Comments on Portugal and Japan give us sporting hope, despite the media hype

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Interesting commentary here. :)

posted by A-and-B on July 3, 2006 at 3:18 PM | link to this | reply

Ooops! Zidane is the French soccer star, of Arab/Algerian ancestry

I meant his team defeated Brazil, FOR the FRENCH side. (Sorry for the other typos...I will find out if there's a way to edit comments). Thanks

posted by salem8 on July 3, 2006 at 12:03 PM | link to this | reply

Thanks for your comments, Soccer Moms, Dads and Kids

Peanlty shhot outs are as valid as any other aspect of the game, including the game of hockey or technical fouls in basketball. Many teams got through their intial rounds through peanlty shots, not necessarily "sudden death" in the round of 16. More controversial is the fact that some referees seemed to award peanlties in a very subjective manner. I do think the German team got off too easily for attacking the Argentine players (especially Frings). Yet, see Zidane the Algerian defeat France for his "new" country! That's why this game is universal and international: look at the cast of characters in the US team and you'll talk differently than Congress does about immigrants. LOL

posted by salem8 on July 3, 2006 at 10:14 AM | link to this | reply

I suspect France will beat Germany for the Cup.

Oh, and let's not kid ourselves, Portugal needed penalty kicks to beat an English team that played much of the match a man down PLUS minus it's three best players. 

Meanwhile, the Brazilian team just got old, that's all.

Hear the dogs howling out of key.
To a hymn called Faith and Misery (Hey!)
And bleed, the company who lost the war today.

posted by Mademoiselle on July 3, 2006 at 7:16 AM | link to this | reply

YPunday

Unfortunately the Japanese did not have a strong tournament. It was better for them last time around when the tournament was half played in Japan.  What I like about the World Cup is that countries that have little to do with each other in any other sense will play against each other. It is the world game  and I always find when one nation competitions are tagged as the world this or that

posted by Azur on July 3, 2006 at 6:07 AM | link to this | reply