The unofficial World Cup Thread,

[InsaneApache]

2 1

1 1

2 0

[Louis VI the Fat]

What's up with les bleus? They seemed as if they did not really want to take part in that tournament. Or has Domenech some internal quarrel with his federation and decided to do nothing to win it? The French inability was really shocking, there must be a reason for this??

Zidane, last week: Domenech is not a coach.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-c...739&ver=global

Zidane slammed Doméchec again today, insiting Gourcuff should've played for more creative input. Gourcuff has problems with the rest of the squad. Pity, he has shown at Bordeaux he is best playmaker France has got.

But it is all not about who plays where. The team has been lacklustre at best for four years now, during qualifications and tournaments. Maybe they just aren't all that good. If you underperform thirty games in a row, you don't underperform, you just aren't all that good. France is not Brazil. Not Germany or Argentina either. The succeses the past decade still inflate expectations. But France should not be considered a real football powerhouse, more an England or Spain (if that) - who are also always said to dissapoint respectively underperform, when in reality maybe they simply always play to their actual possibilities.

Then again, the squad is excellent. The players do perform at their clubs. It remains puzzling how one can have Gourcuff and Ribéry and lack creativity.



2 - 1

1 - 1

1 - 0

[Louis VI the Fat]

Is that it for Domenech so I mean is there the possibility he could survive or is he defo gone

Domenech's successor will be Blanc. He had been appointed well before this tournament. Which does little to add to what's left of Domenech's authority.

You know, part of me feels sorry for Domenech too. He's not a bad man. He really isn't. Out of his league perhaps. He's great with youth teams - I'd entrust any to him.
Tonight must be a lonely night for him. The sight of his leaning against the dugout was almost painful to watch. A man ran out of ideas, resigned. The players must've felt it, the energy carries over to the team. Domenech tried to solve the problems in advance of the game, tried different players, but when it didn't work, there was resignation.
The players did try, somewhat, at times. It is all not just about them being spoiled princesses, it runs deeper than that. The team needs a shrink.

That, or, preferably, the team needs Zidane, who could on His own lift an entire team like this to a World Cup final. There is only one diference between the tournaments of 2008 and 2010, and the one in 2006, which goes a long way to explain why I still worship Him so much after all these years. Domenech was not the coach in 2006, Zizou was. Without Him, there is nothing. When He was injured, in 2002, the team collapsed too. With Him, in 1998, 2000, and 2006, there is always glory (until He decided to shed His mortal coil in 2006, and turned Himself over to the Godless Romans to be crucified)


*weeps bitter tears, retreats from thread to worship at his Zidane shrine*

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

...and to think I once laughed at the silly Neapolitans for being so pathetic as to still think it's all only about El Diego.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I really do have a Zizou shrine. During important France and Bordeaux games I burn candles and pray for His intervention.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

See, this is why I understand why Maradona should've been made coach of Argentina, despite his obvious drawbacks. Just for the sheer magic, the belief, the strenght drawn from it. Football is fueled by science in Germany, passion in Britain, witchcraft in Africa, and Catholicism in Latin countries. El Diego - that's like having the Virgin Mary around.

[naut]

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Update:

Louis: +2 = 15
Little Grizzly: 2
Psycho: +3 = 8
Sarmatian: 2
Insane Apache: +2 = 15
Secura: 2
Ser Clegane: 9
Romanic: +1 = 8
Joooray: +1 = 5
Rhyfelwyr: +1 = 3
Sasaki: 0
LEN: +2 = 8
Moros: 2
Marshall Murat: 3
Craterus: 3
Crazed Rabbit: 2
Beefy: 2
Centurio Nixalsverdus: +2 = 2
Ronin: 1
||Lz3||: 4

Update:

Louis: +1 = 16
Little Grizzly: 2
Psycho: +1 = 7
Sarmatian: +1 = 3
Insane Apache: +1 = 16
Ser Clegane: +1 = 10
Romanic: +1 = 9
Joooray: 5
Rhyfelwyr: +1 = 4
LEN: +1 = 9
Moros: 2
Marshall Murat: +2 = 5
Craterus: 3
Crazed Rabbit: 2
Beefy: +1 = 3
Centurio Nixalsverdus: +2 = 4
Ronin: 1
||Lz3||: +2 = 6

Plus 1, not minus 1. I'm on 9, not 7.

