[WC] Italy vs France [09.07.2006] (11 Viewers)

[mnementh]

It will really be underachievement if Italy loses. Italy managed a 0-0 with France at their home in 1998... and it was also a better France. People talk about the similarities, but this team misses Blanc, Desailly, Lizarazu, Deschamps... even Pires is not in the current team because of weird calls by the coach who also didn't convoke Mexes, Guilly and others. It will be just totally unfair if italy loses to such a team in such an important match.

 

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[giovanotti]

It is really interesting how many memebers are against Italy ,not only for this match...I can't understand that,especially because for Azzurri are playing 5 players from Juventus.

 

[Stephan]

It will really be underachievement if Italy loses. Italy managed a 0-0 with France at their home in 1998... and it was also a better France. People talk about the similarities, but this team misses Blanc, Desailly, Lizarazu, Deschamps... even Pires is not in the current team because of weird calls by the coach who also didn't convoke Mexes, Guilly and others. It will be just totally unfair if italy loses to such a team in such an important match.

but they are in the wc final! even without those players. and now it really doesnt matter who have better players, Its one match to decide the winner of world cup. who will handle pressure more and deliever.

 

[Badass J Elkann]

but they are in the wc final! even without those players. and now it really doesnt matter who have better players, Its one match to decide the winner of world cup. who will handle pressure more and deliever.

thats cuz they've been jammy cvnts, i still dont see how desially said that italia have playing sumthing like 45 mins of entertaining football, wtf is he on about, boohoo we beat his ghana side, now we will shut him up once and for all and beat his other nation, france. i cudnt bare the thought of the jammiest team to win the wc undeservedly.

 

[Stephan]

yeah indeed, the funny thing is that desailly is a former milan player (93-98), so logically we should expect him to be more respectful towards italy nt.

 

[giovanotti]

Interesting is that France never attacked their opponent...they beat Spain on counter attacks,Brasil from the free kick and Portugal from a penalty kick.
And all the subs Domenech made were attacking ones....and no Treze in the field,only one striker and 2 supporting strikers but no attacks,only counters.
No one never tasted Thuram,Gallas and Barthez,because there were Makele and Vieira as the first line of the defence.

 

[mnementh]

yeah indeed, the funny thing is that desailly is a former milan player (93-98), so logically we should expect him to be more respectful towards italy nt.

yes, remembered mostly for his uncanny goal in the CL final 1994, it's a good thing he's not around anymore. For France he played as a defender who really was incapable of being passed.

 

[Stephan]

oh btw,

all the WC semifinals that weren't played during the same day and the team that qualifies for the final first always has lost, without a single exception.

this is scary stuff

 

[Bjerknes]

Interesting is that France never attacked their opponent...they beat Spain on counter attacks,Brasil from the free kick and Portugal from a penalty kick.
And all the subs Domenech made were attacking ones....and no Treze in the field,only one striker and 2 supporting strikers but no attacks,only counters.
No one never tasted Thuram,Gallas and Barthez,because there were Makele and Vieira as the first line of the defence.

Actually, France took the game to Brazil for much of that match, because as the whole world knows you must beat Brazil at their own game to have any chances of winning against them. The most imbecilic maneuver in such a match would be if France sat back entirely against Brazil, trying to soak up relentless attacks down the flanks and through the center that would eventually spell a Ronaldo goal, despite him being a fatass.

But instead, Zidane led the attacks against the Brazilians; spraying balls to the flanks where Henry and Ribery would be waiting to catch Roberto Carlos and Cafu up the pitch. They won the free kick and scored a subsequent goal because of this, while Brazil languished because they had too many creative genuises in the center of the pitch while that pig Ronaldo was all by himself up top.

If I recall correctly, Barthez only had to make one save during the entire match. France did what they had to do, but Domenech is still an idiot, in my opinion.

 

[Bjerknes]

I have a very good feeling about this match for the Italians, and that stems from my opinion that Domenech's tactics will finally falture. Italy clearly has the best defense in the entire tournament, and with Henry playing as loan striker who favors the left wing, France will not have enough presence up top to grab a goal. Les Blues has relied too much on Zidane this entire tournament; if Gattuso can rough him up and throw him off his game, France will not have any ideas and their blood flow will cut off. What the Azzurri has to watch out for are the counterattacks down the flanks, where Grosso and Zambrotta could perhaps be exposed. But they have not thus far in the whole tournament.

Italy just needs to play their game...have Pirlo orchestrate the proceedings through midfield and have Totti draw away defenders for Grosso and Zambrotta to punish France on the flanks. Your two wingbacks have essentially carried Italy on their shoulders to this final, with crucial goals against Ukraine and Germany and essentially winning the game against Australia with ten men. Without that Italian presence on the flanks I would have to say you lot would be out of the tournament by now. So with Perrotta and Totti drawing away defenders, your wingbacks could very well win the match for you again, along with the brilliance of Pirlo and absolutely flawless defending by the best defender in the world.....Fabio Cannavaro.

