Yes, your favorite World Cup is finally here! :p

First game, Germany versus Costa Rica.
Awesome game. Germany is winning 4-2, and it seems like the game's ending on that(4 minutes left :p)

Quite a great game for a World Cup openning.:D

Not to sound stupid but, is Ireland in? that be my Hometeam. :)

Nope :p. Here's a list of all the Groups with their respective teams:
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/group/index.html

After this game, I seriously doubt Mexico will get far this time :p
Oh well... Brazil for the win! :p

Nope :p. Here's a list of all the Groups with their respective teams:
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/group/index.html

After this game, I seriously doubt Mexico will get far this time :p
Oh well... Brazil for the win! :p
Three :p smileys in one post. I believe this is an all-time high.

Portugal will probably stand by their tradition of losing every single world cup.

Hey!
Austria continues to not even qualify. :)

Ecuador won 2-0 against Poland, BTW.

I usually try to get into international football. It's good; there's less to learn and it's over in a few weeks. It's football that doesn't require any investment of time. Plus, everyone gets into it and you can just let yourself get carried away in it.

I'm not really feeling it this year, though. Not yet anyway. I suspect it may be the heat. I can't be bothered with anything much just now.

What could be more boring than watching a bunch of men running around on a big lawn chasing a ball? I mean, they rarely even get hurt.

they rarely even get hurt.
They don't?
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4068056587801163544

What could be more boring than watching a bunch of men running around on a big lawn chasing a ball? I mean, they rarely even get hurt.
What could be more boring than controlling a bunch of imaginary bugs in a computer?

What could be more boring than tapping a bunch of beige cubes with letters on?

Seriously, you can make anything sound boring if you phrase it like that. Now shut up and stop trolling our thread.

What could be more boring than controlling a bunch of imaginary bugs in a computer?

What could be more boring than tapping a bunch of beige cubes with letters on?

Seriously, you can make anything sound boring if you phrase it like that. Now shut up and stop trolling our thread.
:D WRYYYYYYYYYYY

What could be more boring than controlling a bunch of imaginary bugs in a computer?

What could be more boring than tapping a bunch of beige cubes with letters on?

Seriously, you can make anything sound boring if you phrase it like that. Now shut up and stop trolling our thread.

Aww, you don't have to surpress your actuall feelings towards me with pointless fighting and arguing.
I know you love me.

They don't?
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4068056587801163544

That hardly proves anything. I didn't say it never happened, just rarely.

Mexico vs Iran tomorrow, can hardly wait.:cool: :p

I couldn't possibly care any less.

Three :p smileys in one post. I believe this is an all-time high.

OH MtlAngelus is trying to out-:p us is he? Well we'll just see about that.

All posts in this thread are now required to have three :p emoticons.

Edit your posts, people. :p

What could be more boring than watching a bunch of men running around on a big lawn chasing a ball? I mean, they rarely even get hurt.If violence's your source of entertainment, sports are not for you. Proper sports, in any case.

:P :p:p:p

I tried watching Sweden play just now, but nothing happened. 20 minutes and no goals, just passing the ball back and forth. Hockey is more fun in that manner, more goals. But I find hockey boring too. No, some sports are just not for me.

Baseball is fun though.

That mexican referee in the England game was a right nutjob.

Wow, you don't see a lot of "self goals" (sp?) these days.

Yes, your favorite World Cup is finally here! :pThank Glod, I've been waiting years for a Test World Cup.

That mexican referee in the England game was a right nutjob.
Yep.
He won't referee the final. :)

Pierluigi Collina has retired, alas, alas.

The only ref I know famous enough to get on the box cover of a football game.

That mexican referee in the England game was a right nutjob.
Chiquidracula, yes, we hate him too here. No idea why he got to go to the World Cup.

Win, woo.

We won betterer :p
3-1 versus Iran ^^

We won betterer :p
3-1 versus Iran ^^
Yes, but our referees are better than yours.

Not our fault really, we've been trying to get rid of them for a while.
That particular referee, Marco Rodriguez, is one of the most hated on the Mexican league, yet he's still there. Something to do with a mafia controlling the league, that's why I don't care much about it.

USA is getting owned by Czech Republic ^^
They so deserve that.
edit: 3-0 :D

Yes, but our referees are better than yours.Graham Poll?

