Czech Republic - Italy Pre-Game Chatter [r]

[appoo]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=371566&cc=5901

They are missing their top 3 strikers, and a starting center back.

This match is going to be about 3 players for the CR - Rosicky, Nedved, and Cech.

Unfortunatly, the cheating bastard mentality of Italy isn't going to help us out. If it's tied going into the last 25 mintues they're going to be diving like crazy playing for a tie. So we gotta pray that Italy scores early and often.

[Tony in Quakeland]

While I have no faith in the good sportsmanship of the country from which half my heritage derives, Italy has to play to win:

Italy 4
Czechs 3
Ghana 3
US 1

A Czech and Ghana win eliminates them. Period. End of story. In addition, the hand wringing in the Italian press will demand a win against the Czechs.

I think Thursday will go our way.

[dcochran]

While I have no faith in the good sportsmanship of the country from which half my heritage derives, Italy has to play to win:

Italy 4
Czechs 3
Ghana 3
US 1

A Czech and Ghana win eliminates them. Period. End of story. In addition, the hand wringing in the Italian press will demand a win against the Czechs.

I think Thursday will go our way.

Italy draw and a Ghana win means Italy-Brazil. I don't think they'll want to risk that matchup. Love the simultaneous games. No option for them to back off.

[Tony in Quakeland]

Italy draw and a Ghana win means Italy-Brazil. I don't think they'll want to risk that matchup. Love the simultaneous games. No option for them to back off.
That would be point number two.

The only thing that CANNOT happen is the US winning the group. All four teams need a win to assure themselves of getting through.

[FC Tallavana]

All I know is that we should be thrilled that Brazil won today. Had Australia won, Italy would have had very little incentive to beat the CR.

[MtMike]

http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_280957.html

Nice quote:

Entry #83: June 18, 12:05 a.m. (6:05 p.m. ET)
Kasey Keller, Oguchi Onyewu, fitness coach Pierre Barrieu and Italy's Alessandro del Piero were waiting for the elevator down to the bus from the mixed zone (one side of Fritz-Walter-Stadion is litterally on the side of a steep hill/cliff and the busses pull in underneath the entire structure), and this was the gist of the conversation:

Barrieu to del Pierro: "Beat Czech Republic"
del Piero to the U.S. players as he nodded and cracked a smile: "Beat Ghana"

Friendly conversation ensued in which Onyewu and Keller told del Piero that the U.S. would gladly finish in second place so that Italy wouldn't have to face Brazil.