Official World Cup Final: France - Italy POST Match Thread - Part II - [R]

I can't imagine what it's like being Italian and facing so much racism. I feel sorry for you, really.

We lost 1-1? Interesting. Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt your celebration.

 

OT. What do you mean? I honestly didn't get what you were trying to say
The sociopolitical climate in Rome feels very calm by now..

 

How about Cannavaro? How about Klose? Cmon, the love affair with Zidane is over. He is a great player, but he left his headbutt (oh I did I just write that ), I mean mark on the game in WC '98 and other tournaments. He played a very inspired World Cup as did Figo who is also retiring with a headbutt in his storied career....

 

I think it will come out in the match-fixing scandal that Barthez was paid to 'dive' to the right instead of left...

 

You're wrong, really .. Italy offered full support to the US operations in Iraq.. Italian soldiers have the ontrol of the Nassirja area. maybe you misinterpreted Italy with Germany.. who was theEuropean country that with France decided not to send soldiers in Iraq.

Then last month the new parliament decided to end the Mission in Iraq at the end of 2006. thats' all.

Sorry again for the OT, but I just wanted to clear a wrong idea..

 

f*cking hell this board is something else.

1. Anyone rooting for or against a team for political purposes is an idiot. You don't like a team, fair enough, but to say you don't like them because their government doesn't want to follow US policy to letter makes you look like a moron. There is no place in football for politics. None.

2. People saying Materazzi is unsporting/cheated/should be banned for apparently saying something perturbed to be racist to Zidane are equally misguided fools. Whether he did say something nasty/below the belt/racist is besides the point, Zidane acted like an animal and deserved to go off. In fact he deserves more punishment, but will get away with it. You cannot head butt someone in a world cup final, no matter what your excuse.

3. There seem to be a lot of bitter French fans on here. Get over it, you lost on penalties, it is gut wrenching, I know full well as I am English, but you have no-one to blame but yourselves. You could have won in normal time, but you didn't. Pick yourselves up and look forward to Euro 2008.

 

My bad, hadn't heard they changed the rules.

 

I would like to congratulate the French for their great sportsmanship and class in defeat. How noble you all are in accepting defeat. It is no wonder why you are all so well-liked and highly-esteemed in the world community.

Seriously, I don't understand how you guys believe you deserve to win games when you can't score but for nonexistant PKs. And as mediocre as Portugal were, this is the only way you could advance against them as well. Malouda is the true disgrace, flopping all day long. What a joke.

Also, you conveniently all disregard the alleged offsides goal that was called back for Italy and even Toni's post.

Both teams had moments in this game; however, in the end, we took our PKs better than you did. Did you forget that this was how you advanced against us in 1998 when you won your only WC? How about the immense luck you all had in the 2000 final, when you truly stepped in shit by equalizing in the third minute of extra time?

I have never seen such a pathetic bunch of sore losers as your fans, players, and managers. You should all be ashamed.

 

I don't want to go too much OT. I just wanted to tell you that the Atmosphere in Italy is not Antiamerican at all. In Italy, as in every other coutry of the World, there are peole who like the US forign policy, and peole who don't like it. Of course in the US you hear "louder" the latter
I think that the relationship between the 2 countries is very good, comparing it also thith the ones of the othere european countries . the only real tensions in the last few years were beacuse of the Calipari death and of the "Cermis case".

I'm not sufficianlty informed to answer our question about the gas trouble.. I just know that Italy is very dependent on Russia for the gas furnishing.. we're 4 sure trying to improve our direct linkages with the afrinca country 4 the supply by increasing the amount of gas imported liquid by boat. But I honestly don't know what are the plans 4 the future.

Anyway I hope we can end discussion here, since we're very OT

I'm just waiting to see on TV the arival of the azzurri in Rome

 

Zizou You Should Kicked Balls Of Racist Materazzi !!

 

I think I was the only American rooting for France. Maturazzi is a douche bag. But sad for ZZ to go out like that. To bad he didn't do at the end of the game. he might have done worse. That would have been great.

 

Do all you French supporters think that they should have won the world cup on TWO questionable penalties???

Which tournament were you watching...
First of all, PORTUGAL got cheated by a diving Frenchmen.
Then, in the 6th minute of the FINAL, another grand DIVE is rewarded with a penalty. The REFEREE ruined this game, NOT Zidane, NOT Materazzi!!!

Let's count now... Italy - one earned goal
second goal ruled offside but in truth was good

France - Penalty (should win a gold medal for Dive)

Who REALLY deserved the Cup!

Congrats to Italy... You showed a true team spirit and deserved to win this time!

I've really gotten a lot of laughs from all the ignorance on this site. Guess I'll miss it until 4 years from now when all you so-called "experts" come back

See ya.........

 

MATERAZZI HIGHLIGHTS : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HblsV-urHg

 

The thing I just can't get over is Flourent Malouda. I was rooting for France, but I could tell that with Malouda still in the game after 60 minutes, Domenech had no realistic intention of winning that game. Practically every time he got the ball he dribbled too far, made a bad pass, errant shot, or lost possession. I think he was the worst player on the pitch, and ANYONE could have come off the French bench to improve their game, and probably win.

