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I know this isn't the thread for long posts that are indirectly related to the actual matches, but too bad.

 

Yesterday I was invited to watch the Germany-Argentina game at a stadium with a big screen. There was 15,000 people there and it was kind of like being at a dance party/rock concert and a least 50% girls. Watching sport is not what I am into, but you cant really say no when invited by co-workers who are being nice to me, knowing that I just arrived in a new city.

 

4 Years ago I moved to Tokyo in the middle of the world cup. People in the office were all heading off to the games and other viewing places. There were heaps of foreigners at the company and they all took their national flags. It was the usual excitement at this type of event. There was comment and conversation about why the Japanese never took their flag.

 

2 Years ago I moved London in the middle of the European Cup. It was the same excitement as the World Cup and there were English flags in every window, shop fronts, on cars... little St George cross flags everywhere. In the first weeks in my new home it was the most noticeable thing about the city. Significantly, a German co-worker leered at the time "you would never see this in Germany. People would never put the flag on their car like this!" He was living in London and said it in a kind of bitter way that was poorly disguised with fake disapproval.

 

2 weeks ago I arrived in my latest host country, Germany. There are flags every where. Just like in London during the EC. The German flag is a nice rich strong set of colours, it looks good and was the first thing I noticed. Most cars have two flags clipped to their windows, our office has them hanging all around the walls, people are hanging them out their apartment balconies. In the last two weeks it occurred to me that I was in the middle of the happiest example of national pride that I have seen. In my head I used the term 'happy nationalism'. It was noticeable enough to make you think about it as you walked the streets.

 

When I arrived in Germany I recited the German guys statement from 2 years earlier, that "you would never see flags in German like this". The Germans I was lunching with totally agreed, they said you would never have seen it, ever. Until now. They said the sudden appearance of the flag was a big deal that everyone was talking about.

 

Last night after the German victory I mentioned that I had never seen so many people so excited. I have only been to 3 live sports events before and tend to avoid them like the plague, so I kind of felt uncomfortable during the euphoria of 15,000 people. This guy was not drunk and is a conservative reasonable person. He explained that what I had been seeing was not normal, not German. He was as stunned as I was. Without prompting he voluntarily started to say that:

 

- for 50 years Germans have been taught in school to be ashamed.

- foreigners always joke that we are all Nazis.

- any sense of national pride was dangerous and can never be allowed to replace the shame that they are expected to feel.

- at that very moment, he himself (40 years old) had never seen so many proud and happy Germans. Waving flags and hugging each other.

- hosting the World Cup has done more for Germany than any Chancellor of the last 50 years.

- after winning last night's game, making the semi-finals and seeing the pride and love everyone has for their country, he doesn't care if they lose the next game.

- he admitted it is a bit dramatic, but thought that what I was seeing was a significant milestone in Germany's history and development as a nation, a new day for Germany that many people are so relived has finally come.

 

I have to admit that I have never seen such positive, happy and generous 'nationals' as I see here. It is the least intimidating nationalism I have experienced, it is the way it should be.

 

Germans quite rightly should be proud of there country and happy about being German. They have addressed the past like a mature and honest nation and they deserve the right to wave their flag and love their home in the future. Until Hitler, Germany was a progressive world leader in the arts and science, they had a lot to offer the world, but it went really wrong.

 

It has been an unintentional coincidence to follow these football events around the world but it is good to be here seeing sport's real benefit to society. Lets hope they don't get all ugly and angry in the next week, invalidating much of what I have said.

 

(I woke up this morning with the German flag painted on my cheeks. I swore years ago that I would never be seen with such stuff on my face. Damn.)

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 Quote:
DAVID BECKHAM last night hit back at the critics who insist he should be stripped of the England captaincy and roared: "I won't quit."
Please do. NOW. You are useless.
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I have only taken a very brief look through online headlines, but they seem uncharacteristically (?) not too critical. It might have been a better performance from England than before, and Portugal didn't do much positive either, but it was still just not good enough.

 

Owen Hargreaves. Who'd have thought hey? Best player on the pitch. And, where did Joe Cole go?

 

Haven't seen a replay of the red card as well but if it is true that Ronaldo was waving 'a card' in front of the ref, and then winked at the bench as if to say "job done" - when it's his TEAM-MATE (at ManYoo) - then that is just ****ing sick. Wouldn't want to be him when he next meets gentle Wayne. (Wouldn't mind seeing it though.... ;\) ). I wonder how Mr Fergie will view all that.

 

When it became apparent that it was going to penalties, I just knew we had lost. Why are we just so utterly shite at them. And why Lampard first? Had he not had 453345 shots on goal without converting any of them all tournament? Do we just bottle it or what?

 

Let's face it, the WC semis and final will be better without a boring England in them.

