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The Cup Is Ours

July 3rd, 2006 | By: Josh | 83 Comments »

If we want it. With Brasil going down, the overarching canopy (of having to ultimately beat Brasil– a daunting task) has been lifted, and there is a clear path to a very attainable cup.

The only thing that could stop the Azzurri train from reaching Berlin = a series of bogus penalty decisions by the Mexican referee. (We were victimized by “host-country” decisions at each of the last two WC, having lost to France in 98, and then Korea in 02. I’m one of the few who thinks that the QF against France was more lob-sided than the Korea game).

Could this be the third successive WC where we get robbed NOT by another team, but by the ref? Or are we greater than that?

I say we’re greater than that; we have the ability to rise above any animosity, be it from opposing players, FIFA, the referee, the fans, and judging from these posts, the rest of the world.

We need to rise up and win regardless of match circumstances — dodgy penalty decisions and harsh cards notwithstanding. The great teams find a way to win. Full stop.

Tags: Group E

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Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 83 comments.

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By Carvaillo | July 4th, 2006 at 6:23 am

how many good players does italy have?? 11+

how many good players does germany have?? 3-4 maybe+

Posted from Canada

By Antonio | July 4th, 2006 at 7:13 am

Trust me…Italy will win the WC !We will see.. Germany is just another loser

Posted from Thailand

By marco | July 4th, 2006 at 7:22 am

i think that josh is correct .. italy need to score a couple quick goals … so then if something does happen (like a harsh red card or penalty) At least we have the 2-0 advantage .. thats the thing that nearly cost us against australia, was that if italy would have got a couple goals early, they wouldnt have had to have just won it wid the penalty, plus take the presure of the sholders of the players as well

Posted from Australia

By Caesar Julius | July 4th, 2006 at 7:51 am

ITALY – GERMANY ::: 2 – 0

Posted from Italy

By German fan | July 4th, 2006 at 9:09 am

Hi I’m a german fan. Tonight i ‘ll get a whole bratwurst deep in my ass.Lot of fun for me and the german people.

This will happen cause the italina team is stronger than us. This will happen cause Beckenbauer have not enough money to buy also the semi-final.

By Giovanni | July 4th, 2006 at 9:10 am

Italy ..the winner of the WC(World Cup)

Germany.. the winner of the WC(Water Closed)

;-DDD

By Massimo | July 4th, 2006 at 11:08 am

Italy is worryed about bogus decisions by the ref for a good reason. It seems that when we play against the home team we are playing against 12 players. And the twelfe happens to have a lot of influence on the game.

It has happened fo a long time and not only at the world cup. does not anyone remember the Euro 2000 that was held in holland and belgium. we played holand in the semis and even though we manage to come through with a victory anyone could tell how biased that game was. Italy was given two penalties against for nothing. Not 1 penalty, but two why? because they missed their penalties. I remember it very well. That game will forever be in my mind as a very strong fact that home teams cheat. The korea game in 2002 was even worse. Strenghening the fact that when they want to they can and do cheat.

The only thing we must keep in mind is that the Germans unlike Koreans (because of their nature) and Dutch (because they have always been victory starved) do not have this cheating tendency. In fact they are some of the best sports around. Which is why I think we will have a fair match. (I am not leaving out the possibility of a Mexican referee acting Mexican on us though).

Good luck Italy if it’s a fair game we will have a big victory for Italy because Germany does not have the quality to beat us. Sorry if you like Germany but it’s the truth. You do not have a champion in there. Only Klose taht act like a machine. Very predictable. Will be stopped by Cannavaro effortlessly. Again if it’s a fair game.

Forza Italia, Forza Totti, dacci sta coppa.

Posted from Italy

By Alessandro | July 4th, 2006 at 12:26 pm

Italia s’e desta!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The 4th cup is on its way back home… Toni will crush the German net.

Forza Azzuri!!

Posted from France

By Sunday | July 4th, 2006 at 12:47 pm

Teresa,

Hope you’re right. It will be a hard-fought battle but I agree that we can beat them.

Posted from Canada

By LiverpoolFC | July 4th, 2006 at 1:56 pm

Italy’s greatest addition to the worldgame
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN8qcynhVt0&search=italian%20cheats

Posted from Australia

By Massimo | July 4th, 2006 at 2:42 pm

How can that mexican looking guy be an italian goalkeeper?

Lol

Posted from Italy

By Arthur | July 4th, 2006 at 2:51 pm

i read all this bla bla about how many great players italy has and that they’re are the better team, i’ ve seen all the german games as well as the italian. I still agree Italia has better players (by names) but germany has the better team. germany had 5 wins in a row, italy has shown bad performences (vs. football superpowers USA and Australia), in the end germany will win because of their physical and mental strength and 60.000 f**cking crazy fans.

