Italy are favourite to win.

No surprise there, they're younger and faster then France, but France has the more experience. It's hard to say who'll win, it'll be a good game and I get atleast $275 in my pocket either way, so YAY!!!

Hopefully it doesnt end with a penalty shoot-out, that would be the worse. I hate that.

Unfortunately it'll be a dull final. As 90% of the k.o. games have been boring...

If Italy plays the style they played against Germany, it won't be boring.

I'm not be patronising, honestly. And as i have said before, i don't watch football, you are right, but i hate the fact that games can be decided on acting instead of the athletics.

Well, most sports are decided by who can dope the best instead of the athletics...

well, the french did acted more yesterday....always crying on the floor like someone just pulled a lung on the player...jeez.....

I thought it was a pretty clean match from both sides bar the odd dive, the referee was good as well since he wasn't really noticed.

Yes. Or by a judge assigning a 5.8 instead of a 5.9.

Each sport has its fallability, and also its strengths. Except for shuffle board. I'm not sure how bias is built into that one.

Thats why its nice to remember...its just sports.

This has to be a joke, yes?

i don't think the ref was as good as the other semi final, but he was ok.

clean, yeah.

dives... a plenty. ruins the game.

i was wondering that...

Of the 90 minutes Christiano Ronalso was lying for 30 in the french penalty box crying to the ref. That he didn't even get a yellow for his disgusting display is a shame - and that also answers my viewpoint on the referee of the game

I have to admit that I really got into the WC this year. It does help that my wife and her family are Portuguese and many of my friends are Italian, so i can route for the porck chops and cheer against the Italians. But from a casual observer, the diving ruins the credibility of the game. These guys are supreme athletes...even the refs are excellent athletes. But in a game like golf, integrity is bestowed upon you, you have to be honest. I remember when Jeff Maggert had a share of the lead at the Masters in 03. He chipped out of a sandtrap and the ball grazed his arm. He immediately went to the officials and told them what happened. He lost the lead on that play, but he was honest. Fottball, you are taught to drop like you were shot every time you get touched. Where's the sportsmanship in that? Where is the integrity? It's a joke. And that is why i can never take the game seriously. You shouldn't have to go to Stella Adler's school of method acting to win a football match, but they do, and that is what taints so many of the wins.

I'd guess the reason for the lack of yellows was the ref was instructed not to rule anyone out of the final unless it was a dangerous tackle. Same in the Germany Italy game where there were very few cards.

What to say about last night`s game...

I`m ashamed of Portugal.

First of all , i blame Pauleta for the defeat.
The man cant score a goal.In the 2004 Euro cup he didn`t score a single goal.
Now , he scores one goal in the hole World cup.
Why is he on the team???
Still , in 2004 , Portugal made it to the final and now to the semi-final , witch proves that Portugal has a great team but lacks a striker like Henry.
I mean , at some point in the game , the coach was forced to take Pauleta out and put Ronaldo as a striker...Ronaldo is a midfield attacker!!!.witch proves my point that we have no good strikers.

Second of all , the penalty.
Legit!!!
Carvalho caused the penalty , no doubt.
Henry felt the foul , and he wanted to make it more evident , so as he was going down he made it a little theatrical.
But truth be said...it was a foul...and a legit penalty.
And here is why i`m ashamed of Portugal...the way they reacted to the goal.
First , the Ronaldo "i believe i can fly" stunt in the goalkeepers area...what a bad actor!!!
No foul there.
But the worst part was that all the suden it`s like all the portuguese players believed they could fly.
This wasn`t a team who faught for the goal...they just went for the fake penalty.
The truth is , France proved their supremacy , and we knew we couldn`t beat them honorably so...
Shame on you Portugal!!!

Congratulations to France for a very deserved victory and i hope you win the World Cup.

i agree. last night, they didn't do themselves proud. which is a shame for the fans.

I second that. Good fair analysis Ciber.

And I remember when Robbie Fowler fell in penalty box, ref called a penalty, and Robbie tried to tell him that he wasn't fouled, he fell on accident, not because of foul. Ref didn't listed, and penalty stood. Robbie then missed it on purpose, but other player run to deflection and scored.

Also remember when Arsenal played in cup vs one club (not sure now which one). They had an injured player, and thrown the ball out of bounds on purpose, so he could be helped. Now Arsenal didn't return the ball, rather Kanu went on, and actually scored the goal. Wenger, Arsenal menager, was pissed, and actually demanded that new game is to played. And it was.

Also remember when two teams played, and goalkeeper was injured, game went on, and action took place just before the goal of that keeper. And Paolo DiCanio, seeing that ball comes to him, really in a great position to score, didn't shoot, rather he grabbed it with arms to stop the play. Too bad he's a fascist bastard now, but that was great sportsmenship.

There are diving, yes, a problem which wasn't a problem yesterday, as ref didn't fell on, and it is disgusting, but there are also great showings of sportsmenship in football.

And lastly, golf is no sport!

It was Sheffield United. And good counter arguements Neb's

very fair written

Guys and gals, there is no counter arguement. This isn't an opinion, it's fact. Soccer is a game of diving. Soccer is game of theatrics. There is no debate. I'm right and if you guys can't see that then you might as well drink the purple colorued kool-aid now. Great games marred by a bunch of millionaire toddlers is a disgrce. Now I expect to come back after work and see this thread up to about 1200 pages telling me I'm wrong, I don't get it, I am not a true fan and that may all be true, but what is irrefutable is that soccer is the most non-sportsman sport in the world. There has to be some kind of honour in sport, and soccer has none of it.

That is irrefutable.

Well well and what is then your North American Football. Getting fat as you can and then run around like "Whoooaaaaaarrrr huaaaaaaa whattttt aaaaaa hiittttt wwhoaaarrr whuaaaawhuaaaawhauaaa uhuhuuhuh"

That has nothing to do with sportsmanship. Fat guys can still help you up when they knock you down. Soccer players kick you in the nuts when you're on the ground. Like it or not, every sport has more class than soccer.

Hmmm. What about Formula 1