn't see a match today (I'm not a Sky subscriver) but i read that Henry complained with the referee about a hand foul in the box. ::)
-
Today's matches. I really haven't got a clue about these teams:
South Korea - Greece 2-0
Argentina - Nigeria 3 - 1
England - USA (I'd rather not to express a prediction 8)) This is very hard because USA have been England's nightmare since 1950. But England have to demonstrate that this time they're playing for keeps. So it's 2-1.
-
I didn't see a match today (I'm not a Sky subscriver) but i read that Henry complained with the referee about a hand foul in the box. ::)
You can watch any game live online on either the BBC iplayer or ITVplayer.
Henry the hyprocrite! ;D
-
South Korea 1 Greece 1
Argentina 2 Nigeria 0
England 1 USA 0
Yes i think the USA game is going to be tight.I'm hoping we can keep a clean sleet but as ever i'm nervous about the odd defensive/goalkeeping howler which historically we are prone to in the big games.
-
They are expecting the USA to bring far more many fans than any other country for this World Cup.Isn't this amazing considering that football is still very much a minority sport in over there? :o
-
Result:South Korea 2 Greece 0
Good prediction again Titoli!!
I'm off out now to see the other two games.I wonder if Maradonna's "fair play" side will be as gracious if they lose as they were when they went out on penaltys four years ago? ;D
Titoli 2
Banjo 0
-
Hey Banjo, how old is Gordon Banks? 8)
-
poor Green. I can't remember feeling more sorry for a player in years. At least it was during the first game
and not one of the later (hopefully) and more important ones.
So far a nice start into the tournament.
'Over here, the real excitement starts tomorrow. Anyone from Australia here at the forum ? :)
-
Hey Banjo, how old is Gordon Banks? 8)
Result: Argentina 1 Nigeria 0
England 1 USA 1
My thoughts exactly! I did kinda prophesize this in an earlier post. Very disappointed overall though i think it's fair to say that the USA were negative with their only intention to draw with us. Looks very much like David "Calamity" James wil get the recall against Algeria.God help us!
-
poor Green. I can't remember feeling more sorry for a player in years. At least it was during the first game
and not one of the later (hopefully) and more important ones.
So far a nice start into the tournament.
'Over here, the real excitement starts tomorrow. Anyone from Australia here at the forum ? :)
It was poor goalkeeping but i guess he was under an enormous amount of pressure.Yeah perhaps this is the ideal time if one's gonna slip up! :-\
Anyway i await the Germany v Australia game with interest considering England might meet either of these two if we can manage to get our act together.
-
It was poor goalkeeping but i guess he was under an enormous amount of pressure.Yeah perhaps this is the ideal time if one's gonna slip up! :-\
Still I'm fazed by his mistake. That was a matter of fundamentals and Capello's gk trainer (Franco Tancredi) is one of the best around (he was gk for AS Roma in the '80's, one of the best gks of the era) for teaching those (assuming that needs teaching). I don't believe he was under pressure, as the game was proceeding grandly for England until that moment. That could turn into an advantage if Green will play next match, though. Or, hopefully not, killing him definitely. Anyway I think this is a good start for England: it will help keep the team concentrated.
-
So far a nice start into the tournament.
To whom are you referring?
-
Algeria - Slovenia 0-1
Serbia - Ghana 2-0
Teutschland - Australia 1-1
-
Teutschland
Deutschland
-
Deutschland
Teutschland
-
Still I'm fazed by his mistake. That was a matter of fundamentals and Capello's gk trainer (Franco Tancredi) is one of the best around (he was gk for AS Roma in the '80's, one of the best gks of the era) for teaching those (assuming that needs teaching). I don't believe he was under pressure, as the game was proceeding grandly for England until that moment. That could turn into an advantage if Green will play next match, though. Or, hopefully not, killing him definitely. Anyway I think this is a good start for England: it will help keep the team concentrated.
Apparently Greens blunder is down to the weird aerodynamics of the new ball which has grooves etched into it to make it fly faster! ;D
England did start promisingly but on taking the lead we wasted a few chances and increasingly allowed the USA back into the game and could've easily lost it if Green hadn't have saved the USA's only real chance in the second half.Overall we were very unconvincing but as you say this isn't necessarily a bad thing at the beginning of a tournament.Didn't Italy draw all their group games before going on to win the trophy in 1982?
-
Algeria 1 Slovenia 1
Serbia 0 Ghana 1
Australia 0 Germany 2
-
Australia 0 Germany 2
Sounds good to me :)
-
England did start promisingly but on taking the lead we wasted a few chances and increasingly allowed the USA back into the game and could've easily lost it if Green hadn't have saved the USA's only real chance in the second half.Overall we were very unconvincing but as you say this isn't necessarily a bad thing at the beginning of a tournament.Didn't Italy draw all their group games before going on to win the trophy in 1982?
After a blunder like that teams could even go to lose matches. And USA was the strongest opponent in your group anyway so I think that draw will help maintaining concentration.
Allow me to repeat that the 1982 team was something unique. People seem not to value correctly that team because of Brazil having 4 or 5 superchamps and forgetting how limited was all the rest. The simple fact is that everybody, at that tournament, was waiting for Paolo Rossi to wake up knowing that when that would have happened, with the defense Italy had and with the rest of champs (Antognoni and Conti) it was the best team around. The manager knew it: only the newspapermen apparently hadn't realized it: but that was only to be expected. I don't think, of course, that England is that good: as we know since last WC the gk is too a vital role for a team who wants to win to put it in the hands of a green person. Still, I think the team played not so bad for a first match against not a secondary opponent. So I think you have to be sanguine about the future. Wish I could say the same about our team. :'(
-
I don't England are even near as good as the team we had in Italia 90 when we had the calibre of Gascoigne,Barnes,Waddle,Lineker etc.Probably our last truly great team but they too started mediocre as i remember.We also had a world class keeper in Peter Shilton then, his only shortcoming being his height.He dived the right way for each of the German penaltys but couldn't quite reach the ball. Looking at the Algeria v Slovenia game at the moment i see no reason why we shouldn't progress from our group,but if we don't win the group we could end up facing the daunting likes of Argentina prematurely.
Just like with Germany you can never write off Italy in these competitions so i'll reserve judgement at least until i see them in their first game.
-
Result:Algeria 0 Slovenia 1
Another correct prediction. You must have a 50% success rate so far!
Titoli 3
Banjo 0
-
Result:Serbia 0 Ghana 1
One right at last!
Titoli 3
Banjo 1
-
Result:Serbia 0 Ghana 1
One right at last!
Titoli 3
Banjo 1
I predicted serbia because i heard on the radio somebody saying that they could win the title...
-
Result:Australia 0 Germany 4
I didn't see tonights game due to band practice so i've no idea if this was Germany being excellent or Australia particularly bad.I'll have to try and catch the highlights of this match.
Titoli 3
Banjo 0
-
Fortunately we played quite well.
Australia started strong, but after the second goal it was only a question how many more goals would follow...
-
I didn't see tonights game due to band practice so i've no idea if this was Germany being excellent or Australia particularly bad.I'll have to try and catch the highlights of this match.
I saw the match and the question stands
Titoli 3
Banjo 0
You guessed one, but you forgot. Probably don't care about these predictions just as I?
-
Was still slightly hungover from Saturday night! :-[
Titoli 3
Banjo 1
Watched last nights highlights and I think so far usual suspects Germany and Argentina have impressed the most .
