Neowin's Official World Cup 2006 Thread

[ekerazha]

All the comments on YouTube show is that alot of Italian supporters hang out there, nothing more.

Italian people don't use that "english slang": "head butting son of a bitch".

Just because your viewpoint is popular doesn't make it correct either.

Latins said "Vox populi vox Dei" (the voice of the people is the voice of God).

However... it isn't correct because it is popular, it is correct because it is true ;)

The referees viewpoint wasn't popular, but he was correct none the less in his decision; video evidence even backs it as being correct.

Wrong. And the video shows very clearly is wasn't correct... and most people agree on this ;) Then if you want to deny the obvious that's ok.

Discussion over. You should be celebrating your (deserved) victory, not getting shirty over something so petty. :p

You have no power to "close a discussion" because this is a discussion not a soliloquy ;)

I've already celebrated on the last night.

Bye petty man with a petty team ;)

[FlibbyFlobby]

Latins said "Vox populi vox Dei" (the voice of the people is the voice of God).

How do you equate to more than one person? There aren't whords of people complaining about this alleged dive, no media out crys, just you on an internet forum. :rolleyes:

[Martyn]

I think France deserved to win the World Cup more than Italy. But, the beauty of the World Cup is that it is a knock out competition which gives other teams the chance to win the tournament. If you look at the opposition that each team played then France undoubtably beat the better sides throughout the tournament, and in the end I wanted France to win purely because they have played well and Zidane is a legend of the game.

[ekerazha]

How do you equate to more than one person? There aren't whords of people complaining about this alleged dive, no media out crys, just you on an internet forum. :rolleyes:

Me, the comments on the site "you" linked, and that video itself that clearly shows the "big French dive" ;)

Media doesn't cry because Italy won... if France would won then it would won with a ghost penalty (like videos attempt).

;)

[Miuku.]

Me, the comments on the site "you" linked, and that video itself that clearly shows the "big French dive" ;)

*cough* Italy vs Australia */cough* If you want to talk about "diving".

[T.Barl0w]

i wish fance had won and not italy. france had more harder games to play than italy but thats the draw of the cup. Why could England not have won this!!!!!!!!!!! its allways the same old heartach

[FlibbyFlobby]

i wish fance had won and not italy. france had more harder games to play than italy but thats the draw of the cup. Why could England not have won this!!!!!!!!!!! its allways the same old heartach

We forgot to bring our swimming trunks, thats why. :p

[zipgenius]

I wonder what matzaradi said to stir zidane.

MATERAZZI

Please, don't forget this name from now on ;)

[Bioshadow]

i wish fance had won and not italy. france had more harder games to play than italy but thats the draw of the cup. Why could England not have won this!!!!!!!!!!! its allways the same old heartach

England? England did nothing in this world cup :rofl: :sleep:

[FlibbyFlobby]

England? England did nothing in this world cup :rofl: :sleep:

They were the team that spent the most time on two feet, not rolling around on the floor. :p

[theyarecomingforyou]

It wasn't a dive. No offence but I saw the replay 6 times and I trust the commentators and my own eyes enough to know what I saw, which was a foul. Regardless, Italy won so does it still matter?

Indeed. It was a penalty but there was no intent and he did try to get his foot out of the way. I watched the first few replays and it didn't look like there was any contact but once they showed some of the different angles it was clear as day. There wasn't much contact but enough to knock one leg into the other and cause him to fall. The challenge was poor - he had his leg far too high... he realised at the last second but it was too late.

[T.Barl0w]

Click here to see the Portugal training camp

[Martyn]

Click here to see the Portugal training camp

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[zipgenius]

God dam facists....

:angry:

I was hoping france wins...

Hate italy with their " koreans cheated last world cup attitude"...damit.

... Wich World Cup did you watch in 2006? Are you still in 2002?

I know, bloody whining Italians, didn't deserve it one bit

Yeah, I know... Envy is such a bad thing ;)

Most italians I met in NY were racists.

You haven't met true italians.

Come to Italy and you'll discover that italians are not racists like many thinks.

Say bye to "Best Player Prize" Zidane

That's a shame: he got it. The jury voted before the match so they didn't know what Zidane was going to do.

Viva Italia !!!

Congrats for the 4th Star.

Grazie :D

[ekerazha]

*cough* Italy vs Australia */cough* If you want to talk about "diving".

That was obstruction (yeah... it was free kick inside the area and not penalty).

[Skiver Veteran]

that is possibly the best picture i have seen in ages!!!!

i havent read the whole thread but to keep it brief from an english fan

england lost because of sven and his awesome tactics...

i dont agree with rooneys red card...a yellow for the push but imo he was fouled first and i dont think it was intentional...

i do agree that england were one of the only teams who didnt dive everywhere!

i think grance should have gotten that second penalty, the dude didnt touch the ball!

and WTF was zindane thinking... he is supposed to be a role model...one of the great football legends...and he does something like that.... terrible

i hope the next england manager plays carrick, hargreaves and lennon more in euro 2008 :D

[zipgenius]

Ok can we stop this deserving win BS for Italy because of Zidane? I will repeat what I said before, Italy's players are just as bad. Franky I'm surprised they made it this far. France > Italy PERIOD.

