World Cup 2006 and Other Football Stuff #3

Re: France vs Italy

Well, I'm trying to be fair to everyone

I'm hoping for a great match. Just a thought - if it goes to penalties, it'll be two great goalkeepers against each other. That would be amazing.

But I'm hoping that a Ballack goal will win the match for Germany!

 

Re: France vs Italy

Germany! Ballack isn't going to play the match, he has an injury at his knee, I believe.

Portugal doesn't deserve it xD lol

 

Re: France vs Italy

I think in final... I'll be cheering more to referee

Horacio <3

:lol:

 

Found this World Cup List

Globalist: As World Cup ends, the good and the bad
By Roger Cohen International Herald Tribune

Published: July 7, 2006


BERLIN The World Cup is almost over, culminating in the same German sunlight and even greater heat than it began, so perhaps it's time for a review of some of the highs and lows of this monthlong jamboree.

Most Energetic Performance: Franz Beckenbauer, the tournament's organizer, not only attends every match, but also finds time to marry Heidi Burmester, his longtime sweetheart.

Most Abject Performance: Sven-Goran Eriksson, the England coach, manages to bamboozle his own players by switching formations on them every game and by bringing along an untried 17-year-old, Theo Walcott, apparently as some sort of mascot.

Best Quote: "This is so beautiful, we want it to carry on," says the magician of the French midfield, Zinédine Zidane, as he comes full circle at the age of 34.

Worst Quote: "We're here for a war," says Eddie Johnson, a striker for the United States, summing up the stakes in Germany.

Silliest Slogan: "Welcome to Germany - Land of Ideas."

Most Dramatic Discovery: Germans realize they love their flag and keep on waving it, even in defeat.

Best Banner: "Allez Les Vieux" - held aloft by a French fan encouraging his old but resurgent team.

Most Dubious Banner: "Let's Roll" - an American favorite.

Most Welcome Absence: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president.

Most Bizarre Presence: Diego Maradona of Argentina and his band of wild-eyed acolytes.

Finest Theater: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal manages to match his outrageous talent with equally outrageous acting designed to win over skeptical referees.

Class Act: Jürgen Klinsmann, the German coach, goes from villain to idol as he shakes up the German football establishment and proves that, yes, you can spend a lot of your time in California and still produce a fine, attacking side.

Most Surreal Sight: The players of Serbia and Montenegro representing a country that no longer exists.

Most Uplifting Sight: Glorious Ghana at its best.

Most Zealous Fans: The South Koreans, roaring on a side that is a blur of swarming movement. Closely followed by the never-say-die Australians.

Oddest Decision: David Beckham, the England captain, decides to spend all his time on the right touchline, apparently marking the linesman.

Most Depressing Statistic: Frank Lampard of England takes 24 shots at goal, more than any other player here apart from Lukas Podolski of Germany, and scores zero goals. He can't even find the net with a penalty.

Most Disputed Statistic: How many gazillion people are actually watching all this on television.

Biggest Nonstories: Polish hooligans, German brothels, rightist thugs, English claims that football's coming home.

Largest Unanswered Question: How to get out of Kaiserslautern at night and live to tell the tale.

Worst Culinary Call: Serving chili con carne in 36-degree heat in the media centers at the stadiums. Next time, try chili con air-conditioning. Or just cut the chili.

World Cup Weirdness Award: American rather than German beer is served in the stadiums. It's a Budweiser, but for legal reasons too complicated to explain, it just says "Bud" on the plastic bottles.

Most Beautiful Player: The peerless Andrea Pirlo of Italy, who demonstrates that, in football as in much else, breeding counts.

Most Beautiful Goal: Esteban Cambiasso of Argentina gets on the end of a 24-pass move that is part ballet, part advanced mathematics, part instinct and part genius - Borges would have liked this one.

Most Colonial Gesture: Peter Crouch, England's gangling striker, yanks the dreadlocks of the Trinidad and Tobago defender, Brent Sancho, as he rises to head a rare English goal.

Least Convincing Football Fan: Angela Merkel, the German chancellor.

Newest Fashion Statement: National flags worn as sarongs.

Biggest Whiner: DaMarcus Beasley of the United States, who keeps saying he needed more instructions from his coach, Bruce Arena.

Flimsiest Favorites: After all the hype, Ronaldinho of Brazil goes missing. He's joined by Roberto Carlos, who decides to adjust his socks rather than mark Thierry Henry, so gifting the French their winning goal. Ronaldo carries five extra kilos but still sets a record: 15 goals in World Cups.

Tournament Lion: Gennaro Gattuso of Italy, who wears his heart on his sleeve and demonstrates how far guts can take you.

Worst Psychological Problems: The Dutch and the Spanish still can't get it together at the World Cup.

Second Largest Unanswered Question: Can South Africa possibly organize something like this by 2010?

Most Outdated Cliché: The Germans are dull.

Happiest Breakthrough: England realizes the war ended 61 years ago and a lot has happened since then.

Most Painful and Most Repeated Cliché: Football's more than a game.

Best Reason for Going Through All This: The beauty of it.

E-mail: rocohen@nytimes.com


Edit: It was two times (the text) so I took the other one off

 

Re: Found this World Cup List

The Dutch can't get their psychological problems together? , well the writer of this article should have looked at Ivanov..

 

Re: France vs Italy

Aw, I just heard about that too. And apparently Kahn will start ahead of Lehman, plus there are some other changes in the German squad. I hope it all goes well for them in the end!

 

Re: France vs Italy

what?! are you serious? kahn ahead of jens?! oh no

 

Re: France vs Italy

Yeah, I agree with that...it was crazy here, the entire country was going crazy, especially after the Japan game, everybody was on a total high the next day...it was the same after the Brazil game, even though we lost everybody was still all crazy..most of the teachers at my school were either wearing Australia shirts of jerseys, or Green and Gold clothes and one went around all day with a green sparkly hat and a gold tie :lol:

 

Re: France vs Italy

Go Germany ! they deserve the third place ...

 

Re: Found this World Cup List

I´m glad the world knows that by now :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

Re: France vs Italy

They really do. And Italy wins the World Cup.

 

Re: France vs Italy

Yep, Frank Lampard couldn't hit a barn door fom 5 yards!!

Yes Horatio is refereeing the final, how cool

Never thought I'd say this but Germany tonoght please, not those Portugese

 

Re: France vs Italy

No, no, no :lol:

 

Re: France vs Italy

France deserves to win the WC, and Germany the third place.

 

Re: France vs Italy

As usual, I'm the only one supporting Portugal!
Gooooooooooooo Portugal!!!

For tomorrow, I still didn't made my mind... don't know who to support...
Maybe France... but I also like Italy... I'll decide tomorrow.