 

Anyone else see that England flag near the corner whe "minge" written on it? Is that in Essex? ;\)

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Football. Bloody hell!

 

Ronaldo looked like he was on a mission to get Roons sent off there, he will not be popular if he is still in the Premiership next month. Was Rooney going to get the red card before Ronaldo caused the fuss. I've only seen it once but it looked like it was just a free kick before that.

 

And here I was thinking Ronaldo and Rooney were good friends....

 

20051219-rooney-y-cristiano.jpg

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WOOHOO France win!!! What a great day! thumbsup.gif

 

I would feel bad for England if they had played a bit better though. but once it goes to penalties, it's basically a coin toss so if u didn't work hard enough up til then, then you have no excuses.

 

it looked like Rooney stepped on that guys nads, but it's hard to say whether it was intentional or not. C.Ronaldo really pushes the definition of a cheat, with all of his diving. You never see Ronaldino doing that crap

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 Quote:
but once it goes to penalties, it's basically a coin toss
Not in England's case.
It is tradition that England do not win on penalties.
The law even.

As for Ronaldo again - also needs to be said that he played well generally and also that Rooney should of course not have lost his temper in the first place. Did the ref even see the bollock stamping? Seemed to me as I said it was just a free kick before that. Perhaps one of his assistants told him and then the pushing = red. I'll have to see it again.
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Anyone else see that time that Figo got pushed (a bit) and went down clutching his face? WTF? Cheating git(s).

 

With all the cheating and shit going on, they need a vid ref to put some reality back into the game.

 

Bottom line though: England = rubbish.

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Class picture there gg

lol.gif

 

Just found this:

 

 Quote:
5Live have just said that the ref confirmed Rooney was sent off for an 'ungentlemanly push, and agressive attitude.
confused.gif

Was that a red? Or a yellow? Or just a free kick!!! Seems very harsh considering some of the other silly stuff going on in the game.

 

Whatever. Yet another extremely frustrating match. Now it is time to sit back and enjoy the last games of the World Cup without having to support England! I just hope McClaren does what needs to be done and gives the captain armband to someone else and shakes things up a bit.

 

And then back to what really matters - LIVERPOOL.

\:D clap.gif

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squirrel.jpg

 

Walcott was never going to play. Even if Crouch got crocked, Sven would have put someone else out there before Walcott. Sven probably just digs his young g/f.

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Spud

 

An extra angle on the German phenomenon is that many of the team were born in East Germany and this is the first time that Germany, not West Germany, have been doing well. They got to the final last time, but Mr Kahn aside they weren't very impressive and it all happened in some weird time zone with games in the morning. Germany has economically stagnated and faced various structural problems since reunification, so any reason for them to celebrate now is going to be done in spades, so to speak. With political apathy now rife, sports remain as one of the few things people can acceptably become passionate about. Its still only a game, though, and people would be better off getting worked up about other things. I wonder how many Germans are proud about their new administration's environment policy, for example.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5126402.stm

 

I'm not into the war jokes against the Germans, but in terms of German history, its not just the Nazis. They started WWI too.

 

In terms of politics, the ideal result is for France to win thanks to their non-white players and the Algerian Zidane. That will help shut up the right wingers over there.

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As for England, the sending off was a soft one, but if anything the reshuffled ten-man England played better. My original fear was the red card would get Eriksson off the hook, but thankfully the pundits have still gone straight to the root of the problem. He's been paid 27 million for getting nothing special from a good bunch of players. He was employed to make England more tactically sophisticated. It's been a complete joke.

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Rooney didn't deserve a red card there for sure, it was just a bit of pushing and shoving and him being fed up with Ronaldo for moaning, but he should know better.

 

A lot of discussion about Ronaldo with United fans right now. Whether he wants out or not, whether he being a git to his United team-mate or not.

 

I think England didn't deserve to lose that game, but they still weren't much good - neither were Portugal and in the end not good enough. Why did Carragher get put on at the last minute? For penalties? I just read an interview with him where he said he had only taken 2 before. confused.gif

 

Looks like France are doing the peaking at the right time thing well this time.

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Portugal are just a bunch of diving wankers! I couldn't believe how many players were going down at the wiff of a fart from their opponent! thumbsdown.gif Ronaldo and Figo being two prime culprits. Not what anyone wants to see!

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Yes he is. He is (for how much longer....) a United player and he has flashes of brilliance, but his cheekiness sometimes get a bit much. And I wasn't impressed with what he did the other day. He isn't going to be popular back in England when he goes back. He has 4 years left on his contract, so if he wants out and they sell surely they can get a big wad of cash for him.

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Portugal would be a undeserved World Champion (if they win), because they aren't playing good football.

They are very good in breaking and frustrating the opponents play. This is a interesting strategy to win, but not good enough for a world champion. It seems that most players went to a drama acting and learned a lot there.

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