World Cup 2006

[American Oyaji]

Dunno what the guy said, but he must have deserved it.

I don't really care who wins. I kinda want France to win because they have black guys on their team, but because I don't care for France as a nation, I kinda want Italy to win.

[American Oyaji]

I hate when it comes down to PKs. I feel for the keepers when it comes down to this. I also feel for the players who can do nothing but watch

[mr. sparkle]

Holy Crap! They're going to Penalty Kicks! You don't see this too often do ya? Tough to get by Barthez, you know - but Buffon is freakin' huge and gangly.

Should be a good one....

[mr. sparkle]

France misses! Off the crossbar! Can Italy hold on?

[mr. sparkle]

It's Italy!

And I live in the Italian section of town. Aw krap, here we go with the stumbling drunks and flag wavin' out the windows. 'Scusi, I'm going to step out to pick up drunk chicks.

[American Oyaji]

I thought you lived in Japan right now Sparkle.

[Greji]

I thought you lived in Japan right now Sparkle.

Ahh, Italia wins? What happened to Nippondaihyou? Weren't they supposed to be playing for the cup in the finals?

Gee, I must be disappointed.

[nullpointer]

......I kinda want France to win..........I kinda want Italy to win.

Nice Hedge there, AO.

[GuyJean]

Yep. My theory was correct; EVERY team I wanted to win, lost.. Someone could make money from my predictions in future World Cups!..

I thought the reffing was good; flopping wasn't rewarded for the most part.. The Japanese ref ignored most of the Portugal's gran maul seizures..

GJ

[Mulboyne]

It will be interesting to see how the officials arrived at the decision to dismiss Zidane. Given what he did, it was the right decision but the referee certainly didn't see the incident and it's not clear that the linesman did either. Both team managers are saying that the fourth and fifth officials told them what happened after viewing the video. Whether they were asked to do this by the referee or whether they told him unprompted is also unclear. If FIFA's rulebook allows that then it begs the question of why we haven't see that more often. I can't recall seeing that even once before.

[kurohinge1]

I hate when it comes down to PKs. I feel for the keepers when it comes down to this. I also feel for the players who can do nothing but watch

They can try and get their PK's in ]gift[/I] cross rolled slowly passed an open Italian goal (he was standing back looking through his handbag or something), I'm glad Italy won.

And how about the Germany-Portugal game and a corker of an effort from Germany's No. 7 - Bastian Schweinsteiger.

[IkemenTommy]

Doh! Zidane head-butts then gets a red in overtime!.. It was actually a head to chest butt..

GJ

Here is the video of that

[dimwit]

By the looks of it thew italian was making some remark probably racist and Zidane responded. Hey, we might have know the truth if someone had the used a parabolic mike.

Usually the World Cup draws people to getting interested in soccer, but the dirty play, poor sportmanship, rotten officating and low scoring of this event have damaged the sport irrecoverably for the foreseeable future in place like North America.

[Greji]

Usually the World Cup draws people to getting interested in soccer, but the dirty play, poor sportmanship, rotten officating and low scoring of this event have damaged the sport irrecoverably for the foreseeable future

Hey! That happens every Cup! Just wait! Four years from now everybody will be in South Africa with a new schedule. They will be talking about all new topics, such as: "dirty play, poor sportmanship, rotten officating and low scoring in South Africa that have damaged the sport irrecoverably"!

[AssKissinger]

By the looks of it thew italian was making some remark probably racist and Zidane responded. Hey, we might have know the truth if someone had the used a parabolic mike.

Could be. The Italians may have planned it. Anyway, it's a shame and it will always tarnish what I think of Zidane.

Playing for Juventus five years ago, Zidane butted Jochen Kientz of Hamburger SV in a Champions League match, also earning a red card.

Eight years ago, Zidane was red-carded for stomping on an opponent while playing Saudi Arabia. At this World Cup he collected two yellow cards and was suspended for France's third group match against Togo.

[nullpointer]

Usually the World Cup draws people to getting interested in soccer, but the dirty play, poor sportmanship, rotten officating and low scoring of this event have damaged the sport irrecoverably for the foreseeable future in place like North America.

