muhahahaha!!! … yeah right!
For FUN - WorldCUP, Whom do you stand for?MOD EDIT: CONGRATS ITALY!!!!
marciowski
#642
My guess:
Italia 1 x 0 Australia
This will be boring as hell! Italia has more tradition. I bet on them.
France 1 x 1 Spain (france wins -penaltys)
Zidane won´t say goodbye yet
Ucraine 2 x 1 Switzerland
I believe in Savchenko. This guy has to wake up like Ronaldo did!
Brasil 4 x 2 Ghana
Because I´m Brazillian and because we have the best players.
system
#645
Gotta agree with Tyr. (Nothing to do with our country of origin, no)
But there is a big hill to climb, against the tradition of the Italian team, the possible absense of Harry Kewell, oh and the performance of the refs!
I’m going to have two sleeps tonight. One before the game, which starts at around 2am, and one after.
santiago
#646
Italy doesn’t seem to be continuing the football tradition they have, which is actually something very sad for me. I used to love watching Italy play, nowadays I don’t even feel like watching them. One example is their game with USA. What a dissappointing game. I can understand the americans mistaking football with their NFL football, they have a history of leaning towards violent sports. But Italy has always been about fine plays, precision passes, sophisticated strategy, and instead what they did was match the standards by which the USA was playing, and the match was foolish.
Then you have Portugal and The Netherlands… oh man, it was like a bunch of brats getting back at eachother in the second half.
After these poor matches, I am totally convinced that all the teams are going to see that as an example of what not to do in their coming matches. So I can foresee a more well-behaved Italy against an eager Australia. I don’t like how Spain plays, but I’m pretty sure they will beat France, they already have the strength and skill, all they need is to focus and score.
And Brazil, they’ll win because of all the teams I’ve seen so far, I think that Brazil is probably the one that is less shaken by its opponents, you can tell by how they react to attacks and how they re-organize after any unexpected plays, I think they can take anything that Ghana will throw at them, I just hope they don’t get any yellow cards. I can already imagine the Ghana strikers repeatedly forcing themselves into the Brazil goal area, and provoking a defense mistake for to get the penalty, it’s gonna be an interesting match.
sphere
#648
Nesta is out if I’m not mistaken. Also, Kewell is right to play now. It will be a tough match for the Aussies, but I know we can beat them. Good luck to em’! 
I think I’m going to do the same.
Digit
#649
Yeah, Italy just arent the same these days. I think with a little luck and a REALLY spirited performance Australia could win it. I mean, a 9 man USA almost managed it. Nothing against Italy, mind you 
Art2
#650
Trying to provoke the Dutch, eh, just like during the match? 
The Portugal team has already move to the next round, and the Dutch have gone home
parallax
#652
You don’t know the rules. Period.
I already acknowledged the direct red card Boulahrouz should have gotten, but here is what also should have happened:
-Headbutt Figo: Direct red card, no discussion. Unless you don’t know the rules.
-A Boulahrouz-like foul on Robben in the box (but obviously milder) wich can only be a red card and a penalty.
-Anything remotely lated to frustrating the game: yellow card.
Heijtinga didn’t need to return the ball, but indeed that would have been proper sportmanship.
There were at least 5 other instances that obvious called for cards on Portugese side, but weren’t granted.
But in the end, it really didn’t matter, cause the Dutch side played weak soccer, but don’t play the diving card when your entire country consists of notorious divers.
!
parallax
#654
One more thing regarding the theatre: It’s almost like Van Basten told the players to mature, and use theatre as a technique wich is common in south-european countries.
However, they failed miserably. It’s just not part of Dutch soccer tradition, that’s why some of the diving looked ridiculous compared to Figo’s skillfull acting.
Either dive properly, or don’t.
JohnnyAlucarD
#655
Heheheh. Figo won’t go for the headbutt AFAIK because of the “double jepordy” rule I believe he was booked by the ref (even though he didn’t see the incident) I assume it was for that action but then judging by the refs performance I might be wrong - it might have been because he was on the pitch lol!
I thought it was a bad tempered game overall - but this is the world cup - and it’s not exactly uncommon to have some blood and thunder fight to the death games, there have been some corkers over the years and last nights game was right up there with the best of them!
Now we (England) play Portugal on Saturday and maybe we’ll actually play well. I think we have stumbled through all or games so far…we have met Portugal in the last two major tournements and it has gone against us both times…so I fear the worst, but hope for the best
Even without Deco, and the possibilty of Ronaldo not playing, they still have some fine players for us to worry about…However if our coach could actually decide on a system we might make a game of it. I pray we revert to 4-4-2 with Rooney just behind Crouch - I was obviously watching a different game because here at home we were hailing it as a “success” because we won the match…hmmmm if we had been playing a more experienced team (no offense to Ecuador) Rooney would have been totally isolated for longer than he was. A goal from a super free kick, by a player who by his own admission had a stinker of a game (again) does not validate a system that demands constant support from a midfield that has a proven tendency to play deeper and deeper getting closer to the defence as a game continues and the pressure mounts - particularly when they have a single goal to defend. Eriksson has this annoying tendancy to try to shut up shop when we score and it scares me to death to be honest.
On a brighter note - IF we play to OUR strengths and a little bit of luck we could be through to face (probably) Brazil and dispite what poeple thinw if we have system utilising Gerrard, Lampard and Cole and lets Rooney play his traditional role…I really believe we have a good chance against the Brazlians.
However…(hehehe) it’s a BIG if…
peace
Icarus
#656
Well, not long to go untill the match
Im hearing that Harry Kewell Will be taking the field for this game, so we’ve got a good chance…
Anyhow, im going to head to my Shrine to Gus and pray for a swift victory over the italians
Oh Mr Hiddink, Make us win!
Do you see! DO YOU SEE!!..
this man is so good, he just needs to hold up his hand in a Jedi Style Pose and the ball will float above it!
Fahrija
#657
what a gladiator-game yesterday between netherland vs. portugal
sorry for the netherlands but somehow I´m happy to see portugal
a step further.
EDIT: I hope they can beat england too. > Our Island neighbour currently plays a very unattractive soccer > like the germans did in the whole 90s
.
Disney
#658
I’m not sure if this has been mentioned already (haven’t read all 45 pages of conversation! :P) but I just wanted to say how disappointed I am with the amount of players who are asking the ref to book or send off other players of the opposing side. Most of which are going down all to easy to try and gain the unfair advantage. Its one thing to be brought down and then want justice done but lots of players are diving with the sole intention of getting other players sent off.
IMO I don’t think its at all sportsman like to ask the referee to book other players at all and it should be a yellow card offence to ask the referee to give another player a card.
parallax
#659
Official policy IS a yellow card for asking one. But unfortunately, the ref isn’t called ‘arbitrary’ for nothing.
Asking for cards is typical south-style btw.
amirjahanlou
#660
Tonight matches:
Italy 2—0 Australia
Ukrain 0—2 Switzerland
Ukrain and Australia will say good bye tonight.