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CONGRATS ITALY!! WHOot WHoot!!!

What a stupid way to end a career.

Even with the red card for the headbutt, Zidane won the Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player.

Phlegm wrote:Even with the red card for the headbutt, Zidane won the Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player.

I hope some Italian shoves the award up Zidane's ass.

Well aparently some lip readers say Zidane did that cuz the guy said something bad about his Sister.

I called this a week ago.

Narrock wrote:

Phlegm wrote:Even with the red card for the headbutt, Zidane won the Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player.

I hope some Italian shoves the award up Zidane's ass.

He barely hits him and the Italian diver flies to the ground like he just got shot in the face.

Typical of soccer players.

I don't know that I would call that "barely" a hit.

As hard as that guy can head a soccer ball, that seemed like a very vicious hit to me.

Not to mention the location: right in the sternum. I know I would crumple from a hit like that.

Zanchief wrote:

Narrock wrote:

Phlegm wrote:Even with the red card for the headbutt, Zidane won the Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player.

I hope some Italian shoves the award up Zidane's ass.

He barely hits him and the Italian diver flies to the ground like he just got shot in the face.

Typical of soccoer players.

May want to reconsider that too . Soccer players are known to generate as more power in a head then most can generate in a punch. Not to mention he hit him good with the tip of his forehard which is anything but soft.

Phlegm wrote:Even with the red card for the headbutt, Zidane won the Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player.

The way he ended the tournament may not have been great, but his play throughout the tournament won him that award. As an MVP type award, he did desirve it. The award has nothing to do with sportmenship.

From Associated Press:

MILAN, Italy (AP) -- Marco Materazzi admits he insulted Zinedine Zidane before the France captain head-butted him in the World Cup final. Materazzi denies calling him a "terrorist."

"I did insult him, it's true," Materazzi said in Tuesday's Gazzetta dello Sport. "But I categorically did not call him a terrorist. I'm not cultured and I don't even know what an Islamic terrorist is."

Zidane and Materazzi exchanged words after Italy broke up a French attack in extra-time of Sunday's final in Berlin. Seconds later, Zidane lowered his head and rammed Materazzi in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

Zidane was sent off, reducing France to 10 men. Italy won the game in a penalty shootout.

"I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned round and spoke to me, sneering," the Italian defender said. "He looked me up and down, arrogantly and said: 'If you really want my shirt, I'll give it to you afterwards."'

The 32-year-old Inter Milan player did not elaborate exactly on what he said to Zidane.

"It was one of those insults you're told tens of times and that always fly around the pitch," he said.

Media reports, based on interpretations by lip-readers, have suggested that Materazzi called Zidane a terrorist or insulted his mother or sister. Materazzi denies these claims, too.

"For me, the mother is sacred, you know that," Materazzi told the newspaper.

Materazzi is no stranger to controversy. He was suspended for two months for punching Siena defender Bruno Cirillo after a Serie A game in February 2004, and earned condemnation following a brutal tackle on Sweden and Juventus striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in October 2005.

Materazzi was also sent off three times while playing for Everton in the 1998-99 season.

One Italian senator even suggested that Materazzi -- also sent off three times while playing for Everton in the 1998-99 season -- didn't merit selection for the Italian team because of his physical style.

Zidane also is known for having a temper. He was sent off for stomping on a Saudi Arabian opponent at the 1998 World Cup, while at Germany 2006 he was banned for France's group match against Togo.

Five years ago with Juventus, Zidane head-butted an opponent in a Champions League match against Hamburger SV after being tackled from behind.

Meanwhile, Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni accused FIFA of double standards, noting that soccer's governing body named Zidane as the tournament's best player after his head-butt, while Italy forward Francesco Totti was kicked out of the 2004 European Championship for spitting in an opponent's face.

"I notice a difference in the way in which Totti was treated after the spit and the way in which Zinedine Zidane has been lauded as a champion of soccer, even though he is held responsible for such a violent blow that it could even have had devastating effects," Veltroni said.

FIFA announced Tuesday it will open a disciplinary investigation into Zidane's conduct.

FIFA also said that the ballot box for the tournament's top player -- voted by journalists -- was open until after the final had ended, making it impossible to know how many ballots were cast before the match and during it.

gidan wrote:

Zanchief wrote:

Narrock wrote:

Phlegm wrote:Even with the red card for the headbutt, Zidane won the Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player.

I hope some Italian shoves the award up Zidane's ass.

He barely hits him and the Italian diver flies to the ground like he just got shot in the face.

Typical of soccoer players.

May want to reconsider that too . Soccer players are known to generate as more power in a head then most can generate in a punch. Not to mention he hit him good with the tip of his forehard which is anything but soft.

Sorry, not sure where the "too" comes. That would imply that at one point I had to reconsider another position, which I clearly didn't.

This is just another example of pussy diving from a sport populated by wimps.

<img src="http://www.chriscarter.org/images/images/7858zidane.gif">

You can see he pulls back right at the end. He's not hitting with that much force, and what's the result? Seems like he just got hit by a car. Gotta sell it to the refs, that's what good soccer players do, right Gid?

The too was relating to the last time we debated soccer. He wasnt trying to sell anything. If you are going to dive to sell something to a ref, you do it when they are watching not when they are down the pitch with the play. He wouldn't need to sell anything. Even if he didn't fall to the ground, that is a red card.

Hell, I bet the only reason it was called at all is because one of the line refs saw it on the stadium screen.

But zan, my man, he literally got knocked off his feet! A dive would have been maybe... stumble a few steps then fall, he just went down. He didn't expect that hit.

