Soccer World Cup Thread

[Calinia]

I just hope we don#t make the same mistakes and put Lahm on the first post

hehe

I personally think it is a huge weakness when you can't score a goal out of the play.

It is, definitely, but I wouldn't say that that's really the case with Sweden. But being good at standard situations is just a huge plus since you (obviously) have them in every game.

keep in mind that unlike the english defenders all german defenders (aside from Lahm) reach way beyond the 1.90m and we are also pretty good atr standards.

That's true, but the defence is still the big weakness of the German team. I mean, Costa Rica scored 2 of its 3 goals against Germany, mostly because the defence was positioned really badly. They lack the routine they need and I think that could become a big problem against Sweden, since they play really well (and actually score out of the play every now and then! ) if they have some room.

Larson didn't play well against TnT either he still got a second chance and Ibrahimovic is without doubt one of the best strikers in the world. Just the name on the trikot will pull two defenders on him

It's true that Larson didn't play well against TnT, but neither did Ibrahimovic. He actually played so badly that he was taken out of the game, which happened again in the second game and they didn't even let him play to begin with in the third. He's normally a great, great striker, but so far, he sucked. And he sucked with Juventus as well. And I think he knows it, which makes him suck even more.

sadly there is no team that doesn't dive haven't seen the game so I can't judge but I still like Portugal even if Figo did dive

It's true that most players fall very easily, but Figo wasn't even touched, one angle showed that very well, so that was just low. And I guess I just expected more class from a player like Figo.

*cough* you are aware that Robben is quite known for his diving and he already got a yellow card for it this WC,.

but whether or not that yellow card was justified or not is still being discussed.

that's one of the things I really dislike about this WC. either yellow cards are given in situations that are just ridiculous (like both of Zidane's yellow cards) or really, really bad fouls aren't punished at all.

My favorite teams are Arsenal London and Real Madrid.

success fan

Real Madrid isn't exactly very successful right now. While they ended up being second in the Spanish league, they did have some awesomely bad games. I mean, they lost 0-4 against Mallorca...at home. And they were kicked out of the champions league really early. I think they just spent too much money on big names without realized that lots of good, expensive players don't necessarily make a good team.

Besides, I'm a Real fan because Roberto Carlos plays there, which is also one of the main reasons why I'm a Brazil fan.

I have a question for all of you here, what's the problem with Argentina? Why don't you like it?

I don't really dislike the Argentine team, I just don't like them much either. Can't say why. There are just some teams I like and some teams I don't like and some teams I don't care much about. I definitely don't want them to win the WC though because I want Europe to catch up regarding the number of WC titles we have compared to South America.

[Calinia]

OH MY GOD!!! Has anyone seen a crazier game than Australia-Croatia? Wow. So glad that Australia wasn't kicked out of the tournament, they really deserved to move on to the next round.

And YES! Brazil is baaaack!!!

[cookiely]

hat's true, but the defence is still the big weakness of the German team. I mean, Costa Rica scored 2 of its 3 goals against Germany, mostly because the defence was positioned really badly. They lack the routine they need and I think that could become a big problem against Sweden, since they play really well (and actually score out of the play every now and then! Wink ) if they have some room.

Keep in mind that both goals have been caused by Friedrich who really just had just a bad day against costa rica. His perfomance stabilized in the last two games


Also we stopped playing the offside trap which also stabilized our defence.And we didn't let any goals in since the CR game. Still our defence is far from good but with the support of our midfield and our decent gk I think it will do.

However I hope we don't ran to blindly on attack mode like we did in the last three games because the Swedes know how to counterattack

.

t's true that Larson didn't play well against TnT, but neither did Ibrahimovic. He actually played so badly that he was taken out of the game, which happened again in the second game and they didn't even let him play to begin with in the third. He's normally a great, great striker, but so far, he sucked. And he sucked with Juventus as well. And I think he knows it, which makes him suck even more.

Isn't he injured anyway?
Still he ist the only striker aside from Larson that really worries me. Allbäck made a goal against England but you still can't regard him as a dangerous stricker. While he does not play bad he needs to many chances to make a goal

t's true that most players fall very easily, but Figo wasn't even touched, one angle showed that very well, so that was just low. And I guess I just expected more class from a player like Figo.

Keep in mind that this will be the last chance for him to win anything.
And many great players didn't always follow the rules just think of the "hand of good" from Maradonna

but whether or not that yellow card was justified or not is still being discussed.

but it was propably his reputation as a diver that got him the card so fast

Real Madrid isn't exactly very successful right now. While they ended up being second in the Spanish league, they did have some awesomely bad games. I mean, they lost 0-4 against Mallorca...at home. And they were kicked out of the champions league really early. I think they just spent too much money on big names without realized that lots of good, expensive players don't necessarily make a good team.

