France 2 : 1 Japan • Friday, June 20, 3:00pm EST • Please note that these threads are intended for non-partisan discussion of the upcoming matches. More partisan discussions should go to one of the boards listed above. Thread will be opened after the match. Until then go here: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=55714 No Flames • No Trolls
Best game of the cup so far. Japan had far more opportunities but couldn't convert. Tough loss. BTW, the PK was still a bull$#! call! A tie against Colombia will suffice, but I wouldn't take them lightly. Colomiba looked good today! Next game will surely be a cracker!
i think japan and colombia played and took a loss in a similar way it'll be extremely tough much for both side
i think we can make a post much thread after the temsion cooled off. too early to make one right after the game is over. it's kinda discouraging us to post actually i personally don't need the post game thread
The forwards still aren't able to score a goal. I think you guys need to play a bit more direct. Some of the passing is cute but at the end there was no shot on goal. But anyhow it was a decent game for Japan
PK was a very good call. The ref was placed perfectly, just a shame that more refs don't clamp down on that sort of thing. Japan played some very nice technicial stuff in attack, they deserved a draw at the very least. Nakamura was the best player on the pitch, loved his Zidane-stlye skill and then shot right before he had to go off injured. The two Japanese free kicks were also wonderfully taken, Endo deserved a goal for his, Nakamura's was perfectly struck. Zico has definitely been rubbing off on the players.
Agreed on all counts. Pibe's "I think this confed cup is not bad at all.... has a WC feel to it..." International tournaments are always pretty good, no? even smaller, seemingly less important one such as this.Still international games.
Good game by Japan. Nakamura was impressive. Japan should really send more players to Italy. Although the forwards haven't scored so far in the tourny, Takahara and Okubo showed that they can hold their own in international competitions. They're still young, so there's hope for Japan. Best/Worst shot: Takahara straight to Boumsong's head. What was that??
If Shunsuke scores again and Japan advance, I'd say he's pretty much gone @ Regginna, with a bigger team giving them "an offer they can't refuse." I hope it's still in Italy though (or maybe Spain if it can't be Italy), because it seems to helped both him and Nakata in solving more complex defenses.
Du crack serieux? C'est quoi, ca? Si tu le dis...je te crois ( 1 sec., je me roule un joint) J'ai vu ca sur un ecran de 5cm sur 5cm, ca m'avait l'air valide ( ma seringue?? et merde! qu'est ce que j'ai fait de ma seringue??) (ah, des p'tits cachets...)
Uggggggh!!!! Frustrating. I was watching the match at a bar and the place literally shook when Shunsuke's free kick went in. Then it became really quiet when Govou scored. It almost shook again when Endo's FK hit the post. And Nakata's volley that went over the bar was pretty. Tough loss, but that's soccer. The whole bar applauded when Takahara tried to get the ball to Barthez for a goal kick but hit Boumsong in the head. On the PK call, that probably was a foul, but 90% of the time, the referee lets it go. Best game of the tournament so far? No doubt. I wonder who Zico will field for the next match. Japan needs a result, but the starters must be tired.
after the first round i was saying the japan-col. game had the makings of a cracker- very similar styles and evenly matched. felt for jap. today, as they showed great style and were more dangerous than usual near the goal. was thinking, this team is all around (not including howard) far superior to the one we sent.
Japan looked good, particularly in the second half. Those were two perfectly taken free kicks. It's a shame the second one didn't go in. Have to say that I agree with the PK call. Inamoto was all over the guy. I wish they would call this type of stuff more often. It would be better for the game. Henry played only a few minutes, but once again, I am awed by his skills. Truly an impressive player. Govou looks like a good, young player. Fast, stong, skillfull. I don't watch the French league; so this is the first time I have seen him. Anyone able to tell me any more about him?
colombia and japan with very similary styles??? if you say so i guess. anyway can anyone give me an of idea of what happened in the whole pk situation?
Barthez... is a fvckin idiot the Japan goal was totally his fault he coulda easily saved it anyways Japan played very well and deserved to win i cant believe how bad France are playing. The worst part is that they are at home.
The foul on the PK isnt called 95% of the time, dont know how you can say it wasnt a case of home cooking. Feel bad about it for the Japanese team.
Japan would have a deserved a point and just were very unlucky. But the ref did not have anything to do with it. The pk was an excellent decision by the ref. On the first play I absolutely wondered what he wanted to have seen, but after the replay I don't understand why someone is complaining about it. The Japanese defender obviously held the French players' shirt over a couple of yards, that's a clear foul without any doubt. And if you argue that 95% don't whistle it, then 95% are wrong.
Pretty fishy. France gets PK's to start the scoring in both of their first two games. Certainly a foul today but those are rarely called, and they certainly virtually never result in a PK. In fact I don't think I've ever actually seen a ref call for a PK in that situation. A shame. France has really had a hard time scoring goals in the run of play too. 1 goal in their last five major tournament games. Pretty darn brutal. As for Japan, a joy to watch them, particularly in the second half. Whatever problems they may have had playing in friendlies since the Cup, they seem to have taken care of, at least for the time being. They had plenty of chances to equalize and were the more dangerous team in the second half. A little bit of nastyness at times, though, some of their guys were getting away w/too much non-sense w/some of the French attacking players. Rather than call that PK, I probably would have pulled out a yellow or two for some of the dirty play I saw from Japan at times in defending. That being said, they fought back valiantly when down 1-0 and 2-1, and while I don't believe anyone deserves anything in terms of results (deserve rarely has anything to do with a given result, actually earning the result by scoring the necessary goals will get the only thing one is deserved) I certainly think they were unlucky not to put one of those dangerous shots/opportunities into the net. Whatever happens for them on Sunday, they've played beautifully and can hold their heads up high. Right now Japan is +2, and Colombia is +1, so Japan advances w/anything other than a loss.
All of you who are saying that was a foul are seriously whacked!! They showed they replay several times, I was watching with a bunch of French people and even they admitted Inamoto barely even touched the guy. Home cooking was a good expression. Imagine the size of the crowds if France doesn't make it to the semi-finals.
Re: Barthez... Yeeap but France have 6 points and are qualified. If they can become the new Germany (not impressive play but always win) I am not going to complain. Let's face it. this was France B team (at best) and the players from all teams (except the Japanese whose league is not over yet) are not fit to play at their best.
I think you're either a liar, or completely mad. Inamoto was tugging the shirt from Boumsong's back. Boumsong was one of the expected targets for the ball and was clearly being illegally impeded. I've seen these fouls called before as penalties, it's a definite 100% correct decision. Which is why you'll notice Zico and co. have not issued one word of complaint about it, and they won't either. It was nothing like the Columbia incident, which was a questionable decision.