[Bertrand]

French team news:
Anelka told Domenech "va te faire enculer sale fils de pute".
This means that he thought Domenech would need to be given some rear action, and that he suspected Raymond's mother to have prostituted herself at one point in her life.
He was then replaced by Gignac at half-time during the game against Mexico.
No journalist was present. So the story leaked from a player.
Domenech had told Anelka that he had not particularly played well. I watched the game: he was right. If only he had seen that 4 games ago...

Malouda did not play the first game.
The reason was not a bust up, it was a tactical decision. That's official. But there was a bust up. Official too. Not that strong apparently.

Gallas could have been pouting. When Domenech decided that Henry would no longer captain the team (that was last month, it was well organised), he named Evra. Gallas did not like it too much. He thought another defender would have been better for the part (someone who lost the captaincy in a London team).
Gossip (?): Domenech intended not to select Henry in the 23.

Ribéry's a joker.
It pisses some off (who? Gignac? Toulalan? Gourcuff - noone, apart from Toulalan, seems to stand by him).

Bring more news, British people! What's wrong in Gerrard's life? Why has he been so poor for Liverpool this year? Why doesn't anyone want Joe Cole to play for them? Will Milner ever recover from his 30 minute World Cup?

I'll forget these questions as soon as a new team, wherever it comes from, plays well and scores too.
Hopefully, it will happen today.

[the ikara cult]

we're shit
we're shit

we're shit
we're shit
we're shit

shit
we're shit

we're shit
we're shit
we're shit

shit shit
shit shitty shitty shit
shit shitty shitty shit
shit shitty shitty shit

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by Bertrand

What's wrong in Gerrard's life?

Google, "steven gerrard", "16 year old" and "pregnant". Then google "kris commons" and "alex Curran". all will be revealed ... allegedly.

[chicka]

Rooney obviously way over-rated. He gets the ball he can't pass it off fast enough. No creativity at all. You watch the other top players and even some of the lesser but all of the forwards are looking for the ball and trying to do something with it. He just wants somebody to set him score. English players are all afraid to screw up thanks to your merciless media. Thanks to Algeria, USA destiny is in it's own hands.

[jon boy]

rooney was absolutely gash in both games, no control, hardly any pace, no creativety. the only players that have been half decent have been james, defoe and crouch. i echo ikara cults sentiments.

[o o o]

Originally Posted by Bertrand

French team news:
Anelka told Domenech "va te faire enculer sale fils de pute".
This means that he thought Domenech would need to be given some rear action, and that he suspected Raymond's mother to have prostituted herself at one point in her life.
He was then replaced by Gignac at half-time during the game against Mexico.
No journalist was present. So the story leaked from a player.
Domenech had told Anelka that he had not particularly played well. I watched the game: he was right. If only he had seen that 4 games ago...

And now the update: Anelka officially excluded from the French team – he’s supposed to leave the team today and leave South Africa by plane tonight or tomorrow!

[!@#$%!]

i was expecting the 3rd-world malnourished algerians to succumb to exhaustion before the english did, but it was the opposite. i was in shock. not enough roastbeef. maybe it was old age, maybe it was too much fucking your teammate's girlfriends, but england ran out of gas by about minute 30 of the 2nd half-- except for the substitutions of course. the algerians were tired too and kept running on the attack--poorly--but still going.

u.s. - algeria should be interesting because the u.s. team is as fucking tenacious and relentless as algeria-- as proven in the slovenia game. who'll win, i have no idea, really-- we have the players, but it's up to coach bradders to figure out a good system. findley won't be playing because that stupid fucking yellow card (for getting a ball on the face-- no teabagging-- go figure), but we should be alright.

[chicka]

the way they've been playing perhaps the whole team should get on that plane. Ribery and Malouda seem to be the only two giving some effort

[o o o]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

i was expecting the 3rd-world malnourished algerians to succumb to exhaustion before the english did, but it was the opposite. i was in shock. not enough roastbeef. maybe it was old age, maybe it was too much fucking your teammate's girlfriends, but england ran out of gas by about minute 30 of the 2nd half-- except for the substitutions of course. the algerians were tired too and kept running on the attack--poorly--but still going.

the Algerian team can indeed be a tenacious one... i've heard that England goalie David James declared after the game something along the lines of "you have to blame Algeria for this dire performance tonight", which is unfair if he was suggesting that Algeria tried to close the game for a 0-0, because i feel it's not really like they played with 10 men behind - with their limited means, they continued to attack and actually went for the win (which would indeed have been good for better hopes to qualify)...

not too sure what their chances are against the USA, i'm rather pessimistic actually - but it would be fun for Algeria to qualify and meet Germany in the round of 16, as an opportunity to get revenge for Gijon 1982 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Ge...Austria_(1982))!

