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Well I'm creating a new football thread in order to continue a general discussion about the teams, the referees, all about this sport... without going off-topic in another thread...

what? not even a starting note?

well, who's leading the french league?

...we were talking about the different national teams and the bad French team that is helped by the referees...

Well, I think technically the penalty kick was not justified but that it is not due to a referee conspiracy...

yeah, a mistake because it all happens so fast, but in the end, there shouldn't have been a penalty

I was writing my starting note in order not to make people think it was a restricted topic...

Monaco's leading (yeah) , and Paris Saint-Germain is 5th (it doesn't deserve it, but the team had a lot of luck recently...)

Who's leading in Belgium ?

hmm, thought monaco wouldn't get a licence to play in first? must have misheard

in belgium anderlecht is leading, 5 points ahead of Genk and 7 of Club Brugge (my favorite team and arch-enemy of anderlecht)

oh well, the last 8 years, we were always in the top 2, can't say THAT of anderlecht

Well, Monaco can play in France or in Italy...
This year, they had some finacial problems, but the control organization allow them to stay in first league...Moreover, as Monaco is not geographically in France, the players of this team don't have to pay taxes (or just a few)... That's very attractive, and that's one of the reasons why Morientes came there

yeah, I know, just that I heard that and it surprised me

which thing surprised you ???

So *waiting for Kes to return to talk about the referees*, I don't understand how Belgium could have been eliminated...

them not getting a licence!

well, quite easy, we lost twice to bulgaria and once very badly to croatia (4-0!!!), then you're just not worth going to the finals!

Well in France, people are very serious with economic situation

...Because you have some great players...

we do??? who do you have in mind then GP??

don't know, I'm a little bit disappointed...I think Belgium deserve more to go to the playoff than Slovenia, Latvia, or even Scotland...

dunno, I don't think we deserved it
we played bad

You had a difficult group...

I replied in the other thread.
He was falling down and he had is arms out to stop the fall.
I think he had his eyes closed.
The ref with the flag (cant remember what they are called in english couldnt even see what was going on cos the french player was in front of him. He only signaled it cos the player asked. So the happening to fast is wrong, plus signal a penalty that he didnt see in a golden goal situation does sound like conspiracy. The were just protecting the champion.
By the way they won 98 cos it was at home and Brazil was shaken by what happen to Ronaldo.

Portugal is playing lousy. Well they are getting better but they dont run!!!
Figo is the only doing something!
At least that lousy goalkeeper, Baia is def out! Thank good!

I thought he was ok-ish

Who's replacing Vitor Baia ?

Well I don't think it is a conspiracy... Our former captain, Didier Deschamps, was good at talking referees into doing something (he was a good player and a very good captain)...

To me the fact that the referee gave an extra time of 4 mins that allowed the French team to score...but a friend of mine told me that it was due to the fact that Italy tried to gain some time...

4 is a LOT for overtime you know!

Now it is not. But at that time it was a lot. I was said the extra-time was doubled for the reason I explained

that's quite unfair!
then what should have happened with Cl Brugge-Celta de Vigo??????

...

the metafysical trinity?

nah, celta was being extremely unprofessional!
when they got in a duel, they fell down like they were dying, putting on a lot of show, at LEAST holding up the game for TEN minutes!
if that rule you said would have been enforced, then we would have played 20 additional minutes!

Ricardo (now plays for Sporting but last year played for Boavista, they eliminated PSG form the UEFA cup.) and Quim is the 2nd (he changed teams so I'm not sure who is playing for now )
Both way better then Baia, he was the best marketing strategy portugal has ever seen. He was always bad He had good defenses but way to many nasty goals.



They wanted them to go to the final that simple.

Celta is a discusting team

I think the referee of Southampton-Steaua Bucarest gave 6 or 7 mins

yeah! they are! they're extremely pathetic and unprofessional!
such childish actions shouldn't have been allowed at all!
I mean, the goalie was down for five minutes and then just stood up and played again! he should AT LEAST have gotten yelllow!

with such plays, they STOLE us the victory! (a draw now)

Yeh really do not like that team.
Benfica plays this Wednesday (or Thursday)
They better win! I think Nuno Gomes is going to play, at least the coach called him. Good to know he's better he can at least do Nr 10 (distribute the game)

against la louviere no?
you BETTER win then!!!

Yeh. Dont want to jinx it but the team is playing a bit better now.

kes, honestly, if benfica loses of la louviere, I just point and laugh at you! it's a HORRIBLE team!

