World Cup

[punishment]

The guy in the Ukraine-Switzerland game really seemed to let them play compared to some of these other refs.

Do you agree Punishment? Did you see that game by chance? I thought that ref did his best to let the players or PK's decide it.

I actually do agree. I wonder if any part of it might have had to do with the controversy of the Italy game.

Although I think another big factor is the fact that the refs come from different leagues, in different countries. Unfortunately, the officiating is not going to be uniformed. Regardless of the efforts of FIFA.

I haven't watched enough games to comment on this, but an Irish friend of mine, who subscribes to all the soccer channels which pass all the European leagues, said that the Spanish league usually calls a softer game than the English leauge, and that that is there reputation. I don't really know about this as I don't watch enough games to know either way.

 

[jiggafini19]

I enjoyed the fact that the Swiss-Ukrane game was not decided on an official's blunder...much like the US and Ghana along with Italy and Austrailia.

In the end, the Ukranian keeper decided who won that game. Awesome.

How can a team give up ZERO goals in four games and now have to go home? That ain't right, man.

 

[punishment]

I enjoyed the fact that the Swiss-Ukrane game was not decided on an official's blunder...much like the US and Ghana along with Italy and Austrailia.

In the end, the Ukranian keeper decided who won that game. Awesome.

How can a team give up ZERO goals in four games and now have to go home? That ain't right, man.

Thats Switzerland's achilles heel though. In their Euro-group qualifying, the Swiss gave up one goal in 10 games, but struggled to score. I was expecting most of the Swiss' games to be low scoring. If they only had someone who could finish, they would be really good, because many believe the Swiss had the best defense and keeper coming into the cup.

 

[NDAlumSon]

FIFA Refs given boot !

FIFA Refs given boot !

FIFA gives two refs 'red cards' for officiating gaffes

 

[jiggafini19]

Argentina, Italy, England and Brazil.

Those are my picks.

 

[punishment]

In a year when the traditional "big" teams were thought to be down, I kind of hoped we would get to see new blood.

But as usual, it is difficult to pick against the big players this year

 

[shark83]

I actually do agree. I wonder if any part of it might have had to do with the controversy of the Italy game.

Although I think another big factor is the fact that the refs come from different leagues, in different countries. Unfortunately, the officiating is not going to be uniformed. Regardless of the efforts of FIFA.

I haven't watched enough games to comment on this, but an Irish friend of mine, who subscribes to all the soccer channels which pass all the European leagues, said that the Spanish league usually calls a softer game than the English leauge, and that that is there reputation. I don't really know about this as I don't watch enough games to know either way.

Very true the English league is a much tougher game. But even that you are starting to see the continental ploy of diving creeping in

 

[AZIRISHFAN]

Ok I will admit I am not a big fan of soccer. But, they have been showing the games in my gym and today I saw the Germany goal. That was a thing of beauty in my mind. I left before the game got over but saw on the web they ended up pulling it out in a shoot out.

I must say it won't make me a fan because I must have been on that machine for 20 minutes and nothing happened. But that was a pretty impressive goal.

 

[jiggafini19]

Went into a stadium where Germany had never lost and beat them.

One more game to go.

 

[punishment]

I just have a hard time believing that Germany has still, never beaten Italy in a WC game. Just mind boggling that a team with 3 WCs has never beaten Italy. I think this was their fourth or fifth try.

Here's hoping France beats Portugal's dive team today.

 

[punishment]

Jiggs, I take it your Italian. So, 2 questions.

1) What does Azzuri mean?

and

2) Why does Italy wear blue uniforms when their flag is red, white & green?

 

[jiggafini19]

"Azzuro" in Italian means "sky blue." Thus, when they chose the blue jerseys the team became known as The Azzurri.

Blue is the tradiontal colors of all Italian national teams and athletes, soccer included of course. How this happened I cannot answer, but they've been wearing blue for decades.

In 1994 when Brazil beat Italy in PKs to win the World Cup in Pasadena, my uncle Serafino burst into tears shortly after Baggio's kick sailed long. My grandpa followed the Azzurri as religously as he did Notre Dame and the White Sox.

He died about a month after they won the Cup in 1982. I was four.

