QUOTE:
Let's see how they do the next few weeks...

That really should have been "in the next week".

Have to say, with today's games, Italy still look fit to come out of the group. They can easily tonk France and get a result against Romania.

Hope they don't, mind, but I'm not burying them yet.

You're starting with the assumption that Italy is actually good. They're really aren't, especially up front. They were exposed today, quite overrated. And they're out of their element tactically, needing two regulation time wins in their next two games.

You're starting with the assumption that Italy is actually good. They're really aren't, especially up front. They were exposed today, quite overrated. And they're out of their element tactically, needing two regulation time wins in their next two games.

Remove the word "Italy", replace with "France".

linus wrote:

QUOTE:
You're starting with the assumption that Italy is actually good. They're really aren't, especially up front.

Ahem, compared to France they created quite a few good chances. Ukraine looked pretty untroubled; Holland had its share of near misses.

linus wrote:

QUOTE:
You're starting with the assumption that Italy is actually good. They're really aren't, especially up front. They were exposed today, quite overrated. And they're out of their element tactically, needing two regulation time wins in their next two games.

Might not four points get them through, depending on other results?

Of course it would, but this is linus on the comparative worth of Italy and France; we are several universes away from the one you are familiar with.

France & Italy are both too old ( Del Piero, Makelele ) but one will qualify at Romania's expense. Dutch look the real deal for now, Germany the next best-looking bet.
What was with those sky-blue socks, tho ?

Is there a bit of an anti-Italian slant from a lot of the US based posters? Or am I reading it wrong?

"Nassau blue", the colour of the Dutch royal house (and a clever marketing ploy by Nike who claim that it was Van Basten's idea).

Fact fans will note that the reason why Italy wears blue (rather than some combination of red, white or green) is that it is the colour of the royal house of Savoy, which was still providing the country with kings and queens when Italian teams began to compete internationally.

There is no doubt the US based posters generally hate Italy. (Not the country, which to be frank, most of us probably love, but the team.)

See various "diving, cheating cunts" comments over the past 8+ years.

My personal emnity comes from hating Totti with a passion (though he's a brilliant player on many occasions), and the lingering disgust at Italy from the last Euro.

I also hate their kits. There you have it.

ursus arctos wrote:

QUOTE:
"Nassau blue", the colour of the Dutch royal house (and a clever marketing ploy by Nike who claim that it was Van Basten's idea).

Fact fans will note that the reason why Italy wears blue (rather than some combination of red, white or green) is that it is the colour of the royal house of Savoy, which was still providing the country with kings and queens when Italian teams began to compete internationally.

So tell me, oh dispenser of fact, why does Australia wear green and yellow?

Matej wrote:

QUOTE:
There is no doubt the US based posters generally hate Italy. (Not the country, which to be frank, most of us probably love, but the team.)

Yes, it is a bit lonely for us stateside Azzurri fans.

QUOTE:
My personal emnity comes from hating Totti with a passion (though he's a brilliant player on many occasions), and the lingering disgust at Italy from the last Euro.

Yes, there was the Totti spitting incident which you could say karmically ruined it for them. They were hard done by nonetheless what with the unlikely 2-2 draw between Denmark and Sweden.

QUOTE:
I also hate their kits. There you have it.

The current pixelated number look and goofy lower case font sucks. I also dislike Holland's big square numbers which look like they were done with strips of masking tape.

QUOTE:
They were hard done by nonetheless what with the unlikely 2-2 draw between Denmark and Sweden.

coughcoughcoughBOLLOCKScoughcoughcough

Regardless of how fortunate or otherwise Italy may have been to progress in the last World Cup, we should all be grateful that they did to provide us with that utterly fantastic semi-final with Germany, which was quite simply one of the best games I have ever seen.

There are too many pumas on their shirts this time round, though.

In common with all of the sides afflicted by those terrible template Puma kits.