Group F - Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

[Athlai]

Played shot for shot last night, and a few more to celebrate. Awesome night.

 

[andyc]

As expected australians are crying aloud about the penalty than kiwis. Even in the minute by minute reports all over the internet it was australina who are whingeing.....
For the record thats a penalty, yeah it was soft. But arguing if that was a penalty every match has 20 penalties is bull****. On the contrary, players stop this wrestling nonsense in the box. After the penlaty, none of the defenders in the match resorted to shirt pulling in side the boxes, which is good for game.
Oh!! by the way, the freekick that paraguay scored agaist italy is never was one, imagine the out cry if it happened for italy instead of against them. All the whiners and whingeing boys around the world would have a field day...

For the australians, it was four years ago and there is no one hell aus was going to win that match so stop moaning. And it was a penalty then too....

Haha what? What does this game have anything to do with Australia and Australian fans? Try actually reading through the thread.

 

[L Trumper]

What's up your arse then mate? People find the way the Italians throw themselves to the ground when a light zephyr blows across the ground disagreeable. What's the problem with that?

It's a classic Boy Who Cries Wolf scenario. You can't carry on the way they do, then expect that when they actually have a genuine grievance for the world to look upon them with any pity. It's a blight on the game.

What did I say? I didn't tell anyone to pity them or support them... I do find italians throwing into ground irritable and I hate that. I just mentioned that italy got wrong decisions too..more than Australians care to imagine. My suggestion is to stop moaning and get on with it..

What exactly is your point?

 

[L Trumper]

Haha what? What does this game have anything to do with Australia and Australian fans? Try actually reading through the thread.

Try actually reading my post, I wrote "here and most of the online minute by minute reports".
Its got nothing to do with the australia or their fans, only with some of the ultras.
And yeah, australians seem to be disappointed more because of the penalty than kiwis.

 

[Burgey]

Well they did get on with it tbh, thought they played pretty well against Ghana all things considered. Just the usual ineffectiveness in front of goal cost us enormously.

The over-riding issue must be consistency surely? You can'thave such blatant discrepancies between what's a send off or a penalty in one game and isn't in another, or even the same one. The penalty awarded to italy may well be a penalty if you take it in isolation. The fact it was awarded to a multiple WC champion in a match where they were struggling against a comparative minnow (no offence to NZ meant in saying that btw) when all countries, Italy included, do exactly the same thing, game in and game out without a penalty being awarded is an indictment on the game.

 

[Quaggas]

WC fever. I hope for NZ Football's sake that they take full advantage of the exposure and the cash injection this time around, unlike after 1982, but rugby will always be number one.

Ta. As a Springbok fan, the thought of a weak AB team makes me sick.

 

[Somerset]

Congrats to the All Whites on a fantastic game!

Curious if anyone's seen the following article by Paul Rees in the Guardian on Saturday, and what's your reaction as NZ and/or rugby fans? (pardon if it's already been posted/discussed)

New Zealand rugby in fear of an All Whites takeover

Is this just WC fever, or a realistic analysis?

In my view its World Cup fever, and when the tournament finishes and the Tri Nations gets underway rugby will return to dominate the headlines. With the Rugby World Cup next year any supposed falling off of rugby interest in favour of football will most surely be reversed. In saying that, theres every opportunity for New Zealand to build on their World Cup success and arrange a high profile friendly match to pack Westpac Stadium, and I'd also say that interest in the Phoenix next year will be at a considerable high. I just don't think its ever going to realistically exceed the interest of rugby though.

 

[Somerset]

Think it's amazing that a minnow like Italy can struggle onto a draw against mighty New Zealand.

Ah no wait, this isn't rugby...

I was listening to the New Zealand commentary on Sky but changed over to hear Martin Devlin's comments on TV One during the half time break and at full time. I think he put it in perspective well when comparing the Italians football side's strength to the All Blacks', and the Italian rugby side to the All Whites. Its just unthinkable to suggest that the Italians would draw with the All Blacks in a rugby test, just as it appeared so unfathomable that we could secure a draw in the football last night!

 

[L Trumper]

Well they did get on with it tbh, thought they played pretty well against Ghana all things considered. Just the usual ineffectiveness in front of goal cost us enormously.

The over-riding issue must be consistency surely? You can'thave such blatant discrepancies between what's a send off or a penalty in one game and isn't in another, or even the same one. The penalty awarded to italy may well be a penalty if you take it in isolation. The fact it was awarded to a multiple WC champion in a match where they were struggling against a comparative minnow (no offence to NZ meant in saying that btw) when all countries, Italy included, do exactly the same thing, game in and game out without a penalty being awarded is an indictment on the game.

Yep. You are spot on. But the thing is referees or more often than ****tards and it is common in all the sports. Kudos to NZ though, they still maintained their composure and got a deserved result.

Aus played well against ghana and I hoped they would win. But my point about AUS is they are still bitter about the 06 WC.

 

[Burgey]

Yep. You are spot on. But the thing is referees or more often than ****tards and it is common in all the sports. Kudos to NZ though, they still maintained their composure and got a deserved result.

Aus played well against ghana and I hoped they would win. But my point about AUS is they are still bitter about the 06 WC.

No doubt about that.

We had one hand on the 06 Cup. Robbed by politics we wuz!

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Anybody else feel Wood deserves a shot at a start over Fallon for the Paraguay match?

Probably never going to happen, but there is no loss in height and Wood seems to have shown a lot more in his brief appearances than the odd elbow to the face.

 

[Somerset]

Anybody else feel Wood deserves a shot at a start over Fallon for the Paraguay match?

Probably never going to happen, but there is no loss in height and Wood seems to have shown a lot more in his brief appearances than the odd elbow to the face.

Very nearly scored a shock second goal for New Zealand late in the second half too - I wouldn't mind him starting TBH.

 

[L Trumper]

Anybody else feel Wood deserves a shot at a start over Fallon for the Paraguay match?

Probably never going to happen, but there is no loss in height and Wood seems to have shown a lot more in his brief appearances than the odd elbow to the face.

I'd say go with both. Again nothing to lose and blah blah.. Sneak a win face jap/den, may even go to QFs. [wishful thinking though]

 

[L Trumper]

No doubt about that.

We had one hand on the 06 Cup. Robbed by politics we wuz!

Hang in there, Other hand will get there may be by 2106 And I assure you by that time there will be no dirty politics to rob.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

I'd say go with both. Again nothing to lose and blah blah.. Sneak a win face jap/den, may even go to QFs. [wishful thinking though]

So you'd drop Killen or Smeltz to play both Fallon and Wood?

I was talking about the possibilities of playing Smeltz, Killen and Wood up front instead of Smeltz, Killen and Fallon.

 

[Nate]

i need sleep

 

[R_D]

Well played NZ... good game to watch

If NZ had better luck... could've been even a better day to remember for NZ Football fans.

edit-
It is tough being a football fan in Australia.

 

[KiWiNiNjA]

Yeah, but at least we now know why you guys went to Asia.

 

[grecian]

Anybody else feel Wood deserves a shot at a start over Fallon for the Paraguay match?

Probably never going to happen, but there is no loss in height and Wood seems to have shown a lot more in his brief appearances than the odd elbow to the face.

I do, your team would be inherently less evil, IMHO

 

[straw man]

i need sleep

Try watching Switzerland play tonight.*


*said with breathtaking hypocrisy by a New Zealand fan.