I was sad for Australia too... (in general I don't like the way the Italians play) Not too happy about the French victory either (too arrogant, those), and of course suffering with the Swiss.
TH, I like to see the Swiss play (and win), mainly because it is such a treat for them - as a German, you are far more used to it. But I always bet on the Germans....
And I learned today how to draw Brazilian flags on little boys cheeks.
Let's Talk Footie - Football World Championship 2006
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Sassafras
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And I think England should unpack their special padding and armour for playing Portugal
I'm just glad that they aren't playing Brazil. Yet.
BTW, France deserved that win over Spain. Quite an exciting game. The interesting thing for me is ... I have to watch the majority of the games on Spanish-language stations ... only Saturday games are broadcast on network TV ... and I don't speak Spanish
but I do understand Gooaaal!! -
Voronwë the Faithful
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Lidless
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In terms of fair play:
One presumes at by the end of the match with England, Portugal will be down to something like six men.
But it's not a first for Portugal. In 2002 Pinto was shown a red card for a nasty tackle against South Korea. He then lost his temper and punched the referee. In the same game, defender Beto got two yellows and was ejected.
At the European Championship two years earlier, a semifinal match against France turned ugly and led to long international suspensions for three Portuguese players. Portugal went out of that tournament when defender Abel Xavier stopped a shot with his hand and France converted a penalty kick in extra time. Xavier insisted the handball was accidental, and Portugal's anger led to more commotion with match officials at the end of the game. Xavier, striker Nuno Gomes and midfielder Paulo Bento were all banned from international competition for up to seven months for shoving and berating the referee and linesman.
Perhaps the England players and the officials alike should wear all that body armour that has been diverted from Iraq to the NFL.
Code: Select all
R = Red Cards, Y = Yellow Cards, F = Fouls
R Y F
Brazil 0 7 53
England 0 7 54
Italy 2 9 55
Germany 0 5 66
Argentina 0 8 69
France 0 9 73
Ukraine 1 9 77
Portugal 2 18 78But it's not a first for Portugal. In 2002 Pinto was shown a red card for a nasty tackle against South Korea. He then lost his temper and punched the referee. In the same game, defender Beto got two yellows and was ejected.
At the European Championship two years earlier, a semifinal match against France turned ugly and led to long international suspensions for three Portuguese players. Portugal went out of that tournament when defender Abel Xavier stopped a shot with his hand and France converted a penalty kick in extra time. Xavier insisted the handball was accidental, and Portugal's anger led to more commotion with match officials at the end of the game. Xavier, striker Nuno Gomes and midfielder Paulo Bento were all banned from international competition for up to seven months for shoving and berating the referee and linesman.
Perhaps the England players and the officials alike should wear all that body armour that has been diverted from Iraq to the NFL.
It's about time.
That Portugal/Netherlands game was nasty. It's aggravating that one Portugal player didn't get in trouble for the headbut.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was the Ukraine/Switzerland game. Very boring. The BBC commentators were making jokes a lot...about the only thing that made it interesting.
I was so angry about the Italy/Australia match. That was so incredibly unfair! After the USA game and that, Italy shouldn't be in the tournament anymore.
.
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Right before the England match, someone pulled a prank by cutting the cable TV lines of a certain company...can't remember what one. It affected the area we were in. Me, my sister-in-law, mother-in-law, and her friend were at my brother/sister-in-law's flat, whilst Iavas, his brother, and dad went to a pub to watch the match. At the flat, we tried for 15 minutes or more to get the game but we couldn't. The cable service wasn't available. The radio didn't work and since they got their internet through the same cable service, no internet. The guys came running home at halftime because they couldn't really see the screen at the pub...though they knew we couldn't get the match at the flat. Nick's brother was scrambling around trying to find the proper cable and plug in order to hook the TV up to the antena and then had a hard time tuning to the right station. It was hilarious...at least for a non-fan like me. Lucky for them, they got the station up in time to see Beckam's goal.
At first everyone though the cable company had screwed up but later it was found out that the lines were cut. I'm sure there were A LOT of pissed of Englishmen!
.
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No football tonight! Yay!
On the opposite end of the spectrum was the Ukraine/Switzerland game. Very boring. The BBC commentators were making jokes a lot...about the only thing that made it interesting.
I was so angry about the Italy/Australia match. That was so incredibly unfair! After the USA game and that, Italy shouldn't be in the tournament anymore.
.
.