 

Drama aside, I think this match wasn't that bad. Both side did play pretty well, considering the defensive strengths of each teams.. I didn't find it as entertaining as the 3rd place match, but then, it's a final, so it is quite understandable why the teams are more cautious. I am a bit partial to the final of a World Cup being decided by penalties though.

Different people, different stroke. Some people may feel most insulted by racists remarks, others by insults of family members, yet others by their size of their weiner. I don't see like to see that as "normal" in any sports.. Realistically speaking, I guess it is something sportsmen must deal with, but I don't know why they should.. but I guess if I want to be cynical, I could say, based on this World Cup, that a good soccer player must be capable of:

Core skills:
- Shoot well (strike/pass)
- Control of the ball (receiving, dribbling etc.)

Soft skills:
- Control of the game
- Playing with heart
- Good acting (including diving, embelishing fouls, committing fouls etc.)
- Capable of dishing insults and pushing the right buttons on another player (even if it doesn't get them red carded, it can psychologically annoy them, which affect their play).
- Capable of withstanding insults (you can say they are pros and should be used to it.. but I don't see why, they probably aren't trained for it, and being contact sports people may even be quicker to trigger a response).

Now the last three seems "normal" based on some of the performances I've seen (not limited to the final game). But I don't think it's right, I don't think it's good sportsmenship, and I don't think it's the beautiful game. But as long as players can get away with it (and they do.. had Zidane not get carded, he'd be the one getting off too easy, but I doubt that his actions were unprovoked - and I don't see that being punished).

In some way I agree.. but I don't think that is a bad thing. You could say that those teams or give or take as good.. or as bad as each other, but being positive minded I'd rather say as good
(For all the "OMG, how did he miss that", they still kick a ball better than I do )
And personally, I'd say France played well, gradually, from the second half of the Togo game. They were only poor during the Swiss match and unimpressive during the Korean game (I'd say that goal did count).

One last note about the Zidane talks.. I don't see why everyone makes it that the fact that he is retiring now makes his action a bigger "stain" on his career. The way I see it, all players are fallible. They may mess up at the beginning, middle or end. You write your own history of others.. And the way I see it, despite his failure to control himself in the final game, he also did plenty of good for the his in the World Cup.. We shouldn't overlook his negative actions for the good that he's done, but we shouldn't overlook his positive actions for the wrong that he's done either, irrespective of whether it is his last actions or not.

 

It seems funny that when C.Ronaldo complained about Rooney's "violent act" to the ref (which resulted in a red card and a 2 game suspension), the media went crazy and the fans booed Ronaldo.....however, in yesterday's game when Zidane butted Materazzi, Buffon stormed out of his net and went straight to the linesman and went crazy....BUT the media did not say one word!

Where is the media "bashers" now???

 

Italian Marco Materazzi treated the sister of Zinedine Zidane of "prostitute" twice and after treated the captain of the France team again, triggering off the aggressive reaction of his last game in final

http://fr.sports.yahoo.com/10072006/1/mondial-2006-materazzi-a-insulte-la-soeur-de-zidane-selon.html

 

A totally incorrect statement.

Italy played without talent? Are you feeling OK? Are you jealous? A sore-loser? Some of the French rebuttals have been comical betraying their anger and jealsouly ovry losing to Italy. HA ! Au reuvoir Frenchies!

Italy played as a true team with true spirit. Wanna talk about the final? OK, the French penalty kick was completely undeserved = you would have scored nil = 0. France could not score a goal. They barely could manage the whole tourney ... lame .. lame. Be realistic. Materazzi scored a beauty and the Toni goal was ONSIDE .... the player who was an inch offside was not in play, so the score at that point should have been Italy 2 - 1(French penalty).

Italy outplayed France the entire 1st half. And France played better the 2nd half. Now the French supporters are claming France played a better game. Not exactly, it was 50 - 50 in overall play Italy (1st) France (2nd) with France unable to connect to the back of the net. France, let me tell you something... if you want to boast how superoir you are .. how about backing that up with a goal? HA! Merci ... and see you next time ... au revoir !!!

Once again .... CONGRATS TO AZZURI !!!! You made us proud !!!! You deserved to win !!!!! BRAVISSIMO RAGAZZI !!!!

 

So you say that "terrorist" is a racist comment?
Interesting point of view...

This point view is not interesting, it's just a show of plain stupidity.

Materazzi has nothing to apologize for.
On the other side, You should apologize for your sore loser behaviour being an offense to intelligence.

 

Why am I the only one that can clearly see the French player getting clipped on the penalty? You know that thing you used to do as a kid when you would kick somebody's leg across so they get it caught on their other one? That is exactly what happened. On the FIRST replay of the penalty you can clearly see it--his right leg hits his left. He also was always looking at the ball and not the defenders.

Toni was offside barely. They showed a replay later in the game and you could clearly see it. Even if he was slightly on you could argue the 2-3 other Italians that were next to him were "involved." However they apply that rule.

Italy won with great defense, although I will say France created far more chances from open play. It seems the 4-5-1 is the new vogue in soccer. CAN just one team play with TWO forwards?