Holland 2 Denmark 0
Japan 1 Cameroon 1
Italy 2 Paraguay 0
-
Holland 2 Denmark2
Japan 0 Cameroon 1
Italy 2 Paraguay 1
-
Result:Holland 2 Denmark 0
Titoli 3
Banjo 2
-
Result:Japan 1 Cameroon 0
Titoli 3
Banjo 2
-
Result:Italy 1 Paraguay 1
You must be reasonably satisfied with the result Titoli with your team being strong in the last half hour.I hadn't realised that Paraguay had qualified so well having beaten both Brazil and Argentina and they were certainly difficult to break down tonight.Italy are now in a similar position to England where they both have two relatively weaker sides in their group and should in theory(gulp!) qualify.
Titoli 3
Banjo 2
-
The athletic condition was a big question mark but the team behooved well under that aspect. Still the main problem of this team is the lack of 1 or 2 champions, especially strikers. I can't understand why Gilardino was in the starting line.
-
New Zealand 0 Slovakia 1
Ivory Coast 1 Portugal 2
Brazil 3 North Korea 0
-
New Zealand 0 Slovakia 2
Ivory Coast 2 Portugal 1
Brazil 2 North Korea 0
-
Result:New Zealand 1 Slovakia 1
Robbed off the prediction in the last minute of added time! ::)
Titoli 3
Banjo 2
-
Result:New Zealand 1 Slovakia 1
Robbed off the prediction in the last minute of added time! ::)
I haven't seen the match but apparently i was cheated of my prediction in the previous 90 minutes. ::)
-
Very true! :D
Result:Ivory Coast 0 Portugal 0
No-one got the above right,a match which didn't quite live up to it's billing but a lot better than the earlier match today.Hopefully Brazil will make up for this later.
Titoli 3
Banjo 2
-
No-one got the above right,a match which didn't quite live up to it's billing but a lot better than the earlier match today.Hopefully Brazil will make up for this later.
They didn't. I don't like this brazilian team. They may even go to win (I hope not) but they are really a mediocre team with some good player. They depend too much on Kaka who, as everybody in Italy knows, can only play a couple of weeks in a year. Sure, in those 2 weeks he can win alone a tournament (like he did for Milan 3 years ago in CL) but it is not pure chance he was sold to Madrid.
-
Result:Brazil 2 North Korea 1
I agree,not a patch on Argentina even.There's no denying though that Maicon's goal from a tight angle was something special.
The only major player now to show their hand i guess is Spain who i think must be playing tomorrow.
Titoli 3
Banjo 2
-
The hands will be shown in the knock-off matches. I think that, up to this moment, what is clear is that there isn't a possible owner. Which is good for a lesser team like Italy, though I think the champions will emerge 2 weeks from now and draw the line.
-
Yes especially on evidence of many of the games played so far the emphasis has been on not losing rather than winning which will obviously change in the knock-out stages.
-
Honduras 1 Chile 1
Spain 3 Switzerland 0
South Africa 1 Uruguay 1
-
Honduras 0 Chile 1
Spain 2 Switzerland 0
South Africa 1 Uruguay 2
-
I surely didn't guess right the Spain's result, though the match isn't ended yet. This is the most important result of WC so far. And might be IMPORTANT for Italy's course.
-
Results:-
Honduras 0 Chile 1
Spain 0 Switzerland 1
South Africa 0 Uruguay 3
I've been out all day and having just got back i'm very surprised by Spain's defeat although i read that the Spaniards dominated throughout.Still it's hope for the rest of us.I suspect that Spain could still win their group but if they only finish second then it's likely that they'd face Brazil which would remove one of the main contenders which from what you say may give your team a break.
-
Almost forgot
Titoli 4
Banjo 2
-
Argentina - South Korea 2-0
Nigeria - Greece 2 -1
France - Mexico 0-1
-
Argentina 3 South Korea 0
Nigeria 2 Greece 0
France 1 Mexico 0
-
Result:Argentina 4 South Korea 1
I think England must do their upmost now to win their group as otherwise they could be heading for a quarter final clash with Argentina. :-\
Titoli 4
Banjo 2
-
Result:Nigeria 1 Greece 2
Titoli 4
Banjo 2
-
(http://www.lowbird.com/data/images/2010/06/114f3788c4.gif)
-
England - Algeria 3 - 0
Slovenia - USA 1 - 2
Germany - Serbia 3 - 2
-
Probably off topic, but it was nice to do: Live reactions of my family (actually mainly my grand father and the sister of my grand mother) during France-Mexico (0-2) http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=217114&id=550031773&l=9fc5f31e14
-
Probably off topic, but it was nice to do: Live reactions of my family (actually mainly my grand father and the sister of my grand mother) during France-Mexico (0-2) http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=217114&id=550031773&l=9fc5f31e14
Thanks Noodles_Leone! :) It's a shame that the photo's weren't taken in slightly happier circumstances this evening.
-
Result: France 0 Mexico 2
Another massive shock! I was at a folk club tonight so i need to watch the highlights of this.
Titoli 4
Banjo 2
-
(http://www.lowbird.com/data/images/2010/06/114f3788c4.gif)
Now he would never have been sent off in those circumstances! ;D
-
England 2 Algeria 1
Slovenia 0 USA 1
Germany 3 Serbia 0
-
Result:Germany 0 Serbia 1
A missed German penalty! :o
Titoli 4
Banjo 2
-
Result:Slovenia 2 USA 2
The USA were absolutely robbed of a late winner.
Titoli 4
Banjo 2
-
Result: England 0 Algeria 0
You know Banjo, if you're not kicked out in this first round you could really get on to win the title. You can only play better, in fact.
I wonder if the problem is with physical condition. The different sectors of the team are playing divided, midfielders rarely, if ever, sustain the strikers (and Heskey and Rooney had to go to get really backwards to get a ball: not a good sign). You weren't able to make your play faster, only in some parts of the second half: and then it was when Algeria immediately started to suffer. I would pay gold to hear what Capello said in the locker room, though. A happy note: the new gk looks like is up to task.
-
Holland - Japan 3 -1
Ghana - Australia 2 - 0
Cameroon - Denmark 1 -1
-
Result: England 0 Algeria 0
You know Banjo, if you're not kicked out in this first round you could really get on to win the title. You can only play better, in fact.
I wonder if the problem is with physical condition. The different sectors of the team are playing divided, midfielders rarely, if ever, sustain the strikers (and Heskey and Rooney had to go to get really backwards to get a ball: not a good sign). You weren't able to make your play faster, only in some parts of the second half: and then it was when Algeria immediately started to suffer. I would pay gold to hear what Capello said in the locker room, though. A happy note: the new gk looks like is up to task.
Result:England 0 Algeria 0
I'm really dowm about the way we played tonight.In fact it's the worst England performance i've seen in the WC finals since Mexico 1986 when we drew 0-0 with Morroco in a very dire game infamous for Ray Wilkin's controversial sending off for hurling the ball towards(but not at) the referee in frustration.The only positive i can draw from this is that we'd lost 1-0 to Portugal in the first game but Lineker came alive in the third game scoring a hatrick against Portugal starting a decent run which was eventually criminally halted by the "Hand of God" in the quarter finals.
I don't think the problem is fitness especially with our key MU and Chelsea players not having to go all the way in this years CL.I have no explanation for why our passing was so dreadful and that we seemed to be devoid of any passion,imagination or confidence to overcome the Algerian defence though it's fair to say they defended very well.We are looking a million miles away from being world beaters and our fate now rests on a knife edge with a game against Slovenia in which our opponents can play for a draw.Our defence looks ok but sadly our strikers seem to be a major weakness.Other than Rooney (who's having a very mediocre tournament so far) we don't have anyone anywhere near the class of Michael Owen.It's crazy to keep playing Emile Heskey who can't even score for Aston Villa let alone his country.And both Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe can only score against ordinary oppostion.