IMHO, It would be great if soccer does get popular in America, but if not, no one could care less. It has been the most popular sport in the world for god knows how long and every year gets more popular than ever. The way soccer is growing in Asia (it is already almost like a religion in South-America), America is largely irrelevant to soccer.

[Greji]

IMHO, It would be great if soccer does get popular in America, but if not, no one could care less. It has been the most popular sport in the world for god knows how long and every year gets more popular than ever. The way soccer is growing in Asia (it is already almost like a religion in South-America), America is largely irrelevant to soccer.

Well, if that's true, who the hell are all the soccer moms hauling around?

[Taka-Okami]

Doesn't matter which way you look at it. Italians are a bunch of cheating cunts.

[Mulboyne]

Usually the World Cup draws people to getting interested in soccer, but the dirty play, poor sportmanship, rotten officating and low scoring of this event have damaged the sport irrecoverably for the foreseeable future in place like North America.

I can't see football rivalling America's other team sports in popularity any time soon but the World Cup as an event has seeped into the U.S. consciousness and it wasn't so long ago that Japan was indifferent at best. I was in Tokyo during the 1990 World Cup and it was bizarre. Japanese weren't interested and the foreign services were geared towards Americans so it was a football-free zone. NHK satellite (before anyone had it) only showed the semi-finals and final live. This year, I'd say that all my American friends know the World Cup is on; most will know who has won and a fair number are aware of the "dirty play, poor sportmanship, rotten officiating and low scoring" which represents a big change from 16 years ago.

I think this World Cup was a mixed bag but superior to 2002. Four years ago, football fans genuinely wondered whether the World Cup would be overshadowed by the Champions League as so many top players performed poorly and minnows like Turkey and South Korea made it to the late stages. This year, the drama has been much greater. The knockout rounds proved to be low-scoring which was disappointing but the group stages were full of attacking football. Credit must go to Germany who laid on a good tournament and their team played above themsleves which is what you want to see. Also, hooliganism didn't sully the month apart from one early incident which was a much better result than expected.

I don't think dirty play has been particularly any worse. There have been few bad fouls and nothing to match German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher's 1982 challenge on Patrick Battiston which broke the Frenchman's jaw but didn't even draw a free kick. The worst I can think of was De Rossi's elbow in the game against the US which got him sent off. Diving has been annoying but I think it has stood out simply because we can see it more easily and that will help push it back out of the football. It usually goes in cycles. Players start diving when fouls don't get penalized - this current trend began a few years back in the Champions League and no team is entirely innocent

The African teams didn't sustain a run but it could easily be different on their own continent in four years time. With globalization, this wasn't supposed to matter but again the European teams dominated a European World Cup so there's must be something intangible at work.

Even as an England supporter disappointed at my teams failure to turn up, the biggest sadness is seeing Zidane sent off. That wasn't supposed to be the storyline and it will be a stain on his career. It was notable how an number of former players of all nationalities seemed almost shell-shocked by the incident when they were interviewed about it. They knew that he was retiring and there could be no redemption.

[AssKissinger]

I'd like to know what that Italian guy said.

[GuyJean]

Hey, why are the five goal attempts by each team after regulation and extended time called 'penalty kicks'?... Is it because the kicks are at the location where 'penalty kicks' are done normally?..

They should call it a 'shoot-out'.. Or 'sudden ball-death '.. Or 'super goaling'.. Or 'man-to-man punting'.. Or 'let's get this thing over with'..

GJ

[Taka-Okami]

It'd obvious from the replays that the Italian fag nipple twisted Zidane. Good come back by Zidane I reckon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBV52GPhNjw&feature=Views&page=1&t=t&f=b

[Mulboyne]

Hey, why are the five goal attempts by each team after regulation and extended time called 'penalty kicks'?... Is it because the kicks are at the location where 'penalty kicks' are done normally?

Yes, that's it. Kicks are taken from the penalty spot but not all the usual penalty rules apply. The big difference is that you can't score on a rebound - the player taking the kick can only touch the ball once so he can't do anything if the ball bounces back to him from the goalkeeper and no teamate can play the ball. A penalty in normal time is just a special kind of direct free kick so the ball doesn't go immediately dead.

