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Last updated on August 9th, 2017 at 11:41 am
Thirty minutes until game time. Tonight’s blog coverage comes to you via a television feed delivered by our friends at the Syrian Broadcasting Service.
* Morris Iemma—his surname is Italian for “insurmountable traffic problems”—is supporting Australia, despite being a member of the ALP.
* Harry Kewell’s withdrawal is confirmed.
* DID YOU KNOW: That “I told you so” is an anagram of “I’d stool you”?
* Did Melbourne’s SBS reporter just say that “all the pizzas were flowing” at Lygon Street?
* Harry Kewell is on crutches. He should hold his damaged leg and scream for a few minutes; seems to cure everybody else.
* Time for Italy’s national anthem (winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, 1892).
* And now Australia’s anthem. Many Australians in the crowd.
* Pictures have dropped out. Either that or SBS didn’t appreciate my Syria gag.
* GAME UNDERWAY.
* Still no pictures. UPDATE: pictures back!
* DID YOU KNOW: That the slowest speed ever recorded on an Italian freeway is 118 mph? Driver Mario Spillotti’s excuse: “I was running early for a doctor’s appointment.” Ha! Tell it to the judge, Mario.
* Italian header misses. Free kick against Italy for shoving, groping, and pinching.
* Score still 0-0. Six of the Italian players’ names end in O. Could be an … O-men!
* Twelve minutes gone. A “DID YOU KNOW” from the match commentator: the Australian coach is nicknamed Lucky Guus; the Italian coach is known as Paul Newman. Not making this up.
* Not much going on. Three Australian players are smoking cigarettes.
* Goal saved by Australian keeper Shwarzer. Italian corner.
* Italian defence is fierce. So is attack; goal just saved again by Shwarzer.
* Viduka header neatly snared by Italian keeper.
* DID YOU KNOW: That two Italians were on Captain Cook’s Endeavour during its journey to Australia? (This might actually be true. I think I read it somewhere.)
* Yellow card to Italy’s Grosso for sideburn violations.
* Italian keeper Buffon prevents first serious slam at goal by Australia.
* Crucial 32 minute 17 second mark passes without incident.
* Chipperfield defends chiptastically.
* Oh my. That was close. Italy has now had about four substantial runs at goal compared to Australia’s one.
* First knee-grab of the game goes to Italy. Looked legitimate.
* One minute of additional time.
* END OF FIRST HALF
* DID YOU KNOW: That Italy only has one time zone? Just like China!
* SECOND HALF BEGINS
* El scorchio! Hot attack from rapid Italians. Followed by midfield head-smash that downs two players.
* RED CARD FOR MATERAZZI! Italy down to ten men with most of the second half to play.
* Australia in Kookaburra Mode Three.
* Ten minutes played in the second half.
* Two chances for Australia; Italy stunningly composed in defence.
* DID YOU KNOW: That I have removed all weapons from my house due to the presence here of an actual Italian?
* Yellow card to Wiltshire; second yellow to Australia.
* Tim Cahill does the knee dance. Italian advance at goal is ruinous.
* Free kick to Italy. Tipped over by Shwarzer. Corner to Italy is cleared.
* Halfway through the second half. Game still scoreless.
* Ball out of play; not called.
* Del Piero off for Italy, Totti on. Who these people are, I have no idea.
* Italian defence is liquid and artful. Australian defence is more machine-like, but just as effective.
* Australian corner. Over the top of goal.
* John Aloisi on for Australia. Immediately fouls.
* Buffon is one brave keeper. Risks all and prevails.
* Shwarzer isn’t too shabby, either.
* DID YOU KNOW: That Kaiserslautern is German for Woolloongabba?
* Anger erupts. Galluso yellowed—or yellered, for those in Texas.
* Three minutes to go. Another Italian cops the yellow.
* Australian goal-swarm reversed by Italy; cleared by Australia. One minute left.
* PENALTY to Italy with seconds remaining.
* GOOAAALLL to Italy.
* Italy wins 1-0.
* Former Australian coach Rale Rasic, commenting on SBS: “The penalty decision was an absolute disgrace.” At the same time he’s massively impressed by Italy’s defence. Co-commenter Ned Zelic makes the point that the red card for Materazzi was also a poor decision.
* Italian reader LupodiGubbio:
Rules say that if you go for the ball, miss it and instead hit the other’s leg, it is foul.
