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WC 2006 Match Chat: Azzuri vs. Les Bleus, 11 am PT
2006-07-09 10:00
by Bob Timmermann

Live from Berlin!

If I don't get my football back,
I'm going to get my dad on you.
I only knocked it over the fence,
And broke a silly gnome or two.

And so here it is. Match 64. The championship. And it's a battle of two European powers. Italy has three World Cups to its credit (1934, 1938, and 1982) and France has one (1998).

I could write a lengthy preview, but I'll just link to my brother's since he knows more about this stuff and he gets paid for things like this.

Italy has given up just one goal in the whole tournament and that was an own goal against the USA. France has given up just two (against Korea and Spain). But the Swiss didn't give up any goals and they went home after the Round of 16!

The Italians have scored 11 goals and by 10 different players. Germany leads the tournament with 13 goals. France has scored 8 goals.

As for the all important Griddle Team Togo t-shirt contest, it's down to just two contestants. Penarol1916 wins the shirt if France wins. Minxtscore wins it if Italy wins. And as someone supposedly told Queen Victoria when she asked who finished second to the schooner "America" at the race around the Isle of Wight back in 1851, "Madam, there is no second."

Personally, I think this match is going to end early when a lady yells from her window, "¡José! ¡A casa!"

Comments (110)
Show/Hide Comments 1-50
2006-07-09 09:40:48
1.   Ken Arneson
If the game gets too boring, you can play soccer yourself here, and go straight to the penalty kicks: you are Sweden, and you are facing some other random country:

http://tinyurl.com/mpgn3

2006-07-09 09:48:54
2.   Ken Arneson
I should add "Spela match" means to play one match, "Spela turnering" means to play a tournament, where you have to win to advance.
2006-07-09 10:10:32
3.   Bob Timmermann
How am I supposed to direct the ball?
2006-07-09 10:17:46
4.   Bob Timmermann
Figured it out.

Who's Tyskland?

2006-07-09 10:18:54
5.   mintxcore
i was in Boston' North End yesterday (aka Little Italy) and there were people on the street selling fake Toni jerseys and ITALY WORLD CUP 2006 CHAMPIONS shirts.

do they have some sort of info we don't? All i know is if i don't win the Togo shirt, i'm treating myself to one of those suckers.

2006-07-09 10:22:14
6.   Bob Timmermann
Tyskland = England I assume
2006-07-09 10:23:13
7.   Greg Brock
Aujourd'hui, nous sommes tous les Français
2006-07-09 10:29:51
8.   Bob Timmermann
Darnit, I'm going to win one of these. All I get are ties.
2006-07-09 10:35:50
9.   Bob Timmermann
I beat England, but I can't score past Buffon.
2006-07-09 10:47:55
10.   Greg Brock
Okay, I'm getting tired of losing in the Semi-final. I'm only going to play seven more times.
2006-07-09 10:55:37
11.   Greg Brock
Yay, you get a little world cup to pass around with your digital digits. Too fun...Thanks Ken!
2006-07-09 10:59:07
12.   Ken Arneson
Tyskland is Germany.
2006-07-09 11:00:16
13.   Ken Arneson
And now, as the Swedish announcers just said, the biggest game in the biggest sport begins...
2006-07-09 11:00:20
14.   ABreck
How do you get the ball above the ground?
2006-07-09 11:02:13
15.   Greg Brock
14 Hold the button down, and pull the mouse down.
2006-07-09 11:03:08
16.   Greg Brock
Oh, come on, not Henry, not two minutes in.
2006-07-09 11:10:34
17.   Linkmeister
Jose? Not Giovanni or Josef?
2006-07-09 11:19:16
18.   Greg Brock
What a goal. Darn.
2006-07-09 11:20:20
19.   Bob Timmermann
With God as my witness, I thought this started at noon.

I hang my head in shame.

2006-07-09 11:22:21
20.   Greg Brock
19 Goodness. Did you miss the first goal?
2006-07-09 11:23:03
21.   Bob Timmermann
You know 20 - 9 = 11

It really does.

Really.

As they would say at Edwards AFB when they were flight testing, "Looks like he screwed the pooch!"

