Let's Talk Footie - Football World Championship 2006

[Lidless]

Isn't that the game where the action sometimes gets in the way of the commercials?

[Athrabeth]

Are you ready for some FOOTBALL?!!!

Yee-haw!!






Oh wait. This thread is about soccer, isn't it? Nevermind.

How a game where the ball is essentially carried 99.9% of the time could ever be called "FOOTball" is beyond me.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Ghana beat the Czechs 2-0?

Wowsa! And the U.S. and Italy are currently tied 1-1, late in the second half. If the Americans can pull off the upset, all four teams will be tied with 3 points.

[Old_Tom_Bombadil]

Isn't that the game where the action sometimes gets in the way of the commercials?

Well, yes, but that's true of everything that's televised: baseball, football, hockey, gymnastics, sitcoms, news programs, you name it.

How a game where the ball is essentially carried 99.9% of the time could ever be called "FOOTball" is beyond me.

Yeah, and basketball is dribbled most of the time but they don't call it "dribbleball".

Wowsa! And the U.S. and Italy are currently tied 1-1, late in the second half. If the Americans can pull off the upset, all four teams will be tied with 3 points.

One of our local stations was carrying that game. Of course that station was in Spanish. ¡GOL!

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Well the U.S./Italy game ended in a tie. For the United States to reach the round of 16, it must now defeat Ghana on Tuesday and hope for an Italian victory over the Czechs at the same time. Or there would have to be an Italy-Czech tie coupled with a U.S. victory over Ghana by several goals.

It was, apparently, an ugly game with three ejections. The U.S. had appeared to go ahead at one point, but the goal was called back because of an off-sides call. U.S. goalie Kasey Keller apparently made some excellent saves to preserve the tie while the U.S. played a man down.

The U.S. has yet to score an actual goal themselves, since the goal that tied the score was an own goal by an Italian defender. Still, the result was certainly alot better then the first game, or any other World Cup game played by the U.S. in Europe, as they have lost all such previous games.

[truehobbit]

Oh wait. This thread is about soccer, isn't it? Nevermind.

No, this thread is about football. The game where the ball is kicked and dribbled (by foot) around with the aim to manoeuvre it into a guarded, closed-off space.
Not the one that's about beating the crap out of each other in order to carry some oval thing past some poles.


Although I'm not so sure the US team was aware of this difference, collecting about twice as many fouls as the Italian team.
(Though, of course, the Italian red card was amply deserved, too.)

Still - wow, and well done for keeping up so well after being one man short!
I was cheering for Italy (and not just because I was watching from an Italian restaurant - Italy is just another of my favourite countries ), but toward the end I couldn't help admiring the way the US seemed to wake up once they were playing against the odds.

Italy played a disgraceful game. The first time they didn't win against a US team, if I remember the commentator's statistics correctly.
The sum of goals in previous games Italy - US was given as 32 - 2 - so this shows how unusual this result was.
And it's not like the US scored a goal... for Italy to score an own goal and then not manage to score again when playing with one man more...

Oh, and according to yet more statistics, this was only the fourth game in World Championships that had three players sent off the field.

A guy at a neighbouring table said they might finish off the game playing table-tennis.

However, I had a great evening, watching the game at a neighbouring beer garden with pizza and wine...

And amazing how Ghana beat Czechia, who before had beaten the US 3:0 - Italy had won against Ghana, so it would have seemed that they'd be sure to win against the US...well, at least it keeps the result for this group interesting.


ETA: (sorry, got carried away by football )
Melly, I understand that! (I'd forgotten it was about seeing Dave) Such a pity still!

Nin, LOL! Hmmh, I haven't yet noticed the Swedisch players, but the guy who shot the penalty for Portugal was decidedly dishy!

So cool about you knowing the German player and getting to talk to the team!

I thought the stuff about Klose and Podolski's possible problems with playing Poland was annoying. Poor, poor guys, such a conflict of loyalties.

[Old_Tom_Bombadil]

Not the one that's about beating the crap out of each other in order to carry some oval thing past some poles.

Hobby said "crap"! ( )

Yeah, well, I'm ashamed to say it but humans far too often resort to physical violence upon one another, and the culture of the U.S. embraces that fully. If big, sweaty guys can generate a lot of revenue doing it our culture embraces it all the more.

By the way, if you're fond of sweaty guys pounding each other game #6 of the Stanley Cup Finals starts in about 1/2 hour.

(Hockey is a game imported from Canada, by the way. Canucks aren't so passive as they like everyone to think. )

And amazing how Ghana beat Czechia...

You've mentioned "Czechia" several times. Who or what the heck is Czechia? My guess is that's the country we call the Czech Republic. Is that right?

The U.S. had appeared to go ahead at one point, but the goal was called back because of an off-sides call.

I saw that goal. I couldn't understand the Spanish commentary--and I don't know soccer--but the way they were showing that U.S. player inside the box I figured that's what caused the goal to be disallowed. Bummer!