That’s why Materazzi was kicked out (well, rules say it was yellow, not red card, but speed made it all seem worst), and that’s why we had penalty.
BTW, referee did not see it as a dangerous action (actually it wasn’t), or he would have taken out yellow card, and did not consider the defensive as the last one (red card in this case).
I just think it is a matter of experience. When you are in the last minut and you see an attaccker, you have to shot his legbones out BEFORE he go into the penalty area.
My english sucks, sorry for that.
Gubbio’s beautifully expressive English doesn’t suck. We’re upset here, but we’ll get over having our legbones shot out. Congratulations to Italy, and congratulations to Australia for advancing further than any previous Australian team in the World Cup. Last words to Rasic: “We were gallant. We were best sportsmen.”
UPDATE. I blame gout.
- As a half-Italian Australophile, I’m rather divided in my allegiance here.
Stuck at work in the States, no TV or radio of the game. And Fox/ESPN/MSN, etc. do a lousy job of Cup web coverage.
Keep those updates coming, folks!!
Posted by Tex Lovera on 2006 06 26 at 11:12 AM • permalink
- #4: Wasn’t Paolo Rossi busted for match-fixing about 20-25 years ago? Some things don’t change…Posted by Tex Lovera on 2006 06 26 at 11:14 AM • permalink
- that wasn’t too bad an effort… no early goals and the game has been reduced to a 45 minute contest… lets hope unlike brazil we don’t concede an early one straight after… then say around the 60-65 minute mark, guus brings on the cavalry with aloisi and then kennedy an its our turn to start doing some real attacking….
i could live with 1-0 to us….
- #7-
Thanks, Geoff.
#8-
Scott W, I find soccer more frustrating than boring. When everything works, the plays are beautiful. They just don’t seem to work often enough!!
Posted by Tex Lovera on 2006 06 26 at 11:52 AM • permalink
- Scott-
I did get to see those 2 games. I don’t think I ever saw a more out-of-control contest than HOL-POR. The MEX-ARG game was good. That last goal was a beaut.
So it’s 11 v 10 now? Let’s see if the Aussies can take better advantage of it than the Dutch did.
Posted by Tex Lovera on 2006 06 26 at 12:13 PM • permalink
- Geez, even I’ve heard of Del Piero, and I’m about the most indifferent soccer ignoramus going around. However, I did think he was in a nursing home somewhere.Posted by James Waterton on 2006 06 26 at 12:36 PM • permalink
- lmfao australia—pwnt
parvenus gone, finally
Posted by benson swears a lot on 2006 06 26 at 12:50 PM • permalink
- “Yellered”, eh?
Well, I do admit to saying “bring/brang/brung” and “warshed”, but NEVER yellered.
Posted by Tex Lovera on 2006 06 26 at 12:51 PM • permalink
- Thievin’ Eyetie bastards, absolute dis-fargin’-grace!Posted by Harry Flashman on 2006 06 26 at 12:53 PM • permalink
- Never a penalty, what’s wrong with these refs?Posted by Harry Flashman on 2006 06 26 at 12:54 PM • permalink
- Geez – what a way to end a match. Was the penatly truly deserved?Posted by Tex Lovera on 2006 06 26 at 12:54 PM • permalink
- I think I understand this game now because I want to riot.Posted by Dean McAskil on 2006 06 26 at 12:55 PM • permalink
- Disgusted beyond all belief, a complete travesty.Posted by Harry Flashman on 2006 06 26 at 12:55 PM • permalink
- What a ridiculous game. An international that can be won by an umpire with seconds to go, because the winning team can’t run in a straight line without falling over.Posted by Dean McAskil on 2006 06 26 at 12:58 PM • permalink
- I hope Ukraine or Sitzerland shove it right up the Italians’ arses, coz they’re shite and they know it.
Sack every FIFA referee, they’re freakin’ clowns every last one of them.
Posted by Harry Flashman on 2006 06 26 at 12:59 PM • permalink
- Geez, you guys sound like the Italian fans at the last World Cup.Posted by James Waterton on 2006 06 26 at 12:59 PM • permalink
- I don’t kow much about soccer but are these refs professionals or just someones dad who had a free afternoon?Posted by Dean McAskil on 2006 06 26 at 01:00 PM • permalink
- Gutted.
Sums up soccer really, what a bunch of complete and utter cheats. Victory without honour. None.