2006-07-09 11:23:40
22.   Bob Timmermann
20
Keep going ...
2006-07-09 11:24:27
23.   Linkmeister
I'm so pleased. I told my Mom it was 1-0 France, so she switched to ABC just in time to see Italy tie it. Then we switched to the HD version. For the first time I can really really see a difference in picture quality between HD and regular.
2006-07-09 11:24:46
24.   Bob Timmermann
I would have switched to ABC earlier except I kept playing that damn penalty kick game.

It's all Ken's fault!

2006-07-09 11:25:42
25.   Greg Brock
22 Oh, no. That's horrible. Well, at least you didn't miss the game winning goal, right?
2006-07-09 11:27:50
26.   Bob Timmermann
I will start reenacting scenes from "The Da Vinci Code" at halftime as penance.
2006-07-09 11:33:51
27.   Bob Timmermann
I don't like the ball. It's goofy looking with the gold coloring.
2006-07-09 11:33:57
28.   Ken Arneson
24 I apologize.
2006-07-09 11:34:56
29.   Bob Timmermann
I thought 13 referred to the PK game!
2006-07-09 11:35:33
30.   Bob Timmermann
Finally, in the words of Homer Simpson, "Oh why is this everybody's fault but mine?"
2006-07-09 11:37:24
31.   Bob Timmermann
The French coach has nicer looking frames on his glasses.
2006-07-09 11:43:05
32.   ABreck
29
So did I. I turned the TV on quickly just in case. I don't understand why they make it different than all the others (including yesterday)
2006-07-09 11:45:36
33.   Bob Timmermann
They did it for the simple reason that they wanted to make me look bad.

It's not paranoia if they are really after you.

2006-07-09 11:46:47
34.   Bob Timmermann
Toni Braxton
Shakira
Placido Domingo

I think I had a ticket for their concert once at the Wiltern.

2006-07-09 11:53:26
35.   confucius
I'm 1-0-2 In PK's I finally figured out that you have to shoot for the top corners.
2006-07-09 11:54:58
36.   Bob Timmermann
35
Be careful of that application. It's a Siren that's going to draw you in to the rocks.
2006-07-09 12:01:13
37.   yankee23
I think Tyskland is Germany.
2006-07-09 12:01:57
38.   Bob Timmermann
I'm never playing that game again.

Too many painful memories.

2006-07-09 12:03:24
39.   Ken Arneson
The Swedish national team coach thinks France will win, if they can avoid giving up goals on free kicks and corners.
2006-07-09 12:05:17
40.   Ken Arneson
May I remind you that I prefaced the url with the words "If the game gets too boring"...you weren't supposed to play it unless the real game got dull...
2006-07-09 12:06:24
41.   alexx
Do world cup finals also end in penalty kicks after two overtimes? That seems kind of lame.
2006-07-09 12:06:36
42.   Bob Timmermann
I started playing before the game started and couldn't stop....
2006-07-09 12:07:24
43.   Bob Timmermann
41
Yes, that happened in 1994 when Brazil won PKs after a scoreless draw with Italy.

I sweated a lot through that match at the Rose Bowl.

2006-07-09 12:07:27
44.   yankee23
From the sounds of things, "letting yourself go" is the new diving.
2006-07-09 12:09:59
45.   yankee23
42 I can't get past Brasil, Dida is just too good or something. I seem to be slow with the mouse-reflexes as well.
2006-07-09 12:10:32
46.   Bob Timmermann
45

Stop playing before it's too late!

2006-07-09 12:13:51
47.   alexx
I was only 9 in 1985, so I guess it was before my time. Do you guys think that first penalty kick was a deserved penalty?
2006-07-09 12:15:23
48.   Bob Timmermann
To me, it was a phantom call.

But for a different reason than most people.

And if you were only 9 in 1985 weren't you 18 in 1994?

2006-07-09 12:21:06
49.   Bob Timmermann
The flag is up!
2006-07-09 12:23:40
50.   confucius
That was not offsides.
Show/Hide Comments 51-100
2006-07-09 12:25:02
51.   alexx
Oops good point. I was only 9 in 1994. I also think it was a phantom call. But it looked like they could have called one later that they didn't, so maybe it worked itself out.
2006-07-09 12:25:57
52.   yankee23
Whew! I finally beat Brasil.

