Official World Cup Thread

Portugal - Netherland

What to say? There were deserved two red cards for both sides, but Ivanov should gave two more for both teams.

It was obvios that Dutch players targeted Ronaldo from start. Khalid Boulahrouz brutal tackled Ronaldo on game start and Ivanov gave him only yellow card. :wall:

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Originally Posted by Dutch_guy

Well, I think everything has been said but I'll give my view on the Holland - Portugal match anyway.

Right from the start it was plain this was going to be one physical and tough game. Boularouz trying to break Ronaldo's leg is of course the prime example. Looking back on the match, and especially knowing the ref. , I'm surprised he wasn't sent off immediately.

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I don't know why, too. Maybe the game would different...:idea2:

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Originally Posted by Dutch_guy

We played decent the first 15 minutes, we had our long distance shots but in the end our static defence killed us. Lack of experience and communication is what caused the early goal, Deco should not - ever - be allowed to pass the ball, and Pauletta should not have been able to pass the ball back to Maniche.

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Yes, you have weak defense. You have lucky against Cot d'Ivore.

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Originally Posted by Dutch_guy

After costinho (sp?) was sent off the field just before half time, after hitting the ball with his hand, the game was all open again.

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Costinha deserved red card long before that. Remember that Ivanov didn't see his tacle on ... (I forgot).

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Originally Posted by Dutch_guy

van Basten then started the second half by taking a defender off the field and putting an attacking midfielder (van der Vaart ) in the game. This meant of course that we we're going to risk it all. But we had to take chances of course.

It paid off almost immediately with a ball against the upper bar (is that the right word?) and some good shots from the second line.

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As I remember you had only few chances.

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Originally Posted by Dutch_guy

Now I'm sure we must have set some kind of record concerning the yellow and red cards that were given. Something like 16 cards, total, I believe were given.

Something that I found really disgusting was the way how Figo fell to the ground when he lost the ball to Boularouz, it was smart yes, but disgusting, as the replays show there wasn't enough contact between the two to warrant a second yellow card, even though one might argue that Boularouz should have been sent of in the first half.

Now I didn't quite complain yesterday, but why the hell did he send Deco of the pitch, obviously that ref. completely lost it in the second half. A shame really.

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Valentin Ivanov is not good referee. :no: He was referee on qulification game between Serbia - Belgium and he didn't whistle two obvios penalties for us. Everybody saw that except him.

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Originally Posted by Dutch_guy

Another thing that really bothered me was the fact that the ref. sent van Bronckhorst of the pitch in the fourth minute of the added time !

You just don't do that, not in the added time.

Other than that it was a great game, especially the exiting second half. I would have loved to have seen us score a goal, but it didn't happen. Although we were very, very close at times.

So as much as the ref. tried to destroy the match, he didn't quite succeed.

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But referee Oscar Ruiz on game between Netherlands - Cote d'Ivore was on Dutch side. He didn't whistled two clear penalties for Cote d'Ivore

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Originally Posted by Dutch_guy

Good luck Portugal, and congratulations.

PS: I did manage to predict the match correctly, damn.

PPS: van Basten didn't play with van Nisterlrooy because he disappointed in the games in which he played. And van Basten considered Kuyt to be the better played at the moment.

:balloon2:

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Bad mood in Dutch team...

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Originally Posted by DukeofSerbia

It was obvios that Dutch players targeted Ronaldo from start. Khalid Boulahrouz brutal tackled Ronaldo on game start .... :wall:

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I'm sure he didn't intentionally order Boulahrouz to tackle Ronaldo out of the game, I'm sure it seemed like that - even to us here in Holland.

But really, why Ronaldo and not a [more important] player like Deco or even Figo?

Boulahrouz is known for his toughness, everyone knows it, he isn't called ''the cannibal'' for no apparent reason...

:balloon2:

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Costinha deserved red card long before that. Remember that Ivanov didn't see his tacle on ... (I forgot).

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Yeah, he got lucky the ref didn't give him a red card for that. Later he hits the ball with his hand, obviously not by accident and gets one anyway. Idiot.

wow, great game. reffing wasn't awful either.. bad red card made it 11 v 10 for the second half, but that just made the game more exciting. ~;)

can't really say the PK was a bad call either.

edit: but what's with the thumb sucking? :inquisitive:

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Originally Posted by Big_John

can't really say the PK was a bad call either.

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He just fell over the Australian - he wasn't taken down,
so it seems harsh to me.

Wasn't a PK. It was a good acting job and a good finish by Totti. If that didn't happen I would have said Australia in OT.:shame:

Surely you mean ET.
Well, was disappointed, but will look forward to Spain vs. France in particular.

Bad call of the ref.

And again the Italians played badly...

it was the australian's fault for going down in that position. sure it was a bit of acting, but almost all fouls in soccer are. remember, the ref called a foul, he didn't give the defender a card or anything, just a foul. had that play occured anywhere else on the pitch, it would have been a foul too. on the slow-motion replays it looks iffy, but in real-time, you had to call a foul.


edit: i don't think the italians played badly at all. australia is a tough squad, i have more respect for them now than i did after the 1st round. they needed to attack more and smarter when they had the advantage, but otherwise they looked impressive.

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Originally Posted by SSNeoperestroika

Surely you mean ET.
Well, was disappointed, but will look forward to Spain vs. France in particular.

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OT = Over-time

Would that not work?

EDIT: Big John: It was only like two seconds though! With all the factors I'd say not to call it.

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Originally Posted by Alexanderofmacedon

EDIT: Big John: It was only like two seconds though! With all the factors I'd say not to call it.