-
I really don't know what else to think. The side had two moments (at the start and about midtime) of clear supremacy in the second half and those were the moments where all the players gave the impression of having physical supremacy, stealing balls from the defense, making the ball roll faster, supporting the action with movements without possession of the ball. Why this kind of playing wasn't kept up for more than a total of 10 minutes?
of course I could be wrong about it. How things really stand probably only Capello knows. At least I hope he does and can patch it up.
-
Well i'm sorry to say that over here in some quarters it's already turning into something of a witchunt for Capello with claims that his defence based system is stifling the players but obviously we never had a problem with this during qualification. ::) Clearly Capello cannot be blamed for Englands inability to perform the basic fundamentals of the game and disturbingly a few of the players including Rooney looked like they didn't care.
Holland 2 Japan 1
Ghana 2 Australia 1
Cameroon 0 Denmark 1
-
Result:Holland 1 Japan 0
Titoli 4
Banjo 2
-
Result:Ghana 1 Australia 1
Titoli 4
Banjo 2
-
Result:Cameroon 1 Denmark 2
Titoli 4
Banjo 2
-
Slovakia 0 Paraguay 2
Italy 2 New Zealand 0
Brazil 1 Ivory Coast 1
-
Slovakia 2 Paraguay 2
Italy 3 New Zealand 0
Brazil 1 Ivory Coast 2
Banjo, we're not that great at predicitons, are we?
-
Banjo, we're not that great at predicitons, are we?
I gave up doing the football pools years ago. :D
-
Result:Slovakia 0 Paraguay 2
Italy 1 New Zealand 1
Due to the Fathers Day we are having in the UK i didn't see todays matches apart from the last 20 minutes of Italys game.Another surprise result but from what i saw at least Italy gave it some spirit in their attempt for a winner.
Titoli 4
Banjo 2
-
I think you guessed right the Paraguay result...
yeah, we gave some spirit but without a champ we are liable not to score so easily. Pirlo might resolve some of our problems but this remains a second-class team. As everybody said from the start.
-
Well i think pretty much all of the top European teams are underperforming at the moment.Apparently there has been some real disquiet in the England camp about Capello's system and players playing out of position and they had a behind closed door meeting last night to thrash out the problems.If this is true a similar scenario happened back in Italia 90 when player power forced Bobby Robson to change his tactics and as a result we did quite well.I'm not so sure if Capello is too stubborn to allow such a thing now.
Result:Brazil 3 Ivory Coast 1
Titoli 4
Banjo 3
-
Portugal 2 North Korea 0
Chile 1 Switzerland 1
Spain 3 Honduras 0
-
Portugal 1 North Korea 1
Chile 2 Switzerland 1
Spain 4 Honduras 0
-
Well i think pretty much all of the top European teams are underperforming at the moment.Apparently there has been some real disquiet in the England camp about Capello's system and players playing out of position and they had a behind closed door meeting last night to thrash out the problems.If this is true a similar scenario happened back in Italia 90 when player power forced Bobby Robson to change his tactics and as a result we did quite well.I'm not so sure if Capello is too stubborn to allow such a thing now.
Yeah, but Capello was apparently infallible until the last 2 matches and now he doesn't have a clue to what's happening? I don't believe it.
-
I suggest no one ever mentions again the fact that at some point a so called French team took part, anyhow, to that tournament.
-
Yes England don't have any problems compared to what the French camp are going through but i think there was some discontent there before the tournament even started.
I don't see how Capello could possibly go from the "best thing in years to happen to English football" to a bad manager in the space of 2 matches either.Surely the English FA would never have just extended his contract as any rumblings of disharmony would leak out somehow.The team played down last nights meeting as a clear the air session where they looked at the Algeria to examine what went wrong and nothing else.It is fairly typical of England to start slowly so i suspect that if we beat Slovenia on Wednesday everything will be hunky dory again.
-
Result:Portugal 7 North Korea 0
I think Ivory Coast may have a slight problem qualifying now!
Titoli 4
Banjo 3
-
Well, like everybody says here, some "cleaning" SHOULD have been done after 2006, or, at least, after 2008.
-
Result:Portugal 7 North Korea 0
I think Ivory Coast may have a slight problem qualifying now!
Very fun game to watch. After the 3rd goal, the portugese where laughing while playing. And I think the north korean team will be experiencing some trouble back home.
-
And I think the north korean team will be experiencing some trouble back home.
I heard that all the North Korean "fans" are in fact Chinese people paid to support them as their regime is too oppressive to allow their own people out of the country. ::)
-
Well, like everybody says here, some "cleaning" SHOULD have been done after 2006, or, at least, after 2008.
You have so many good players still that it'll be ridiculous if you don't qualify.
Result:Chile 1 Switzerland 0
Switzerland finally conceded their first WC finals goal since 1994,a world record!
Titoli 4
Banjo 3
-
They're ridiculous. Which is a shame since, as you said, they're good.
-
Result:Spain 2 Honduras 0
The news this morning is that some French players may boycott todays game in protest at Anelka's expulsion.Now that really would infuriate the Republic Of Ireland fans bitter at their teams exclusion via the Thierry Henry hand ball incident.
Titoli 4
Banjo 3
-
Mexico 1 Uruguay 0
France 0 South Africa 1
Nigeria 2 South Korea 0
Greece 0 Argentina 3
-
Mexico 1 Uruguay 1
France 2 South Africa 0
Nigeria 2 South Korea 1
Greece 0 Argentina 2
-
Result:Mexico 0 Uruguay 1
France 1 Aouth Africa 2
Nigeria 2 South Korea 2
Greece o Argentina 2
Titoli 5
Banjo 3
-
Slovenia 0 England 1
USA 1 Algeria 0
Guana 1 Germany 2
Serbia 1 Australia 1
-
Slovenia 1 England 3
USA 2 Algeria 1
Guana 1 Germany 3
Serbia 3 Australia 0
-
Result:Spain 2 Honduras 0
The news this morning is that some French players may boycott todays game in protest at Anelka's expulsion.Now that really would infuriate the Republic Of Ireland fans bitter at their teams exclusion via the Thierry Henry hand ball incident.
haha actually what they did boycott was the training (sunday I think).
-
:D ;D
-
Result:Slovenia 0 England 1
USA 1 Algeria o
Guana 0 Germany 1
Serbia 1 Australia 2
That was much better from England today though by squandering another 2 or 3 clear cut chances and finishing group runners-up ,we've now made our route to the final very difficult.
Titoli 5
Banjo 5
-
You cannot say anything about the knock out stage. It's another kind of playing. I don't think it makes any difference if you meet a great adversary before or after: if you win you're gonna have an easier quarter final, that's all.
Apparently our american forumists do not care about their team making history. We'll see in case their side will go ahead if they will maintain their countenance. >:D
-
Danemark - Japan 1-1
Cameroon - Holland 0-3
Italy - Slovakia 2-1
Paraguay - New Zealand 1-0
-
You cannot say anything about the knock out stage. It's another kind of playing. I don't think it makes any difference if you meet a great adversary before or after: if you win you're gonna have an easier quarter final, that's all.
Apparently our american forumists do not care about their team making history. We'll see in case their side will go ahead if they will maintain their countenance. >:D
Argentina easier than Germany? :-\
Still England do tend to play their best football against the strongest opponents.I just hope for a change that we avoid the agony of penaltys.
Denmark 1 Japan 0
Cameroon 0 Holland 2
Italy 2 Slovakia 0
Paraguay 2 New Zealand 0
-
Argentina easier than Germany? :-\
Well, you're going to have to play against them sooner or later, aren't you? Assuming it's them you're going against...
-
Well i guess that Mexico aren't going to be a pushover for Argentina.
