*Official* World Cup thread (Predict the World Cup Final 4)

[Faux]

Italy ended up with a tie with the US and had to dive to beat Australia. World chumpions my [wagon].

[xvillexvalox]

Anyone hear what Stephen COlbert had to say about the world cup? "USA USA!!!" Oddly enough, technically the US was the only team that didn't lose to the Italians, tied 1-1, an italian scored a goal on his own team that game. :lol:

[Rizla]

Thats true but here is where the plot thickens, ZIdanes Mother was taken to hospital on the morning of final according to TV today. So obviously she was in his thoughts already & Materazzi hit a sensitive subject. That doesnt excuse what he did though, its a rotten end to what was a brilliant career of one of the great footballers.

 

 

 

Edit: According to BBC's Italian lip reader Materazzi said -

 

" I wish a horrible death to you and all your family"

 

 

 

I agree that doesn't excuse what he did, but if it's true it certainly makes it understandable.

 

I really think FIFA should find out what was said and take appropriate action against Materazzi. I know you get a lot of banter on the football pitch but for me that's taking it too far.

 

 

 

It's a shame we can't link to google video here, but if you go there and type in materazzi, the first video that comes up is about 5 minutes worth of him fouling the hell out of people. He's one of the dirtiest players i've seen in the game, and it wouldn't surprise me if the rumours about what he said to Zidane are true.

[Bubsa]

That's cause the Italian dove.

 

 

 

Italy ended up with a tie with the US and had to dive to beat Australia. World chumpions my wagon.

 

 

 

For God's sake, put a sock in it, you broken record. Why do the clouds hang over you so?

[cadburys_egg]

Maplestory fans:

 

 

 

 

Normal People:

 

 

 

 

Aaah, the world cup.

[Ianbur]

Italy ended up with a tie with the US and had to dive to beat Australia. World chumpions my wagon.

 

 

 

What the hell? They only drew with the US due to a crazy own goal. Yeah, the Italian player might have dived to win the pen against Australia, but Italy were in complete control all game, even with ten men, and deserved to win.

 

 

 

Then they brushed aside Ukraine, and could have scored four against Germany. The final was an even game, don't forget Toni hit the bar and was perhaps unlucky with a marginal offside. I think they are worthy World Champions. Who else would you say played better overall in the tourney? You'll probably nominate Australia, which againt will further prove you know absolutely nothing.

[Faux]

No, I'm saying other teams have played better than Italy.

 

 

 

Good job putting words in my mouth too, where did I in this thread ever even say that Australia should be in the finals

 

 

 

 

For God's sake, put a sock in it, you broken record. Why do the clouds hang over you so?

 

 

 

Ooh yeah, because I was being serious with the dicing comment.

[Ianbur]

No, I'm saying other teams have played better than Italy.

 

 

 

Good job putting words in my mouth too, where did I in this thread ever even say that Australia should be in the finals

 

 

 

What teams?

 

 

 

And im pretty sure you were completely bias towards the Australia football team, but maybe i'm getting mixed up...

[Faux]

When did I ever root for Australia?

[Ianbur]

When did I ever root for Australia?

 

 

 

Like I said, perhaps I got you mixed up with someone else. My mistake. But, you still havent answered my question and probably will continue to dodge it in the forseeable future.

[Arcticrunite]

MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Marco Materazzi acknowledged he insulted Zinedine Zidane before the French captain head-butted him in the World Cup final, but repeated his denial that he called Zidane a "terrorist."

 

 

 

"I did insult him, it's true," Materazzi said in Tuesday's Gazzetta dello Sport. "But I categorically did not call him a terrorist. I'm not cultured and I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is."

 

 

 

A Paris-based anti-racism group issued a statement Monday saying Materazzi had called Zidane, whose parents emigrated to France from Algeria, a "dirty terrorist."

 

 

 

Zidane and Materazzi exchanged words in extra-time of Sunday's final in Berlin. Seconds later, Zidane lowered his head and rammed Materazzi in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Zidane was ejected from the match.

 

 

 

"I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned round and spoke to me, sneering," the Italian defender told the newspaper. "He looked me up and down, arrogantly and said: 'If you really want my shirt, I'll give it to you afterwards."'

 

 

 

The 32-year-old Inter Milan player did not elaborate on exactly what he said to Zidane.

 

 

 

"It was one of those insults you're told tens of times and that always fly around the pitch," he said.

 

 

 

Also Tuesday, Algeria's president defended Zidane and said soccer fans shouldn't condemn the French star.

 

 

 

"We are just human beings, our duty is not to judge, our duty is to understand," Abdelaziz Bouteflika said in London after meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh gee that's nice.

