Unofficial world cup thread.

[InsaneApache]

Says what it is on the tin.

Argies FTW.

[Veho Nex]

USA! USA! USA! USA!

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I'm looking forward to beating the brits

[Ferret]

Beating us at the game of losing? Yes you will do that well

[Sasaki Kojiro]

I've never heard of the "game of losing". We only have the game of winning here.

Different cultures different customs

[Ferret]

You'll pick it up quickly, I heard Americans are naturals

[InsaneApache]

Steady lads.

[pevergreen]

I've barracked for Brazil since the game on the N64 "World Cup '98" (Not the fifa game)

Brazil vs Australia was painful for me to watch.

Heres to either of my Green and Gold in the finals.

[naut]

España or Brazil for this one. I can't see past these two teams. And I picked the winner in the Euros (and runner-up), so I feel confident.

In other news, Kim Jong-Il has banned the broadcast of any matches in which DPR loses. In a group with Brazil, Côte d'Ivoire and Portugal --- they aren't going to be seeing any games in DPR.

[Beefy187]

I'm rooting for Japan (We'll lose), England then Spain.

[Hax]

Go Malta! Woohoo! yeah!

[Fragony]

HOLLAND!!!! Of course we will lose miserably despite being the moral victor but that is just the way of things.

[Andres]

HOLLAND!!!! Of course we will lose miserably despite being the moral victor but that is just the way of things.

At least you guys qualified...

[Fragony]

At least you guys qualified...

That makes our inevitable doom just that more sweet to our southern brothers, every time we should have won, we lost last time because one of the players lost his daughter it took the fun out of it, we absolutely destroyed France and Italy last time, but no

[Husar]

I always end up rooting for the dutch and they always end up not winning.

[Fragony]

I always end up rooting for the dutch and they always end up not winning.

It's enough for us that we can for some reason, we don't have a winners mentality at a certain point we will always lose, from much lesser teams who we would normally destroy. The Dutch are never going to win the championship it's not our nature to do so, we are just here to make sure people understand we can give hell when we chose so, small country.

[Louis VI the Fat]

At least you guys qualified...

I miss my little Red Devils!


Before kick-off:

Belgium
Big Country


After kick-off:

Belgium -
Scared Big Country -

~~-~~-~~-<<oOo>>-~~-~~-~~

There's a poll out there that showed only 2% of French people were happy to have qualified.

The fun is somewhat gone when you have just witnessed the most humiliating win ever. All the pride of watching an eighteen year old kid who needs to cheat because he's outclassed by a wee twelve year old.

Then again, compared to all those dives and bone-crunching tackles one sees any given weekend, a little flick with the hand isn't the crime of the century. I'll get over it by June.

[Pannonian]

There's a poll out there that showed only 2% of French people were happy to have qualified.

The fun is somewhat gone when you have just witnessed the most humiliating win ever. All the pride of watching an eighteen year old kid who needs to cheat because he's outclassed by a wee twelve year old.

Then again, compared to all those dives and bone-crunching tackles one sees any given weekend, a little flick with the hand isn't the crime of the century. I'll get over it by June.

How did you feel during one campaign in the 1990s, when IIRC you needed a point from the last two qualifying games (at home), led in both, and lost both? Gerard Houllier was the coach, and he developed an intense hatred of David Ginola after that.

Oh yes

October 13, 1993, Paris, France - France 2 - 3 Israel
November 17, 1993, Paris, France - France 1 - 2 Bulgaria

[Sarmatian]

I remember that game. That was defeat of the year. I couldn't believe it when Penev scored. Bulgaria had a good team in those days...

[Louis VI the Fat]

November 17, 1993, Paris, France - France 1 - 2 Bulgaria

Gutted, absolutely gutted. Worst game ever, with the exception of that krauts murdering Battiston in 1982 and the macaronis crucifying our messiah in 2006.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMbC...om=PL&index=38


Still cant believe that goal by Kostadinov. The game went so well. 1-0 up, somebody in the crowd had managed to sneak in a traditional coq and unleashed it onto the pitch. Genius. Everything looked said and done, a bright future ahead of us. Then that assassin scored the goal of the decade, in the 90th minute, and everything changed. An entire generation of talented French players would never qualify for a World Cup. (Ginola, Cantona, Papin). They were all replaced by the young rising star of Bordeaux, in whose hands alone was put the fate of French football for 1998.

*worships Zizou*

[Sarmatian]

Yeah, it was Kostadinov.

Penev scored the first one right?

[Louis VI the Fat]

Yeah, it was Kostadinov.

Penev scored the first one right?