USA is getting owned by Czech Republic ^^
They so deserve that.
edit: 3-0 :D
:( Come on, how do we deserve it?

Come on, how do we deserve it?
Because you concentrate on obscure sports like "American football" and "baseball" to much.

Because you concentrate on obscure sports like "American football" and "baseball" to much.

No, but if America would have won it could help the general interest for the sport to go up some.

And it would help America to not be such outsiders in this mostly European tournament.

No, but if America would have won it could help the general interest for the sport to go up some.

And it would help America to not be such outsiders in this mostly European tournament.Well, European and South American. And African.

And Asian.

:( Come on, how do we deserve it?
For talking too much. Specifically, Landon Donovan. More specifically, saying that he hates Mexico(the team, not the country, he made that distinction) and that he hoped to be able to "humiliate" us again.
Edit: And Brazil won 1-0 versus Croatia, altough Croatia really deserved to at least tie the game.

Well, European and South American. And African.

I know their in it. Please read the word i wrote before European again.

And Asian.
And Austrilasian.

So really, it's only North America (which is to say, two countries) and Antarctica who are a poor show. And North America were in it before the finals, were they not? The only reason they're not in it is because they played too badly and got knocked out.

Compared to the "World Series" I reckon it's pretty well named.

I know their in it. Please read the word i wrote before European again.Well, it's hard to exclude South America, given that over half of them have been won by South American countries (Five for Brazil, two for Argentina, two for Uruguay).

All the others have been won by Europeans, admittedly (Three for Germany [techincally West Germany], three for Italy, one for England, one for France)

Well, it's hard to exclude South America, given that over half of them have been won by South American countries (Five for Brazil, two for Argentina, two for Uruguay).

All the others have been won by Europeans, admittedly (Three for Germany [techincally West Germany], three for Italy, one for England, one for France)

Who the hell keeps track of victorys and such anyway? My judgement was based upon what country I noticed was in a match. Europe was the most common.

Who the hell keeps track of victorys and such anyway? My judgement was based upon what country I noticed was in a match. Europe was the most common.
Well, that's to be expected. Most nations rich enough to indulge in international sports are European. The USA are big and impressive and all, but they only get one team.

Might be more interesting if they played in states like we do.

Who the hell keeps track of victorys and such anyway?Well, mad stattos like me, for one.

Mexico 0-0 Angola :(
Mexico had so many chances to score, it's almost unbelievable they didn't.

Also, Argentina pretty much owned Serbia And Montenegro, 6-0 :eek:
And, Cote D'Ivoire lost agains Netherlands, even tough they so deserved to win...

Good news is, tomorrow USA gets owned again :p

Portugal 2-0 Iran :D

Mexico-Portugal on wednesday :p

France 1-1 Korea Republic

Way to show those frogs who's boss, Korea! :p

USA actually tied the game with Italy :O
I still don't think they'll pass to the next round tho.

Brasil won 2-0 agains Australia, yet they're still dissapointing me...

I don't watch this... nor do I watch ANY sports.
But I WILL SAY that I love the logo. :p

USA actually tied the game with Italy :O
I still don't think they'll pass to the next round tho.
Oh hell yes we will.

Czech Republic owned USA. Ghana owned Czech Republic. And we all know Italy was lucky when they beat Ghana :p
And even if USA wins, you still need Czech republic to loose, and that's gonna be hard too.

One of our news channels just remembered us that there's a Simpsons episode with a Portugal vs. Mexico game. Oh the coincidencey.

O.o never seen that one.
Portugal is winning 2-1. Portugal started pretty much kicking our ass, and Mexico was playing like poop. Then Mexico started to play better, and now I think there's a lot of chance for us to at least tie the game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TTMDyJeqMo

We're still gonna kick your ass. :p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TTMDyJeqMo

We're still gonna kick your ass. :p
Lol they're so unfair on soccer. Still funny.

There's still time for us to tie ^^

edit: PENALTY°!!!11!#!"3!
...Damn you Bravo!!!
...
it ended 2-1... I blame it all on Omar Bravo... missed a penalty and a really clear opportunity to score...

I blame it all on Omar Bravo... missed a penalty and a really clear opportunity to score...
Ahh!
That reminds me of the 1994 final.
Roberto Baggio totally f*cking it up.

