Hey, don't abandon us Box!!!

I hope an african team will go on at least into the semis in 2010

I'd say the real problem with Portugal is not Ronaldo per se. He's just an immature kid. The real problem I at least have with Portugal is that they make diving their primary strateg far too much of the time. It's sad because the clearly have the talent to win without out. I thought the third place game (and for that matter the semi) was their Karma comeback.

As to Italy - they may not have been the best or most exciting team (the later at least was clearly Germany), but I do think they proved they are the most solid team, and in the end, perhaps even more than France, they did play as a group. I think a lot of the ill will comes from the Aussie game. It was a bad dive and the penalty utterly undeserved, but consider: the red card they got earlier in that match should have been a yellow, and even without the penalty, I am in no way convinced the Aussies "should" have won. They gave it a great effort, but they had no finishing touch, and Italy pretty much played like they knew it. Overall I can't really say they are undeserving champions.

Zidane - very dissapointing. I still think him a great player, but he will forever remain off the highest step of the pantheon now. Not because France lost, but the truly great ones know better than to get tossed from a game.

Germany - great job of hosting and their future appears bright if Klinsmann should stay. It is clear they bought into his system, and I think they can only get better.

FIFA - not so much. One of these days I'll be amazed and they will get the refereeing straightend out. Too many of these tournaments are not all they should be due to the erratic ref'ing. And this one was in a way worse, since I lay the first round card fest at their feet, rather than the refs who for once followed directives, however inconsistently they applied them. That and maybe they could get over their utter aversion to the use of technology and adequate #'s of officials.

Meh. I hate PK wins. They should play until players start dropping like flies and last man standing scores the goal.

Ok. Very scrappy. No one found their rythm. So the halves ultimately fell apart. The overtime was a complete waste. No one pulled anything together at all. Sad way for Zidane to go out, but he's big boy and should have known better.

I think in general these games had been very intepid. I didn't see massive scoring in the later rounds, and almost every single team played defensive games leading to overtime and PK wins, low scoring, and just unexciting playing. I agree with people that said there should be a return to double strikers or an aggressive midfield. Most of the games (there were some exceptions) were just not that exciting even when they were well played.

The highlights in most games were the goalies. There were some incredible saves in these games.

Well, its been uber-fun down here guys and gals. I'll see y'all again in this forum in, like, two years!

Ciao

I won't, I won't


I think what Klinsmann did to German football will last for a long time, because it has satisfied everyone! And there are plenty of young players too.


I just hope that 2010 will see great teams from England, Holland, and Germany.

England sucks....

Sadly, I was right I wish my other pick was true, though.

But that's because they haven't reached their potential!


OMG, I think South Africa should hire Germans to organize their WC Look at the stadium! Amazing.

hehe you got me wrong , they do have potential, but they tend to do flame wars everytime they lose against Portugal...wich is almost everytime lol, and that shows lack of dignity

You know, I don't think I would have been happy whichever team won. I mean, would you back up France after Zidane's actions?


Oh, and if the players or teams are given special treatment in that scandal because of the win, it will be a mockery of justice.


The only thing that would have been a worthy end to the cup would have been if Germany won, or if Argentina beat Germany, and won the cup. Those teams, we can honestly say, have been consistently good.

i would say yes to Germany...not Argentina.
Italy is a good winner, but their football is boring to say the least

Okay, here is my Starting Eleven from this World Cup:

Goal: Buffon

Defense: Lahm, Mertesacker, Cannavaro, Sagnol

Midfield: Frings, Zidane, Riquelme, Ribery

Offense: Klose, Crespo

Thus I said before the match:

Whoever wins, I lose.


Heh

The teams may get special treatment, but I don't think it would be beacuse of this if they do, it'd just be the usual Serie A summer nonsense. The players were already making arrangements to bail, they'll be fine regardless. I think its a foregone conclusion that at least Juve is going down, the only question in my mind is how far and who, if anyone, joins them.

Klose, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Frings, Lehmann, Podolski... Germany really did the best with what they had!


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mehh..shit.
What sign will that be for football??Now every team playing with 8 in the defense and 2 lying and crying on the ground??No thx.

True winner of the evening. The Berlin stadium and the crew which did the filming shoots of it.

Italia

It's a diry place anyways, with graffiti all over. Surprisingly the food sucks too. Too bad theres not really a mafia anymore, they wouldnt have any of this

Poor Zidane. He should've gotten a yellow card. Materazzi wasn't even seriously injured.

I KNOW! Isn't that the best stadium you've ever seen?


I'm so impressed by the job the Germans have done with their stadiums! Truly impressive. And that Munich one, wowwwwwwww

If that was during play in accident, yes it should've been a yellow card, but that was as intentional as it gets.

No, that was unquestionably a red card.

I'd be willing to agree that it was an orange card. But that's my last offer.

That's an offer I can't refuse.

Since Box is such a fan of the stadium, here's the picture I took back in March there:

Very nice! How was it being in there, Dr. Lecter?