Round 16 and Beyond

[aussie]

if Italy win the world cup i would have no problems..

 

[Craig]

What a game, what a finale. As Virgil observed ‘Fortune favours the brave’ and the Italians were worthy winners because of their commitment to attack and not allow such a great game of football be ‘spoiled’ by dreaded penalties.

Fabio Grosso’s celebration was Tardelli like and his performances throughout the tournament have been admirable. When you consider he only ‘became’ a left back very late in his career and spent most of his younger days knocking around in Serie C2 and B, sublime finish also.

Also may add thought the ref was fantastic tonight, in a tournament where good officiating has not been paramount, was nice to see a game of football allowed to flow so fluently.


Forza Italia!

Yes and soon to be gracing the pitches of the San Siro (Luca Toni might be there if Fiorentina do or do not go down) and his goal and Del Piero's were good. It was a good game as well, very enjoyable. Those who keep on harping on about how boring Italy (namely some English fans on here)are obviously do not appreciate good football and I hope they win it now.

You see Sven you take back up strikers, and have a set formation based around either Totti is in or he is not, not this constant chopping and changing.

 

[Craig]

? Marco Materazzi, Daniele De Rossi, Simone Barone, Gennaro Gattuso are pretty hard and dirty customers. Doubt you find (other than Australia of course) a more ’willing’ team to get rough with.

Shouldn't De Rossi's ban be over now since they made the final?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Neither are Italy, also whose to say you would have beaten Ukraine.

Hence the phrase "a shot at the last four". And yes, regardless of what you think of the penalty and its validity, Australia were obviously in a good position to win the match prior to Grosso's "gamesmanship" six seconds from time. Not sure how much more you could be "robbed".

Regardless, Italy played far better last night than they have in the tournament so far, and deserved the win.

 

[GIMH]

Italy have almost as bad a record as England when it comes to penalties, so they'd better hope it doesn't go that far.

It's actually just as bad. England won one in Euro 96 and Italy won one in Euro 2000, and both have lost all the other shootouts they have been involved in. Only Holland are worse, who I think have lost every shootout they've ever been involved in.

France for the World Cup

 

[Craig]

Hence the phrase "a shot at the last four". And yes, regardless of what you think of the penalty and its validity, Australia were obviously in a good position to win the match prior to Grosso's "gamesmanship" six seconds from time. Not sure how much more you could be "robbed".

Regardless, Italy played far better last night than they have in the tournament so far, and deserved the win.

And I doubt no other Australian player wouldn't have done the same thing. If Bresciano or Cahill did it, got the penalty and Craig Moore had converted it they would be national hero's and the Italians whinging and getting labled as sore losers.

Anyway Australia shouldn't have let Italy back into the match.

 

[Craig]

And I'm going to laugh if Portugal beat France...

 

[GIMH]

They won't

France for the World Cup

 

[TT Boy]

Shouldn't De Rossi's ban be over now since they made the final?

Yeah, though I doubt he will start considering how well Perrotta has played in his absence and the fact that Lippi was extremely ****ed off with De Rossi.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

And I doubt no other Australian player wouldn't have done the same thing. If Bresciano or Cahill did it, got the penalty and Craig Moore had converted it they would be national hero's and the Italians whinging and getting labled as sore losers.

Anyway Australia shouldn't have let Italy back into the match.

They might have done it, where did I suggest they wouldn't? Doesn't alter the fact that if they did Italian fans wouldn't be too happy about it, and if the circumstances with regard to the 10 man side, 60% of the possession in the second half and so on were in Italy's favour and they lost 1-0 to a dodgy penatly a few seconds from the end, they'd have been pretty well robbed as well.

 

[Craig]

They won't

France for the World Cup

People said the same about England beating Portugal and look what happened.

Anyway it should be a great match with Zidane back to his old self that secured his world record transfer fee to Real Madrid, and three World Player of the Year awards and countless other awards. And Ribery is looking pretty good as well, wouldn't surprise me if a bigger club came in for him. I could see a Spanish or Italian one being interested.

Before I thought France were living off past glory, but to their credit they are not at the moment.

 

[GIMH]

Before I thought France were living off past glory, but to their credit they are not at the moment.

Totally agree

 

[Steulen]

It's actually just as bad. England won one in Euro 96 and Italy won one in Euro 2000, and both have lost all the other shootouts they have been involved in. Only Holland are worse, who I think have lost every shootout they've ever been involved in .

France for the World Cup

actually, the dutch have only ever been involved in one WC shoot-out, against Brazil in the '98 semi. They lost, of course.
In the Euro champs, they did have that infamous choke against Italy in 2000 and the more normal defeats against Denmark and France in '92 and '96 , but laid it to rest when they beat Sweden from the spot in the 2004 QF.

Forza Italia!

 

[Scaly piscine]

They might have done it, where did I suggest they wouldn't? Doesn't alter the fact that if they did Italian fans wouldn't be too happy about it, and if the circumstances with regard to the 10 man side, 60% of the possession in the second half and so on were in Italy's favour and they lost 1-0 to a dodgy penatly a few seconds from the end, they'd have been pretty well robbed as well.

The penalty was nearly as dodgy as the sending off... you're bound to get more possession against 10 men - it's what you do with it and Australia did nothing with it. An Italian defender also wouldn't have been naive enough to just throw himself to the floor in front of a forward and have a little grab at his leg.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Don't worry Scaly, marc did all of that for you when it happened. No need to go over well trodden ground.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Don't worry Scaly, marc did all of that for you when it happened. No need to go over well trodden ground.

If he's going to keep whinging about it someone is going to keep setting him straight.

 

[GIMH]

Marc and Scaly in agreement - my word

 

[marc71178]

Marc and Scaly in agreement - my word

Except you will note that when informed of this, he decided that I was whinging and wrong.

Sure there's some logic there somewhere...

 

[GIMH]

In all fairness Marc, and I may be wrong, I don't think he was referring to you whinging, I think he was referring to Faaip.

 

[Scaly piscine]

9.5... 9.0... 9.5... 9.5... 9.0

Chief Poseur dive 1 scores 90.0 points