Official World Cup Thread

[Goalie]

GOOAALL for the U.S. finally a goal that we actually scored. GAH! Now ghana has a pk, come on keller.

[Goalie]

Dang, Ghana scored, 2-1 Ghana, haha the czechs got a guy sent off now and are playing with 10.

[Goalie]

Dang, Ghana scored, 2-1 Ghana, haha the czechs got a guy sent off now and are playing with 10.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

So ghana wins? That's cool, I was kinda rooting for them anyway, they were more fun to watch than the us. Hopefully they'll broadcast the ghana vs brazil game.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Doesn't really matter if USA advances, they'd play Brazil...

[DukeofSerbia]

For one hour Croatia play against Australia. Or maybe I can say Croatia B as 7 Australian players have Croat origin and two players of Croatia are born in Australia.


I did't comment game between Serbia nad Cot d'Ivore. Žigić is defenitely best Serbian striker. But Dudić played volleyball.

[Big_John]

whoa, that australia/croatia game was strange. more awful refing.. but it was just a weird finish anyway.. wild.

[[DnC]]

I'm so angry, yet so happy.

I'm angry that Graham Poll is such a useless referee. Australia should have been given 3 penalties. First Viduka was clearly held by the croatian defender. Second he actualy managed to see it right, wow, is that possible for Poll? Third was again hands as was the second, it was so clear in the replay. Really you ought to think he at least should have seen the first, he was standing right behind them for crying out loud!!

Also... let me catch my breath for a moment because I'm crying in laughter here... Hahaahahahahahahha.
Here it goes: Poll gave Simuníc 3 YELLOW CARDS, yes T H R E E!
What a bloody fool.
Incase you are wondering if Simuníc was given red with the third yellow card, yes he did (if you haven't watched the match that is).

And ofcourse I'm happy AUSTRALIA IS THROUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[i]GO AUSSIES GO!!!!



Despite the second aussie goal was offside, they DESERVED it!!!

[Red Peasant]

Ask any English football fan, we could all tell you how useless Graham Poll is.

[Soulforged]

Indeed, a decent game with decent football shown by both teams.

As said, it would have been great had there actually been something at stake, well maybe we'll meet you again in the semi's ?

Would most definitely be a great match if both sides start with their best team, unlike yesterday.

I've a question though. Many times I heard people refering to your country as Holanda (i.e. "Holland"), but then I hear Países Bajos (i.e. Netherlands). And I see that in your location it says Holland... My question is: How do you refer to yourselves then, as Holland or The Netherlands or Nederlands (as I saw in some flag)?

[Kralizec]

Usually as the Netherlands. Holland is used more in sport, it's how we're known internationally I guess and shouting "Netherlands!" is a whole mouthfull.

[Soulforged]

Usually as the Netherlands. Holland is used more in sport, it's how we're known internationally I guess and shouting "Netherlands!" is a whole mouthfull.

Thanks.

[Louis VI the Fat]

That ref was Pollocks. The single worst refereeing I've ever seen. Bloody unbelievable.

The US we're very unlucky too. No way that was a penalty for Ghana.
Shame, I rather enjoyed team USA. They were spectacular at times, if a bit immature tactically. You don't clear through the centre, never, ever. Would've spared them the penalty.

So far, the refereeing has been mostly disastrous at this tournament.

[scotchedpommes]

The US we're very unlucky too. No way that was a penalty for Ghana.
Shame, I rather enjoyed team USA. They were spectacular at times, if a bit immature tactically. You don't clear through the centre, never, ever. Would've spared them the penalty.

Spectacular, Louis? When? I remember them being quite a bit better at the last
World Cup, but the only thing that was impressive about them this time was
their stamina against Italy.

As for Graham Poll, I remember an English friend of mine telling me after a
particularly bad game that he would surely make terrible mistakes at the World
Cup because he's such a... so-and-so, shall we say. Well, I watch the
Premiership too, and I'm sure I'd said [more out of hope that he would improve
for such a big stage] that he'd be fine. But that was unbelievable. I'm glad the
Australians survived regardless - although with their useless Croat keeper how
they managed it is simply inexplicable.

Or maybe I can say Croatia B as 7 Australian players have Croat origin and two players of Croatia are born in Australia.

