World Cup Fantasy League (Spoilers Ahoy!)

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 4:30 pm

Good point re Zambrotta being a defender. Didn't he do well? True re tightness. You've probably got it in the bag. I'm still five points clear in the predictions league with only one challenger. 12 points in it. Need to keep a cool head.

Will admit Ribery has been shjowing promise in the last two games, but not much earlier. Worked hard against Brazil. Quite dirty (didn't you see him flicking his studs on x's leg too? At least a booking), and with an unpleasantly aggressive aspect to him. Unlike Gattuso, who's ugly but adorable, Ribery just seems ugly. I'd rather not have to like him as a red, but a bit of that midfield fire wouldn't be amiss. He's dead keen to join Houllier though. We'll need a replacement for Ronaldo, of course.

verena · Post by **verena** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 5:09 pm

I suspect that a lot of French like Ribery because he is not impressive ("little Ribery"), doesn't look like a winner, but did achieve quite a lot. It may also be because he is white (for a change!). Me I am not a fan because I have some doubts, for instance about his capacity to keep an honorable behaviour once he operates from a position of strength.

As to racism Otis, I think that the majority of French people are no racists. I wouldn't say that there are racial divisions. But it is true that there are discriminations, although a lot of them social and not specifically racial and by the way, also sexist (women are very much discriminated against in the workplace). All this in spite of the laws, which are fine for the most part. In general, I am afraid that France has a problem of a significant gap between its principles and the way they are actually implemented. Other countries have the same problem of course, but to me it is less acceptable on our part, as long as French leaders won't stop giving lessons.

As to Domenech, he has been very much criticized here also, but we're going to give him a break for a while obviously. Until we loose... Personnally I like Arsene Wenger (his insights) and the Portuguese coach.

No hunch as to what is in store for us now. Something like a miracle happened yesterday, there had been no indication before that our guys could emerge that brilliantly (the most surprised were certainly the French). Clearly they are capable of making it, particularly if the other teams start fearing them (as Brazil did yesterday). But I am not sure if they can be as courageous as the Koreans or the English if they have to take a blow early in a game. Nevertheless, I am sticking to my ealier line, I am giving them a chance.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 9:15 pm

Ribery's an ugly mofo, to be sure (childhood car accident I've heard - a bit like Tevez in that respect), but he plays his heart out, which is more than could be said for some of the more high-profile players in this World Cup. I wouldn't mind seeing a Germany-France final. Anything to keep dull-as-dirt Portugal from making it to the final! Italy would be fine too, but I think the Krauts will find a way to prevail.

Cristiano Ronaldo - what a nasty little shit. I've alays hated him and his inane stepovers and now I hate him even more. Hope he breaks his leg at Real Madrid. What a kyyunntt.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 12:45 am

Portugal's kit is just about my all-time favourite, I want to drink it. Figo has been playing well, not quite in the same league of renaissance as Zizou, but commendable compared to his dwindling club form. Deco is a fine player, and would have made a difference to the England game, and was red carded for farcical reasons. They lack striker firepower, Pauleta doesn't seem to do anything. On current form France will eliminate them. Italy to win!

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:46 am

I'm not sad about Erikkson going - it's all well and good saying and believing that you've got the best squad you could hope for but that counts for nothing if you don't know how to play tactically. Poor Jamie Carragher - he comes on for no real reason other than to take a penalty and like a true Englishman, misses. Owen Hargreaves was fantastic (there's a sentence I never thought I'd say) and ironically it was a German based player who scored our only penalty.

I didn't watch the France v Brazil game (I had sorrows to drown).

The whole tournament has lost its allure for me now. I'm now available for a date on Wednesday evening. Form an orderly queue ladies

ps My World Cup Beer Belly should hopefully only be temporary. My looks, unfortunately, are permanent!

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:34 am

The chorus of support for Rooney and condemnation for Cristiano Ronaldo is laughable. It almost feels like had it not been for this "dirty little cheater" from Portugal, England would be holding World Cup next Sunday.

All in all, I agree with Terry Butcher who says that after more than five years of Sven as England coach, you're "no further forward than when he was appointed".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/footbal ... 138886.stm

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:13 am

invisible Pole wrote:The chorus of support for Rooney and condemnation for Cristiano Ronaldo is laughable. It almost feels like had it not been for this "dirty little cheater" from Portugal, England would be holding World Cup next Sunday.