Lol they're so unfair on soccer. Still funny.I remember watching a baseball match once and thinking, "So, is anyone going to score a run without getting out?"...

I remember watching a baseball match once and thinking, "So, is anyone going to score a run without getting out?"...

I have no idea what you mean by getting out.. but I've been to two baseball matches in the U.S. Last one was Yankees vs Mets. It was very fun, and I've seen a bit of it on TV as well as been in a team for a year or two when I was much younger.

I have no idea what you mean by getting out.Getting caught or run out or struck out.

Admittedly this was an amateur match between Cuba and Australia for Olympic Gold, but it seemed to me that the batsmen had terrible difficulty just hitting the ball without it going up in the air and getting caught.

Czech republic lost agains Italy :(
And USA lost against Ghana :D

Congratulations, Ghana.

Is this their first World Cup?

Is this their first World Cup?
Yep, it's their debut.

Gary Linekar, you are wrong. That half of football was in no way "fascinating". In fact it was rubbish.

Furthermore, I think that you should be sent off and banned for a month if you push someone over like that. (Not Gary Linekar. He didn't push anyone over.) I mean, he didn't even have the ball. That's just cheating, and making no attempt to look like you're not cheating. Same goes for diving. I could very easily lose what little interest I have in football if it's played like that. Particularly by teams who are supposedly great.

I wonder how much of a ribbing we'll get if the Aussies get further into the competition than we do.

Fortunately, the only time we'd meet would be in the final.

EDIT: Group G looks complicated. If I understand the rules correctly, the "right" result* there could leave France and South Korea drawing lots...

* Switzerland and South Korea draw N - N; France beat Togo N+2 - N+1.

We lost against Argentina T_T
Mexico played way better, Rafa Marquez scored, and it seemed like it was going to be a great game... then Borgetti scores an auto-goal... like... he should have stayed injured...
Also, the referee was just... horrible...

So the game ends, and it's 1-1, so they go to extra-time(or however you call that), and Argentine scored awesomly... and we loose T_T

If it wasn't for Borgetti's auto-goal, we could have won...

Bad luck old chap. I was rooting for you (Mostly for schadenfraude against Argentina, but there y'go), and it seemed to be a rather good game.

Bad luck old chap. I was rooting for you (Mostly for schadenfraude against Argentina, but there y'go), and it seemed to be a rather good game.
Really? I was rooting for them so I could watch their manager scowl some more.

La Volpe? You should have seen a photo of him in the cover of a sports newspaper, a couple of weeks ago.

Anyways, England beat Ecuador 1-0, and Portugal-Netherlands is just starting.

Hopefully Portugal won't suffer from the same luck as Mexico.

Graham Poll?Should have said this earlier, but "how prophetic".

Oh right, what the hell happened in that game anyway, I only saw a post-review and it seemed like the referee really messed it up.

Portugal won 1-0 in a game that was both the most awesome game ever, and the worst game ever :p
It was oh-so-messed-up.
16 yellow cards, and 4 red cards. AWESOME LOL.

16 yellow cards, and 4 red cards. AWESOME LOL.
Damn, I wish I had watched that. Ah well.

Yes, in the first ten minutes or so the ref started giving out yellows for just anything. The commentators commented that now he's started this, "he'll have to be consistent and hope that nothing happens to create an imbalance". And then the players decided it would be fun to turn the match from a football game into a very small war. What was he supposed to do then?

I suppose he could have booked the right sixteen people, but at least he was seen to be doing something. Bottom line is that we get to play a quarterfinal against a team with two suspensions and an injury. If we carry on like that we might just have a chance.

Damn. Australia lost... because of a penalty on the very last minute... and it was a dive!...
So unfair. Australia deserved the win...:(

Portugal-Netherlands was the most ridiculous game ever. One of our players, Deco, got a red card because an opponent basically "glomped" him, throwing him into the ground, and OUR player is the one who gets the red card? WTF?!?

Now we got an injury and two suspensions for no good reason, that's going to be fun.

WOWZERS. Brazil is beating Ghana 2-0. Ronaldo has now the record of most goals on World Cups :D
So, Brazil was wining 1-0, Ghana is putting up quite a fight, they get close to tying the game by the end of the first half... and Brazil strikes back so awesomely and scores a goal... in the compensation time.
This is fun.

