Worldcup 2006 (merged)

[ciberfog]

Hmm Mexico-Argentina the first one in score will win im pretty sure, those games are very close, and Mexico plays better versus good teams (not like angola rofl). And if Mexico dont have another weird day like today (1 penalty given, 1 pentalty fail, 1 red card, etc etc) The game will be interesting. Good luck Mexico is time to grow up!

[steelballzz]

the papers today talk about fonseca and how he would like to play in europe

we could use a striker here at SPORTING CLUB DE PORTUGAL.....a good one....

is that team where he plays from the premier league of mexico?

[ciberfog]

Well Cruz azul is one of the biggest teams in Mexico, very popular here, in the last 10 years they have 2 championships im pretty sure of this (correct me sorrento if im wrong lol).

But oh yeah, Europe > America in Club teams.

Fonseca is a warrior, sometimes he can score 4 goals, other times dont, but he always run run and run. good player.

[3stars]

Found the game on ESPN2, cool. I haven't watched soccer since I moved here 12 years ago.

ahhhhh it's called football for g*d's sake it's not the "fisa" world cup it's fiFa world cup i've had more arguments than hot dinners in the last week about this they call it soccer here and it bug's me silly oh please oh please call it football pleeesse xxxxxxx

[red930]

So!

 

Who thinks that if the US is beating Ghana that the Italians and Czech Republic will give it a "wink" and simply play to a tie to allow both of them to advance while blocking the US from advancing?

 

I know it's happened in WC play before but do you think it could happen again?

 

I can just imagine that some would think it's quite acceptable for Italy and the Czech Republic to "agree" to the tie to assure themselves of living another day to play.

[Sorrento]

I call it Fútbol...

 

Not sure if playing in Europe is better... the salaries here are huge, and IMO and the opinion of a lot of people who know about the sport the Mexican league is probably third or fourth in importance and level aroudn the world. Players from south america want to play either in Europe or in Mexico, and the ones who know prefer Mexico.

 

But sometimes players have this dream of playing with a European team... I would too, Guille Franco is playing in Villareal and is probably being paid like nothing, specially considering Monterrey paid him millions per tournament. But a dream is a dream, the Mexican league doesn't have enough weight yet and who can argue about wanting to play at the LFP

 

IMO Cruz Azul is just another team... they are not Monterrey... But it is a honest team, not like certain others I am not going to speak about in here. El Kikin (aka Francisco Fonseca) would probably take any serious offers from any european team, and strange enough he is aparently good looking or something from what I have read from the confederations cup and now the WC; I still think he is just weird

 

Australia is playing today vs. the Ivory Statues... err, I mean Croatia, hehe. Come on, can a team MOVE ANY LESS???... ohh wait, they can, they are called Serbia/Montenegro... lol. A tie would give the aussies the next round... I think its deserved, if only they could stop making all those fouls: Japanese players were screaming "The war is over!!!!, please don't hurt us!!!!" during the match... hehe, isn't that ironic?

 

I hear Kewel had a big fight with the stooopid Hiddink... he nearly sent the player home. I hope Hiddink just let them play with out sticking his ideas, like in the first game; only an accident could make things bad for the team, and that "accident" is called Gus Hiddink :mad:

[Sorrento]

Ohh, forgot about the US vs. Ghana... last chance, and against a huge team, for the US. They need to win, Italy will probably do the same with the Czech's... so IMO its in the US' hands.

[Sorrento]

I have seen Markus Merk as referee between 12 and 15 times, many of them in Champions League games... and IMO he is one of the best referees in the world.

 

That being said, I think there is a plot from FIFA to make teams from America loose and help teams from Africa move into the second round. Yesterday in the Mexico/Portugal game a foul was commited inside Portugal's box and instead of a PK the fouled player got a second yellow card. Mexico lost 1-2 and if Angola would have won 2-0 over Iran would have passed as second place over Mexico. Angola didn't had any oportunities against Iran, of course, and ended up in a 1-1 tie... I am going to check that game for any anomalies.

