World Football Championship 2006, Let the mania commence ! Options

[milanius]

Okayyy... someone had to to this, someone who is in love with the game, enough of a man to admit he's a huge couch-potato and watches even the least significant games... but enough beatin' round the bush ! LET'S PLAY FOOTBALL !
Today is the opening game of WFC2006 and Germany is opening it against Costa Rica. Predictions, anyone ? (Starge, wink wink )

[Fuzzy Knight]

Yeah, the Japanize scoring tactic was quite strange, almost like they were planing to tackle the goalie and run through the net. Good to see the aussies win by the way.

Agree... The match was pretty good. It could have gone each way, but the problem with the Japanese was that they lost the ball to much on their own side too the Assuies which gave them a lot of these chances along with counter-attacks. The Japanese should have gotten a penalty kick when it was 1 - 1 thought, think that was the score but they didn't. But what was good was that the Assuies kept on pushing even thought they had scored the goals, the japanese defense fell apart and that led to more chances for the Assuies. Hope Australia can come far in this WC.

Italy vs Ghana thought...

The game opened like I didn't suspect, Italy pushed very hard forward and had a lot of chances. They came to a lot of shots and headings near the goal but was unlucky several times. They had great attacks, starting in the middle, before sending long run-balls to the side which the italians caught up with and got it in the field. Pirlo managed to score from about 18 meters when it was around 5 min left of first half, was a greatly placed shot in the buttom corner of the goal past several of the Ghana players who should have gotten faster up to Pirlo and tried to block the shot.

As many suspected, Italy went more passive and defensive in the second half. Ghana got more and more into the match and came closer to scoring goals, but still no great chances. Italy thought, managed to come with many deadly counter-attacks which nearly led to a goal but the Ghana keeper was very good in going out and meeting the attacker, he had a couple of good saves. Ghana was unlucky thought, they were supposed to get a penalty but the ref' decided not too apparently, he Ghana attacker was tripped by two people in the Italian defense right inside the 16'meter but no penalty kick.

Soon after the Italians pushed on and made a counter-attack. Kuffour in the Ghana defense catched the ball and was suppose to play it back to the goal keepere from around 20 - 30 meters, but it was a too slow ball! Iaquinta snapps the ball, simply runs past the Ghana goal keeper and gently places the ball in the net...

Was a deserved victory from Italy, they could have come out with a score of a easy 5 - 1 (adding that Ghana would have gotten the penalty kick and scored)

I was thinking, as Italy had done so many times before that they would open very badly in their first matches. BUT DAMN, I was surprised, when you see the replays - just look at how the Italian attackers and defenders position themselves, they did a awesom job and this is really how I like to see Italy play...

Today it's Brazil vs Croatia, Croatia - along with Norway is a team who have NEVER lost agains Brazil and I'm really looking forward to this match to see how well Brazil will actually do. As Stargel said, most of the opening matches for Brazil tend to be problemastic

Highlights from each match can be seen here, just so u know...
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/highlights.html

This post has been edited by Fuzzy Knight: Jun 13 2006, 09:35 AM