Being reminded of why I hate Portugal.

 

Does it have anything to do with Conaldo, by any chance?:rolleyes:

Has he been doing his world-famous "dying swan" impersonation again?

That would have been a nice goal.

And friggin Pepe should be out of the game by now.

a lot of cards this game.

I haven't seen enough yellow cards.

not a lot of cards this game.

yay for cards comments :P

That would have been a nice goal.

And friggin Pepe should be out of the game by now.

 

And duda too :dozey: he deserv a red card!

Brazil - Portugal what a bore, i dozed off.

WE'VE got a goalie... and YOU can't take penalties': German media taunt England ahead of World Cup clash with 'island footballers'

 

 

By Allan Hall In Berlin and Paul Harris

Last updated at 5:51 PM on 25th June 2010

 

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• Taunt as Germany is first to book hotel FA wanted for Sunday's game
  
• PM to watch match from G8 meet in Canada .. but without Chancellor Merkel
  
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enlarge Confident: The BZ belittles the German opposition on Sunday by declaring, 'Yes! Now we're going to beat the little English girls'

 

Just when you thought it was time to forgive and forget, Germany mounted a war of words on England's football hopes today.

In the xenophobic equivalent of creeping out at dawn to put their beach towels on our sunloungers, they got their jibes in first as our boys prepared to do battle in South Africa on Sunday.

They suggested our goalkeepers were 'nincompoops', and cited Adolf Hitler among the 'prominent Germans' who have always troubled England. Then they shamelessly boasted that they'd nicked our hotel.

The unprovoked attack broke a fragile truce between the two countries, aimed at trying to avoid some of the 'Achtung! Surrender!' style headlines that blighted Euro '96.

So there we were, trying to keep things dignified (albeit with a couple of exceptions) - when the enemy's biggest newspaper devoted an entire page to an anti-English rant. Bild ridiculed our players with a savagely sauerkraut analysis of why the Fatherland will win the crucial match.

Why, they even singled out Wayne Rooney, our proud ambassador abroad, as the primary reason we will fail. 'England, we will thrash you!', read the headline. How come? 'Because Rooney can’t score!', it crowed. 'The only thing he has managed to hit in this tournament is the goalpost. The pressure is too great for Rooney.'

 

 

Enlarge The Hotel Velmore Grande: The five-star hotel that the English FA wanted to book for Sunday's game - but were beaten to the check-in desk by the German squad

 

 

Luxurious: The German team will soon be enjoying the hotel's extensive facilities, including the swimming pool - no signs of towels on the seats yet

 

Granted, there were occasional references at home to the return of ze blackshirts (the German team's away strip is black); plus a few digs at the country's legendary sense of humour.

 

 

More...

 

 

• Paul the Oracle Octopus predicts Germany will beat England... (but everyone knows you can't trust a mollusc)
  
• England, take note: Scientists uncover the secret behind taking the perfect penalty
  

 

And yes, The Sun did suggest 'Das Boot is on the other foot' after research apparently revealed that statistically, England were the better penalty-takers.

 

 

OK, HERE ARE SIX REASONS WHY ENGLAND WILL WIN...

 

 

• Because we're yet to be beaten in the World Cup. That's right, we all noticed Germany's 1-0 loss against Serbia.
  
• Because Germany are now useless at taking penalties. Did you see Lukas Podolski's miss - once again, against Serbia?
  
• Because Germany peaked too early. Thrashing the Aussies 4-0 was impressive but there's not been much since (and Australia DID manage to beat Serbia).
  
• Because Wayne Rooney is about to explode - just how German coach Joachim Low has admitted he fears - and whatever they throw at us we have John Terry to put in their way.
  
• Because the match is on the BBC - we have a 100 per cent record on that TV channel.
  
• Because we don't wear lederhosen and, unlike Low, our manager doesn't wear a cardigan and have a haircut that looks like a ill-fitting Beatlemania wig.
  

 

 

Remember the penalties? Bild certainly did. 'We always win on penalties!' the newspaper screamed.

'Who did we beat at the European Championships in 1996 and the World Cup semi-final in 1990 on penalties? Yes, the English.

'They also lost their nerve in the European Championships in 2004 and the World Cup in 2006 in the quarter final against Portugal.

'At the European Championships in 2008, they weren’t even there.

'They whine about the ball...They fear us,' the article said.

So just why was it that Germany would win? 'Because we have got a goalie!' it said. 'Between the posts there stands for us a giant called Neuer, for the English an old problem; they only have goalkeeping nincompoops!

'Since Wembley in 1966 against England we have not lost a World Cup match against them – and even then they had the help of the referee.'

The final insult suggested England had even lost out in the hotel stakes in South Africa. 'Already in the World Cup preliminaries the Brits had to swallow a defeat.

