Official World Cup Thread

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 06-25-2006, 00:06

Originally Posted by Soulforged

No, the opposite mate..."If we play as today Germany will win 4-0 at least"...

Ah! My bad, I'm sorry. I didn't read anymore than that line and I didn't even read that carefully!

Sorry. It'll be a good game.

**Big_John** · 06-25-2006, 01:14

unless argentina falls asleep, there's no way they are losing 4-0 to anyone. they didn't play badly at all today, it's just that no one knew how good mexico is. give them their credit, mexico is a world-class team, and they always play argentina close.

**scotchedpommes** · 06-25-2006, 01:59

Crespo seems to have been officially credited as having scored the own goal.
Another thing to irritate.

**Zalmoxis** · 06-25-2006, 08:13

Argentina all the way, since Romania will never again qualify, I chose the team I liked best at the beginning. Now I'm hoping they can take down Germany

**Gealai** · 06-25-2006, 08:44

I can't understand all the fuss about giving red-cards. IMHO both Lukic and Heinze made stupid errors but still errors which deserved the yellow-red and the direct red card. The rules are clearly stated and have to be followed as closly as possible, starting with the group phase. If they are not and "good sense" takes over all becomes a free game of interpretations.

Said that it is clear that a good deal of countries lack really good referees, given the absence of high-class football. It is common knowledge that the big european nations - even if Germany and Italy suffered ref-scandals -had and have the best ones, but are unable to send more of them by the FIFA policy. So we must observe guys with little big game experience making terrible errors.

**Red Peasant** · 06-25-2006, 08:50

I'm sorry, but a good referee should be like an orchestral conductor, not an officious, bumptious traffic warden. It is easy to destroy a game of football with an over-zealous application of the 'rules'. Rules are guides, not holy commandments.

And as for refs coming from the best leagues, well the English Prem is the biggest, richest and supposedly best in the world, and all we could send was Graham bloody Poll !

**Gealai** · 06-25-2006, 08:57

Red cards don't have to destroy a game as Italy-USA proved. The can give a game a very dramatic turn and charge it up emotionally.

The main problem is that the , IMHO right tough use of the rule is not enforced in the everyday football life. The players are simply not used to it. Football is mostly about instinct and reflexes grown over the years. Kinda hard to replace them for two months...

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 06-25-2006, 17:57

Originally Posted by Zalmoxis

Argentina all the way, since Romania will never again qualify, I chose the team I liked best at the beginning. Now I'm hoping they can take down Germany

No one will take down Germany

**InsaneApache** · 06-25-2006, 18:02

I thought Rooney was a bit under par, he might be a handful when he's firing on all cylinders. Pretty standard fare from Beckham, his goal could have been a bit tidier though. Anyroad we're through to the next round, so 'bring 'em on....'

**Red Peasant** · 06-25-2006, 18:26

Originally Posted by InsaneApache

I thought Rooney was a bit under par, he might be a handful when he's firing on all cylinders. Pretty standard fare from Beckham, his goal could have been a bit tidier though. Anyroad we're through to the next round, so 'bring 'em on....'

Hmm, but Rooney produced some special plays in the second half and seemed to get stronger if anything. The defenders were backing off him by the end. I thought that Carrick was great at the centre of midfield with a good range of long and short passing as well as timely interventions. He should stay in. Could we be the 'New Germany', quietly grinding out results without being overly impressive yet going far in the competition ... we shall see.