World Cup 2006 in Germany

[Fökai 0]

I'm really disappointed by that, Zidane is supposed to be a very classy player and then he loses his cool and headbutts someone. That's a real shame.

 

I take it you don't follow soccer too closely, or know that Zidane has a history of being egged on by dirty players. With Italy across the field, this was bound to happen.

[Red Baron 0]

True,

 

and MMOM, that was an offside. You can tell easily on the replay that two Italian players went offside.

 

Also, Zidane shouldn't have been carded because the ref did not see the call and the linesmen can not call a card or penelty on the pitch

[Insane Bump Machine 0]

Also, Zidane shouldn't have been carded because the ref did not see the call and the linesmen can not call a card or penelty on the pitch

 

the linesmen can tell the ref what happened and then he can card the player even if he didn't see it himself, happens quite often actually.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

True,

 

and MMOM, that was an offside. You can tell easily on the replay that two Italian players went offside.

 

Also, Zidane shouldn't have been carded because the ref did not see the call and the linesmen can not call a card or penelty on the pitch

There was a replay shown on the American broadcast toward the end of the game that made me question the offside, and I was confsed when the announcers were saying that the headbutt shouldn't have been played on the Jumbotrons in the arena. If something happens that's illegal, why shouldn't they call it, if they notice it on the screen? I understand when you're not on neutral ground there could be favoritism, but here there shouldn't hve been an issue. This wasn't a push or something small, this was a nasty headbutt, I'd be disappointed if he didn't get a card.

[benn 0]

Was the final a good game? It was live at like 3am here so I only caught the result on the news this morning.

[pochorenella 0]

I thought it was a pretty good game. I would've been disappointed if the ref didn't show Zidane a card, but he was spot-on for almost the entire match and this was no exception. Sad ending for Zidane, who started out being the hero of France but ended up as the villain.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

Zidane's agent said that according to Zidane Materazzi said something "very serious", but wouldn't say exactly what.

 

Some in the French media say that Materazzi told Zidane that his mom was a terrorist

[Zorin Industries 0]

The rumour is he called Zidane a dirty terrorist, but Materazzi denied it.

[Downhome 0]

I know nothing at all about those involved, but from what I've read/seen, Materazzi is far from any sort of stand up guy.

 

And, just for laughs:

 

http://www.fantasticdamage.com/content/zz/

[the max 0]

Was the final a good game? It was live at like 3am here so I only caught the result on the news this morning.

 

My girlfriend and I were thoroughly entertained and we're pretty far from being soccer enthusiasts.

[Guest]

The final was a good game, but some of the games in the tournament were much better. I liked France/Brazil much, much more.

 

I don't think Zidane is retiring, but I think he'll want to escape Europe.

[Zorin Industries 0]

It was nice to see that Buffon went to consoul Zidane after the Red Card. I thought apart from the headbutt, the game had been pretty good natured.

 

Materazzi also has an uncanny resembelance to John Turturro

[goldengreek 0]

Watching the Greek news on satellite TV, its been reported some Italian players were calling Zidan a dirty Arab, and a terrorist ( he is from Algeria) and they also pinched his nipple, or pinched his ass, something like that. He still should have kept his cool. I watched the game again with my brother-in-law. Except for the first 30 minutes, France DOMINATED that game!!

[Guest Felonies!]

Team sports shouldn't go to individual contests to win.

 

HEAR THAT, BETTMAN?

Not this shit again. You're an idiot.

[Slayer 0]

[LaParkaMarka 0]

Article on what supposedly happened

 

Summary: He grabbed Zidane's balls, called him the n-word and a terrorist, and said that Zidane's dying mom is a terrorist whore.

 

Matterazi is probably a giant bastard. But Zidane still could have waited 15 mins and bludgeoned him to death with the World Cup after the game. Also, interesting behavior out of a tournament that was supposedly centered around eliminating racism.

[Fökai 0]

It's pathetic that a player, who I'm safely saying isn't a racist, had to use race-baiting to incite the reaction desired from Zidane.

[King Cucaracha 0]

It's weird, I was thinking the day before the match that people didn't use headbutts to the chest enough in wrestling and lo and behold, Zidane does that in the World Cup Final.

 

To be fair, if what's being reported is what Materrazi said, then that's pretty high on the list of things that deserve a headbutt in the chest.

 

The thing that bugs me is how the referee and his assistant made their decision. The referee definately didn't see it and he got the decision from the assistant. But, if the assistant had seen it, why didn't he flag or anything? Either the assistant caved into the Italians protests (which was supposed to be a no-no this tournament), he saw it on the big screen (and if you can get video replays on that, why not offside decisions?) or the fourth official told them what happened (and again, why can't they do that for offsides and other decisions?)

[Red Baron 0]

France shouldn't have taken Therrien Henry off the pitch though before the PK's.

 

I'll say this though, the Italian fans are the phoniest fans out there. Completly backstab the team if they don't win, but act like they are gods if they win.

[deancoles 0]

Our Media are pretty good at that, 2 years of "England have 6-7 world class players" a month of "they have no technique" and then back to world class when we've won a match.

