World Cup 2006: Other matches [R]

[Nanbawan]

Let's not be the only top seed to choke...:o

The delusional US spazzo fans had at least one thing right. The quality of the teams in their group (hem, except one) is the most impressive so far.

[Allez Lyonnais]

You see, WC is supposed and meant to be staged on the European soil. It has been and will always be. 2002 final was a joke with ridiculous seeding, scheduling and officiating.

If USMNT manages to get a point out of this final, that'll be some achievement.

[Nanbawan]

You see, WC is supposed and meant to be staged on the European soil.

I suppose there will be lukewarm temperatures in South Africa at this time of the year in 2010 (checked : around 25°C highest). In KoreaJapan, the competition was advanced to the end of May, that killed the players preparation and ultimately the competition. Many people relished the 'surprises' which occured on regular basis (regular surprise, a good example of oxymoron...) but on the whole, what a frustrating tourney...

[AfrcnHrbMan]

Are you implying that the world cup should only be held in europe?? Doesn't sound like a world cup to me. But eh I do believe the a majority of the officials should come from europe, really cant have some guy from some backwater league officiating on this stage.

When the did the Italians all decide to cut their hair??

And how about all these goals outside the box so far this tourney?? I think these players are taking full advantage of the flight of this new ball, and i'd personally like to see it used in the domestics leagues. Ive always loved the long range blast.

[Nanbawan]

And how about all these goals outside the box so far this tourney?? I think these players are taking full advantage of the flight of this new ball, and i'd personally like to see it used in the domestics leagues. Ive always loved the long range blast.

I've seen a TV report on this ball and it seemed to show that you always obtain the same result with the same impulse. Contrary to previous specs, when the test robot shoots the ball over and over, there's virtually no dispersion in the results. That might explain why Rosicky was able to blast two incredible long shots in the game. NT managers must try to take this parameter into consideration now...

[lefutur]

Ive always loved the long range blast.

eh...is someone talking about me?

[jlscrub]

Argentina 2-1 Cote d'Ivoire

fantastic match, the ref was sketchy at times, but argentina themselves were imo brilliant. unfortunate for cote d'ivoire, they started off well but just got killed off.

Argentina needs to hope they dont run into a latin america team. Those countries (Ecuador, Brasil, Paraguay and Mexico) know how to beat them. I saw nothing impressive about that win. But I have seen them play for a long time now.

Just a heads up

[guignol]

i've watched a match and a bit every day, but last night's italy-ghana was the first match i feel like posting about. the poor ghanaians! athletically they were monsters, head and shoulders above the italians. not bad at technique and a several notches above dismal at tactics too.

as for italy, i love the country and the people, and my wife and i came that close to living there instead of in france. but italian football makes me vomit. de rossi didn't just commit one foul that should have been a penalty but two. and iaquinta's throwing the ball behind him the way he did was the kind of poor sportsmanship you don't even see on playgrounds.

don't answer back with all the reasons italy was better than ghana, i'm not denying that. the azzuri were saving del piero and gattuso. the black stars need to learn composure. but one side was an honour to their country and the game itself, the other wasn't. as usual when italy is involved, it's not difficult to guess which was which.

[guignol]

Go check out the threads in the USA section. Bloody half the people their thought the US was going to take it to the Czechs and the Italians. It's just unrealistic really.ganu, your implication that the plan to win the world cup with a team of PSV subs, english 2nd division journeymen and bundesliga washouts is "unrealistic" is amusing really. haven't you ever heard of remodelling old europe? ;)

[guignol]

When the did the Italians all decide to cut their hair?? even camoranesi just had this ends trimmed.

[Pierre-Henri]

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?&p=8693878#post8693878

Well, you all know that i rather like America. But I must say i felt some sort of ..... joy (sorry). Especially because of Landon Donovan's "typical american jerk" speeches (of course, i know that not all of you are like this).

- You can't brag in hockey (during international games, scoring board is flashing so fast that you don't even have the time to open your mouth).

- You can't even brag in basketball anymore.

- So pleaaaase, don't brag in soccer. Please, please, please. You're just making yourself ridiculous, worldwide.

