World Cup 2006

[Guest muddatrucker]

I could punch the keeper in the face, but if the referee doesn't give or see it, does that make the referee the bad one or me for throwing the punch? the disgusting thing is doing this shit to fool the referees, he was shit but it wasn't his fault.

[Summers]

If Italy played fair, and won fair, there'd be no uproar what-so-ever. Apart from people feeling bad for the Aussies.

[Dan]

Totti is shit.

All he's done in the world cup is score a penalty.

[Guest Ringo Mars]

I know I'm being a prick, simply for the reason that it's what you guys always do to me and would of done to me if the result had of been the other way round.

[The Quasi Juice]

I guess it's a crazy idea to pick Ghana as my de facto team, given they're likely to go out in the first round as well. Maybe Portugal?

[Chris the Human]

God, Kewell's absence hurt us today. The opportunities we did create were snuffed out well by a very experienced Italian defensive line - but a player like Kewell would have better capitalised than the likes of Bresciano (although he was one of our best players) and Sterjovski.

It was obvious that Hiddink expected it to go into extra time. We'd only used one substitution by the end of play, although only Thompson on the bench could really have offered a tremendous amount offensively.

If you hate diving, why pick Portugal? Just a thought..

[Mongrel]

Why is Italy shaped like a boot?

Can't fit that much shit in a shoe.

I love Rodney. But go Argentina!

[SeanDMan]

lol, Italy is a faggy soft euro country. Faggy faggy faggy.

That was a rediculous dive. I've seen people chortle less from gunshot wounds.

[Guest Ringo Hates Divers]

Totti 'proves himself' with decisive penalty

KAISERSLAUTERN, June 26 (Reuters) - Italian playmaker Francesco Totti said he had proved himself by scoring a stoppage-time penalty that gave 10-man Italy a 1-0 win over Australia in the World Cup second round on Monday.

'So far the critics have really laid into me, but I've always said I'd prove myself on the pitch,' Totti told reporters after keeping his nerve to score with the very last kick of the game.

'We suffered for long periods of the match, but in the end it was the whole team that won this match because Australia were a strong side. Now I think we can go a long way in this tournament,' he added.

'The important thing (when we went down to 10 men) was to keep our heads.'

Italy were reduced to 10 men in the 50th minute when Marco Materazzi was given a straight red card for a foul.

The penalty came when defender Fabio Grosso tumbled over a challenge by Lucas Neill.

''I think we dominated the match for many parts and with an extra player it made it easier for us but it's a really bad way to go out,' said Australian captain Mark Viduka.

'We're obviously happy we've got this far but so disappointing to go out in the fashion we did.'

Australian midfielder Tim Cahill said he could not believe his team had been knocked out of the World Cup by 10-man Italy on Monday.

'It's a feeling of disbelief. We're trying to break them down and then they get a lucky break, he falls over in the box and gets a penalty.'

[Chris the Human]

It proves that he's an opportunist in a team full of drama queens and prima donnas.

[alldaws1]

I really want to see England vs Italy in the final now, just to see Johnny talking shit for the entire 90 minutes, then claiming that the team he supports won the world cup.

Well I want to see that game, however I know myself I wont be there to glory hunt and support the winning side, but you believe what you want to mate (Y)

And yeah, hating on me for the 343874837 time. It's no surprise though. And shitting on the entire Italy team because ONE player goes down. Fucking hell, stop being pathetic for once. If the guy dived, then he fucking dived. Shitting on the entire team for that? Again, no surprise. And again, not blaming the referee when really, he made the decision, not the Italian team. Again, no surprise. And of course Italy getting the red card that wasn't a red card, but that was fair of course. Again, no surprise.

It's the same old story really, one that's getting more and more boring. Want to shit on anyone, shit on the referee who had a shit game. But of course you wont do that

Right.

Well.

Let's see. Italy were going down all day, as usual, no surprise. They won by diving, no surprise. You're being a prick, no surprise. We're calling you on it, no surprise. You're saying we're showing blind hate, no surprise. You're a cunt, no surprise.

I know I'm being a prick, simply for the reason that it's what you guys always do to me and would of done to me if the result had of been the other way round. Just like of Australia had of dived and got the penalty, you'd all have been loving it. Italy didn't go down all day from what I watched, not to say they didn't go down at all because they clearly did. Italy had a disadvantage for half the game because of a red card that clearly wasn't a red card and that's why in my opinion, it evens things up. And you're shitting on Italy for a decision the referee made, it wasn't them that gave the penalty. Which again is my point, a point that you guys refuse to accept or even see for that matter. If Italy went out and didn't dive once and won fairly, you'd still shit on them for it, so really they or me cant win which is why I don't let it bother me anymore.

I would have thought you'd notice your own team having a reputation of diving a hell of a lot. Maybe they didn't do it a lot this game but the penalty decision was clearly the result of a dive so everyone's now thinking 'typical diving Italians' which is fair.

As for your referee argument, we will blame the referee if he's doing something stupid like giving out red cards for time wasting or whatever. Thing is, Grosso fooled the referee. From the referee's view he can't see the Australian player's or Grosso's feet. Grosso dived and fooled the referee. From the ref's angle we understand the referee giving the penalty, but we saw it from a different angle and we saw it was a blatant dive, that's why we're having a go at the typical Italian diving and not the referee.

[therockbox]

I'd love for FIFA to turn round and tell the player who dived he's going home, and not playing again in the World Cup. They won't, but it would be fantastic.

[Steeb]

I think it's safe to say Johnny has suddenly leapt a good few places in the 'Most Hated Members' list. For those of you keeping score, he's just edged himself above the Future, but still remains a fair way below Javert.

[NobBe Nobbs]

It's a Dome thing primarily; Javert isn't well-liked over there.

[Dan]

Yeah but the dome is shit arse-end of EWB.

[fineintent]

Haha, I was told by perhaps the worst football poster on this board to stop talking shit. That's a pretty damn good comeback.

Some points:

- As Bluey said, the red card was not unfair.

- I do not hate Italy. I do not like Australia particularly, but they worked hard and were fucked over.

- The standard of refereeing in that match was far superior to most other games, bar the penalty decision, he kept order and bitching to a minimum.

[Guest Ringo Hates Divers]

Ukraine/Switzerland.

I suspect this might be boring, but I'll still keep an eye on it.

[The Quasi Juice]

It has been boring so far, the fact that McCarthy is the color commentator doesn't make the match better..

[Summers]

Ukraine/Switzerland.

I suspect this might be boring, but I'll still keep an eye on it.

I hope you haven't kept an eye on it.

My god, I'm bored half to sleep.

[9 to 5]

This has been guff, but I have a bet on the game so kinda need to follow it.