[Faux]

When did I ever root for Australia?

 

 

 

Like I said, perhaps I got you mixed up with someone else. My mistake. But, you still havent answered my question and probably will continue to dodge it in the forseeable future.

 

 

 

France, Spain, Brazil, Argentina.

 

 

 

If Zidane and Henry stayed for the PSO, France would've won and Italy knows they were lucky to have Zidane redcarded.

 

 

 

Racism claims force Fifa and Italians on to the defensive

 

 

 

By : David Bond, 11/07/2006

 

 

 

Claims emerging from France last night suggested that insults about his sick mother caused Zinedine Zidane to lose control and butt Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final.

 

 

 

The Italian defender denied racially abusing Zidane, the son of Algerian immigrants, who was sent off for his violent assault.

 

 

 

It was reported, however, that Materazzi had cruelly insulted the French captain's mother, who it is understood had been taken ill on the morning of the final. There is no suggestion that Materazzi was aware of this at the time.

 

 

 

During the World Cup Zidane gave interviews to the French television channel, Canal Plus, in which he spoke of his affection for his mother.

 

 

 

In fact it became something of a joke between the player and former French stars such as Bixente Lizarazu, who was working as a pundit for the broadcaster during the finals.

 

 

 

Sources in France say that Zidane is extremely protective of his family and if Materazzi had directed a jibe at his mother it could have been the spark which caused the 1998 World Cup winner to snap.

 

 

 

On a day when Italy's players should have been revelling in celebrations to mark their triumphant return to Rome, they instead found themselves under a dark cloud as the world searched for answers to the mystery of why Zidane lost his cool.

 

 

 

The 34-year-old Real Madrid midfielder, playing the last match of his distinguished career, was sent off in shame in the 110th minute of Sunday's final after ramming Materazzi in the chest with his head.

 

 

 

Despite his disgraceful exit, Zidane was still being hailed as a hero on the streets of Paris yesterday as French president Jacques Chirac hosted a reception for the country's players following their heartbreaking defeat on penalties by Italy.

 

 

 

Earlier theories that Zidane was provoked by a racist insult from Materazzi were being dismissed last night after the Inter Milan player denied the accusation.

 

 

 

"It is absolutely not true," he was quoted as saying by an Italian news agency. "I did not call him a terrorist. I'm ignorant. I don't even know what the word means. The whole world saw what happened on live TV."

 

 

 

Earlier in the day the Paris-based anti-racism group, SOS Racisme, released a statement claiming they had been told by well informed sources that Materazzi had called Zidane a "dirty terrorist".

 

 

 

"It's for this reason that SOS Racisme asks in a determined fashion for Fifa to shed light on this altercation and that sanctions laid out in the official rules be applied, should this be the case."

 

 

 

In England the anti-racism group, Kick It Out, released a statement calling for the French Federation to make a formal complaint to Fifa.

 

 

 

"If this allegation is proven to be true then Materazzi should face severe sanctions for such a vicious and hateful comment," a spokesman said. "Fifa and ourselves, as part of the Football Against Racism in Europe network, have worked hard to ensure that the platform of the World Cup was used to promote a message against this type of behaviour.

 

 

 

"We would urge the French Federation to make a formal complaint if this allegation is true, as, by ignoring it, they would be accepting it as being part of the game.''

 

 

 

Zidane maintained a dignified silence on the row yesterday although his agent, Alain Migliaccio, hinted that he may reveal all in the next few days.

 

 

 

He confirmed, however, that it was something Materazzi said rather than any physical provocation.

 

 

 

''He was very sad for everything that happened, but this is life," Migliaccio said. "He is a human being not a god. "I know Zizou [Zidane] well and even though he hasn't told me exactly what Materazzi said, I know that he was provoked.

 

 

 

Materazzi said something very grave to him, I don't know what it was. I know Zizou well and he will not reveal what Materazzi said, but he will in one or two days' time explain why he had such a reaction.

 

 

 

"When he is calmer, he will speak. When I saw him at 2am he was very sad; he didn't want to end his career like this. He is a person that doesn't say much but bottles it up and then one day explodes."

 

 

 

For his part, Materazzi's agent, Claudio Vigorelli, leapt to his defence, saying: "I've known Marco for a long time and I don't think he is capable of provoking a player, he is a good boy."

 

 

 

It will have provided little consolation to Zidane, as he reflected on the ignominious end to his career, to learn that he had been voted player of the tournament.

 

 

 

Despite the embarrassment to Fifa, international journalists awarded him the Golden Ball, but voting forms had to be submitted by midnight on Sunday, meaning many reporters filled them out before the butt.

