MikeAussieGuy Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 Australia 2 Italy 1 in extra time. P.S. Saw the game last night and some other bits of games from England since the WC started. Whats all the hype with Beckham? That guy Rooney leaves him in his dust. Beckhams goal was superb sure, but I am talking abut general play, passing and skills over 80 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beej Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 I'll tame down on the scores next time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CiaranM Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 Australia 2 Italy 1 in extra time. P.S. Saw the game last night and some other bits of games from England since the WC started. Whats all the hype with Beckham? That guy Rooney leaves him in his dust. Beckhams goal was superb sure, but I am talking abut general play, passing and skills over 80 minutes. beckham was (and i guess still is) a great striker of the ball, great crosser and usually excellent from free kicks, last night isn't the first time he's delivered the goods when it's mattered. however his play is a bit one dimensional and he never had great pace or ball trickery to beat a player on the flanks and get to the by line to deliver something different. this is generally good enough at club level, but at international level top teams suss this out and set out a game plan to defend it. in fairness to beckham he certainly hasn't been any worse that any of the other midfield players and lampard has had more shots at goal than any other player in the world cup and he hasn't looked like scoring. it was funny watching the game in an english bar last night and the stick and abuse beckham and sven were taking was unbelievable ... 1 free kick later and they're national heroes !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankenburner2 Posted June 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 now that i've had time to digest the portugal-netherlands game...i feel I am ready to comment...........no......wait......oh my god........BBAAAARFFFFF! I don't what pre-game instructions FIFA has been issuing to referees...but "moderation" sure as hell isn't one of them. Sure, there were plenty of hard tackles in last night's game...but I would think a good ref would have found a way to quiet things down. FIGO should have been dismissed for head-butting..not yellow carded.......ah **** it! maybe the ref was trying to england a favour.....portugal will be missing two key players in their next match making my prediction of having england in the semi-finals more likely! On the england match...simply....rooney, who worked his ass off up front, needs some support...hopefully they'll start both crouch AND rooney next game....leave this lone stricker **** behind and return to the basics....one target, one playing off the target....rooney's good, but even he can't be at both the front and back posts at the same time!!! he is however (once anyway) good enough to pass to himself! anyone else see that play near the end? he collected the ball...controlled...looked to pass to the wing....thought someone was making a run...passed it...ooops, no-one there...went and collected it himself! tonight: australia 1 - italy 0....they'll have to work extra hard to keep the italians bottled up...expect tight marking, hard tackles, and quick transitions. ukraine 2 - switzerland 1...ukraine will have to play better than they did against tunisia...the swiss had a pretty good game against korea, and won't go quietly! now if we could just get those ******* moderators...ummm...referees to pissoff, then we might be able to enjoy the rest of the tournament! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankenburner2 Posted June 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 there once was a footballer from portugal to the ground he always did fall so my boots i did lace and stomped on his face and gave him a reason to bawl! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 btw ciaran, funny you should mention the dutch having a more potent strike force--finishing *was* the problem (that, and the match didnt have any flow coz there were more cards tossed about than ... than... well, TF). in general he managed to build a dutch team that is more coherent and team like and harder working--by throwing out all the divas, which inevitably purged a lot of the more talented players. i was kinda basing my more potent strike force statement on rudd van playing supported by robben and van peirse, instead of which he spends the entire game scatching his arse on the bench !! and no matter how coherent, team like and hard working the dutch team were they still went out .... some things never change !! the field of play has rendered its verdict regarding van basten's ineup tinkering. well one thing *did* change. the dutch didn't get far enough to blow it on a PK shootout. it'll be really interesting to see if anything changes with spain, they have quite a resume for flameouts. if they do get past france, they got brazil next most likely... hard road... fb2, re: the 4-5-1. in theory attacking midfielder(s) are supposed to make those passes to the lone striker. in practice, i see a lot of goals off rebounds tapped in by the second striker in 4-4-2. i'm not a crouch fan, but he does seem to have a knack for opportunistic goals. i don't like england in the 4-5-1 (let's face it they've looked crap whatever their formation). yet they advanced. portugal will be without deco though. uh... i'm gonna wait until this round's over before i make a pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankenburner2 Posted June 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 btw ciaran, funny you should mention the dutch having a more potent strike force--finishing *was* the problem (that, and the match didnt have any flow coz there were more cards tossed about than ... than... well, TF). in general he managed to build a dutch team that is more coherent and team like and harder working--by throwing out all the divas, which inevitably purged a lot of the more talented players. i was kinda basing my more potent strike force statement on rudd van playing supported by robben and van peirse, instead of which he spends the entire game scatching his arse on the bench !! and no matter how coherent, team like and hard working the dutch team were they still went out .... some things never change !! the field of play has rendered its verdict regarding van basten's ineup tinkering. well