 

[Guest]

Car horns have been beeping all night long where I live with guys hanging out their car windows waving Italian flags. Pretty crazy, shows you how much people in NY are into the World Cup. People don't even get that worked up when any of the NY teams win a championship.

 

[maison bleu]

vive la france!

 

[Domer95]

Car horns have been beeping all night long where I live with guys hanging out their car windows waving Italian flags. Pretty crazy, shows you how much people in NY are into the World Cup. People don't even get that worked up when any of the NY teams win a championship.

Ah, but they did in Hamilton & Washington Heights in Manhattan in '98 when McGwire and Sosa were battlling for the HR season record. I've never seen so many Dominican Republic flags on hoods, windows, antenna, etc. A lot also soaped their windows with "Viva Sosa!" and kept running tabs on what # HR he was at.....

 

[Guest]

Ah, but they did in Hamilton & Washington Heights in Manhattan in '98 when McGwire and Sosa were battlling for the HR season record. I've never seen so many Dominican Republic flags on hoods, windows, antenna, etc. A lot also soaped their windows with "Viva Sosa!" and kept running tabs on what # HR he was at.....

I remember that, all the livery cabs had Sosa wriiten on their back windsheilds.

I hate going to the Stadium when the Yanks are playing the Red sox because there's always a large group of people from Washington Heights rooting for Manny and only Manny. That guy is a God in Washington Heights....

 

[jiggafini19]

There are strongholds of Mexican and Polish soccer fans here in Chicago that cheer those teams on pretty hard.

Personally, I'm glad Brazil got beat. Even though it was at the hands of France, a country I don't really care for in light of recent current event issues. I do, however, hope that France beats the Portugal "diving team" today.

 

[Guest]

Astoria, Queens is a Greek neighborhood, and when Greece surprisingly won the European Cup a couple of years ago they went completely nuts partying in the streets.

Whether your a soccer fan or not you have to admire the passion it brings out in fans. Except for English fans who are just a bunch of hooligan crybabies, much like scum fans lol....

 

[punishment]

"Azzuro" in Italian means "sky blue." Thus, when they chose the blue jerseys the team became known as The Azzurri.

Blue is the tradiontal colors of all Italian national teams and athletes, soccer included of course. How this happened I cannot answer, but they've been wearing blue for decades.

In 1994 when Brazil beat Italy in PKs to win the World Cup in Pasadena, my uncle Serafino burst into tears shortly after Baggio's kick sailed long. My grandpa followed the Azzurri as religously as he did Notre Dame and the White Sox.

He died about a month after they won the Cup in 1982. I was four.

The only other country that I know who does not wear their flags colors is Holland. Their flag is red white and blue, but wear an all orange uniform. The orange is due to the royal family's color being orange.

Could Italy be the same perhaps? I'm not sure when their monarchy ended.

 

[punishment]

There are strongholds of Mexican and Polish soccer fans here in Chicago that cheer those teams on pretty hard.

Personally, I'm glad Brazil got beat. Even though it was at the hands of France, a country I don't really care for in light of recent current event issues. I do, however, hope that France beats the Portugal "diving team" today.

1-0 at the half, against the "diving team." I shouldn't have said "diving team" a couple of posts ago, but one of my best friends is Portugese, and I have been giving him a hard time because the soccer press has been tearing into Portugal's diving.

 

[jiggafini19]

1-0 at the half, against the "diving team." I shouldn't have said "diving team" a couple of posts ago, but one of my best friends is Portugese, and I have been giving him a hard time because the soccer press has been tearing into Portugal's diving.

They really are, though. They dive so much they might as well be in a pool rather than a soccer stadium. I think that Chrisiano Ronaldo is a punk.

P'Ment, what did you think of the ref in the Italy-Germany game? I thought he did a wonderful job.

 

[punishment]

I feel the exact same way about Ronaldo, he is always the first one that comes to mind.

I thought yesterdays ref did a great job. He basically let them play. The only yellow he handed out was well deserved, you will always get carded if you tackle someone from behind. Yesterdays ref is the most experienced WC ref, as he has officiated more WC matches than any other ref in WC history. That is what an experienced referee does, he lets the players decide teh outcome of the game.