Portugal-Netherlands was the most ridiculous game ever. One of our players, Deco, got a red card because an opponent basically "glomped" him, throwing him into the ground, and OUR player is the one who gets the red card? WTF?!?He got a second yellow for timewasting.

3-0.
If Ghana didn't scored, it's just coz they're unlucky.
Both were playing awesomely tho. Brazil seems unstopable, they're so gonna win this cup.

Oh gawd, Germany-Argentina 1-1, they're currently on extra time...
edit: Extra time is over, now they're going to penalties :x

GERMANY WON!! :D
5-3 ^^

Edit: Tomorrow, England versus Portugal. Go Portugal go! :p

Our tv channels even put up a countdown timer for the game.

0-0, they go to penalties now :x
Edit: WAHOO!

WlNNAR!!!!11

Portugal wins 3-1 in penalty shoot-out.

Damnit, stupid work, can't see Brazil-France because of it... :(
aSDHWAEFKAWR!")$/"!#$
*thud*

Oh thank god for that. I'll be able to get a decent night's sleep tonight

*does robodance*

Oh thank god for that. I'll be able to get a decent night's sleep tonight

*does robodance*Unlike me, who'll be hearing horns and whistles for the rest of the day. Living next to a railway and a highway doesn't help.

Damnit, stupid work, can't see Brazil-France because of it... :(
aSDHWAEFKAWR!")$/"!#$
*thud*
Why would you want to watch Brazil play anyway? They'll only cheat some more.

MtlAngelus, you didn't miss anything worthwhile in the Brazil - France match.
(Which France won 1-0, BTW.)

The commentator on Austrian television seemed to comment more on the referee's decisions than the players. :rolleyes:

England are out. Hopefully this will put an end to the flurry of England flags currently engulfing Luton.

Oh, and some of the violence might stop too, I guess.

Why would you want to watch Brazil play anyway? They'll only cheat some more.
I'm sorry, I can't hear you.

Anyways, I was able to watch the game after all, some people were using the room we've got designated for training purposes, so we were "free" until 5pm(game ended at 4pm), so we got to watch the game in the cafeteria.

And, DAMN YOU THIERRY HENRY!!!

My bets are on the final being Germany vs France, but I want Portugal to pass tho.

My bets are on the final being Germany vs France
That's what I think too.
Portugal won't win, Italy have a chance.

At this point I have say that this is the lamest football tournament I have ever seen.
Only the referees are fun to watch.

England are out. Hopefully this will put an end to the flurry of England flags currently engulfing Luton.

Oh, and some of the violence might stop too, I guess.I actually saw an England flag around here. In the middle of all the Portugal flags hanging from every single window and motorized vehicle. It really felt odd.

D:
Italy won 2-0 against Germany.
Couldn't watch the game... stupid work :mad:
Won't be able to see tomorrow's game either...

****!!!!!!

Exactly.
The good thing is, Zizou gets his last world cup before he retires :D

We have a bet going on at work about the score after 90min (incl. additional time) for the game Italy -France.
I'm the only one that bet 1-1. (Of course, France will win 2-1 in the extra time.) :D

I think first time is gonna end 0-0 as most games this year, since both will be playing quite defensive.

England are out. Hopefully this will put an end to the flurry of England flags currently engulfing Luton.They were still out in force during my East Anglia holiday, I know that.

Well, Portugal lost agains Germany :p
Anyways, only 13 hours till the closure of this world cup, I'm vouching for France ^^
This will be "Titi" Henry's and Zidane's game I tell you.

ASDHASKFAWEU)A. F.
Damnit, this thing might go to penalties... :x

edit: Why Zizou? WHY? :(

GAHAHAH! Zidane headbutt someone in the chest. That cracked me up.

Poor Zidane, getting expelled in his last game :(
Damn those Italians for being so... annoying.:p

Poor Zidane, getting expelled in his last game :(
Damn those Italians for being so... annoying.:pWha? There's no excuse for a headbutt!

Depends on what that italian said.
Italy won :( :( :(

Depends on what that italian said.
Italy won :( :( :(No, no it doesn't. If he'd just ignored him he'd've won the argument and not got sent off.

Zizou is known for being a hot head, and that probably didn't help much.