Apparently, the Algerian team prepared for the game by watching Pontecorvo's "Battle of Algiers" - can seem a strange choice in the context of a football game, but at least the team showed some motivation on the field...

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by chicka

Rooney obviously way over-rated. He gets the ball he can't pass it off fast enough. No creativity at all. You watch the other top players and even some of the lesser but all of the forwards are looking for the ball and trying to do something with it. He just wants somebody to set him score.

Come on, you've seen him in the Premiership and Champions League, up against far stronger opposition than he's faced so far in the World Cup. His performances in those last two games in no way reflect what he's actually capable of. It's the same with Lampard. Clearly the problem isn't with the players, who've more than proved their worth many times over. The media's a fair shout but then I don't think they apply any pressure than the Brazilian or Argentinian media apply to their national teams, both of which seem to do ok. As with Domenech, I increasingly think there's been some kind of breakdown between Capello and the players. There's a very interesting post-match radio interview with David James [EDIT: a different one to the one o o o is talking about] where he's almost explicitely showing contempt for Capello. Rooney and Lampard are having an awful tournament but I think it's more a problem within the camp itself than one either with them as players or the pressure the media are putting them under.

[!@#$%!]

[for o o o]

what james meant is probably that they looked bad cuz algeria kicked their asses. i mean, i get the feeling that some english fans will only consider "oh, we played so terribly" rather than admit that the little team from underdeveloped north africa played better. it's sort of like 100% of the responsibility for the game was in england's hands-- which it wasn't. so i read that declaration as quite fair, actually, if you read it like i do-- "they trumped us on every front". this of course doesn't mean that england played a great game.

battle of algiers is the perfect choice i think. and hot damn, next they will be facing the great satan!

ah, time to watch denmark-- i haven't seen them play yet.

[o o o]

yes, i actually hope he meant it that way. i have only seen this small bit of the interview in written form with a comment mocking him for saying that: i did not watch or hear the interview in which he made the declaration, so i am aware i should be cautious with how to interpret it (that's why i added a little "if" in my post above).

[!@#$%!]

o o o - yes, i know you said if--- but look at the comments in this thread, the english fans put on the blame on their team and acknowledge little merit in algeria-- algeria actually played well and didn't let down (i know, i repeat myself)

---

and for "i haven't seen denmark yet", i meant "i haven't seen cameroon yet"!

danish goalkeeper fucked up and it was a nice goal.

[gualbert]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

i was expecting the 3rd-world malnourished algerians to succumb to exhaustion before the english did, but it was the opposite. i was in shock. not enough roastbeef. maybe it was old age, maybe it was too much fucking your teammate's girlfriends, but england ran out of gas by about minute 30 of the 2nd half-- except for the substitutions of course. the algerians were tired too and kept running on the attack--poorly--but still going.

Hum, players who eat red meat are better than the one who don't..?
Indeed Argentina is the best team so far, and the US is not bad either (they should be at the first place of their group).

Man, you're genius.

[!@#$%!]

merguez FTW

--

ps- i grew up in two underdeveloped countries. malnutrition is no joke.

[wellcharge]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

ps- i grew up in two underdeveloped countries. malnutrition is no joke.

so why are you joking about the malnourished algerians?

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by wellcharge

so why are you joking about the malnourished algerians?

it's like black people making black jokes.

-----

anyway, denmark/cameroon was nice, animated-- they didn't play great but both teams were fast & lively and either could have won-- both sides missed goals-- denmark missed better opportunities too but ended up winning.

[wellcharge]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

it's like black people making black jokes.

do you really think algerians would be like "this guy is just like us, he can make fun of our people if he wants"? because i kind of doubt it

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by wellcharge

do you really think algerians would be like "this guy is just like us, he can make fun of our people if he wants"? because i kind of doubt it

50/50 chance? i'm sure algerians make fun of other people.

[Bertrand]

Cameroon-Denmark was great!
The Danish goals were tremendous.
Rommedahl played extremely well, Cameroon never found a way to shake off the problem he caused. Did not look like they tried too much. They wanted to score, and put on a very good show.
The Danes were fortunate their second defensive mistake didn't lead to a goal - Eto'o hit the post.
And Sorensen later made a good save.
That was entertenaing as hell!