Feels Strange..

Originally Posted by MJ Ramone

Watcher, don't get me wrong...I've watched just about every game & every highlights package...& listened to 5Live phone-ins etc..


...but I can't think of a 'moment' that will live on long in the memory. Nothing iconic..not a great goal that you'll Youtube the £#%&! out of..
Hopefully the QFs & onwards will provide something.

The Shabalala goal to open the tourney will be remembered fondly. And Messi is bound to do something that will be remembered.

i'm in the loving it club

especially loving the underdogs playing some great football, like Japan the other night, Nth Korea against Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Mexico especially have all been well worth a watch

been some cracking goals and some ridiculous errors as well - still cursing that Italy so-called offside goal against those £#%&!ing slovaks


loving the crowds, hating the empty seats

worst thing is the way the draw has worked out so lob-sided though tbh although glad Ghana are still in it i spose

Originally Posted by Zorg

Yeah, there were some great moments apart from the final: Hagi's goal, Tubby Brolin's training-ground free-kick goal, Klinsmann's, that Saudi Arabia goal where he ran the length of the pitch, Diana Ross of course, Letchov's winner against Germany, and Romania vs. Argentina was one of the best matches I've ever seen.
A mate of mine once went on about how shit that WC was 'because England weren't there'. Er, ok.

Yes, indeed it was. Though maybe even that was surpassed by Argentina v Mexico four years ago

In fact a large number of memorable matches since the 1970s (1974 is the earliest WC that I can remember) have involved the Argies. Which makes they way they played in 1990 all the more unforgivable - a complete betrayal of their footballing traditions

Oh and Throb, Italy's early exit has been one of the best things about this WC so far

Their unjustified sense of entitlement was maybe only surpassed by our sorry lot, imo........

(and even then only 'cos as defending champs they had *some* excuse)

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

Their unjustified sense of entitlement

4 World Cups has that effect.

tbh, they looked like a team that knew they were going to struggle in every interview their players gave before the first Italy match. This campaign made their Euro 2008 performance look good ffs.

Originally Posted by The Watcher

4 World Cups has that effect

Well yeah, I did hint it was a mitigating factor

"Our Boys" have no such excuse though. In particular, Gerrard's comments after the Algeria game were an utter disgrace

Originally Posted by Ronaldosgoodallthetime

82 had to be the best ever. I was 12 at the time, would get home from school and could watch the evening games before bed...Brazil with Zico, Socrates and Falcao, a great French team led by Platini who were robbed by Schumacher's assault on Battiston in a 3-3 semi, Robbo scoring the fastest goal and Keegan getting blamed for us going out without defeat, Tardelli's celebration in the final after scoring against the cheating germans, Germany and Austria cheating their way to make sure they both went through, Germany had to win 1-0, scored early, 1 shot on target all game to put the Algerians out, the Kuwaiti prince coming on the pitch to tell the players to come off after France scored a third goal and eventually only continuing the game after the ref disallowed it



Other than that I don't remember much about it.





Oh and a young Maradona being sent off after being kicked out of the game against Italy I think.

You forgot to mention the BBC theme tune that year - beyond doubt THE greatest WC music ever

Not enjoyed tbh. I've missed a lot of games in the day due to work but I've barely even watched the games at night. I think maybe it's because of overkill of football now. The atmosphere doesn't feel like a World Cup either, I watched Spain v Portugal the other night and it just felt like a regular club game in Spain or one of the other major leagues.

I'm hoping it get's good at the quarters now, Argentina v Germany should be good on Saturday.

Bored of it now tbh, and the tennis

Whats even stranger is that in a couple of weeks United will be on a football pitch again.

For me, it's been the worst world cup of my lifetime. The vulvuzela's are annoying, there's not real atmosphere at games, most of the games have been a bit shit, hosts went out too early, it's too cold for their to be any fit birds in bikini's, nobody (aside from maybe Villa) has made an impact on the tournament, few gems have been unearthed, most of the good games have been 3pm kick offs on a weekday.

It's all been a bit boring. The quarter final lineup isn't bad though. Holland v Brazil should be good if both teams go for it (they probably wont) and Germany v Argentina has a nice ring to it. With Uruguay or Ghana getting to the semi's the World Cup has again thrown up a surprise team.

Spain v Paraguay will be a snoozefest.

Inter winning the CL with their pragmatic approach seems to have influenced some teams into adopting similar tactics, which hasn't helped, imo.

Originally Posted by dunk

Inter winning the CL with their pragmatic approach seems to have influenced some teams into adopting similar tactics, which hasn't helped, imo.

Which all goes back to Greece in 2004. International and domestic teams from then on just tried to play 'anti' football. Defend for your lives and hope a couple of your big fellas can nick one from a set-piece.

Originally Posted by Ronaldosgoodallthetime

Which all goes back to Greece in 2004. International and domestic teams from then on just tried to play 'anti' football. Defend for your lives and hope a couple of your big fellas can nick one from a set-piece.

Yep. And if only Nedved hadn't got £#%&!ing injured, they would never have got past the Czechs in the SF

But I really don't think this WC has been that bad at all. I fear certain posters here have turned their disillusionment with the state of things at United into wanting to hate *all* football

Originally Posted by Ronaldosgoodallthetime

Which all goes back to Greece in 2004. International and domestic teams from then on just tried to play 'anti' football. Defend for your lives and hope a couple of your big fellas can nick one from a set-piece.

That began prior to 2004, to be fair. The 2002 World Cup was the 3rd lowest scoring ever.

Come on the sausage-suckers on Saturday, can't stand the Argies. If Germany win, watch them have their customary collective blob strop at the end.

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

Oh and Throb, Italy's early exit has been one of the best things about this WC so far

Their unjustified sense of entitlement was maybe only surpassed by our sorry lot, imo........

(and even then only 'cos as defending champs they had *some* excuse)

glad you enjoyed it

even though it wasn't anything like as blatant, and could even be debatable i suppose, personally i thought it was a pathetic decision to rank alongside the Lampard equaliser and the Tevez goal against Mexico

the officials seem to have been 50% good and 50% £#%&!ing idiots with nowt in between

it'll be interesting to see which way fifa goes for the remaining games