World Cup...

[Tim Hunter]

I'm not talking about the England match what a bunch of muppets!

Best game for me so far was South Korea v Poland, brilliant fun, South Korea could have scored about eight times and man were they fast. I'm really pleased to see the host nations doing well (Japan was robbed that last goal should have counted).

Anyone else working out how they can watch the match at work? We've a TV in the patient's waiting area, now all I have to do is come up with a cunning plan for self inflicted eye damage (one eye only) and arrange to have the clinic running behind for two hours (the latter not too difficult in the NHS!) so I can sit in comfort and watch the match. Instead of which I'll have to catch furtive glimpses whilst trying to see patients, ah well probably as well as I'll miss the pain that is England under performing.:o

By the by BBC coverage or ITV?

[wmcdonald]

How 'bout that Portugal match.

[John R]

Yea lucky Yanks caught the goliee on a off day...
Na your lot did well, better than ours....
Tim you are lucky we even offered to start early and work till game started so we lost no production and still they said NO... :angry: Dam bosses.. :angry: Nothing like boosting staff moral by giving a bit....Still at least we get to watch a bit at the pub with our friday dinner ;) and will sneek a few radios in to listen to it.....
They must have wondered what was going on today when Ireland scored (read loud cheer) :bbg: :bbg:

[ioconnell]

Oh yeah real loud cheer from the pixie heads

Here's me stuck inside a room doing my state examinations listening to renditions of you'll never beat the Irish. I too want to be a pixie head but I am told my edumacation is more important

I went to the pub and got a glimpse of the first half during a break. It really lifted me in the exam hallwhen I heard the Irish singing. Note :- towns and pubs are quite a bit away.

Congrats USA, It's you greatest victory in the past half century. Portugal are no fools, they are one of the best teams in Europe.


Bring on the Saudi's

[Pete Hanlin]

I believe the USA-Portugal match was actually played around 5am local time (and nothing gets me up at 5am- except whitetail season and then once a year!). Nevertheless, I noted the time it would be re-broadcast and set a mental reminder to catch the game without having seen the final ahead of time.

Needless to say, my mental alarm failed to go off and by the time I remembered to tune in, we were up 2-0! Of course, I'm bouncing around the office in glee and the rest of the staff are like "World Cup? Isn't that a yachting race?" Aurrrrgh!

Best of all, John O'Brien scored a goal (he wears the same uniform #5 and is a midfielder like I was... all comparison ends there).
:)

Hope they can keep it up against South Korea and Poland!

[Tim Hunter]

Saw the Ireland equaliser at work two minutes into extra time!!! :D Whew! talk about cutting it close. Now that group has got complicated! If Cameroon and Germany draw then it'll be down to goal difference and so how many Ireland and Cameroon can put past Saudi becomes critical, if either Germany or Cameroon beat the other then Ireland should go through! I think

Well done USA, Portugal were bloody awful but the US played a stormer, should be an interesting match against South Korea.

Now we've just got to get past Friday!!

[ioconnell]

Pete Hanlin said:


Best of all, John O'Brien scored a goal (he wears the same uniform #5 and is a midfielder like I was... all comparison ends there).
:)

You were a midfielder Pete? When did you stop playing? How would best describe you play? A fiesty little playmaker??

Good Luck England!

[Tim Hunter]

1-0 who would believe it!!!:D :D :D

[John R]

Well at least not till i've seen the highlights on tv tonite.....

We have to kick the habit of sitting back on a one goal lead though..Its going to be the end of em if there not careful....If they do that against the nigerians we could still go out....
and i was looking forward to singing..
"We'r comming home, we'r comming home, fotties comming home"

Just wait thill the Ities start playing "World cup winners 2002"

[optispares]

1-0 who would believe it

anything can happen now !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pete Hanlin]

You were a midfielder Pete? When did you stop playing? How would best describe your play? A fiesty little playmaker??
My soccer days ranged from 7 years old (we won our district championship that year, so it was a fun start) to age 19 (when I got married).

With the exception of two games, every game I played in those 12 years (including two years on the college team) was from the right midfielder (halfback) position. "Annoying" would be the word I'd use to describe my game.
;)
My favorite aspect of the game was sliding tackles (always legal, of course), and I was overall a pretty average player (although I did usually end up kicking the corner kicks each season). This would be a good time to mention that I only recall receiving 3 red cards (but a ton of yellows) over the years. Needless to say, if you were an opposing forward or halfback, you and I would be on a first name (or some other kind of name) basis by the end of the day!

For someone of my size (5'7"), soccer was a godsend. I don't enjoy basketball, baseball is a bit boring (to play, I love watching it), but soccer suits someone who enjoys running (and running, and running...). I spend more time kicking a soccer ball with my son than throwing a baseball, so hopefully he'll develop an interest in the game.

Anyway, thanks for asking- soccer was the one sport I really enjoyed playing throughout my youth! Too bad its so under-rated and ignored here (chicks just weren't that impressed by the soccer uniform).


PS- My funniest memory of soccer (besides the time I got knocked out while going for a header) was a high school game where the announcer had us fill in our names. Apparently, he didn't see the cross on my "t," so I was introduced as, you guessed it- "Pele Hanlin" (I had a horrible game that day, too...).

PPS- Congrats, England... at 1-0-1, you'll be moving on to the second round no matter what happens in the third game, right?

[ioconnell]

I think England are not home and dry yet!

It's great to hear some talk about soccer. I too used to play. Last year however i broke my arm in game and was out for a while. This year was my exam year so I have not had the time to do any other activities. I do need to yet out training soon, I am not as fit as i used to be. Maybe a summer on the cape might set me on the right track.

