Neowin's Official World Cup 2006 Thread

[Krpano]

Thanks Martyn for the info.

To conclude with Ronaldo from my part, i agree that today he move a bit less than in the past but when he can get the ball and turn the adversary defense go nuts and he will have like 2 or 3 of them over him. Still like this he manage to do some good actions in a so short space.

When i see some ppl talking about the US team here, i see pure US bashing.

I think they are in the good direction, they have good physic conditions and skilled players ( McBride, Beasley and Johnson for ex.). Now they just need good tactic shemas and a bit of football experience. And this will come with time only.

Anyway, today there is a good round.

The group G is really tight, Suisse x Korea need to win because France can get one of their places if there is a draw.

And France need to win by a good score, first: to qualify and second: to not be humiliated again like in 2002.

Man, i love football.

:D

Go TOGO !!!

[PaulCabby]

From BBC.co.uk http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/w...006/4853416.stm

Fat Pig making World Cup Story :devil:

For once I agree with you ;) He might not be what he was before, but still a potent goalscorer.

[leesmithg]

What are you? Mystic Meg :p

Nope, was hoping.

Japs scored a good first goal then they did the too much respect for Brasil b.s.

[geek_rohit]

Ronaldo finally breaks the duck! Brazil now looks threatening. Czech Republic played well but Italy outclassed them finally. Ghana has really surprised by moving in the knockouts. Deciding game for France today, which they should win at all cost.

My yesterday's predictions

Czech Republic 1-2 Italy (Actual result Czech Republic 0 - 2 Italy, the Czechs scored, but Italians scored 2 :))

Ghana 2-2 USA (Actual result Ghana 2 - 1 USA, I though Ghana will win but USA managed a draw :p)

Japan 1-3 Brazil (Actual result Japan 1 - 4 Brazil. pretty close, Brazil scored a goal more.)

Croatia 1-1 Australia (Actual result Croatia 2 - 2 Australia, i knew they will draw but they both scored a goal more than i predicted :p )

My predictions for today's games

Ukraine 2-0 Tunisia

Saudi Arabia 0-3 Spain

Switzerland 2-2 Korea Republic

Togo 1-2 France

[golazo]

hopefully u.s.gay slide down the fifa rankings to where they belong (20-30)

and graeme poll is a fool, imagine if croatia scored near the end.. his career would be over for sure and a replay would probably need to be played

[PaulCabby]

It wasn't totally his fault (maybe the 3 yellows were). But he had 3 other match officials to tell him that he was wrong + that radio thingy.

[L3thal Veteran]

Well, we have two more teams in - Spain and Ukraine.

[Krpano]

And i think in the group G, Korea and France will pass.

[L3thal Veteran]

I believe it will be Swiss and France. I believe Switzerland will beat Korea and France as well, leaving those two in.

[qdave]

what a great game by SWISS! they just need to hold on for another 45 mins..ahh so scary :D

it will be swiss and france or swiss and korea (if france wont win, which i hope it wont)

[fascist]

hopefully u.s.gay slide down the fifa rankings to where they belong (20-30)

and graeme poll is a fool, imagine if croatia scored near the end.. his career would be over for sure and a replay would probably need to be played

And your problem is :huh:

U.S lossssttttttt :cry: :cry: :cry:

[Martyn]

Well, we have two more teams in - Spain and Ukraine.

What did you think of the Spain performance? I thought they did quite well considering they fielded an entire different starting eleven. Just goes to show their strength in depth, I think they will do well in this World Cup.

[sin-ergy]

Holy ****. Anyone see that swiss 2nd goal? That referee needs to be shot for over ruling the offside call!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[metallithrax]

Viera fell as though he was hit by a scud. He got a little slap :laugh:

[Krpano]

Holy ****. Anyone see that swiss 2nd goal? That referee needs to be shot for over ruling the offside call!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Swiss player was offside ?....im watching France

Can anyone tell me ?

[ZZOOzzoo]

The Swiss player was offside ?....im watching France

Can anyone tell me ?

The sub-referee held up his flag to indicate Swiss player off-side, but when that player scored a goal, with no attempt of defense from Korean team naturally, it was acknowledged as a goal. Even worse, the referee managed to ignore two handling from Swiss team.