one thing *did* change. the dutch didn't get far enough to blow it on a PK shootout. it'll be really interesting to see if anything changes with spain, they have quite a resume for flameouts. if they do get past france, they got brazil next most likely... hard road... fb2, re: the 4-5-1. in theory attacking midfielder(s) are supposed to make those passes to the lone striker. in practice, i see a lot of goals off rebounds tapped in by the second striker in 4-4-2. i'm not a crouch fan, but he does seem to have a knack for opportunistic goals. i don't like england in the 4-5-1 (let's face it they've looked crap whatever their formation). yet they advanced. portugal will be without deco though. uh... i'm gonna wait until this round's over before i make a pick. love em or hate...with crouch on the park, the defenders are forced to deal with him...often drawing two, particularly on set pieces. As it is now, rooney is being forced into the flanks, chasing down diagonal balls, often fighting off two defenders....alone and unsupported....why?...england like to play the long target ball.....at the very least, with crouch on the park....rooney will have support and more space....lampard and gerard will also have more space..something they are both accustomed to.....lampard and gerard will also be able to play more direct balls to the top of the box and follow for the knockdown.....something else they are accustomed. so even if crouch never touches the ball in 90 minutes...his presense alone will open yards and yards of space for rooney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankenburner2 Posted June 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 half time: aussies gettin' stuck in..getting good chances....gonna be a nerve racking second half....hope they score early! GO OZ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 well that was cheap wasn't it. first major game decided by a flop. sorry but i dont think the penalty should have been awarded. loooks like italy's back, though.. to being italy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankenburner2 Posted June 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE........australia 0 - dive 1.....how could a referee at this level fall for that ****? and to make it even ******* worse...the stupid ******* ESPN commentators gave the **** credit for doing a good job diving..."selling it" as he put it..... well...i was all ready to post an entry bragging about my 1-0 prediction for the aussies.....but now i think i'll just go throw up! sidebar: in '02...korea put italy out...part of that was totti being tossed for diving....now..totti scores from a successful dive.....when is FIFA gonna put an end to this ****? DIVING IN THE BOX SHOULD YEILD A RED CARD. FULL STOP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted June 26, 2006 Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 the most egregious flops should earn a PK going the OTHER way. red plus PK would be nice. i dont think this was in that category, but it should have been a yellow card and a goal kick not a PK. this was not outrageous as flops go (and this time it was grosso who flopped i believe, totti just applied the finish). it looked like he tripped over the defender, and added some extra arm flailing for style. not the kind of clear-cut dip-dip-divin that marred the '94 cup when forwards would flop with no one around them and get away with it. still, shoulda been a yellow and a gk not a pk. two vile games in a row. this cup is on the brink of going to hell. i'll still watch, and just whine about it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankenburner2 Posted June 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 the most egregious flops should earn a PK going the OTHER way. red plus PK would be nice. i dont think this was in that category, but it should have been a yellow card and a goal kick not a PK. this was not outrageous as flops go (and this time it was grosso who flopped i believe, totti just applied the finish). it looked like he tripped over the defender, and added some extra arm flailing for style. not the kind of clear-cut dip-dip-divin that marred the '94 cup when forwards would flop with no one around them and get away with it. still, shoulda been a yellow and a gk not a pk. two vile games in a row. this cup is on the brink of going to hell. i'll still watch, and just whine about it though. I realize totti didn't dive....and NO, this wasn't as outraggeous a dive as we have seen.....not figo's in the group stage.... definitely a PK going the other way is a grand idea..... "on the brink"???....oh...i think we're well past that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankenburner2 Posted June 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2006 well....nothing against the Swiss.....but I am glad to see the Ukraine go through. But really, either team going through would have been fine with me...although i picked the Ukraine..... dun matter.....now all i want is for the unkraine to beat the italians! the english to demolish the portuguese! argentina to play a great game v. the germans! and brazil to finally unleash themselves on the spanish....but mostly for the ukraine to make those italian twats suffer a long and horrible death! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 what i saw of the first half looked like the swiss had the better of the flow of play, but ukraine are one of those teams that can tend to win boring. italy-ukraine will be painful to watch. wouldn't it be great if sheva can convert a controversial (read, 'caused by dive') pk to send the italians back home to their match-fixing scandals, and the possibility that juve and milan could be relegated as punishment? a guy can dream... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankenburner2 Posted June 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 3 -1...both games.....spain and brazil will go through......referee gets shot with a high powered sniper rifle half time: definitely against the run of play, brazil are up 2 -0 at the half....a shame really..ghana has been playing great....2nd brazil goal looked of side to me...the linesman looked out of position....no-one will really be too terribly surprised if brazil win...would just like to see them dominate like they're supposed to.