World Cup 2006 - and it's called football, not soccer!

Henry said after the Champions League that maybe he should have done like the Barca guys, fall over and cry in mock agony. I wasn't expecting him to actually do it one day. Even if this is payback for Puyol's antics during the Champions League final, this is disappointing, especially from him.

Still, I feel this was a convincing and deserved win for France. It was also nice to see the guys smile genuinely after the game it's the first time they actually looked happy to play together.

Now on for the quarter finals!

Friday, 30 June 2006
Germany v Argentina
Italy v Ukraine

Saturday, 01 July 2006
Brazil v France
England v Portugal

Not exactly looking forward to Italy/Ukraine (disqualify them and have Ghana/Holland instead!), but Germany/Argentina should be good

 

lol, watching England isn't good for the heart pressure,is it Pash?

Goodness Matt, my heart was all over the place. Mom and were screaming "defense, defense...no get the ball back!" It was hysterical! I'm so glad Becks got them into the quarterfinals with that fantastic goal. But I hope you're right Matt, that the next team they face will be more worried about their own game. That's true, mom kept telling me the Ecuadorians were basically stopping the Brits from scoring...

What's with all the diving? In fact there was a programme on CNN today talking just about the referees and the dives and stuff. Its getting crazy of the field. That Italian penalty didn't seem right though. I felt bad for the Aussies.

Yeah Matt, perhaps so pointers from Gerard for Lampard. Gerard seems to have got it down pat-well most of the time.
Oh and I saw the Portugal-Holland highlights-oh dear waht was all that? The diving was spectacular...I think they should join a stunt team or something! *shakes head* Some dirty play too, wasn't there? And the red cards!

Addie my sis! Your right dear. The Aussies played pretty fairly and mom and I were so sorry to see them make an exit. Oh so true...acting is definitely a requirement for some players.

Nwalme Jade I didn't see the France game but I caught a few clips and the win certainly seemed well deserved. I'm hoping they can cream Brazil in the quarter finals. Do i dare to hope?

Germany-Argentina and England-Portugal. Cannot wait for those. I think Germany has a great chance and England...well I'm hoping the Portugal team isn't gonna resort to dives.

 

What can I say?? I couldn't get to see the game due to being at the London Film & Comic Con, but from what I've been told England were all over Portugal, even when we had 10 men after Rooney got a very harsh red card. And once again we lost in a penalty shoot-out.
I knew Lampard would miss, this just hasn't been his tournament but Gerrad missing was a blow, and our disallowed penalty was a real pain as I knew that he'd miss the re-take. Luck is something we just don't seem to have

Ah-well, I'm now backing Germany
Although as an Arsenal fan, I have a soft spot for France but with Lens Lehmann in goal for Germany, I tend to side with them because I was a goalie once myself (not professionally though ).

Well done France for beating Brazil. Great win and goal from Henry.
They've hit the right form at the right time.

I predict and France-Germany final and Germany to win 2-1.

 

I don't think it's down to lack of luck with England. The Portuguese keeper was exceptional in the penalty shoot-out. Nothing you can do.
What gets me is the xenophobia reeking from some of the tabloids - that Ronaldo is a cheater nobody will ever dispute, but putting up a dartboard with his face on it? Saying he shouldn't be allowed to ever step a foot in England again? Not to mention the sneaky remarks about the ref - those Argentines, always after poor honest Englishmen of course

As for France - I hope they make it to the final and as an Arsenal fan, I know all our boys have to do is to wait for good old crazy Jens to blow up a fuse

 

So, so sorry to Germany
It was a great match and it took two brilliant goals right at the dying end to settle it. Italy perhaps deserved it only just, but there were some terrific performances by both sets of players

Well, I'm backing France now but I hope that doesn't curse them

 

I think it's really rude that I can no longer have my flag as an icon!!! At least we are fighting over third place now!

This video has been posted over on our FF board: Italian training session

I can't say how I feel at the moment. Not even dissapointed because I (like a lot of people in Germany and all over the world) never expected the german team to make it that far in the tournament and because we've seen a fighting and winning team so far. They are defenitly our heros!!
But I still would love to know how much a mexican referee costs...

 

Probably the same price as an Argentinian one

Actually, I thought the ref was really good lastnight. He let the game flow, dished out very few yellow cards and consequently the players didn't muck around.

But yes, Germany has done very well and there's always Euro 2008 which is happening just next door to you

Good video clip, lol. That was from a UK commerical for a newspaper.....not far from the truth either, sadly.

 

I
Can't
Believe
It


La finale


France were worringly subdued in the second half. But I can't feel sorry for a bunch of divers. Ronaldo go home.

 

Well done Le Francais!! I'm gald they won too, especially after all the antics of some of the Portuguese players.

France will have to play better then that to beat Italy, plus Italy will be out for revenge after the Euro 2000 final. But if France can recreate what they did against Spain and Brazil, they have a good chance.

Henry to score a hatrick

 

What on earth was ZIDANE thinking??? He ruined the game and up until then, France were the better team and deserving of the victory. A real shame for many, many reasons.