Oh, what a nice team is France... And what a nice coach they have: a man that doesn't let Trezeguet play so much just because Trezeguet zodiacal sign is "Scorpio" and because Domenech thinks that people born under the "Scorpio" sign take bad luck to the whole team... What a modern mind Domenech has...

Well... He's almost right: Trezeguet hit the crossbar on penalty :p

And more... Zidane is not new to that behaviour, regardless of what a great player is.

World Cup 1998: he voluntarily walked on an other team's player. NO RED CARD.

Champions league (when he still was playing in Juventus F.C.): he did an headbutt against an opponent. RED CARD: Juventus went off the tournament.

[FlibbyFlobby]

Golden Ball Award Nominees

Michael Ballack

Gianluigi Buffon

Fabio Cannavaro

Thierry Henry

Miroslav Klose

Maniche

Andrea Pirlo

Patrick Vieira

Gianluca Zambrotta

Zinedine Zidane

I just found the Golden Ball Award Nominees on the BBC Sport website, I don't understand why Fabio Cannavaro didn't win it. He was by far the most consistent and outstanding player of the nominees. :yes:

[bigbluepride35]

Well, Zidane winning the Golden Ball is absolutely absurd. Well, now he'll have a constant physical reminder of his glorious final moments in international play :shifty: . Why do they wait a day to announce it if they vote before the final match anyway? That makes a lot of sense lol.

But anyway, the important trophy is back in Italy for the next four years and that's all that matters :D . I'd comment on all the negativity and resentful comments but it's not really worth it. Sad people who can only complain and bitch and moan about one team's glory need to find better hobbies for themselves :whistle: . And the Azzurri finally broke the PK hex :woot: . FORZA ITALIA!!! FORZA AZZURRI!!! :woot: :woot: :woot:

[zipgenius]

I know the headbutt has no excuse, but without Zidane, France wouldn't be where they are today. I mean, look at the games they've played

France's line up:

Switzerland > South Korea > Togo > Spain > Brazil > Portugal

compared to

Italy's line-up

Ghana > USA (ha)> Czech > Australia (Barely) > Ukraine (First-timers)> Germany

This is a non-sense comparison.

Look at the quality of each team.

Ghana: 4 times winner of the African Nations Cup. Their players are phisically stronger than italians and many of them play in europeans team at high levels (e.g.: Champions League).

USA: they have good players but their coach is not so good. A better coach would improve their rankings.

Czech Republic: a truly good team. Third place at Euro 2004. Pavel Nedved (Juventus F.C.) is a phenomenon. If you just watch a Juventus match, you understand what I am talking about.

Australia: strong players, great trainer. Hiddink was the man that lead South Korea at great levels in WC 2002. We were very lucky against Australia, because they played very well.

Ukraine: right, a first timer... But did you ever heard about a player named "Andryi Shevchenko"? In this case, too: most Ukraine players are in european teams at high levels.

Germany: a real surprise. Winning over them in the final 2 minutes of the second extra time is the proof that they had a great team. Klose is best scorer in WC 2006.

Do you need any other argument?

[ekerazha]

The leg of Materazzi goes BEHIND the French player, he doesn't strike the French player, the leg goes behind... and the French player is already diving. You guys must be really blind.

All I see here is a bunch of losers... Italy is champion of the world and it is the best team of ever after Brazil: live with it.

Some images of the French fly:

[zipgenius]

I didn't view a good Italy team on this World Cup........

You didn't watch Italy at all ;)

[FlibbyFlobby]

The leg of Materazzi goes BEHIND the French player, he doesn't strike the French player, the leg goes behind... and the French player is already diving. You guys must be really blind.

All I see here is a bunch of losers... Italy is champion of the world and it is the best team of ever after Brazil: live with it.

Some images of the French fly:

All those pictures show in the highlighted areas are a blur of pixels. And the last picture shows the bit where he pulled his leg back after he'd made contact with Malouda. As theyarecomingforyou also said, the replays showed clear contact which wasn't evident initially.

I found a much clear video for you (with commentators confirming the fact), which proves the point clearly (I might add ignore the comments on YouTube ;)):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tr-ZSJe-T8...rance%20malouda

Anyone know the Italian for pedantic btw?

Edited July 10, 2006 by ziadoz

[ekerazha]

You didn't watch Italy at all ;)

They are right when they say French played better than Italy after the 1st half time. Yeah French played better... but it wasn't concrete. The penalty for French didn't exist (look at the images above) and they can't do a true goal (we had the goal of Materazzi) because of the supreme Italian defence. This was yesterday. In the other matches Italy fully deserves to win.

At the penalties Trezeguet made that mistake: c'est la vie.

Roberto Baggio made that mistake in 1994 against Brazil in the final match, this is football.

[zipgenius]

Moving on to the future. I am curious to see how these players will feel when they get home and their teams are relegated to Serie B and C.

Juventus will surely be disrupted: they need to sell to make money from high valued players that have a high salary. Now the Serie B championship has the "salary cap", so players can't earn above a certain salary level.

I think that the whole scandal has compacted the team (many players come from Juventus, Milan and Fiorentina).

In my opinion, Italy did not play the best football, far from it. However, Italy plays a very simple style and that style gets them victories. They don't play beautiful like other teams do, but they play solid defense and the few times they attack, they are efficient.

That's the "Lippi belief": he says that World Cup is not for showing nice and/or spectacular individual moves, but only to bring home a positive result. Very few show but great results.