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

France shouldn't have taken Therrien Henry off the pitch though before the PK's.

 

I'll say this though, the Italian fans are the phoniest fans out there. Completly backstab the team if they don't win, but act like they are gods if they win.

Here in New England, our love of the Red Sox ebbs and flows with the success of the team. And I just heard on the radio that Matterazi claims he did insult Zidane but didn't call him a terrorist

[CanadianChris 0]

Here in New England, our love of the Red Sox ebbs and flows with the success of the team. And I just heard on the radio that Matterazi claims he did insult Zidane but didn't call him a terrorist

Of course he's going to say that. I have very little doubt he said what was being reported earlier.

[PLAGIARISM! 0]

It's pathetic that a player, who I'm safely saying isn't a racist, had to use race-baiting to incite the reaction desired from Zidane.

 

How do you know he isn't a racist? The fascist culture of Italian football is grotesque, and as I said earlier, Mad Matta doesn't have the cleanest past.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

Looks like the World Cup was a ratings success in the U.S.

 

JULY 11, 2006 -

 

The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final telecast on ABC between Italy and France on Sunday afternoon, July 9, earned a 7.0 fast national household rating, nearly three times the 2.5 rating that ABC earned for the 2002 World Cup Final, according to Nielsen Media Research data. The three-and-a-half hour telecast averaged nearly 12 million viewers, compared to 3.9 million in 2002.

 

It was ABC's third highest-rated men's soccer game ever, and the third most viewed soccer game since the network resumed televising the World Cup in 1994. The 1994 World Cup Final in 1994 produced a 9.5 household rating and 13.6 million viewers.

 

Univision's telecast of the World Cup Final was seen by just over 5 million viewers, 75 percent more than the 2002 Final game telecast on the network.

 

Entering the Final game, ABC was averaging a 2.6 household rating through 11 games, up 117 percent from 2002, when the network aired 7 games and averaged a 1.2 household rating. ABC was also averaging 3.8 million viewers per telecast entering the final, up 125 percent from 2002.

Univision, including the fast national ratings for the finals, averaged 2.3 million viewers for all of its telecasts, up 136 percent over 2002.

[Zetterberg is God 0]

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- Juergen Klinsmann, who coached Germany to a third-place finish at the World Cup last week, is stepping down, the co-president of the German soccer federation said early Wednesday.

 

"I regret his decision, but we have to accept it," Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder said.

 

The mass-circulation Bild newspaper and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung first reported in their Wednesday editions that Klinsmann wouldn't extend his contract that ended with the World Cup.

 

Klinsmann called German soccer federation (DFB) co-president Theo Zwanziger and national team manager Oliver Bierhoff to tell them that he would not be staying in the job, the papers reported.

 

DFB spokesman Harald Stenger confirmed that Klinsmann had called Zwanziger and Bierhoff but would not disclose the details of the conversation.

 

The two newspapers said Klinsmann's assistant Joachim Loew was the likely successor.

 

Klinsmann's rejuvenated team went beyond expectations by finishing third, after losing to eventual champion Italy 2-0 in the semifinals.

 

Klinsmann, 41, had no previous coaching experience when he took over an ailing German squad two years ago.

 

After Germany beat Portugal 3-1 to take third place, Klinsmann said he would think about his future over the next few days and consult with his California-based family.

I wouldn't be suprised if the US fired Bruce Arena and hired Klinsmann. I don't see any other reason why Klinsmann would quit, especially after a third place finish in his first World Cup run as Germany's coach.

[Guest]

I want Klinsmann, but I worry that when he comes, even greater expectations come. Hopefully we won't be seeing US vs Jamaica in a friendly on a Sunday afternoon in early 2010. Man, I hate when the US plays CONCACAF teams in friendlies.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

Hopefully we won't be seeing US vs Jamaica in a friendly on a Sunday afternoon in early 2010. Man, I hate when the US plays CONCACAF teams in friendlies.

 

couldn't agree more

 

It just piss me off that The US stayed home and played Morocco, Venezuela and Latvia, while Mexico went to Europe and played France and Netherlands.

 

The US knew they were in the toughest group and did nothing to prepare for it.

[Guest]

It just piss me off that The US stayed home and played Morocco, Venezuela and Latvia, while Mexico went to Europe and played France and Netherlands.

And when the US DOES go to Europe, they take a C squad and get their shit torn apart by Germany and luck into a win against Poland with a better team. I want the US to schedule Ghana sometime before qualifying begins, when whoever is coaching has his system put in. There's no way that match would be in Africa, unfortunately. I also hate that we won't be partaking in Copa America.

 

About the ratings news, I hope that this finally means that America has been sucked into watching soccer. Maybe not, but I can hope.

[King Cucaracha 0]

I also hate that we won't be partaking in Copa America.

 

What's the reasoning behind the U.S not entering?

[deancoles 0]

http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/statistics/ind...rticleid=118178

 

Fifa's first World Ranking under their new system, looks like the African teams will benefit the most from it.