You say it. I also got the feeling that Chelsea will be the New Real Madrid

Besides, I'm a Real fan because Roberto Carlos plays there, which is also one of the main reasons why I'm a Brazil fan.

Quote:

RC huh?Not a bad choice though he has become older but his loopy freekick goal will make him unforgettable

I am also curios how the brasillian team will develop after the WC.
Many players like Ronaldo,R.Carlos ,Cafu ,Emerson will stop playing for them and there are not equally good replacements for each position.

OH MY GOD!!! Has anyone seen a crazier game than Australia-Croatia? Wow. So glad that Australia wasn't kicked out of the tournament, they really deserved to move on to the next round.

And YES! Brazil is baaaack!!!

Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy

Haven't seen both games but the scandal game of the day was without doubt Ghana:USA.

I don't want to start wild conspiracy theories but I somehow got the feeling that the Fifa wanted to secure that at least one african team reaches the Round of sixteen and so lessening the disappointment that many africans felt when their teams while playing really good weren't lucky enough to make it to the next round. After all the WC will be held in Africa the next time and the Fifa needs the host audience to be euphoric

[Calinia]

Keep in mind that both goals have been caused by Friedrich who really just had just a bad day against costa rica. His perfomance stabilized in the last two games

I don't remember who made the mistakes that lead to the goals, and the defence did improve in game 2 & 3, but it still seems a bit insecure sometimes, at least to me.

Still he ist the only striker aside from Larson that really worries me. Allbäck made a goal against England but you still can't regard him as a dangerous stricker. While he does not play bad he needs to many chances to make a goal

That's true, Allbäck missed out on some opportunities that really should have been turned into goals. But they still have Freddie Ljungberg. Of course he isn't a striker, but he did score the most important Swedish goal so far and he played a pretty good season for Arsenal, so he's definitely always good for a goal. He also scored some really nice goals in the EM in 2004.

And many great players didn't always follow the rules just think of the "hand of good" from Maradonna

That's true of course, but it doesn't make me dislike it any less. Great players should be better than that.

but it was propably his reputation as a diver that got him the card so fast

that's possible of course.

You say it. I also got the feeling that Chelsea will be the New Real Madrid

Yup, that's a possibility.

RC huh?Not a bad choice though he has become older but his loopy freekick goal will make him unforgettable

One of the reasons I love him. That was the most beautiful goal in the history of football imo. Also, he's one of the players who always seems to give 100%. In a past WC (not sure if it was 1998 or 2002) he was the player who ran the most miles during all the games. And while he's rather short, he's really, really fast and boy, does he put a lot of force into kicking that ball if the situation demands it.

I am also curios how the brasillian team will develop after the WC.
Many players like Ronaldo,R.Carlos ,Cafu ,Emerson will stop playing for them and there are not equally good replacements for each position.

don't even mention it.

Haven't seen both games but the scandal game of the day was without doubt Ghana:USA.

didn't see that game, but I think Australia:Croatia won the scandal-game-of-the-day award hands down. Australia didn't get two (!!!) penalty shots they should have gotten, one player got three (!!!) yellow cards, and all in all the referee had no control over the game whatsoever. Besides that, the game was action pure. The horrible mistake of the Australian goalkeeper leading to the 2:1, the 2:2 that shouldn't have been given because the Australian player was offside (but was again fair because of the two penalty shots Australia didn't get), the 3:2 for Australia that wasn't given and all the great opportunities both teams had, the three players that got two yellow cards, which meant the red card. wow.

But Croatia sure played a brutal game. Australia was great though, they really fought and deserved to win. Now I hope that they'll win against Italy. And I really hope they'll put their usual goal keeper back on the field. What was up with that swap anyway?

And Brazil is starting to show the kind of football we want to see! Great game, even though I didn't see all of it. I'm so glad that Ronaldo shot two of the goals though, I really like him, even though he isn't as great as he used to be. But the two goals today were really good and all in all he's a great player and always, always good for a goal.

Best soccer night so far if you ask me, those two games were anything but boring. I spent half the time screaming at the TV and the other half cheering.

[cookiely]

don't remember who made the mistakes that lead to the goals, and the defence did improve in game 2 & 3, but it still seems a bit insecure sometimes, at least to me.

