World Cup

Time for Australia to rebuild for the Asian Cup next year and WC2014

Good riddance to the manager, I hope he never sees the international stage again.

redinthemorning wrote:

I realize soccer players embellish a bit, but watching Ghana in the additional time was flat-out disgusting. There were players dropping like flies when absolutely no contact was made.

Just like the Americans did when they got Ayew suspended for the next game.

Jaywalk wrote:

Time for Australia to rebuild for the Asian Cup next
year and WC2014

Good riddance to the manager, I hope he
never sees the international stage again.

I don't know what the Australians expected to achieve, but I expected them to get defeated three times in the group, so they were better than I thought. If you look at the squads of the other countries in that group, they all have players playing from top class teams. Australia got Cahill, two players from Galatasaray, including Kewell who didn't play a match since december, and some substitutes from Dutch teams. That's it. They just aren't good enough.

It's one of the reasons my love of football is slowly dropping, it's more about getting the other player booked and acting like a goddamn pussy everytime you feel a hand against your skin than to actually play a game of decent football.

Ghana was a bit lame, but not any lamer than I've seen this tournament.

i was hoping for the Germans but what the fuck was the ref doin at Lampards "goal"? its sad for the football, even if the right team won

we defo need goal line technology,germany deserved it though

I think Germany was the better team today, so they deserved the win even though i do not support them...

I would appreciate the Netherlands getting far =) So go go go

Ze Germans were a better team, despite out disallowed goal. We played well for the first half but then just shambles for the second. Piss poor defence. In my opinion the blame doesnt lie solely with Capello. The players have to stand up and admit that some of them just didn't perform. Especially Rooney. Ah well another world cup, another knockout for England. Argies or Brazil to win it!

[quote="Tim was here"]

redinthemorning wrote:

I don't know what the Australians expected to achieve, but I expected them to get defeated three times in the group, so they were better than I thought. If you look at the squads of the other countries in that group, they all have players playing from top class teams. Australia got Cahill, two players from Galatasaray, including Kewell who didn't play a match since december, and some substitutes from Dutch teams. That's it. They just aren't good enough.

We were in the top #20 in the world before the tournament, beat the Netherlands in about 2008 (?) with a similar squad and went through qualifying undefeated. You also forgot Mark Schwarzer from Fulham, widely regarded as one of the top keepers in the EPL. We had some reason to be hoping for a better showing, although the manager didn't fill anyone with confidence.

Look at New Zealand, they have a part-time bank clerk in their side for fucks sake, they didn't lose a match (including against the current cup holders) and were unlucky to not make the next phase. It's not all about the worldwide status of your players. The NZ team was greater than the sum of its parts and Australia's was not. The red cards were unfortunate and untimely for Aus, but in the end we probably didn't deserve to go through after the terrible showing against Germany. We also managed to leave Scott McDonald, top scorer for Celtic last season at home for some unknown reason.

Also, England's non-goal was hilarious viewing. As was their defensive 'effort'. England believe they have some sort of divine right to win the tournament every four years, and every four years they go home dissapointed. Couldn't happen to a more deserving squad either, bunch of big headed prima donnas playing for pay cheques. No heart. Much like Australia this year.

Still difficult to pick a tournament winner. Argentina look shaky at the back still but are amazing going forward, Germany looked good last night too

Also, this:

Jaywalk wrote:

We were in the top #20 in the world before the
tournament, beat the Netherlands in about 2008 (?) with a similar squad
and went through qualifying undefeated. You also forgot Mark Schwarzer
from Fulham, widely regarded as one of the top keepers in the EPL. We
had some reason to be hoping for a better showing, although the manager
didn't fill anyone with confidence.

That 2008 squad already had an average age of 32 and the old guys who were still good during the last world cup are still the guys being called up now. The new generation seems to be lacking quality if you still need to call up people like Chipperfield. Oh, and Schwarzer made huge mistakes AGAIN, just like the last world cup and just like last season. He did make the Europa Cup final, so he is doing something right, but still... Top class player? Not really.

Jaywalk wrote:

Look at New Zealand, they
have a part-time bank clerk in their side for fucks sake, they didn't
lose a match (including against the current cup holders) and were
unlucky to not make the next phase.

