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RocklandDragon
07-13-2006, 01:18 AM
Juergen Klinsmann has stepped down as Germany's head coach. He expects to take six months off in California to recover from being "burned out". A wonderful run for Deutschland and only a minute away from PKs against the eventual World Cup Champion Italy. Could he become the U.S. head coach?

The United States and Mexico dropped off far from the FIFA rankings. The U.S.A. is now 16th and Mexico is 18th. The ratings are more credible than Mexico and the U.S. being 4th or 5th.

Zidane has spoken out. He apologized...I guess...he was ashamed because many of the youth saw the match, but NO regrets. Huh?

From ESPN.com (soccernet)

Zidane:

'Then he said very harsh words to me and repeated them several times. I left but then I went back towards him and things went very fast. The words he said concerned my mother and sister.

'I heard them once, then twice, and the third time I couldn't control myself. I am a man and some words are harder to hear than actions. I would have rather been knocked down than hear that.'

'Afterwards I explained to the referee that I had been provoked, but my behaviour is not forgivable,' Zidane said.

Without Zidane, who had earlier given France the lead with a penalty, extra-time finished with the score locked at 1-1, and Zidane's team lost the penalty shoot-out 5-3 to Italy.

Asked whether he plans to attend FIFA hearings into the incident, Zidane said that he would seek to defend himself.

'I will go and I will tell everything I have just said,' he added. 'The reaction is always punished but if there is no provocation there is no reaction. The guilty person is the one who provokes.
(What? Getting kicked out of a game for a little revenge on Materazzi and handicapping your team for the World Cup--NOOOO. That's purely innocent.):rolleyes:

'If I reacted that way, it is because something bad happened. Do you really believe that 10 minutes before the end of my career I would be able to make such a bad gesture? The provocation was very serious.'



Man, come on. He should have realized a French victory would have had a much lingering sting than a headbutt to the chest.

jtk1519
07-13-2006, 01:51 AM
Did you miss the part where he said, "...but my behaviour is not forgivable."? He obviously understood his actions and their potential consequences, but he felt the offense was bad enough to risk it. I just can't blame him for that. I've read some accounts of what the Italian player said and frankly, the guy is lucky all he got was a well placed head-butt.

In essence, Zidane is not trying to deflect blame. He was just saying that there is plenty of blame to go around.

RocklandDragon
07-13-2006, 02:14 AM
Did you miss the part where he said, "...but my behaviour is not forgivable."? He obviously understood his actions and their potential consequences, but he felt the offense was bad enough to risk it. I just can't blame him for that. I've read some accounts of what the Italian player said and frankly, the guy is lucky all he got was a well placed head-butt.

In essence, Zidane is not trying to deflect blame. He was just saying that there is plenty of blame to go around.

No, I caught that. To me, he is deflecting blame by trying to justify his actions. Not meaning that Materazzi didn't deserve it. I'm pretty certain he did. It's been stated that Materazzi is a provacative player who is dirty. Zidane could have kicked his *** anywhere else (after the game, in a exhibition game, or wherever). But I can blame him for his offense. He let this man's (in essence) trash talk get the best of him in the biggest soccer match. His selfish foul made France get somebody else who is not used to taking PK's and was nowhere near as good as Zidane's PK skills or experience. Honestly, what would Materazzi have; a bruise on his chest or the bitter lingering sting of losing to French in the World's biggest stage?

Hell, Zidane got kicked out anyway. Might as well have beat his *** on the field. It was his last game.

dragons08
07-13-2006, 11:53 AM
turns out rockland is wrong!

BAMF cowboy
07-13-2006, 12:27 PM
Did anyone see how Brazil is still #1 in the FIFA rankings? I call BS. This is exactly why the Fifa rankings are complete crap, and I choose to ignore them. I called a bs on the US being #5 before the tournament, and how did the Czech Republic work out at #2? Anyways, I can't believe that Italy aren't #1. They won the World Cup...ergo...they are the best in the World. What if USC were still number one after the rosebowl?

RocklandDragon
07-13-2006, 12:42 PM
turns out rockland is wrong!

I guess I was.

:D :D :D

RocklandDragon
07-13-2006, 12:47 PM
Did anyone see how Brazil is still #1 in the FIFA rankings? I call BS. This is exactly why the Fifa rankings are complete crap, and I choose to ignore them. I called a bs on the US being #5 before the tournament, and how did the Czech Republic work out at #2? Anyways, I can't believe that Italy aren't #1. They won the World Cup...ergo...they are the best in the World. What if USC were still number one after the rosebowl?

So I DID read that right. How absurd is this system?!!! Brazil didn't even make the SEMI-finals. The crackpipe was being passed around when voting took place.

Be glad the World Cup is decided by an actual tournament instead of polls. Wish NCAA D-I football would follow this step!

:eek:

KT2000
07-13-2006, 12:47 PM
DCrew, I'm inclined to agree with you, but at the same time I don't think we ever saw Brazil at this World Cup. The real Brazil would never employ the 4-5-1, or opt to play Adriano and Ronaldo side by side in a two forward alignment.

BAMF cowboy
07-13-2006, 02:28 PM
DCrew, I'm inclined to agree with you, but at the same time I don't think we ever saw Brazil at this World Cup. The real Brazil would never employ the 4-5-1, or opt to play Adriano and Ronaldo side by side in a two forward alignment.

I'm inclined to agree with you too...but that is an excuse...should Brazil be allowed a free pass just because they are Brazil?

BAMF cowboy
07-13-2006, 02:29 PM
So I DID read that right. How absurd is this system?!!! Brazil didn't even make the SEMI-finals. The crackpipe was being passed around when voting took place.

Be glad the World Cup is decided by an actual tournament instead of polls. Wish NCAA D-I football would follow this step!

:eek:

that's the thing...its not voting. it's a computer based system (hey does that ring a bell?). It calculates your wins and losses based on who you've played etc. etc. in the past 6 or something years i think it is. So Brazil having only lost a couple games in that timespan still have enough "points" to be #1.

Computer based systems just dont work.

dragons08
07-13-2006, 03:14 PM
Did anyone see how Brazil is still #1 in the FIFA rankings? I call BS. This is exactly why the Fifa rankings are complete crap, and I choose to ignore them. I called a bs on the US being #5 before the tournament, and how did the Czech Republic work out at #2? Anyways, I can't believe that Italy aren't #1. They won the World Cup...ergo...they are the best in the World. What if USC were still number one after the rosebowl?
but the same case can be made with hs football...we (carroll) won state, whos number 1? not us

BAMF cowboy
07-13-2006, 03:48 PM
but the same case can be made with hs football...we (carroll) won state, whos number 1? not us

yes, but the rankings arent "pre-tournament" rankings for the next world cup. It's a constant ranking system to determine who the current #1 team in the world is. I just don't see how Italy, who won the WORLD cup 5 days ago, are still #2.