world cup

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by montecristo#4

That result sucks. I hate Italy. Their style is pathetic. Defend, defend, defend, defend, defend, defend, defend, counterattack, defend, defend, defend, defend, defend, try a set play, defend, defend, defend, defend, defend. Friggin' lame.

Portugal and France are lame, too. I may actually have to favor France at this point. Blech.

The Italians were a lot more coordinated than the Germans (only play with the ball in the air); some of the plays were completely beautiful. It seems that half of us on this thread watched one game and the other half watched another.

Jon.

 

[rdawson808]

Well, I thought that was a pretty good game. I was afraid it would go to PKs but Italy hit two great goals.

I thought there was little diving and that was refreshing. I thought the German's looked a little flat; they had some attacks but couldn't seem to pull it off. Hell Italy had a few shots off the post.

I think Italy deserved the win. And it was nail-biting and made for a good game.

Oh yeah, as for the ref-ing: he let the game flow which was nice. However, he also seemed to let more go than I was happy with. I thought that tended to help Germany. But overall a great job.


bob

 

[Matt]

but if you really are hurt, and get taken a way on a stretcher, your team should be able to make a sub for you. that's where i disagreed with you

Australian Rules football is like that - people in Australian football dont want the stretcher to come get them - cos then they are out of the game.

If they are injured - and remember Australian football is one of the toughest games on earth, ppl running a lot faster, getting hit a lot harder, and wearing absolutely zero padding - sure they can make their way toward the sideline and a sub can come in for them. If they make it to the sideline on their own two feet, then they are allowed back. If they need a stretcher, then they are not. Either way, a sub is allowed in for them. This is of course something of a disadvantage (yet another disincentive to fake injury) as the sub is likely to be not-warmed-up and it is quite possible that on their bench they do not have someone who plays the same position as the injured person, meaning they will have to basically restructure the team.

Excellent deterrents to faking injury for attention.

I also think video replays to determine diving would be a great idea - again - a huge deterrent as catching people later should put the fear of death into them every time they lose their footing - and when a team like Italy loses a person like, say, Fabio Grosso - and then has to play their entire next game without him - well then you will see coaches ordering their players to stay on their feet at all times, and to not rely on diving tactics for attention - and a lot of this game spoiling crap will disappear.

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by matadorpoeta

you also stated that i am uneducated and that my countrymen are unsportsmanlike. if you are not going to back up your statements, don't make them. this is a men's forum.

I already made my points, simply challenging me on as if it somehow bolsters your point after I stated I did not want to go down this path. If this makes me less of a man, than you misunderstand the concept of what truly makes a man.

Jon.

 

[Fabienne]

Originally Posted by benecios

I was refering to the players born in Guadalupe and French Guyana but as you correctly pointed out they come under the umbrella of France anyway.
Under the umbrella of France? You had better be careful with that kind of statement around GuadeloupÃ

ens. The ones I met last week wore tricolor scarves and blended seamlessly with the Franco-Canadian crowd I hung out with. Italy vs Germany: Finally a clear-sighted referee. The Italians annoy the H... out of me. Germany was scattered and deserved to lose, unfortunately. Odd match I couldn't get into, despite injuring my voice. If the final happens to be France=Italy, I don't believe I can bear to watch. Explosion of joyous honking in downtown MontrÃ

al as France won, all French flags sold out.

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Fabienne

Under the umbrella of France? You had better be careful with that kind of statement around GuadeloupÃ

ens. The ones I met last week wore tricolor scarves and blended seamlessly with the Franco-Canadian crowd I hung out with.

Italy vs Germany: Finally a clear-sighted referee. The Italians annoy the H... of of me. Germany was scattered and deserved to lose, unfortunately. Odd match I couldn't get into, despite injuring my voice. If the final happens to be France=Italy, I don't believe I can bear to watch.

Explosion of joyous honking in downtown MontrÃ

al as France won, all French flags sold out.

