FIFA World Cup 2006 [R]

And another goal right now?

Man there must be a trainload of Frenchmen in the big-screen tent..

Nobody watched France - Korea?

Turns out the singing I heard musta been for the opening of the game, and the cheering for 1:0 for France, cos that was the score at halftime. The second half was interesting, though. For a long while France kept sweeping attack after attack towards the Korean goal, only to be foiled by either a seemingly multiplying mass of Korean defenders blocking up the goal zone, or their own failure to finish it off. Too many tricks, too little teamwork, it seemed. Yet they were obviously the better side.

Then gradually, perhaps tiring of their fruitless assaults, the French lost the initiative. The Koreans started getting chances too, putting pressure on the French goal until, in a chaotic mess of players and turns, a Korean kicked the ball up and over a French defender and it bounced slowly into the goal, practically walked into it by an incredulous French defender failing to kick it back in time.

1:1.

I like how the games seem to have gotten less predictable, how its not anymore automatically the French, Czechs or Italians walking off with victory. More volatility, that can only be a good thing.

Plus, you gotta love the Korean supporters' raving enthusiasm, 5 mins after the goal they were still all jumping up and down in a craze of orange.

I watched the 2nd half in the restaurant round the corner, decided to have something proper to eat - it was funny, it was the most subduedly watched game. There was a France supporter at a table by the screen having a drink, and gesturing in soundless frustration at every missed shot, rolling his eyes at me when he saw I was watching too, and eventually getting up to walk out and back in every time he couldnt stand it anymore. The waiters in turn kept each other up to date - Korea scored?? Wow, incredible!, conversed smiles.

i know i know.

i meant, compared to england's record of racism, india or most other countries would qualify as "chalk" (vis.avis. england=pot).


as for brazil, they didnt play well, but there's no way anyone who knows anything about football can support aussies over brazil.

Unless you like supporting the underdog...

I supported Costa Rica against the Germans...

What about Australians. Are we supposed to support Brazil????

I'd support Liechtenstein if they played ... always thought it was a cute country.

Wahhhhh!

and Brahmin - you are becoming (or may already be) a tedious, unpleasant character - go away!

Well - I didn't think Brazil were two goals better - but hats off to our guys - we really looked like we deserved to be there, but as usual we just can't finish off the chances we create.

Emerton played much better this time - but his passing is still hit or miss. Lucas Neill had a great game. Kewell still finding his touch. Viduka fought manfully. Craig Moore did well - I got worried when Guus took him off (rightfully) Chipperfield looked like a statue at left back. Schwartzer was brilliant again.

Honestly think this Australian team plays the best football of any Australian team I've ever seen. (ie they can string more than two passes together, they don't hack down the opposition in every tackle). We have come of age. I hope both Croatia and Australia are at their best in the next game - should be a cracker!

Now if Japan can beat Brazil.... (Go Zico!)

Hey I thought Oz was v v unlucky against Brazil.

Maybe the Brazilians were trying to pace themselves, but still...

I think Oz gave them a helluva fright.

*Thinks long and hard about smacking brahmin over the head with an inflatable kangaroo.*






















*Then does it*

France is going from bad to worse..

Nearly exactly what's on the frontpage of today's Liberation ...



... while Le Parisien/Aujourd'hui en France only says: one is bad :wink:

Watched the replay of australia V brazil tonight.

result still the same. 2:0

Bugger!

The Aussies put up a very creditable performance against Brazil. Radio commentary here said the ref was biased against Australia too. But I had some sympathy for Ronaldo, there is definitely something wrong with him.


France were very disappointing, but nothing new there.

I know sweet FA about soccer, but even I could see the ref giving free kicks for sometimes no reason at all.

I saw a few of those too, but nowhere near as bad as US v. Italy, IMO. I will give the Aussie's credit, they really had many good opportunities in the second half. I thought they played quite well.

Here's what I hate about watching Brazil play.

1) The commentators. If I have to hear one more American commentator reading off the f-ing advertising brochure about how the Brazilians play "with total joy" and "love of the game" and how Ronaldinho "plays with the smile of a child" I'm going to hurl.

2) BS expectations. I keep hearing how Brazil is playing lazily or not as spectacularly as we were expecting. But they always play like they did yesterday, with the possible exception of WC finals. We've been watching too many commercials of them hopping the ball through an airport or Ronaldinho scoring 22 goals at the age of 13 or whatever. That's not real life, that's television and advertising. They play a very solid game, though, and deserve credit for that even if they don't pull out the dancy steps.

Brazil's trickery and magic with the ball was all very spectacular when nobody else was doing it, but you tend to see this sort of thing in the English Premiership, the Spanish League and Italian Serie "A" pretty much most of the time now.
Arsenal, when they hit their incredible form about three years ago, played like Brazil at their best, week in, week out for a couple of seasons.
ManU did the same, but with not quite so much flair or speed. Chelsea are beginning to play like this all the time.....Real Madrid...Barcelona....

Maybe the novelty has worn off, now that this type of talent is on display all over Europe?

We've got to remember that Brazil were in the forefront of this "magic" football malarkey, when the rest of the world was wearing big old boots, flappy shorts and nipping off at half time for a suck on an orange segment and a cigarette.
Brazil were the vanguards, but now the rest of the footballing world has almost caught up, methinks.

Well, that might be true - I thought it might just be me, but I thought there was a lot of impressive ball wizardry going on this tournament that I dont remember much from before, cute agile trickeries on the square meter, not always succesful but definitely eye-pleasing... and all kinds of teams engaging in it.

Here it should be gently pointed out that our noble Lord is a dyed in the wool gooner. As is apparantly Osama bin Laden, or maybe thats just a nasty rumour.

I think the bubble has burst for Brazil btw. Ronaldo looked a tragic figure yesterday.

He did, but they don't need him.

Here's my list of the top teams based on what I've seen so far.

Argentina
Ecuador
Brazil
Netherlands
Germany

Spain might be up there, but I've only ever "seen" (if watching the blog comments in real time qualified) them play once. Actually, there might be several more after I've seen more games.