Brits suffer humiliating defeat in Iraq

[TheStinger]

Originally posted by Wernazuma III
You forgot Venezuela. But even they now like (real) Football more.

Does anybody remember that film about POWs in WWII who get the chance to play against a German team in France? Pele was acting in it. Though the referee was obviously bribed and the Germans played hard to say the least, the prisoners won and the French spectator crowd (stadium filled unto the last place) got all up chanting the Marseillaise. Aweful, I tell you, simply aweful.

Escape to victory is quite simply the bset film ever made.

4-0 down at half time, up aginst a biased referee and in hostile territory the brave allies against all the odds fought back to draw. And they had a goal wrongly disallowed for offside.

[Chemical Ollie]

I saw that movie too. Didn't Sylvester Stallone play a part too? I think he was goalie

[TheStinger]

Michael Caine, MAx von Sydow. Pele, Ossie Ardilles,Bobby Moore and the Ipswich Town team of the late 70's early 80's.

What a cast

[Chemical Ollie]

Max von Sydow? He's from Sweden. I didn't know he could play football. Or perhaps he played German Officer? That part would fit him.

[TheStinger]

He was palying a german officer who used to play Football for germany before the war. He applauds a goal by Pele when all the other germans stay stoney faced

[MRT144]

shaolin soccer is much better

[The Viceroy]

I read about this on the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2915451.stm

Wonderful to see this kind of thing, it speaks volumns ...

Seriously though, I think once the dust has settled, and things are much safer, the English national side should play Iraq in Baghdad .. from what ive heard, the people in Baghdad are football crazy also ..

[Sikander]

When I was in college there was a very good pick-up game at our University every afternoon. I went to Michigan State University which has a very good agriculture school which drew enormous numbers of foreign students, including a few who played for their national side. One of these guys was an Iraqi named Mohamed, and he played midfield as did I. We were on opposite sides, and early in the game an even ball shot between us. We surprised each other with our speed (this guy was very fast, while I am very quick). Neither one of us was going to give way, and we met at the center of the field with an incredible collision.

I was vaguely aware that some of my team were standing near me, but my concussion prevented me from reacting immediately. When I did I got a shock when I noticed that both goaltenders were milling about with the rest. If the keepers have come to the center of the field I reasoned, I must have been out for some time. Mohamed was still down as well, and I staggered to my feet in order to salvage some of my pride by beating him back into action. He got up soon afterward and we gave each other a respectful nod. I made the obligatory "bringing the mountain to Mohamed" joke with my friends, and we returned to the game. Mohamed and I took careful measure of one another after that, each realizing that the other was a crazy mofo who wouldn't give way on an even ball. Fortunately for our brains another truly even ball never came between us that afternoon, and we were both careful not to foul on the close ones, enough brain damage having already occurred to satisfy us for quite some time.

[Demerzel]

hehe I saw this on BBC News 24 last night and could have sworn we lost 9-3. Maybe we should draft the England team

Seriously though, I do like it that we really make one heck of an effort to improve relations. Things like this and other simple things like berets instead of combat helmets & lots of patrols ( i.e. meet & greet ) really do work wonders...