As for playing, I was what you would call a lazy striker,(although, we were so cr*p I had to spend most of my time defending) I wasnt the best of players. Id say gaelic football was more my game. I never really got into hurling because basically I couldnt see

[John R]

Pete Hanlin said:
you'll be moving on to the second round no matter what happens in the third game, right?

Nope we can still blow it if we lose...:hammer:
As the saying goes "Our fate is in our hands"
We need to draw or win....but anything less than a win is going to be poor...

[10 Pence Short]

COOOOOOOOOMMMMOOOOOONNNNNN EEEEEEENNNNNNGGGGEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRLLLLAANNNNDDDDD!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well done the lads! Beckham for Knighthood, no, Beckham for Prime Minister, no, Beckham for World President, no, Beckham for Jesus! What a penalty.

has anybody noticed how our games have been like home games? Our supporters seem to outnumber the oppositions by about 10-1.

Football is coming home.

No doubt Mr. O' Connell disagrees!

[John R]

Oh boy.... 1-0 up andthem we throw it away losing 1-2....Just hope thats our bad match out of the way....

Better get the team back on the pasta rather than the sushe....

[optispares]

not quite the right result eh!! mr ranfagni:hammer:

[John R]

optispares said:
not quite the right result eh!! mr ranfagni:hammer:

In my best Mr Caine voice
"Your only supposed to blow the bloody doors off"

[optispares]

"Your only supposed to blow the bloody doors off"

WellitwasonlyaMINIdisaster:cheers:

[sarahr]

So what's the plaan for Wednesday?

1. Late for work

2.Dedicated worker on the premises by 7.30am

3.1st hlf T.V. 2nd half 5 live

Should this be a poll?:cheers:

[ioconnell]

I know what the plan for Tuesday is though. Go out watch the first match then have to go back to the Exam hall and hope to hear the "flag waving leprechauns" singing again!

If you are wondering where I am getting pixie head and leprechaun from.

Well Mr. Eamonn Dunphy is Irelands Weakest link presenter who in his day used to play for Ipswich town. Now, pretty old and feeble, he is on the Rte sports panel for Irelands games.

When Cameroon took the lead in the first game, he gave such a blagarding to the irish squad. Acording to him there was only one man that could save Irish soccer and he was sitting at home in Cork.

After the games he moved on to calling the supporters flag waving leprechauns and pixie heads. He went back to USA 94 saying that Jack Charlton is a clown with alzhimers (sp.)

Then moving on to France's defeat to Senegal - Laurent Blanc can barely walk, let alone run or play soccer:hammer:

Dunphy, You are the weakest link, GOODBYE

[Herceg]

Why are no americans here? It could be right that they dont like football
because they dont win :) but they won agains portugal.

Im looking forward to the game ecuador agains croatia. Croatia (if
they wins) could meat USA :) (or SouthCorea)

[ioconnell]

Herceg said:
Why are no americans here? It could be right that they dont like football
because they dont win :) but they won agains portugal.

Im looking forward to the game ecuador agains croatia. Croatia (if
they wins) could meat USA :) (or SouthCorea)

May I be the first to welcome you to optiboard, if you have any questions there are many great moderators to help!

Is Croatia your team? They had a great win against Italy yesterday, Well deserved!:cheers:

Wow I didnt realise my own powers, I called Dunphy the weakest link earlier today and just now on the news it has been announced that he has been banned from RTE sports coverage.

Should I become the next Irish Anne Robinson? I think Ill call myself Aengus Robinson
:hammer:

[John R]

sarahr said:
So what's the plaan for Wednesday?
1. Late for work
2.Dedicated worker on the premises by 7.30am
3.1st hlf T.V. 2nd half 5 live

With our missurable bosses no chance
If were lucky we will have radio 5 live on....How i hate listerning to fottie on the radio....
Maybe i take the morning off...
Even if we offered to work later so we could start later they would not be interested :o ....
with bosses like ours who needs.......

Is Croatia your team? They had a great win against Italy yesterday, Well deserved!

I've just gone off you Ian.......

[10 Pence Short]

Ian,

How about Aengus O'Robinson?

Anyone noticed how well Japan seem to be playing?

John,

Are you an Iti or summit?, thought it was great when Croatia beat Italy- the italians should have been poolside with the quality of their dives! I'm not surprised Serie A has been less successful in Europe this last couple of seasons now the refs are punishing those who fall over to easy. Watching some players you'd think they'de been hit by 20 rampaging rabied buffalo, not tapped on the back.

Phew, that feels better!

[Pete Hanlin]

Why are no americans here? It could be right that they dont like football because they dont win but they won against portugal.
Ahem! I'm an American and have been watching, and participating in, this thread with great interest. I may even try to stay up till 2:30am to watch some of the USA v. South Korea match (I hate Monday mornings enough already, however, so I may just tape it for viewing on Monday night).

We're not oblivious to the World Cup, its just that the NBA finals, the NHL finals, and the NCAA college World Series finals are running at the same time (plus, we beat Portugal and haven't played again until tonight). I hear the South Koreans are all worked up for revenge over some Olympic skating event where their skater was disqualified for cutting off an American- oh, brother!

Here's a question. Why do you Europeans get sooooo worked up when your team loses! I mean, the Russians (I guess they aren't European, but its the same kind of thing) were busy attacking Japanese people and burning stuff after losing to Japan. We get pretty worked up over football (the kind played with a pointy ball), but we don't usually start riots and such nonsense!

Its only a game! :cheers:

I suppose it all comes down to something one of our famous "football" coaches (Vince Lombardi) said- "Winning isn't everything... its the only thing!"

PS- One of the interesting things about World Cup play is the issuing of cards for "taking a dive." Either that wasn't a part of the game when I was playing or it was simply never called (at least to my recollection).