In the unlikely event of England coming through two potential classics as well as probable injury/yellow card casualties we risk burn out for the semis which could be against Brazil! :(
-
Apparently our american forumists do not care about their team making history. We'll see in case their side will go ahead if they will maintain their countenance. >:D
Yes it'll be interesting to see who crawls out of the woodwork should the USA win it! :D
Maybe we should try changing the thread title to "USA Soccer Team Makes History!!!" to see if it makes any difference? ;D
-
Result:Italy 2 Slovakia 3
Paraguay 0 New Zealand 0
Unlucky Titoli,i was willing Italy to equalise and thought you had in about the 85th minute. :( It was a very very tight offside decision. >:(
Titoli 5
Banjo 5
-
Tell you what: didn't understand a single decision made by our trainer. I didn't think we could go ahead very much, so it's better get off at the start. The basic mistake was calling Lippi back: he was history and should have stayed so.
-
World Cup without Italia is like Western without Leone: something's missing.
Ciao Squadra Azzura, ci vediamo..
-
World Cup without Italia is like Western without Leone: something's missing.
Ciao Squadra Azzura, ci vediamo..
It's better like this. I wouldn't have cared to make the 1\4 and get 3-4 goals from Brazil or Argentina.
-
Since no one else cared...
USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!
-
Result:Denmark 1 Japan 3
Cameroon 1 Netherlands 2
I guess this isn't any consulation but Italy's final match was for me the most exciting so far and Italy really came alive for the last half an hour or so.It's tragic that Italy's defence was lacking,a rarity,and that they couldn't have played with such spirit and intensity throughout as i'm sure that they would've progressed a lot further into the tournament.Granted that they didn't compare to the great Italian sides of times gone by but I don't believe for one minute that they would've been trounced by either Brazil or Argentina,to the contrary it would've been very close indeed.
Well done Whalestoe for supporting your team. O0 If England don't win it i'm all for a new teams name on the trophy. :)
-
Nearly forgot
Titoli 5
Banjo 5
-
Portugal 1 Brazil 2
North Korea 0 Ivory Coast 4
Chile 0 Spain 2
Switzerland 1 Honduras 0
-
Portugal 1 Brazil 0
North Korea 0 Ivory Coast 2
Chile 1 Spain 0
Switzerland 3 Honduras 0
-
Result:Portugal 0 Brazil 0
North Korea 0 Ivory Coast 3
Titoli 5
Banjo 5
-
Uruguay - S. Korea 1 - 0
USA - Ghana 2 - 1
-
Result:Chile 1 Spain 2
Switzerland 0 Honduras 0
Titoli 5
Banjo 5
-
Uruguay 2 South Korea 0
USA 0 Ghana 1
-
England - Teutschland 0-0 (1-1 at extra time). Penalties: can't go any further. :-[
Argentina - Mexico 2-3
-
England - Teutschland 0-0 (1-1 at extra time). Penalties: can't go any further. :-[
Argentina - Mexico 2-3
Yes every England v Germany encounter in the WC/Euro finals since 1966 has gone into extra time but this time round with our mediocre start i feel England have still got at least one big performance in them so i'm gonna tempt fate and say England 2 Germany 1 in normal time. :-\
and Argentina 3 Mexico 1
Yesterdays Results:- Uruguay 2 South Korea 1
USA 1 Ghana 2
Titoli 5
Banjo 5
-
Thanks for a nice afternoon ! Great game. That's what we want to see at WC! Not BRAZIL-PORTUGAL falling alsleep.
Awful misjudgement from the referee (2:2 that never counted), but we were the better team altogether.
Now it's Argentina (1:0 right now) ?
MEXICO, viva la revolucion! VIVA MEXICO! Beat them! Germany-Mexico has the right sound to me!
-
Result:England 1 Germany 4
Argentina 3 Mexico 1
Well done Mike,Germany were by far the better team in terms of pace,creativity and scoring and i don't think the disallowed goal made much difference.I'm looking forward to the Germany v Argentina game next week.I hope you beat them but i'm sure you'll find them a much sterner test than dismal England.
Titoli 5
Banjo 6
-
Holland - Slovachia 2 - 1
Brazil - Chile 3 - 1
-
Holland 3 Slovakia 0
Brazil 2 Chile 0
-
Result:Holland 2 Slovakia 1
Titoli 6
Banjo 6
-
Result:Brazil 3 Chile 0
Titoli 6
Banjo 6
-
Paraguay 2 Japan 1
Spain 1 Portugal 1 (Spain win on penalties AET)
-
Paraguay 1 Japan 0
Spain 2 Portugal 0
-
Result:Paraguay 0 Japan 0 (Paraguay win 5-4 on penalties)
Titoli 6
Banjo 6
-
Result:Spain 1 Portugal 0
Titoli 6
Banjo 6
-
Who do you fancy to win it at the moment Titoli?
-
Sepp Blatter conceded that the goal technology debate should now be reopened in the next FIFA boad room meeting in July.Not so sure about the recent England and Mexico games but this technology certainly could've made a difference to Italy going out the other day.I'm not too hopeful that anything will happen in July and if nothing changes i strongly feel that Blatter should reconsider his position if he persists in holding back the sport from progressing.
-
I think Brazil looks like the more solid team, but it's very hard to make predictions: an episode (a red card, an injury, a bad referee call) might change all the scenery. And I didn't see so many matches, I never saw Germany play, for example.
Holland - Brazil 1 - 2
Uruguay - Ghana 2 -0
-
Sepp Blatter conceded that the goal technology debate should now be reopened in the next FIFA boad room meeting in July.Not so sure about the recent England and Mexico games but this technology certainly could've made a difference to Italy going out the other day.I'm not too hopeful that anything will happen in July and if nothing changes i strongly feel that Blatter should reconsider his position if he persists in holding back the sport from progressing.
The less said about Blatter, the better. I agree about the use of technology. Actually, everybody seems to, but the fact is probably that whoever holds sway over the game (Fifa and the big clubs) probably prefer leave to discretion decisions about matches because that means retaining control, through the referee, over the business.
-
I think Brazil looks like the more solid team, but it's very hard to make predictions: an episode (a red card, an injury, a bad referee call) might change all the scenery. And I didn't see so many matches, I never saw Germany play, for example.
Holland - Brazil 1 - 2
Uruguay - Ghana 2 -0
I agree about Brazil.I'm not so sure about Spain now as Portugal kept them quiet for one half of the game.Think it's gonna be a Brazil versus Argentina final.
Holland 0 Brazil 3
Uruguay 1 Ghana 0
-
The less said about Blatter, the better. I agree about the use of technology. Actually, everybody seems to, but the fact is probably that whoever holds sway over the game (Fifa and the big clubs) probably prefer leave to discretion decisions about matches because that means retaining control, through the referee, over the business.
The only decent thing i can say about Blatter is his opposition to too many foreign players in club football,the problem being as you say the sport is very much a business nowadays. :(
What FIFA don't seem to see is that technology would actually improve the flow of the game as it would cancel out the on-pitch debate over referee decisions and also forwards would no longer take dives in the penalty area.
Most importantly for the credibilty of the sport we need these changes.
-
Result:Holland 2 Brazil 1 :o
Titoli 6
Banjo 6
-
I'm so happy about Brazil getting out, I didn't dare hoping it. Brazil playing like Italy and not Brazil is the worst thing that can happen to football. Because they can't even do a decent imitation. They have been overpowered physically. And Felipe Melo was his usual self.
-
Result:Holland 2 Brazil 1 :o
:o indeed. It seems I should have watched the second period. I have watched a total of about an hour of the whole cup. I planned to catch up a little now but I don't know how/if that's gonna happen...
-
Result: Uruguay 1 Ghana 1, Uruguay wins in penalties.
