2006 WORLD CUP - Round of 16 - ITALY-AUSTRALIA/UKRAINE-SWISS

FIFAworldcup.com ^ | 6-26-06 | FIFAworldcup.com

[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).

[jjbrouwer]

He will be playing for my team Chelsea so I'm hoping for a little more than that...

[Eurotwit]

Sadly for Liverpool, I think Sheva should adapt well to the English game. If Crespo stays, the Chelsea forward line looks downright menacing.

[jjbrouwer]

I agree, as we still have Drogba and Gudjohnssen. And the midfield has been bolstered by signing Ballack to join Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Claude Makelele.

[stillonaroll]

Do you have that link to The Sun's "off tube" commentary?

[Stat-boy]

http://clients.mediaondemand.net/theSun/?Channel=1

[romanesq]

Despite all the losses on defense, Ukraine looks mcuh better.

[Eurotwit]

As of June 14th:

That said, it is still one hell of a lineup. I rated Eidur btw. Good player.

[stillonaroll]

Great, thanks! Much as I love hearing Andres Cantor on the radio, I don't know enough Spanish to know what's going on--unless there's a gooooooooooooooooaaaaaaalllll, of course.

[jjbrouwer]

Oh, I'd forgotten about that. He'll be missed.

Still, I'd rather have Crespo.

It's a great line-up. One wonders how it would do against some of the World Cup nations. Probably very well.

[romanesq]

Eric Wynalda described the future of the Aussie defender's play going down in the box.

Said he'll have nightmares about it. Said he made a mistake hitting the turf.

Then he said it's a penalty, no question.

[You Dirty Rats]

I wonder if he will be as big of a hit in the premiership as his mate Rebrov :-)

Rebrov! Eleven million pounds and about two goals!

Tottenham - Greaves, Lineker, Klinsmann -- and Rebrov. ugh!

[You Dirty Rats]

No cards for the first half of Switzerland - Ukraine. Maybe FIFA has run out!

[stillonaroll]

The football has been far more entertaining in this World Cup than in the 2002 competition.

Other than England's games, I agree.

[dfwgator]

Of course, a neutral country like Switzerland is too nice to get anything so savory as a yellow card.

[lainie]

Yellow card Suisse. whooooooomp there it is: they found one :)

[stillonaroll]

England will be marching all the way to the final, playing fairly. Italy (who aren't on the shortlist for the Fair Play award) will need to step up their cheating if they are to even win their next match.

With all the cards so far, the refs are rewarding teams that do not play a physical tackling game, and that helps England.

[jjbrouwer]

And USA's.

[stillonaroll]

I'm not neutral -- England all the way.

Hear hear!

[kabar]

The winner of the Germany Argentina match will coast into the final.

Not if Italy has anything to say about it. Don't count them out. They haven't lost in 21 straight matches.

[You Dirty Rats]

Not to mention rich beyond belief!