Oh well.

[Krpano]

The sub-referee held up his flag to indicate Swiss player off-side, but when that player scored a goal, with no attempt of defense from Korean team naturally, it was acknowledged as a goal. Even worse, the referee managed to ignore two handling from Swiss team.

Oh well.

thanks mate...ill watch it before i give my opinion...:)

[L3thal Veteran]

What did you think of the Spain performance? I thought they did quite well considering they fielded an entire different starting eleven. Just goes to show their strength in depth, I think they will do well in this World Cup.

I didn't see their game today, I was tuned in to the Ukranian game. However, considering how bad Saudi Arabia is, I was expecting Spain to win at least 2-0 even with their reserves. Nonetheless, they have played pretty well so far.

About the offside, personally, I think the referee made the right call. The pass was made and he was offside at the time, BUT, the Korean defender deflected the ball which would put him back onside since the last player to touch it wasn't a Swiss player. Korea should blame themselves for not continuing with the play; never rely on the refs to make a call.

Just like I predicted before both games, France and Switzerland are in :)

[qdave]

so france vs spain and swiss vs ukraine.

that 2nd swiss goal was a bit weird...i think it should have been cancelled.

Edited June 23, 2006 by qdave

[Krpano]

Well, The referee was right....

The ball wasnt directed to the swiss player at the offside position when it was intercepted/deviated by the korean.

Still im a bit sad too see that referees keep changing the course of games/championships with "strange" decisions.

The Swiss team got a little help through the first round (against France/Togo) of this world cup.

We can consider a bit normal when you see what is Blatter's nationality.

The same kind of push up happened in 2002, at that time for the asiatic teams.

And when i read J. Blatter answering the reporter's question about why FIFA wont implement the replays for the referee to hard decision situations: " We want to keep the human side in the football"

Clearly by "human" he meant "controlable".

Anyway, now the serious business start.

Edited June 23, 2006 by Krpano

[L3thal Veteran]

Krpano, I believe you are looking into this more than you have to. Why won't FIFA implement a replay system? Its really simple. Football/soccer is a sport of continuous action for 45 minutes per half. If replays would be implemented, the whole concept of the game would be changed, which is no stopping of the action. Can you imagine a replay system? Switzerland would have scored the goal, the players would argue for two minutes with the linesmen and ref and then the ref would have to go check the replay which by the time everything is sorted, 5-10 minutes have passed. Do you think that is reasonable? No, I do not think so and its good that FIFA has said no and they will continue to do so. Can you imagine 65 minute halves because of replays? :huh:

About the referee's favoring certain teams, that is natural. Bigger teams will always get more calls in their favor, taking for example Brazil and Australia where every disuputed ball was called a foul against the Australians. The home teams and bigger teams will always influence the referee because of their history.

[Krpano]

L3thal, i understand what you mean.

But there is decent ways to prevent a single man (the referee) to have the absolute control of one game.

The replays could be easily implement and used by a pair of table referees, and they could decide the situation in a matter of seconds and transmit the correct info for the field referee on the fly. It wouldnt take more than few seconds.

It wont happen, because they dont want.

The referees in this world cup are a bunch of lame'os.

They give yellow cards for absolute everything.

Till now i dont understand why the referee have that small audio receiver.

The biggest example of the bad coordination was yesterday when the Croatian player got 3 yellow cards in the same game, what a joke....lol

And what you said: "The home teams and bigger teams will always influence the referee because of their history."

This is what im talking about, and it has to change.

And the easiest way to control the situation is when a single man give the orders.

All this go much further than the simple problem of home and bigger teams.

There is much money involved in the football.

Just see the problem that happened in Italy few time ago. A similar problem happened in Brazil last year, i believe.

Oh well, better i stop here...im going off topic... :)

Back on topic.

Tomorrow, 2 really nice games.

[L3thal Veteran]

Yea, tomorrow's games look promising :yes:

[Ultomato]

it sucks that we (korea) went against teams that are sleeping giants. Like france and switzerland. They were just waiting to unleash after their inactivity.

[_I am Reptar]

Who do you think will win the Mexico vs Argentina game?