Hmmmm....

My four teams to go through to the next round and that are looking in decent shape...Argentina (though I missed the 6-0 pasting they gave Serbia/Montenegro), Italy looked good against Ghana though it was only their first game. Also I reckon Holland, though there were a few dodgy defensive moments today against the Ivory Coast, and I'd have to say Brasil cos they are odds on favourite to win even though Croatia gave them a good run the other day.
The Spanish did also look really good in their 4-0 win over Ukraine, though they only got 1 goal from open play, the others were from free kicks (2) and a penalty. If they can't score goals they'll have trouble in the next round though they should go through.

Group C is the so called 'group of death' with Holland, Argentina, Ivory Coast and Serbia-Montenegro, meaning it was the most difficult of the groups to qualify from, though at the moment its Argentina and Holland definately, though we don't know who will be top. The Argentina/Holland game will be VERY interesting....

A bunch of us are going round to an American friend's house tomorrow night to watch the USA/Italy match. There will be 1 American, 2 Italians, 1 German and 3 Brits watching... Not sure who to support yet......

By the way.... I don't think England looked very good last night. Frank Lampard, Peter Crouch and Michael Owen all had chances which, if they had been playing in the premiership, they'd have scored from. SO frustrating.... And FINALLY after 89 minutes they scored. Then good old Stevie Gerrard cracked another one in for good measure. I knew there was a reason I stuck him in my fantasy team!!
Trin & Tob were great last night - most of their players play in the lower leagues over here, all the English lads play in the premiership... and there was nothing between the teams for most of match. If England keep playing like that there is NO WAY they'll win.

On the radio this morning they were comparing the press conferences of the two coaches, and Leo Beenhakker (sp) from T&T said that England were getting frustrated cos they couldn't score, and that they were too predictable in their formation and style, then Sven Goran Erikson in his interview said England were very patient and changed their style to suit the game.... I think Beenhakker was right. Listen up Sven!

Do you imagine Italy 1 - USA 1.
An auto goal of an Italian player, he must be crying.
USA played today pretty good. Congratulations to USA. That includes people all over the world who favorite the USA soccer national team.

Ghana did a great job 2-0 against Czech Republic.
Hurray for the African team.

Ok Brazil did his job and won 2-0 from the Australians. I must say the Australians played well to and see they also have a Dutch coach.
Australia is in group F. They have as I understand still a chance to classify for the second round. All depends how the other teams in this group do, exempt Brazil who already classified for round 2.

Hi Gaychurchers,

Updating: Australia, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, Ghana, Ukraine, Switzerland, Spain, Saudie Arabia, Togo, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Holland, Japan, Argentina, England, Brazil and all other countries who did cualified for the World Cup 2006 lost.

Now it is between Germany - Italy / Portugal - France.
As I have many favorites ... one of them is still in this World Cup 2006 and that is Portugal.
My friend lives there. So I'm 'solidair' with her. I have a Portuguese flag and cap she gaves me once. When the Portuguese team plays, I put the cap and the flag on.

Hi futball (soccer) lovers,

My last favorite team -Portugal- just lost against Germany.
Portugal played a nice game. Eventhough Portugal lost, I congratulate them for their effort and winning the 4th place.

Germany is now 3rd place. Congratulations to all Germans and the team, also to all who favorite the team all over the world, that includes some living here too in my country. The Germans played also a good game.

Tomorrow is the final of World Cup 2006, Italy vs France. Let the best win.
Congratulations in advance to the winners of World Cup 2006 and the 1st finalist. But overall congratulations to all for a nice World Cup 2006.
I'm satisfied to see good sport games between Nations.

Doth

Well here we are at the end of the tournament (nearly)...
Just watched the Germany Portugal game like Doth. I thought both teams played pretty well...but I have to say I'm not impressed with Mr Ronaldo. He dives better than an Olympic swimmer and no, I'm not bitter about the whole England affair and Rooney's sending off (England didn't deserve to go through after the way they played). Ronaldo should have been booked at least once for all his play acting- one time he was looking straight at the referee, trying to get a free kick.