No, they were lucky not to lose. They had all the luck of the world when they equalised against Slovakia, then had more luck with that offside goal against a reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaally poor Italy and Paraguay didn't have to win, because they were practically in the next round.

Jaywalk wrote:

We also managed to
leave Scott McDonald, top scorer for Celtic last season at home for some
unknown reason.

Yes, that is a bit strange, considering you didn't really have a good striker in the squad. I've seen Rukavytsya here at Twente and he even struggled against amateur teams in the cup, so he's probably no good on this level and Kennedy plays in Japan. But MacDonald did have a pretty poor half year scoring just four goals at Middlesbrough in 13 appearances. So maybe that's why? He also hasn't scored for his country yet.



And what's going on with the linesmen? First that Lampard goal and then the Tevez goal. How do you manage not to see it was offside, mister linesman?

Tim was here wrote:

That 2008 squad already had an average age of 32 and the old guys who were still good during the last world cup are still the guys being called up now. The new generation seems to be lacking quality if you still need to call up people like Chipperfield. Oh, and Schwarzer made huge mistakes AGAIN, just like the last world cup and just like last season. He did make the Europa Cup final, so he is doing something right, but still... Top class player? Not really.

Fair point on age. Chipperfield looked a bit past it in a few of the games. The 'lack of quality' is due to the demise of the old national league, the 'NSL'. Throughout the late 90's and early 00's corruption and poor management meant a lot of the clubs went broke and eventually the league folded. So, during this time the path to professional football was either shit or non-existent, which we're getting the consequences of now. Then in 2004, the Football Federation of Australia was created and replaced Soccer Australia and all of the corrupt, old cronies who ran it. The A-League started in 2005 and only now are the Football Academies starting to nurture talent with a proper pathway, so, all going to plan, we should be bigger and better in 5-10 years.

Tim was here wrote:

No, they were lucky not to lose. They had all the luck of the world when they equalised against Slovakia, then had more luck with that offside goal against a reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaally poor Italy and Paraguay didn't have to win, because they were practically in the next round.

So we're not going to talk about the dubious penalty vs Italy? You make your own luck IMO. In the end they were only one goal away from qualification, which admittedly they rarely looked like scoring. You have to admit for a nation with just 25 professional players, they were punching above their weight just being there, let alone not losing a match.

Rukavytsya is still young and time is on his side, though he does seem to rely a bit too much on pace rather than skill. Kennedy would have been a little better with delivery from decent positions rather than just hopeful lobs from 30m away against some of the best defenders in the world. He's top goal-scorer in the J-league atm so he's not a spastic. But he was dog-shit in the friendlies. And yes, McDonald has been poor for the national team, but it doesn't help when your manager has either played a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-6-0 formation and nothing else. He has had an average season, but would have been at least an option off the bench IMO.

Linesmen have the hardest job in the game. They have to be looking at so many different things, but in saying that those were two terrible, terrible decisions. Looking forward to Spain vs Portugal...

Spain in Quarter-finals, I can't be happier

El Nino needs to score

he hasn't done anything worth watching in this worldcup... El Guaje is sooo much better

maybe the knee surgeries he got are still bothering him.

Come on Netherlands!

Arjen Robben is a poor excuse for a human being.

However, Brazil choked

I feel SOOOO sorry for Asamoah Gyan. Poor lad.

Shame for him and Ghana but wanted Uruguay to go through, hope they can go all the way now, although a Netherlands final would be pretty awesome too.

wooohooo, finally netherlands made it just as i hoped they would =)



go netherlands, but kinda sad for ghana and africa =(


let's see what today will happen...

Argentina vs Germany has to be the most anticipated and looking like the best game of the world cup so far, so many good players and good football on show.

I nearly cried when Gyan missed that penalty at the end

Just put $25 on Germany to beat Argentina at odds of 3.4

and $25 on Spain to beat Paraguay at odds of 1.48

Think Germany are better then the odds show, hope one of these 2 win it.

i hope for germany to win...
unlike most austrians i like germany and german people...

and i'd like spain to win as well =)