Italy is one of the futbol superpowers, there can be no doubt. So is France. I really think it will be France v Italy for the final, but we will have to wait 17 hours to know. Not only was Italy going nuts today, but Argentina as well (50% Italian decent population).

Germany could have played better and I think they played stronger against Argentina; which goes to show that you never can tell in the world cup, and the teams rated the strongest at the beginning of the cup (Brazil this time around) can easily be surpassed by teams that were rated a lot lower.

Jon.

 

[Luc-Emmanuel]

Nice game but it got quite boring in the second half. The germans were athletically superior, and played rougher. They clearly lacked any talent on the wings and couldn't get through around canavaro, materazzi and gattuso (which would be expected), thus they seemed hopeless. They should have locked Pirlo a lot tighter too.
Italy deserved to win.

!luc

 

[Luc-Emmanuel]

Originally Posted by montecristo#4

Well, I'll be there in Germany cheering for the US, with England and Germany as second picks. I'll add Italy to that list if they survive into the round of 16, since I love their style of play. Right now, I'm picking Germany to win it all, given the home field advantage (hell, look what it did for the Koreans).
one out of four, that's not so bad.

!luc

 

[manicturncoat]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

You and I must have been watching two different games. I saw the Italians diving seemingly every 30 seconds in the second half of the game approaching full time. Luckily the ref was smart enough not to call most of them. When you have to look around before clutching at your leg/head to see what team has the ball, and then you fall to the ground... you are faking. End of story. It cheapened the game and I almost turned it off.

The first of the two goals was very impressive. A perfect shot. I give Italy credit for that.
You give Italy credit for that? How generous of you. How about Pirlos perfect control and assist, any credit for that? If you can't appreciate the quality of the soccer on display last night then you need to find another sport to comment on.
The posts here are generally anti Italian and constantly state explicitely or insinuate that we are either cheats or prima donnas. I find this offensive, I do not deny the substance the comments that were made about some of the behaviour on the pitch but I take exception that somehow it is a manifestation of a typically Italian (i.e. dishonest) character to be a cheat.
What most ignorant posters here don't know is that Italy has, physically, one of the toughest domestic leagues in the world.
Here is are some of Italy's famous cheats and prima donnas from the last 40 years

Gianni Rivera
Gigi Riva
Tarcisio Burgnich
Sandro Mazzola
Giacinto Fachetti
Gian Carlo Antongnoni
Paolo Rossi
Bruno Conti
Marco Tardelli
Gabriele Oriali
Paolo Maldini
Franco Baresi
Roberto Baggio
Daniele Massaro
Gian Luca Vialli
Roberto Mancini
Roberto Donadoni
Fabio Cannavaro
Alessandro Nesta
Andrea Pirlo
Gian Luca Zambrotta

This is just a taste. There are few countries that can boast most more talent and as illustrious a football history. SIX WORLD CUP FINALS, count'em and three won so far.....

SEMPRE FORZA AZZURRI

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Great game. Italy has the reputation for being the New Jersey Devils of soccer, but what I saw was the complete neutralization of the best attack in the World Cup and beautiful counterattacking. I'm glad that the game did not go to penalty kicks and that the better team won.

 

[Fabienne]

Originally Posted by manicturncoat

The posts here are generally anti Italian and constantly state explicitely or insinuate that we are either cheats or prima donnas.

No, not that for me at least, more along the lines of a second career in Cinecitta, in tough action roles.

And I do separate the Italian soccer team vs Italy and Italians. I love that country.

 

[rdawson808]

Originally Posted by manicturncoat

The posts here are generally anti Italian and constantly state explicitely or insinuate that we are either cheats or prima donnas. I find this offensive...I take exception that somehow it is a manifestation of a typically Italian (i.e. dishonest) character to be a cheat.

No one is saying that all Italians are cheats and prima-donnas. Only the footballers.