They should call it a 'shoot-out'

They often do. Some people insist that you must because the rules are different. It's not called sudden death because both teams are allowed 5 penalties. If the scores are level after 5 then it becomes sudden death. A number of recent FIFA tournaments used the Golden Goal in extra time but it seemed to encourage defending rather than attacking so it has been shelved. The guy who missed the penalty for France, Trezeguet, won the European championship in 2000 by scoring a golden goal...against Italy.

[Mulboyne]

FIFA has manged to dodge the slightly embarrasing issue of whether video evidence was used in yesterday's dismissal:

FIFA have insisted video replays played no part in Zinedine Zidane being sent off in Sunday night's World Cup final...FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said: "The fourth referee saw the incident with his own eyes and told the referee and the assistant referee directly though their headsets."FIFA say although the fifth official does have a TV monitor, he is not permitted to intervene, and the fourth official has no access to video replays.

[dimwit]

A interesting question is what is going to happen to Italian Football now. The investigating into match fixing seems to have implicated several referees and team officals but has not touch of any of the players. It would be highly improbable that they are not involved and considering that 5 of the Italian team players were playing for Juventus, it is going to be interesting to see what happens next.

story here

[(1VB)freels]

I think the Italian guy said something about Zidane's mom!!!!

[GuyJean]

I'm not sure about this source, but...

Zidane apparently called 'dirty terrorist'
http://www.sabcnews.com/sport/soccer/0,2172,130960,00.html

France captain Zinedine Zidane was apparently called a "dirty terrorist" by Marco Materazzi before he head-butted the Italy defender in yesterday's World Cup final, the anti-racism group SOS Racism, said today.

"According to several very well informed sources from the world of football, it would seem that the Italian player Marco Materazzi called Zinedine Zidane a 'dirty terrorist'," SOS Racism said in a statement. Zidane, the son of Algerian immigrants, was shown a red card after the incident and Italy went on to win on penalties after the match was tied 1-1 following extra time.

The Paris-based group called for an inquiry and said world soccer's governing body FIFA had recently toughened sanctions against racism. "It's for this reason that SOS Racism asks in a determined fashion for FIFA to shed light on this altercation and that sanctions laid out in the official rules be applied should this be the case.

And the response..

Materazzi denies racism accusations
http://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/worldcup/2006/sport_sto923586.shtml

"It is absolutely not true," Materazzi said when the victorious Italy team returned to Rome on Monday. "I did not call him a terrorist. I'm ignorant. I don't even know what the word means."

GJ

[Greji]

Materazzi denies racism accusations
http://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/worldcup/2006/sport_sto923586.shtml
GJ

When I read this shit, it amazes me how little the writers know about the sport they are supposed to be the specialists on!

In all sports, you talk to and about your opponents. Friends or not, if you can piss'em off you get an edge on them!

If you listen to a catcher in baseball, let alone take him seriously, you'll go nuts. The first thing he'll say to you when you step into the batter's box is something like: "Hey, I picked up a cheap whore for a blow job last night and was really surprised. I thought your [insert appropriate title] (wife) (daughter) (mother) (younger brother) had quit moonlighting". It gets worse from there!

If you let him get to you, things happen like you get a red card and the other team wins the game because you ain't there to help! All this has been going on for years in every sport, but the news specialist have just apparently discovered it!

[nullpointer]

"Hey, I picked up a cheap whore for a blow job last night and was really surprised. I thought your [insert appropriate title] (wife) (daughter) (mother) (younger brother) had quit moonlighting". It gets worse from there!

I really don't know about baseball, but this sort of name-calling is rare in soccer and practically non-existant "on the field" in many other popular games like Cricket, Tennis, field hockey, Athletics, Racing (F1 and others). Cannot imagine a player not being thrown out of a game with penalties/fines were such a thing were to be said at the Wimbledon or the Cricket World Cup.

[(1VB)freels]

I really don't know about baseball, but this sort of name-calling is rare in soccer and practically non-existant "on the field" in many other popular games like Cricket, Tennis, field hockey, Athletics, Racing (F1 and others). Cannot imagine a player not being thrown out of a game with penalties/fines were such a thing were to be said at the Wimbledon or the Cricket World Cup.

If that's the case, NEVER go to a pro hockey game!!!!