Right before the England match, someone pulled a prank by cutting the cable TV lines of a certain company...can't remember what one. It affected the area we were in. Me, my sister-in-law, mother-in-law, and her friend were at my brother/sister-in-law's flat, whilst Iavas, his brother, and dad went to a pub to watch the match. At the flat, we tried for 15 minutes or more to get the game but we couldn't. The cable service wasn't available. The radio didn't work and since they got their internet through the same cable service, no internet. The guys came running home at halftime because they couldn't really see the screen at the pub...though they knew we couldn't get the match at the flat. Nick's brother was scrambling around trying to find the proper cable and plug in order to hook the TV up to the antena and then had a hard time tuning to the right station. It was hilarious...at least for a non-fan like me. Lucky for them, they got the station up in time to see Beckam's goal.
At first everyone though the cable company had screwed up but later it was found out that the lines were cut. I'm sure there were A LOT of pissed of Englishmen!
.
.
No football tonight! Yay!
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truehobbit
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Yikes, Eru - not really a "prank" I'd say - more like nasty sabotage.
But, then, I'd have been angry to miss the game, too.
So, England is out.
I thought the red card against Rooney was unfair. The scene was replayed a zillion times, and the commentators said it was justified, but I didn't see it.
On the other hand, England let a number of great scoring opportunities go by.
Having to repeat the penalty I think was bad.
But Robinson was no use at all. Maybe if he'd stopped hopping around he might have had the time to actually go after a ball.
Portugal sucked at shooting any penalties, but Ricardo was awesome, holding THREE of them!
But the good news is of course: Germany beat Argentina!
The penalty-shooting had my pulse going at twice the normal rate, I think.
The players who shot all succeeded and Lehman held two shots! w00t!
I watched the game with two friends and afterwards we went for an ice-cream. People were standing in the streets waving flags and cars were going at walking-pace, honking their horns all the time - LOL!
- not really a "prank" I'd say - more like nasty sabotage. But, then, I'd have been angry to miss the game, too.
So, England is out.
I thought the red card against Rooney was unfair. The scene was replayed a zillion times, and the commentators said it was justified, but I didn't see it.
On the other hand, England let a number of great scoring opportunities go by.
Having to repeat the penalty I think was bad.
But Robinson was no use at all. Maybe if he'd stopped hopping around he might have had the time to actually go after a ball.
Portugal sucked at shooting any penalties, but Ricardo was awesome, holding THREE of them!
But the good news is of course: Germany beat Argentina!
The penalty-shooting had my pulse going at twice the normal rate, I think.
The players who shot all succeeded and Lehman held two shots! w00t!
I watched the game with two friends and afterwards we went for an ice-cream. People were standing in the streets waving flags and cars were going at walking-pace, honking their horns all the time - LOL!
but being a cheerful hobbit he had not needed hope, as long as despair could be postponed.
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The best thing so far for me watching England play? The woman next to Posh Spice in the crowd. Turns out she's Cheryl Tweedy from Girls Aloud, and she's Ashley Cole's fiance.
Never heard of her before.
That woman *is* the reason hi-def was invented. I don't think I've seen anyone more attractive this year. Or last.
Never heard of her before.
That woman *is* the reason hi-def was invented. I don't think I've seen anyone more attractive this year. Or last.
It's about time.
Wonderful performance by France! Best game of the competetion so far, also, best performance by any team so far.
Here's hoping for a France Germany final! The discipline and control of the German team versus the flair and creativity of the French. Can't see Portugal or Italy making it to the final on the evidence we've seen. You can never dismiss the Italians though...
England were never really at the races I'm afraid. They have the players, but not the manager.
Here's hoping for a France Germany final! The discipline and control of the German team versus the flair and creativity of the French. Can't see Portugal or Italy making it to the final on the evidence we've seen. You can never dismiss the Italians though...
England were never really at the races I'm afraid. They have the players, but not the manager.
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
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I tell you, if it had ended up as a Germany-England final in Germany (as opposed to the Germany-England final in England in 1966 which the English won), it would have been the most watched sporting event in UK television history. Yes, even beating the world snooker final between Davis and Taylor.
For the non-UK people, in 1985 one-third (18.5m people) of the UK population plunked themselves in front of their television sets to watch it - it finished after midnight (it still holds the viewing record for any program in that time slot). The first one to 18 wins. Davis, the defending worls champion (and who had won three of the previous four world titles) pulled ahead 8-0, but Taylor rallied to 17-17 and went on to win on the final shot of the final frame.
Golden moment.
For the non-UK people, in 1985 one-third (18.5m people) of the UK population plunked themselves in front of their television sets to watch it - it finished after midnight (it still holds the viewing record for any program in that time slot). The first one to 18 wins. Davis, the defending worls champion (and who had won three of the previous four world titles) pulled ahead 8-0, but Taylor rallied to 17-17 and went on to win on the final shot of the final frame.
