Cheers.
Posted on 06/13/2006 6:05:50 AM PDT by soccer_maniac
World Cup favorite Brazil will kick off its World Cup campaign on Tuesday as the opening round of the tournament continues in Germany. The defending champions will face Croatia at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN2) in Berlin in the second Group F match, following Australia's come-from-behind victory over Japan Monday.
The match will feature the highly-anticipated debut of FC Barcelona great Ronaldinho as he looks to lead the South Americans to a record sixth championship. But the reigning FIFA World Player of the Year is hardly the only weapon in coach Carlos Alberto Parreira's arsenal. Also at his disposal are Ronaldo, Kaka, Robinho and Roberto Carlos -- just to name a few -- who could leave the Croatian defense in for a busy day.
In the day's first match, first-time qualifiers Togo will be looking to upset 2002 semifinalists South Korea (9 a.m. ET, ESPN2). Though the Asian side does not have home field advantage as they did four years ago, the side is very experienced and boasts much talent, including 10 players returning for their second consecutive finals. The Koreans will be looking to Ahn Jung-Hwan for offense.
Togo enters the match as one of the surprise teams in the field, having secured qualification for the first time in the tiny nation's history. With many players coming from the French, Swiss and English leagues, they are a side capable of raising a few eyebrows.
Also making their 2006 World Cup debuts on Tuesday will be France and Switzerland, the neighboring nations squaring off at 12 noon ET on ESPN2. 'Les Blues' are chock full of world-class talent, including Arsenal's Thierry Henry and former FIFA World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane, who led the French to their only World Cup title on home soil eight years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at mlsnet.com ...
I have noticed how much bigger today's players are than before, does soccer ban steroids?
Zidane, Henry, Viera and you can't score a freaking goal in 1998, or against the Swiss? It makes me feel a wee bit better about our suckitude.
We truly aren't as bad as we showed. We played a stinker. It happens. I have to really credit the Czech coach. Most European coaches in the past (i.e. Portugal) didn't bother to scout us, why bother. He obviously did. He shut off our wing play, bottled us up in the middle, and let us have the majority of the ball, but with no ideas what to do with it with the flanks closed. That is why ball posession can be a useless stat. We used to be the team about 4 or 5 years ago that played the game Czech's played. Let the ball stay in the middle, and counter quickly.
Hopefully, the Italians go in way overconfident, and Beasley sits on the bench.
I'm not sure, not a soccer fan.
Uhh, they won the Cup in 98, they didn't score in 2002. But the French team is way too old. Trying to relive the glory days with players that are 8 years older.
Soccer does ban steroids. The tall players started with the Germans really in the late 80's, who started playing large center backs, it then expanded in England, and then across the world. Small players with skill of course can still compete, but most clubs have a large Forward, and large center backs for aerial play in the boxes.
One problem the French have, which wasn't exposed in this game is Barthez. There is a reason Manchester United dumped him. He can be extremely erratic.
Since your handle is Fighting Irish, I'll tell you an Irish soccer story.
In 1994 I spent six months in Hanover, Germany on business. The company I was working with had a satellite operation in Ireland. Just before the World Cup Germany hosted a friendly with Ireland in Hanover. Both teams had qualified (Germany was the defending champ), but no teams from Great Britain made it.
The match was Sunday at 6pm. A guy from Ireland was in town for a meeting and stayed the weekend for the match. Meanwhile hundreds and hundreds of Irishmen and women poured into Hanover and ended up -- as did my colleague and I -- drinking all weekend from Friday to Sunday, singing Irish songs, singing football songs, and singing Irish football songs.
Some idiot pulled out a Union Jack -- fortunately he decided to put it away before there was a fight.
Then some idiot from Denmark who drank too much and was wearing Irish colors starting abusing a German girl about the Nazis. A couple of her friends were ready to fight -- and since they were tight with the bar owners, it looked bad. I finally was able to convicne the troublemaker to leave -- pointing out that I was American, not German, and that we didn't need the trouble. (I later asked my colleague why Americans always have to break up fights among Euros).
Someone brought in a cardboard cutout of Coach Jack Charlton -- famous England football star become Ireland Coach -- and these drunken anti-English Irishmen started yelling "Jack! Jack!" and bowing down to the cutout. Never mind that he's english -- he drinks Guinness & He led Ireland to the Cup, so he's Pope of Ireland as far as they are concerned.
5pm Sunday -- head to the game, riot police around (although the crowd was peaceful, just drunk) and we took the U-bahn to Niedersachsen Stadium to watch Germany - Ireland. The Irish were all excited and ready for the game, but realistically the Germans were heavy favorites and hadn't lost at home in six years.
I went to sit with my German colleagues who had bought me a ticket, but by this time I was so drunk on Irish Kilkenny that I was pulling for the underdog Irish.
Germany 0, Ireland 2.
Oh boy! One of the biggest wins in Irish Football history! If they were partying before, how about now?
Went back to the pub, where the drunks were all drinking. They were pooped out. Not much celebration - nothing. "Pat", I asked my colleague "What's up? You beat the Germans in Germany!! Where's the Celebration?"
"We've been drinking since Sunday, we all fly home tomorrow, we're all beat."
So yes, even the Irish can get partied out.
"Come on you boys in Green, come on you boys in green, come on you boys, you boys you boys in green"
"Come on you boys in Green, come on you boys in green, come on you BOYS, you boys you boys in green"
(Sung to "Those were the days, my friend"
Like Lionel Messi? Michael Owen? Saviola? Maradona? Roberto Carlos? Plenty of pintsized world beaters. Though a whole team of them probably would come up short :-)
Slante'
Cheers.
LIVE NOW: BRAZIL-CROATIA
Go Croatia!
Ronaldinho just took a few of the Croation defenders out for a dance :-)
8-)
Here are the squads for both teams:
Brazil: Dida, Cafu, Lucio, Juan, Carlos, Ze Roberto, Emerson,
Ronaldinho, Kaka, Adriano, Ronaldo. Subs: Cicinho, Cris, Fred,
Gilberto, Julio Cesar, Juninho, Luisao, Mineiro, Ricardinho,
Robinho, Rogerio, Silva.
Croatia: Pletikosa, Simunic, Robert Kovac, Tudor, Simic, Srna,
Babic, Nico Kovac, Kranjcar, Prso, Klasnic. Subs: Balaban,
Bosnjak, Butina, Didulica, Ivan Leko, Jerko Leko, Modric, Olic,
Seric, Tokic, Tomas, Vranjes.
Go Croatia!
You guys are under bombardment at the moment :-)
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