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I have just finished watching the england game in the pub and for all those people who knock football and the players i.e. beckham I challenge anyone to come up with something more exciting than the last minute of the england game, backs against the walls, playoffs here we come, upsteps Beckham, villain of 1998, goal, goal, goal, Japan here we come. For all of the girls who moan about football, this is why lads love it and why we yearn it so much.

p.s. football is soccer in american, quite why when all you do is THROW the ball, i don't know. still football sounds cooler than handball i s'pose.

p.p.s. Any Finnish posters, I will email you a pint.

Wooo Hoooo

and Belgium isn't there already, first we have tp beat the team that ended second in group 8...

Edna in her infinite wisdom seems to think that Beckham isn't fast enough.

There is a lesson to be learnt there. Witches know nothing about football.

I also phoned a friend and reminded him that three years ago he had said that Beckham should never be allowed to play for England again. Heheheh...

I don't want it to EVER be that close again, though.

"You could be so lucky,
lucky, lucky lucky." Kylie

yeah, a shame isn't it?

It is such a sham,e that we could only field 10 monkeys and Beckham for the first half. He was the only player earning his money in the first half and was definately man of tyhe match in my book.

Sherringham did his normal magic out of no where trick and the 93rd minute penalty was great. But as Beckham himself said, p[ity he couldn't get the 1st one, rather than he 9th.

But, as the end of the day, it is the final result that really counts and the English team can now wait out the next couple of months until the draws are made for the playoffs.

Just think, in 98 the nation were ready to throw Beckham to the wolves. Now, in 2001, he has matured and led a team by such fantatsic example.

The boy definately done good!!!

I wouldn't say Beckham is fast. He's slow, he can't tackle, he can't beat anyone, he has a dodgy temprement. But what he can do he does very very well. Anyway at least you made it.

I wish they would throw beckham to the wolves,

i'm a wolves fan

Hmmm, don't agree on the whole temprement issue, form what I have seen at any rate. I would agree that in the past he did, but I think he has really grown since getting the captainship.

IMHO OC.

the England goalie did well in the first half

If by that you mean he was able to stop the bal but not maintain a grip on it? The UK commentators were slamming his slippy fingers really badly.

I think that Beckhams temprement was never big; I mean you got shuffeld very hard but when you touch the other he plays 'commedia de la arte' and you get red!

Beckham is NOT slow Just because he's not Owen fast does not actively make him slow.

he also seems to be virtually tireless; he continually runs down every person he can get to and as Motson said, it seemed as if he had been playing Greece all on his own.

He HAS got a temper, though. Better than it was, but I gave a little smile after that foul he did in the Albania match when someone knocked him over, then he got up, sprinted over to the guy and shoulder charged hoim. THAT'S the Beckham everyone hated for a while...

That's what I mean. He's been okay for the past few games but it's always there just waiting to get the better of him. It's the same with players like Gazza and Roy Keane. For months they behave themsleves and then they get sent off for being stupid.

Beckham is slow for a midfielder. That's why he always crosses early. He knows he can't get to the by-line.

that's Beckham for you...

And that's why a lot of people want to see Beckham in the middle of the park rather than on the right side.

Regardless what the UK commentaters were saying the golie had some impotrant saves on 0-1 that kept England in the game. What they should have slamed is the Englands midfield and defence, they looked dizzy at times and without any communications between them at all.
And Beckham is not slow and he is not very fast either. What he got is a lot of stammina and that whats a midfielder needs. Those lightning fast football players tires quickly. Look at Owen he is in front all the time and doesent need to run around the pitch as much as midfielders does.Thats why he is fit to do those lightning charges of his from time to time.
I must give Beckham credit, he has grown a lot as a captain for England and by doing so his perfomance as a football player has grown as well. At the moment he is just superb.

I agree Finti, and so did the commentators, they said the same as you just did.

Beckham was everywhere in that match, he had to be.

