It's a shame that FSC did not have the rights for the WC. Your ratings probably would have been triple ABC/ESPN and you would have done a crack job as analyst.
Women loving the WC? Everyone should.
What Materazzi said? ZZ should have stuck the winner in the back of the onion bag and butted MM in the goolies in the tunnel. That's what a true champion does, he does not lower himself to the level of MM on the pitch. He teaches him a lesson on the pitch.
Graeme Le Saux? I am sorry but what he has to offer about ZZ or anything re: football I am as interested as I was watching him roam the wings for Chelsea, Blackburn and England.
The panel? Why is it that we American knowledgable soccer fans always have to be subjected to the English media's perspective. Who annointed them as the end all? Did not learn anything from them.
I actually enjoyed to read Le Saux's story, maybe because I remember seing him and Batty have a go :-)
Agree with you, gongatore, that we get a little bit too much "expertise" from the English but I guess it's normal since we speak te same language. Have a fun insider on that one as well, unfortunately I cant reveal any names... Friend of mine who played in Serie A for some years came to play in the PL for a well known and respected manager. He was shocked when he came there and realized how little strategies they had as a team. The basicly had one (!) set play and that was when the goolie had the ball he was suppose to kick it to their target player at the time and then a couple of other players were suppose to get there to fight to win the ball. Besides that
play they never discussed any tactics.
Hey pj-
that's a good one and it does not shock me. i too have a similar story and well, an old friend played in the EPL and First Div. He actually was one of the color guys for ESPN for this WC. You'll figure it out I am sure. Don't want to post it here.
But his story was when he played at Derby County.
One day he was suffering from an ankle strain sustained in practice. He was looking around the pitch for the physio. All of a sudden, the (what we would call) "Waterboy" comes running over to him and prepares to administer help.
The player says "what the *&%$3 are you doing?"
The new physio says, "You didn't hear, I got promoted to Physio!"
With that the Player quickly limped off the pitch.
Now we all know the English club structure has dramatically changed since then but it's a true story.
Who's Marco Materzzi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= EpG4AHlZrL4
Judge for yourself.
We don't know what he said yet, but just wondering:
what makes a physical act of voilence so much different from an equally barbarian verbal one? video evidence?!
The red card had more to do with a huge miscalculation by Zizou, rather than what was said. Materazzi tugged on Zizou's shirt, who said "if you want my shirt, I'll give it to you after the match". Materazzi came back with something like "I'd rather get the shirt off your wife".
Zizou was was frustrated at the game, had a shoulder injury which seemed quite painful, and was getting taunted by a thug who had scored and was having the match of his life. Zizou was angry and assumed that even if the linesman saw him, the ref wouldn't dare give HIM a straight red in extra time of the World Cup final. HE WAS WRONG!
I'm sure that Zizou has suffered a great deal of racial abuse in Spain, where they are notorious for it, as well as in his early years in France. This is a tragedy, not just for football, but for the enire human race. After watching the news lately, the French need to focus their efforts inside their anti-racism efforts inside their own borders, before they try and chastise an Italian football player. I applaud FIFA for their substantial effort to eradicate racism. Zizou's red card in the final had nothing to do with racism, and everything to do his arrogance and frustration.
Last edited by Venti_vidi_vici on July 11th at 8:11 AM.
Virtually every one of those Telegraph experts picked Italy/Germany as the match of the tournament. Am I crazy for thinking that it wasn't that good? Sure, the extra time was fantastic whistle-to-whistle and the ending was so dramatic, but I remember the first 90 being fairly ordinary.
I'd take Mexico/Argentina or France/Spain over Italy/Germany any day.
That does not mean that Materazzi did not say something equally inexcusable. The man has been called a thug by the Italian press before, his character is well-known.
Well done to the Italians. I thought France were better and more attack-minded on the day but the Italians had the better tournament overall and a well-earned victory in the semis.
To the hyper-informed Odin,
If you are to stick tightly with the rules of the game, Zidane shouldn't have been red-carded, since video evidence was used; even Lippi pointed out the use of video evidence which is againts the rules (that you're so fond of).
I'm not defending Zidane's insane reaction, but shouldn't the referee have punished Materzzi with a red card for verbal abuse? Wasn't that the reason an English player (don't remeber the name)got sent off in 1998 game b/w England and Argentina by the Danish referee?
Is all the 'no to racism' #### just a means of fooling people about the legitimacy of the game or something to be taken seriously?
Yesterday the 4th official (a Spanish ref and unfortunately I forget his name) confirmed that he saw with his "naked eye" ZZ butt MM.
It was all within the rules. Look it up on the web.
ZZ deserved his expulsion. If upon further examination by FIFA they find that MM made a racist comment he should be suspended.
In the end anybody who has played sport knows so well that ZZ's action was profoundly wrong.
Let's hope the ref who saw this doesn't get vilified which is common in today's world.
Anybody who defends ZZ's head butt because MM used a racist slur is way out of touch. First of all, you don't know if if was a racial slur. It's possible that it was just a dumb comment like the "I'd rather get the shirt off your wife" retort that Venti Vidi Vici claims. If true, that's typical jock taunting. If you've ever been in a locker room or on a playing field you know the kind of bullshitting that goes on. Anybody who takes it seriously is considered a jerk. Too many people are looking for a reason to make it not ZZ's fault becuase he is/was an extraordinarily brilliant player.
One thing no one has mentioned - at about the 80th minute, when ZZ fell and injurred his soldier, he gave the signal requesting a substitute. But the coach did not respond to it at all, so he stayed i the game. It may be that he wanted out of the game and used the head butt as way to get thrown out since his coach wouldn't take him out.
Final word: I don't think his expulsion would have affected the result of the game anyway. France wasn't going to score in the last ten minutes anyhow because Italy was indeed just waiting for time to run out - they were exhausted after a second consecutive OT game. In the PK's, Trezeguet would have been one of France's 5 shooters even if ZZ was still in the game. He missed, none of Italy's guys missed, that's the game, fair and square. Domenech was quoted in the media afterward saying ZZ being expelled cost France the game. Anybody who believes in astrology like that guy is a fool in my book. I guess the stars weren't alig
What did he call him....you horrible sheik. All are missing what really happened. An old man in soccer years get frustrated and lose his legs in the over time. His side would not attck full force for fear of Italian counter. They seen what the Italian offense can do against Germnay and how they they dominated the first half when all were fresh. Even Zinadne was dominated. Zindane sent aheader right at Buffone...Frances only and I mean only real chance for a score and Zindane blew it!
Then thye French coach seen the Italians come out and leave his misfield alone and new what that meant. So he knew it would go to PK`s.
Zindane knew this too. So why not leave the field with another and maybe even get away with it because I am Zindane.
Only a childrens mind will believe these players are not subjected to thrash talk of all kinds. Only a childrens mind would believe the great Zinadne would mallow himself to leave the field in such amnner without taking a PK. This was over time for him and he was worried about losing it for France.
So...only problem was the Italians were suppose miss a PK or two like they alwyas did.
Your story, unfortunately, don’t surprise me at all. Also think that it’s getting better, in particular among the top tier clubs. We have seen so many foreign managers coming in with an influence on their game which has helped the PL to develop and now arguably be among the top 2-3 leagues in the world.
To add to my example I can tell you that I’ve heard, so called, English experts calling the manager I referred to above as a great alternative as the England manager.
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