OFFICIAL WORLD CUP 2006

[Bretsky]

Just got home and wanted to thank foum for telling me Italy won. I see there was an offsides penalty somewhere.

PHOOEEYY to the offsides rule.

[No Mo Moss]

A few thoughts on the game.


France received a PK early on, that was a bad call. Later in the game they were the victims of a bad no call in the box, so it evens out.
The PK shot by Zidane was brillant. HE either looks incredible or stupd for trying to lob the keeper in a PK. Major balls required on that one.

On the ejection:

I feel bad for him, but he should have kept his cool. I would love to hear what the Italian said to him. Zidane won a Cup for France in 1998 and lost one for them in 2006. I guess it evens out. He's still one of hte best players in history.

On the penalty kicks.

The analogy that PKs would be like kicking 30 yard field goals for a title is non-sense. I watch a lot of soccer and you have to remember a few things.

1. World Cup games are typically much lower scoring affairs then club teams in domestic leagues. W.C. games are like prize fights. There is so much at stake that you have to be very defensive early and late in the game. LEague games are much more free flowing because the coaches open things up a bit.

2. It requires such inventive brilliance to score against teams at this level. Unless you get a PK it is very difficult to break down defenses at this level. Two teams could play forever and never score again, that's just how it works. As the games go on and people get tired you would think the scoring would increase, however that is usually not a result of fatigue. Late goals are almost always due to moe and more players being sent on the attack. During ties teams hunker down. Its a nice notion to think you could just have two teams play until someone scores, but it just wouldn't work. That's why ties work in soccer. If you don't deserve to win, you don't. Knock-out matches however are tricky. Both teams went into that shoot-out believing they would win it. I'm sure France would have brought a lot more of an attack in OT given the end result.

Amazing cup, I can't wait until 2010.

[Fosco33]

On the penalty kicks.

The analogy that PKs would be like kicking 30 yard field goals for a title is non-sense.

I'll take your word for it but from what I saw in all of the matches that went to PKs (and there were quite a few) - roughly 2-3 in 10 shots were actually blocked. Most placekickers make about 70-85% of field goals at 30 yards (that's a 40 yarder w/ the endzone - 47 including the snap/spot).

Seems like a fair comparison IMO.

[No Mo Moss]

Field Goals are a one on nobody event. It would be a skills competition. PKs are very psychological. Ask England. Every great player has missed them too. A shot tthey can make a 100 different ways in their sleep. Its a lottery, but not a skills competition as your field goal analogy would suggest.

Also if ties were common in the NFL you would have to have some sort of tie-breaker. I'd rather have a shoot-out then have some asshole ref call a bogus 60 yard pass interference call resulting in a chip shot FG in OT. The NFL has serious issues with its OT. Its just the way it is.

[No Mo Moss]

This is really interesting.

I don't have any credible sources yet but here's what I'm hearing about the Zidane sending. Apparently Matzerratzi (sp) made a racial slur targeted at Zidanes teamate Henry, who currently heads FIFAs efforts to combat such things with a very aggressive ad campaign.

If there is something to this, I'm sure it will be a huge story. If its true I feel differently about this. You can't lose your cool, but ouch, thats a tough one to walk away from.

[Deputy Nutz]

Field Goals are a one on nobody event. It would be a skills competition. PKs are very psychological. Ask England. Every great player has missed them too. A shot tthey can make a 100 different ways in their sleep. Its a lottery, but not a skills competition as your field goal analogy would suggest.

Also if ties were common in the NFL you would have to have some sort of tie-breaker. I'd rather have a shoot-out then have some asshole ref call a bogus 60 yard pass interference call resulting in a chip shot FG in OT. The NFL has serious issues with its OT. Its just the way it is.

Your right, those 11 guys on defense coming at you to take off your leg don't mean anything.


Bottom line, I don't have a problem with the shoot out, other than the distance should probably be moved back when deciding a game after regulation and extra time.

[Noodle]

Dang, Nutz, that's a pretty good idea. A 12 yard spot kick is just a guessing game for the keeper. But if you moved it to the 18, now that could be kind of cool. It would require way more skill from the shooters, and would reward the better-skilled keepers.

I'm betting that even if they took the kicks from the center spot, that bum Barthez for France wouldn't get a hand on half of 'em.

[Tarlam!]

On the penalty question: If it's tied after 5, then 2 more from each side shoot. If it's still tied, then the first miss loses, but one attemp for both sides is compulsary.

On the Golden Goal: Penalties were the original method. The Goladen Goal, or, sudden death goal was introdueced to replace penalties, and, Gewrmany won a Euro Championship with it in England. Soon, it was deemed unsportmanlike and the Silver Goal was introduced; if a goal is scored in OT, the OT period is played out - if the goal was in the 1st OT period, no second OT period will be pülayed unless an equalizer is scored. This, too, was soon rejected so that the old penalty rule became the new penalty rule.