 

 

 

The mystery over the role played by television in Zidane's dismissal also grew yesterday with Fifa strongly denying suggestions that the fourth official, Luis Medina Cantalejo, had seen a TV replay before alerting the referee, Horacio Elizondo.

 

 

 

Elizondo and his linesmen had clearly missed Zidane's attack on Materazzi, but after a lengthy delay the Argentine consulted Cantalejo before showing the Frenchman the red card.

 

 

 

Fifa said Cantalejo, a Spanish referee, would not have had access to TV replays, although there is a monitor on the officials' bench where the fifth official, in this case another Spaniard, Victoriano Giraldez Carrasco, was sitting.

 

 

 

The purpose of the monitor is to allow the fifth official to double check substitutions, bookings and red cards with Fifa media officers before the details are released.

 

 

 

Fifa insist the monitor is not used to check refereeing decisions but the delay between Zidane's attack and the red card has led to suspicions that this was the first time TV evidence was used to help a referee.

 

 

 

But Fifa spokesman Andreas Herren said: "The fourth referee saw the incident with his own eyes and told the referee and the assistant referee directly though their headsets.

 

 

 

And here is a video that shows Materazzi's integrity

 

 

 

Way to go Italy.

[How2PK]

Who knows if they would have won then? For as far I could see Italy had an excellent penalty shoot-out. Maybe Henry or Zidane would've shot instead of Trezeguet, but then it would still be 5-5 in penalties...And Brazil better than Italy? If one team proved that were overrated it was Brazil. France isn't better and Spain doesn't even get close to Italy. Argentina, better? More like equel, if Italy isn't better. But go ahead; dig yourself in deeper. ;)

 

 

 

And, what are you trying to prove with that video? That Materazzi is a 'dirty' player. Well, he isn't the first and he certainly won't be the last. Just get over it, ShadowFax. Italy was the beast team of the tournament and they won.

 

 

 

Zidane proved earlier that he isn't capable of controling his anger, and that is his own fault and his own lack of character. Don't blame it on Materazzi, blame it on Zidane.

[Faux]

A team the resolves to racism and insults to win a World Cup is far from being the best. Maybe that's how you see it in Netherlands, but not in my eyes. Even FIFA has been fighting strongly against racism and if a player was a victim of it in the field, during the most important game of the competition, and yet, the offender come out with a Cup? Give me a break.

[Bubsa]

Oh come on. There's not one football game when slanging and insults aren't thrown about.

 

Materazzi didn't use a racist slur, didn't call him a terrorist, didn't mention his mother (he did, indirectly, when referring to his family).

 

 

 

It's just words, words that Zidane, as the best player in the world, would have heard before to put him off. It's no more malicious than what's said during other, less important football matches.

[How2PK]

A team the resolves to racism and insults to win a World Cup is far from being the best. Maybe that's how you see it in Netherlands, but not in my eyes. Even FIFA has been fighting strongly against racism and if a player was a victim of it in the field, during the most important game of the competition, and yet, the offender come out with a Cup? Give me a break.

 

 

 

Don't blind other people by twisting the truth and getting all melodramatic.

[Faux]

You're telling me how to talk now? Wow.

[apinagez]

I'm not sure if this has been posted before, I have gotten away from this thread since Brazil lost.

 

In my opinion, it's understood that in a football game there will be racism and "teasers" between players. Some teams even use that as a tactic.

 

Football has those things, it's not golf or tennis, it's a contact sport.

[How2PK]

Great, isn't it? But if you actually read (Yea, I'm telling you how to read now) you would see that I wasn't telling you how to talk but what to say.

 

 

 

I'm offline now, got better things to do. See what you wrote tomorrow.

[Phil]

Guys it's not really worth arguing about really.

 

 

 

New season starting soon, we will have that to argue about :wink:

 

 

 

I'll leave this stickied for a wee bit longer, still seems to be active.

[RebelAssassin]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5168890.stm

 

 

 

why would he do that?

 

 

 

also, missing from point-blank range, must have been taking lessons from Frank Lampard.

[Faux]

Zidane still got the Golden Ball award and a silver medal to show up for \

[Faux]

double post, blame the server :x

[Ianbur]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5168890.stm

 

 

 

why would he do that?

 

 

 

also, missing from point-blank range, must have been taking lessons from Frank Lampard.

 

 

 

Lol! Sounds like the bullet didn't take any other lucky deflections either.

[Bubsa]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5168890.stm

 

 

 

why would he do that?

 

 

 

also, missing from point-blank range, must have been taking lessons from Frank Lampard.

 

 

 

Lol! Sounds like the bullet didn't take any other lucky deflections either.

 

 

 

Hehehe, good one you guys :D

 

Although, we shouldn't be laughing really. That's actually pretty shocking.