[Tellos Athenaios]

But it is all not about who plays where. The team has been lacklustre at best for four years now, during qualifications and tournaments. Maybe they just aren't all that good. If you underperform thirty games in a row, you don't underperform, you just aren't all that good. France is not Brazil. Not Germany or Argentina either. The succeses the past decade still inflate expectations. But France should not be considered a real football powerhouse, more an England or Spain (if that) - who are also always said to dissapoint respectively underperform, when in reality maybe they simply always play to their actual possibilities.

Or a Netherlands: it is well understood that if you are going to root for Orange you had better have a backup favourite, too. <_<

[||Lz3||]

My thoughts on tomorrow games.

:Germany: 3 - 0 :Serbia:
:Slovenia: 0 - 2 :Unitedstates
:England: 2 - 0 :Algeria:

[Fragony]

Alol les bleus

[Sarmatian]

Since I am generally wrong with this predictions, I'm gonna go with Germany. Who knows... England's gonna trash Algeria. Slovenia-USA is a very hard game to predict...

Germany 3-1 Serbia
Slovenia 1-0 USA
England 3-0 Algeria

[johnhughthom]

Plus 1, not minus 1. I'm on 9, not 7.

Gah, sorry. I changed your total last time in thread, but not in the file I'm using to keep track of the scores. Changing both now.

Update:

Louis: +1 = 16
Little Grizzly: 2
Psycho: +1 = 9
Sarmatian: +1 = 3
Insane Apache: +1 = 16
Ser Clegane: +1 = 10
Romanic: +1 = 9
Joooray: 5
Rhyfelwyr: +1 = 4
LEN: +1 = 9
Moros: 2
Marshall Murat: +2 = 5
Craterus: 3
Crazed Rabbit: 2
Beefy: +1 = 3
Centurio Nixalsverdus: +2 = 4
Ronin: 1
||Lz3||: +2 = 6

[Ser Clegane]

Germany - Serbia 3:1
Slovenia - USA 1:2
England - Algeria 1:0

[Romanic]

2 - 0

0 - 1

2 - 0

[Rhyfelwyr]

2 - 0

1 - 1

3 - 0

edit: what's up with the serbia flag here? doesn't appear for anyone...

[naut]

Germany 3 - 0 Serbia
Slovenia 2 - 1 USA
England 2 - 1 Algeria

Predictions based entirely on statistics.... I wonder if that is a wise move on my part. Oh well. Time will tell.

[LeftEyeNine]

Yeah yeah. Alternatively, you could use the excited tone to write the Turkish FA and demand it changes its policy of disallowing gays in Turkish football.

Lol, what a sore reaction. That's almost the same as- oh nevermind, Backroom material.

Thanks for trying to fill irrelevancy quota of the day, Louis, you've made quite some effort. That I appreciate. // (clapclaps)

I don't mind how much I love French football right now. I'm all about Platini's pro-French management of UEFA and Sarkozy's raid in the last minute to build up a pressure on undecided votes for EURO 2016. Great result there where they said they'd like the tournament to be held at first-timer countries.

Very well deserved for Les Bleus. I wonder if Sarkozy and Platini would use their authority to make an appeal claiming that "France can't lose".

I say Henry should play in the last match. You know, history recurs, all chances should be taken into consideration.


* walks away with a broken heart that's holding Cissé, Diaby, Gourcuff and Evra inside.

[gaelic cowboy]

Now we will see what Germany are made of eh, man down and a goal down also and a ball of the upright saved off the line too.


