So... no World Cup thread yet? (also featuring TTLG fantasy world cup game) - by D'Arcy
Vernon on 7/7/2006 at 16:09
where's crouch
ONLY JOKES
Paz on 7/7/2006 at 16:26
Quote Posted by Strontium Dog
bizarrely includes Totti and Toni from Italy
That is a bit baffling. Toni has been fairly solid with his hold-up play, but a bit disappointing overall. Totti has set up about four goals (mostly from dead ball situations) while being his usual inconsistent self. I think his performance against the Czechs should automatically preclude him from any 'best team' compositions!
It's bloody hard to think of decent forwards for that squad though.
Klose ... umm .... Tenorio?
SD on 7/7/2006 at 17:04
Quote Posted by Vernon
where's crouch
ONLY JOKES
Well, if I was going to include an England player, Crouch would be a pretty good shout. He's one of the few of them who did exactly what was asked of him, and he should never have been dropped to make way for a half-fit half-witted Rooney.
Paz: I agree about the striker situation, although it's somewhat surprising to see that FIFA left out Podolski, even though they chose him as young player of the tournament.
But this tournament as a whole has hardly been an eye-catching spectacle for lovers of great forward play. I blame the tedious 4-5-1 system that so many teams insist on playing.
N'Al on 7/7/2006 at 17:25
I fully agree that the game of football would lose much of its appeal if the supporters of a team didn't have some sort of "arch-enemy" to dislike and whatnot. Unfortunately, I find, far too often supporters of a particular team don't really "develop" a dislike for another team, but simply dislike those that they are told to dislike by the rest of their team's supporters.
Example: As an Englishman, I supposedly have to absolutely despise the Germans, as well as the Argentinians. As a German, I obviously can't really dislike the German team* ;). But I can't dislike the Argentinians either, because up until they went out of the tournament they were playing fabolous football (which can't really be said for a lot of other teams). Unfortunately, far too many England supporters dislike these teams, and when you ask them the reason why it's usually "just because" or "we've always done it".
Equally, as a German I have to supposedly dislike anything the Dutch ever do. I am old enough to remember the Ruud Gullit vs Rudi Voeller spitting contest, but even so, why should I dislike the Dutch? To completely misquote Monty Python: "What have the Dutch ever done to us?" I even wore an orange polo shirt when Germany last played Holland; not in support of the Dutch, mind you, but... uhhhhh, cause I'm edgy.
Anyway, the whole point of my ramblings is that I find far too many football supporters don't really have a valid reason for why they dislike the teams they dislike, but it's simply because they follow the trend. That is what I dislike about football, that is why I find England supporters singing "There are ten German bombers in the air" in a match against Portugal (!) to be absolutely pathetic, just as pathetic as Dainem's "Ohne Holland fahr'n wir nach Berlin!" earlier in the thread. I dunno, maybe he has a legitimate reason to dislike the Dutch, but those England supporters certainly didn't. And before anyone complains that this last sentence doesn't make sense, you all know what I mean!
[/rant]
* In fact, I know it is absolutely possible to support both teams at the same time. I was so hoping for an England - Germany final (and I would have so hated an Italy - Portugal one), because then, whatever happend, I would have won.
SD on 7/7/2006 at 17:53
Quote Posted by N'Al
Example: As an Englishman, I supposedly have to absolutely despise the Germans, as well as the Argentinians.
We do? But I fucking love Dietmar Hamann and I'm hopeful that I will grow to love Gabriel Paletta too :(
In other words: I know what you are saying, but I think people aren't quite as narrow-minded as that in reality, particularly since the influx of foreign players into the Prem. We didn't really have much choice but to get behind chaps from these nations at club level, and I think that has nullified most of the hostility.
D'Arcy on 8/7/2006 at 00:14
Yes, Roberto Carlos really did a very bad job in that particular situation, and this sequence of pictures shows it very clearly. But 'the most over-rated defender in the history of football'? Sorry, I can't agree with that. To me he's one of the best left-backs in football history (the only other player in his position whom I remember admiring that much was Andreas Brehme, and maybe a younger Paolo Maldini, when he still played in the left), and trying to judge him for one single play, or the way he plays when he's already 33 seems very unfair.
thefonz on 8/7/2006 at 07:43
I'm torn about who to support in tomorrow's final.
I want Italy to win because I always want the opposing team to beat the filthy French, and I love Italy as a country.
However I also want Zidane to get the ending to his career which he richly deserves, and to beat Italy in the world cup final somehow seems right, since then he really has done it all in football.
Or maybe I'll just go as a neutral and at random times during the game in the pub, shout out: COME ON SCOTLAND! Just to see the reaction...eh?
dj_ivocha on 8/7/2006 at 09:06
The only right choice is certainly the last one. :cool:
KublaiKrim on 8/7/2006 at 11:04
Quote Posted by N'Al
Equally, as a German I have to supposedly dislike anything the Dutch ever do. I am old enough to remember the Ruud Gullit vs Rudi Voeller spitting contest, but even so, why should I dislike the Dutch?
That was Frank Rijkaard.
