Wow, what an improvement of the German play! They were really fighting and didn´t let the Portugese play their game. In the end, Portugal desperately tried to score via long-distance-shots...no chance against Lehmann yesterday! We couldn´t complain, if the Ballack goal was called off because of his pushing, but if you watched the whole game, the referees really didn´t make calls in favour of the German team! After two poor games, Germany played pretty strong again and deserved the win! Auf geht´s, weiter so, Jungs! By the way, I was even more impressed by Podolski´s shot than by any of the goals...that would have been an awesome goal and it was really tight!
Terrific game! That's the first match, aside Italy, that got me hook to the TV. Back and forth from both teams, a lot of actions, no hard tackles, little to zero tactics fouls. Well done to Germany, they were the best team yesterday and they rightfully won. Schweinsteiger man of the match.
You shudda listened to me Yes but the game was more open than that game and both teams played better quality attacking football than in the croatia game. Especially the first 26 minutes from Germany which was a class apart from anything else in the match. That's what I thought too. Pushes are missed often in the box. I wonder how many are by the goalscorer right before he heads the ball though. I think that even if he didn't nudge him though, Ferreira was going to be not close enough to distract ballack enough to stop a goal. I thought that the first portuguese goal could be put down to awful positioning from mertesacker and the second because the match was petering out and nobody in defence was concentrating as hard as before. Just to counter the "ifs" that are thrown the other way.
Portugal badly let down by their defence having done more than enough in midfield and offensively to win. Goal 1: Classic German Goal. But why is the defender doing letting pig in like that? But yeah. Happens. Goal 2: Appalling. WTF? At least track your man and compete FFS! Goal 3: Again appalling. Yes it was a foul. But we also know there is always rough and tumble/shirt pulling etc, and PFs job is to do what he can to stop Ballack scoring. So WTF is he doing wandering in front of Ballack? LMAO!
I think you're dead wrong. If Ferreira wasn't close enough to distract Ballack, he wouldn't have been close enough for Ballack to shove out of the play. If Ballack doesn't push Ferreira on the play, Ferreira does enough to prevent the header. He was all in Ballack's kitchen. Ballack didn't just shove him once. He pushed Ferreira at least twice on that play. That final push opened the door for the header. And as I said at another thread, the fact that Ballack did it and didn't get caught makes it good football in my opinion. As I said in my original message, "Germany simply beat Portugal. No "what-ifs", "shoulds", "coulds" or "buts" about it.
That is why it is an awful mistake from Ferreira. You need to stay goal side and get physically set so you can compete What is he doing wandering out in front of ballack
I wanted Portugal to win this one really badly because I like seeing new teams win as opposed to the traditional Germany, Italy, France posse. With that said, no bitterness with the officiating here. Yes, he called a push on the box at the end of the match against Portugal and not against Ballack on the goal.. and yes that foul that led to Germany's third goal was a carbon copy of a foul that had gone unpunished moments earlier against the Germans.... however, this stuff happens in football. Portugal had their fair share of officiating fortune in the last world and euro cup so it all evens out in the end. I kind of have this love/hate thing withMichael Ballack. He is the kind of player you love to have playing for you but hate to be playing against. His antics leave a lot to be desired but he knows exactly what he can and can't get away with and always does everything he can to win the game. As the previous poster said, knowing how to bend the rules and get away with it is all part of the game.
That was simple to me. He thought he could get to any cross before Ballack and would have had he not been pushed. Very clever on Ballack's part. Can't do anything but applaud him for it.
On the replay it seems like ferreira was out of position in two dimensions. So I thought even if he was pushed to the side in one, he was still behind the space where ballack headed the ball. Anyway, I could be wrong.
You are wrong. I'm not bitching at all about the push. As I said, that he was able to get away with it is good football. He took a chance and it worked out for him and Germany. Calls like that are made or not made all the time. Referee's discretion.
well to be honest I call it cheating, not good football. It isn't right for me just because the ref doesn't see it. Although this was only a slight push. The only thing is that this happens all the time in the box so ballack and germany in this match can't be singled out. I thought pepe's challenge on klose was very dangerous before that FK. He was nowhere near the ball and lined klose up and got him where it hurt. A possible red card challenge that.
Yeah - Portugal got that call 4 years ago vs. England.. but not this time. Ballack might get that call against next time - you never know but that's football.
either way it is shite defending. your job is to mark and compete with the attacker. By wandering in front you cannot see where Ballack is anymore. For instance ballack can take two steps back and has a free jump if the ball goes to the back stick.
Dude, if he gets to the ball, it doesn't matter where Ballack is. And if Ballack doesn't push Ferreira, Ferreira gets to the ball. That's that matters. You can scream "shite defending" all you want. I think the fact Ballack had to push off to get the play on the ball in the first place proves you wrong. There's no one way to defend on a play. If football was that simple, everyone would be a star......
Exactly. That goal is disallowed 97 times out of 100. But Ballack got away with it and that's football. I have no complaints about it because everyone has benefited or been hurt by calls or non-calls this tournament. Portugal can't complain because they were throughly out-played and that's why they were in that situation to begin with. And to his credit, Scolari didn't complain. He mentioned it, but he didn't complain.
Nah. Was too busy drinking with and getting hugged by complete strangers. Going to watch it again later today. Only watched certain plays again after I got home last night.
ah right about 10 seconds after the goal they zoom out of a guy pumping his fist in the air and a little below him to the side is khedira. Very surprised to see a face I could recognise in the crowd but there you go...
Will Frings play in the next game? I am not sure how he can, a broken rib is difficulty to play with.
IMO this comment covers it. Pre-match I was really worried about set-pieces (cuz we know how bad Ricardo is) unfortunatly I was right. The 3rd goal IMHO was soooooo stupid that I don't care if P. Ferreira was pushed or not. Ricardo looked like a damn chicken in the net, ups!!! Please get us a real GK!!! We knew we didnt have a good goalkeeper & a good left back, this match proved you can't win against these teams without a solid defense no matter how much skill you pack forward. I still believed after the 1-2 but again that 3rd goal was devastating. Good game Germany & Gratz, not a surprise for me, they usually show up at right time.
I believe it was your posts I remember from other threads on Ricardo. I actually told my friends last night, "If this guy on BigSoccer is right, Germany should get a goal or two just from the goalkeeper being crap." But I picked Portugal anyhow. I think you are right about Ricardo, but the push does matter because if that doesn't happen, the header doesn't either. However, again, to clarify myself, I am not complaining about that push. Most don't get away with it, but some do. Ballack just happened to get away with it. At 1-2, I fully expected a penalty shootout. You're right there too. But this time, I doubted them.....