[Athrabeth]

By the way, if you're fond of sweaty guys pounding each other game #6 of the Stanley Cup Finals starts in about 1/2 hour.

GO OILERS!!!

Hockey is a game imported from Canada, by the way. Canucks aren't so passive as they like everyone to think.)

We're polite, not passive. Notice that after the sweaty guys pound on each other for sixty minutes, they all shake hands and smile their winsome, toothless grins.

At least, most of the time.

[truehobbit]

Well, if there's anything more polite you can beat out of each other, I'd be happy to learn the term, Tom!

And sorry about the Czechia thing. Here, the country is always called "Tschechien", which translates to "Czechia". I looked on the BBC website and saw they call it "Czech Republic", too, so I guess that's the official English name.

Added later: I looked on wikipedia, and it said that when the Czech Republic was founded they omitted entering a short form for their country's name into the UN register, which is why everywhere apart from Germany (which apparently asked) and the Czech Republic itself, where the short form (Tschechien/Cesko) is used, only the long form is official.

[Old_Tom_Bombadil]

Well, if there's anything more polite you can beat out of each other, I'd be happy to learn the term, Tom!

I believe the polite term would have been "stuffing" or "stuffings".

Thanks for the info on the Czechia thing. When I studied German the Czech Republic and Slovakia were still united as Czechoslavakia so I didn't know what the new German name for them was. I recall that Czechoslavakia, however, was called Die Tschechoslowakai or something along those lines.

GO 'CANES!

[Athrabeth]

Well, if there's anything more polite you can beat out of each other, I'd be happy to learn the term, Tom!

Well, the expression, "beat the snot out of each other" is a personal favourite, passed on, as it was, from my dad to his progeny, but I suppose it's hardly more "polite".

ETA: Obviously Old Tom was raised in more refined household than I.

[Old_Tom_Bombadil]

ETA: Obviously Old Tom was raised in more refined household than I.

I don't know about refined, but coarse language definitely wasn't tolerated.

I really don't mind Hobby using the word "crap", it was just unexpected.

[truehobbit]

Thanks, Tom and Ath! Ok, "stuffing" it is next time, then!
And sorry that the word was shocking - it's amazing how in a foreign language the curse words often don't seem quite so bad - probably because you only know them in a second hand way. I find "crap" a very English curse word, a bit like "bloody" - a rude word, yes, but still something that's too "classic" to be really bad to say, especially in fixed idioms like the one I used.

[Old_Tom_Bombadil]

I find "crap" a very English curse word, a bit like "bloody" - a rude word, yes, but still something that's too "classic" to be really bad to say, especially in fixed idioms like the one I used.

Yeah, you gotta look out for those fixed idioms. ( )

I believe most folks would find "crap" somewhat less coarse than the other more infamous euphemism for excrement, but "stuffing" is definitely more polite for that particular, um, fixed idiom thingy.

[Meneltarma]

Tom - The reason why that goal was disallowed is rather...complicated. It seems the other player in the box was not a passive spectator because he was standign directly in line between the striker and the goalkeeper and so became 'active', thus making it an offside. Or something.

The USA really impressed me today. I'd heard of many of the players, and I knew they were ranked highly, but I hadn't actually seen them, since very few of them play outside the USA( I was a pretty big fan of Keller when he was at Tottenham, so I was thrilled that he had such a good game) but they didn't crumble against Italy, they were willing to play good, attacking football, and I think this would have been a marvellous game if not for the referee. Three red cards, only one of which was really deserved? Ridiculous.

But I'm really excited about that group now. Every one of the teams has a good change of qualifying for the next round, and no one can be certain of qualification.

Hobby - But I'll be moving to England in a couple of years!

As for what you said about club vs country, I'd have to disagree. I realise that clubs with more money have an advantage over the others, but surely countries with a larger population and stronger economies (hence better training facilities) have an advantage over others as well? Plus, club football is played over the year, which not only causes fans to know and like the team better, but also helps the team to play as a unit, which improves the quality of play, which is nice for a detached spectator.

[Hachimitsu]

That US Italy game was something else. I think the ref was having a bad day before that game or something. (Although the elbow was an obvious red card).

Oh Hobby I don't have any links to Trinidad and Tobago (in fact they beat St.Kitts and Nevis (where my family is from) in qualifying), but West Indians have to look out for other West Indians. The odds of any Carribbean country making it to the World Cup is extremely low. (They keep mentioning how T &T is the smallest country ever to make it to the World cup. In the Carribean it's one of the bigger islands. ).

I found the commentator obviously biased to the point of insulting sometimes during the England & T&T match. But I won't bore anyone with that rant

Group E has been quite an interesting group. I hope there might be some surprises in the next stage (group of 16). The last world cup was quite interesting.

