World Football Thread X - Germany 2006

[Lawrence of Arabia]

But South Korea vont pwner la France et la Suisse!

Ahn will be be taken off his game by Senderos.

[axi]

The English team was awful. It's offensive side is uninspired and it's difficult for them to beat even some of the weakest sides in the WC. It's defense hasn't really been tested yet. If they choose to match with Ecuador, we'll all have a great laugh.

To me, the Swedes, although they play pretty much the same way, are more convincing. My bet is on them next match, if they don't start Ibrahimovic (he's awful).

If you want to see some real ball, lookout for the next Cote d' Ivoire match.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Stuie
Nice - I found streaming audio commentary so I can listen to the games at work.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006260665,00.html

Hallelujah, now I can turn off the american parrots.

[MikeH]

England qualify with a game to spare, conceding no goals despite poor performances and the media go crazy...

imagine what they'd do if we hadn't won the games.

[SpencerH]

Aaaargh! I just realized that if I listen to the webcast I cant have a digital picture at the same time or record the game (unless I rewire my home theatre sound).

[SpencerH]

I'm not so quick to classify it as a 'poor performance' myself. Sure the finishing was off but there was a lot of good play. None of the 'talking heads' seem to have the experience to realize how difficult it has been at the WC to score against a defensive team that's playing 10 men back which is how both Paraguay and T&T played.

The objective of the group round has always been not to loose and to win one game against the weaker teams by a big margin. Lest we forget, by virtue of their tie with Sweden, T&T still have a chance to go through.

I think the England-Sweden game will be a very good show for both teams with England finally thrashing them.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by axi
The English team was awful. It's offensive side is uninspired and it's difficult for them to beat even some of the weakest sides in the WC. It's defense hasn't really been tested yet. If they choose to match with Ecuador, we'll all have a great laugh.

To me, the Swedes, although they play pretty much the same way, are more convincing. My bet is on them next match, if they don't start Ibrahimovic (he's awful).

You say this, yet the Swedes failed to score at all against T & T. You also describe Paraguay as one of the weakest sides, yet they beat & drew with Argentina & Brazil on the way to the tournament.

The English newspapers agree with you to a man, by the way, but few people are giving T & T players and manager credit for doing a damn good job of getting everyone behind the ball and making it difficult to break them down.

When a lower league team does this in cup games against a top league side no-one is surprised. It happens, often, that any league's best players can struggle against well-drilled, hard-working players from a division below them. When it happens in a World Cup, though, people just get hysterical about it like it's never happened before.

It's better to play poorly and win than to play well and lose. Ask Portugal. England have struggled and lost before against lower-league sides, like N. Ireland, and have bounced back to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Argentina. Anyone who knows England realises that they tend to either play up or down to the level of their opponents, so although it looks like Ecuador or Germany could have England for breakfast, don't put too much money on such a result.

Also, those T & T blokes know the English game and players much better than most sides in the tournament, and they had big guys marking crouch.

When the Czechs bang the ball up to Koller it's cool, but if England bang the ball up to Crouch, it's a crime. The difference is that the Czechs were moving it along the ground as well, but the USA didn't try to clog the game, and gave the Czechs space to play pretty as well as use their long ball option.

[Cort Haus]

All that said, it was England's finishing which let them down. Lumpard, Crutch, and nOwin all missed sitters. If they'd have gone in, England might have had five, as I think Siron predicted.

[alva]

When the Czechs bang the ball up to Koller it's cool, but if England bang the ball up to Crouch

Koller is alot better than Crouch though. Had it not been for the goal, he would have added nothing to the team. I personally would have taken him out, instead of Owen.

[Unspeakable Horror]

GOOOOOOOL!!!

[MikeH]

Very nice goal it was too.

[Unspeakable Horror]

Another One!!!

[Unspeakable Horror]

And another one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[alva]

Stop spamming!!!

[Cort Haus]

Argentina are awesome. They could get a cricket score, here - I'm glad I 've got them down as champions.