World Football Thread IX - Weltmeisterschaft Ausgabe

[Locutus]

Yay, nice come-back! Finally I'm starting to get some exact results in my predictions, two in a row now

*knocks on wood*

Originally posted by Cort Haus
Locutus, (and other Dutch posters) what do you think of the Robben / van Persie spat? Johan Cruyff seemed to think that RvP may have had a point.

I think it's British and German paparazzi looking for a scandal. It's a complete non-issue that didn't even make any of the Dutch papers or TV reports. The Dutch team hasn't been this unified in many, many years. The only story the Dutch press had related to this was the fact that this was a story in Germany and England...

[duke o' york]

But Togo looked decent with all their players on the field.
Utterly rubbish down to 10 though.

[Spiffor]

OMFG we were robbed of our obvious victory against Switzerland.

Not only did these uncultured brutes systematicallt try to destroy our players (by tackling in a most vicious fashion), the referee also robbed us of one goal (deviated by a defenser's hand) and of one penalty.

The worst part is that Frei, toward the end, wanted to score with his hand (and fortunately missed), and didn't even get a red card for his obvious cheating

In any case, France would have deserved to win 2-0, or maybe 2-1

[lightblue]

France were rubbish and you know it. Switzerland had the better chances and if Frei hadn't handled Djourou would've stuck it in. France looked pedestrian, with no real killer instinct.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Spiffor

The worst part is that Frei, toward the end, wanted to score with his hand (and fortunately missed), and didn't even get a red card for his obvious cheating

Thinks he's Maradonna, but all he did was deny his team victory (Djourou would have scored).

France sucked, though.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
France sucked, though.

I thought France had a fair performance, even though it wasn't stellar. There were some excellent tactics in the first 20 minutes or so, and there were many goal opportunities. We did suck for the goal-shots, which were almost always conservative and soft (except the last attempt by Dhorasso), but otherwise, it was a pretty solid game.

All players on the field were quickly exhausted (the game became very tired before half-time), but I think it's not because either team was rubbish, but because it was so ****ing hot in Stuttgart today.

[Colonâ„¢]

It was too ****ing hot in Spain, it was too ****ing hot in Mexico, it was too ****ing hot in Italy, it was too ****ing hot in the US, it was too ****ing hot in France, it was too ****ing hot in Japan, and now it's too ****ing hot in Germany, so, pretty please, can we have the WC in Canada next time?

[germanos]

Originally posted by Colonâ„¢
It was too ****ing hot in Spain, it was too ****ing hot in Mexico, it was too ****ing hot in Italy, it was too ****ing hot in the US, it was too ****ing hot in France, it was too ****ing hot in Japan, and now it's too ****ing hot in Germany, so, pretty please, can we have the WC in Canada next time?

Colon, take it easy. It's just the French that surrendered to the heat, every other major team pulled through.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Colonâ„¢
It was too ****ing hot in Spain, it was too ****ing hot in Mexico, it was too ****ing hot in Italy, it was too ****ing hot in the US, it was too ****ing hot in France, it was too ****ing hot in Japan, and now it's too ****ing hot in Germany, so, pretty please, can we have the WC in Canada next time?

Well, had the WC occured two weeks ago, it would have had a sufficiently cold weather.

It was a ****ing 6C in Stuttgart by then

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by germanos
Colon, take it easy. It's just the French that surrendered to the heat, every other major team pulled through.

Had you seen the match, the Swiss were just as exhausted, if not more.

[Colonâ„¢]

It's always too ****ing hot at a WC. It amuses me people still bother to bring it up, as if it were unique in any way.

[DanS]

What was the temp at game time?

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by DanS
What was the temp at game time?

30C in shade, and most of the match occured while the terrain was not (or partially) shadowed.

[duke o' york]

Dommage Spiff, dommage.
But then I missed all but the first 20 minutes of the game, and it does mean that South Korea are top of the group! (for the first and only time)

[Lawrence of Arabia]

the swiss were on the ropes in the second half until gygax came in (he shoulda started) him and degen exploited the seams of the french defense but couldnt come through. at one point around the 55th minute or so, you could see that the swiss didnt even wanna be on the pitch.

zidane got pissed and yelled at his central defenders

switzerland picked up too many yellows, but abidal could have gotten red on the foul on magnin that lead to the alex 'maradona' frei hand of whatever.

senderos got burned twice - one he cut the offside trap and ended up one on one with ribéry I think it was. the other time ribéry put the ball through his legs on the play that ended with the patrick muller handball in the box.

good physical play by switzerland got the french off their game, but magnin should never have gotten a yellow, nor should degen.

ribéry was dangerous throught, henry not so much. he shanked his shot in the first. zidane, not sure if he was on the pitch until he yelled at gallas and thuram.

first half, frei should have buried that free kick, but its a tought play and he came really close. barthez and gallas was beat like no other. (if you see the replay, senderos blocked his defender and frei's and in the end both were free in front of the net)

xavier margairaz is too slow and should not have been brought on for wicky (left midfield.) David degen should have been brought in instead.

switzerland had three clear goal scoring oppertunities - Frei on both free kicks and Gygax on the cross. thats pretty solid. most of the time, you'll probably score at least one. (and maybe add a garbage one too)