Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I remember starting a thread about this for World Cup 2006! My how time flies. I know where some of you stand, but I'll start things off.

COME ON ENGLAND!

Aitch - I know you've got some Soccerroo pride! Who else is as excited as I am for this tournament?

leesh wrote: Who else is as excited as I am for this tournament?

I am!


It's the only time in four years that they show soccer FOOTBALL on regular TV.....and it isn't in Spanish.

" GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL"

...and I say a big hallooo to all friends down under, on sunday we have a good challenge to win the first game : AUS or GER !
My daughter will go to Brisbane in Juli to study there for half a year, her boy friend will go with her, he is a young chef trying to learn the "New Australian Kitchen" meanwhile. We will meet at our place , have some fish on the BBQ and then will watch the first game of our team against OZ, that'll be fun !
...and..aah yeah, we can't await a possible shootout against England : that'll be fun as well... (sorry you guys from the island )

Thanks Green!

Good one, US boys ! You were quite near to beat the english ! ...well, the english keeper was in good old tradition...

Looking forward to the Australia vs. Germany game, Alex.

Go the Socceroos!!

Yeah, Howard, it's gonna be a fun night tomorrow ! Let's meet around midnight (german time) ! May the best win !

Yikes!! 4.30am Melbourne time.

Thank goodness Monday is a public holiday over here!!

The World what?

ozover50 wrote:Yikes!! 4.30am Melbourne time.

Thank goodness Monday is a public holiday over here!!

Sorry Howard ! I think the red card was a little too hard, but I think our team was doing alright ...
The last world cup you were stolen the victory against Italy with that irregular penalty.
But your team will do it the next game !!

Congratulations, Alex.... your boys were far too good for us.

Yes... I think the red card was harsh too.

Having said that I'm going to have a rant here. Pim Verbeek (the Aussie coach, manager, whatever) has single handedly taken away any flair we ever had in our game. His totally rusted-on defensive setups (5-4-1 or 4-5-1) are a total joke (straight out of the 70s handbook) and will probably have us ending up as the laughing stock of the World Cup. I give New Zealand and North Korea far more chance of advancing to the second round than us.

A full defensive setup will not cut it in this tournament for a minnow like us. Verbeek has obviously never heard the phrase 'risk and reward' in the context of football. Better to go down with maybe one or two in the net than look like a second rate side incapable of any structured form of attack. It's too easy for a skilled side to work out how to break our midfield and defence and when we do find ourselves in an attacking situation it's often from a fast defensive break and we're left with one striker and maybe a midfielder to get past three opposition defenders and the keeper.

I for one can't wait for Verbeek's tenure to end. He'll walk away with his millions probably thinking he's done a great job getting us to South Africa but I'll bet my last dollar that the players won't see it that way and will be glad to see the back of him. Hopefully the FFA will look for someone to replace him who has a more positive style and is prepared to at least experiment with an attacking formation.

One thing is for sure.... draws won't do it for us now in this tournament and it's far too late to change tactics and go all out attack. The players would know how but Verbeek wouldn't and won't let them do it anyway.

Rant over!

How do you really feel, Aitch??!!

I was pleased with the 1-1 tie vs England.

As Canada's squad missed yet another World Cup, , and since I don't have an English bone in my body, I'm cheering for New Zealand (my mother-in-law's from there originally). The "All Whites" did great today, tying the favoured Slovaks 1-1 -well done lads!

The toxicology and pharmaceuticals conference I just got back from was half about what it was supposed to be about, and half about the World Cup. Of course the chair of my department is English so there was plenty of internal bickering.

86kubicki wrote: The "All Whites" did great today, tying the favoured Slovaks 1-1 -well done lads!

Yeah ! The first point won ever in a world cup , congrats to NZL !

The englishmen are quite quiet here ...maybe they mixed up the meaning of goalkeeper and goalgetter , sorry, oh so sorry for that !
I think, these first matches we saw were all not too exciting .
Howard, I think OZ will take the chance against Ghana !