The World Cup!! (1 Viewer)

[Luther Blissett]

I'm going to support England this year.

Please tell me you were joking? Or that you're English? If not why? For the quality of their football?

From the Guardian minute by minute report:

FULL TIME: That's it, 2-0. Well, everyone will be all excited again, I'm sure, but if I were supporting England I'd be very worried indeed. That was abysmal. Expect the Germany-Ecuador game to end 17-16, as both teams try to throw the game for the right to meet this utter shambles of a side. Still, the only way is up, eh?

 

[Johnnyc]

How bad were England today? Totally lacking in creativity. And when they did get chances they did their best to miss them in the most spectacular fashion possible.

Dunph, Giles and co sure didn't pull any punches either.

Fair play to the Swedes. Would be a shame if Zlatan left the tourney before hitting form.

 

[Luther Blissett]

If the Argentine win in Germany I will be most displeased.

I take it you're displeased now?

 

[It Will Never Last]

This world cup has lurched from the sublime to the pure shite.

Sublime:

Italy
The Argies today
Arjen Robben
Figo against Angola
Ecuador qualifying for the last 16
Graham Souness on RTE.
Johnny Giles calling Costa Rica "Puerto Rico" then "Costa Rico"

Shite:

All of Group B
Ronaldo (both of them)
Eriksson
France
Dennis Irwin

 

[Chad]

actually yeah how did a man who manged rangers and sold off any irish players that ever played for him get a job on RTE?

especially when ruud guillet the worst pundit since peter schmeichel, gets the job on ITV?

 

[quasiquasi]

Shite:

All of Group B
Ronaldo (both of them)
Eriksson
France
Dennis Irwin

Also: Germany, Poland, Mexico vs Angola...

 

[ICUH8N]

I take it you're displeased now?

It's not looking good, is it? Still, early days yet, game of two halves &c

 

[avernus]

Also: Germany, Poland, Mexico vs Angola...

hang on - germany played one of the most entertaining matches so far - the goddamn opener! the game against poland was awful, but still that first game ruled. They certainly have a good chance of getting to the quarters.

 

[Yurn!]

It's coming. The match to see who is the greatest team on earth.

An oldie.

But a goodie.

 

[quasiquasi]

hang on - germany played one of the most entertaining matches so far - the goddamn opener! the game against poland was awful, but still that first game ruled.

I think my comment on that match was "as boring as a 6-goal match could possibly be" - two incompetent teams knocking the ball around and occasionallly hitting the net...

 

[avernus]

I think my comment on that match was "as boring as a 6-goal match could possibly be" - two incompetent teams knocking the ball around and occasionallly hitting the net...

germany certainly werent solid, but they occasionally passed well and certainly scored some glorious goals. can't argue with that.

 

[Jerry Twig]

I think the Czechs deserve more credit than they're getting all round; pensioners or not, they'll be hard to beat.

i'll get me coat

 

[Chad]

de rossi is a bit of a scumbag eh?

i just wish bbc were covering this match. would have loved to have heard leonardos views on elbowing americans...

 

[Chad]

this is lunacy...

 

[avernus]

De Rossi is a fucking wanker. Not only did he blatantly give away a potential peno in the first match, he sticks an elbow into McBride's chops in the middle of the pitch in the second - for fucking nothing! And he was the only player carrying a yellow into the game. Wouldnt play that dickhead again - havent seen him do anything worthwhile.

Poor performance from Italy - the own goal was very unlucky, but they were all over the shop. and STILL no goals from Toni. my bets are looking !bog


easily the funniest thing I've seen so far: Beasley's disallowed goal - Bruce Arena tearing up the line hand in the air cheering, realising it was disallowed and turning into a cursing maniac screaming at the officials. Amazing!!

 

[Johnnyc]

Why was that USA goal not allowed? Offside? I was in a pub and couldn't hear zip.

Fair fucks to Ghana though!

 

[nlgbbbblth]

USA did well. I was rooting for them on account of Reyna and the fact that they have the decency to field a player who featured in the 1990 World Cup - i.e. they're not ageist.

 

[avernus]

Why was that USA goal not allowed? Offside? I was in a pub and couldn't hear zip.

Fair fucks to Ghana though!

yeah, there was a player offside that got a slight touch I think. USA did well for a bunch of scumbags. constant vicious tackles. completely different team and coach to the game against the Czechs.

 

[Richie]

Gah.. pity the Aussies have nobody who can finish, really thought they deserved a draw today. The US game was extremely ugly but also quite entertaining to watch, they took the "us versus the world" complex a bit far though. If they'd cooled things down for a while when they had the extra player they were in a great position to win, they were probably the better team when it was 11 versus 11.

 

[Luther Blissett]

De Rossi is a fucking wanker. Not only did he blatantly give away a potential peno in the first match, he sticks an elbow into McBride's chops in the middle of the pitch in the second - for fucking nothing! And he was the only player carrying a yellow into the game. Wouldnt play that dickhead again - havent seen him do anything worthwhile.

Poor performance from Italy - the own goal was very unlucky, but they were all over the shop. and STILL no goals from Toni. my bets are looking !bog

De Rossi should have been sent off in the friendly against Switzerland and the game against Ghana too. I saw him playing against Germany in February and he played really well but he has contributed nothing since then except bad challenges. The Italian media constantly refer to De Rossi as the future of Italian football but he is not living up to that billing by a long shot. Marco Tardelli (he of the goal and famous celebration during the '82 final) gave De Rossi a right bollicking during a live interview on Italian TV after the match ,which was about the most entertaining event of the night.
Italy are not playing well at all. Like England they have a group of talented players but they haven't got it together on the pitch. Toni has been disappointing but his role at Fiorentina is different where he is supplied with chances by team mates. For Italy (when Gilardino plays) he seems to have to create chances for Gilardino.
At least Thursday's game will be interesting!