killjoy32 wrote:
a very deserved france. portugal are cheating little feckers and didnt deserve to grace the final with their presence.

the final should be a representation of the world two best teams. portugal are ok at best. if there was a rule where a team could be cited for cheating, they would have been banned out of competition months ago.

my one final say on them is that Christian Ronaldo has a VERY interesting season ahead at Manchester United, thats for sure. if he isnt the most hated player in english football in the season to come, i will be amazed.

he is gonna be scrutinised now like nothing youve ever seen.

Al

It is funny that the fans would blame Christian Ronaldo for the loss.  Wasn't it England that lost the game.  Maybe the fans should deal with the act they couldn't win against Portugal and not blame a guy playing for his county.

Blackmoor wrote:
It is funny that the fans would blame Christian Ronaldo for the loss.  Wasn't it England that lost the game.  Maybe the fans should deal with the act they couldn't win against Portugal and not blame a guy playing for his county.

jeff, i hear what youre saying chummer. BUT over there, i dont know how fans of whatever sport take to sportsmen/women who cheat?

in soccer, we currently have a problem where say...a player will get tapped on the shoulder, and when i say tap, i mean like the tip of your finger lightly tap...and they will go down like they have just been hit like a car, do a triple somersault and then act like both their legs are broken. now the refs are feckin thick that these players get away with it.

in a crucial game, where players do this for clear advantage and actually SAY IN THE PRESS before the game that they are going to do all they can to get player X sent off, what would you think?

its very un-sportsmanly and it ruins the game. THAT is why he is blamed.

you also clearly didnt see the france v portugal game last night, where he tried this on no less than 5-6 occasions through the match, three times inside the penalty box. i mean they were that blatant is was almost laughable.

THAT is why he gets the name that he has....and it isnt just the england fans because he did it to us either....

anyway *calms back down* - back to work for me.

sooner you have a video referee watching the game for these things, the better. how stupid they will look each time one of them is cited for what they do. sooner it happens, the sport will be much better for it.

Al

deim - the last games are at the weekend - the final and the playoff for 3rd place. then you get 4 years peace before the next one

Al

killjoy32 wrote:
a very deserved france. portugal are cheating little feckers and didnt deserve to grace the final with their presence.

the final should be a representation of the world two best teams. portugal are ok at best. if there was a rule where a team could be cited for cheating, they would have been banned out of competition months ago.

my one final say on them is that Christian Ronaldo has a VERY interesting season ahead at Manchester United, thats for sure. if he isnt the most hated player in english football in the season to come, i will be amazed.

he is gonna be scrutinised now like nothing youve ever seen.

Al

How is it possible to cheat at soccer?

Al - will the Portugese pratt really be with Man U again this season?!

Lets face it if you or I behaved like this we would go into the changing rooms (locker rooms to our American buddies) after the game and get the kicking of our lives! (probably from our own team mates as well as the opposition!)

Playing for your country is all about pride and passion - how can a player call himself a man when he behaves like this in front of the rest of the world - such behaviour should get you ostracised from right thinking society - Unfortunately there's so much money in professional sport now that its becoming almost the norm - Sad. (BTW this 'cheating' behaviour was certainly not limited to this one player, it was rife throughout the tournament. As an example for the final - Thierry Henry stand up and take your adulation - or rather fall over if you just get looked at the wrong way you cheating b**@*@@*!!

(Rant over - thanks for listening)

I don't think CR will be looking forward to starting pre-season training in Manchester.  Rooney has apparently threatened to 'split him in two', and Neville and Ferdinand didn't look too pleased with his antics either.

It's not just about the English hating him.  Did you hear the reception from the crowd every time he touched the ball in the semi-final?

Zidane can retire happy, now; he has his final vent.

Odd final.

wanted the italians to win for a few reasons (Canavarro, Totti, etc ..)

but stilll wanted to see Zidane & Henry score

2 outta 3 aint bad

Still gutted over Argentina, Spain, Holland and England not making it further

But the best team at the tournament won. No complaints.

South Africa next ...

WOuld like to thank everyone for the discussion about diving in football (soccer).  I have not watched many matches.  I watched the final between Italy and France and thought, these guys fall down alot.  Now I know why.  Saw the Spain vs France match.  Those guys were taking a dive every chance they got.  

Enjoyed the games anyway.  Man what those guys can do with thier feet!

Martin