What a game! I found myself rooting for Ghana, though.
-
Nooo - I was hoping for Ghana (best friend is half Gahnain!).
-
I'm so happy about Brazil getting out, I didn't dare hoping it. Brazil playing like Italy and not Brazil is the worst thing that can happen to football. Because they can't even do a decent imitation. They have been overpowered physically. And Felipe Melo was his usual self.
Even the kit wasn't a decent imitation! ;D
Especially with Ghana out now i'd like to see Holland win it after that performance. O0
-
Argentina 2 Germany 1
Spain 2 Paraguay 0
-
I see that after 5 days thinking time that the FA have decided to stick with Capello who now vows to bring in some younger players.Because of our decent qualification campaign i'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.However i was disappointed when asked about Englands dismal finals performance he pointed to "tiredness" which is a ludicrous copout.These are meant to be professional athletes and anyway on average the German squad played more games than the English players last season.
Argentina 2 Germany 0
Spain 3 Paraguay 1
-
I didn't follow the games much so far so I can't predict the winner, but this seems like one of those WCs in which Netherlands ends either second or fourth.
-
Argentina 1 Germany 3
Spain 3 Paraguay 0
-
I'll throw in my ignorant guesses:
Argentina 2 Germany 1
Spain 1 Paraguay 0
-
Result:Argentina 0 Germany 4
Nice one Germany!!! O0
Couldn't have handled seeing Maradonna lifting the trophy for a second time.With the margin of defeat (in fact we scored twice!)this must mean that England are better than Argentina. :D
Germany must be favourites now,and a Germany v Holland final would be very mouthwatering!
Titoli 6
Banjo 6
-
Germany - Netherlands
That's the final I'm hoping for since the group phase was over.
-
I see a great stress on phisicality: Germany defended in 8 and attacked in 8, while Argentina barely made it to defend in 4 and attack in 4. If things keep going this way a replay of the '72 final is inevitable.
-
If we stop VILLA - nobody will stop us :)
36 years later HOLLAND - DEUTSCHLAND - yessir!
(I'm all for HOLLAND finally becoming the champions of the world - but not this year, our boys can make it!)
-
Result:Spain 1 Paraguay 0
I was at a party last night so i missed the second game but hear that Spain weren't that convincing.I really do hope it's Germany v Holland as i was too young to watch the 1974 final.
Titoli 6
Banjo 6
Moviesceleton 1
-
If this is gonna be the final it will have nothing to do with that one: there wasn't multi-ethnicism then. Anyway, Spain is waiting for the nino Torres to wake up as Italy did for Rossi in 1982...
-
So 1974 was nothing like 1990 then? ;D
(http://bundesliga.theoffside.com/files/2007/12/vollerrijkaard.jpg)
Yeah it would be good to see Torres finally come alive.
-
No.
-
Holland - Uruguay 3 - 0
-
Holland 2 Uruguay 1
-
I don't wanna steal Banjo's answer so I'll say Holland 3 Uruguay 1...
-
Shame you didn't join in from the start but perhaps i could award bonus points for the correct prediction for the final. :-\
The manner in which Uruguay got through the last round ie "the hand of god mark 2" i really hope they go out tonight.
-
Result:Holland 3 Uruaguay 2
We guessed every score but!
A good game but i definitely feel that Holland are far from the best team in the tournament and have had so much luck so far.Saying that i'd still like them to finally win the World Cup but for me Germany are very strong favourites now.
Titoli 6
Banjo 6
Moviesceleton 1
-
Germany 2 Spain 1
-
Germany 2 Spain 0
-
Oh yes, pleease :)
-
Oh yes, pleease :)
But what does Titoli think? :D
-
Spain - Teutschland 0-1
-
so far it looks like a replay of the 2008 final...
if Spain wins - they deserve it.
not enough nerves our young team - experiences makes the game (so far)
-
This is the right finale: I think this WC was mediocre, exactly as the last 2 editions. It was right that Germany was eliminated because there was little class in the team once that Ballack was out. I don't care who's gonna win between Hol and Spa, though I have a preference for Spain because they have more technique and, had Torres not been injured throughout the season, probably would have shown a clearer superiority.
So here's my prediction (so I get them off my mind):
Uruguay - Teutschland 3-3 (+ extratime+penalties) (I hope Klose will surpass Ronaldo in the all-time scorers list)
Holland - Spain 2 -1
:D
-
I haven't seen the game yet as i've been out to the folk club earlier this evening.I'd recorded the game and was hoping to avoid the result by avoiding the bar downstairs but this ploy was ruined by a couple of loadmouths. >:(
Just about to watch it now.
-
Uruguay 1 Germany 2
Netherlands 1 Spain 2
-
Teutschland
Actually it is still Deutschland
Or do you use the T by purpose?
-
This is the right finale: I think this WC was mediocre, exactly as the last 2 editions. It was right that Germany was eliminated because there was little class in the team once that Ballack was out. I don't care who's gonna win between Hol and Spa, though I have a preference for Spain because they have more technique and, had Torres not been injured throughout the season, probably would have shown a clearer superiority.
Before last nights games i thought that Germany had been the classiest,outstanding and easily the most entertaining side in the tournament.They were very disappointing last night so i'm not sure if they just had an off night or that their previous opposition had made them look brilliant.Spains tactics were obviously spot on to make Germany look very average but the way they took apart Argentina last week i find it hard to agree that Germany without Ballack are mediocre.
Anyway being English i always back the underdog so i'm hoping Holland can somehow be inspired once more and turn over Spain in the final. O0
I can agree however that the tournament has as a whole been a bit of a letdown with few truly memorable games and not enough goals.Perhaps they should ditch that infamous new ball?
-
Result:Spain 1 Germany 0
Titoli 6
Banjo 6
Moviesceleton 1
-
I can agree however that the tournament has as a whole been a bit of a letdown with few truly memorable games and not enough goals.Perhaps they should ditch that infamous new ball?
The infamous new ball should have contributed to higher scorings thanx to its unpredictability. No, I think that maybe this tournament should be staged before the season begins, not when it ends. You see Brazil, they made a first half against Holland playing grandly and then they were short of breath in the second half. About same happened to Holland against Uruguay. I don't know if that can be the reason, but I think that to play 8 matcfhes in a month a play them brilliantly must be done in another stage of the sporting season.
-
Or maybe allow larger squads and more substitutions?
-
Or maybe allow larger squads and more substitutions?
That would lower the level of the play even more. No, a season with 50-60 matches in 8 months is too much if you have to append another 7 to play in a month. That was an effect of satellite football which wasn't for the good. I still think that WC is still the greatest show on earth and should be preserved. But it's the big clubs which decide the main lines of foot policy, so I do not expect something decisive to happen to preserve the international game at high levels.
-
That would lower the level of the play even more. No, a season with 50-60 matches in 8 months is too much if you have to append another 7 to play in a month. That was an effect of satellite football which wasn't for the good. I still think that WC is still the greatest show on earth and should be preserved. But it's the big clubs which decide the main lines of foot policy, so I do not expect something decisive to happen to preserve the international game at high levels.
Ditching the CL and reverting back to the old European Champions Cup knock-out format involving only the league winners in their respective countries would not only drastically reduce the average number of games played but also spare us the tedium of the league phase of the CL.But obviously the greedy likes of MU,Chelsea,Real,Barcelona,Milan are never gonna allow this to happen.
-
Uruguay 1 Germany 3
-
Even reducing Leagues to 16 sides (like it was in Italy until not long ago) would eliminate 8 matches and keep a higher level of matches.