Was it not even as many as 4 players on the Croatian team that were Australian
born? I'll almost be surprised if I don't see the likes of Šimunić wearing Australian
colours against Italy.

[Papewaio]

Yes the Aus vs Croatia game was umm interesting.

If you divided it up into the top 3 ethnic group combinations it was somthing like this:

Australia/Croats
Croats
Australian/other.

[Soulforged]

Australia and Ghana the two surprises of this World Cup definetively!! Australia has a great team they might even get to Quarters.

[Fragony]

I've a question though. Many times I heard people refering to your country as Holanda (i.e. "Holland"), but then I hear Países Bajos (i.e. Netherlands). And I see that in your location it says Holland... My question is: How do you refer to yourselves then, as Holland or The Netherlands or Nederlands (as I saw in some flag)?

Holland is really just the western part of the Netherlands, us calling the country it kinda slipped in somehow.

[Big_John]

ouch, tunisia got absolutely robbed. don't think anything could be worse than the reffing in the croatia/australia game, but this is certainly as bad. feel bad for tunisia, they are playing better with 10 than the ukraine is with 11. assuming this score holds, i'd say the ukraine is the least impressive team going through to the round of 16.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

ouch, tunisia got absolutely robbed. don't think anything could be worse than the reffing in the croatia/australia game, but this is certainly as bad. feel bad for tunisia, they are playing better with 10 than the ukraine is with 11. assuming this score holds, i'd say the ukraine is the least impressive team going through to the round of 16.

Did you see what they did against Saudi Arabia though? It's pretty nice.

[Big_John]

Did you see what they did against Saudi Arabia though? It's pretty nice.

not sure what you mean.. did i see what the ukraine did against saudi arabia? sure, but the saudi's aren't a very good team. the ukraine hasn't shown anything to me in this first round. all they do is argue with each other and play individually. they should have lost this game, only the ref kept them from that. they look like a second-rate team. maybe their form will improve in the next round. they better hope it does.

[DukeofSerbia]

I'm so angry, yet so happy.

I'm angry that Graham Poll is such a useless referee. Australia should have been given 3 penalties. First Viduka was clearly held by the croatian defender. Second he actualy managed to see it right, wow, is that possible for Poll? Third was again hands as was the second, it was so clear in the replay. Really you ought to think he at least should have seen the first, he was standing right behind them for crying out loud!!

Also... let me catch my breath for a moment because I'm crying in laughter here... Hahaahahahahahahha.
Here it goes: Poll gave Simuníc 3 YELLOW CARDS, yes T H R E E!
What a bloody fool.
Incase you are wondering if Simuníc was given red with the third yellow card, yes he did (if you haven't watched the match that is).

And ofcourse I'm happy AUSTRALIA IS THROUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[i]GO AUSSIES GO!!!!



Despite the second aussie goal was offside, they DESERVED it!!!

Graham Poll was referee on game Italy - Croatia two years ago (I think on EURO 2004) and he didn't saw clear penalty for Italy and on Croatian State television they confessed that Poll was wrong. And now he did it again...

Šimunić played twice with hand obviosily.

[Big_John]

holy adidas! i think i just saw a game without extraordinarily bad reffing! togo/france. only like, 3 or 4 yellow cards! same ref that threw off around 10 players in the usa/italy game! maybe he got a word from above that he'd better clean up his act if he wants to ref any of the knock-out games...

sadly, so far, this is the world cup of awful reffing.. i hope it doesn't end up remembered that way.

[InsaneApache]

Concerning Graham Poll...this is from the [Manchester] Guardian.

GRAHAM POLL'S DIARY: FRIDAY JUNE 23, 2006

7.34am
Wake from sound night's sleep when alarm rings. My, it's early. Yawn! Never mind; rising with the lark keeps the old brain sharp. Time to rise and shine. Get up off floor and clamber into bed.

7.35am
No, that's not right. Get out of bed.

7.37am
Shower and shave. Then get dressed. Shorts on: check. Shirt on: check. Whistle in pocket: check. Notebook: check. Pencil: check. Green, orange and purple cards: check, check, check. Pull on pair of socks.

7.41am
Pull on pair of socks.

7.42am
Pull on pair of socks.