By edffdfsf | July 4th, 2006 at 3:07 pm

thats not even italy its mexico u idiot since when a we red or green

Posted from Australia

By bob | July 4th, 2006 at 3:13 pm

yeh 1 team is red and green and the other is green

Posted from Australia

By Rolf Habich | July 4th, 2006 at 4:17 pm

To pao:

but pao, why should Buffon score a hattrick ?

O n e own goal would surely suffice

Posted from Germany

By MC Krakow | July 4th, 2006 at 8:32 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 Teresa | July 4th, 2006 at 8:40 pm

Sunday,

I hope i’m right too!! i really want italy to win, we have waited for so long to aee another italy WC victory! It will be a hard match but im confident about italy..

Posted from Canada

By Ricardo | July 4th, 2006 at 11:45 pm

I’m so happy that you make me cry today. Despite being a brazilian with no Italians in my family I have to say that I was rooting for Italy since the beginning. So congratulations nad Forzza Italia !!!

Posted from Brazil

By Joseph from Malta | July 5th, 2006 at 1:58 am

Arthur, I see you’re from my country….but you’re cr@p at football…you need to watch Italy play & LEARN….sit down & watch the replay of the semi-final & learn a thing or two about lovely football, & sportsmanship.

SmashTV & NetTV are replaying it right now…

Posted from Malta

By sunday | July 5th, 2006 at 3:53 am

Teresa,

What a game. I was starting to think PKs (I dread even thinking it) and then that wonderful goal by Grosso. The goal by Del Piero was also sweet. I was happy to see him finally score especially after all the critcisms.

me happy tonight

Posted from Canada

By Italian Style always! | July 5th, 2006 at 1:50 pm

Here we go again to the finals: FORZA AZZURI……..

Posted from United Kingdom

By tell it like it is | July 5th, 2006 at 4:42 pm

Italy, has a very good bunch o players, that is unquestionable, however do they deserve to be where they are? You mention in your post that they were victimized in 98 and 02 worldcup, I disagree!!! Look at the helping hand Italy has had this world cup, a BOGUS penalty shot in the last five minutes against Australia, barely edging out the U.S.A….
During the game with Germany 2 penalty shots that were not awarded, the hand ball in the first half and the foul that the referee sanctioned as a free kick outside the box, when cannavaro fouled inside the penalty area!!! I dont think i would be claiming injustice I was an Italy fan…..I would be counting my blessings!!!

By Steven Guardala | July 5th, 2006 at 9:53 pm

Matt from flush island. You craven Celts are pene succhiari! Your on that island because the Romans kicked your asses off the continent! The irish suck at everything but bsing, lying, having kids out of wedlock, and trying to rewrite the history of western civilization which they had no part in building!!!!!! Your own Tommy Smyth picked ITALY TO WIN THE WORLD CUP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Before the potato famine 9 million mics could not throw out 10,000 ENGLISHMEN! Fighting irish? Ha! That saying was a reference to the prots and catholics killing each other! Natalia and Arthur must be choking like the German team!

Posted from United States

By Frankly Stapleton | July 6th, 2006 at 1:43 am

Steven you helmet milker,
I was just wondering if you’d have the nerve to try and slither back into this blog. And whatda know, you managed it! Well done! I was just a little disappointed you didn’t get back to my comments on your ‘Irish treatise’ but the fact that you’re mouthing off here in much the same fashion tells its own story.

Folks head straight for the “looking ahead to Tuesday” section of this blog for Steven’s somewhat unorthodox reading of history, and my critique. Steven’s unique take on matters fuses fantasy and his own inadequacies, which may or may not be of a sexual nature.

Steven on a more serious note could I ask you to use whatever influence you have within your community to try to bring about an end to the street begging and shoplifting which has become endemic in pretty much every Western European city. I feel that such an orator of your repute could play a part in bringing the crime prone (of which there are many among your people) to see the error of their ways.
Just tell them its not what Caesar would have done.

Wishing you a safe and delusion-free night,
Frankly

Posted from Ireland

By Steven Guardala | October 26th, 2007 at 1:54 pm

Stapleton, i would apologize for going after the delusional irish since this is a soccer blog. but, then again whenever there is someone bashing italians thay will usually find an irishmen. An irishman accusing anyone of sexual problems is like an Englishman lecturing on cuisine, LAUGHABLE! Oh, ITALY WON THE WORLD CUP!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ireland, in fact the whole british Isles is not likely to ever make that statement!!!!!!!!!!

Posted from United States

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