-
No i meant going back to the old days,leaving the league numbers as they are but getting rid of the "league" element in the CL and include only the league champions from each country so that "champions" means champions and not a team which scraped to qualify in 4th place.I'm not sure how many games are played in the current CL but surely its many more than in the old system which also included the Cup Winners Cup,another exciting competion.Not sure they should bring back the UEFA cup though this is less of a joke than the meaningless Europa Cup which can be won by a team eliminated from the CL who can (even more absurd) then go on to win the Super Cup and World Club Cup.
The more i think about it i like your idea of playing the WC say in August,the month before the season begins so that all players are able to have their holidays and be fresh for the tournament.
-
Germany 3 Uruguay 2
Hope the final will be as good as this!
Titoli 6
Banjo 6
Moviesceleton 1
-
No i meant going back to the old days,leaving the league numbers as they are but getting rid of the "league" element in the CL and include only the league champions from each country so that "champions" means champions and not a team which scraped to qualify in 4th place.I'm not sure how many games are played in the current CL but surely its many more than in the old system which also included the Cup Winners Cup,another exciting competion.Not sure they should bring back the UEFA cup though this is less of a joke than the meaningless Europa Cup which can be won by a team eliminated from the CL who can (even more absurd) then go on to win the Super Cup and World Club Cup.
The more i think about it i like your idea of playing the WC say in August,the month before the season begins so that all players are able to have their holidays and be fresh for the tournament.
It would be easier to cut on the national leagues matches than CL, which has a deep commercial value and good propaganda for the sport even in the minor countries. Just think of the tourism involved in matches between a great team and , say, a litvinian one. While you can really do without MU against Bristol or Coventry, which is exciting only for the fans of the lesser sides.
-
It would be easier to cut on the national leagues matches than CL, which has a deep commercial value and good propaganda for the sport even in the minor countries. Just think of the tourism involved in matches between a great team and , say, a litvinian one. While you can really do without MU against Bristol or Coventry, which is exciting only for the fans of the lesser sides.
The English premier league has already been cut to 20 out of 92 league clubs.With the huge financial rewards already being received by the teams in the top filght i think it's highly unlikely that they'll be a further reduction, especially with the growing resentment from the mountain of lower league clubs who'll never have to resources to get into the premiership in it's current form.
That's a good point about Europes minnow countries but they could all be still involved in a knock-out only tournament.Why not make it into an FA Cup type competition where all the fixtures for each round are drawn out of a bag?Now that would be exciting with the possibilty of a litvinian side getting to the final!
-
Holland 3 Spain 1
-
I didn't follow the games much so far so I can't predict the winner, but this seems like one of those WCs in which Netherlands ends either second or fourth.
-
That's a good point about Europes minnow countries but they could all be still involved in a knock-out only tournament.Why not make it into an FA Cup type competition where all the fixtures for each round are drawn out of a bag?Now that would be exciting with the possibilty of a litvinian side getting to the final!
Do you think the big clubs would risk ending up the season at September after having spent tens on millions for buying new players?
-
Result:Spain 1 Holland 0
A very poor finale and I think with the cynical kicking tactics Holland employed throughout the game Spain are worthy world champions. O0
Titoli 6
Banjo 6
Moviesceleton 1
-
Do you think the big clubs would risk ending up the season at September after having spent tens on millions for buying new players?
If the ties were played over 2 legs then the big clubs wouldn't have any excuse for being knocked out.
-
If the ties were played over 2 legs then the big clubs wouldn't have any excuse for being knocked out.
But that it's not the spirit of FA Cup and I can't see such a progress on the current formula.
-
I agree.I really do like the idea of a European FA Cup which in could be worked out to include many Premiership(and their equivalents) lesser clubs in the first couple of rounds and then maybe big guns would be involved from about November.
I don't have much sympathy for any multi million big club exiting early and the smaller needier clubs would for once get a slice of the cake.
-
Only in Iceland (at least we hope):
http://tv.repubblica.it/copertina/il-modo-piu-assurdo-di-festeggiare-un-gol/51039?video
http://www.corrieredellosport.it/video/curiosita/2010/07/28-24620/Islanda%2C+dopo+il+%22pesce%22+arriva+l%27esultanza+%22alla+Rambo%22
-
That's hilarious especially the reeling in the fish celebration! :D
-
Take it easy, Banjo, you're not a boy anymore:
http://www.corrieredellosport.it/video/curiosita/2010/08/12-24861/Un+fan+del+Queens+Park+Rangers+perde+la+testa+e+comincia+ad+insultare+tutti
-
Better as a boxer or as a sprinter?
http://www.corrieredellosport.it/video/calcio/calcio_estero/2010/08/11-24846/Giocatore+protesta%2C+l%27arbitro+lo+stende+con+un+pugno
-
Take it easy, Banjo, you're not a boy anymore:
http://www.corrieredellosport.it/video/curiosita/2010/08/12-24861/Un+fan+del+Queens+Park+Rangers+perde+la+testa+e+comincia+ad+insultare+tutti
I'm well used now to Brighton losing to the likes of Port (f**king) Vale . ;D
-
Better as a boxer or as a sprinter?
http://www.corrieredellosport.it/video/calcio/calcio_estero/2010/08/11-24846/Giocatore+protesta%2C+l%27arbitro+lo+stende+con+un+pugno
A great jab but for a guy that size an unbelievable sprinter! :D
-
Only in a football arena:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtLxpMyh13g&p=E31E23B597BF5702&playnext=1&index=33
-
;D
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/soccer-player-misses-point-blank-goal/1jrbz7z18?rel=msn
-
Deal!
:D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm-3y17uuJU&feature=related
-
Deal!
:D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm-3y17uuJU&feature=related
I'm confused about the football connection? :-[
-
;D
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/soccer-player-misses-point-blank-goal/1jrbz7z18?rel=msn
>:D
-
I'm confused about the football connection? :-[
http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/86/italy/2011/04/15/2443527/thomas-dibenedettos-consortium-completes-roma-takeover
-
http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/86/italy/2011/04/15/2443527/thomas-dibenedettos-consortium-completes-roma-takeover
Lets hope that the consortium has nobler motives than the American Glazer family who took over MU.
My team Brighton is having a dream season.Already champions of League 1 we have recently set a post war record of 8 straight wins and look likely to achieve 100 points by the end of the season.Next season we start in a brand new ground only one league below the big guns in the Premiership. :)
-
Lets hope that the consortium has nobler motives than the American Glazer family who took over MU.
The club was more than 50 million euros under. Anybody was welcome.
My team Brighton is having a dream season.Already champions of League 1 we have recently set a post war record of 8 straight wins and look likely to achieve 100 points by the end of the season.Next season we start in a brand new ground only one league below the big guns in the Premiership. :)
O0
-
Just to keep it up:
http://video.repubblica.it/sport/inciampa-sul-pallone-e-sbaglia-una-rete-gia-fatta/80568?video=&ref=HRESS-4
-
May I ask, how come nobody has yet commented on the Euro 2012 tournament? I suspect at least Titoli will be watching tonight's game?
I haven't had time to really watch the games - yesterday's Spain-Portugal game was the first one I saw in its entirety (I guess that goes to show that I'm not a real aficionado) - but I'm definitely going to watch the two games still ahead.
-
I'm watching too. Of course.
-
It is usually Banjo's task to resurrect this thread. As he didn't I thought it was preferable to let it lie dormant.
I watched the Italy matches and look forward to the semi. This is the greatest chance Germany has ever had to beat Italy because this azzurri side is the less talented we had in decades. But Italy has grown up in the former 4 matches and so we are not the butchering lamb we might have been before the torunament started.
-
I watched the Italy matches and look forward to the semi. This is the greatest chance Germany has ever had to beat Italy because this azzurri side is the less talented we had in decades
Really? The less talented in decades?