CHEATING DISHONEST DIRTY ROTTEN CHEATS.
Their sport is in disarray over match fixing. Now they cheat again.
Hope they get thrashed in the next game. To anybody, I don’t care.
Off to take my son to cricket practice here in the UK where he can learn SPORTSMANSHIP. I’m chucking out his soccer ball. He prefers rugby and cricket anyway. Disgusted.
Posted by Effing & Blinding on 2006 06 26 at 01:02 PM • permalink
- short of a 6-0 thrashing or something, this was about the worst way to lose… we had them down for the count and i never thought we would be scared to go out and deliver the killer blow… with 10 men they were more interested in substituting forwards and attacking us….
what the friggin’ hell was goose thinking??? we had them down and were too scared to kill them off???? i know who i will ascribe the lion’s share of the blame to for this…..
- Rules say that if you go for the ball, miss it and instead hit the other’s leg, it is foul.
That’s why Materazzi was kicked out (well, rules say it was yellow, not red card, but speed made it all seem worst), and that’s why we had penalty.
BTW, referee did not see it as a dangerous action (actually it wasn’t), or he would have taken out yellow card, and did not consider the defensive as the last one (red card in this case).
I just think it is a matter of experience. When you are in the last minut and you see an attaccker, you have to shot his legbones out BEFORE he go into the penalty area.
My english sucks, sorry for that.Posted by LupodiGubbio on 2006 06 26 at 01:06 PM • permalink
- Condolences, Oz. But you really didn’t expect Dame Edna to take down Don Corleone did you?Posted by Kyda Sylvester on 2006 06 26 at 01:13 PM • permalink
- I heard the commentator on ESPN actually praise the Italian player for the way he sold the foul – “That’s how you do it!” Isn’t it kind of chickenshit and crybabyish to try and sell a foul? That’s one of the things I couldn’t stand about watching the World Cup this time around, aside from the trigger happy refs handing out yellow cards like candy. Has it been this bad in World Cups past?
- I’m at work in the U.S. and did not see the match. My impression has been that both the Americans and Australians lack world-class skills in feigning injury and diving at appropriate moments. These types of skills are considered somewhat unmanly in our countries; thus, our players are at somewhat of a disadvantage.
- It’s quite simple. Yet again, we were robbed by disgusting referring – as Ned Zelic said – it’s been terrible and hasn’t gotten any better.
The “foul” at the end should never have been given. Like a small child who looks around to see if anyone saw them fall before deciding to cry, Italy was running fine and free before taking out Lucas Neil and then falling on him.
The only decision that should have come out of that tackle was a red card for Italy for simulation.
My impression has been that both the Americans and Australians lack world-class skills in feigning injury and diving at appropriate moments. These types of skills are considered somewhat unmanly in our countries; thus, our players are at somewhat of a disadvantage.
In hockey, diving is a penalty.
The diving thing in soccer is the #1 thing that keeps me from enjoying it. One of the best things in sports is watching an injured player suck it up and play through. I simply can’t get over the pussiness of soccer. And it doesn’t help when players mime fellatio with each other after a goal.
Rules say that if you go for the ball, miss it and instead hit the other’s leg, it is foul.
I’m no soccer fan, but when I saw it in slow-mo replay the first thing that sprang to mind was that in ice hockey you’re responsible for your stick and can be called for tripping someone with your stick even if it’s unintentional; so in soccer are you “responsible for your body”? From Lupodio Gubbio’s comment, apparently you are. It didn’t look too divey to me, but that’s soccer for you.
Still, a good effort by Oz, especially the flurry of shots in the crease that had to be saved by the diving Italian goalie in the later second half. A good job by Oz’s goalie as well. That said, I still don’t like the sport—an extra 30 minutes of play but probably about half the number of shots taken as in hockey; and probably about 1/10 the number of scoring chances.
P.S. “el scorchio” is Mock Spanish, Tim; in Mock Italian it would be “il scorcio”. (I took Mock Italian in high school.)
Posted by andycanuck on 2006 06 26 at 01:54 PM • permalink
- I don’t know that much about soccer so I must ask. Is sucking your thumb like a little child a required move after scoring the winning goal.? Just asking.
I thought these refs were supposed to be the best of the best. After watching some of these matches, I really shudder to think what the other 99% look like.
- Haven’t seen the match yet but it sounds like the usual problem with soccer has ruled.