 

[Alfio_87]

Everything is set up for italian victory! But the only thing is going in as favs which they hate being! But really if italians dont win this it will cut even deeper than the Euro 2000 lost and 94 wc penalities and other faliures! This will cut oooohhh sooo deep! Italy deserve this cup more than anyone the pain must come to joy at the end of that nite in Berlin!

 

[mnementh]

France did what they had to do, but Domenech is still an idiot, in my opinion.

The way it's reported it's likely the players simply ignored Domenech and just played like they thought best led by Zidane. Thus proving perhaps that a good team might not even need a manager at all.

 

[Alfio_87]

Maybe that fact tells u that Zidane may b a future great coach! As he has almost taken the rains of the french team on his own and driven them in the right direction!

 

[mnementh]

Yeah, but like Del Piero, he might be too "nice guy" for a coach.

 

[Morra10]

i have no doubt that if france play like they did in the portugal game this will be an italian win. but if france play like they did in the spain and brazil game it will be close. but if italy show up like they have been doing they will have a great chance to win. they were playing good against the ukraine and then the great game against germany. same line-up for me and our best attacks should be going down the right against abidal, he has played very weak this world cup.

 

[mnementh]

ANDIAMO A BERLINO ANDIAMO A BERLINO ANDIAMO A BERLINO BEPPE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sateeh]

It will really be underachievement if Italy loses. Italy managed a 0-0 with France at their home in 1998... and it was also a better France. People talk about the similarities, but this team misses Blanc, Desailly, Lizarazu, Deschamps... even Pires is not in the current team because of weird calls by the coach who also didn't convoke Mexes, Guilly and others. It will be just totally unfair if italy loses to such a team in such an important match.

if they beat the best team in the tournament then they deserve it, and remember they had a tougher road for this game than italy. So if a team could beat all those teams and then beat italy in the final then they deserve it, its not unfair at all.

pires didnt earn to be in that squad, there r soo many better players than him.Remember he would be playing on the wing not the center like he played in arsenal.

Andy, spot on for the brazil-france analysis.

 

[mnementh]

Still Pires is a player you bring to a WC no matter what, he's one of the most creative and exciting players. It's exactly like Holland leaving a great player like Seedorf. It makes no sense. I think France should also pay the price for not bringing Guily (that goal against milan....) , just don't get it. As for Italy, Lippi pretty much made the right choices, except for his surprise with Iaquinta instead of other forwards but I trust him he chose Iaquinta for special characteristics. What I think is a mistake is not convoking Maresca. A Uefa Cup winner (brace scorer in the final) and such a fantastic season - how is he not chosen in favour of Barone... who maybe a great player but is unknown and it's just strange. Anyway... with Lippi alteast you know there's a brain there.

they had a tougher road for this game than italy

I disagree here. Spain and Brazil very tough, but Italy had the host + a much tougher group stage. Quite evens out.

 

[ZhiXin]

This is the final stepping stone of the game for Italy to win the world cup. Many of the 1st team players have played so diligently and amazingly to lead Italy to the final 2. Just 1 more game to prove themselves and Italy will be able to make it. If Italy plays like how they did against the Germans with the same consistency, be sure Italy will win the WC.

As for France, this will be their line up

-----------------Henry-------------------
-----Malouda---Zidane - Ribery
------------Vieira - Makelele----------
-Abidal - Gallas - Thuram - Sagnol
-----------------Barthez-----------

"Coach": Zinedine Zidane

The key to this is to stop their main player Zidane from distributing the ball all around. Sure Zidane maybe 34, but he still has the abilities of a leader and drive his team around. Even if the slightest attention is not paid on him, he can still make a difference. So Gattuso needs to do a good job in breaking his way and some1 needs to intercept ZiZou's passes. Thuram is slow and weak in air balls, so putting Toni against the French defence makes perfect sense.

As for the Italy lineup, I will put a ?, since I don't know how Lippi will decide against them, hopefully it will be the same as the german game, but no De Rossi please, I'm still scared that he will explode himself. Hopefully Matrix will do a good job as this is his last game for the WC and save face for himself for all these years

And enough of the Zaccardo joke, just because of 1 own goal, he gets laughed like nobody's business. Imagine yourself in his shoes, how will you feel?

 

[3pac]

Interesting is that France never attacked their opponent...they beat Spain on counter attacks,Brasil from the free kick and Portugal from a penalty kick.
And all the subs Domenech made were attacking ones....and no Treze in the field,only one striker and 2 supporting strikers but no attacks,only counters.
No one never tasted Thuram,Gallas and Barthez,because there were Makele and Vieira as the first line of the defence.

Um, please watch the Brazil game again. What the hell do you mean "they didn't attack"

If they didnt attack, then what did they do? put the ball in the middle and play rock paper scissors? Brazil certainly wasnt attacking.