I said my team has the ability to lose against easy teams
And they are lazy! They dont run!

well, let them run over so I can point and laugh at THEM then

Oooh! My sort of play!

hey, it's better then laughing at a pretty girl

I'll change teams if they lose.

shoot, I was hoping you would change countries; )

Hehe... We have a phrase, here "Le ridicule ne tue pas" (Ridicule have never killed anyone)...

proof: I have some friends that keep supporting the Paris Saint-Germain (Yeah the most ridiculous team in France)....

But that's the cleverest !

which team do you cheer for then GP?

which team would you switch to then?

Depends I don't trust in PSG but I'm happy when they win (hehe it's my local team). Also FC Metz (a gentle & friendly, and not that good little team ).
Basically every team that play an attractive and 'good' football.
Abroad=> well, erm... Juventus, Arsenal (but it's not absolute fanaticism)

metz? didn't boffin play there?

used to, I think, yes, and Gunther VanHandenoven or smth like that (sorry )

yeah, he playes in St-Truiden now,
I knew a belgian dude used to play there, but wasn't sure who

I'm a Villa fan, for my horrid sins.

could be worse ... could be chelsea; )

Belenenses. A team from Lisbon

never heard of them

And you pick Juventus? Do you consider playing on defense attractive?!

Yerss> They are a small team, win against the big teams thou

you should have switched YEARS ago then

Alright, but Belenenses never wins

oh great, now I'm the only one who never heard of them

In this case it's not a matter of attractive game... (same for Paris,Metz,... => Do you think they play an attractive football ???)

True, they've never won the league, at least has far has I know. But I hate all the teams that even come close to winning so


If Paris is PSG the only games I see are the European games, true I'm not impressed. Dont know who Metz are.

I must say, I hate soccer. Probably the most boring sport next to maybe BaseBall.

lol Thats expected from an american

well, I thought baseball was boring, but last summer I had to change my opinion

I hate the word "soccer", it offends me.

it's all the yanksfault

It's just nothin ever happens during a soccer game, they pass the ball around for like 95 percent of the game, barely moving at all. And they get like 3 shot's on goal the whole game. The only really entertaining thing I've ever seen come out of a soccer game was this time i was watching a mexican soccer game on the spanish channel, and this guy was dribbling the ball, just running like normal, and out of the blue he just fell down, clutched his leg and started screaming like a little girl. He like broke his leg just by running on it. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

Unlike basketball, where the aim seems to be score one, then other team scores one, then you score one, then the other team scores one, etc, the interesting part of football is the build up of play.

Its not all about seeing the ball hit the onion bag, I've watched many interesting nil-nil games in my time.

I dislike basketball as well. I agree, there is no tension in basketball because there is so much scoring involved.

The only sport i can really watch is Hockey.

Ice or regular?

Ice.

I actually don't watch any sports anymore, I used to be hella into hockey, but my interest in it has deminished over the past few years. But every now and then i will watch a game, and i still somewhat follow the NHL.

please! topic people!

I would expect better from you mech!
tsk tsk tsk!

hockey is kinda relating to soccer, so shush up yerss.

They both have nets and goalies...

Like handball, Waterpolo,...

Normal hokey is cool but there are to many foals (sp) Plus its not really developed.
Hey Portugal is the champion
Like mech says its the build up thats interesting, plus what some players do with the ball WOW!
You just watched the wrong games BF.
As for that player...their knees suffer a lot so thats not uncommon.

yeah! they have some great technique and can do tricks that others can't possible do!

that's true, it's cool when they do the flip kick.

flip kick?!

yeah, you know, the one when they kind jump up and flip over and kick it, landing on their back.

a volley?

Oh. Bicicleta (bike kick). Got it.
I was refering to the whats it called...when they passe tru the other playes. specially when they sit the other players

can't follow that last part kes

I was talking about when they are passing another player, not when they kick for goal. Do you understand? What Figo, Zidane, etc are good at.

keeping the ball in the air with flair and such?

Yeh, crossing the other players eyes by dancing in front of the ball. Sitting them down

ah! now I can follow! like in the nike-ads?

(my friend and I are practicing on that, still a looooooooooong way to go
but one difficult trick is going well for me )

Yeh!

are you good with a football?

Yeh. I do ok. Was better when I was younger and played all the time.

why did you stop?

I hurt my knee and well grew up
Started riding my bike more and hanging with friends instead of playing.

and where has it brought you kes? to a sporting lisabon which loses all the time because they don't have a mascotte!