 

Now Markus Merk awards Ghana with a PK with a lesser foul, if any foul existed, and its pretty obvious there is a plot to help Ghana win and go to the next round. The first goal should have been nullified because Ghana's player IMO commited a fould over Claudio Reyna; lesser foul was what sent Pope out of the previous game (second yellow card). Lots of fouls from Ghana, and some should receive yellow card but didn't. The Slovakian referee might be just bad, a rotten apple, a pleb... but what about Markus Merk??? All this smells bad.

 

Next world cup is in South Africa... so FIFA wants to make sure at least one African nation goes to the second round. This is very seriuos... I am watching the games with my Dad and both of us came to the same conclusion. If this is true... I really hope it is not.

 

Italy is doing their job, but I don't know what to think anymore. Lets see what happens later in the US/Ghana game.

[KimTjik]

Sorrento @

 

Even the best referee makes mistakes. If what you state is correct, then it's indeed a very swift change of mind from FIFA's side. I've watched some of the other games where African teams were involved, and they certainly didn't receive any favors, actually on the contrary they were robbed on free and penalty kicks.

 

I see you take the games very serious, but that won't change the fact that human error might at times play a bigger role than we wish to.

 

By the way: I really believe USA is one of the most overrated teams on FIFA's ranking anyway.

[Sorrento]

Sorrento @

 

Even the best referee makes mistakes. If what you state is correct, then it's indeed a very swift change of mind from FIFA's side. I've watched some of the other games where African teams were involved, and they certainly didn't receive any favors, actually on the contrary they were robbed on free and penalty kicks.

 

I see you take the games very serious, but that won't change the fact that human error might at times play a bigger role than we wish to.

 

By the way: I really believe USA is one of the most overrated teams on FIFA's ranking anyway.

Well the thing is how you are not considering how good Markus Merk is, or was... that play viewed from behind, where the referee was, could never have been mistaken by a foul. I still don't understand how Dr. Merk could have missed that one, and together with certain aspects of yesterday's games make me believe there is something behind the referee's performance.

 

As for the USA team, lets just say it is YET another team that dies of the infamous 5-4-1 disease. The 4 players in midfield is a useless lineup, with Landon Donovan lost between them and McBride alone forward. A two or three forward lineup, something like Mexico's type of game, should have been used by the US... and also FRANCE too btw. In Mexico Fonseca and Bravo, both forwards, start each game... if its not Fonseca then it is Guille Franco or Jared Borgetti. USA and France weight on the offense was expecting an error from their adversaries, with 4 midfield players stealing the ball should be highly probable... but at the same time 4 midfield defenders won't make too many offensive plays. Another forward instead of one of the midfielders should have been the startup lineup, a 5-3-2... lets see if France finally understand this and include Trezegool to team up with Henry on the forward.

 

I really hope you are right, I am just telling the story as I see it. If you remember Ivory Coast games against Argentina and against Netherlands you will see both Argentina and Netherlands played almost perfectly against them, no chance for referee error. Ivory Coast was a favorite to at least upset one of the bigger teams... their no chance for going into the next round could have been the reason behind the help given to both Angola and now Ghana. IMO Ghana didn't need any help, but maybe they did... a 1-1 tie against the US would have been the just result of the game, but I really don't think Ghana would't have receive more goals from the US so who knows.

 

I have seen a lot of things KimTjik, you wouldn't even believe half of them... I know a lot can be done and undone, its a shame what makes football so great can also make it so bad. I hope I am mistaken.

[red930]

Iran tied Portugal yesterday i think...ha ha....

[Sorrento]

Iran tied vs. Angola... not Portugal

 

Angola was winning and then Iran tied, I think thru a corner kick header. Good result, both shouldn't leave with out points.

 

Portugal beat Mexico 2-1... grrrrr, with Mexico having only 10 players and missing a PK... they should have won, not only tie... if they keep playing as bad as they do, they should return home and stop the worldwide humiliation :mad: Portugal was playing at near half throttle... thats what worries and makes me angry.