Donnel wrote:But zan, my man, he literally got knocked off his feet! A dive would have been maybe... stumble a few steps then fall, he just went down. He didn't expect that hit.

Exactly. People don't just fall on the ground after being hit. Look at the contact in hockey. Those hits are way harder and most of the time those guys stay up, and they're on freakin' skates! All these soccer players continue to defy the laws of physics and people continue to shovel it down.

Remember playing soccer in high school or playing it with a bunch of friends? When was the last time you just fell on your face cause someone was running up against you? Imagine if that were the case, people would just be collapsing all over shopping malls everywhere!

Soccer players are horrible unsportsman divers.

uhhh Canadiens must be blind too...Looks to me like thats his head recoiling after the hit.

When was the last time you just fell on your face cause someone was running up against you?

The last soccer game I played. If you are sprinting, it takes very little to knock you over, especially when your legs are getting hit.

I gaurantee that if you were walking and got hit hard in the chest, you would fall. In this case, he was moving forward and the cenerpoint of his balance was moved backward.

So why don't basketball players or baseball players fall over? Heck even football players are more surefooted and the other team is TRYING to take them down.

The best part of that little clip is the kick he gives while he’s falling over. It totally gives away the sell job.

A person who was genuinely shocked would try and stabilize himself, he wouldn't be sticking his feet in the air to try and get the refs attention.

Actually, the way he fell reminds me exactly of people falling on a patch of ice they didn't expect to be there. He did exactly what they do, his feet kept moving and he put his arm down to break his fall instictually.

Basketball players tend not to reach full speed on the court simply based on the size of the court. It also takes so damn little to get a foul. And I cant remember the last time I saw 2 baseball players running at full speed next to each other. Though I have seen my fair share of outfeelers who fall runinng full speed for a ball with no one around them.

Although to be honest, dive or not, it was still a stupid move.

Honestly, though, regardless of whether or not that was a dive (and I don't think it was), SOMETHING needs to be done to eliminate the grotesque amounts of diving going on in the game. It's just embarassing to see people go flying ass over teakettle and then writhe around on the ground like they just blew out an ACL, get carried off on a stretcher, only to be up and 100% again 10 seconds after reaching the sideline. That's bullshit.

Change the rules so that if y ou get carried off that field, you're out of the match for good. Period. If the team has a substitution left, they can replace you. If not, tough shit. Make called dives be a mandatory red card, and get refs to actually call them. Hell, take a lesson from hockey and get a 2nd ref out there on the field, and let them collaberate on calls.

Those 3 rules changes would get rid of diving and the fake injury bullshit.

-Arlos

Not really sure whats up with the 1 ref on the field, I de seem to remember having 2 guys out there in most of my games, however the sideline refs did not have the power they do now. Also when we were hurt playing, we were pulled off the field ASAP, many times play never actually stopped, and we just played down a man until the player came back.

I have to say, that cold spray they use kicks ass, granted its only putting off more pain until later but its still damn cool.

Obvious dives are a yellow card offense, however its rarely called because the short time when it was called, there were a ton of real fouls that were an attempt to make it look like the player dove to get them carded. In short, it was a disaster.

After reading every post Zanchief made in this thread, his ignorance, insanity, and stupidity is confirmed.

Klinsmann not returning to be Germany's coach:

ESPN wrote:FRANKFURT, Germany -- Juergen Klinsmann, who led host Germany to a third-place finish at the World Cup last week, is stepping down, two German newspapers reported.

The mass-circulation Bild newspaper and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported in their Wednesday editions that Klinsmann will not extend his contract, which ended with the World Cup.

Klinsmann called German soccer federation (DFB) co-president Theo Zwanziger and national team manager Oliver Bierhoff to tell them that he would not be staying in the job, the papers reported.

DFB spokesman Harald Stenger confirmed that Klinsmann had called Zwanziger and Bierhoff but would not disclose the details of the conversation.

The newspapers reported Klinsmann's assistant Joachim Loew was the likely successor.

Klinsmann's rejuvenated team went beyond expectations by finishing third, after losing to eventual champion Italy 2-0 in the semifinals.

Klinsmann, 41, had no previous coaching experience when he took over an ailing German squad two years ago.

After Germany beat Portugal 3-1 to take third place, Klinsmann said he would think about his future over the next few days and consult with his California-based family.

Now, maybe the US can hire him. heh.

-Arlos

arlos wrote:Klinsmann not returning to be Germany's coach:

ESPN wrote:FRANKFURT, Germany -- Juergen Klinsmann, who led host Germany to a third-place finish at the World Cup last week, is stepping down, two German newspapers reported.

The mass-circulation Bild newspaper and the Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported in their Wednesday editions that Klinsmann will not extend his contract, which ended with the World Cup.

Klinsmann called German soccer federation (DFB) co-president Theo Zwanziger and national team manager Oliver Bierhoff to tell them that he would not be staying in the job, the papers reported.

DFB spokesman Harald Stenger confirmed that Klinsmann had called Zwanziger and Bierhoff but would not disclose the details of the conversation.

The newspapers reported Klinsmann's assistant Joachim Loew was the likely successor.

Klinsmann's rejuvenated team went beyond expectations by finishing third, after losing to eventual champion Italy 2-0 in the semifinals.

Klinsmann, 41, had no previous coaching experience when he took over an ailing German squad two years ago.

After Germany beat Portugal 3-1 to take third place, Klinsmann said he would think about his future over the next few days and consult with his California-based family.

Now, maybe the US can hire him. heh.

-Arlos

That would be awesome if he helped us out now.