Congrats to Italy though
If AC Milian and Juve get relegated tomorrow, I guess half of those players will be on sale

 

Yeah. I wouldn't mind getting Thuram and a couple of those Italian defenders now that Campbell has decided to leave

But Zidane... man, I couldn't believe that. I don't know if it would have changed anything in the outcome of the game - Trézéguet was unlucky on his penalty - but to end a career like that.... why? whywhywhy? It should have been his most emotional game. His last ever. And he wasn't even able to go and get a final farewell on the podium. A huge, huge disappointment.

 

Wenger is a big Thuram fan but maybe he's a bit too old now, but he had a great World Cup. I also hear Arsenal have contacted Juve about Buffon, but that seems quite harsh for Jens Lehmann. Personally I hope those clubs aren't relegated because it seems more trouble then it's worth

With Zidane, the shoot-out would have been different but it's impossible to say how different, but I agree that it was just such a crazy and shocking thing to do that made no sense. He knew this would be his last ever game and he knew he was going to get sent off for it so why do it?? Whatever the Italian said must have been bad, but surely common sense kicks in at some point and it would have been sweeter revenge to lift the trophy infront of him rather then head-butt him to Mars.
Part of me thinks he wanted it to end this way but he's disappointed a lot of people and this is what he'll be best known for now, which for a player that great is a shame.

Well done to Germany for being excellent hosts too!! The football may not have been the best World Cup ever, but the hosting definitely was (and the stadiums) and hopefully the ideas and concepts Germany created will continue on for the next one

I can't believe there's no football now......well, not until next month

Thanks Germany, well done Italy, see you in four years time!!

 

I'd take Lehmann over Buffon - although his temper is an issue, he's much better at stopping penaltys.

About the Zidane/Materazzi incident - rumour says it was racial slur. That wouldn't be surprising considering Italy's bad record in the area (hello Paolo), but no matter what he said, you'd think an experimented player would know better.

Ah well. It's hard to lose when you're the better team for most of the game, but a month ago, we would have taken a place in the final with gratitude.

 

Thanks for the nice words! You were all great guest in Germany and made this World Cup a wonderful experience!


And we did it! We won against Portugal and got the third place!
Miro Klose scored the most and Lukas Podolski won the title best Newbie over Cristiano Ronaldo.

 

Congratulations Italy !!!!

 

Flo, I thought you didn't like Football
Glad you enjoyed the show, and well done for third place. It's a shame Jurgen Klinsmann has decided to leave, but I don't blame him really.

We should find out what Materazzi said to Zidane later tonight. Zidane will speak on French TV for the first time so this could be interesting. There's been plenty of theories though, and part of me likes the way how the French people and media have treated Zidane as a hero rather then a villain....not sure what that says about me though

 

Sorry Flo I forgot to congratulate Germany for beating Portugal

 

I don't like football, Matt, but the enthusiasm here was too much, I had to watch some games and the German Team played so damm good, you only could support them. It is sad that Klinsmann leaves, but it is understandable on the other hand. Joachim Löw is now the coach and he helped to build this system. I am sure, that he will do a great job, too.

No problem, Mike!

I am not sure, if we ever find out what Materazzi really said to Zidane...

 

We did. He apparently insulted several times Zidane's mother and sister. A pretty harsh reaction Zidane had, but he apologized for his act; while Matterazzi now claims his innocence after admitting a couple of days ago that he'd insulted Zidane - hum, after all, I think that guy did deserve to be striken.

I changed planes in Germany during the WorldCup - the enthusiasm was fabulous, you're right, Flo ^^ I was in Frankfurt airport while Germany was playing Argentina, they even had a plane delayed so the passengers could watch the end of the game ^^ Still feeling sad about how silent the pub I was in got on Sunday evening after the last Italian goal. But we played well anyway ^^

Congratulations to the Germans for the third place, and thanks for hosting this event ^^

 

Well, Materazzi is not exactly an angel, so somehow people can't feel too sorry for him. If Henry headbutted, I don't know, Craig Bellamy, everybody would say how unproper it is, but in their heart something would cheer

 

Interesting, that this headbutt dominate the discussions...

Maybe another interesting story about football is the Judgment in the Italian football scandale.

What do you think?

 

What I think - massive amount of world class players now available for us

No, it's good they managed to punish the clubs. Looks like they had to wait for Berlusconi to leave to be able to do that, but they were not scared of relegating their most successful, prestigious teams, and of barring them from Europe for the next couple of years. Considering all the money involved (and thus, the pressure) and the fact it'll probably harm their league which is so important in Italian culture, it's quite impressive they managed to do their job. Well done.

 

Why wasn't I surprised about this first joke!

No, but I think you are right what you said after it. I hope they stay with this line and keep a strong hand in this. I have an uneasy feeling how Berlusconi may still play a role in this scandale...

 

Anybody want to join my ESPN Fantasy Football League?

It's the English Premiership one! (Not EPL as some call it, the premier league is in Scotland)