Let the flags fly at half mast: England out of the World Cup
"Let the flags fly at half mast
Let this darkened hour drift past"
? Thin Lizzy, 'Slow Blues'
<img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> So near and yet so far. I think in sport you always hope for the unexpected, for the triumph of the unfancied and the underdog. And yes, you might get the occasional upset, but it has a way of reverting boringly to type at the end of the day. So just when the country thought England had a real chance after a string of victories, the team crashes out again and 1966 (the only time we've won the cup so far) recedes four years further into the past. Meanwhile Brazil will go on to win for the fifth time and the world will yawn at the sheer predictability of it all.
Ah well. It was fun while it lasted
[ 06-21-2002: Message edited by: The Blue Meanie ]</p>
Let this darkened hour drift past"
? Thin Lizzy, 'Slow Blues'
<img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> So near and yet so far. I think in sport you always hope for the unexpected, for the triumph of the unfancied and the underdog. And yes, you might get the occasional upset, but it has a way of reverting boringly to type at the end of the day. So just when the country thought England had a real chance after a string of victories, the team crashes out again and 1966 (the only time we've won the cup so far) recedes four years further into the past. Meanwhile Brazil will go on to win for the fifth time and the world will yawn at the sheer predictability of it all.
Ah well. It was fun while it lasted
[ 06-21-2002: Message edited by: The Blue Meanie ]</p>
Comments
But wow, the USA vs Germany match was very, very good and very, very close. I'd even say the USA team bested the Germans over-all. They had at least a half dozen good shots on goal to Germany's two or three shots.
What goes around comes around though and that handball by O'Brien against Mexico came back in the same form but with the roles reversed.
I'm quite satisfied after watching the game. There was just no stopping that Ballack header, and Sanneh's own headers just missed by inches!
Sanneh played an awesome game too, so did Hejduk and McBride.
[ 06-21-2002: Message edited by: Eugene ]</p>
If I was paid £20000 a week, Id sure run like hell for 90 minutes in any heat until I dropped. Look at the way the USA chased the game when loosing to Germany, and Ireland when loosing to Spain. Look at the way S.Korea are playing. All these underdog teams at least have a passion and a desire for the win. Our boys, dont really seem to care, because they're so arrogant.
<strong>
If I was paid £20000 a week, Id sure run like hell for 90 minutes in any heat until I dropped. Look at the way the USA chased the game when loosing to Germany, and Ireland when loosing to Spain. Look at the way S.Korea are playing. All these underdog teams at least have a passion and a desire for the win. Our boys, dont really seem to care, because they're so arrogant.</strong><hr></blockquote>
They (many European teams) are very arrogant. They always think they are winners and others are losers. Now they deserve to lose.
Are you sure you don't just mean Europeans?
"I kid! I kid!" - Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
They even said stuff before the game like :
"We may not have players that are individually as skilled as the Brazilians but our team-play and discipline will help us win... blah blah blah"
Typical stuff every Brazil opponent says. The English strategy was simple: "Let's just play defense with 10 people and if they make a mistake we can capitalize on it with Owen". And it worked too, until Ronaldinho did that amazing step-over sprint and Rivaldo hammered it home.
Even when they were one man down, Brazil were the only side that were making fancy footwork and exciting moves.
England plays a clumsy soccer. They've been doing the same thing forever: Kick the ball long and high into the penalty area and maybe someone can catch a header or a loose ball in the chaos. They depend on their opponents to make mistakes instead of being creative themselves like the South Americans.
That's why Brazil is going for their fifth, with possibly their 3rd final in the last 3 world cups, and boring teams like England, Sweden and Denmark have packed their bags and flown home.
<strong>well' they played like **** again, so Im glad. Perhaps the only countries they can be bothered to play well against are countries we've been to war with.
If I was paid £20000 a week, Id sure run like hell for 90 minutes in any heat until I dropped. Look at the way the USA chased the game when loosing to Germany, and Ireland when loosing to Spain. Look at the way S.Korea are playing. All these underdog teams at least have a passion and a desire for the win. Our boys, dont really seem to care, because they're so arrogant.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I think that's it. The England team had the talent but not the attitude, that killer instinct you need to get to the very top. Maybe that has got a lot to do with excessive celebrity and stratospheric salaries. Brazil just cared that vital bit more about winning.
<strong>The Brazil vs England game was a stinker especially after Brazil got its second goal. I couldn't believe how ineffective they were against Brazil's team minus one key player.
But wow, the USA vs Germany match was very, very good and very, very close. I'd even say the USA team bested the Germans over-all. They had at least a half dozen good shots on goal to Germany's two or three shots.
What goes around comes around though and that handball by O'Brien against Mexico came back in the same form but with the roles reversed.
I'm quite satisfied after watching the game. There was just no stopping that Ballack header, and Sanneh's own headers just missed by inches!
Sanneh played an awesome game too, so did Hejduk and McBride.
[ 06-21-2002: Message edited by: Eugene ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
Consistency is not a strong point with the current England squad. They can play superbly one game and direly the next ? as was, sadly, the case today.