Hey! They have a mascotte! Its an eagle! A real eagle

well, it obviously doesn't work!

neither will that missy!
now, you grab a ball and start practicing! they need you!

if they payed me has much as they pay the players!

I would

I'm OBSESSED with football!!! Italian football especially!!! it's the best sport ever invented!!! AC MILAN IS # 1!!!!!!! Sorry, i get abit over-enthusiastic when it comes to football!!!!

lol

that's ok, we all can go nuts from time to time

i go nuts all the time...

I am nuts

especially if my team wins

which team is that!

my team wins all the time... that's why i'm nuts 24/7

I usually get nuts when they lose.

a lot of time then kes?

I take that as a yes

yerss his team is the same as mine Club Brugge, the best Belgian team there is IF we ever get all our A players into shape

Thats the problem with my team. they keep getting injured

ofc we will

that's the spirit!

sure

AC MILAN # 1!!!!!!!!

Rui Costa

yeh, i like him, he's a pretty good player

He's excenlent. Cant wait for him to came back.

well I hope Portugal wins EK2004 But I think they'll lose from germany

Lose if they play against germany?
Depends on how well the team is playing. If things start to get together...dont know. Last time I saw a Portugal v germany, germany took 3 from the replacements

Kes, of course u kno about how they have euro 2004 in portugal! are u planning to catch any games live?!?!

wait and see kes

ah, tonight is the big game

BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN
BARRY TOWN

RANGERS! glasgow rangers and FEYENOORD rotterdam

No Nobody whats to go. And i think all games with Portugal are sold out
Unless my dad scores some tickets I wont see any games http://www.killermovies.com/forums/images/moresmilies/cry.gif

No seriously, they (germany) are playing well.
Hmm Balack (sp) is so cute. There was a kid in my school he looked so much like him. To bad he was like 15/16 I was 18 at the time. Maybe now...*starts dreaming of a Balack (sp) look alike*




Indeed...cant wait!

I hope benfica wins kes! I've betted for them!

(FM, it's online, not real ... for this game at least)

Did you get my email with the stadium pics?

no

I haven't added the msn one to the safety list, my bad

It wasnt tru msn.Wait I'll PM you.

hmm, funny, I DO have both the thingies on the safety list

I'm confused now

Has anyone heard of the changes brought about in the UEFA Cup ? this little 5 team championship will lower the interest of the cup, in my opinion... Anyway, I think that this Cup is useless now that the 3rd, 4th, 5th teams of the european championships and the losers of the Champion's league first round are allowed to play there...

hmm haven't heard of it
GP could you try and explain it again cause as I read it now, I figure you mean everyone that doesn't qualify for the second round in the CL goes to the UEFA CUP if that's true the Cup really lost it's point

I'm sorry if I didn't make myself clear. I spoke about 2 different things , which are only bound by the fact that UEFA cup become less and less interesting)

The new rule (that will be implemented next year I think, or this year maybe, I forgot) consist in replacing one or 2 rounds of the cup (each round= 2 games, each one hosted by one of the team) by a mini-championship (5 teams in each group, 1 leg games => Not exactly like the former system in CL, but the spirit is the same...)

that's quite stupid, especially with only 1 leg, unfair

have to check out, I 'm not that sure

that's ok, we don't care about the uefa; we care 'bout the CL

Hey I care about UEFA. Its the only cup Benfica hasnt won!

last one was in the fifties?

Yeah!!!! Barthez is likely to go to Marseille for the rest of the season (loan)!!!

You like him?

Not especially...But again it will help to pretend our French championship is not as crappy as it is in reality

you won from anderlecht

I found it.

From 2004/05, the UEFA Cup format will be based on a first round knockout phase of 80 teams, followed by a group phase involving 40 teams in eight groups of five. The 24 teams who negotiate this stage (the top three from each group) will then be joined by eight teams from the UEFA Champions League for the final knockout phase, which will consist of 32 teams.
A significant difference between the Champions League format and the new UEFA Cup format is that the UEFA Cup group stage will not feature clubs playing each other on a home and away basis. Instead the five clubs in each group will play the other four teams in the group only once.

Well does it makes the French Champ better. I doubt it

You just say that 'cos you don'tlike Anderlecht...

stupid! no other words for it!

So my point was that Uefa cup is already not that interesting, because it's an under-Champion's league competition... (Generally those who win are those who were push out of the 1st round-mini-championship of CL ). That new rule only go further in this way

that sucks GP