One lousy decision – or even one debatable decision late in the game – decides the result. Can you imagine such a decision – rightly or wrongly made – occurring in the World Cup final with the same score line?
You’d like to think that these days, penalties ‘in the box’ at any stage in the game would be referred to a video referee. It’s not as if the game is played at such a cracking pace that they can’t afford to make sure decisions affecting the result of the game are made correctly, especially given the propensity of soccer players to ‘dive’ (or, put another way …especially given the propensity of soccer players to cheat).
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 06 26 at 03:12 PM • permalink
- #57: “Yellah” would also be fairly common in North Carolina, in the Piedmont region; “yeller” might well be heard in the mountains.
In the old days, of course. There are so many Northern refugees living in NC now that you’d probably be hard-pressed to hear either variant. I was in the outer banks not long ago, and for some strange reason many of the cashiers and clerks in the grocery stores and fast food restaurants seemed to be Russian or Eastern European. Well, I say “for some strange reason”, although if I were a wood cutter in the Taiga, Nags Head would look pretty damned good to me, if I could get there. It doesn’t seem possible that they can all be exchange students.
- He should hold his damaged leg and scream for a few minutes; seems to cure everybody else.
This is the worst trait of soccer.
Why hasnt such a disgraceful practice been shamed out of the sport? Especially at the professional level.
BTW, I played the game for about 16 years here in the U.S., through high-school and then for indoor men’s leagues as a keeper, and cannot recall ever seeing such rampant, pathetic fakery (although some real nasty genuine injuries).
P.S.
In the time it took to write this I saw two dramatic dives in the Swiss/Uke match. Those are just the ones I happened to catch.
Sheesh.
PSS…make it three.
- The diving thing in soccer is the #1 thing that keeps me from enjoying it.
FWIW, the refs are urged to give yellow cards quite liberally for that. Not all of them do (I saw one just the other day, in the ARG-MEX game I think), but it’s getting better than it was, say, 10 years ago.
In fact, I vehemently disagree with those who say it’s a drawback of soccer nowadays that there are too many yellow and red cards. There’s a lot of shit (like the diving, and various delay tactics) that players have been conditioned to think they’ll get away with, and I don’t care if half the international games finish at 10 vs. 9 players for a few years or a decade because the refs have to go overboard with the cards, if it means we’ll get rid of that stuff in the end.
>He should hold his damaged leg and scream for a few minutes; seems to cure everybody else.
This is the worst trait of soccer.
Why hasnt such a disgraceful practice been shamed out of the sport? Especially at the professional level.
Actually I suspect it’s just corporate cross promotion – how else are they going to sell “Miracle-Spray-Ina-Can”?
A couple of quick squirts and even the most horrifically crippled shins heal right over so the players can bounce around happily for another 45 minutes.
Available at all good pharmacies, courtesy of good ol’ ‘Twist-Me-Own-Ankle’ Fifa.
- harry flashman….“Sack every FIFA referee, they’re freakin’ clowns every last one of them.”
most of the clowns who umpire soccer matches seem to be retards, i think this says something about the sport and how its run.
alot of those clowns want to be part of the action and impose themselves on the game…….have a look at a south american soccer match, those umps carry on worse than the players.
no doubt soccer is the most corrupt enterprise in human history.
- Gotta agree with #55 – soccer will never be truly embraced by Aussies while its main feature is nancy boys prancing about,taking fake falls and writhing in mock agony let alone the standard of referees trotted out again and again.Posted by AlphaMikeFoxtrot on 2006 06 26 at 04:20 PM • permalink
- And what’s with this wide berth shit? When I played soccer in Texas as a youngster (hint: soccer is not really the game of choice among youngsters down there), you didn’t hold off when the other team had the ball and wait for them to make a play to decide what play you were going to make. You charged the motherf***er and either took the ball away from him or at least tried to put as much pressure as possible on him to get him to make a mistake. We understood that running like an idiot right at the guy with the ball was a good way to get embarrassed when he sidestepped you. But you could at least get in his face and jockey him to the sidelines and take his space away.
And when you got the ball taken from you, you sure as hell didn’t just sit back and wait for your teammates down the field to clean up your mess. If you pulled that, you rode the bench in favor of someone who would light a fire under his ass.
And it wasn’t just that the fields weren’t as big so that we could afford to expend so much energy. We did play some tournaments on World Cup-size fields, even at 12 or 13.