 

[Óglaigh_na_hÉireann]

Ronaldo is a sissy. The one problem I have with football and the Portuguese team specifically, is that the players take too many dives.

But, I like the Portugal team. They were tough, even though they sometimes played incredibly dirty. That game against the Netherlands was classic.

I really, really do not like the teams in the final game. Italy is quite possibly the most boring team in the WC, behind even Australia. They use a very laid-back, defensive style that puts people to sleep.

And France is France. No one wants to be seen rooting for France and with reason. I piss standing up, that's why I want Italy to win.

 

[punishment]

Ronaldo is a sissy. The one problem I have with football and the Portuguese team specifically, is that the players take too many dives.

But, I like the Portugal team. They were tough, even though they sometimes played incredibly dirty. That game against the Netherlands was classic.

I really, really do not like the teams in the final game. Italy is quite possibly the most boring team in the WC, behind even Australia. They use a very laid-back, defensive style that puts people to sleep.

And France is France. No one wants to be seen rooting for France and with reason. I piss standing up, that's why I want Italy to win.

Portugal takes flopping to the extreme.

But as far as diving being a problem with soccer.... I don't think that this is any different than any other sport. What does a wide reciever do when he doesn't catch the ball and a defender is within two yards of him...he looks at the ref for a flag. Same thing with a basket ball player after he misses a shot, he looks at the ref. In baseball, when a strike/ball isn't called in your favor. Trying to gain officiating help is a part of every sport. Tripping in soccer is kind of like looking at the ref after you miss a basket ball shot, you have to flop because it is not like basket ball where the refs are close and can see things. Flopping is how you get the refs attention.

Some people have suggested additional referees, but soccer is so traditional and unwilling to change.

Although they did change the golden goal rule this year, which I think is a good call.

 

[jiggafini19]

What does a wide reciever do when he doesn't catch the ball and a defender is within two yards of him...he looks at the ref for a flag.

I used this example the other day in an argument for soccer. Most of these dopes stand there and make that "flag throwing" gesture when what they should have done was catch the damn ball.

These guys jump to catch the ball when most times they don't really have to anyway. And they all wear those sissy gloves, too.

 

[NDgettysburg]

But as far as diving being a problem with soccer.... I don't think that this is any different than any other sport. What does a wide reciever do when he doesn't catch the ball and a defender is within two yards of him...he looks at the ref for a flag. Same thing with a basket ball player after he misses a shot, he looks at the ref. In baseball, when a strike/ball isn't called in your favor. Trying to gain officiating help is a part of every sport. Tripping in soccer is kind of like looking at the ref after you miss a basket ball shot, you have to flop because it is not like basket ball where the refs are close and can see things. Flopping is how you get the refs attention.

you left out the most glaring and comparable example...the NHL. Especially this past season. Diving always went on in hockey to some extent but this year was out of control since the refs rarely called it.

 

[punishment]

you left out the most glaring and comparable example...the NHL. Especially this past season. Diving always went on in hockey to some extent but this year was out of control since the refs rarely called it.

I wanted to include a hockey example, but I don't really follow it too much. I watch the Sharks, but I still don't understand all the rules.

 

[IRISHFOOTBALL919]

france is gonna win it today

 

[Guest]

looks like italy won, its going pretty crazy over hear with car horns and screaming...guess i'll be getting no sleep tonight.

 

[jiggafini19]

HEY PUNISHMENT!!!

The Azzurri are back on top of the futbol world. Allowed an own goal and a PK...not too bad. Defense wins championships.

Cannavaro is a wonderful player. All that a captain should exemplify, which is more than I can say for some. The nightmare of 1994 is over, thankfully. 5 for 5 on PK shots.

France outplayed them in the second half after Italy had won the first. Even extra time, Les Blues had an advantage. Buffon's save on Zidane's header might have been the match.

Henry is a great player and class act.

Our whole family watched this game together. That hasn't happened since the Bears won the 1986 Super Bowl. My uncle Serafino, who is no longer with us, was being thought of much today. He was a huge soccer fan, the one man I ever saw weep because his team lost (1994 to Brazil). I can't wait for 2010.