sixmartletsandaseagull wrote:

QUOTE:
matej: 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.

To be kind: yawn.

Uh, he's simply pointing out the existence of the comments. Matej is not as anti-Azzuri as JV (or myself, at times). Maybe he is, but he isn't rabid about it.

I'd also like to say that I'm generally anti-France, so this back-and-forth (which really seems more pronounced now than it did in 2006) is really tiresome to me.

Inca wrote:

QUOTE:
sixmartletsandaseagull wrote:

QUOTE:
matej: 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.

To be kind: yawn.

Uh, he's simply pointing out the existence of the comments. Matej is not as anti-Azzuri as JV (or myself, at times). Maybe he is, but he isn't rabid about it.

I'd also like to say that I'm generally anti-France, so this back-and-forth (which really seems more pronounced now than it did in 2006) is really tiresome to me.

I didn't say he was, I used his quote, which was said to encapsulate the general feeling of the US-based block.

I simply said I find it dull as ditchwater and in terms of "diving, cheating cunts", selective in the extreme.

QUOTE:
Might not four points get {the divers in the puffy gold-trimmed blouses} through, depending on other results?

Ahem, they are not sitting pretty right now with a minus three on goal differential. Do you think that forwards like Toni can make that up? Do you realize that Italy's leading scorer in WC06 was Materazzi...

QUOTE:
Ahem, compared to France {the divers in the puffy gold-trimmed blouses} created quite a few good chances.

They {the divers in the puffy gold-trimmed blouses} were already down two goals, Holland was satisfied to let them come and counter.

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

In North America, Italy is the second-most popular team in Europe right after England. It is the official Eurotrash team, and the team for everyone with an Italian grandma (that's about 150,000,000 people). France is the European team everyone loves to hate in North America, by a wide margin.

Heh. You must have missed my previous posts re: "all footballer are diving cheating cunts". Which of course, they are.

Although its true the Italian team gets on my nerves more than most...

linus wrote:

QUOTE:
In North America, Italy is the second-most popular team in Europe right after England. It is the official Eurotrash team, and the team for everyone with an Italian grandma (that's about 150,000,000 people). France is the European team everyone loves to hate in North America, by a wide margin.

I'd have to agree with that. Plus, for Americans that don't really follow soccer, Italy is the European country, along with England, that they assume is the best.

I live in a neighborhood that used to be almost all Italian (but is becoming very diverse), and after WC 2006, all of a sudden a lot of Azzurri shirts and jackets and banners came out of the woodwork. Never noticed them before. I'm curious about whether these people who jumped on the gravy train are even watching now.

linus wrote:
[quote]

QUOTE:
Ahem, they are not sitting pretty right now with a minus three on goal differential. Do you think that forwards like Toni can make that up? Do you realize that Italy's leading scorer in WC06 was Materazzi...

Head to head results are used before goal difference in the groups.

You and your damn facts, Harry.

He was just getting warmed up.

Matej wrote:

QUOTE:
Heh. You must have missed my previous posts re: "all footballer are diving cheating cunts". Which of course, they are.

I did miss that. Apologies to you out of the US block at least.

Although its true the Italian team gets on my nerves more than most...

Which is your right and that even I can understand that.

Linus pure comedy gold mate. Italy were poor last night, largly because Holland were very good, which seems to have largely been forgotten. France stank too I'm afraid. No divers, cheats or cynical dirty gits in that French team of course.

In my youth 70s and 80s France had some talented players (largely Platini who is Italian ethnically. What? You thought it a coincidence!)culled from the very few people who were interested in football in that footballing backwater, but it was not until its players went to play in Italy that they developed the tactical ability or psychological mindset (and possibly some more nefarious footballing arts) to compete. Their footballers are still flaky of course but less so.


We made the French national team. Now there's a thought.

Where are the Italian American Anti-Defamation League when we need them?

That's not actually a bad question : why some countries' national teams play in colours other than those on their flag. Holland and Italy we know, Germany & Australia anyone ? Any more ?

Of course, for anyone new, I was rabidly pro-Azzuri for most of my life, and my first few coaches were Italian and Juve supporters. My first WC was 1982, so each goal I scored in club games I'd celebrate like Paolo Rossi did (arms straighted at my hips.) Or Giorgio Chinaglia (one hand in the air like Shearer.) Besides the Cosmos, the only games available were the Bundesliga on Soccer Made In Germany and Serie A on WNYC. So every Sunday morning I'd watch Platini, Boniek, and my hero Dino Zoff (as I was a burgeoning goalkeeper) for Juve.

I spent years defending calcio on this board, and defending Juve against any allegation of phantom penalties or what have you. Del Piero and Totti conspiring to keep Baggio out in 02 started the decline, the scandal ripped my heart out, and De Rossi's 2 not-called penalties against Ghana and subsequent decapitation of McBride sealed the deal for me. Whatever I despise about the game, Italy has become.

But go into any pizzeria in NY/NJ, and there's a poster of the 82 team, so add me into the fact that Italy is quite well-supported in the USA. The only thing that surprises me is that they're not more supported in NYC. With so many Italian patriots in Brooklyn and Manhattan, they still see soccer as a sissy sport - even though their country is one of the best at it.

Australia is covered above.

The German flag at the time the country started to play internationally (and through WWI) was white, black and red.

Japan wearing blue is another high profile one, and while I don't know the answer, I bet Furtho does.

I also don't know why India wears sky blue for cricket, though imagine that test nations needed to choose a distinctive colour for their caps given that all of the other kit was/is white for everyone.

jason Vorhees: yes, I know I have you in my little black book already, without even looking.

Even I as a long time Juve fan would not defend the Juve hierarchy against any what have you. It has embarrassed many of us over the years and in retrospect at least diluted some of the joy of previous successes.

Though much of it is down to top powerful clubs getting decisions, including Milan, Inter, Man utd, liverpool Real madrid whoever, human nature almost . Let us not forget Milan were relegated in 1980 I think it was for nefarious doings.

Juve's favourtism is complicated by (Italy being Italy) and the owners being the unofficial Italian "royal" family. Moggi... terrible for us all. No style or grace in his corruption.

My memory of Del Piero and Totti supposedly conspiring to keep Baggio out in 02 is almost non-existent, not that you are wrong but I don't remember that.

De Rossi's 2 not-called penalties against Ghana and subsequent decapitation of McBride sealed the deal for me.

The attack on Mcbride was shocking, deliberate and disgusting and he should have been banned for 10 games. Tassotti on Lusi Enrique in 94 equally. But is that even Italian players?

But getting away with pens, diving, tripping, holding at corners (Desailly's elbow off the ball on Canavaro in 2000, Malouda's dive in 2006 etc etc etc and it's not just the players from the footballing backwater of France) they all do that.