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World Cup 2006

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08:31 / 29.06.06

if England play anything like they have done so far, I expect I'll be hoping for a Portuguese victory

Oh God, yes. If England were only enjoying it a little, instead of looking like they're carrying an unfair burden that's far too heavy for them. Actually just how Germany looked for years and years, and years, though not any more (hoping it continues).

ONLY NICE THINGS

08:52 / 29.06.06

Which is why I honestly and sincerely believe that aaron Lennon should be in the team. On current evidence, he perks up the whole team with peppy running and progressive passing. On the other hand, when you look at how statistically reliant the team is on Beckham for creating goals, I can see the argument for conservatism. However, I can't shake the feeling that swapping out Backham would change the style of play that currently involves whacking it out to Beckham about 15 yards from the byline and waiting for him to metronome in a cross, and so create different goalscoring opportunities. It's a dilemma.

10:22 / 29.06.06

Why can't Beckham play more centrally, like Effenberg used to? Why must he be out on the right wing where, I agree, Lennon would give them some life?

11:02 / 29.06.06

so, portugal italy & argentina brasil semis - who'll run fourth??? [my answer: portugal, to brasil!]

Except it would be Argentina-Italy and Portugal-Brazil semis; on form I'd have to agree with your assessment, although I think Germany's the hard call.

11:37 / 29.06.06

Why can't Beckham play more centrally, like Effenberg used to? Why must he be out on the right wing where, I agree, Lennon would give them some life?

Beckham can't seem to play in the middle. His best use is the right cross from the right wing with his right foot. Whilst his passing is great he seems to lack the playmaker vision that a string-pulling midfielder needs - you can't always look to long ball it every time. His attempts to remodel himself into Zidane with Real (and for a time) with England has shown he's not much cop in the centre. The other point is England already have a plethora of attacking talent throught the middle - Indeed, probably too much, hence the Gerrard/Lampard problem.

I would like to see Lennon brought on sooner, but I don't know if England can cope without Beckham. All of England's goals so far have been from or through him. It'd be nice if Beckham attacked space a bit more, or held the ball up rather than looking for Teh Long Pass as soon as he gets it.

Lennon on the other hand has all the attributes to be a great winger, except the final ball that Beckham can provide. Quite often for Spurs and England Lennon has got into the box only to see him try to go past one man too many or not get the correct choice of cross/pass. I guess that will come with experience, but right now, I'm not sure he should start.

11:47 / 29.06.06

Whenever Beckham has played centrally for England, he's always tended to drift out wide leaving some gaps through the middle that Portugal would have a field day over. He's not much of a tackler either. Plus, as already mentioned, he needs the width to play his best balls into the box

I suspect we'll stick with the same sort of formation as against Equador. 4-1-4-1. Gary Neville's return is good news as he's always overlapped well with Beckham. I suspect Carrick will be dropped for Hargreaves to do the dirty work clearing up in front of the back four.

Lennon is a fantastic impact sub, I'd love to see him given a good half hour to terrorise Portugal's tired legs. Rooney holding the ball up to play it into spaces that his pace can really exploit could be the difference.

12:22 / 29.06.06

Yes, sorry, I'd have imagined anyone who can hit such accurate and useful long balls would be well placed in the middle, but I suppose he's just a specialised weapon, like a howitzer, and must be accepted as such. I agree it should work better if Neville's back and that the middle is indeed already very full.

Strangely enough, Ballack, after really struggling against the role for three years at Bayern München, has been playing very well as a deep central pivot for Germany in this tournament. OK, with the exception of the second half against Sweden, when he really wanted to get his goal, and who could blame him. Of course Ballack's a lot more robust than Beckham, likes trouble, and is happy to hit whatever pass might work too.

15:46 / 30.06.06

Germany Argentina is getting better as the game goes on, role on extra time... Think Germany might just pinch a goal the way things are looking despite the fact I didn't give them a hope when they went one nil down.

Thought that was a penalty though!

16:43 / 30.06.06

GERMANY! This has made me as happy as I'm going to get today. Thank you, Bundesrepublik Deutschland.

19:28 / 30.06.06

Italy is kicking some major ass here...

20:26 / 30.06.06

So ... it's Germany versus Italy in the first semi-final.

The Germans were so afraid of and overawed by Argentina, they just looked doomed at first, but when Pekerman gave them a chance they certainly did take it. Here, in Germany, you'd swear they'd won the final - it's mad. Of course maybe they have and I just don't know it yet.

21:34 / 30.06.06

I think Germany have beaten the best team in the competition, probably, though I've a sneaking suspicion that the mercilessly professional Italians will put a stop to all this partying - rather sooner than expected.