So be humble, work hard, have a league that's more mentally challenging that a "Disneyland Pin the Tail on the Donkey league*", win the tourny, and then you can brag.

* For example, by playing south american teams, and not only the champs of Saint-Lucie, Brunei, Trinitad and Tobago, Aruba and British Virgin Islands. Mexico notwithstanding, CONCACAF is a joke.

[guignol]

i like americans too (i are wun!) but while we're at it, check this out: http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=368582 but remember boys, we were all there once (well, maybe not; even on my first trip to europe back before the punic wars i don't remember being that clueless) so don't laugh!

[gaijin]

Come on we are all that bad abroad at least once in our lives.

[Allez Lyonnais]

The one thing Germany and Italy have in common is the fact that they merely play to win. Just to win, nothing else. Whatever-it-takes mentality.

Oh boy, they disgust me..

[RandyNA74]

i've watched a match and a bit every day, but last night's italy-ghana was the first match i feel like posting about. the poor ghanaians! athletically they were monsters, head and shoulders above the italians. not bad at technique and a several notches above dismal at tactics too.

as for italy, i love the country and the people, and my wife and i came that close to living there instead of in france. but italian football makes me vomit. de rossi didn't just commit one foul that should have been a penalty but two. and iaquinta's throwing the ball behind him the way he did was the kind of poor sportsmanship you don't even see on playgrounds.

don't answer back with all the reasons italy was better than ghana, i'm not denying that. the azzuri were saving del piero and gattuso. the black stars need to learn composure. but one side was an honour to their country and the game itself, the other wasn't. as usual when italy is involved, it's not difficult to guess which was which.
I don't think the second penalty was a penalty at all. The Ghanaian started diving in anticipation of contact - which never came. The first foul? Univision only showed half-assed replays (not sure ESPN2 would have done better), but the foul, or what was there of it, didn't seem particularly "Italian" or "brutal" to me.

As for Iaquinta throwing the ball - hmm. Whatever. Players will do little stupid things like that from time to time. Especially someone like Iaquinta who probably doesn't have much business being in the WC anyway (goal or no goal).

I can see the substance of what your saying, and can think of countless times when an Italian NT player did something to piss me off or in any case make us look bad. But frankly, I didn't see much of it yesterday at all. A (supposed) foul for a penalty, which most teams commit, and a guy throwing the ball out of nervousness? How about all those Ghanaian elbows, on the other hand?

(Not criticizing Ghana. I was impressed with them and wish them well.)

[guignol]

Come on we are all that bad abroad at least once in our lives.i said i don't remember being that clueless. wonderful thing memory... ;)

[gaijin]

Togo 1-0 Korea

:eek:

Kader with a beautiful strike into the corner!

[guignol]

I don't think the second penalty was a penalty at all. The Ghanaian started diving in anticipation of contact - which never came. The first foul? Univision only showed half-assed replays (not sure ESPN2 would have done better), but the foul, or what was there of it, didn't seem particularly "Italian" or "brutal" to me.clearly we all see what we want, at least a little bit, i don't claim to be an exception. the second penalty for me is crystal clear, gyan has a space to go through and de rossi puts his leg into it with no intention or chance of playing the ball. as for the first one, appiah is regaining his balance in a dangerous position in the crease, and de rossi reaches out with both hands and pushes him down. nothing brutal, actually rather cynical... that's the one that made me the maddest.

[RandyNA74]

clearly we all see what we want, at least a little bit, i don't claim to be an exception. the second penalty for me is crystal clear, gyan has a space to go through and de rossi puts his leg into it with no intention or chance of playing the ball. as for the first one, appiah is regaining his balance in a dangerous position in the crease, and de rossi reaches out with both hands and pushes him down. nothing brutal, actually rather cynical... that's the one that made me the maddest.
The second penalty might have been there if Gyan hadn't ruined it by preemptively jumping down to the ground like that. If he would have just followed through and made the contact - presto! A penalty for Ghana (probably). Sure, there's always the chance he is going to get hurt, blah blah blah, but hell, if you want the penalty, go out there and pay the price.

[ilv2]

S. Korea 2-1 Togo

that ahn jung hwan just lives for the world cup doesn't he.