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No Frings, No Matter.

July 4th, 2006 | By: Jay | 104 Comments »

So Torsten Frings is suspended. You think Klinsmann is laying awake tonight, sweating about it? You think oddsmakers on the match even budged? Not a chance. Unless Podolski, Ballack and Klose get some ‘Tottenham lasagne’, this doesn’t impact the match. It’s just something for the media to warble on about. The only thing that this incident has proven is that the German media is just as dubious as the English media in their storyline selections.

Tomorrow night’s match, in some ways, would be and will be much harder than the final. The crowd will be on fire, Germany has played a solid and (at times) spectacular tournament, and should it come down to PKs we know that ‘mad Jens’ and his little notebook will be very hard to beat. That said, this Azzurri squad has handled everything thrown at them so far (scandal, injury, etc) and shows no signs of buckling.

The potential line-ups I’ve been reading have Matrix back in and Camoranesi back on the bench, two decisions that I’m not very comfortable with, but if Camoranesi isn’t 100% then it has to be done. Germany will be pushing hard and I’d rather see Italy take the attack to them in the midfield than ‘defend and counter-attack’.

Tags: Group E, World Cup 2006

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By FIFAworldcup.com - Passionate Fan on Fifa World Cup 2006 | July 4th, 2006 at 6:22 pm

Preview (Semis): Germany vs Italy

History heavily favors Germany however, Italian history against Germany favors them. Germany are 13 of 14 in Dortmund stadium with an impressive 59 – 7 goal difference. Italy is feeling the pressure playing against the host nation who will be go…

Posted from United States

By Milo Riano | July 4th, 2006 at 6:22 pm

Italy is technically better than Germany, they’ll lose if the host nation gets into their head.

http://fifaworldcup.sporati.com/preview-semis-germany-vs-italy.page

Posted from Philippines

By mark | July 4th, 2006 at 6:32 pm

If any of the Italians score PLEASE let them do the Tordelli celebration – Tordelli!!!!!!!

Go Italia!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted from United Kingdom

By pao | July 4th, 2006 at 6:33 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZdw-9nNUpw&search=tardelli

Posted from Italy

By mark | July 4th, 2006 at 6:36 pm

I meant WHEN they score

Posted from United Kingdom

By Kaiserslautern's girl | July 4th, 2006 at 6:43 pm

R u italians jus boastin or do yeh really think italy gonna win???

U just BOASTIN rite?

If Italy loses dunt be a bunch o sore losers caz sumones gotta win. No hard feelings. Same here if Italy wins. They are a good team.

By scout | July 4th, 2006 at 7:11 pm

Dear Kaiserslautern’s girl…we say “if you believe in something you can realize it”…don’t worry, we know to have the 50% possibility to win…

Forza Azzuri!!!

Posted from Italy

By Catherine | July 4th, 2006 at 7:21 pm

2 amazing teams.
1 amazing game!

This is going to be the best one of the tournatment.

Best wishes to Italy. This is your time to shine and prove to the world what an amzing team you really are!!!

Mi piace Italy!!!

Posted from Canada

By Andrea | July 4th, 2006 at 7:34 pm

you guys haven’t said anything about Inza up now..whats goin’ on…you guys don’t have any faith in the biiig guy or what?he can change the game too!!!!especially against the germans..he is talln “fast” too!!!!!
Forza Italia
Forza Italia

Posted from China

By Free Drive Ro | July 4th, 2006 at 7:39 pm

Italy and Portugal in the final next Sunday!
Forca Portugal!!!

By Andrea | July 4th, 2006 at 7:40 pm

Posted from China

By Rolf Habich | July 4th, 2006 at 8:12 pm

Last call for Italian bragging.

Then – FUROR TEUTONICUS.

No penalty shootout this time.
Sweep them off the pitch in regular time. 2 red cards for diving.

Vorwärts Deutschland.

By the way: some stupid Yank somewhere up there claimed no one in the world liked Germany but every one loved Italy.

What a feast of intelligence and education. By the way, in an international survey on foreign tourists’ popularity 2 years ago Germany came out way on top. Quite a distance ahead of USA and Italy.

