They german way of playing is just as the italian's, but a bit more agressive, it's boring and it's disrespectful towards the fans that are seeing them play at home.

The ref was clearly on their side, there was a penalty that everyone saw but the tv production (german I suppose) didn't show the replay. And there were a couple of fouls that didn't exist, only the ref saw them.

first of all yes that ref has always been a twat, but to say that the way germany and italy play is disrespectful towards the fans in my opinion is absolute rubbish, do you think the fans are worried about how they played if thier team goes through to the semis, or do you think the fans would have been happier if germany or italy played attractive attacking football and went out

it all depends on the team you are playing against germany couldnt afford to play all out attacking football or else argentina would have put them out, you have to adapt your style when playing agaisnt different opposition

yes it will be boring if a team plays shit football like that every match(England) but germany and italy have actually played some very good football in this world cup, with germany giving us some of the best goals, and italy were impressive against ghana and ukraine

Fucking Penkerman, what was he thinking, Riquelme off and no Messi!!! and that wast of space Julio Cruz, at least Saviola for fuck sake.

Oh well, there goes a potential €388, at least i get my 30 quid back of paddy powers coz of the penalty special.

Also lost €50 in the last hand of poker 2night even though i knew i was bet, ended up a tenner down

I'm very proud of how Argentina played. Germany waited the whole game in their field with 2 4-men-walls defending a 0-0 draw. pathetic.

then when we scored they tried to attack because how can the local team get kicked out so early?! did anyone notice beckembauer's face?

if we were 70 minutes walking around with the ball it was because they never wanted to play, we tried to attack and couldn't get through a conservative and small minded strategy to get to semifinals through penalties.

Let's be fair Eva, once Argentina went 1-0, they changed their game completely to sit back and defend

A big mistake.... 2 reasons:

1- A 1-0 lead is never enough to absorb that much pressure for 40 minutes... Argentina should have gone to kill the game off

2- It's not Argentina's style of play to play like that, it doesn't (and clearly showed it didn't) suit them

And that was Argentina's decision.

She was not going to postear, but it is necessary to be present ALWAYS, in the good ones and in the bad ones, nobility forces. I follow VERY HOT because we always were but that they, ALWAYS we wanted to gain it, until in the additional one when they did not give us but the legs and those that parecian that they venian of extend distressing were they. It was Germany, it was the premises, he is “his” World-wide one, with his people, in his stage, and Argentina we gave a soccer lesson him, I need I complete happens, stopping being so vertical and to finish the play. Separate paragraph for the Duck, I want to see where all estan now what they criticized it without stopping, Ayala, x Diosss which you played mouse! Mascherano, sos sos crack man and that that hen, Maxi, you closed the mouth to my and but of average country, Carlitos, that I can say of vos? Sos CRACK, I AM TOUCHED your delivery and your SOCCER, Roman, are obvious that all the gilada one was going to be hoping that you do not have the World-wide one of your life, and now boludeces of vos are going away to tear the clothes speaking, but to your way always you gave quotas of your magic, is certain that you need to be but constant x moments, but thus sos vos, there is tomarte or dejarte. For my you had good world-wide and you until death bank, sos my weakness, pq sos CRACK. WE DO NOT FORGET to the Slovak choto and its assistants, who did not influence in the final result but always they pumped to us subtly to call it somehow, with absurd yellows, fouls invented, off sides dudosisimos, before the doubt was everything for the premises, but estabamos prepared so that it is thus, x that is DOUBLE the merit of to have been ALWAYS MAS that Germany. Soccer is of in case unjust, not always it gains best or but the deserving one, but like diria the poet Ricardo Ashcroft, the only thing whom we have left is “Cry Til The Morning”. I am finished a dream to us, we are all with an enormous sadness but we go away Standing up, with high the affluent forehead, knowing that Argentine soccer I am in upper again. Thanks to play as we felt it, to revive the ESSENCE of which he is ours. THANKS BOYS to leave everything and to play that soccer that as much represents to us. They did it by all those that we did not arrive. A SOUL ARGENTINEAN.


Note: In Spanish because it is our language and I feel it thus.

we did have a lot of chances to score and if my memory is not failing, here you go:


- a few minutes after the goal, your lame defense wants to play it cool, crespo almost stelas it, tevez grabs it, passes it to maxi and he shoots to goal. it hits net form the outside.
-coloccini shoots from about 30 mts, goes close to the right. lennham hace vista
-coloccini from far, touches the (how do you say travesaño?) traverse is it?
-a hand inside the box, never shown by the broadcast
-maxi's fall inside the box, penalty not given and a yellow card to him if the same play was for germany it would have been penalty

and there might be a few I don't remember now.

oh dear, you call that chances? not every shot towards the goal is really dangerous ;D

no honestly:
that penalty thing with the hosting team bla bla... is always a nice conspiracy theory, isn't it? to me it wasn't a penalty. it was a little bit like the italian one against australia. he jumped, looked for a leg to get in cantact... and found one. some refs give the penalty, some don't. to me it looked like the only thing he wanted was that penalty. in england this would already be a diver.
the one that hit the bar was really good.
but it might aswell have been germany to score the 1:0 after ballacks header in 1st half.
allright, argentina had more ball possession as germany played far too nervous in the beginning. but it took a corner to score! in the first half they had not been any threat to the german goal. some small chances only occured, when germany was playing more offensive after 1:0, thats just normal.
fact is:
- argentina was not playing offensive football, i am really sick of that tale. they were playing the same football as germany: attacking very early and aggressive, with two players if possible, and try to force the other team to make mistakes.
that's how argentina played the first three games. and germany did exactly the same. maybe germany had the easier group, but on the other hand: the only really convincing result of argentina was against serbia. the others were a 2:1 against ivory coast and a 0:0 against netherlands not to forget the 2:1 after extra time against mexico. i havenn't seen that wonderful football in these games, that would have made argentina the one and only team of that tournament?!?!
their huge plus was their physical strength, great tactical concept and the ability to make very few mistakes. THAT'S what made them that strong. c'mon, maradona is gone. you're playing more like italy and germany than you think.

some statistics:
-the best 2 defenders of that tournament are: mertesacker (won 83% of his duels) and metzelder (75%);
-the best striker is: klose (5, podolski 3)
-the best scorer still in tournament:
1.figo 4, 2. klose 3; schweinsteiger 3 (riquelme had 4)

the myth of the always-lucky-always-defensive german football is rubbish. yes, we have good defenders-so what? we have great players in every part of the team.
and no: it wasn't the their best game against argentina. however, it was enough to beat them. with a little luck of course, but it also takes a slight portion of luck to hit the ball like maxi rodriguez did against mexico... what might have happened if that hadn't been in?
thats what i love about football.
the shit that happened after the game (also thorsten frings) is what i hate...

thought ballack did quite well, and he did well to play on even though he was injured and showed a lotta bottle when taking his penalty

oh come on! stop it.

halftheworld: nice review