2006 WORLD CUP - Quarterfinals - GERMANY-ARGENTINA/UKRAINE-ITALY

FIFAworldcup.com ^ | 6-30-06 | FIFAworldcup.com

[soccer_maniac]

The Elite Eight!! The quarterfinal round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany gets underway Friday with a pair of highly-anticipated matches. The hosts kick things off against Argentina in Berlin (10:55 a.m. ET; ESPN). Italy will face Ukraine in the day's second game (2:55 p.m.; ESPN2).

Two of the quarterfinals are rematches of championship games: Brazil-France (1998) and Germany-Argentina (1986 and 1990).

[Eurotwit]

Me and a few friends almost got into a fight with Scottish fans during the 98 World Cup. After Norway scored, we stepped infront of the Scottish fans and started singing, "Can you hear Scottland sing"

Thankfully, some big Aussie bouncers calmed it down :-)

[Eurotwit]

hehe.

But, I want a game next sunday :-)

[wolf78]

The Argies were right to attack the Kraut cheats.

My goodness, enough is enough. True, the German team did some diving, but absolutely no more than the Argentinian side. The goal that Germany scored was a regular goal, not an undeserved penalty kick (like in the case of Italy) or a free kick (hint, hint, nudge, nudge... ). And that goalie from Arsenal was really great, too.

If you hate any team that is not English so much, that has nothing to do with fandom or sportsmanship.

If you cared about football at all, you'd want your team to prove itself against adversity, not wish they get easy opponents. And pooh-poohing other teams that have so far proven that they belong in this competition, and crying foul with no reason whatsoever reminds me more of the boy who cried wolf than of the great spirit of football. Soccer is not about winning alone, it's also about guts.

That said: I wish the English team the best of luck. They might not always play to the best of their abilities, but they have great players and might have a few surprises left in them. A match with England in it always has some entertainment value (not like that horrible Switzerland-Ukraine match).

May the best team win ... well, that would probably be Brazil and they already won the last time, so: May the second best team win ;-).

[romanesq]

That's not fair. Italy has only had half a dozen dives today.
The ref seems aware of it.

[romanesq]

I'm still trying to get the stink out from the England-Paraguay match.
Be consistent.

[Michael81Dus]

LOL! Yeah, I said during the match: WE NEED TO WIN. Not because of the team, not because of the nation, BUT SIMPLY TO TELL THE COCAIN-NOSE MARADONA A NICE "IN YOUR FACE!" :-)

YESSSSS!!!!

Sieg!!

[Michael81Dus]

I hope the France wins. Namely because I´d like to see ENG-FRA and I don´t want the dangerous Brazilians in the final. :)

[jjbrouwer]

The Wops have got the early goal so don't need to cheat. It will be a different story though if Ukraine earn an equalizer.

[relictele]

Wouldn't be the first time. Bierhoff should be called the terrier instead of Berti Vogts.

[Michael81Dus]

Thanks a lot. The beer and Jägermeister isn´t the same over there... just like Coke tastes different in the US. Come here and experience the Golden Autumn while sitting in the English Garden in Munich with a Hefeweizen. :)

[Churchillspirit]

The story goes that after England won the World Cup in 1966, the water levels dropped dramatically immediately after the game as viewers rushed either to the loo or to fill the kettle for a cuppa!

LOL.

[Michael81Dus]

Yeah, and neither Argentina nor Germany lost in a penalty shootout - UNTIL TODAY. Klose has made his first goal by head since the last world cup. And Germany won against a "Grand nation" since six years.

SIEG!!! Thanks Odonkor, Klose, Lehmann and Neuville!!!!

[romanesq]

I would continue with your analysis but I don't agree with the ethnic denigration.

[jjbrouwer]

It was exciting stuff. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

[Theoden]

I thought that was an American term, I guess not, lol. I think it's harmless, but you may get some flack for that though, as I imagine there's some people here who won't take too kindly to it being used.

[jjbrouwer]

Which denigration did you disagree with - frog, wop or kraut?

[romanesq]

Jagermeister is nasty no matter where you drink it. Only the college frat boys drink it here. And that's because they are stupid frat boys. Yuch.

Spaten on the other hand is a pleasure.

[stainlessbanner]

Argentina coach resigns after loss to Germany.

[Michael81Dus]

It was a game on the level Argentina - Netherlands. But it was really exciting for a national of one of the teams. The commentator said we may cancel our dates with the cardiology center if we survive this. The game was not a nice game, but exciting - because only one of both teams could win.

[romanesq]

Kraut I think is passable or even cheesehead. But I'm not the manners police here and subscribe to the rule of self-policing and good taste.