7.43am
Bah! Shoes don't fit! What's going on here? Oh to hell with it. Decide to make some breakfast.

10.08am
Carve the meat. Settle down and polish off delicious morning repast of roast beef, two veg, Yorkshire pud and lashings of thick custard.

10.31am
Sit down in chair to watch TV.

10.55am
Wonder why TV is not working.

11.01am
Turn chair round to face TV. Ah that's better. But the TV's talking about me! "We had a first in the history of the World Cup," says Fifa president Sepp Blatter. "Unfortunately, when a player received three yellow cards, this is a little bit too much." None of that lip, son! You're booked! Show TV orange card.

11.03am
TV doesn't stop backchat. "We have had four officials and what is not understandable is that nobody intervened. One of them should have intervened and run on to the field and said, 'Stop, stop'." Grrrr! Show TV five more orange cards and a green.

11.04am
TV plays on regardless. "In terms of the referee, this will be analysed. I place my trust in the referees' committee. I think they have enough tact to deal with this case." Alright, son, you've made your point, but now you've gone too far. Show TV three green cards and 17 purples. Any more of this and you're off! I mean it!

11.05am
Have totally lost control of the TV. "We should not forget that Graham Poll in previous matches achieved fantastic things. Of course, we cannot excuse it but we should understand it."

11.07am
Help! Living room descends into anarchy. Book chair, sofa, occasional table (four times), mirror and corner unit. Finally lose patience with TV and show green, purple and orange cards all at once to make a big brown card. An early bath for you!

11.08am
Run bath.

11.13am
Put TV in bath.

11.14am
Jump in car with square wheels. Drive to train station to catch flight home.

Eerily factual....

[Quid]

Yessss!!! Done it! Only team not to have conceded any goals...yet. I am sure that will change pretty quickly once we're playing the Ukraine. I think, however, that we should beat them. The quarters are waiting...

We will probably have to play the second round without Senderos. He dislocated his shoulder...

!!!Hopp Schwiiz!!!

Quid

[Louis VI the Fat]

Allez les Bleus!!!11!!!!UN!!1!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Phew...

Spain - France next! What a cracker, a true tradional.
Oh, and: Hopp Schwiiz!

[scotchedpommes]

The Swiss have done well, and two nice goals for France as well - although
while I think Switzerland could take the Ukraine, I don't see France managing
Spain. But you never know, as Spain do have a habit of flopping at major
tournaments, don't they?

[Big_John]

both france/spain and swiss/ukraine should be good matches. spain has looked very good, but they have a tendency to choke in the knock-out phases (maybe not this early though). france certainly has the talent to play with spain, but will they actually find their form, or will they play like they played through much of the 1st round? in the other match, neither the swiss nor the ukraine have looked particularly good to this point, imo. so that could be an exciting match-up, though the swiss have a tendency to make for boring matches, from what i've seen. hard games to pick.

[Soulforged]

France plays better without Zizu? The world that I knew is no more.

Anyway congratulations there... I knew France will make it this time.

[scotchedpommes]

neither the swiss nor the ukraine have looked particularly good to this point, imo. so that could be an exciting match-up, though the swiss have a tendency to make for boring matches, from what i've seen. hard games to pick.

Hm. I would've said the Swiss were the better to watch, really. And when
evaluating the performance of the Ukraine I personally would not be counting
the drubbing of a team that isn't up to the competition like Saudi Arabia, as
much as they did give Tunisia a good fight. The Ukraine simply haven't performed,
I agree with that - their lacklustre showing against Tunisia was evidence enough.

I'm not suggesting that Switzerland is the new Greece, but they certainly look
decent, and I think winning their group and not conceding goals will give them a
good morale boost.

[Big_John]

I'm not suggesting that Switzerland is the new Greece, but they certainly look
decent, and I think winning their group and not conceding goals will give them a
good morale boost.

oh man, i hope they are not the new greece.. that was one yawn-filled uefa euro championship. maybe i'm the only one, but i found the greek style in that tourney to be mind-numbingly boring. i wouldn't say the swiss are that boring. and yeah, they haven't looked bad like the ukraine, but they haven't looked terribly good either. i'll reserve any more judgement until i see them play a quality side.