Group F - ITALY, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

[aussie1st]

And there goes the World Champions Unlucky NZ, unbeaten yet they still don't go through.

 

[shravi]

Yes - it would just feel 'wrong', wouldn't it? :laugh

Edit: @Shravi - Italy were my plan B because I'm half Italian.

Thing is, this is happening with World Cup holders a lot: it happened with France the tournament after they won it and now it happened with Italy.

Well, I can hardly have India as my Plan A or B (or even Z ) now can I ? When I was younger (around 2000, when I was 8), my favorite player was Oliver Kahn. That's why I support Germany. However, I've been following the Premier League for a number of years now so I probably feel a little closer to the English team now (plus it has Gerrard which makes it a no brainer ).

 

[mattfb]

So both finalists of the last WC are out in the group stages. Wow. Failtaly

 

[Chewie]

I stayed up and watched our game, so unlucky we couldn't get a goal though. Our defense looks great though, better than quite a few other teams in the tournament I would say. The opposition teams get so many free kicks and corners off us, yet they hardly capitalise.

But lol at Italy :laugh

 

[drainpipe32]

Well, I can hardly have India as my Plan A or B (or even Z ) now can I ? When I was younger (around 2000, when I was 8), my favorite player was Oliver Kahn. That's why I support Germany. However, I've been following the Premier League for a number of years now so I probably feel a little closer to the English team now (plus it has Gerrard which makes it a no brainer ).

Thoughts exactly Although the thought of the Poms should they win *shudder*

 

[CG123]

FFS, unbeaten and we don't go through.
I got up to watch the game, and there wasn't even any goals.
Our defensive has been great throughout, but despite playing three strikers we have never really sustained any major attacking pressure throughout our three games.
Not really sure what we lacked over night.
I'm no football expert, but to me it seemed like our tactics weren't that great.
The way I saw it was Paraguay would built up for three minutes, slowly moving forward, before having a shot and miss it.
Then Paston would just boot the ball forward from the goal kick and they would get it back, before building for another three or so minutes.
Both times we played the ball down the wings and crossed it to the middle, were the only two times where we looked liek scoring. I would of thought doing that and giving a cross from the sideline, would be much better than kicking it straight down the middle.

Nonetheless we punched well above our weight, and if some decisions went our way against Italy we would be into the second round.

 

[-D-S-B-]

Ah well, we finished with more points than both of the last WC finalists!
All of the people at school that know lots about soccer said our defense was one of the better ones at the tournament but our mid-field let us down. And Mark Paston is a beast!

 

[CG123]

Yeah, we didn't have any attacking midfielders without Brown.
Visilich and Elliot were both more defensive orientated it seemed.
Every time we went forward we only really had our three strikers there, none of our mids really attacked.

 

[-D-S-B-]

Not to mention Grant Elliot's like 50 and needs a Martin Crowe hair transplant. :laugh

 

[Varun]

Wow! Italy is out of the world cup!

 

[Chewie]

Not to mention Grant Elliot's like 50 and needs a Martin Crowe hair transplant. :laugh

Simon Elliot you mean and lol at his hair

It's only the fourth time in WC history that a team has gone unbeaten in pool play and not gone through I believe.

Leo Bertos was rather attacking down the wings I felt, he was the one who got both crosses in I think. Just couldn't bring it back far enough.

 

[CG123]

Bertos made like two crosses throughout the game.
They should of gone more down the wings, but instead Paston was just aimlessly kicking it straight down the centre. That's what it looked like to me anyway.

 

[AkshayS]

████, the oldies are out of the WC.

Italians were too lazy and inactive in first half and that cost them the match, well played Slovakia.

Feeling sorry for ITALY.

 

[khalek]

Bloody hell, no Italy no France and even Spain are not sure of their progression. What the f*** is this wc all about?

But what drama last night, it was a brilliant game. Really feel for the Azurri Slovaks really played with a purpose and were on the attack right from the word go.

 

[-D-S-B-]

Simon Elliot you mean and lol at his hair

No I thought this was the NZ Dom thread :sarcasm

And that's stupid that the All Whites weren't allowed to do a Haka, FIFA are a bunch of homos.