I think this World cup I have had a more personal interest as it involves a country that I actually have a tie to (I do not anticipate Canada getting to the World Cup anytime soon). Usually I just cheer for countries I like ( I have a weakness for underdogs), and I will admit I don't cheer for the US. Last World Cup I got up at 5:00AM just to watch the US lose and I was shocked that they actually knew what they were doing (Yes I admit it). At least usually I don't cheer for them but I think the way they were treated unfairly in this last match.

I wonder if the referees in general will get a talk since they seem to be giving out alot of yellow cards.

Oh and About Northa American football I have never ever been a fan. How it got the name football and football get called soccer, I don't know. (I usually don't use the word soccer).

[Impenitent]

I came to wave at Wilma . It's very nice to see you (though rare).

Australia plays Brazil tonight. Well, our time it's not really tonight, it's the wee small hours. I'll go to bed at 11 as usual and get up at 2 am, bleary- eyed, to see the match. Not sure how work will go tomorrow, but eh! It's only my deadline week, so I'll cope as usual!

We're the underdogs (but I guess you all knew that! ) and the best we can hope for, really, is a tied game. Seems unlikely but hey! they may play badly and we may play with inspiration and you never know!

(Don't you dare burst my bubble! it will burst soon enough).

[Sassafras]

Just turned on the Japan/Croatia game.

Will be interesting to see if Japan plays football with the same degree of skill they play baseball (they won the World Baseball Classic).

I'll be watching the Australia game, Imp.

And rooting for them, too.


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Personally, I thought the referee in yesterday's USA/Italy game was a disgrace. The red cards for the US team = appalling overkill.

[truehobbit]

Yeah, you gotta look out for those fixed idioms. ( )

Ok, so any idiom is fixed I suppose - can't expect me to attend to linguistic detail when I've just come home from watching a game and have had two glasses of wine!

Hobby - But I'll be moving to England in a couple of years!

Ooooh - good news!

but surely countries with a larger population and stronger economies (hence better training facilities) have an advantage over others as well? Plus, club football is played over the year, which not only causes fans to know and like the team better, but also helps the team to play as a unit, which improves the quality of play, which is nice for a detached spectator

.

Good points, Melly! Quite true about the advantage of the bigger and richer nations. I suppose it's true that the continuous playing binds the audience to a team more effectively. I just can't understand what's the big deal about, for example, Manchester being better than Liverpool or the other way round - it's just so local, it doesn't seem important to me.

Right, I'd meant to explain about the not given goal yesterday, too.
It's not because he was inside the box or because he was in line between another player and the goalkeeper - it was because he was "offside".
There's a rule that says a player cannot play the ball when at the time that it was passed from the previous player he was standing the closest to the opponent's goal, with no opponents closer to the goal than him - behind enemy lines, so to speak. That's considered an unfair advantage, I guess, your team could just have someone close to the goal all the time - so that's not allowed.


Oh, and, yes, Czechoslovakia used to be Die Tschechoslowakei.


As to the referee yesterday, all who said it was unfair - I think it was not.
Slow motion showed that the red/yellow cards were all amply deserved and nothing I've seen on either German or English comments (I checked the BBC page yesterday) said anything against it, on the contrary, the referee was commended for his expert and fair handling of an unusually violent game.

but West Indians have to look out for other West Indians

Ahh, I see - cool!

The commentators here kept repeating how most players in the T&T team played something like fourth league at home - compared to all the first league players in the teams they were playing against. They were quite amazed at how well they did.

Australia plays Brazil tonight. Well, our time it's not really tonight, it's the wee small hours. I'll go to bed at 11 as usual and get up at 2 am, bleary- eyed, to see the match.

Wow, that's enthusiasm and dedication!

I'll be cheering for Australia, too! Brazil wasn't so great in their previous game, and Australia was great, so who knows, wouldn't it be so cool if Australia beat them?

[Old_Tom_Bombadil]

Ok, so any idiom is fixed I suppose - can't expect me to attend to linguistic detail when I've just come home from watching a game and have had two glasses of wine!

I was just teasing you because you're so knowledgeable about the technical aspects of language. I had never heard the term "fixed idiom" so I was just giving you a bad time about that and playing it up like I was some kind of dummy. (Not that I am, but it's fun to pretend. )

Tom - The reason why that goal was disallowed is rather...complicated. It seems the other player in the box was not a passive spectator because he was standign directly in line between the striker and the goalkeeper and so became 'active', thus making it an offside. Or something.

On the replay it looked like the U.S. player in the box may have actually touched the ball, too, causing it to slightly change direction. This is a very common tactic in ice hockey. One player will line himself in front or just to the side of the goal, a player farther from the net will shoot the puck, the player near the goal will tip or deflect the puck to change it's path. It's a very effective goal-scoring method.

All this talk of socc, er, football reminds me...

Back in 1991 when I spent three months at Ramstein AB in Germany the nearby club team in Kaiserslautern won some sort of German League championship. Even though I was only able to watch occasional clips on TV, it was still pretty cool to be in the region of the championship team.