50 The Italians are always offsides. Always.

2006-07-09 12:27:36
53.   alexx
My roommate likes the Italian jerseys because she claims the arms of their t-shirts are tapered to better show off their muscles.
2006-07-09 12:27:47
54.   Bob Timmermann
Let's just say I didn't see the first half call as a penalty.

[quietly sobs]

2006-07-09 12:30:07
55.   alexx
I kind of want France to win. The announcers have convinced me that Zidane is the most perfect human being ever to grace the earth.
2006-07-09 12:31:50
56.   Greg Brock
55 That is correct.
2006-07-09 12:32:00
57.   Bob Timmermann
Bill Clinton's daughter's favorite team in the EPL?

Who else?

Tottenham Hotspur.

2006-07-09 12:32:58
58.   confucius
I just saw number 42 in the crowd. The beer he was drinking looked good. Way to go Bubba!!
2006-07-09 12:34:08
59.   confucius
53 They don't need tapered shirts to show off those muscles!
2006-07-09 12:40:40
60.   alexx
Both muscles and tattoos, I guess. Have some respect for Zidane!
2006-07-09 12:51:07
61.   ABreck
Have the Italians been playing for PKs since the second half? Now no shots?
2006-07-09 12:52:29
62.   Bob Timmermann
Free soccer!
2006-07-09 12:56:02
63.   alexx
Do you think the NY Times world cup blogger is really as excited as he sounds on the blog?
2006-07-09 12:56:49
64.   Ken Arneson
58 What does it say about me that I thought you meant you saw Jackie Robinson in the crowd?
2006-07-09 12:57:35
65.   Linkmeister
In other sports news, Federer defeated Nadal at Wimbledon.
2006-07-09 12:57:45
66.   Ken Arneson
Jackie Robinson probably would have been a great soccer player, come to think of it.
2006-07-09 12:58:18
67.   Bob Timmermann
64

Bill Clinton was such a good president that there will never be another President #42.

Of course, Franklin Pierce was so good that they retired #14.

2006-07-09 12:59:48
68.   Linkmeister
64 Now that would be a rent in the space-time continuum (quoting the NYT WC bloggers, who do seem quite excited).
2006-07-09 13:09:53
69.   alexx
woww
2006-07-09 13:17:38
70.   alexx
Zidane, the class act.
2006-07-09 13:19:01
71.   Bob Timmermann
Adieu, Monsieur Zidane!
2006-07-09 13:19:46
72.   Greg Brock
I wonder what that was all about.
2006-07-09 13:20:17
73.   Bob Timmermann
For those curious, if this goes to PKs, the Italians have to designate one player not to participate in the tiebreaker if gets past ten guys.
2006-07-09 13:21:31
74.   alexx
In other news, Dodgers 1-0 in the first.
2006-07-09 13:22:34
75.   Bob Timmermann
Remember we have fans of a lot of teams here.
2006-07-09 13:24:24
76.   alexx
True true
2006-07-09 13:25:40
77.   Bob Timmermann
For example, San Diego rallied from being 9-6 down in the ninth at RFK to take a 10-9 lead.
2006-07-09 13:26:25
78.   alexx
Also, Jered Weaver is pretty good.
2006-07-09 13:27:23
79.   Bob Timmermann
A Texas win (they're leading) and an Oakland loss (they're behind) creates a tie in the AL West.
2006-07-09 13:29:33
80.   Bob Timmermann
Coin flip to decide the winner!
2006-07-09 13:30:22
81.   alexx
I've already smoked half a pack of cigarettes today. And i've never been interested in soccer before this world cup. Can the french goalkeeper stop enough PK's?
2006-07-09 13:31:00
82.   Bob Timmermann
With the Italians, the question is how many are they going to send into the 40th row of the seats.
2006-07-09 13:32:36
83.   Bob Timmermann
I think the audience that watches the World Cup Final and the audience that watches the Cialis Western Open may be completely disjoint sets.
2006-07-09 13:32:42
84.   Greg Brock
Beware the ghost of Roberto Baggio.
2006-07-09 13:32:43
85.   alexx
That makes me think of Matt Kemp's throw to third the other day.
2006-07-09 13:34:54
86.   D4P
83
I general, I suspect you're right, though I happen to be watching both.
2006-07-09 13:37:17
87.   ABreck
They didn't tell us who's out

Though I guess Barthez bobbling the ball doesn't matter here.

