Posted on 06/25/2006 11:30:31 PM PDT by soccer_maniac
In two more days, only 8 teams will remain in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
TODAY'S GAMES: Italy-Australia (11:00AM EST) followed by Swiss-Ukraine (3:00 PM EST).
(Excerpt) Read more at fifaworldcup.yahoo.com ...
Only to those who know nothing about football. You are probably confusing us with the dire USA side, who made a swift exit from the competition. England changed their game about ten years ago and were able to play sweet passing football which allowed them to destroy Holland 4-1 and Germany 5-1 in major competitions.
Unfortunately, we reverted back to the typical USA-like route one when Owen and Rooney became injured and we had to rely on the giraffe Peter Crouch.
There were signs in the match against Ecuador that we were returning to the nice one touch football which we played to qualify for this competition.
I think the Ukraine is the better team, but for some reason I want Switzerland to win, and I don't really know why. I admit I havn't given it much thought.
It wasn't Australia's first World Cup.
Cry me a river. Eric Wynalda declared it flat out a PK as well.
Aussies were there in 74.
One reason is the Swiss have played very well in all their matches and have not surrendered a goal.
The other more important reason is the depth is low for Ukraine's defense and they have four of them out due to stupid ref yellow cards and injury.
That makes the Swiss favorites. Only an offensive service of consistent quality can do it for Ukraine. And the Swiss have looked really sharp to this point.
Another reason why I wish Sweden hadn't been knocked out.
Ukraine are a technically superior side and should scrape through against this rather ordinary Swiss team.
I watched Ukraine a bit in qualifying as they were in Denmark's group.
They easily won that group in front of Turkey (who incidently was knocked out by Switzerland in the playoff game) and Denmark. They seemed really solid.
May the team better at falling down and rolling around on the ground win.
Hope you are right. There's an uneveness in the quality of the technical play of Ukraine and all the forced changes in the defense is tough in an elimination.
Hoping you still prove out here.
I'm sad Korea is gone, no more "Korea Fight Girl." :(
Yeah, do you have that picture? I must 'reacquaint' myself with it.
Ukraine hit the bar! Sheva looks dangerous.
I wonder if he will be as big of a hit in the premiership as his mate Rebrov :-)
Accusing the USA side of Route One Football is inaccurate; we weren't that organized.
Nobody on this thread has been half as critical of the England side as the English Press. Frankly, the fact that England has won all of their matches while still playing below their capabilities is a hopeful sign, as it means there can be improvement. But improvement there must be; otherwise Scolari will beat you again.
Rooney did extremely well IMHO in the second half after his long layoff from injury. The "ARDs" need to help him and maybe put one in the net from his service.
But crediting Route One to the USA? C'mon, mate, that term was used in England LONG before the USA's return to the Cup in 1990 (though, admittedly, after the 1950 World Cup -- but maybe we shouldn't talk about that Cup, eh?)
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