World Cup 2006, thread funf (semis and onwards)

France 1 Portugal 2 (penalty in extra time)

Germany 0 Italy 1 (penalty in extra time)

I would like to see Lippi switch Italy back to the free-scoring 4-4-2 we were playing at the turn of the year against Germany, but I'm guessing WC semi-finals means Tight and Cagey.

Ditto. I'm pulling for a Germany v. France final.

admire Portugal (largely through club loyalty)

Strangely, I don't thrill to the idea of Nuno Valente showing off his WC winners' medal to all and sundry at the Bellefield training ground next month, a la Ray Wilson.

Lehmann, Friedrich, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm, Schneider, Borowski, Ballack, Schweinsteiger, Podolski, Klose

Lahm's been fun. I like Schweinsteiger, but after the first game he hasn't done much. Ballack's been slightly subdued, been very good, but not done anything startling yet.

Goals for: 10 Against:3

Italy (probable): Buffon, Zambrotta, Materazzi, Cannavaro, Grosso, Perrotta, Pirlo, Gattuso, Totti, Toni, Gilardino

I'm not sure about Toni and Gilardino, but I LOVE watching Totti and I think Pirlo is great. He can pick a pass. The defence and goalkeeper are the best left in the tournament.

For:10 Against 3

I reckon Italy have more potential matchwinners, and that they'll go all the way.

For:10 Against 1

Sorry. Duh!

ruh-roh.

DO I GO DO FUN, OUTDOORS 4TH OF JULY REVELING TOMORROW, OR BE ANTI-SOCIAL AND STAY HOME AND WATCH GAMES?????

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

France 2 Portugal 0

Germany 2 Italy 1

A Germany - France final would be sweet though, sort of "let's win this for Battiston!" revenge plot and Zidane holding the cup in his last game ever. Too good to be true I'm afraid. :(

I thought Nesta was fit now. It's a pretty easy choice between him and Materazzi if so.

Juve - relegated to C1, docked 6 points, stripped of last two titles

Milan - relegated to B, docked 3 points

Fiorentina and Nazio - relegated to B, docked 15 points

Clever - the points deductions mean that upon appeal, they can scale them back and look like they've softened the blow. Not clear whether the points deduction apply this year or next.

Well surely many not so good players have their best games at a WC, in the same way that some great players have their worst games in their national colours at a WC.

Yes i didn't think Nesta would be fit for the semi-final, at least.

xp = Maybe half of the Italian squad will be jailed between the end of their semi-final victory and the final, meaning Por win the trophy for the first time.

Clever - the points deductions mean that upon appeal, they can scale them back and look like they've softened the blow. Not clear whether the points deduction apply this year or next.

So can someone who is clued in, Dave B perhaps, speculate as to whether there actually will be a mass exodus of players from these teams?

Also are there no financial penalties? Surely Juve will just storm back up the leagues, though they aren't amazingly well supported are they?

www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n13/foot02_.html

However, I suspect most will leave, because they won't want to work their way back up. Some like Buffon I can see doing it, to become a Juve legend, but others like Ibrahimovic, Vieira, nedved, etc, didn't sign up to third division football.

Juve's support isn't so much in the stadium, as all over Italy. Think Man Utd with crowds of 20K.

I guess for the likes of Nedved it's move or end your career in Serie C and B.

Juve have been seriously considering becoming a touring football team with no home ground, anyway. The theory being that they can attract bigger crowds in, say, southern Sicily or Reggio Calabria than they can in Turin.

(xp)

I'm reading a book on Italian football history at the moment. All these things were happening right from the word go.

Total scum. Amazing to think his party was part of the ruling coalition for the last 5 years.

superfrancais. is that canal+ interview on line anywhere?

re: the 'quoi' thing, it's not the most refined way of speaking is it, which is cool - I mean, I do it habitually but then when talking to profs and such realized I had better try and cut back some.

anyway, Zidane rules. I wonder what he's going to do now..

"There wouldn't be any reaction without a provocation." OK, then don't react. You're a pro. Practice a couple of icy cool lines about not caring what he says and move on.

I did think he was elegant about saying he didn't know what would have happened had he not been expelled.

The 'quoi' thing is kind of like 'like' in American.

It's logical! without going off into the realm of what should have happened, clearly what did happen was a reaction ergo there was a provocation.

I'm not saying that FIFA might not want to investigate this behavior, but regardless of the provocation, reaction is not sportsmanlike, whether the provocation is a verbal taunt, a shove, spitting, kicking, or anything else.

Haha why do I think this retaliatory system would be rather badly abused pretty quickly!

Ha, the latter! Scotland is a European country, but it's inside the UK. Who thinks otherwise?

(many x-posts)

You'd be surprised. I've encountered (British!) people on this board who have expressed thing along these lines.

Anyway, that's a whole other thread (which we've done already, I believe). As you were...

Under this excellent system, would ZZ have been allowed to return the nipple-tweak/insult combo with a wedgie and a curse? A sideburn-twist? A chinese burn? How exact must the retribution be before somebody cries 'escalation'?

Has he really retired, completely? He is still listed on the Real Madrid website, together with all the other old fogies.

I suppose the referee would have to establish parameters for the retribution before it was dished out - obviously the use of video replays would be crucial here.

I wonder if we've seen this bit of film more times than the twin towers footage.

Which twin towers footage? I hear myself cry.

oh i disagree. that Mario one is the best yet.

http://www.webpark.ru/uploads29/14_podborka_6.jpg