Sport Today

LOL

yeah Korea rules

Snorri

why?

Ask the nearest Italian male...

David

The British newspapers agree.  Itally was ROBBED!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2002/06/18/sfw...

Totti was shown a second yellow and then the red card for diving,
attempting to deceive the referee after Song's far-from-sturdy
challenge.

Italy were on the wrong end of two bad linesmen's decisions during
their loss against Croatia and the hat-trick was completed when
Tommasi ran from an on-side position to score what would have been the
golden goal winner. For the third time, the flag went up incorrectly.

Italy poured forward and Gennaro Gattuso forced Lee to make a
remarkable save in the 102nd minute. It had to be Italy, even with 10
men, surely? No. In the 116th minute, Young-Pyo Lee's cross from the
left enabled Ahn to get in front of Paolo Maldini and head the ball
home

Note the British paper said: FOR THE THIRD TIME, the flag went up
incorrectly.

Thank goodness the better Brit newspapers agree that Italy was cheated
and they do not gloat over another European team's misfortune.  Sadly,
some English fans display their hooligan nature.

Good luck to England but be wary of Korea and Senegal's "thuggish"
play.  Maldini got a boot to the head and Korea was not give a foul.

Agreed. Italy should have won this, but having said that, Korea played
a damn good game and made a mockery of the usually solid Italian
defence on a number of occasions to the stage where they looked very
rattled indeed..  Italy of all teams should be aware that nothing is a
given. Decisions can and do go against you, lucky shots (first Korean
goal) do find the net.
Vieri's miss on that perfect cross from point blank was unbelievable.
A team has to finish those chances off or get bitten, like they did.
Let's not forget the missed penalty on the Korean side either and
overall they also had a few chances which should have been buried.

It was not deliberate. They were both going for the ball, both with
eyes on the ball. This is what the refreee looks for when making a
decision and he was correct in not penalising the Korean.
Totti's dive was plain stupid, however i do have a problem with the
decision where a player gets sent off because of the technicality of
the two yellows.  It was a damn good match, let's hope that Brazil and
England can live up to it and not play a defensive bore.
I certainly do expect England to come out firing.  Brazil seems to
need a trigger to get going.. way too many individuals as well.  
I won't mind to see them go out.. Go Poms !

Regards, Frank

The Telegraph's a rag... :-)

So, the decision against Totti was right then?

Bad luck. But Vieri missed an open goal. Swings and roundabouts...

There were bad decisions (must be hellishly difficult for the
officials in such an atmosphere though) and Italy were unlucky. But
the fact remains, they could easily have won yesterday had they tried
to, whatever the refereeing decisions. They should have been trying
for that all important 2nd goal but they preferred to settle for one
and play negatively. Exactly like they did against Croatia - and lost.

Who's gloating? But a bit of winding up of our favourite local
American of Italian extraction is difficult to resist...

I don't think many in England are seriously pleased to see Italy go
out, except for the fact that the more of the "favourites" that are
gone, the less difficult it becomes for us to go all the way - apart
from the shock results, of course.

I'm sure they can look after themselves but thanks.

David

and Korea was not give > a foul.

i wonder what you gotta say for the thuggish plays by the Italians that
gifted a penalty to the Koreans early in the match.

and as for tott's send off; he just received a yellow card, pitty he already
had a yellow.
The italians were pushing, pulling, elbowing, pulling shirts, and diving all
night. The koreans played clean all the way, as the asian coutries always
do, and the italians should have attacked more if they wanted to win. They
just didn't wanted to win the match, so they lost. no surprise.

Itaky have been playing "realistic" football (meaning boring, closed,
defensive, do the minimum then defend) for FAR too long. When was the
last time Italy won 3-0, 4-0 or came fighting back from 2-0 down to win
3-2?

They have been victims of their own, over-conservative game so many
times - losing on penalties, golden goals or surprise results ump***
times in the last three major tournaments - that I would've thought it
would've sunk in by now. You have to PLAY to win. You have to build a
big enough margin not to be caught out. They never do.