- Hereis one of the Italian players:
Italy’s Gennaro Gattuso said the penalty made up for Spanish referee Luis Medina’s ejection of Marco Materazzi with a straight red card 40 minutes earlier for a foul that may have only deserved a yellow card.
“The referee made a mistake, but if there hadn’t been that red card, I don’t think he would have called that penalty,” Gattuso said.
Gattuso, who hustled from one end of the field to the other and was one of Italy’s top performers, added that his thoughts turned to Totti before his teammate took the penalty shot.
Bastards! I heard the coach say it was a penalty at least this player admits it was not really a penalty. A red card is not fatal, a penalty in the last minute is. There is no comparision.
From this point forward, I will support any team playing Italy.
I have never felt so cheated in my entire life.
- Well now we can sit back and enjoy quality football and crap referring without suffering heart attacks in the national interest.
Console ourselves that we lead the way in AFL- we’re world beaters, and are not too bad at league and union either.
FIFA reminds me of the United Nations when it comes to the quality of referring (every country is asked to send a clown to represent their local trash standards). And everyone knows what a joke the United Nations are (it’s always been a joke why the US has never asked them to relocate to some Duchy or minor kingdom bordering Siberia). There are billions of dollars involved in the sport at this level, though you wouldn’t believe it judging by the rank amateurish and moronic standard of referring. FIFA are dragged into the mud time and time again by this weak link in the chain.
If I mentioned that they also bear parallels to the Australian Labour Party and their loud mouth Left faction (who guarantee an election loss time and time again) the parallel would probably be lost on international psychopaths who need only point to the willingness of a decent Conservative Government to spend taxpayers dollars on a minnow and its Marxist Fretlin “Freedomfighters” instead of swapping these losers with Indonesia and letting West Papua be reunited with PNG.
The referring this tournament has been totally and utterly Krap. It has slunk into the mire and mealy mouth wuss commentators from the BBC (who couldn’t even fly a Kuyt – I vomitted when hearing “Cute”- let alone pronounce “Krap”- it’s German) and their sisters in drag at SBS, have let FIFA get away with it (Oh dearie me they might revoke our Press Credentials if we got too vociferous- can’t upset our Free Ride and Lunches we’re getting of German sausages every day).Will we ever see:
Real commentators with guts.
Real referees and not clowns;
And end to SBS disaster of scheduling of major football- they’res plenty of badminton and table tennis for them to occupy the wee hours of the morning without disturbing prime time Greek News, Italian News, Uzbekistan News, Iranian News, North Korean News, Outer Punjab News and the weather from Morsons Antaractic Base.
- At least mussolini’s granddaughter isn’t a bad sort.
- What we have just witnessed was nothing less than the clash of civilisations. Basic values are at stake here.
The refereeing and the nancy-pancing seem incomprehensible to us because they are rooted in something we as Australians instinctively find repulsive. Feigning injury, trickery, hypocrisy, cowardice, the mimed sexual acts before an audience of millions, the mass hysteria … This is not the Australian way. This is the European way.
This is why the US will never be any good at this “sport”. It runs counter to the grain of the national character. It is not a good sign that Australia got as far as it did in this strange and often disgusting game. There is already plenty of evidence that our once proud culture is being gradually dissolved by corrosive Europeanism. The nanny statists, the mass worshippers of fascists and terrorist gangs and regimes, the “cut and run” mob, the steadily increasing contempt for democratic values and basic liberties, the anti-Americanism … It goes on.
Perhaps this silly travesty of a game is the wake-up call the nation needs.
- Bah. I have let off a flare, assaulted the cat, and gone to bed.Posted by Margos Maid on 2006 06 26 at 07:07 PM • permalink
- Mark V. Thanks, it does sound quite similar, doesn’t it.
Must be well know because it seems like the whole crowd is singing!
Maybe it’s just dubbed for US audiences. Maybe ABC(US) contracted with Paco Enterprises to provide a single song to end every match.
I wish someone out there knew the name of that song!
- You are right Geoff. I think the reason Australian teams are physical is because they are from a country where tougher football codes are more popular.
And this morning’s game is one of the reasons I don’t like soccer – the whole game decided by a referee decision in the final seconds because some guy fell over.
Posted by The (WHMECDM) President on 2006 06 26 at 07:20 PM • permalink
- The song – Auld lang syne? (/clueless)
As Margo’s Maid said: Bah. I have let off a flare, assaulted the cat, and gone to bed.
