World Cup 2006 - (Part 2)

[Memnoch]

Originally posted by johnny: Well, Italy played superior football today, why can't they always play like this ? they would be unstoppable. Here's some of the best images of this WC, crying Germans, as god intended it to be.

Schadenfreude?

[Memnoch]

Originally posted by wellard: I hope that the diving cheating Italians loose in the last moment to a disgracful penelty. Then they all get arrested / clubs get banned. Me; still bitter? naaaaa [img]graemlins/heee.gif[/img]

To be fair to the Italians, even though they're a bunch of diving cheats the referee had no choice but to give that penalty after Neill went down early in the penalty box and the Italian chose to trip over him.

For mine, I think that Italy have peaked at the right end of the tournament. For Les Frogs, it will come down to Zizou - if he has a blinder, Les Frogs will win, If not, Italy will win. Zizou and Co will have to find a way of breaking down Cannavaro's defensive wall.

[Sever]

Portugal and Germany? I'm thinking the krauts have got this one in the bag..

[johnny]

Originally posted by Sever: Portugal and Germany? I'm thinking the krauts have got this one in the bag..

Keep in mind that nobody really wants to play this game. The dissapointment of missing out on the finals is still very much eating the players and the fans, trust me, i know, we were in the same situation in 98, after we lost against Brazil in a penaltyshootout. This is nothing more than a match between the two losers of the semifinals, in one year time the whole world forgot who won the game, they only remember who won the worldcup. I honestly don't know why FIFA keeps hanging on to this useless game that really nobody gives a damn about. When Holland was playing against Kroatia for third and fourth place, me and my mates went out for a night on the town, somewhere where there was no sign of football. when we later heard that we lost, we were all like "who cares, third or fourth, both don't mean jack". The players must have felt the same, because when i later saw footage of the game, it was obvious that our players weren't giving it all they got. Most of them admitted later in an interview that they would have much rather packed their bags after the loss in the semis, and go on a beachvacation, than to wait a few more days and play a game that's only important for FIFA's statistici.

That said, Germany is replacing Kahn for Lehman, something that wouldn't have happened if this were the finals, and because of slight injuries, Ballack and Mertesacker are also sidelined. Believe me when i once again say that if this were the finals, they both would have taken the pitch, no doubt.

Just to point out that Germany isn't taking this game very serious either. Rumor has it that Figo also might be sidelined tonight, although i wouldn't know any specific reasons for that, because this would most likely be his final match as an international.

They need to stop playing for third and fourth, it doesn't make any sense to watch two teams who would much rather be somewhere else.

[Bungleau]

I'll agree with Johnny. No one remembers who came in second, let alone third. Once you're out, you're out... head home.

[Kakero]

Germany won Portugal by 3 - 1.

Anyway, 3rd placing game has it's own goodness. It means the bookies have one more match to bleed the punters of their money.

[Memnoch]

Yep, the players would've been looking forward to the 3rd place playoff as much as a root canal at the dentist. Good on the Krauts, I was cheering for them to win, they deserved to get something out of this WC.

As for the final, France will have to be prepared for the Italians and their use of the dive-to-the-ground seriously injured "kick the ball out of play please I need treatment desperately!!!" tactic whenever they have just lost the ball in an attacking situation and the opposition are counterattacking against a weakened defence. They don't have the best defence in the WC for nothing (because they have heaps of time to set it up). Then the trainers all run on to the ground with their medical bags, which all contain - you guessed - bottles of water all round for the players to have a rest.

[NagaSaki]

Even though they might not have been looking foward to it the Portugese still flopped and floundered all over the pitch trying to play dive-to-ground= win for us.

[NagaSaki]

Heres an ad they re-used from euro 2004 over here in England and i think some teams have taken it literally [img]tongue.gif[/img]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbjaM...otball%20dives

[johnny]

And here's Arjen Robben as a child