[Hip Priest]

Ha ha, that was a great game to watch - reminded me of English league football at times, with all of the physicality. Not entirely sporting, but entirely engrossing. Some unfair decisions by the ref and some justified ones too.

Great for USA to get that result. Kasey Keller was great, but a praise should also go to the new guy (Dempsey? I think that was his name, he didn't play in the first match). His presence gave the US a physical strength at the front that was lacking against the Czechs. The 22nd will be an interesting day, no question.

[Bertrand]

I marry a friend and games go berserk or what?
Anyway real life was great for me today.
The referee was right to kick out De Rossi; that asshole had done bad things during the first game. Sending out the first yankee was right too, he caught Pirlo's ankle on a tackle, and the ref was three feet away to see it all. Last red card was the result of a second yellow one.
Too bad for my virtual team, Toni was replaced quite early on.
Lots of cards, low credit for almost everyone 'xcept johnnywinterexpressway.
Deco scored for my team. Glad I've been number one, even for a day.

Now it didn't work as I had planned, I'm a bit confused with my transfers. I'm gonna rest on it & apply the Hannibal Smith method, since - in fact - I had had the feeling that it would be that way.

[Hip Priest]

Today Croatia should overcome Japan and Brasil should overcome Australia, but given their respective first game performances, the France vs South Korea game is potentially the most intereting.

In the first game I couldn't quite decide if France just played badly or if they were settling for a point - neither team seemed to be making any great effort to get three points.

[Пятхъдесят Шест]

Originally Posted by Bertrand

I marry a friend and games go berserk or what?
Anyway real life was great for me today.
The referee was right to kick out De Rossi; that asshole had done bad things during the first game. Sending out the first yankee was right too, he caught Pirlo's ankle on a tackle, and the ref was three feet away to see it all. Last red card was the result of a second yellow one.
Too bad for my virtual team, Toni was replaced quite early on.
Lots of cards, low credit for almost everyone 'xcept johnnywinterexpressway.
Deco scored for my team. Glad I've been number one, even for a day.

Mastroeni may have been a little late, but after watching a few replays he actually did get the ball first, and slightly knicked Pirol's ankle, BARELY! I would have understood a foul, or even a yellow card, but a red card?! For that?! You've got to be out of your mind if you're going to defend that call.

[johnnywinternoshow]

the first red for the u.s. was never a red card, at least not in the premiership

[atari 2600]

a brief explanation of penalty calls

offsides - This penalty is called when the ref notices the game is getting too exciting.

Yellow card - A cautionary warning usually issued when the official notices that a player has fallen to the ground; the referee, however, can not be troubled with such trifles as how the player got to the ground, since it is not a matter of any import or consequence.

Red card - When a transgression is committed by an already yellow-carded player, the subsequent red card results in suspension & immediate ejection from the game of a player by a ref who hasn't done much ejaculating lately.

[Пятхъдесят Шест]

Originally Posted by atari 2600

a brief explanation of penalty calls

offsides - This penalty is called when the ref notices the game is getting too exciting.

Yellow card - A cautionary warning usually issued when the official notices that a player has fallen to the ground; the referee, however, can not be troubled with such trifles as how the player got to the ground, since it is not a matter of any import or consequence.

Red card - When a transgression is committed by an already yellow-carded player, the subsequent red card results in suspension & immediate ejection from the game of a player by a ref who hasn't done much ejaculating lately.

Much rep for that!

[Bertrand]

That's just what I thought then when I saw it. The fact that I had not slept also explains why I called De Rossi an asshole, a thing I wouldn't have typed if I had taken the time for a nap. I didn't mean to bring any animosity out.

Red cards can be also been given straight away; or else players could willingly assault an opponent, hurt him and carry on (cf De Rossi?).

[Bertrand]

Bad draw for France tonight.
The team may have to say farewell to the Cup, for Korean & Swiss relief.

[Hip Priest]

But the Togo situation is getting worse - even if they manage to play tomorrow vs the Swiss, maybe they'll refuse to play in the game against France! Would that mean France get credited with a 3 - 0 win?

Park Ji Sung scored for me tonight. A decent end to a not great weekend, ha ha.