What I can't understand is that Ronaldo has run up to the referee to point out what Rooney had done. There was no need for him to do so. I can understand Rooney getting peeved about that but he wasn't sent off for pushing Ronaldo was he?

I am having doubts as to whether or not Ronaldo will go back to Man Utd now. If he does, I wonder if he'll suffer a "training ground incident"...

invisible Pole wrote:All in all, I agree with Terry Butcher who says that after more than five years of Sven as England coach, you're "no further forward than when he was appointed".

I agree wholeheartedly. When you look at Sven's "outside interests", his love of the celebrity lifestyle, his being caught out (more than once) by the tabloids, you could tolerate it if he was bringing success to the national team. But in reality, we (rightly) expect to be in the quarter finals of major tournaments anyway. He had no passion, no problem solving skills, he would not make bold decisions (how many times did he keep Beckham on purely because Beckham might score a free kick or put in a good cross rather than have the courage to substitute him and change the type of game we were playing?).

The FA is over Â£20m poorer because of him and he has taken the England team no further forward than any reasonable manager would have done.

I also think the timing of David Beckham's resignation in interesting. Do people believe him when he says he made up his mind before the tournament? Should he have handed over the captaincy before the tournament began? What else was on his mind? Could it be that now his main ally has gone he has realised the writing is on the wall? He's had a poor World Cup (as he did in 2002).

I hope McLaren brings something new and bold to English football. Somehow I doubt it but I want to be proved wrong. It will be interesting too if Beckham is unavailable for the first friendly in August.

verena · Post by **verena** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:03 am

You guys had the opportunity to hire the man who is presently coaching Portugal, why didn't you seize it ?

Agree with you about Ronaldo, VG. From what I saw, he spent a lot of time looking for English faults to get them punished, instead of focussing on the goal. I am afraid he is up for a serious incident, probably outside of training premises. Not that I approve, but if he dares to set foot back in England he might be putting his a$$ on the line... It would be interesting to know if there is a story in the background of this Ronaldo act.

I requested a briefing from footie friends over lunch and you know what ?! You think Ribery is liked cause he is a typical French ?
Nope. He is a Muslim !!! He converted !

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:10 pm

I'm sceptical about Beckham's injury. He's out for 6 weeks apparently. When does the Spanish season start, I wonder ?

Over the past 2-3 years he's gone from a very good player to a bit of a joke celebrity footballer, whose only concern appears to be his image and modelling rights. Maybe the idea of being subbed for Lennon was a little too embarassing for him....better to claim injury.

It wouldn't have been so bad if his inflated ego had only impacted on himself, but it was a scandal that he was given all England's free-kicks when he was on the park. No variety whatsoever, when we have players like Gerrard, Lampard, Carrick, Rooney and Cole in the side.

Good riddance pretty boy I say. You may have scored one or two great free-kicks, but overall, your presence has done nothing for England in years.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:05 pm

More than 2-3 years, as VG says, he was ineffective in 2002. He's viewed favourably in Madrid, but then it woulddn't be hard to shine with the likes of Zidane and Ronaldo on the pitch (both of whom play the whole time now along the lines of their worst moments in the World Cup). I'm sure Beck's injury is genuine, he was clearly in pain, and I don't think it would be surprising for him or anyone to not be used from here on post-captaincy and in a new era.

Ribery a Muslim? Zut Allah!

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 5:28 pm

I had a beautiful 3-hour lunch at a local Italian resturant today - exquisite antipasti and cavatelli - and chatted on and off with the Italian waiter about the World Cup. I am definitely sensing a growing interest in the sport over here from people I speak with (and not just expat Europeans) and it's a great thing to see.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:18 am

verena wrote:You guys had the opportunity to hire the man who is presently coaching Portugal, why didn't you seize it ?

It's Gary Lineker's fault apparently!

Jackson Monk wrote:Good riddance pretty boy I say. You may have scored one or two great free-kicks, but overall, your presence has done nothing for England in years.

Absolutely. Both Beckham and Sven have been more interested in the celebrity side of football than football itself. Brand Beckham is more important than the football.

Otis Westinghouse" wrote:Ribery a Muslim? Zut Allah!

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 7:46 am

Beckham's resignation speech found...

