World Cup time

[01d 0rd3r]

As everyone knows it is world cup time, which mean that one of the biggest sporting events in the world will be going on for the next month. So I am interested, if you watch the World Cup what country to you want to win. I have been an Italian fan since I was little, and look forward to a repeat by the Azzuri. What team is everyone else watching.

[Goldenfleece]

I'm looking forward to seeing the Azurri fall. The sooner the better. It took Materazzi trashing Zidane's female family members all game for them to win a championship game they never should have even been in after the refs shamelessly gave them a penalty in stoppage time on a blatant dive in the Round of 16 against Australia.

I know they're frontrunners, but I'd like to see Spain have a good run considering they've never even made it out of the quarterfinals. This is their time. I'll also be rooting for England and Argentina for different reasons (yes, I know they're arch-enemies), and I'll be rooting against the "Hand of Gaul" French and the antithesis of joga bonito Dunga's running in Brazil.

[01d 0rd3r]

I'm looking forward to seeing the Azurri fall. The sooner the better. It took Materazzi trashing Zidane's female family members all game for them to win a championship game they never should have even been in after the refs shamelessly gave them a penalty in stoppage time on a blatant dive in the Round of 16 against Australia.

You cant tell me that Zidane wasnt trash talking his way through the whole game, Zidane had so many shirt grabs and elbows that I lost count. The Final should not have even been in overtime after a cheap PK by france that didnt even go in the goal, banged of the cross bar and didnt pass the line. As for the Australia game, grosso was clearly fouled the defender didnt even try to go for the ball clearly a sweep of the legs. Surely there was showmanship on Grosso's part but that is what you are supposed to do in those situations. It gives your team the best chance to win, besides if Australia actually had a good team then their defenders would know you shouldnt slide in the box for the risk of a PK. Dont try to tell me Italia didnt earn their way into the finals either, the game against Germany was one of the best in world cup history, a hard fought game by both sides until Grosso and Del Piero broke the game open.

[Goldenfleece]

Meh, the Germany game was okay, but I was pretty unimpressed with what I saw of Italy in that tournament. In the group stage, Italy was the only team that the U.S. took a point off. I mean Ghana and Czech Republic beat us with ease, but Italy couldn't. As an individual who didn't have any feelings one way or the other toward Italy prior to that tournament, Italy looked like a team that consistently eked by teams that outworked them and played more entertaining football.

[01d 0rd3r]

Meh, the Germany game was okay, but I was pretty unimpressed with what I saw of Italy in that tournament. In the group stage, Italy was the only team that the U.S. took a point off. I mean Ghana and Czech Republic beat us with ease, but Italy couldn't. As an individual who didn't have any feelings one way or the other toward Italy prior to that tournament, Italy looked like a team that consistently eked by teams that outworked them and played more entertaining football.

And that game pained me to no end, Italy was obviously superior to the United States yet we score an own goal and let them come out with a draw, it was embarassing.

If you are watching an Italian game there are two things I can assure you of.
1) There will be very little, if any offense in the first half. Italian teams pride themselves on defense and very rarely will score nor allow a goal early.
2) When Italy does score a goal, there will be a total concentration on defense from that point on. Strikers will be subbed out in favor of defensive backs.

If you dont have a true appreciation for defensive soccer, Italian soccer can look extremely boring.

On a side note, I can assure you if you were a fan of either Germany or Italy during that semifinal game, you experienced on of the most tense moments in sports history. A stalemate through two overtimes and almst going to PK's. As an Italian fan I can say that it was the best game I have ever seen in any sport. Better even then when we won the world cup the next game. Nothing will ever compare.

[Goldenfleece]

Yeah, I'm just not a fan of such defensive-oriented soccer. If it were up to me, a draw would be worth zero points for both teams, so that teams would have to play to win instead of playing not to lose.