Tuesday - Friday is FOUR games per day, so either points will come thick and fast, or teams will drop down the league! Who knows? Not me, but I can guess...

[Bertrand]

Yes, Togo's situation's keeps puzzling me too.
They threatened not to play tomorrow's game if the money their federation had promised them wasn't guaranteed. This kind of blackmail is really strange and might arrange a nation (the French) were their coach & staff wicked enough to discreetly send money to the players to play against Switzerland but give up their game against France (and what would happen then with Zidane & Abidal's suspensions?) (well time will tell & it looks a bit like a novel).

[Bertrand]

oops...
wrote the same thing twice, so, there, edited.

[Пятхъдесят Шест]

Korea is playing like they are out to prove something, I like it. Best fans in the world, the Koreans?

In 2002 I couldn't help but root for Korea throughout the tournament (except for their game against the United States).

[Hip Priest]

Originally Posted by Пятхъдесят Шест

Korea is playing like they are out to prove something, I like it. Best fans in the world, the Koreans?

In 2002 I couldn't help but root for Korea throughout the tournament (except for their game against the United States).

I think Korea most certainly do have something to prove - whereas they had previously failed at World Cups, they made the semi-finals last time. Of course, that was with home advantage and a very bad decision for that goal against Spain. They have to show thee world that the 2002 showing was not a one-off, but a sign of real improvement. Four points from two games does just that, I tink. I like Korea too, I have to say.

Shevchenko (Ukraine) and Santos (Tunisia) get another chance for me today. Hopefully, they'll be thinking of my fantasy points when they play today.

[Bertrand]

Well well well,
With Abidal out for next game, I decided to make my second transfer and inject some Spanish touch to my team. I picked up Villa mostly for he ain't in any team yet and he'll probably shoot once or twice.

It's about time to think about what you've learned so far.
I transfered my 2 players earlier than I thought, and these players were not the ones I had planned to (I removed Campbell who won't probably play, seeing how Ferdinand & Terry behave, and Abidal, when I believed it would be Essien - who might carry on to the 8th and either Trabelsi or Magnin).
Plus : we've got to consider that we will lose players at a high rate from that moment on.
Even though I've been telling myself that I had formed a team knowing that at least 17 players wouldn't be on the field on July, 9, it's still hard to realize (a bit).

8th, 4th, semis... will provide every one of us with the loss of athletes, a excrutating moment when the choice of team captain points out...

I already prepare myself for a game opposing Portugal to the Netherlands (which would be good to see), knowing that once it's over, either Deco-Tiago-Miguel or Van der Vaart-Robben won't bring anything anymore home.

This cup is filled with masochism.

Good luck to you all, but don't stand so close to me, johnnywinternoshow, please, you're worrying me.

[RdTv]

I went with a 3-4-3...with schevchenko, klose and ibrahimovic up top, hoping to get something out of old Andriy...perhaps Zlatan will put one or two in the net and Miroslav can find some more of his touch that he had against Costa Rica....Hope all your teams show well.

[Hip Priest]

Well, England might not have much chance of being at the final, but our referee might be there. Graham Poll was superb during Ukraine vs Saudi Arabia, he got just about everything perfect.

Ukraine are great when they play like that. There are very few squads on earth with that much talent - harnessed properly it's a treat to watch. My two players, Shevchenko (capt.) and Rebrov both scored, and Shevchenko's assist for the fourth goal showed what a wonderful player he is; after that run, the temptation to shoot must have been enormous, but he saw his teammate and put the perfect ball across to him. A few more genuine contenders for goal of the tournament, especially Rebrov's.

Maksym Kalinichenko gave without doubt the performance of the competition so far, and was rewarded with the fourth goal.

Looking forward to Tunisia vs Spain now...

[atari 2600]

Rebrov's was a fine ball indeed. Hip Priest's faith in Ukraine is paying some nice dividends. & Yeah, that ref was with it.

I've royally screwed myself with too few forwards among my initial picks, with general mismanagement of not always insuring that eligible players are active & with choosing the wrong captain every single day.
I suck at this.

[RdTv]

Whats everyones standing right now, as in points and such?

And Schevchenko killed today, Ukraine played some great great football.

[RdTv]

I'm at around 112