Mike Boom · Post by **Mike Boom** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:32 pm

Great goals by Italy, and a great save by their keeper.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:47 pm

Game of the tournament. Even more thrilling than Mex v Arg. Everyone seemed to be expecting Germany to do it, but you just can't write off the Italians. On a good day, they're a joy to watch. the last two games have been so much cleaner and more mature than their earlier ones. How knackered must they have been? What a finish to ET. Flat out end-to-end, Italy two minutes from a penalty shoot out history would indicate they didn't have a hope of winning, and then two perfect goals. Only downside was the fact that I tinkered with my FF side 15 mins before kick-off and sold both Grosso and Pirlo! Grrrrr. Could be a great final.

Quite funny looking at who has what. WSS, curse him, does it again with Grosso in his team! And BWAP! FFK has him on the bench! Quite a lot of us seem to have gone for a Germany win, or no Portuguese, which is a bit risky.

Fishfinger king · Post by **Fishfinger king** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:30 pm

I'm hoping one of my French players has a late injury and Grosso comes in! It was a late choice between Odonkor and Grosso - wrong, wrong, wrong!!!!

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 3:27 pm

I don't believe it. WSS follows Grosso's goalscoring with Zidane as captain. Will have to wait for the Prem for revenge!

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 3:56 pm

The stars have all aligned for me - and I'm loving it!!!

A bit lucky to get 7 points from Barthez. Another very unconvincing display, but somehow he didn't concede.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 5:37 pm

God I'd hate to be French watching him (though of course I have lots of MU bad memories, chiefly of the notorious FA Cup 'ref he's offside' incident). did you see him playing volleyball with Ronaldo'ss free-kick?

Great penalty. Misssed the game due to a deadline, but didn't miss much by all accounts. So glad I saw last night's.

France v Italy. Could be a cracker. Italy should win, and I want them too enormously. If it's good tempered, it will be sweet.

Who Shot Sam? · Post by **Who Shot Sam?** » Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:15 pm

Otis Westinghouse wrote:did you see him playing volleyball with Ronaldo'ss free-kick?

Yes, what the hell was that? He's always good for a few laughs. I'm really surprised that he was chosen over Coupet, but Domenech is a weird dude. He's big into astrology and supposedly did not choose Pires because he doesn't get along with Scorpios!

I've done my transfers for the next round as I'll be out of town. I'll wait to be showered with accolades until I return next week. (More likely I'll be showered with something else while I'm away.)

World Cup Final prediction - Italy 2 France 1. As for the scorers, who knows? On FSC tonight, Bobby McMahon mentioned that Italy have had 10 different goal scorers during this World Cup, which is a record.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Thu Jul 06, 2006 9:33 am

I was out of the office from lunchtime Tuesday so couldn't change my team. Was gutted that Schweinsteiger came on as I would have got an automatic substituion for Sagnol. Oh well. I had intended to put Sagnol in as I couldn't see Portugal scoring at all.

Italy just get stronger the longer the tournament goes on. It was great to see the referees taking note of the obvious instructions to not book as many people. At the rate they were going with the bookings and sendings off, had England qualified for the Final then Walcott would have got a game.

The Germany v Italy game was a fantastic match to watch and very sporting (although it did have its moments

). The Portuguese were disgraceful and one had to feel sorry for Ronaldo. And Scolari

And poor Louis Saha. What an idiot!

Not only does he come on with one yellow card to his name, he promptly gets booked thereby missing the Final AND THEN (if that were not enough) presents Portugal with a chance in the final few moments of the game with a sloppy pass. And then we had "What Fabien did next..."

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Thu Jul 06, 2006 3:33 pm

Shame for Saha, as he is good enough to warrant more first team action and he's a decent player. I was beginning to think when he came on that Abramovich had paid all MU players outrageous sums of gascash to fuck up as royally as they could in every respect.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 8:51 am

Otis Westinghouse wrote:I was beginning to think when he came on that Abramovich had paid all MU players outrageous sums of gascash to fuck up as royally as they could in every respect.

I think you'll find it was Sir Alex Ferguson.

Mechanical Grace · Post by **Mechanical Grace** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 2:55 am

Well I've made my transfers, and we'll see what happens today and tomorrow. What will I do when it's over?!?

In the mean time, thought y'all might enjoy this:

________

As World Cup Ends, the Good and the Bad

By ROGER COHEN
International Herald Tribune
BERLIN

The World Cup is almost over, culminating in the same German sunlight and even greater heat than it began, so perhaps it's time for a review of some of the highs and lows of this monthlong jamboree.

