WC Matchday 7: [AGR x KOR] + [GRE x NGA] + [FRA x MEX]

[Pogba4Now]

Javier Hernandez is such a good striker! The way he escaped in that 1st goal from the defenders and he's always fighting!

Yeah he timed that run to near perfection. Classy goal that was.

Offside or not? What do you guys think?

 

[yoyo913]

Technically not.

The ref could have called it either way.

 

[Pogba4Now]

I had the the impression that it was offside when I first saw the replay. It was an extremely close one. JUST on the line.

 

[Num Lock]

I'm sad as must of my country sure is, but at the same time I'm hopeful because there won't be no more Domenech.

it's really weird feeling this way.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Technically not.

The ref could have called it either way.

I'm pretty sure that any part of the body can make a player offsides. Since his entire body aside from his feet appear to be past the last defender I think that's offside. Whatever though, it doesn't matter.

 

[Pogba4Now]

The 2005 edition of the Laws of the Game included a new International Football Association Board decision that stated being "nearer to an opponent's goal line" meant that "any part of his head, body or feet is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent (the last opponent typically being the goalkeeper)

You're right.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

LOL. Funny that you only mentioned the Ballon D'Or when he's also won these:

Ligue 1 Best Young Player - 1994
Ligue 1 Best Player - 1996
UEFA Champions League Best Midfielder - 1998
Ballon D'or - 1998
FIFA World Player of the Year - 1998, 2000, 2003
FIFPro World XI All-Star Team - 2005, 2006
Golden Ball - 2006

He's been **** since WC2002? He still won the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2003! He was still doing a great job until 2006 when he drove his team forwards to the WC final even though the manager was fcking Domenech!

France has drastically gone down since he left. Zidane was everything for France. They wouldn't have been able to win the WC in 1998 and EURO 2000 without him.

I thought the 2003 World Player of the Year award was a total ******* joke, the man finished 5th in the Ballon d'Or voting (which is at least somewhat biased towards the French historically), and yet he's FIFA World Player of the Year? For my money that award belongs to Henry or Nedved.

And regarding his performance at WC 2006... that has been overrated like ******* crazy. Yeah, he played well, but it's an absolute ******* joke that he was one of the best players at the tournament, much less THE BEST. I thought France got where they did because of Henry, Ribery, an awesomely stout and experienced defense (Gallas, Thuram, Sagnol, Makelele, and Viera!??!), and a good draw (Spain-not quite ready, Brazil-magic box looked like ****, and Portugal-a good team, but France won on a slightly dubious penalty... maybe there was a little contact, but Henry made a meal of it. They also missed Germany and Argentina, who--aside from Italy I suppose--were the two best teams I saw at the Tournament). Also, Zidane should have missed that penalty in the final, and then completely lost his psychotic vengeful little head (ever since I first saw him he struck me as vindictive and dirty) and got sent off.

 

[Arnau]

I agree with ShiftyPowers... Zidane last 3 seasons in madrid were a joke.

 

[Pogba4Now]

I thought the 2003 World Player of the Year award was a total ******* joke, the man finished 5th in the Ballon d'Or voting (which is at least somewhat biased towards the French historically), and yet he's FIFA World Player of the Year? For my money that award belongs to Henry or Nedved.

And regarding his performance at WC 2006... that has been overrated like ******* crazy. Yeah, he played well, but it's an absolute ******* joke that he was one of the best players at the tournament, much less THE BEST. I thought France got where they did because of Henry, Ribery, an awesomely stout and experienced defense (Gallas, Thuram, Sagnol, Makelele, and Viera!??!), and a good draw (Spain-not quite ready, Brazil-magic box looked like ****, and Portugal-a good team, but France won on a slightly dubious penalty... maybe there was a little contact, but Henry made a meal of it. They also missed Germany and Argentina, who--aside from Italy I suppose--were the two best teams I saw at the Tournament). Also, Zidane should have missed that penalty in the final, and then completely lost his psychotic vengeful little head (ever since I first saw him he struck me as vindictive and dirty) and got sent off.

I fully agree that he had some great players around him. But he gets the most praise because he was the playmaker. He was the heart of that team. The one who used to pull the strings. I don't think France would've won without Zidane. He wasn't overhyped from 1997 to 2002/2003 IMO. That was him at his best.

Yeah he was overrated in 2006, I agree. But he still played a big part in their WC even being way past his best.

 

[D1gooid]

I'm pretty sure that any part of the body can make a player offsides.

Hmm, no. Not really. His hands or arms, for example, can't.

 

[Pogba4Now]

But his knee was beyond the line. So its offside. A very close one.

 

[newbie original]

With or without that offside goal, France didn't stand a chance of scoring too many goals in this tournament.