I am not so sure that Germany will beat them easily.
-
I never said Germany is going to win and easily at that: in football and at these heights anything can happen. Still bookmakers see Germany win easily.
-
(http://h9.abload.de/img/untitled-12z1zqi.gif)
-
It is usually Banjo's task to resurrect this thread. As he didn't I thought it was preferable to let it lie dormant.
Sorry guys.
Other than the dismal quality of my teams(Englands) performance i have enjoyed this tournament.Italy were sensational against the Germans last Thursday and i hope that they go on to win it.
-
Sorry guys.
Other than the dismal quality of my teams(Englands) performance i have enjoyed this tournament.Italy were sensational against the Germans last Thursday and i hope that they go on to win it.
What do you think tomorrow's match is gonna be like?
-
I absolutely can't wait for this Titoli.Both teams are highly technical so it's going to be like a chess game,very tantalising.I'd like to see a few goals but it wouldn't surprise me if we have another goaless game settled by a penalty shoot-out decider.But saying that Balotelli is so unpredictable that he could easily knock in a couple of goals.Hope he gets the golden boot.
-
On the contrary, I'd be surprised if no goals were scored and we had a penalty shoot-out. I don't think Italy will abide to a chess game: I'm sure they'll try to win the match, even risking to lose it. What Balotelli will do is anybody's guess, as always: he could win the match by himself or botch it. But should Italy win I think it would be Pirlo who fully earned the GB.
But I'm curious about what Del Bosque will do about the striker's role: will he adapt Fabregas in a false position like in the group match or give the jersey to Torres (or LLorente)? Of course in the group match there was the problem of having to adapt De Rossi as central defender, while tomorrow he'll play in midfield as always. So that will pose a big dilemma to the spanish side.
But I'll admit that, anyway, as the rest of the football world, we're all curious about what is gonna be like tomorrow.
-
Del Bosque said today he's gonna play with three forwards. If he's sincere that means we're gonna watch a different kind of match from what we presumed might have been.
-
http://video.repubblica.it/dossier/europei-2012-polonia-ucraina/balotelli-fa-proseliti-un-giapponese-gli-copia-l-esultanza/99683?video
-
Italy 2 Spain 0
-
Sorry Titoli.
2-0, 10 vs 11, all you can hope now is a penalty and avoiding a third goal.
-
(we've just been avenged for Zidane in 2006 :D )
-
Zidane's headbutt was down to nothing but his stupidity.
I hate one sided finals.Still i guess Spain deserved it. :(
-
Zidane's headbutt was down to nothing but his stupidity.
Are you kidding? You clearly see Materazzi hitting France's best player right in the head with his chest:
(http://images.forum-auto.com/mesimages/105814/zidane4_wideweb__470x340,0.jpg)
I hate one sided finals.Still i guess Spain deserved it. :(
Yeah, it was going to be a great game (and the first period was great), but the 2nd goal and the 10 vs 11 thing spoiled the whole thing. Especially since they went close to a "1-1" several times.
Spain deserved something like 2-1, and Italy certainly didn't deserve 4-0.
-
The fittest won. I would have liked to see the match played next week. Unfortunately in these tournaments you must have luck. Italy had their share in the group stage, when Spain and Croatia didn't agree on a "biscuit". But tonight the side were down to pieces, with people like Chiellini and Motta who just shouldn't have been there (and I wonder why they were there at all) and half the rest down on their legs. Even England tonight could have got the better of us.
-
You had your moments during the first period. Spain dominated from a technical standpoint but you could see (during the first period) that Italy wanted the title far more.
-
Spain is incredible. The once eternal quarter finalist has become world's dominant football nation.
There main players are in 2014 still in the best football age. Let's see what happens.
I'm still in shock that Germany did not made it.
-
Even England tonight could have got the better of us.
I doubt it Titoli.As has been proved in at least the last two tournaments England are unable to compete with the best and are a second rate team.We are technically inept and cannot hold or pass the ball.How England are still rated in the top 10 is beyond me.
-
I doubt it Titoli.As has been proved in at least the last two tournaments England are unable to compete with the best and are a second rate team.We are technically inept and cannot hold or pass the ball.How England are still rated in the top 10 is beyond me.
Sorry, but I have to disagree. Italy yesterday was athletically disabled. Marchisio: I think I heard his name during the first half 1 ot 2 times: what was he doing during the match? If you have a midfielder absent against Spain (or any other team) you lose. Chiellini: why was he on the pitch at all? He was responsible for the first goal and forced an early substitution. Thiago Motta: no comment. Daniele De Rossi, though playing a good match, was half his standard. Still I think it would have sufficed that Balzaretti (who was playing a good tournament) had been in the starting eleven things might have developed differently Spain wouldn't have scored his first goal so easily and we wouldn't have played in 10 in the last 30'. This reminded me of 1994 Pasadena final, when Baggio was preferred to Signori (serie A lead scorer), though phisically unfit. Players are quite egotistic and prefer to play always though their behaviour can put the team in a difficult situation, like happened yesterday.
-
(http://photo.europe1.fr/sport/pause-sport/les-touristes-devant-coup-de-tete-930x620/22620037-1-fre-FR/Les-touristes-devant-Coup-de-tete-930x620_scalewidth_961.jpg)
-
Oh, Dose Gals:
http://video.repubblica.it/sport/fallo-laterale-in-faccia-all-avversaria-ammonita/110013/108397
-
Oh, Dose Gals:
http://video.repubblica.it/sport/fallo-laterale-in-faccia-all-avversaria-ammonita/110013/108397
:)
-
http://video.repubblica.it/sport/il-gol-e-gia-fatto-ma-il-portiere-e-superman/115894?video=&ref=HRESS-12
-
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira RIP
One of the great ones.
-
The Football World Cup 2014 in Brazil, the world's biggest sport event, started yesterday. Thrilling ...
-
..., the world's biggest sport event,
You mean the World Series? Or the Superbowl?
-
Spain is incredible. The once eternal quarter finalist has become world's dominant football nation.
5-1
-
5-1
Times change, the players got older and after 3 titles in a row (no team achieved this before) they are probably full up. Many expected this happening already in 2012.
Still, it is an asthonising result.
-
You mean the World Series? Or the Superbowl?
I read a few years ago, that the WC is the biggest sport event, bigger than the Olympic games. And the 2nd one is the European football cup.
-
I read a few years ago, that the WC is the biggest sport event, bigger than the Olympic games. And the 2nd one is the European football cup.
d&d wouldn't agree.
-
and after 3 titles in a row (no team achieved this before)
Uruguay won the '28 and '32 Olympics and the 1930 WC in between, if I remember well. Italy won 1934 and 1938 WC and the 1936 Olympics.
-
Uruguay won the Olympics 24, 28 and the first WC in 1930. But the first WC wasn't worth the name with practically every then great European team not participating. After the WC had started the further Olympic football games are of no further interest as many nations send only amateurs.
Actually the first WC, which was really worth the name, was 1954. Only Russia was still missing then.
-
Actually the first WC, which was really worth the name, was 1954.
Yeah, sure.
-
Italy ain't goin' nowhere. But we knew it before the tournament started. The defense is embarrassing.
-
I believe the number of worldwide viewers for the World Cup final dwarfs that of the Super Bowl. But you can't compare a yearly event to a quuadrennial event.
Yeah, sure.
-
Yeah, sure.
Not because Germany won it, because it was the first one in which all great football nations (except maybe the USSR) participated.
1950 was overshadowed by the aftermath of WW II. Amongst many others 2 of the then best teams (Hungary, Argentina) did not participate.
Before the war the big distances between South America and Europe were a major problem. The interest in such a tournament was not high enough to undertake a 2 - 4 lasting weeks journey by ship.