Golden moment.
It's about time.
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truehobbit
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Wow, the tattoo is cool! Great pic, Alatar!
(Haven't posted here in a few days, so this is from Tuesday and today.)
As to Germany in the semi-finals:
Not the championship to break with traditions, this one. We've never won against Italy in a World Championship game (or was that any national game? not sure) and we didn't this time either.
I thought Germany had some beautiful moves during the game, getting the ball back from the Italians etc, but that's not much use if you keep missing the goal.
Italy's first goal was fantastic, no doubt about that. (I wasn't that impressed with the second, though, as it seemed the German team had already stopped playing.)
The referee was ok, too. LOL, at first it seemed that what the others had overdone he would underdo, so to speak, but in the end it was quite a fair game I thought.
I watched the game at a beergarden, a lot more fun than at home and you get more excited about it.
Also the weather is just wonderful and you could spend all night outside.
There were a few dramatic acts by the Italians, I thought, and the according response at the beergarden, which was fun. Luckily the referee didn't fall for them.
(I suppose, as in "never cry wolf", if an Italian player really got hurt nobody would believe him.)
The rest will be relaxed watching, as I have no preferences in who wins now.
I guess I should be against Italy, as they kicked us out, and won by diving against Australia, but because I like the country I can't be, so I'm neither for not against them. I find France boring and Portugal isn't winning any sympathy-points either. So I guess I'll just root for whoever plays well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So it's Italy - France in the finals.
I think I'll be rooting for Italy, although I think neither team much deserves the cup.
Yesterday, France played again as if they were on Valium. I don't like the idea of a team winning whose playing motto seems to be "wake me when it's over".
Or maybe all the nil-nil results towards the end now just go to show that football has the same problem other championships have: the participants just are all equally good. In athletics this results in tiny fractions of seconds determining who wins, in football it means that as a rule no one can score a goal.
I didn't see all the game, but in the replay, it looked as if the penalty was undeserved. It also took the French guy a moment to fall.
Btw, at Cologne Central Station there's a big poster covering the vaulted ceiling, in the style of a Baroque painting - a football pantheon.
Here's are some pics:
Some more pics are here
And here's hobby at the semi-final, complete with black-red-gold flower chain, to show I was sporting some national-colours item, too! (Although I guess it looks as if one can't be sure whether I'm supporting Germany or Hawaii. )
(Haven't posted here in a few days, so this is from Tuesday and today.)
As to Germany in the semi-finals:
Not the championship to break with traditions, this one. We've never won against Italy in a World Championship game (or was that any national game? not sure) and we didn't this time either.
I thought Germany had some beautiful moves during the game, getting the ball back from the Italians etc, but that's not much use if you keep missing the goal.
Italy's first goal was fantastic, no doubt about that. (I wasn't that impressed with the second, though, as it seemed the German team had already stopped playing.)
The referee was ok, too. LOL, at first it seemed that what the others had overdone he would underdo, so to speak, but in the end it was quite a fair game I thought.
I watched the game at a beergarden, a lot more fun than at home and you get more excited about it.
Also the weather is just wonderful and you could spend all night outside.
There were a few dramatic acts by the Italians, I thought, and the according response at the beergarden, which was fun. Luckily the referee didn't fall for them.
(I suppose, as in "never cry wolf", if an Italian player really got hurt nobody would believe him.)
The rest will be relaxed watching, as I have no preferences in who wins now.
I guess I should be against Italy, as they kicked us out, and won by diving against Australia, but because I like the country I can't be, so I'm neither for not against them. I find France boring and Portugal isn't winning any sympathy-points either. So I guess I'll just root for whoever plays well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So it's Italy - France in the finals.
I think I'll be rooting for Italy, although I think neither team much deserves the cup.
Yesterday, France played again as if they were on Valium. I don't like the idea of a team winning whose playing motto seems to be "wake me when it's over".
Or maybe all the nil-nil results towards the end now just go to show that football has the same problem other championships have: the participants just are all equally good. In athletics this results in tiny fractions of seconds determining who wins, in football it means that as a rule no one can score a goal.
I didn't see all the game, but in the replay, it looked as if the penalty was undeserved. It also took the French guy a moment to fall.
Btw, at Cologne Central Station there's a big poster covering the vaulted ceiling, in the style of a Baroque painting - a football pantheon.
Here's are some pics:
Some more pics are here
And here's hobby at the semi-final, complete with black-red-gold flower chain, to show I was sporting some national-colours item, too!
(Although I guess it looks as if one can't be sure whether I'm supporting Germany or Hawaii. )but being a cheerful hobbit he had not needed hope, as long as despair could be postponed.