22:34 / 30.06.06

oh drat, now i need new predictions... didn't think the hosts really deserved their win, but i still can't fathom pekerman's decision to take off riquelme - the argentinines looked a less creative outfit with him gone. might have made all the difference in extra time. klinsman outcoaching someone?

does anyone else rate ballack? i feel he's over-hyped and has italian blood! what a fraud. [but i did say to yet-to-be-smoky housemate, as ballack had the ball on the flank 'but they've given him too much room now...' - a prophet!

so, portugal to meet italy in berlin?

still haven't seen any of italy's win - woke up this morning with american house guest burning my old quilt and filling the room and half the house with smoke. turned on telly to see spanish or some other news program, ergo game not gone to extra time and txt from sister confirming their win. go luca, go italy - until you meet deco!

hey dm, getting nervous? i think you'll be more like italy over ukraine than the host's match - mebbe 2-0 or 3-1... portugal over england 2-0, unless rooney lights up and england win 3-0... gone watch both games tonight... bed again soon! zzzzzz

o i love this!

00:35 / 01.07.06

Brazil to beat France 2-0, England to win 4-1 against Portugal. England to go into world cup winning frenzy before losing 3-2 to Brazil, while Italy lose 1-0 to Germany. Germany Brazil final... going to penalties, after that the drunken haze fades and I don't know what will happen. probably none of the above.

Am supporting England up in Scotland tomorrow/today am hoping for a good result all round (I don't belive Scots are as anti English as people make them out to be)

02:07 / 01.07.06

These were to be sTe's last words, his Keegan-like optimism soon dissipating before the kilted mob.

ONLY NICE THINGS

10:06 / 01.07.06

i feel he's over-hyped and has italian blood! what a fraud.

Dude, Australia. For that matter, Klose, Podolski and Borowski of Germany. Or, you know, Gerald Asamoah, also of Germany.

11:26 / 01.07.06

Y'mean Asamoah and Odonkor.

11:57 / 01.07.06

Ah, changed.

oh drat, now i need new predictions... didn't think the hosts really deserved their win, but i still can't fathom pekerman's decision to take off riquelme - the argentinines looked a less creative outfit with him gone. might have made all the difference in extra time. klinsman outcoaching someone?

Pekerman's substitutions were bewildering; no Messi, no Saviola - trying to sit on a lead against the hosts, I guess - suffocate the game. Thing was, they didn't look too clever doing it, and might have been better pushing harder for a second, get the shit up the Deutschies, etc. Kind of an inevitable sadness about the result regardless, two teams who've given the tournament the most meeting at that stage.

11:58 / 01.07.06

Italy/Brazil final, 1970 repeat, for me.

12:02 / 01.07.06

I've a sneaking suspicion that the mercilessly professional Italians will put a stop to all this partying - rather sooner than expected.

Italy completely demolished Germany only about four months ago, so it's certainly very possible they'll do so again. At least there's no chance Germany will underestimate Italy, which is good because they could easily get cocky now as a reaction to how terrified they were yesterday.

Concerning Michael Ballack, astrojax, well, he's definitely the best Germany's got to offer and they're among the world’s top four - so he's surely not bad.

12:11 / 01.07.06

Yeah, for all that, I'm surprised astro took yesterday as exemplary of Ballack's flattery-to-deceive because it was yesterday I finally 'got' him after a few so-so games; directed play in front of the Argentine goal.

Our Lady Has Left the Building

15:58 / 01.07.06

Watched the first half via broadbandy goodness at work, didn't get back home until about ten minutes before the end of the second half, notice that Beckham's out of it, notice Rooney has been red-carded, I'm surprised that didn't happen in the last game, that's what you get when someone with the emotional maturity of a 12-year-old is allowed on the pitch, now we're into extra time and we are so screwed...

17:08 / 01.07.06

Penalties - It had to be really, oh well.

I suppose I'll be rooting for the Germans now - they seem to be putting on a great old time for everyone out there and it'd be nice for such an unfancied team to really stick it to the experts.

Christiano Ronaldo had better hope that move to Real Madrid comes off. I suspect training with Rooney could be a bit hairy in a few weeks time.

17:52 / 01.07.06

oh noes!1!!