Originally Posted by manicturncoat

What most ignorant posters here don't know is that Italy has, physically, one of the toughest domestic leagues in the world.

You're not dealing with a bunch of "ignorant posters" here. Just fyi you know. But you are talking about a league where the top four finishers this year have all been indicted for match-fixing. Yeehaw. Juve is being sent to Serie C and the others to Serie B for christ's sake! What does that say to you about the nature of Italian football? There's no argument that Serie A is great league. We've all seen it. But chill a little. Ask 100 football fans who is most prone to diving and you'll get probably 5 different answers.

Originally Posted by manicturncoat

Here is are some of Italy's famous cheats and prima donnas from the last 40 years

Gianni Rivera
Gigi Riva
Tarcisio Burgnich
Sandro Mazzola
Giacinto Fachetti
Gian Carlo Antongnoni
Paolo Rossi
Bruno Conti
Marco Tardelli
Gabriele Oriali
Paolo Maldini
Franco Baresi
Roberto Baggio
Daniele Massaro
Gian Luca Vialli
Roberto Mancini
Roberto Donadoni
Fabio Cannavaro
Alessandro Nesta
Andrea Pirlo
Gian Luca Zambrotta

Hmmm, never heard of 'em! Can't be too famous can they? How about Kareem Abdul Jabar? What about Cacious Clay? Where's Bobby Unser?

Originally Posted by manicturncoat

SIX WORLD CUP FINALS, count'em and three won so far.....

Yeah, two wins from the 1930s. What does that have to do with anything? Some of these "all-time" stats are really ridiculous. Poor Uruguay. They're two-time winners yet no one talks about them as a world-leader in footy. If you get rid of the pre-war wins, Italy is on par with France, England, and Uruguay with one win.

bob

 

[Luc-Emmanuel]

Originally Posted by rdawson808

Yeah, two wins from the 1930s. What does that have to do with anything? Some of these "all-time" stats are really ridiculous. Poor Uruguay. They're two-time winners yet no one talks about them as a world-leader in footy. If you get rid of the pre-war wins, Italy is on par with France, England, and Uruguay with one win.

bob
indeed. World Cup should officially start in 1950. 1934 italian victory was made with half the team brought from argentina.

!luc

 

[Luc-Emmanuel]

I have a bad feeling about tonight's game.

!luc

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by manicturncoat

You give Italy credit for that? How generous of you. How about Pirlos perfect control and assist, any credit for that? If you can't appreciate the quality of the soccer on display last night then you need to find another sport to comment on. The posts here are generally anti Italian and constantly state explicitely or insinuate that we are either cheats or prima donnas. I find this offensive, I do not deny the substance the comments that were made about some of the behaviour on the pitch but I take exception that somehow it is a manifestation of a typically Italian (i.e. dishonest) character to be a cheat. What most ignorant posters here don't know is that Italy has, physically, one of the toughest domestic leagues in the world. Here is are some of Italy's famous cheats and prima
First of all, the fact that the Italian football team dives more than Jacques Cousteau has absolutely no bearing on my feelings for Italy as a country, or Italians as people in general. I have never talked about, nor insinuated anything about Italians in general in this thread or any thread, and I resent the remark that I have had something to do with that in the past. In general, the only countries that I've noticed getting bashed at all on this board are the U.S. and France. The french bashing seems to be mostly under control at this point and I haven't noticed any one in this thread bashing Italians "off the pitch" at all. I think you might be a little oversensitive about it. Second of all, Pirlo did a fine job last night, but the Italian team style of play infuriates me and I'm dissapointed that Germany won't be moving on. The "quality of soccer on display" did nothing for me. I actually thought it was a pretty mediocre game until the overtimes. I think Germany had a poor showing, and while the Italians surely dove less than their average, the general tempo of play still pissed me off. Since this obviously isn't your opinion of the game, you are free to share it as others have, but if you are so easily offended by people who don't like your national team, maybe YOU should find another sport to comment on.