1930 was an America Cup, and 1934 and 1938 were basically European Cups, but without the British teams. The then best South American teams from Uruguay and Argentina stayed at home.
-
I believe the number of worldwide viewers for the World Cup final dwarfs that of the Super Bowl. But you can't compare a yearly event to a quuadrennial event.
I'm sure that the yearly European Club League (aka as the Champion League) is also bigger than the Super Bowl.
-
Not because Germany won it,
Yeah, sure.
Then we could also argue that only the last handful of WC are the good ones as all of the nations now are there. The same would go for the other sports, as biking, tennis and boxing only in the last 20-30 years are really global sports, compared to the times when tournaments were played between a dozen of players. But this is nonsense. If England didn't participate in the first three WC that doesn't mean much because we have seen that in 1950 they were beaten by an amateur USA side. In 1938 Italy won against Leonidas' Brazil and Hungary, while Germany won his first cup in a much less praiseworthy way: I think that Italy's second WC is much more solid than your first.
-
Times change, the players got older and after 3 titles in a row (no team achieved this before)
FRANCE:
1998 World Cup
Euro 2000
2001 Confederations Cup
(the team even won a friendly game against a "world football team" somewhere in the early 2000's)
they are probably full up. Many expected this happening already in 2012.
Still, it is an asthonising result.
I'd feel a little bit more confident about my country if the spanish team would go on strike.
-
Yeah, sure.
Then we could also argue that only the last handful of WC are the good ones as all of the nations now are there. The same would go for the other sports, as biking, tennis and boxing only in the last 20-30 years are really global sports, compared to the times when tournaments were played between a dozen of players. But this is nonsense. If England didn't participate in the first three WC that doesn't mean much because we have seen that in 1950 they were beaten by an amateur USA side. In 1938 Italy won against Leonidas' Brazil and Hungary, while Germany won his first cup in a much less praiseworthy way: I think that Italy's second WC is much more solid than your first.
The point is if the presumably then best were there. And that was often not the case before 1954. For different reasons.
Many great tournaments had starting problems. The first EC is also not that much worth, as half of the European nations did not care about it.
In 1938 England denied the Fifa offer to play at the WC (after Austria was annexed by Germany and had to quit). Instead they played against the WC champion a few weeks after the WC, and beat Italy there. Which surely gave them the feeling to be the real champ. ;)
-
FRANCE:
1998 World Cup
Euro 2000
2001 Confederations Cup
The Confed Cup hasn't much value. What counts is the EC and the WC. And I think both are now more tricky to win then in former times.
But France was surely a deserved winner in 98 and 00.
-
In 1938 England denied the Fifa offer to play at the WC (after Austria was annexed by Germany and had to quit). Instead they played against the WC champion a few weeks after the WC, and beat Italy there. Which surely gave them the feeling to be the real champ. ;)
That was in 1934. England picked up the place and the month (they preferred, of course, to play in bad weather). That means little. In 1939 there was a draw. Of course the feeling they might have, but they should have known better.
http://www.englandfootballonline.com/cmpfr/CmpFrTmMatches1872.html
-
Well, ok, but I checked some other things. In 1954 the USSR had thanks to comrade Josef not much of a team, but Argentina passed again, like in 50 and 38. In 34 they only sent an amateur team.
Before the 50s Argentina and Uruguay were the dominating teams in South America.
-
Well, ok, but I checked some other things. In 1954 the USSR had thanks to comrade Josef not much of a team, but Argentina passed again, like in 50 and 38. In 34 they only sent an amateur team.
Before the 50s Argentina and Uruguay were the dominating teams in South America.
But in the 30's the best players were playing with Itay: namely Monti and Orsi.
-
From what I've seen until today I'd love to see the 1974 final again.
Both the Netherlands and our team started out best so far. Sorry Ronaldo, maybe some other time..
-
But in the 30's the best players were playing with Italy: namely Monti and Orsi.
Maybe. Actually I do not know much, nor do I have much interest, in football before 1950. It's so awfully long ago. And there was a lot of chaos. But Italy definitely belonged then already to the great football nations. Brazil's rise began in the late 40s and Germany's probably with the surprise win of 54, or maybe not before in the mid-60s a new generation of superior players surfaced.
What do the Italians think about the WC 34?
While according to my books the WC 38 was a deserved win, in 1934 (with an almost completely different team) they most likely had from the quarter-final on the referees as very dominant 12th player on their side. Descriptions of the games sound like a lot of scandalous decisions in favour of Italy.
-
What do the Italians think about the WC 34?
It probably happened what was to happen again in Argentina in 1978, but with no tv to show it.
-
(http://giant.gfycat.com/BriefWhirlwindAfricanrockpython.gif)
-
5-2 (some say 6-2)
This WC may already have a higher goal count than the two previous ones together.
(http://images.sudouest.fr/images/2014/06/21/topshots-france-s-forward-olivier-giroud-top-r-celebrates_1893109_800x400.jpg?v=1)
-
Sunday night the Rolling Stones were in concert in Rome. Jagger said:"Italy's gonna win the WC". He'd better change his pusher.
-
D&D and I were at a movie yesterday, and afterwards decided to walk up to midtown and find a pub to watch the USA vs. Portugal. It turned out to be a pretty exciting match (2-2). Too bad the beer wasn't.
-
(http://giant.gfycat.com/BriefWhirlwindAfricanrockpython.gif)
lol ;D
-
lol ;D
Put Italy for Spain. and THX Prandelli.
-
(http://db3.stb.s-msn.com/i/B7/73733B2926BFF4151474FAEBEBD1.jpg)
-
(http://db3.stb.s-msn.com/i/75/9A3FECC5CB97C2F671D68BDC406091_h498_w598_m2.jpg)
-
(http://db3.stb.s-msn.com/i/2D/11202EBCD5AD369330E6EB8150B22A_h498_w598_m2.jpg)
-
(http://db3.stb.s-msn.com/i/8F/FFD092E0597365596C47F8A4C87D_h498_w598_m2.jpg)
-
(http://www.repstatic.it/content/nazionale/img/2014/07/09/001248171-deed8a3b-6735-49b9-a0c3-fa8ee74327e5.jpg)
-
(http://www.repstatic.it/content/nazionale/img/2014/07/09/102117898-ccba68c3-7dbf-4c0a-bdc2-bc80a0a797ea.jpg)
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZtYVsHPIVI
-
(http://www.repstatic.it/content/nazionale/img/2014/07/09/133058445-80aa1d03-a199-41ff-ae69-037f86a08aed.jpg)
-
7-1 at home in a 95% yellow stadium after having destroyed the homes of tens of thousands of poor people is probably a bigger humiliation than the French team going on strike during a WC, which I thought couldn't be topped. Brazil is probably paying for years of terrible selection process and team building (politics and friends over skills).
-
It was like a bad traffic accident: Makes you feel sick but you can't stop watching.
-
This Brazil without Neymar and Thiago Silva is worse than Italy. But I think there must be somewhere a better striker than Fred. Just consider that Germany against Algeria had to go to extra time. Is Algeria better than Brazil and Italy? Yes.
-
A team being is less efficient without its 2 key players is normal. A team destroyed by the loss of its 2 key players isn't a team, they're a bunch of amateurs.
-
You can get a lot of yellow shirt at the flea market. ;D
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IynteMtSBxo
-
O0 O0 O0
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBF9MUsNUkQ
-
"Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win." - Gary Lineker
-
Argentina had its chances and wasted them. Thank God we didn't have penalties.
-
:) ;D O0
(http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae15/peckinpah69/wm2014.jpg) (http://s953.photobucket.com/user/peckinpah69/media/wm2014.jpg.html)