Penev? Could very well be. Dunno really, don't remember the first goal. By contrast, that second, devastating goal is burned into my soul, where it will haunt me forever. I know every agonising split second of it, haunting me as it does in my nightmares, still. Every second lasts an hour. From Ginola wasting the ball from a free kick near the Bulgarian box, down to the three quick flicks to get the ball straight into our box, to Kostadinov kicking that ball at 12000 km/hr from an impossible angle straight through our goalkeeper.

Two games, all we needed was one draw. Two games lost. Against Bulgaria in the dying seconds of the final game.

Gah.

[Pannonian]

Penev? Could very well be. Dunno really, don't remember the first goal. By contrast, that second, devastating goal is burned into my soul, where it will haunt me forever. I know every agonising split second of it, haunting me as it does in my nightmares, still. Every second lasts an hour. From Ginola wasting the ball from a free kick near the Bulgarian box, down to the three quick flicks to get the ball straight into our box, to Kostadinov kicking that ball at 12000 km/hr from an impossible angle straight through our goalkeeper.

Two games, all we needed was one draw. Two games lost. Against Bulgaria in the dying seconds of the final game.

Gah.

Be comforted in the knowledge that they were two difficult away games. Sofia isn't easy to travel to and get a result from at the best of times.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Be comforted in the knowledge that they were two difficult away games. Sofia isn't easy to travel to and get a result from at the best of times.

You little devil.

You know perfectly well these were two home games in a Parc des Princes packing more spectators than there are people in these easily impressed, wee little countries.

[Louis VI the Fat]

The most momentous day for English foorball since July 30th, 1966. The 1990 semis between a bland German side and England's best side since 1966. Just a few inches, and England would've been World Champions. We all know the weak 1990 Argentina would easily have been had by the English. Making for a nice revenge for 86 too.

Those cursed penalties, eh? Just a couple of inches, really. And England would've been World Champions. Pity.


Poor Gazza, looks absolutely gutted in the video below. As does Bobby Robson. And all those fans. Shame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH_Yt0K3tZA

So agonisingly close...






Poor Gazza. So many tears shed on that England shirt. Almost crowned best in the world. Now he'll be forever remembered as nothing more than football's Clown Prince.


Ah well, England and penalties. At least England learned from experience and never lost a penalty shootout after this dramatic day again.

[Sarmatian]

Give credit to Bulgaria please, they were 4th placed in that world cup. Being beaten by the 4th best team in the world isn't something to be ashamed of, unless you're in the top 3, of course.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Give credit to Bulgaria please, they were 4th placed in that world cup.

Credit? Hah! No, me I signed the petition to Mitterrand to nuke Sofia, under whatever pretext.

If Bulgaria no longer existed, we would by default regain the qualification the Bulgars robbed of us.

[Pannonian]

Gutted, absolutely gutted. Worst game ever, with the exception of that krauts murdering Battiston in 1982 and the macaronis crucifying our messiah in 2006.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMbC...om=PL&index=38

Darn, my stream hangs a few seconds in. I am a bit puzzled though, as you seem to have posted the wrong clip. What my stream shows is a scoreline of 1-1, last minute of the match, and some guy in a blue shirt in the opposition corner of the pitch, obviously about to play the game out in the corner. You say the game ended 1-2, but this couldn't plausibly happen from the situation my stream ended on. Are you sure you haven't posted the wrong clip by mistake?

[Sarmatian]

Credit? Hah! No, me I signed the petition to Mitterrand to nuke Sofia, under whatever pretext.

If Bulgaria no longer existed, we would by default regain the qualification the Bulgars robbed of us.

I can respect that. Unlike nationalism, football is a valid reason to go to war for.

[Pannonian]

Ooh, it gets even better.

Two months prior to the decisive clash, France looked odds-on certainties to qualify for USA 1994. Out in front in Group 6 with 13 points to their name, Gerard Houllier's side only had to secure a point from their final two games, both at home, to secure their place in the finals.

Lying third, two points behind Sweden and three adrift of the French, the Bulgarians knew they had no margin for error as they went into their last two fixtures, the first of them coming on 13 October, when Dimitar Penev's men easily disposed of Austria 4-1.

That same evening, section leaders France were hosting lowly Israel, whom they had comfortably beaten 4-0 away in the first meeting between the two. Two-one ahead with ten minutes remaining, Les Bleus were firmly on course to achieve their objective. Late goals from Eyal Berkovic and Reuven Atar, the latter striking in the third minute of injury time, gave the Israelis a shock win, however, leaving France with the task of taking something from their final match. Reprieved by the Israelis, Bulgaria knew that a win in Paris would take them through.