FIFA: Germany 2006

[Swallow Your Soul]

The way France have played they're gonna have to do something special if the Italians play the way they did against the Germans. As little a threat as Portugal were, France were just hanging on for the whole thing, and with an error prone keeper like Barthez I was worried that Portugal might get back into it.

Italy would be the favourites I think because the games I've seen France play weren't impressive at all, whereas Italy were pretty much typically Italian and were solid for most of the tournament, then played a great game with Germany to make the final, plus you never know when Barthez can come up with one of his 'specials'.

As for tomorrows game, hopefully the Germans'll give Portugal a slapping to put them in fourth place. The Germans have had a really good tournament and deserve to finish third. Portugal were a disgrace against France, diving at every opportunity and pretending to be injured to break up play as well. They've been bad for that for the whole tournament, but it was just embarrassing seeing players like Ronaldo and Postiga to be flying around the penalty area claiming for fouls. It is clearly a significant part of their game plan (put in place by the manager), and for Ronaldo to have the nerve to say the ref was biased against Portugal after the game was pretty exasperating considering non of the Portuguese were booked for diving. I really hope he pisses off to La Liga now...the Spanish league is just built for divers and melodramatics like him.