I’m with Margo’s Maid! …. um, let me re-phrase that….. My sentiments exactly.
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 06 26 at 07:31 PM • permalink
- Ordinarily I’d say we are all sounding like whinging Poms in this thread, but as we’re talking about the Pom’s national game, I think its quite appropriate.Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 06 26 at 07:33 PM • permalink
- I forgot to add:
If FIFA is to hold any respect every referee’s bank accounts, including those Swiss accounts that a few of them open, must be thrown open to inspection by the world.
In Australia we are not used to this sort of thing. It usually was a six pack of beer left accidentally in the referee’s shed by the home side that was enough to secure a a game (thank you W……. SC, Qld) I drank it and u lost the game anyway)But this is soccer, Italian style.
Take my word for it. Mortgages mysteriously paid off, a new Lamborghini casually left for the ref’s daughter to test drive and never collected. Australians, in the land of Fair Play, have a lot of difficulty comprehending the intricacies of what really goes on behind the scenes (where billions of Lira and Euros may be involved, and the Mafia are well and truly entrenched in Italian soccer).We are not dealing with your local Gelati Bar (a tax free zone as it is- they are regarded as an Italian joke by the Tax Department who eat their free gelatis and then issue double penalty notices as it is).
Rather than back Germany- who are going to have their work cut out against another set of primara donnas- I like Portugal’s kick em in the shins style. Can we make them honorary Australians for the rest of the tournament- they play like Aussies should be playing- break ankles and be done with it- playing like Real Men instead of Italian Pooftas.
Shame about the draw. Maybe the Portugeese can settle a few scores with the Muvver Cuntry for us instead.
- Kudos for going as far as you did. One of the reasons the sport sucks as much as it does is the absolute arbritrariness of referee decisions. Not to take away from Ghana, who probably deserved to win anyway, but I felt the same revulsion when the U.S. went down—you can work hard, show the best sportsmanship, and be screwed by the ref more than in any other sport (certainly more than in baseball, football and basketball—can’t vouch for footie, cricket or rugby).
Apologists say you need to game the system by taking dives to win; that it’s an acceptable part of the game. That’s not the recipe for “national pastime” in our countries.
Posted by Tommy Shanks on 2006 06 26 at 07:37 PM • permalink
- All the guys that are foreign born are drooling over the matches in the break rooms at work.
I peek in and check out the tube, see guys in short pants running around not seeming to do much, every once in a while someone falls down and the game stops, somebody kicks a ball toward the end and someone else kicks it back to the middle.
Zero. Freakin’. Interest.
The US could be the odds on best in the world and there would be Zero. Freakin’. Interest. Even the foreign born were complaining about how few play the Brazilian game any more…whatever that means.
Much like pro basketball, you only need to watch the last 5 minutes.
- Like apparently most of the commenters here I am not a fan of soccer but being an Australian male I will (and did) stay up till 4:00am and watch almost any Australian brand play sport. It seemed to me that the referees did try to minimise the “swan dives and tears” that are an entrenched part of the soccer culture and really so offensive to the 90% of the world who don’t play the game.
At the same time I don’t understand why if there is a penalty to be given the video camera is not used to review the alleged incident. This is usual in most sports and really does settle what can be serious arguments.
In the Croatia game one of the players almost rugby tackled an Australian player and it was clear on the video but no action was taken. Surely a linesman could have come in to notify the ref? I would summarise the state of the game of soccer as one where the responsible officials are satisfied that it is as good as it can be. That means since they haven’t penetrated the U.S. market by now they probably never will.
- Thank Christ that brief abberation is over- at least we won’t have to endure the view of teevee poisonalities bedecked in ugly, tacky green and gold spandex and ratchet-jawed bucketheads yammering on about the intricacies of “the beautiful game”- the most tiresome hour and a half of histrionics by airhead prima-donnas this side of senate estimates. Or at least until the next bandwagon lurches over the horizon anyway. The least the Hun could do to make the remnants of this turgid tournament a little interesting to watch would be to release all the Millwall and Chelsea supporters no doubt currently in immigration detention, point them in the direction of a stadium and issue furniture.
- Thanks kae.
Don’t have the audio up on this machine but just looking at those songs I bet it is the German anthem. Have to listen when Germany plays next. As Mark V said, it sound very similar to the old Soviet anthem.