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankenburner2 Posted June 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 3 -1...both games.....spain and brazil will go through......referee gets shot with a high powered sniper riflehalf time: definitely against the run of play, brazil are up 2 -0 at the half....a shame really..ghana has been playing great....2nd brazil goal looked of side to me...the linesman looked out of position....no-one will really be too terribly surprised if brazil win...would just like to see them dominate like they're supposed to.... I don't think anyone has told Ghana who Brazil are. Second goal very suspect and Ghana unlucky not to put one past Brazil already, would love to see an upset 3-2 Ghana? Given my previous predictions I would say this one is not against my run of form! well..i'll stick by my original prediction of 3-1 brazil.....but 3-2 ghana sure would be sweet! wishfull thinking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankenburner2 Posted June 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 where was this referee last night?....82 minutes in, a man down, i'm guessing it's all over.....oh well...an entertaining game to watch.....ghana played a fantastic game...just couldn't find tha back of the net. while brazil looked rather lathargic...they still managed to pick up 3 goals. They have some fierce scoring abilities...and does it really mater if the score is 3 - 0 or 3-2? 3 goals if often more than enough to win! if anyone is gonna beat brazil...they better score 3 goals...minimum! (final?...argentina 3 - brazil 2) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chumpae Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 Haha , hope Argentina make a HOME RUN next Friday !! And Brazil ?? Ok , win 3:0 Ghana . But luck ! The better Team was Ghana !! But cannot make Goals . So i cannot see Brazil in the Final !!?? Is it at last England - Deutschmannland ??? So lets go , England and Germany Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farons1 Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 I can't beleive the french did iT!!!!!!! Awesome game......few penalties and zidane scored!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good for him Germany vs Argentina 2-1 Italy versus Ukraine 1-0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankenburner2 Posted June 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 I was all set to get up and watch the france-spain game. To watch france be handed their walking papers. I even wrote "France is done" about a dozen times in various forums and journals in the last few days...but then...I couldn't wake up...too tired! damn...sounds like a I missed a good game! right, well...my original predictions for the quarters have been shot to hell in the bottom half of the table...so a little revision is in order: but then again...**** it! I'm just gonna cheer for argentina, ukraine, england, and brazil.....don't care about scores ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted June 27, 2006 Report Share Posted June 27, 2006 Quarter-Finals: Germany 3 - 2 Argentina England 1 - 0 Portugal - After extra time Italy 2 - 0 Ukraine Brazil 3 - 2 France - After extra time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankenburner2 Posted June 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Quarter-Finals:Germany 3 - 2 Argentina England 1 - 0 Portugal - After extra time Italy 2 - 0 Ukraine Brazil 3 - 2 France - After extra time damn...can't resist...(not so much predictions as they are wishes) Germany 2 - 2 Argentina...through 120 minutes...argentina win on penalties...i originally(on june 15th) thought a 2-1 win for arg....but recent form of both teams dictate otherwise England 3 - 0 Portugal - ....because portugal need a good spanking! Italy 0 - 1 Ukraine....because I WANT the italian twats to lose Brazil 3 - 2 France - ...i got no problem with this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absintheur Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Quarter-Finals: Germany 3 - 1 Argentina England 2 - 1 Portugal Italy 0 - 1 Ukraine Brazil 2 - 1 France Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpuiahsan Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Germany 1 - 2 Argentina England 2 - 1 Portugal (extra time) Italy 2 - 1 Ukraine (extra time) Brazil 2 - 0 France Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeusbheld Posted June 28, 2006 Report Share Posted June 28, 2006 Ghana played a great game, if only they had a Rooney up front.....If only we had 10 of the Ghana players behind Rooney...... ghana were the most impressive dark-horse of the tournament IMO. rather than rooney i'd go for tevez or messi up front, although rooney might have sufficed. clearly the difference in the game was finishing. ghana had roughtly twice as many shots, but those damn brazilians are deadly, and even when they play substandard games they find ways to win (and their ugliest games never descend to the level of torture the italians inflict with catenaccio). well, spain a) managed to stay spain, and underachieve in a more dignified way than usual. guess the guy who said "now you will see the real france" wasn't kidding. qf predictions: germany 2-3 argentina. i'm pretending i believe that this is going to be the kind of wide-open game i want it to be. don't misunderestimate the home team, though, this one could go either way. italy 0-1 ukraine. in my fantasy world, italy loses on a dubious pk awarded at the last minute, which a steely eyed sheva converts. (script sound familiar?). realistically, prizes will be awared for the dullest, ugliest game in world cup history and possibly the history of this or any other planet. england 1-0 portugal both teams have players with the talent and flair to play attractive football. niether team has shown it so far. this could get ugly. not on the level of italy-ukraine, but it could turn out to be painful to watch. i picked england because i keep believing that they'll get their **** together. brazil 2-1 france france are playing like france again, but brazil have shown they can play like brazil. i expect those people who anticipate seeing brazil dismantle france like a children's toy are sadly mistaken. the old farts can still ball when given enough space, and as we've seen so far brazil can go a bit limp defensively. bottom line: we're deep enough into it where all these matches are likely to be really tough. italy have the easiest draw but ukraine will win because.. well... because i really, really, really, want italy to be punished for decades of dull football. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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