On Off side: The game is low scoring. Get used to applauding defense and goal tenders. Entire defsive schemes rely on off sides. Cancelling off sides in soccer is akin to prohibiting the defensive huddle in the NFL. The game is what it is. Americans don't like it. That's fine by the rest of the world - believe me.

On Zizou: What an IDIOT!

[Fosco33]

This is really interesting.

I don't have any credible sources yet but here's what I'm hearing about the Zidane sending. Apparently Matzerratzi (sp) made a racial slur targeted at Zidanes teamate Henry, who currently heads FIFAs efforts to combat such things with a very aggressive ad campaign.

If there is something to this, I'm sure it will be a huge story. If its true I feel differently about this. You can't lose your cool, but ouch, thats a tough one to walk away from.

I read on a blog that it wasn't a slur against Henry but rather against Zidane's heritage (Muslim of Algerian descent).

[BallHawk]

The NFL has serious issues with its OT. Its just the way it is.

The NFL should use the college OT system. It's fairer and more exciting.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I read on a blog that it wasn't a slur against Henry but rather against Zidane's heritage (Muslim of Algerian descent).

of course that doesn't justify what he did.

Just think how easy it would be to win sporting matches if you could get any player thrown-out by insulting their heritage.

[Fosco33]

I read on a blog that it wasn't a slur against Henry but rather against Zidane's heritage (Muslim of Algerian descent).

of course that doesn't justify what he did.

Just think how easy it would be to win sporting matches if you could get any player thrown-out by insulting their heritage.

I wasn't suggesting that his actions were warranted. Players often hear it from fans and there's a lot of trash talking in sports b/w players - this guy just lost it. Next time, he should sponsor BOTH an anti race campaign (like this year) AND an anti violence message. Sticks and stones....

[Harlan Huckleby]

that head butt had to hurt!

[Fosco33]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/soccer/specials/world_cup/2006/07/11/bc.eu.spt.soc.wcup.materazzi.zidane.ap/index.html?cnn=yes

Materazzi admits insulting Zidane
Italian defender denies calling French hero 'terrorist'

MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Marco Materazzi admits he insulted Zinedine Zidane before the France captain head-butted him in the World Cup final. Materazzi denies calling him a "terrorist."

"I did insult him, it's true," Materazzi said in Tuesday's Gazzetta dello Sport. "But I categorically did not call him a terrorist. I'm not cultured and I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is."

Zidane and Materazzi exchanged words after Italy broke up a French attack in extra-time of Sunday's final in Berlin. Seconds later, Zidane lowered his head and rammed Materazzi in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

Zidane was sent off, reducing France to 10 men. Italy won the game in a penalty shootout.

"I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned round and spoke to me, sneering," the Italian defender said. "He looked me up and down, arrogantly and said: 'If you really want my shirt, I'll give it to you afterwards."'

The 32-year-old Inter Milan player did not elaborate exactly on what he said to Zidane.

"It was one of those insults you're told tens of times and that always fly around the pitch," he said.

Media reports, based on interpretations by lip-readers, have suggested that Materazzi called Zidane a terrorist or insulted his mother or sister. Materazzi denies these claims, too.

"For me, the mother is sacred, you know that," Materazzi told the newspaper.

Materazzi is no stranger to controversy. He was suspended for two months for punching Siena defender Bruno Cirillo after a Serie A game in February 2004, and earned condemnation following a brutal tackle on Sweden and Juventus striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in October 2005.

Materazzi was also sent off three times while playing for Everton in the 1998-99 season.

One Italian senator even suggested that Materazzi -- also sent off three times while playing for Everton in the 1998-99 season -- didn't merit selection for the Italian team because of his physical style.

Zidane also is known for having a temper. He was sent off for stomping on a Saudi Arabian opponent at the 1998 World Cup, while at Germany 2006 he was banned for France's group match against Togo.

Five years ago with Juventus, Zidane head-butted an opponent in a Champions League match against Hamburger SV after being tackled from behind.

Meanwhile, Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni accused FIFA of double standards, noting that soccer's governing body named Zidane as the tournament's best player after his head-butt, while Italy forward Francesco Totti was kicked out of the 2004 European Championship for spitting in an opponent's face.

"I notice a difference in the way in which Totti was treated after the spit and the way in which Zinedine Zidane has been lauded as a champion of soccer, even though he is held responsible for such a violent blow that it could even have had devastating effects," Veltroni said.

FIFA announced Tuesday it will open a disciplinary investigation into Zidane's conduct.

FIFA also said that the ballot box for the tournament's top player -- voted by journalists -- was open until after the final had ended, making it impossible to know how many ballots were cast before the match and during it.

[No Mo Moss]

I categorically deny...blah blah blah"

You totally said this you piece of trash.