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The World Cup Thread

astrogirl

First Grade
Messages
7,320
I just arrived at work and still excited!!! Fans going nuts on George St in the city. Had to get off the bus at QVB and walk!!

YEAH!!!

Now all I need for an awesome day is for some snow to fall - it's looking likely!!!!! :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:
 

antonius

Coach
Messages
10,104
We play Italy, who haven't looked that impressive in the games I've seen. We're a strong show of making the 8 IMO. The ref lost the plot at the end this morning. Croatian capt had two yellows and wasn't marched till he got his third. What about the tackle with the arm round the waist on Vid in the penalty area at the begining, and the handball by them in the second half. If we'd been eliminated it would have been daylight robbery. Kalac wont play again in this cup surely?
 

Jobdog

Live Update Team
Messages
25,696
OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHH YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Wat a feeling! I think after watching that 93 minutes, I've just lost 10 years off my life. Thank Christ I'm still young :lol:

If Kalac is a better goalkeeper than Schwarzer, then I am deadset a dutch astronaut. He was terrible. None of his takes this morning had any conviction about them. He looked suspect every time Croatia got anywhere near our box. Please Guus put Mark back in between the sticks for Tuesday morning at 1am(AEST).

Our defence imo was the worst its been out of the three matches. Only a few last ditch tackles, saved our bacon, especially from Craig Moore. Emerton not being there on Tuesday will be a big loss, meaning Wilkshere back into the side :crazy: Before Emerton got sent off I thought he was one of our best, but there is no doubting the class of Harry Kewell either, he was in everything.

The character this side has is second to none, in all three games we've had to come from behind, and of those three matches, we managed to fight back and win and get a draw. In the other game, we outplayed Brazil for the most part, but just couldn't find the back of the net.

When is the officialling in any sport these days going to get better? I thought the terrible decisions were reserved for NRL referees, but it appears its contagious. That English ref this morning was absolutely terrible. Since when do THREE yellow cards equal one red card? And since when is a handball in the box not a penalty? The englishman needs to have a long hard look at himself.

Maybe just maybe now we're into the final 16 we might get a half decent ref for the game against Italy. As a side note, I hope all the aussie supporters in Germany head off to the airport and wave goodbye to the USA, after their coach said we were making up the numbers. Well champ, it appears as though we're through to the second round and your team is heading home. Shove that up ur a$$!!!
 

IanG

Coach
Messages
17,807
Yeah the ref lost the plot. But hey we're in the Round of 16 so that in itself is an achievement. Also seeing as how Italy haven't been too convincing, what a great chance to knock 'em off.
 

Frederick

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
27,565
MrCharisma said:
The game is on 12:30am Tuesday
Fan-f**king-tastic. Last exam on Monday, not working next week til Friday, I smell a huuuuuuuuuuuge night ahead :D
 

RABK

Referee
Messages
20,694
Just three things.

Kalac is junk.

Viduka is extrememly overated, he just isn't a world class striker but it works to our advantage as he always as two men on him leaving space for other players.

This will cement us as the greatest sporting nation in the world, no one can say we are cannon fodder in soccer anymore.
 

RABK

Referee
Messages
20,694
draw.gif
 

RABK

Referee
Messages
20,694
If you look at that...Italy will be tough but they are nowhere near consistent. If we get them on an off day and play mistake free football and manage somehow to get a miracle win look who lies ahead of us.

Either France, Switzerland or South Korea - very, very winnable games.

That would mean we make the last 4, Germany or Argentina would lie in wait and to be quite honest that is probably as far as we cna hope to go. But it would leave us in a play off for third against either England or the Netherlands.

Do i dare dream off a England vs Australia play off for third. I mean it's highly likely Italy will beat us comfortably, they are quite capable off it. But we can do it, and if we do we have a great chance of making the final 4.
 

Misanthrope

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
47,624
Viduka is extrememly overated, he just isn't a world class striker but it works to our advantage as he always as two men on him leaving space for other players.

I'll put it down to the fact you don't play football, but that's completely off base. Viduka doesn't need to drill home goals to do his job, he does it more than well by drawing two defenders on every play and giving space to the likes of Kewell, Sterjovski, and Cahill to work in.
 

RABK

Referee
Messages
20,694
CWBush said:
I'll put it down to the fact you don't play football, but that's completely off base. Viduka doesn't need to drill home goals to do his job, he does it more than well by drawing two defenders on every play and giving space to the likes of Kewell, Sterjovski, and Cahill to work in.

I did say that...

I've heard people call him a world class striker, just not true. A world class striker creates oppurtunities for himself and his team. Viduka does one, but he doesn't do it very well. Aloisi is a better striker IMO.

And a striker doesn't need to drill home goals? Please, it is their main purpose. Strikers, also known as centre forwards, forwards, and attackers, and formerly inside forwards, are the players on a team in football in the row nearest to the opposing team's goal, who are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals.

You don't play football either. :lol:
 

RABK

Referee
Messages
20,694
Oh and btw, calling him overated isn't calling him a bad player. He is great for Middlesbrough in the EPL and has a rich history of goal scoring throught out his EPL career. But he just never brings anything to the international stage.
 

RABK

Referee
Messages
20,694
Oh i just remember something too...

Didn't the USA coach rip into us last year after we qualified calling us easy beats or something along those lines?

:lol:
 

Jobdog

Live Update Team
Messages
25,696
To an extent I agree with what RABK is saying, but I am also aware that Viduka isn't really a "goalscoring machine". It's not really his "job" persay to score the goals. He is very strong on the ball, which pulls opposing players to him which as CWB said, leaves room for Kewell,Bresciano,Cahill, Sterjovski. Viduka has only scored 6 goals in 34 appearances or something. That stat alone tells me that he's not in the team to score goals, rather hold the ball up and allow room for his outside men.
 

RABK

Referee
Messages
20,694
On 7 December 2005, USA National coach Bruce Arena sparked controversy among the Australian supporters after saying that Australia, along with Trinidad & Tobago, were "the weaker sides in the competition".
 

Jobdog

Live Update Team
Messages
25,696
Red and Blue Knight said:
Oh i just remember something too...

Didn't the USA coach rip into us last year after we qualified calling us easy beats or something along those lines?

:lol:
Yep thats what I said earlier :p

He said we were just making up the numbers and would get flogged. Well, well, well. Look who's packing their bags and are probably at the airport awaiting to go home.

Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na WAAAVVVE GOOODBYE!!!!
 

RABK

Referee
Messages
20,694
Jobdog said:
To an extent I agree with what RABK is saying, but I am also aware that Viduka isn't really a "goalscoring machine". It's not really his "job" persay to score the goals. He is very strong on the ball, which pulls opposing players to him which as CWB said, leaves room for Kewell,Bresciano,Cahill, Sterjovski. Viduka has only scored 6 goals in 34 appearances or something. That stat alone tells me that he's not in the team to score goals, rather hold the ball up and allow room for his outside men.

Viduka is a very skilled player who is able to hold the ball up well and bring other players into the game. Perhaps this is job at international level but even so, can you say he does that very well? He almost always loses possesion form what i've seen. Whatever space Kewell, Cahill etc have got it's often because of a counter attack, a cross or their own work.

Oh and Viduka can be a goal scoring machine, didn't he score near 70 goals in 3 seasons for leeds?
 

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