Oh this is shaping up to be a cracker even though there might not be another score.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Oh this is shaping up to be a cracker even though there might not be another score.

The tournament has definately kicked up a notch in all the second matches in the groups. For better or for worse, there's been nothing but sensation for three days now!

Maybe teams were nervous for their opening matches, a bit too defensive, unused to the ball and circumstances?



@LEN - I know you had Turkey's failed bid for 2016 in mind. So had I. As a tip: don't fire and force into a hiding a referee for being homosexual just before the undecided must cast their vote.
Other than that, sorry for losing my cool. (But have some consideration for people who have just seen their teams (virtually) kicked out of the tournament. Speak your mind before a decisive game, not in excited CAPS directly after a devastating loss. Nerves are exhausted, tempers flare easily)

[LeftEyeNine]

Oh today's result predictions will follow as soon as I can get home. I apparently forgot all about them with the euphoria following the loss of Les Bleus Platini et Sarkozy.

[LeftEyeNine]

@Louis

I have no interest in whatever happened to some homosexual due to some decision of TFF for the topic has no connection to it.

Yet the connection, via the handball hence Platini, still stands for how French lobby in European football has gotten disgusting enough.

I have all rights to celebrate Mexico's victory, both fed by the hate towards Platini and Sarkozy and the joy of Mexico's win since they have achieved something for the first time against France. I am all ghey for underdogs.

If you feel like your nerves are exhausted and tempers are about to flare, go away in another direction, preferably rest your skull in the refrigerator for as long as you can.

This is how you do it in TW.org whether it is football or human rights of irrelevant gays being rejected by TFF. If you feel like going astray at some point, you HAVE TO disappear and chill, something I thought you knew better than me or you must know from now on being a moderator as you are.

Merci.

[gaelic cowboy]

The tournament has definately kicked up a notch in all the second matches in the groups. For better or for worse, there's been nothing but sensation for three days now!

Maybe teams were nervous for their opening matches, a bit too defensive, unused to the ball and circumstances?

I too excited to even reply properly

Oh god penalty saved

[Ser Clegane]

Aaaaaaargh!

'nuff said.

[Sarmatian]

C'mon guys don't argue, let's all focus on Serbia beating Germany after 37 years. What a nice timing :). You could also see how team spirit is alive and well, with Vidic showing Kuzmanovic that it is okay to use your hands in the box.

[LeftEyeNine]

May be failing at result predictions yet my favorites and surprises are coming into shape as Serbia beats Der Panzerererererer.

[gaelic cowboy]

Germany are now hoping that the Aussies beat Ghana then everyone is on a win and loss.

Is it beyond the realm of science, magic and the Elder Gods that Germany could stumble in the last game???? I hope they make it tournament would be poorer without them.

[Ser Clegane]

C'mon guys don't argue, let's all focus on Serbia beating Germany after 37 years. What a nice timing :). You could also see how team spirit is alive and well, with Vidic showing Kuzmanovic that it is okay to use your hands in the box.

I expect that the Serbian field players will play with their hands tied behind their back in the next match...

[pevergreen]

C'mon guys don't argue, let's all focus on Serbia beating Germany after 37 years.

When this hits the 6 o'clock news tomorrow, its gunna be huge.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Why, a 2-0 lead for Slovenia. You've got to ask: will Algeria beat England ?

[LeftEyeNine]

Sorry for the late predictions but:

Slovenia 1-2 USA
England 2-2 Algeria
Germany 1-2 Serbia

I'll put up my predictions of tomorrow as well which are as follows:

Ghana 2-2 Australia
Nederland 1-1 Japan
Cameroon 0-0 Denmark

[LeftEyeNine]

Yanks are about to seal the first comeback of the tournament.

[naut]

Argh! USA had to score. I was al set for the 3 points and then, boom, prediction blown out of the water.

[LeftEyeNine]

USA WINNING STREAK !

2 -2