<strong>European teams?
Are you sure you don't just mean Europeans?
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Meow!
<strong>You guys are forgetting that England were the underdogs in this one.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
That's what I meant!
I think you have hit the mark when you talk about the arrogance of the England team, but that can also include the arrogance of a lot of their supporters.
TV coverage via English broadcasters showed non stop "we WILL win, we WILL beat Brazil, we WILL win the world cup etc. etc. etc."
If England had won you dare not switch your TV on or read an English newspaper for at least 30 years 'cos you'd never hear the end of it!
No doubting the players talent, but at the end of the day the better team won,England were out played and out classed.
Brazil are my bet to win the cup
<strong>Brazil is perhaps one of the team who has the best chances to win the world cup.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well....thanks for that contribution, powerdoc
<strong>
Well....thanks for that contribution, powerdoc
Well it's means that it's not a shame to lose against Brasil.
<strong>
Well it's means that it's not a shame to lose against Brasil.
Well, perhaps!
The Blue Meanie has just seen news reports showing David Seaman, the ponytailed England goalkeeper, in tears. At 38 he is too old to play in the next World Cup, and in fact I think he is retiring now. He may be paid vast amounts of money but you've got to feel a little bit sorry for him.
There's been a lot of blubbing in this World Cup!
<strong>He may be paid vast amounts of money but you've got to feel a little bit sorry for him.
There's been a lot of blubbing in this World Cup!</strong><hr></blockquote>EVERYONE screws up in their jobs once in a while, even powerdoc
Main thing is, it was (great) fun whilst it lasted. Mind you, try telling that to the Argentinians or the Italians
I guess the Argentinians can now concentrate on the Falklands again... the Spanish on Gibraltar, and the Italians on ridding all their teams of South Korean players. Who says we do not live in a political world?
We live in a political world,
Love don't have any place.
We're living in times where men commit crimes
And crime don't have a face
We live in a political world,
Icicles hanging down,
Wedding bells ring and angels sing,
clouds cover up the ground.
We live in a political world,
Wisdom is thrown into jail,
It rots in a cell, is misguided as hell
Leaving no one to pick up a trail.
We live in a political world
Where mercy walks the plank,
Life is in mirrors, death disappears
Up the steps into the nearest bank.
We live in a political world
Where courage is a thing of the past
Houses are haunted, children are unwanted
The next day could be your last.
We live in a political world.
The one we can see and can feel
But there's no one to check, it's all a stacked deck,
We all know for sure that it's real.
We live in a political world
In the cities of lonesome fear,
Little by little you turn in the middle
But you're never why you're here.
We live in a political world
Under the microscope,
You can travel anywhere and hang yourself there
You always got more than enough rope.
We live in a political world
Turning and a'thrashing about,
As soon as you're awake, you're trained to take
What looks like the easy way out.
We live in a political world
Where peace is not welcome at al,
It's turned away from the door to wander some more
Or put up against the wall.
We live in apolitical world
Everything is hers or his,
Climb into the frame and shout God's name
But you're never sure what it is.
Copyright © 1989 Special Rider Music "Political World" - Bob Dylan
- T.I.
<strong>and the Italians on ridding all their teams of South Korean players.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, that was amazing, wasn't it? "Extraordinarily infantile" was the quote in one of the papers today
game. Want to see one? Oh <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002280891,00.html"; target="_blank">go on</a> then, you masochistic so-and-sos...
Apparently he of the ill-advised pony-tail was completely <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=11972309&method=full&siteid=5014 3" target="_blank">inconsolable</a> after the final whistle, breaking down in tears during a press conference and sobbing all the way through the manager's pep talk after the match. No doubt Groverat will say this makes him a limey wuss, but I don't know. At least it shows there was some genuine commitment there. It's just a shame the rest of the team couldn't show that kind of passion on the pitch instead of crashing out limply after vanquishing Argentina and dynamiting Denmark (if I can borrow a *cheesy* phrase from the sports pages...)
[ 06-23-2002: Message edited by: The Blue Meanie ]</p>
<strong>Apparently he of the ill-advised pony-tail was completely <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=11972309&method=full&siteid=5014 3" target="_blank">inconsolable</a> after the final whistle, breaking down in tears during a press conference and sobbing all the way through the manager's pep talk after the match.</strong><hr></blockquote>At least the fans at the airport managed to cheer up David by holding up a poster saying, "England has the best Seaman". I thought that was a cool/nice gesture
The greatest disaster is of course that Seaman now won't be cutting off his pony-tail, seeing that England are not becoming world champions <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
- T.I.
<strong>At least the fans at the airport managed to cheer up David by holding up a poster saying, "England has the best Seaman". I thought that was a cool/nice gesture
The greatest disaster is of course that Seaman now won't be cutting off his pony-tail, seeing that England are not becoming world champions <img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
- T.I.</strong><hr></blockquote>
TI i am impressed by your level of knowledge in Football
Just a sport as you said