Most Energetic Performance: Franz Beckenbauer, the tournament's organizer, not only attends every match, but also finds time to marry Heidi Burmester, his longtime sweetheart.

Most Abject Performance: Sven-Goran Eriksson, the England coach, manages to bamboozle his own players by switching formations on them every game and by bringing along an untried 17-year-old, Theo Walcott, apparently as some sort of mascot.

Best Quote: "This is so beautiful, we want it to carry on," says the magician of the French midfield, ZinÃ©dine Zidane, as he comes full circle at age 34.

Worst Quote: "We're here for a war," says Eddie Johnson, a striker for the United States, summing up the stakes in Germany.

Silliest Slogan: "Welcome to Germany - Land of Ideas."

Most Dramatic Discovery: Germans realize they love their flag and keep on waving it, even in defeat.

Best Banner: "Allez Les Vieux" - held aloft by a French fan encouraging his old but resurgent team.

Most Dubious Banner: "Let's Roll" - an American favorite.

Most Welcome Absence: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president.

Most Bizarre Presence: Diego Maradona of Argentina and his band of wild-eyed acolytes.

Finest Theater: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal manages to match his outrageous talent with equally outrageous acting designed to win over skeptical referees.

Class Act: JÃ¼rgen Klinsmann, the German coach, goes from villain to idol as he shakes up the German football establishment and proves that, yes, you can spend a lot of your time in California and still produce a fine, attacking side.

Most Surreal Sight: The players of Serbia and Montenegro representing a country that no longer exists.

Most Uplifting Sight: Glorious Ghana at its best.

Most Zealous Fans: The South Koreans, roaring on a side that is a blur of swarming movement. Closely followed by the never-say-die Australians.

Oddest Decision: David Beckham, the England captain, decides to spend all his time on the right touchline, apparently marking the linesman.

Most Depressing Statistic: Frank Lampard of England takes 24 shots at goal, more than any other player here apart from Lukas Podolski of Germany, and scores zero goals. He can't even find the net with a penalty.

Most Disputed Statistic: How many gazillion people are actually watching all this on television.

Biggest Nonstories: Polish hooligans, German brothels, rightist thugs, English claims that football's coming home.

Largest Unanswered Question: How to get out of Kaiserslautern at night and live to tell the tale.

Worst Culinary Call: Serving chili con carne in 36-degree Celsius (97- Fahrenheit) heat in media centers at the stadiums. Next time, try chili con air-conditioning. Or just cut the chili.

World Cup Weirdness Award: American rather than German beer is served in the stadiums. It's a Budweiser, but for legal reasons too complicated to explain, it just says "Bud" on the plastic bottles.

Most Beautiful Player: The peerless Andrea Pirlo of Italy, who demonstrates that, in football as in much else, breeding counts.

Most Beautiful Goal: Esteban Cambiasso of Argentina gets on the end of a 24-pass move that is part ballet, part advanced mathematics, part instinct and part genius - Borges would have liked this one.

Most Colonial Gesture: Peter Crouch, England's gangling striker, yanks the dreadlocks of the Trinidad and Tobago defender, Brent Sancho, as he rises to head a rare English goal.

Least Convincing Football Fan: Angela Merkel, the German chancellor.

Newest Fashion Statement: National flags worn as sarongs.

Biggest Whiner: DaMarcus Beasley of the United States, who keeps saying he needed more instructions from his coach, Bruce Arena.

Flimsiest Favorites: After all the hype, Ronaldinho of Brazil goes missing. He's joined by Roberto Carlos, who decides to adjust his socks rather than mark Thierry Henry, so gifting the French their winning goal. Ronaldo carries five extra kilos but still sets a record: 15 goals in World Cups.

Tournament Lion: Gennaro Gattuso of Italy, who wears his heart on his sleeve and demonstrates how far guts can take you.

Worst Psychological Problems: The Dutch and the Spanish still can't get it together at the World Cup.

Second Largest Unanswered Question: Can South Africa possibly organize something like this by 2010?

Most Outdated ClichÃ©: The Germans are dull.

Happiest Breakthrough: England realizes the war ended 61 years ago and a lot has happened since then.

Most Painful and Most Repeated ClichÃ©: Football's more than a game.

Best Reason for Going Through All This: The beauty of it.

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 3:32 am

Well I've made my transfers, and we'll see what happens today and tomorrow. What will I do when it's over?!?

Go back to your fantasy baseball team and trade me Juan Pierre? Or Wright or Hafner or Ibanez.