Where is PW when you need him!
Don’t remember the German anthem sounding that good!
- The game needs some reforms…Posted by closeapproximation on 2006 06 26 at 10:16 PM • permalink
- Prediction: Italy will not win the World Cup, but will take gold in the diving at Beijing Olympics.Posted by Infidel Tiger on 2006 06 26 at 10:37 PM • permalink
The game needs some reforms…
Begin with a name change…TO Lacrosse. helmets, face masks, thigh pads and kevlar, steel cleats.
OR Rugby, with the same equipment as above…:).
Exception the long handled wicket….it needs bats, made by Hillerich & Bradsby
- I’m pretty sure the song is “Go West”, originally by the Village People. I don’t think the crowd is actually singing it at the end, I think it comes on over the PA – although, towards the end of matches, I’ve definitely heard the crowd singing it. Well, the tune, anyway, there could be some other lyric that they’re actually singing.Posted by dsmith_michigan on 2006 06 27 at 12:03 AM • permalink
Don’t have the audio up on this machine but just looking at those songs I bet it is the German anthem. Have to listen when Germany plays next. As Mark V said, it sound very similar to the old Soviet anthem.
Where is PW when you need him!
Don’t remember the German anthem sounding that good!Heh, I’m pretty sure it’s not the German anthem you’re looking for. I honestly don’t pay much attention to the chants anymore, but it doesn’t happen to be the Pet Shop Boys’ “Go West”, does it? That one sounds vaguely Russian, and seems to be sung at about five-minute intervals, mainly because basically every team in Europe has some re-lyric’ed version of that*, so it’s familiar to everyone in attendance.
* The ones here in Germany are generally “Steh auf, wenn du X bist” (Stand up if you’re a [fan of] X), where X is the team nickname.
- And as for why it’s getting played after each game, Wikipedia seems to have the answer (sorry, link’s not going through due to unusual characters):
The tune of “Go West” has been adopted by football fans of some countries, including England, for various football chants. An orchestral version of the song was adopted by FIFA as the official theme of World Cup 2006.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_West_(song)#In_culture
- Back to the soccer – has anyone seen a penalty count for Mark Viduka. I don’t think I saw him receive one penalty all tournament despite him being interfered with more often than a kid at Michael Jackson’s ranch.Posted by The (WHMECDM) President on 2006 06 27 at 12:18 AM • permalink
- Again like a FIFA in the night a decision is made to stop Aussie and help FIFA friends.Posted by stackja1945 on 2006 06 27 at 12:41 AM • permalink
- Thanks to D Smith and PW(well,yeah,sure).
I love that melody. I was not familiar with that song. Previous experience with the FIFA site had prevented me from going there to search. What a mess.
In other news. The Feds detained Rush Limbaugh for three and a half hours Monday night at the airport for have a bottle of Viagra in his luggage. Seems it was prescribed for someone else.
Glad that GWOT thing has been won since the Feds now have time to:
1) Sortie 40 FBI agents-and a dog-to Michigan to look down some hole for Hoffa’s remains.
2) Hold some guy for hours at an airport for having a bottle of Viagra.
- #80
Tanks for de invitation to back der Farterland.
D’ere are scores to settle in dis game.
Der Spags haz gotta get theirs.
Der Ref waz in der pokket.But der Muvver Land is also targe-jay.
Dese wankers dey sent ma gggranddaddie to Van Diemans Land 200 years to dis day, for screwing 3 sheilas.
Dese Lumps a Lard are up aginst der Portaghese.
Der Portagheese gunna breaka der legs of dese Lumps a Lard, then cooka da Sphags for brekkie.If dar Farterland can help, much appreshiated.
- I hope Australia doesn’t lose momentum after this, because the next stop is the Asian Cup. This could be the beginning of something beautiful.
- I’ll probably get beat up for saying this, so I’ll tack it here at the end of a thread no one’s paying anymore attention to.
I know y’all just love soccer, but there’s something I just don’t get about it. Why aren’t there women on the international teams?
I mean, it’s not exactly like the game was designed by pansies for sissies but it is a “finesse” game and is much more about endurance than bulk strength or toughness…so it’s tailor made for women’s participation.
And that’s what I don’t get. Is it due to the old relentless old-world misogyny? or is it just an effort to maintain some delusion of manliness for such a feminine game?
- Most of you have probably see this Arbito gay referee video which has been around for at least 2 years.
It helps explain why soccer refs are held in such low regard.
- #16
Because women should stick to womens sports. Like hot oil wrestling and foxy boxing.
Posted by Infidel Tiger on 2006 06 27 at 03:55 AM • permalink
- Someone should teach the referees how to referee. This is the fucking World Cup – not some goddamn amateur game played out on the street.
Well done Australia – you were the real winners.
Posted by The Best Infidel on 2006 06 27 at 06:43 AM • permalink
- Why aren’t there women on the international teams?
Might be a good time to mention that the most recent Women’s Soccer World Cup was won by…ah, have a guess. 🙂 Incidentally, one of the top two women’s teams here in Germany (who between them have won pretty much all national titles and cups for the past 10+ years) is the pride of my hometown.
Anyway, I don’t watch enough women’s soccer to really have a qualified opinion, but as far as I know the game is played a step or two slower, while technique is often pretty good. Endurance used to be considered a problem (the women’s games used to be only 70 minutes, until the early 1990s I think), but not anymore.
Generally speaking, top division women’s soccer is usually considered about equal to decent men’s second-division football, though of course it may have changed a bit since that became the received wisdom.
- If only Aleem Dar, Steve Bucknor and Billy Bowden gave up cricket umpiring and started officiating international soccer matches instead, it would dramatically increase the standard of umpiring in both sports.Posted by Jim Geones on 2006 06 27 at 08:02 AM • permalink
- What a pity the Socceroos didn’t poach Andrew Johns to the team. His skills would have made the difference.
Come to think of it, with a few Rugby League players in the team, there would be no need for the opposition players to fake injuries at all!
- Fabio Grosso the next diving champ?Posted by stackja1945 on 2006 06 27 at 10:18 AM • permalink
- It’s funny, among the articles I’ve read here in various places (newsweeklies, sportsweeklies, daily press), the US-Italy match was almost universally praised (well, praised compared to some of the other games anyway) as one that was well-ref’d. I’m finding it hard to argue with that, too, in fact…as far as I could tell from watching that game, the two red cards were perfectly justified, the yellow-red for Pope was okay too even if it was a bit harsh (kid shouldn’t have made that dumb foul he got the first yellow card for), and the number of questionable off-side decisions was at the low end, too.
- Bah, far too much unsportsmanly whining on this thread. Isn’t this the sort of unpleasant complaining we (rightly) pillory fans from a number of other nations for? Three points of interest mentioned in the above post :
1)“The penalty decision was an absolute disgrace.”
2)“Co-commenter Ned Zelic makes the point that the red card for Materazzi was also a poor decision.”
3)“We were gallant. We were best sportsmen.”
Let’s be happy with the third, instead of impotently fuming over the first whilst ignoring the second.
This was a great World Cup for the Aussies. We shouldn’t let sour grapes diminish our achievements.
Posted by James Waterton on 2006 06 27 at 01:19 PM • permalink
- James, as I said at #88….
Ordinarily I’d say we are all sounding like whinging Poms in this thread, but as we’re talking about the Pom’s national game, I think its quite appropriate
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 06 27 at 08:10 PM • permalink
- #128
Co-commenter Ned Zelic makes the point that the red card for Materazzi was also a poor decision
Did you know Harry Kewell scored the equalising goal against Croatia from an offside position? That a spot kick should have been awarded against Tim Cahill seconds after he scored his first goal against Japan?
My point of contention is not that the Socceroos were hard done by, although there is evidence to suggest they were. I’m irked by the generally pathetic standard of refereeing at this World Cup.
Millions of dollars and the hopes of nations rest on the outcome of each game. Meanwhile top officials are constantly embroiled in scandal. Heaven forbid if it sounds like I’m whining.
Isn’t this the sort of unpleasant complaining we (rightly) pillory fans from a number of other nations for?
No. If you are thinking Italy 2002, they were criticised because of reprisals against a Korean who played in the Italian League.
If you are thinking Italy 2002
Well, that’s one example – but there are many others – from other sports and nations.
Okay, so your contention is that the refereeing hasn’t been so great. I’m sure many would agree with you. However, that isn’t the contention of most protesting on this thread. I was responding to the ‘we wuz robbed’ crowd.
Posted by James Waterton on 2006 06 28 at 01:15 PM • permalink
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that’s hilarious.