2006-07-09 13:37:42
88.   ABreck
Especially if he never touches it.
2006-07-09 13:38:10
89.   Bob Timmermann
The t-shirt is getting ready for its marching orders...
2006-07-09 13:40:16
90.   ABreck
Do or die
2006-07-09 13:41:44
91.   ABreck
Die..

hope Brock is OK.

2006-07-09 13:42:12
92.   Bob Timmermann
And the Team Togo shirt goes to minxtscore! The rest of you would get lovely parting gifts, but as I said above "There is no second place."
2006-07-09 13:44:21
93.   ABreck
Not even the WC Fields hearty hand clasp?
2006-07-09 13:44:23
94.   Greg Brock
Brock is very sad right now. More so, I really want to know what transpired to make Zidane absolutely lose it. Knowing the Italians, I think I have a pretty good idea. Nonetheless, congrats to the Azzuri.
2006-07-09 13:45:45
95.   Linkmeister
As somebody said the other day, it's like ending the World Series with a home run derby. Far be it from me to tell FIFA how to run its sport, but that's a really dumb way to decide a championship.
2006-07-09 13:47:52
96.   yankee23
What were the final standings of the contest?
2006-07-09 13:51:06
97.   Bob Timmermann
Final Standings:
1) minxtscore - 18
2) Penarol1916 - 15
3) yankee23 - 11
4) Phil Birnbaum - 10
5t) Los Longhorns, ddger - 9
7t) Abreck, humma kuvala, John Matthew - 8
10t) adg, Sam DC - 7
12t) jen, Ken Arneson, ravenscar, Suffering Bruin - 6
16) Mr. Customer - 5
2006-07-09 13:52:31
98.   yankee23
Thanks. Just wanted to see how far out I was.
2006-07-09 13:55:16
99.   Ken Arneson
The Italians in Malmö are driving around town honking their car horns.
2006-07-09 13:56:30
100.   Bob Timmermann
¡José! ¡A casa!
Show/Hide Comments 101-150
2006-07-09 14:20:59
101.   Greg Brock
Bob, thank you so much for your work at The Griddle during this entire World Cup. The entire tourney was infinitely more fun sharing it with all the other great folks online. You did a great job.

Three Cheers for Bob Timmermann...Hip Hip

*Crickets*

Hello?

2006-07-09 14:54:53
102.   alexx
Agreed.
2006-07-09 14:58:11
103.   alexx
Oh, Hooray!
2006-07-09 14:59:28
104.   xaphor
Congratulations to Italia on number four. May they all rot in hell :)

Couldn't hear the ABC commentary where I was so I would like to know if the American's jaws dropped sufficiently at the head butt to allow Zidane's jock to slip out. :)

And I too would like to commend Bob on his fine Cup coverage. Even if I was not around to partake in the ongoing discussion I would always stop by after the game. Great stuff as expected.

2006-07-09 15:07:18
105.   Bob Timmermann
Thanks everyone. I had a lot of fun. I've learned much about Togo.

As for O'Brien and Balboa they both were stunned at Zidane's head-butt and both agreed that he deserved a red card and they were both stunned.

Of course, prior to that, he was St. Zenedine.

2006-07-09 15:12:06
106.   Vishal
wooo! viva italia!
2006-07-09 15:20:13
107.   Vishal
materazzi must've made a clever comment to zidane regarding headers.
2006-07-09 15:59:32
108.   mintxcore
I was watching the Jumbotron at City Hall Plaza in Boston (maybe you saw me?) and the crowd joked back at the screen about O'Brien and Balboas use of the word "vicious"

"that was a vicious, vicious foul!"
"VICIOUSSSSS!"

107:
or do you think it was a clever comment about Zidane's lack of hair?

2006-07-09 16:02:59
109.   Vishal
i figured it was about headers, because materazzi had made one earlier in the game, and if i recall, zidane had just had one blocked by buffon a short time earlier. i think maybe materazzi was offering him pointers, and zidane said "here, i'll show you a header, you [so-and-so]"
2006-07-09 21:11:12
110.   xaphor
Zidane's teammates are claiming Materazzi used a racial slur. C'est la vie. You can't call people French without expecting retaliation.

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