If he had been super fast I doubt he would have managed the full 90 minutes, I would suggest that he paced himself perfectly for the game.

Notice how he sprinted to the touchline when he made that free kick? He can put on the burst but he'd never manage a full match if he did.

I think most of the country will agree with you on the poor performance of the England team there. What the heck was wrong with Scholes, anyway?

Scholes is like that, up and down performances all the time.

Mandy already wants to put the England flag on the side of the house.

Funny you said that, I`ve just downloaded St George and the dragon by TOTO

Finti that's exactly what I said. For a right sided midfielder Beckham is slow. To play in the middle he's not.That's why most people think he'd be better in the middle where stamina is important but speed isn't.

England and Manchester UTD play him on the right side where he's expected to beat players and get to the by-line. To do that you need to be quick. Beckham isn't so he crosses early.

and then they score. So what is the problem?

Ah, St. George, England's favourite Egyptian...

enlighten me her USH?

St. George was born in Egypt. Rather like our football temam, he died and came back a fair few times as well.

Finti there isn't a problem. Someone said Beckham wasn't slow, I'm saying that for the position he plays he is.

It was me, and myself and Finti both think he isn't, even in that position.

He is. This could go on a while.

Certainly could... ah well, the man did well, anyway.

guess this is my comment on this matter.

It sounded cryptic. Like something Yoda would say.

I know

I think this is funny. You guys are going on and on about that, and no one from America knows what the hell you're talking about!

Im sorry yanks but this is an intelligent thread so I guess thats why

Ouch my noggin.

Too much celebrating after that draw, 8 pints(!) during the match, then on to other pubs and god knows what I had on my closing time kebab but it wasn't pleasant.

Then yesterday I woke up and couldn't eat a thing so at 12:30 I went to the pub again for some hair of the dog and just about made it back home in time to watch "the usual suspects". Haven't eaten since Saturday morning, but as my best mate says, "..when on a drinking session - your a cheat if you eat...".

Poorly bad.

you had a lot of garlick eeeeeeeeeew barf
YUK I HATE GARLIC

mech i know what you mean, i made the mistake of mixing stella, newky brown, grolsch and strongbow, my head was in hells depths for many hours yesterday, it didn't help that at 10 o'clock i had to drag myself to work (i was late) and work in a nice hot kitchen for 10 hours. Nice!

Also why play beckham in the middle. Players should play in their best positions, and scholes and gerrard just had a poor game and the greeks played their hearts out and their manager found a way to neutralise the midfield, the area which we dominated in Germany.

Sand Person, even we beat Germany. They are THAT bad.

So who's going to win it then? I'd say it has to be Argentina and I think Japan will do well.

Argentina is a good call.

Are Brazil even close to qualifying?

They are struggeling, right now they are #4, number 5 in the South -American group must meet austraalia or a final showdown.

S.P. No.10, I went to Harbourne after the match, where abouts did you go?

I think that if Brasil will become 5th they will have no problem with Australia

yes they will. Australia is no push over and the form Braszil is showing who knows? Just let the aussies come to Norway we show them how to beaqt Brazil. Never lost to Brazil

good for norway!

I hope Brasil doesn't get qualified, they can play against Holland then

in a real wc?

Holland in the wc? yeah right!

I don't remember what year it was, not really a big soccer fan, but I thought it was very appropriate that France won considering that they spent all that money on a new stadium and hosted the cup! *runs away*

the 1998 WC and yes France was very good that year

and in 2000! they won Euro2000

Yeah with te refs help they beat Portugal in the semi finals

not again!

Eurp2000 was the best major championships I've seen. Then it was U.S.A World Cup in 94.

*gets excited* I went to that one! , I think

and I thought it was a boring one, but then we got eliminated by Germany and we didn't got a penalty that could sented us to the 1/4 finals!

I loved that World Cup. I always watch every game.

that's difficult!

I watched alot in '98, I had a cousin visiting and he was really into soccer