Anyway...the final... I would like France to win. I have a friend who is a big France fan, and I want to say I"m supporting Italy to wind her up, but I just can't do it.. so it's gonna be France.
Allez le bleu!

Hi Wanderer ,

Are you referering with Ronaldo to C. Ronaldo?
If so hmmm ... I notice besides playing futball one can be good actors.
Lots of teams has good futball actors. I think teams of the Latin side -that includes Portugal and Italy- use lots of body expresions as well as emotions.
So besides being a energetic player and good with the ball, C.Ronaldo is a great actor . And that is all in the game, the fanatics/ supporters knows that, the players, the referrees ... etc.

Eventhough nor Italy or France are my favorites, today Sunday 9th for the final, I'm for Italy, but maybe I have to choose for France for my granddad was of French nationality. So what a dilema. Viva la France - Viva Italia.

Besides what do you think of the game between Holland vs Portugal?
Me being Dutch wanting both to win and seeing them played a hard game, but I did enjoyed it. My people here on the Island, who where for the Dutch couldn't. But that is all in the game.

A warm Caribbean greetings to you from me Doth

I didn't like the Italian way of playing AT ALL. ( Of course not since they won againstGermany LOL) ....but seriously, as you say Doth, good actors or may be not so good as we all noticed and a lot of body actions.....unfortunately they DID play a good game against Germany, I admit they were the better team then. But the games before were not really good. I absolutely want the French to win. Since I have also studied French and talk it fluently and have spent a few months and many vacations in France and have a lot of friends there, they are a lot closer to me as the Italiens ( although we have many Italians here in town also and we have spent many vacations in Italy as well) We are about 20 mins from the french border here, and we are going to watch the game at a VERY GOOD and VERY EXPENSIVE french restaurant,outside in the beautiful old yard.....like we did 8 years ago when they were World Champion already. Gerard, the owner, who is French, told me last night he would rather not that they win, because it will cost him a fortune again, because he promised Champagne for everybody, like last time....well the Champagne is cold already and I hope I get to drink some......ALLEZ LES BLEU and VIVE LA FRANCE!!!!

Germany is very proud of their team and of the spirit they spread. Nobody had believed that they get that far as they are a very young and unexperienced team ( I think the youngest in the whole Championship). This event has created a new national pride here in Germany that noone knew before. Over here we were not used to sing the National Hymn or to show any National Pride, this was seen as racist, kind of, since we still deal with our past somehow and you would never see people waving a German flag. Now we had flags all over Germany, on cars, windows, people wrapped in them and it did feel ok.....People from all over the world loved it here because it was a big fest ALL OVER GERMANY, party everywhere.....and still is.....and somehow it is good the German team didn't make it because Germany would have gone totally crazy.....

Julez, I would love to had been in Germany to watch and experience all the futball emotions and World Cup 2006 feast.
I think it is a celebration of the nations in Germany.
Great that you could experience all that.

Oops some minutes ago in the 1st 5 minutes France made a goal by Zidane due a penalty.

Waw Italy just made a goal in the 19 minutes of the 1st part.

The game is again equal and hot. What a game.

Greetings

The World Cup 2006 is over.

Italy just won by penalty's. (5 - 4).
Both France and Italy played a good game, but only one could be a winner.
As the game was for France 1 - Italy 1, I think both are winners.
So discork also the champagnes for France. Salute to Italy and to France.

Now up to World Cup 2010 that will be held in South-Africa.

Greetings to you all here from the Caribbean.

And what a way to end the World Cup...
Zinedine Zidane.. what was he doing?????? Headbutting the other guy like that - not good and NOT the way to be remembered when you retire frm the game...

Julez - I was sad that Germany didn't get to the final (that's why I didn't want Italy to win!) We've been secret Germany supporters in our house and watched a couple of their games with some German friends - the Argentina game that went to penalties was very stressfull!

Doth - I was referring to Christiano Ronaldo.. he's a good actor like you say. He is also NOT liked here in England at the moment, and I don't know if he's going to come back here to play for Manchester United next season, but he won't be very popular if he does.

I didn't see the Holland/Germany game - was that the one where loads of players were sent off and things got rather bad tempered?