Official World Cup Thread

[Ser Clegane]

Today is the match between Portugal and Iran here in Frankfurt.

I just came home from doing the shopping for the weekend in the city and it was really fantastic to see all the happy fans from both countries filling the streets of Frankfurt.
I particularly likes a scene when two small fan Portuguese and Iranian fan groups started a kind of chanting competition and then posed together to take some pictures of the combined group.
That's the spirit I love to see here during the Worldcup

I am already looking forward to the match between Argentina and Holland that will take place in Frankfurt next week.
I expect the city of Frankfurt to be orange

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Iran vs. Portugal

In order for Mexico to get knocked out (which I would like very much), Portugal would have to win here to get first for sure. Than Angola would have to beat Iran more than 3-1 so I'm going to Portugal, but I really want to underdogs to win this game. I'm torn...

Iran is doing well. They don't have possession of the ball almost at all, but they are making their chances when they get the ball. Portugal just can't finish and it seems even with their possession numbers they can't even get a good look.

[Dutch_guy]

So how did the game turn out ?

Did I miss anything by missing the game ?

[Rodion Romanovich]

Portugal 2-0 Iran. Was pretty good football (Portugal always is), but the second goal was penalty shot and Portugal wasn't in top-shape. Miguel, Deco and Figo played well though.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Wow, Ghana dominated Czech republic 2-0. Could easily have been 4-0

[Dutch_guy]

Now that surprised me a lot, didn't think Ghana would rip the Czech republic to pieces as they did...

Now it makes it a lot harder for the Czechs to go through to the next round, they have to beat Italy, whereas they would have been there already had they won todays match.

If they lose, and Ghana beats the US (likely) then Ghana's through.

That would be a surprise...

[LeftEyeNine]

Here goes the inability caused by a weak bench. Did anyone see some influential Czech forward on the pitch ?

[ShadesPanther]

Here goes the inability caused by a weak bench. Did anyone see some influential Czech forward on the pitch ?

The Beanpole up front wasn't very good. He is like a poor man's Peter Crouch.
He will not be playing against Italy now. Who else is there upfront?

The Czechs simply got out muscled by Ghana. They lost almost every 50-50 and they just couldn't get the ball off some of the players. A well deserved win though.

[ShadesWolf]

An excellent game

2-0 is by no means a reflection on this match.
Ghana missed a pen and could have had 10.
The Czechs seemed to struggle without 'The big guy' and Baros.

[Crazed Rabbit]

GO GHANA!!!!!!!!!
A huge upset, 2-0 victory over the Czechs!

The US is still in it! Now if they can just win against Italy...

Crazed Rabbit

[InsaneApache]

GO GHANA!!!!!!!!!
A huge upset, 2-0 victory over the Czechs!

The US is still in it! Now if they can just win against Italy...

Crazed Rabbit

There's more chance of a creationist embracing Darwinism.

(oopps wrong board )

Ghana played well.

[doc_bean]

I don't quite understand why Ghana still played so 'enthousiastic' in the last few minutes though, they even missed a few goals by rushing in as they did.

It seems like US-Italy is truning into a bloodbath right now ...

[x-dANGEr]

Czech really missed their big boys..

Anyway, go USA!! (Man.. That red card was more than surely deserved.. Come on Italy, what are you playing; soccer or karate?)

[Knight Templar]

I'm just watching, 10 Italians vs 9 Americans. Italian offensive players play terribly.

[Idaho]

Whoa! Now that's soccer

Fantastic stuff. Well done US. I think if McBride had been a better player they might have even won.

I wonder if the game has converted any Americans to the beauty of draws?

[Louis VI the Fat]

That was fantastic! One of the most interesting games so far. The Americans in the audience didn't look all that enthusiatic, when all the foreign papers will applaud the American team. Maybe the old stereotype still applies, that Americans just don't have a feel for 'soccer', at least a different one.

The Italy/ Czech / USA/ Ghana group is the most exciting by far. Their final games last round should be two thrillers. Brilliant stuff.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

That was a crappy game...are red cards for late tackles usual?

[doc_bean]

I liked the game, good play from the Americans. A little too violent a game perhaps though...

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I can't believe Ghana beat the Czech Republic. Luck? Yes. Hard work? Yes.

On any given day though any team can win and the chances of that happening again in my mind are slim to none. Czech vs. Italy will be an amazing game. Ghana vs. United States will be an amazing game.

I just can't wait for Argentina vs. Netherlands and Germany vs. Equador.

[Dutch_guy]

That was quite the game, exiting really.

Must say the referee knew what he was doing, 3 red cards and each and every one of them was deserved, also props to the linesman for cancelling the late US goal. Would have been great had they won, but it really was offside.

I'd expected the Italians to eventually score the winning goal considering how each and every American was thoroughly exhausted, but the goal wasn't scored, mainly due to some great reflexes by the US keeper.

As said, this group is definitely the most interesting one, each team is still able to progress to the next round!

Looking forward to the Italy - Czech republic game, bound to be interesting !

[Quid]

USA - Italy

One of the best games I have actually ever seen. Not in terms of quality necessarily but in terms of heart and intensity. Both teams really wanted the win. This game had it all. Red cards, yellow cards, blood, simulating Italians, goals, offsides, offside goal and a wholly open group...what else could you wish for? The only thing that was missing, I suppose, was a winner. Then again, after having seen the look on Lippi's face, the US definitely took it.