You guys ought to learn the difference between Australia and Austria first. And learn how to eat with knife and fork.
And other things.

Si tacuisses philosophus mansisses!

Posted from Germany

By Rolf Habich | July 4th, 2006 at 8:15 pm

Post scriptum

There is already some industry at work in North America producing all kinds of stuff like T-shirts and other paraphernalia that show you are Canadian – for US citizens travelling abroad in order to avoid getting jeered. :-O

Posted from Germany

By Roderick | July 4th, 2006 at 8:15 pm

20 mn and let the fun begin. The german are gonna go watch the game starting tonight at home on Flat screens
Lets hope for a clean game, hope that the pop is praying for Italy and Fingers crossed

Forza ITALIA!
Roody

Posted from Germany

By MC Krakow | July 4th, 2006 at 8:24 pm

Man, those Polish guys – their families must be proud.

“OK you Polacks, listen up. Form 2 lines. Over here: Genocide. Over there: Join Our Side.”

I can’t believe that the Germans aren’t ashamed that some of us sub-human Slavs are carrying the rest of the team.

There have to be some Germans who cannot dig the fact that their team has those two guys scoring all of the goals.

I really don’t know where I stand on this. It must be a national disgrace (in the view of many Germans) that there are Polish last names on German uniforms – that is the upside.

Even though they are making a mockery of German national pride (again – a good thing), the fact that they have set new standards for selling out – that I don’t like so much.

Now, this would be nice to see – the Polish guys score the only goals in the upcoming match and Germany goes to the final. (Nothing against Italy – this just has to happen to set up the situation).

Then, on the day of the final, none of the guys with Polish last names show up.

If my paying $ 2500 would make that happen, I would pay it in a second.

Posted from United States

By Roderick | July 4th, 2006 at 8:25 pm

Roderick | July 4th, 2006 at 8:15 pm
20 mn and … yea I know 45! excitement

Forza Azzurren!
Roody

Posted from Germany

By helicopter | July 4th, 2006 at 8:35 pm

Italy will win, we dont look down any team. Germany without Frings is still strong, but Italia will win by our own players.

Posted from Australia

By sara | July 4th, 2006 at 8:42 pm

ajax, wat beautiful girl is going to want to tlk to u if u cant even spell?

Posted from Canada

By Roderick | July 4th, 2006 at 8:50 pm

beutiful sara LOL :p

Posted from Germany

By MC Krakow | July 4th, 2006 at 9:04 pm

Sara,

You wouldn’t believe how much action that I have gotten as a result of being good speller.

Especially when I have gone on vacation and ended up in the sack with chicks from other countries with whom I could barely communicate (no – not hookers – they were all volunteers).

Posted from United States

By armando | July 4th, 2006 at 9:10 pm

forget frings, play good football.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwGBSSgr4XA

Posted from Israel

By sara | July 4th, 2006 at 9:23 pm

thankyou roderick…..and MC krakow…where are you from?

Posted from Canada

By Kantorka | July 5th, 2006 at 1:03 am

I wonder, too, Mc Krakow, because your picture of German society is about 60 yoears old or older – ironically, in both directions. Do you know what resettlers are? Kloses father was German-Polish. Klose got the German nationality right away. Same with Podolski. But that put aside, half North Rhine Westphalia has Polish relatives somewhere. Just open any phonebook, print or online, and stumble across gazillions of -ski’s, czik’s or whatever.

Why did I say “ironically”? Because your post shows you’re not only imagining Germany as a country that would feel humiliated by a Podolski scoring for their national team, you also out that you yourself can’t imagine a German as anything else than a blonde, blue eyed Fritz Müller – you’re displaying the way of thinking you’re accusing us of. “The guy doesn’t sound/ look German to me” is a pretty narrow way of thinking, not only for Germans.

Posted from Germany

By mark | July 5th, 2006 at 7:04 pm

Damn it, I didn’t realise I spelt Tardelli wrong… oops

Posted from United Kingdom

By hossein alavy | December 6th, 2006 at 2:53 am

i lave you materatzi

Posted from Islamic Republic Of Iran