I suppose I'll be rooting for the Germans now - they seem to be putting on a great old time for everyone out there and it'd be nice for such an unfancied team to really stick it to the experts.

agreed. that was why i really really really wanted us to beat portugal today:
to, as you so eloquently put it, stick it to the experts.

nobody likes a smartarse and all the press have been doing my fucking head in all this world cup, james lawton in the independent is a particular bugbear for me with his beckham and sven bashing and all the wanking over BIG PHIL SCOLARI, yeah he's now beaten us the last two times but it was ON FUCKING PENALTIES, how then can people claim he out-thought or outmanouevred sven?

and yet they do, the fucking know-nothing tossers.

football eh? bloody hell

18:52 / 01.07.06

Well, I think the argument would be he did so with players of a lower standard. James Lawton's moralising is a bit of a bore, though.

Anyway, enough of that dross (and it was, yet again, an unappealling spectacle) - France are shitting Brazil up here, Zidane looks like he's recovered the legs for one, two, three last games and it's really quite exciting.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

19:17 / 01.07.06

I'm so supporting France.

20:00 / 01.07.06

My, my, my, aren't France good! I didn't feel there was a better team in the earlier game, but the better team won tonight.

22:50 / 01.07.06

Returning to the Rooney incident briefly, I do think it's a, if not the resonant moment - demonstrative of his utter apparent naivete. Rooney's obvious disbelief that Ronaldo (his pal! his team-mate!) was making a case for his being sent off - possibly; he was certainly interested in winding him up at the beginning of the match, but that's what happens all the time. Players will know who has a short fuse, and exploit this wherever possible - it's not cheating, using psychology, and the absolute bullshit mythologising about the comparative English sense of 'fair play' has already begun in earnest.

If you stick your studs on a man's balls, with intent, you do really deserve a red.

ONLY NICE THINGS

23:07 / 01.07.06

I'm not convinced there was intent. In fact, I would like to celebrate England's victory and progress to the semi-finals of the moral World Cup.

Good game, actually - for the first time, England not only had moments of good play but actually constructed a decent narrative. Owen Hargreaves finally made a real and shut-up-now case for inclusion, Peter Crouch was weirdly appealing, and Sven is finally gone.

Things I'd like from Steve McClaren:

1) An acknowledgement that, although David Beckham does indeed provide some crosses and some set piece goals, his overall contribution has dwindled ever more impressively.

2) A further acknowledgement that a fit player who is not quite as good as a not fit player will very probably still play better and may not be taken off injured or sent off out of frustration at his failure to play at full capacity.

3) An acknowledgement that if you play a link player as your sole striker, he will always be fifteen yards behind the cross.

What do you think my chances are?

23:38 / 01.07.06

I've yet to find an intelligent football-mate who thought that Rooney should've been sent off.

Is anyone of a mind to persuade me?

06:02 / 02.07.06

i was stunned he got a red - i actually thought mebbe the ref was going to call ronni-c over and give him a card for diving. looked to me roons just stumbled a bit getting back to his feet. sorry incident for reffing at this wc, again! but it did sting the english into life - they possibly deserved a little more.

and i'm sorry, dm, i really am. i would hate to see france go on and win this thing but they have an air they might. zouzou is finally playing football and is being very effective, especially now with ribery providing severe bite on the right, zz from the middle left and a flank coming in - deadly.

but brasil never really got into gear in this wc. a great pity. may their alma mater, portugal, go all the way with their brasilian coach... 14 in a row? unbelievable!!

07:44 / 02.07.06

I thought it looked from the replay as though Rooney was sent off for pushing, rather than stamping - which would have been harsh, but it was daft on his part, and he should know better (notwithstanding temperament and frustration). If he did get sent off for stamping, well, I dunno - it was very hard to tell from the replay whether there was any intent or not - if there was, no question he deserved it.

Thoroughly fed up with all the commentary in the press about England, the English fans, the English press, etc. etc.

I thought France were brilliant last night and hope they reach the final - they look a better side than Portugal.

13:40 / 02.07.06

France! FRAANNNCEEE!!!!!

Damn! It seems we have a tradition of loosing to them in World Cups. I wish I could at least say it was unfair, but it wasn't: France played a whole lot better, And Zidane was a god in the field. 1 x 0 was to little.

I blame on our coach, and his stubborn sticking to a team that was not working, when we had so many good players going to waste in the bench. Parreira,you damn arrogant fool.

The arrogance of CBF (Brazilian Footbal Committee), which seemed to think victory was certain and did not test the team against strong adversaries and turned every training session into a photo session and a friendly game. No humility, and we payed for that.

Well, now I'm supporting Portugal and Scollari for the Cup. Go Figo!

14:55 / 02.07.06

It's worth bearing in mind most of your football-liking friends may be operating under some bias, being English, Boboss. However, it's entirely possible I might be too. As I recall, it didn't look like an attempt to get the ball at any rate.

15:37 / 02.07.06

Furthermore, he was sent off for the stamp and is being investigated by FIFA for violent conduct, so.

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