He was the guy that two times didn't notice that the others went into offside trap mode

That's true, Allbäck missed out on some opportunities that really should have been turned into goals. But they still have Freddie Ljungberg. Of course he isn't a striker, but he did score the most important Swedish goal so far and he played a pretty good season for Arsenal, so he's definitely always good for a goal. He also scored some really nice goals in the EM in 200

Freddie was imo the best swedish player so far and yes he is dangerous.
But he is a preparer not a executer

don't even mention it. Crying or Very sad

I am actually looking forward the change. Brasil have been in every final since 1994 . I tends to become a bit boring imo.
Also they propably will recover fast, they always do

, one player got three (!!!) yellow cards, and all in all the referee had no control over the game whatsoever

three yellow cards? how did that happen and how come he didn't notice



And the Ghana:US(2:1) game was scandlous because both goals from ghana
were irregular.
The first goal was scored after a clear foul. A american defender made a safety pass back to Reyna the ghanaian offender just rans Reyna down and scored.
He hit Reynas knee with his knee so hard that Reyna got an injury and had to be substtuted later in the game.

The second goal was due to the most unjustifyed and strange penalty in football history. Its hard to describe you have to see it.

And Brazil is starting to show the kind of football we want to see! Great game, even though I didn't see all of it. I'm so glad that Ronaldo shot two of the goals though, I really like him, even though he isn't as great as he used to be. But the two goals today were really good and all in all he's a great player and always, always good for a goal.

He made two goals and now caught up with Gerd Müller. One more goal and he will be the player with the most WC goals ever.

[anonymousarfan]

What are those scandals you're taling about?? I missed both of those games!!!

I think the yellow cards are something at discussion right now, I mean some of them were fair, some were exagerations and some fouls that should've received a yellow card were dismissed as nothing...I don't know....

I cant' wait for the new round to begin!!!

[Calinia]

He was the guy that two times didn't notice that the others went into offside trap mode

ah, yes now I remember him.

Freddie was imo the best swedish player so far and yes he is dangerous.
But he is a preparer not a executer

well, he executed well enough Paraguay.

I am actually looking forward the change. Brasil have been in every final since 1994 . I tends to become a bit boring imo.
Also they propably will recover fast, they always do

That's true. Brazil never seems to run out of football talents.

three yellow cards? how did that happen and how come he didn't notice

I'm not sure. The player seemed to head towards the side to leave the field after his second yellow card, but then he noticed that the referee must have forgotten that it was already his second one so he stayed. What I don't understand is why no one from the Australian team realized that it was his second yellow card. Very strange. But then he got a third yellow card, and the referee realized that it was time to send him off the field.

And the Ghana:US(2:1) game was scandlous because both goals from ghana were irregular.

I'm really happy that Ghana is in the next round, but I do hate it if a team doesn't make it due to wrong decisions of the referee, especially if they're obviously wrong.

The second goal was due to the most unjustifyed and strange penalty in football history. Its hard to describe you have to see it.

And in the Australia:Croatia game the referee didn't give the most obvious penalty of the WC so far.

He made two goals and now caught up with Gerd Müller. One more goal and he will be the player with the most WC goals ever.

Yup. High time that someone broke that record anyway. 32 years is long enough for one person to hold that record.

What are those scandals you're taling about?? I missed both of those games!!!

Mostly horrible mistakes made by the referee. Not giving penalties when he should have, giving them when he shouldn't have, not realizing that a player needs to be sent off the field after his second yellow card, completely losing control over the game and so on.

I still think that someone blackmailed/bribed the referee in the AUS:CRO game. A friend of mine is convinced that he was completely drunk though.

[pLANETv33n3ss]

well... there seems 2 be a new record for scandolous game....

Portugal vs Netherlands

a red card for netherlands, TWO for portugal... and more yellow cards than i can count on my fingers...

what fun.

and portugal's through! even with deco and Costinha sent off and cristiano ronaldo with an early injury...

i just hope their reserves are good enough to beat england,

but i have to say, the most fascinating part of the game, was the bickering and shoving... figo's head butt, the fight that broke out after a portugal player attempted to help a dutch dude up, - even the players on the bench wanted to get into it!
and jst the lack of general control the ref had, or really how wild the teams were getting...

anyhu... tomorrow nyt (tomorrow morning really) is italy vs australia.. GO U soccerooS!

[POM]

I don't really know that much about soccer, I stick to Baseball! It's about the only game out there I understand, and love by the way.

Just wondering if you could tell me who won? or is it still going on? *Shrugs*

<3 POM

[Heavenli24]

Just wondering if you could tell me who won? or is it still going on? *Shrugs*

<3 POM

It's still going on - the final is on July 9th. I know that England and Portugal will be playing each other in the Quarter Final, but I have no idea about the rest of the teams .

Everyone over here is praying for England to win, since the one and only time we ever have was in 1966, but chances are, we won't!!