They miss these guys:

Gourcouff the next Zidane? Ribery was supposed to be the next Zidane. Samir Nasri was supposed to be the next Zidane.

Infact, Ribery and Malouda were supposed to "carry" the French team after Zidane's retirement. At the club level, they are, for the most part, propped up by those around them. They have done ****-all at the national level especially Malouda who I think is far too over-rated. As for Ribery, he's demonstrated nothing in terms of leadership qualities.....at Bayern he's surrounded by leaders, without whom he wouldn't be very effective at all.

France are living in the past. The only way forward is to get rid of their useless/"filler" veterans and bring in some fresh blood. Laurent Blanc will do that.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

I fully agree that he had some great players around him. But he gets the most praise because he was the playmaker. He was the heart of that team. The one who used to pull the strings. I don't think France would've won without Zidane. He wasn't overhyped from 1997 to 2002/2003 IMO. That was him at his best.

Yeah he was overrated in 2006, I agree. But he still played a big part in their WC even being way past his best.

I thought he was overhyped his entire career, but until the end of the 2002 Champions League he was still one of the better players in the world. I have never been a Zidane fan, to me, he was always lucky enough to have the greatest holding midfielder in the world sitting behind him (seriously, for a few years it was Davids, then Makelele overtook him, and when Claude left RM, Zidane fell flat on his face), he was a total prick on the field, and I just didn't think he did enough to warrant "best in the world" status. Fringe top 10, okay, maybe fringe top 5 at his best.

Example years (these are arguably his best, when he won the WC and when he won the CL):

1998 better players: Ronaldo (by LIGHT YEARS!! 97-98 Ronaldo was the greatest player of my lifetime), Rivaldo, and Bergkamp.

2002 better players: Kahn, Ballack (yup), Henry, and maybe fat Ronaldo and Rivaldo still.

 

[Daniel David]

France suffers from the same issue which affects Brazil, namely utter lack of creativity in the midfield. The difference is that Brazil can get away with it most of the time for being very solid on the other sectors of the team, which is not the case with France - at least not with Domenech choosing the starting eleven. As for specific players, I would highlight Ribery being seriously overrated (it is only me who found that Altintop was generally more useful for Bayern on the final stages of CL?) and Govou being completely useless.

By the way, Domenech's reactions (or lack thereof) in today's match top my list of priceless WC moments so far.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

As for specific players, I would highlight Ribery being seriously overrated (it is only me who found that Altintop was generally more useful for Bayern on the final stages of CL?)

He was injured most of the year. I didn't think he was 100% until the German Cup Final.

 

[Arnau]

Rivaldo in 2002 were horrible, but played a good world cup, similar to zidane 06.

 

[ShiftyPowers]

Yeah, probably true.

 

[night]

Rivaldo in 2002 were horrible, but played a good world cup, similar to zidane 06.

This was absolute gold:

 

[Num Lock]

I thought he was overhyped his entire career, but until the end of the 2002 Champions League he was still one of the better players in the world. I have never been a Zidane fan, to me, he was always lucky enough to have the greatest holding midfielder in the world sitting behind him (seriously, for a few years it was Davids, then Makelele overtook him, and when Claude left RM, Zidane fell flat on his face), he was a total prick on the field, and I just didn't think he did enough to warrant "best in the world" status. Fringe top 10, okay, maybe fringe top 5 at his best.

Example years (these are arguably his best, when he won the WC and when he won the CL):

1998 better players: Ronaldo (by LIGHT YEARS!! 97-98 Ronaldo was the greatest player of my lifetime), Rivaldo, and Bergkamp.

2002 better players: Kahn, Ballack (yup), Henry, and maybe fat Ronaldo and Rivaldo still.

man you re so spiteful, did ever the maestro did something to you? anything I say will be biased towards Zidane obviously.

but, that penalty at the 06 final? that was amazing don't ever think that was a lucky shot, if you think that it was, you know nothing about football.

ad yes he is one of the greatest players ever, he was retired from football, came back and took the tricolour to the finals, he was a fighter, a winner, and yes he was an emotional player prone to rash actions and that was his only defect as a football player.

 

[Num Lock]

I want to mention something great players being surrounded by great players.

Pele had Garrincha, Rivelino and a really long list of good players.
Cruyff had the van de Kerkhof brothers, Resembrink and Neeskens
Kempes had an amazing Argentina Team
Maradona was a monster, and then he had Canigia
Platini had Tigana, Fernandez and Giresse
Zidane had Karembeu, Deschamps and Petit and further up he had Dugarry and Djorkaeff
Messi has Higuain, Tevez, El Kun, Mascherano, and at Barca obviously Xavi and Iniesta


so what the hell is it about being surrounded by great players, the greatest players in history have always had a great team.