who thinks italy will get through?
do u think last nights performance will wake them up and make them realise?

They're buggered in my book. The Czechs will beat the Italians, Ghana (who are absolute class and will be the 'surprise African side a la Senegal in 2002 and Cameroon in 1990') will beat the Americans and Italy are out! The 2-0 result against Ghana was flattering in my opinion.

quote:

Originally posted by Spinoza:
They're buggered in my book. The Czechs will beat the Italians, Ghana (who are absolute class and will be the 'surprise African side a la Senegal in 2002 and Cameroon in 1990') will beat the Americans and Italy are out! The 2-0 result against Ghana was flattering in my opinion.

I hope you're right.

Why do you want Italy to go out, ij?

They will. They always do. Remember 1994 : lost to Ireland, drew with Mexico, and beat Norway but then ended up in the final. Lippi is a geat coach. He just has to replace Zaccardo with Oddo and put De Rossi on a plane back to the shi&hole he comes from and we are sorted. We also had a horrific start in 1982 where we did not win a single game in the group phase but then beat Argentina, Brazil, Poland, and Germany to win the WC.

I prefer us to have problems now than later on when only a win will do. Lippi is a superb troubleshooter and he will get us through.

quote:

Originally posted by Markieboy:
Why do you want Italy to go out, ij?

Like most of the ex-pats I know in Italy (in Milan at least) I hate the azzurri.

I have enjoyed every one of their disasters since 1994.

My personal highlights would have to be the Euro 2000 Final and the 2002 World Cup Korea match.

This time around the thought of people like Cannavaro and Lippi being involved in a World Cup winning side has even prompted me to promise to support England should they meet Italy.

The general reason lies in the fact that the Italian press is extremely jingoistic (right up there with the Sun), the Italian fans don't want it enough (how else do you explain the pathetic numbers travelling from Italy to matches? Euro 2004 was truly embarrassing from this point of view, this time around the numbers are more respectable but almost all the fans are German-Italians) and, as already hinted at, why should I - a non-Italian interista - get excited about people like Cannavaro, Gattuso, Inzaghi etc?

I see. I can totally empathise with the distaste for the jingoistic media. It's the main reason I want England to lose.

quote:

Originally posted by Spinoza:
The Czechs will beat the Italians

I don't see how than can be so clear cut, seeing as they have no striker, their best defender is out and Nedved looks as though he should have stuck to his decision to retire from International football (if not football in general).

I agree Ghana are a good side and I think it is credit to Italy for a hard fought win against them. Italy will sneak a win against the Czech's going through top with Ghana second, I believe.

Didn't I tell all of you that this italian team is very poor with very little on the bench.
We deserve to go out because we play crap football and have no talent.

Didn't I say that players like toni and gilardino are over rated and not up to the standard. The only strikers to show any thing has been iaqunita who I tipped.

Face it, Italian league football is poor and italy produce on the whole poor players with limited ability.

The only good playrs with any creative ability never get chosen.
Players like marchionni, semoli, Liverani, marseca, Tavano, di michelle.

@italia & interjambo you are both a disgrace.. fair enough we played poor against the us but we will turn it around

Saying players liek toni is average is crazy.. he has scored 31 goals this season which has not been done since the 50's.. jus think all those that haveplayed in serie a since then never achived that.. the likes of baggio.. maradonna.. klinsmann.. gullit.. van basten.. does that make them average too.. i think not

keep your negative comments to ur selves.. as for supporting the reds.. dont make me laugh... they are a joke!

if italy lose or draw and ghana get through would they get kicked out?
if usa won and italy won what would happen?
what would happen for italy to be kicked out of the tournament?
do italy ideally need to win?
and can they do it?

Have a look here.

quote:

Originally posted by dbitalia:
@italia & interjambo you are both a disgrace..

You've been exposed boys. Time for the firing squad.

Now that Italy is through, I don't think that they'll have any problem against Ukraine but they will have to raise their game however if they want to have a decent chance at being the 2006 world cup champion

Well I hope we improve, should hopefully beat Ukraine, but a semi v Argentina/Germany may be a step too far

quote:

Originally posted by italia:
Didn't I tell all of you that this italian team is very poor with very little on the bench.
We deserve to go out because we play crap football and have no talent.

Didn't I say that players like toni and gilardino are over rated and not up to the standard. The only strikers to show any thing has been iaqunita who I tipped.

Face it, Italian league football is poor and italy produce on the whole poor players with limited ability.

The only good playrs with any creative ability never get chosen.
Players like marchionni, semoli, Liverani, marseca, Tavano, di michelle.

Classic.