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i can see that. what i'm saying, i guess, is that it's not an especially bad call. you can argue that it should be called, and you can argue that it should not. but it wasn't a "terrible" call, imo.

Really tough luck to the Ozzies, FFS 5 seconds to go.

Well played our Australian cousins, you gave the buggers a fine run for their money.

Bonza!

Well done Aussie, but personally I'm glad because it means the brilliant Tim Cahill is coming home injury free and now less likely to attract a hostile bid for his services from other clubs. He'll probably want a pay rise from Everton though. Cough up Blues.

Switzerland just aren't playing to win - if anybody's still watching.
[I can't say the Ukraine are doing much more.]

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Originally Posted by SSNeoperestroika

Switzerland just aren't playing to win - if anybody's still watching.
[I can't say the Ukraine are doing much more.]

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Nope. I'm watching 'Total Recall' and RP is catching some ZZZzzzz's :laugh4:

I gave up about ten minutes into the second half. What a snooze-fest.

Well, well. Penalties. Finally.

YES! Finally we get to see some PKs. I hate pks personally being a goalie. I hate guessing. But i do love to watch them.

Haha, Schevchanko is denied.

lame ending to a lame game with lame teams. i was hoping that the inadequacies of each team would make for an exciting game.. but niether team had the skill nor the courage to take advantage of the others numerous mistakes.

too bad these teams played each other.. don't want to see either of them in the next round. :sick:

Me thinks the Aussies were robbed! That socceroo was never going to hit that Italian, his tackle was way off-target. That sneaky Italian rushed towards that Australian lying on the pitch, firmly planted his foot in his side and took a right good dive. Meh.
Too many games are decided by the referee at this tournament. :no:

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So the Swiss finally went back to being their usual selfs. I was getting a bit worried, what with them nearly playing World Cup quarter finals and such. Back to their national character: utterly impregnable, if a tad dull. :coffeenews:

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:spain: - :france: tomorrow!

Oh my! Oh my! :jumping:

Will we finally see the real France? Maybe they will play freely at last, with less pressure, with less of a weigth to carry on their shoulders. For the first time since 1998 les Bleus are the underdogs, and it should feel like a relieve.

I wonder if we'll see Zidane tomorrow. Could the unthinkable be true - that we're better without him? Possibly, but it shouldn't matter anyway. Zidane must play, for better or for worse. One last time. I want to cheer or suffer together with Zidane. Face it, we're not going to win this Cup, so let's settle for drama and lots of it. Let us share in both glory and defeat alongside ZZ, whatever may come. That's the fitting end to 98, the greater story demands it.

Louis demands Zizou!!!!11!!!:furious3:

Switzerland - Ukraine

A somewhat deserved loss in terms of the fact that the players (or perhaps the coach) were too chicken to risk something. We definitely have the class to beat the Ukraine but it wasn't to be. Perhaps the Euro 2008 will show a Swiss team that is more experienced, not weakened by injuries and generally fit to reach at least the semis.

The zero out of three penalties were telling that the nerves wouldn't have it any longer. I am sure in two year's time this won't be a problem anymore.

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I think the matches tomorrow should be pretty clear. Brazil and Spain should go through easily. Not sure who to root for yet (it ain't gonna be Brazil, that's for sure...). Any suggestions?

Quid

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Originally Posted by Quid

I think the matches tomorrow should be pretty clear. Brazil and Spain should go through easily. Not sure who to root for yet (it ain't gonna be Brazil, that's for sure...). Any suggestions?

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Yes, I don't think that Spain will be the one, France has been sleeping but they'll wake up. By far the match with the most potencial on this round. Besides I don't want Spain to win, I want them to lose and badly if possible.:2thumbsup:

watch out for ghana in a shocking upset!




just kidding.










or am i??

Ghana all the way. It's one less superpower Germany will not have to deal with!:dizzy2:

:embarassed:

Certainly not a match to be proud of, in fact the worst match in a tournament ever. At least the dutch fans know how to be a good sport. Won't be cheering for Portugal either this time, I hate actors.

Germany, mob the remaining teams up and congratulations in advance.

I'm rooting for Ghana all the way tomorrow! Although I expect the Brazilians to wallop them I hope for at least a good match.

And for Spain vs. France seeing as my friend Jose has opted to go for Spain I'm rooting for France! They'd better win because otherwise I have to buy Jose's beers tomorrow.


You guys should all realize how lucky you are! I need to wake up at 0500 to watch the Brazil Ghana game :furious3: Stupid 12 hour time difference.

Viva la France!!!!:balloon2: :balloon2: :balloon2: :balloon2:

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/.../fr-lgflag.gif

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Originally Posted by Alexanderofmacedon

OT = Over-time

Would that not work?

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Given that a lot of the footballers are on £40, 000 (+) a week giving them overtime at, say time and a half, or even double time on Sundays would be a tad expensive. :laugh4:

The correct term is extra time. It's bad enough people calling 'the beautiful game' soccer without incurring any more americanisms. :laugh4:

Well, condolences to all the Australians here at the Org. The penalty kick was - in my opinion - not called correctly, the Italian player had the chance to go around the Australian, but didn't and decided to go over him, and dive.

I do understand that without the chance to see it all over again the ref. went with what seemed best to him at the time. Too bad though, as a ref. you shouldn't give a penalty in the 94th minute of the game if you're not 100 % it's a penalty.

As Louis said, the referee's have had far to much influence on the outcome of the matches, too bad.

On another note, I think the winning team is either going to be Argentina or Deutschland. Argentina because they seem better than Brazil at the moment, and Germany just because they're Germany, they're playing better than I've seen them play in years....plus they have the advantage that the WC is hosted in their country, which 'll at least give them moral support - which 'll only grow with each win.

:balloon2: