World Cup and European leagues

[sac]

Really good game to watch, lots of chances and really good play from the defenders all day.

The French goal was cheap and I was exstatic when Italy scored so early.....kind of evened things up for me.  Surely the game deserved a goal to win it.........I sure thought Zidane had it buried in OT.

Italy was a very solid team from the start talent wise, if I can just get past their flop show in group play I could have liked watching them play.

Incredibly this cup might be remebered for one thing...


What was Zidane thinking?   Wouldn't you like to see his teamates greet him in the locker room afterward.  Wow.

Great tournament as a whole, some really enjoyable games and fortunately I got so see most of them.

Premiership starts in about 5 weeks.

[Gray Fox]

Was just discussing this with my brother, perhaps taking players off the field and playing 9-on-9, 8-on-8, 7-on-7 etc until you get to penalty kicks at 2-on-2.

I understand that is what they do in the youth leagues in California.  Seems like a good plan to me.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I don't recall ever seeing a PK shootout where neither keeper stopped a single shot.

Italy should vote a full Cup share to the crossbar.

[Mr. Ypsi]

France's PK goal was a very questionable call, but it balanced out: in the 53rd minute France SHOULD have been awarded a PK, but wasn't.

What a shameful way for a great career to end.  Zizou, you're the CAPTAIN - how can you do that to your team?!  (I blame it all on that accursed Buffon.  If he hadn't made that incredible save on the header at the end of the first OT, I'm sure Zidane would have been in a much better mood! )

[Mr. Ypsi]

Was just discussing this with my brother, perhaps taking players off the field and playing 9-on-9, 8-on-8, 7-on-7 etc until you get to penalty kicks at 2-on-2.

I understand that is what they do in the youth leagues in California.  Seems like a good plan to me.

Do they rebalance if one side is playing down due to red card(s)?  Otherwise, once you get down to, say, 5v4, the match is pretty well decided by a carded player!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Three games?  Isn't he done, as in retired?

Retired from the French National team, no more World Cups.  But what about his professional team ... and do reds carry over to those leagues?

Don't know for sure, but Rooney, for example, was suspended for his next two National games - not Man U.  I don't know whether FIFA has any direct control over club teams, but I suspect that would be a league matter, not FIFA.

[foul_language]

Coup fatal.

I shoulda cheered for Italy.

Is it possible--stick with me, conspiracy people--that Zidane and Trezeguet were part of the Italian scandal? Paid off by someone to throw the game?

Zidane the head butter or Zidane the game thrower. Hmmm.

So who's taking the cup in 2010?

[Greek Tragedy]

Three games?  Isn't he done, as in retired?

Retired from the French National team, no more World Cups.  But what about his professional team ... and do reds carry over to those leagues?

Umm, good point.  I'm pretty sure club suspensions are totally different from national team suspensions.  Maybe he knew that when he did that.

If I'm correct, hockey plays 4 v 4 in OT, then penalty shots.

The French goal was cheap and I was exstatic when Italy scored so early.....kind of evened things up for me.

It was a weak foul, but penalty none-the-less, IMO.  Sure, he didn't mean to trip him, but it was an obvious foul.  I had no problem with the call.

Premiership starts in about 5 weeks.

Maybe we'll keep the "World Cup" board open for various European leagues, or any other soccer related stuff not involving D3 "football". :-)

[Grutte Dirk]

Don't know for sure, but Rooney, for example, was suspended for his next two National games - not Man U.  I don't know whether FIFA has any direct control over club teams, but I suspect that would be a league matter, not FIFA.

Would Ronney be sitting out his next FIFA games?  These may include:

-- Club World Championship (2007?)
-- Confederations Cup (2007)
-- European Football Championship (2008)

[Mr. Ypsi]

Don't know for sure, but Rooney, for example, was suspended for his next two National games - not Man U.  I don't know whether FIFA has any direct control over club teams, but I suspect that would be a league matter, not FIFA.

Would Ronney be sitting out his next FIFA games?  These may include:

-- Club World Championship (2007?)
-- Confederations Cup (2007)
-- European Football Championship (2008)

He'll sit for Euro 2008 qualifying matches against Andorra and Macedonia - and if England needs him for those matches, I doubt they are contenders!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Of 14 entries, 7 picked both games right, only one poster missed on both.

We were cumulatively 10-4 for each game.

While no scoring rules were set, I'd judge Oval to be the pick 'em champ: very close on Germany (2-1) and almost perfect on Italy (1-1, 4-2 on PKs).

[Oval]

While no scoring rules were set, I'd judge Oval to be the pick 'em champ: very close on Germany (2-1) and almost perfect on Italy (1-1, 4-2 on PKs).

nice . . . and lucky, thanks for the fun

[Grutte Dirk]

He'll sit for Euro 2008 qualifying matches against Andorra and Macedonia - and if England needs him for those matches, I doubt they are contenders!

Where did you find that out?  Nice work.

[Mr. Ypsi]

He'll sit for Euro 2008 qualifying matches against Andorra and Macedonia - and if England needs him for those matches, I doubt they are contenders!

Where did you find that out?  Nice work.

It was on the BBC link that Hoosier Titan(?) posted when Rooney's supension was first announced.

Based on the Rooney (and other suspensions) precedent, since Zidane has retired (again) from the National team, my guess would be that he is beyond the reach of FIFA (except, perhaps, for a fine).  That was so far beyond what can be expected in a match that I would assume the German courts could prosecute for assault, but I would certainly be surprised if they did.  I think his main punishment will be the permanent staining of an otherwise superlative (and usually classy) career.  (Though this was not the first classless act - it was mentioned after the game [an incident I had forgotten 'til then] that in a previous Cup he deliberately stepped on a fallen Saudi player, for which he was suspended two games.)

[Greek Tragedy]

He's retired from international football.  I have no doubt that he's not coming back.