I'm of Italian origin, passionate about most things Italian (Monica
Belucci for instance ;-), and yet I hate their game. Their cynicism
("realism" hah!) reminds me of Ferrari, but without the achievement ;-)
I haven't seen any poetry in Italian football for many years. Individual
talent, yes, but nothing approaching the team poetry that the
Brazilians, or the French from 1998-2000 achieved.

Interesting - there are only third world countries left now (England,
USA... ;-) Only kidding, David... I'm rooting for the Lions of Senegal,
personally. Africa needs a morale-booster. I'd be happy as a pig in sh*t
if they won, but sadly it looks like it's gonna be either the Brits or
the Yanks. Arrrrgh. Bush-boys or Sun-readers : what a choice!
--
ric

Agreed.  The worst crime ever commited was playing for a penalty
shootout from the kickoff in the 1994 final.  They did not even try to
play that game at all.

Don't rule out Brazil, Spain or Germany yet...or even Korea.

David

If you are in off side position as much as an avarage Italian striker then
sometime of course the linesman will make a mistake. Come on! These guys are
off side 20 times in one match, only one time they're not and then it's a
goal off course. But if you're off side 20 times, then what does it matter
to be awarded to more of sides by wrong dicissions? They should give yellow
cards to someone being off side more then say 8 times.

MeV

As an American, I get a kick out how serious every non American gets about
football (known as "soccer" here). It's good that the U.S. is going to the
quarterfinals. It has made the game a lot more popular here. Many are
getting up at 3:00 a.m. just to see the games. FORZA U.S.! :-))

What about Brazil?

--
Phil

" la limite, tant mieux, cela vite aux gens de penser la guerre,
la famine ou la maladie." - Jean Todt, referring to Ferrari's decision
to implement team orders in Austria '02

(...)

You realize, of course, that when France got the boot most french
newsgroups were invaded by gloating Italian fans...

That would be a pity. Uninspired, conservative and unconvincing: the
terms I would describe the Brazilian side with. The Belgians had a good
go and were extremely unlucky, but the Red Devils controlled most of the
match. The Brazilians only started to show a flash of samba after they
held the 2-0 lead, the match effectively over.

Senegal and Korea have shown flair, daring and spirit in their game and
deserve to go all the way. Senegal has a good chance to get to the
semis, while Korea will have a tough one with Spain. Spain has a
wonderful front line with Raul and Morientes and a nice midfield. The
only problem is that, just like Italy, they might settle for a small
lead and get surprised by a relentless Korea (happened with the Irish,
who came back after about an hour of being outplayed by a great Spanish
side).

My "expert" predictions:
England d Brazil
The brilliance of Ronaldo and Rivaldo will be for naught as their
defense collapses: for a change, there will be more goals against Brazil
than for Brazil.

Germany d USA
In a battle of the goalies, Kahn wins from Friedel, mainly because
Kahn's defense in front of him is better than Friedel's. Klose will
score once, giving him the Golden Boot.

Senegal d Turkey
Purely on flamboyance and the way every single Senegalese player
possesses incredible technique.

Spain d S. Korea
The dream is over, as Spain manages what all the other Great Nations (in
footie terms) could not: defend a lead against Korea. And they will have
learnt their lesson and defend the lead by continuing to play to win
(i.e. not subbing Morientes out for a midfielder/defender after a lead).

Semis:
England d Senegal
This is unfortunate, but I fear that Beckham will restore the natural
order of things in footie world. Senegal will be welcomed home as
heroes.

Spain d Germany
Morientes and Raul are better than Klose. Spain has a midfield. And
Germany cannot win a world cup by relying on the unpassable Kahn.

Final:
Spain d England
Spain finally overcomes their reputation of chokers in this crazy World
Cup. England once again fails to fulfill the unrealisticly high
expectations of the English people and sack the man who brought them
this far (Eriksson).

Regards,

Tsjok

--
"I thought you were drunk."                               Tsjok-Wing Man
"I was. Alas, no longer."
Season of Mists,