That headbutt was the best part of football history. Zidane will always, in my eyes, be the winner of that match!

(Of course, France will win 2-1 in the extra time.) :D

It should have been... oh it so shoud have been. I hate penalty shots to determine a game.

You know, Angel, in your avatar it really looks like Zidane is crying.
That headbutt was the best part of football history. Zidane will always, in my eyes, be the winner of that match!
The commentator here said after Italy started celebrating, "there'll be some sore heads in the morning".

There'll be at least one.

Well, that was the best shot I could get of it, and I can't have it animated so :p

I was rooting for Italy because they beat Ukraine, and it looks better for Ukraine to lose to the winners, than to lose to losers.

My lineage is from southern Russia/Ukraine.

Да здравствует Украина!

It should have been... oh it so shoud have been. I hate penalty shots to determine a game.
Yep. Penalty shoot outs suck.
France were playing way better in the second half and the extra time.
And Buffon didn't catch any of the penalty shots, so it was just luck for Italy that Trezeguet missed his. :p

But hey! I (exclusivly) won €28.- for my bet at work on 1-1 after the regular time.
Cocktail time!

But hey! I (exclusivly) won €28.- for my bet at work on 1-1 after the regular time.
Cocktail time!
Congrats! .

Italy rules!

Zizou rules. Just saw the interview where he explained what happened, I most certainly agree with him.

Zizou rules. Just saw the interview where he explained what happened, I most certainly agree with him.
I don't like his "Only One Person Can Possibly Be Wrong And Materazzi Is Wrong So Logically I Must Be Right" attitude. I think it's pretty obvious to everybody in the world that both players were out of line. There's no point either of them trying to claim they did nothing wrong, and yet clearly they both are. And at least one of them is an outright liar -- Materazzi either did (as Zidane claims) mention Zidane's mother, or else he didn't (as Materazzi claims).

Zidane is digging a very deep hole for himself here. People seemed fairly happy to think it was a heat-of-the-moment thing, but when he says he doesn't regret it that's effectively saying he thinks violence is the correct way to solve such disputes. That's pretty likely to make him very unpopular -- and quite rightly too; it's all well and good being a great footballer, which undoubtedly he is, but if you're a great footballer and a total *******, I don't like you.

He accepts that what he did wasn't the right way to solve it, but he doesnt regret doing it, because he feels that would be like saying materazzi is right to say what he did.
In the case of saying the truth I thrust Zidane more than I thrust Materazzi, given that Materazzi is a much more dirty player, and is often involved in controversy because of this.

Also, in words of Materazzi: "I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned to me and talked to me, jeering. […] He looked at me with huge arrogance and said: 'if you really want my shirt I'll give it to you afterwards'"

Ahahaha ***ed.

He accepts that what he did wasn't the right way to solve it, but he doesnt regret doing it, because he feels that would be like saying materazzi is right to say what he did.
I know what he said, but my point is that it's a stupid thing to say. It doesn't follow in any way that if he regrets retaliating then he thinks provoking him was acceptable. Nobody would think that it did. Well, except him, apparently. I mean, if they did then terrorism would be considered perfectly acceptable.

But people -- me, say -- probably would think that anything you don't regret is probably something you think is the correct way to behave, because that is the definition of the word "regret".

Either he's not good at explaining things, or the translators aren't very good, or he's mental. Pick your favourite.

Well, I don't regret things I've done in the past that I recognize as wrong. One thing is knowing what you did wasn't right, and another thing is regreting it.
In the case of Materazzi, I don't think Zidane wanted him to get away with his comments so he did what he did, even knowing it was wrong.
edit: It's also acceptable to appologize to people for what you did but not regret it, light punching someone if the face in a party, you might want to appoligize to the rest of the people in the party for giving such a bad show, but you probably won't regret punching the guy in the face because he probably did deserve it.

There is a difference, I suppose, but I still think he handled it poorly. If he doesn't regret it that says to me that if he was in that situation again he'd do the same thing. And as far as I'm concerned, someone who would do that with a clear head (at least beforehand) shouldn't be on a football pitch. They should be subject to some kind of ASBO.

If he'd said that he regretted it, he'd also have a far higher moral platform from which to condemn Materazzi's behaviour -- as it is he has very little room to criticise anybody.