'They wanted to pitch up in the Hotel Velmore Grande for the quarter finals but the DfB [German FA] was quicker - and now we are getting ready in the luxury five-star accommodation for victory on Sunday.'

 

This clearly wasn't cricket. Others quickly joined in the Hun fun.

'England - Germany; the best of enemies,' wrote the Nuremberger Nachrichten newspaper. 'England plays somewhat stupidly but this is always about more than football.

 

It also concerns things like the three most prominent Germans of all time Karl Marx - buried in London's Highgate; Hitler and, naturally, Franz Beckenbauer. England have had years of pain.'

Meanwhile at Wimbledon, which the Germans have already invaded, a former arch-enemy Boris Becker said he would rather talk about tennis than football. But he did add: 'I’ll watch the match at home in Wimbledon.

I’m planning a barbecue so I can invite all my German friends to the house to cheer our team on.' Flying the black, red and yellow flag he added:

 

 

Ex-pat oracle: Paul, a British-born octopus, predicts a Germany victory on Sunday. So far he has a 100 per cent record in this year's tournament, predicting German wins against Australia and Ghana but a loss against Serbia

 

 

 

 

Well dressed verses something else: Dave Utting, landlord of the Empress pub in Cambridge, has allowed locals to paint slogans on the walls ahead of Sunday's match, while German coach Joachim Low attends a press conference today in in a V-neck and a dress jacket... and is that a friendship bracelet?

 

 

 

 

An omen for keeping the German team at bay? Three lionesses prowl in front of a truck carrying players from Joachim Loew's squad at the Lion Park in Lanseria near Johannesburg earlier today

 

Meanwhile, at work... England manager Fabio Capello speaks to his team at a training session in Rustenburg

 

'Germany have always been really good. Typical German skills of great organisation, great preparation and good structure - these are basic fundamentals that most countries overlook. England are in trouble - they're going down.'

With true British grit, the nation remained largely unmoved by the assault. On Facebook, a home-grown joke was doing the rounds: 'This world Cup is like World War II. The French surrender early, the Italians are useless, the Americans arrive late and the English are left to fight it out with the Germans.'

At least we won that one..

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1289502/WORLD-CUP-2010-German-press-winds-ahead-England-clash.html#ixzz0rt3UnjrO

U.S. vs. Algeria World Cup Match Becomes Most-Watched Soccer Game in ESPN History

 

 

The United States vs. Algeria FIFA World Cup match is the highest-rated and most-watched soccer game in the history of ESPN.

Check out the upcoming World Cup schedule

Wednesday's match — in which American Landon Donovan scored a last-minute, game-winning goal to secure the team a spot in the Round of 16 — delivered a 4.6 rating and more than 6.1 million viewers for the two-hour contest.

The game surpassed the U.S.-Germany World Cup match from eight years ago, which earned a 4.4 rating and 5.3 million viewers.

 

 

http://www.seattlepi.com/tvguide/422371_tvgif25.html

omg..-.-..:freak:

If Chile wins today, all south american countries will be first on their groups! This world cup has shown so far that european countries are not as good as they were once. I firmly believe that the world cup will be won by a south american country. European countries are not showing a good performance. Soooo, GO CHILE! :lol:

All England, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Mexico and Argentina countrymen and women should be supporting Chile tonight, this side of the draw is very full with decent teams. There's only Uruguay and Brazil with any chance on the other side, Spain needs to join them!

more than 6.1 million viewers for the two-hour contest.

With a country of over 300 million people, that's still pretty poor.

With a country of over 300 million people, that's still pretty poor.

 

Definitely. It's a drop in the ocean.:dozey:

All England, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Mexico and Argentina countrymen and women should be supporting Chile tonight, this side of the draw is very full with decent teams. There's only Uruguay and Brazil with any chance on the other side, Spain needs to join them!

I don't see what difference it makes. It makes just as much sense to root against them in order to knock out one less tough team or just root for switzerland out of sympathy for the underdog. I hope Switzerland does well, but I have a couple spaniards on my fantasy team so....

 

:edit: nevermind, I completely misunderstood Ian's post but don't feel like erasing mine.

With a country of over 300 million people, that's still pretty poor.

 

Still pretty good considering the popularity (or lack of) and the time that the match was.

HOLY SHIT! what a goal!

That was lucky! :rolleyes:

Go Spain! :dance:

I wouldn't call it lucky. Just a poor play by the Chilean keeper.

keeper should've at least kicked it out of bounds, still it was an awesome shot from there.

No it was lucky that they made such a bad play! :smug:

Yup, you don't see goals from there everyday.

No it was lucky that they made such a bad play! :smug:

 

Right.:rolleyes:

well it wasn't a complete gift. the spanish player would've gotten there first had the keeper not come out.