What a marvelous evening of football and what a joy to be alive to have seen it...

This, of course, is the view of someone that didn't favour any team in particular but just wanted to see an intense game and got what he bargained for...

Thank you football!

Quid

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Italy was better. The USA's goal was pure luck. They'd be nothing without that. LUCK. Nothing more.

[Crazed Rabbit]

A great performance by Americans. Down a man for 40+ minutes, and they tied Italy.

Yes, Italy scored both goals, but Americans pushed hard the whole game. And the red for the late tackle was, to me, absurd.

Italy was a man up for 40 mins-and America was what-a 8-1 underdog? The Americans deserved this.

And now, if Italy beats Czech, and America beats Ghana, we can advance! A decidely heated group. Any team could advance. Heck, Ghana could be the group leader (though I certainly hope not).

Crazed Rabbit

[scotchedpommes]

Don't see the Americans getting past Ghana if they play as well as they did
today against the Czechs. Was willing them to beat the Italians after the
elbowing, almost as much as I wanted the Germans beaten four years ago.


[Also need to see France actually show up for the match tomorrow night against
South Korea.]

[The Black Ship]

That was quite the game, exiting really.

Must say the referee knew what he was doing, 3 red cards and each and every one of them was deserved, also props to the linesman for cancelling the late US goal. Would have been great had they won, but it really was offside.

I'd expected the Italians to eventually score the winning goal considering how each and every American was thoroughly exhausted, but the goal wasn't scored, mainly due to some great reflexes by the US keeper.

As said, this group is definitely the most interesting one, each team is still able to progress to the next round!

Looking forward to the Italy - Czech republic game, bound to be interesting !

Well, being a fan of the team that received the smelly end of the stick I can't believe you're serious about the ref. Pope's two yellows, OK, if we're going by the letter of the law...but when does any ref go by the letter of the law? Mastroeni's was a yellow, plain and simple. Has been all tourney, why the sudden change in interpretation? And, I've seen Drogba take a swipe at a ball when he was "passive" and the goal stood... are you saying THAT ref was wrong

Do I sound biased

[Alexanderofmacedon]

A great performance by Americans. Down a man for 40+ minutes, and they tied Italy.

Yes, Italy scored both goals, but Americans pushed hard the whole game. And the red for the late tackle was, to me, absurd.

Italy was a man up for 40 mins-and America was what-a 8-1 underdog? The Americans deserved this.

And now, if Italy beats Czech, and America beats Ghana, we can advance! A decidely heated group. Any team could advance. Heck, Ghana could be the group leader (though I certainly hope not).

Crazed Rabbit

Nope. America is seeded 5th and Italy 13th. Those seedings gave USA way too good a standing, but they were supposedly the favorites. I don't know how I want this to turn out though. I want the worst teams to come out of every group to help Germany's chances, but I don't who the worst two are!

[Louis VI the Fat]

[Also need to see France actually show up for the match tomorrow night against
South Korea.]

Oh the princesses will show up alright. The question is, will the combined striking force of Arsenal, Manchester United, Olympique Lyon and Juventus manage to break the record currently held by Bolivia: that of the team that went longest without scoring at a world cup?

Really, how can you have Henry and manage to field a team that can't score goals?
(well I know why: because Domenech won't play Trezeguet, the natural couple with Henry front. Because he didn't bring Giuly, champions league winner with Barcelona and whose goal kicked out AC Milan in the semis. Because Zidane is worried about his status as number one and refuses to have the team play in a manner that fits Henry. And blahblahblah)


Edit: the ref from the US-Italy game was truly excellent. All his major decisions were correct.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Oh the princesses will show up alright. The question is, will the combined striking force of Arsenal, Manchester United, Olympique Lyon and Juventus manage to break the record currently held by Bolivia: that of the team that went longest without scoring at a world cup?

Really, how can you have Henry and manage to field a team that can't score goals?
(well I know why: because Domenech won't play Trezeguet, the natural couple with Henry front. Because he didn't bring Giuly, champions league winner with Barcelona and whose goal kicked out AC Milan in the semis. Because Zidane is worried about his status as number one and refuses to have the team play in a manner that fits Henry. And blahblahblah)


Edit: the ref from the US-Italy game was truly excellent. All his major decisions were correct.

I live in the USA and I think I'm the only American who wouldn't have a biased decision about the refs because I'm a German fan. As you can see though a French man and a Dutch man (men gaining from neither side) agreed to good refs. I'd agree with them.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Edit: the ref from the US-Italy game was truly excellent. All his major decisions were correct.

He was suspended in 2002 and not allowed to ref in the last world cup...of course they play it up more on american tv but he was certainly inconsistant.

I don't think the game result would have been different, but it would have been nice. The game itself was poor to watch, set piece goals are boring and the US made a lot of bad passes which was a letdown after watching Ghana.

[drone]

Mastroeni's red card was a poor decision by the ref, should have been a yellow at the most.

Hell of a game though. Even though their finishing was crap, at least the US showed up. Though if Arena plays Beasely against Ghana, he should be fired. With fresh legs and his pace, he just didn't do anything. All his teamates spent in the second half, and Beasely just stood around, didn't challenge any balls, didn't seem to put any effort in at all. Hopefully his last international performance, he doesn't deserve another.

Go Italy, go USA. Pretty entertaining group. Ghana looks tough though, wouldn't surprise me if they win the group outright.