Italy - France

I think Italy devastates.

italy should win. having watched both semi finals i thought france looked tired tonight, and if you can't get yourself up and running for a world cup semi final then you have problems. perhaps as i said in a different post, the fact that they have an old team with an average age over 30 is catching up with them. how long can they keep producing? italy on the other hand were full of running, skill and were inventive. they have the better defence, similar midfield to france and probably more depth than france up front so it has to be italy for me. france are a good side but not a great one and ,for me, it is a little odd that they made the final. ihope its a great open game and italy don't defend as they tend to do but have a go. that would make for a good game. as aside issue, portugal tonight were a disgrace. they are a team of diving, conning cheats. they probably now have the worst reputation in world football for cheating, diving and trying to con referees. they even do it at chelsea in england. and guess what? they have a portuguese manager. it woud have been a disaster for football had they made the final. thank goodness they didnt.

Ha, ha, ha. Go and check the thread "Topic: world cup germany soccer 2006" ! I predicted that Italy can go all the way!

leoniedy wrote: Ya, I was kidding about Ukrain, Argentina look very strong and I somehow like them, the same apply to Italy - they can go all the way espesially Italy - first place in the group and they'll see Brazil only in final, providing they would get first in their group too. Remember 1994 finals, eh, - stupid penalties and Brazil beat Italy. I was thinking it was a rule - second game for world cup final in case of a draw and then penalties, but they changed the rules on me, and Brazil was so lucky (as usual) when Budgio could not score 2 min before the end. Well, we might see somebody else go all the way, not just Brazil - so boring.

Well guys, you made very good comments. I will add the both teams are good and very well tactical managed. It will be a non exciting-game but a good strategic one. Sure France has Zizou, Thouran. Thierry , excellent players who cam make the difference. Italy is also very well organized with excellent players who got use to the difficult italian championship.

In my opinion the chance are 50-50 but have a look who will be the first to score: at that point. il will be hard for both to attack

Je te fait un cadeau avant de faire les valises pour la prochiane defaite

if France is good enough to beat Brasil, they better win the damn cup.

Go France !!!! I hope 2-1 for France .

Boys will be boys!

President JFJ wrote: Italy has been having an extremely rough time scoring goals. The 2 goals they got against Germany were purely defensive errors on Germany's part. France played a bad game against Portugal, and I expect them to come out flying in the final. Again, it all comes down to officiating, and considering the officials have been calling in Italy's favour the entire world cup, they may get their way on Sunday.

i dont think the officials have deliverately been calling for italy at all. this is one of the fairest and least play acting italian teams i have ever seen. when italy have won the world cup before they always played the cynical cattanacio style, which is effective bit dull as hell. this lot actually try and play good football. they are amazing to watch tactically. they can switch their defensive style any time they feel like it during a game. they can go from sitting deep, to pushing up to long ball to playing to feet through the midfield, depending on the flow of the game. can anyone think of any other team that can do that? as for not scoring a lot, france have not exactly been banging in the goals except against a very young inexperienced, albeit good, spanish team.( look out for spain at euro 2008). my point is, italy don't have to score often with the defence and defensive midfielders they have. i bet if they are put in a position where they have to score a few, they could. they trounced ukraine did they not? france also have a slightly wobbly left full back. he is a weak link and louis saha is suspended. on paper, and from a pure technical football point of view italy should win, but of course we all know that on paper counts for nothing. most of the french team have been there ,seen it and got the t shirt which will help enormously. its going to be a close one anyway but italy will just shade it i think. i am actually disappointed in the teams that made the final as i quite like both of them. i always like at least one team in a final to love or really hate. makes it more interesting.

Italy took germany out of their game.  Germany looked green.  And some of their yellow cards were just indicative of their frustrations.  Italy outshot German as well.  Defensively Italy did very well and were very aggressive.  And 2 of  Italy's goals opportunities hit the goal posts.  It could have beena shorter game.  THe second goal may have been a defensive error but that first one was a great goal.  The guy bent the ball around the goalie and one defender.  That one was pure skill.  You can't take that from Italy.

I'm no big fan of either team but . . .

Germany lost because they could not put the ball in the net. 

Parts of the second half of that game were boring but  Germany has only themselves to blame.  THey couldn't control the ball and get it in striking distance.

France has definitely a chance but I'm liking Italy because of the momentum from the previous game.

Sure ..we are ready for the big battle

a lot of people are saying that its destiny for zidane as he is one of top 5 players the owld has ever seen. well so was cruyff and he lost in the final in 1974. i do like zidane though,as a british commentator said the other day, when he is on the ball it makes him think of classical music due to the artistry of his style. as for president JFJ's comment about totti, i think you could apply that comment to most footballers. they always dive and roll around. ita pathetic. i was at a sports hall the other day waiting to play tt and there was a kids footie match on. probably about 6-8 year olds. they were all diving and rolling around when tackled. it was depressing to watch.they learn it from tv though. footballers should look at rugby players or aussie rules football. now those are games for men.

well. I think is better you follow your ice hockey team because I have the impression you are making a strange cocktail called 'mess' !

Even in ice hockey you score the last minute, isn.t it  ? So ????  This is a game, we do not have to apologize before scoring.

Ya braveheart, we should watch our ice hockey team. What does that mean? Are you saying its our only good team? Well, news for you, your country has no good teams. The reason that hockey teams score in the last minute a lot of the time is because there is a goalie pulled. The defending team only has to put the ball on net to score, and the attacking team has an extra attacker. Hockey is a completely different game than soccer. About 3 times as many goals are scored, there are stoppages in time, the players move faster, the playing surface is much, much smaller, there is contact, and the object used for scoring travels at up to 110 mph. Thoses are some major differences in rules and regulations. Don't compare hockey to soccer, especially when you know nothing about hockey.

THERE IS NO NEED FOR NAME CALLING OR BEING RUDE ON BOTH SIDES.  PLEASE REFRAIN FROM ANTAGONIZING EACH OTHER.

CAN'T WE ALL GET ALONG?

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