Ajaxtalk

carcajou schreef:Props to Scotland, I hope France can still manage to make it to the European Championship and Italy gets knocked out along the way, that'd be killing two birds with one stone.

carcajou, very sporting of you.

Fantastic result for Scotland :hupajax.gif:

Looooooooooooooooonnnnnnggggg way to go in a very difficult group - Georgia(away), Italy and Ukraine at Hampden and only two points between Scotland (1st) and France (3rd).

ps: As for the Rugby, I'm amazed France is still having problems with its centre pairing -absolutely no chemistry between 12 and 13 for the past couple of seasons. And why is Laporte playing Heymans at fullback? I know Poitrenaud is a little bit ropey, but really.

I don't know a ton about rugby, but I always thought that France was the only Euro country that had the pack and nous at the breakdown to contend with the big boys of the Southern hemisphere. Despite all the hype English forwards get, I think England will get crushed in the ruck and scrum by the likes of S. Africa. Having said that, Argentina is no slouch up front at all, and people should have seen vicotry over France coming.

France should still make it through, because as bad as they looked against Argentina, Ireland (whom I've always thought was overrated) looked even worse against Namibia.

In the end, I think it is going to be NZ and S. Africa, with Australia close behind (unless France can right the ship). I don't see any other countries coming close to those two.

dws schreef:

carcajou schreef:Props to Scotland, I hope France can still manage to make it to the European Championship and Italy gets knocked out along the way, that'd be killing two birds with one stone.

carcajou, very sporting of you.

Not that sporting, I consider that normal. The scots played well, were valiant and gave their best. No diving, no cheating, no whining. They didn't create a lot of chances but they were efficient. So hats off and let's move on to the next game against the Faroe... Hopefully France can win that one.

Congrats to Scotland....
Commiserations to France....

France's trophies :

Euro 1984
WC 1998
Euro 2000

all under socialist gouvernments !

sarkozy = defeats and early elimination

philippe schreef:France's trophies :

Euro 1984
WC 1998
Euro 2000

all under socialist gouvernments !

sarkozy = defeats and early elimination

At least for 1998 and 2000 I assume that you mean "socialist"

Anyway, I see a t-shirt marketting oportunity for someone there....

Socialist means with the leader of Parti Socialiste as prime minister.

We never had new Labour here yet for "socialist"

Football in France is seen as a working class sport, played by guys from the poor suburbs with an immigrant background. The conservatives don't like it.

Funnily enough, the only time England won a World Cup was in 1966 - under the Socialist government of Harold Wilson.

I think the message is clear voters...

The German leader of the German Bundes Republic in June 1974 was Helmut Schmidt (SPD).

In 1990, the German leader was Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder (SPD).

Italy in 2006 : Romano Prodi.

Not to mention all the socialists that were in charge of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay when they won their world cups.

carcajou schreef:

dws schreef:

carcajou schreef:Props to Scotland, I hope France can still manage to make it to the European Championship and Italy gets knocked out along the way, that'd be killing two birds with one stone.

carcajou, very sporting of you.

Not that sporting, I consider that normal. The scots played well, were valiant and gave their best. No diving, no cheating, no whining. They didn't create a lot of chances but they were efficient. So hats off and let's move on to the next game against the Faroe... Hopefully France can win that one.

Mate, you summed up that very well. Am just back from being at the match in Paris and have to say it was my most glorious night watching football ever. Un fucking believable. 20,000 Scots in the stadium making it look like a home game.

Hats off to the French fans after the game who clapped and cheered the leaving Scotland support. Very sporting gesture and what a night in Paris after, Scots and French entwined getting absolutely steaming drunk.



Heres a wee link to the goal, listen to the noise from the away fans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3JXzy_sjDA

DWS, have a listen to the radio clyde commentary of the goal

http://www.srhdev.co.uk/ryan/scotland/H ... OAL%21.mp3

Heres a wee link to the goal, listen to the noise from the away fans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3JXzy_sjDA

I'd nipped out to the kitchen to get a beer when Faddy scored .... could tell just from the roar that it was a Scotland goal.

DWS, have a listen to the radio clyde commentary of the goal

http://www.srhdev.co.uk/ryan/scotland/H ... OAL%21.mp3

The Clyde commentator must be related to Jack Van Gelder ....... every bit as emotional and hysterical sounding as JVG's commentary for Bergkamp's goal v Argentina in '98. :hupajax.gif: FUCKING MAGIC !!!

AL West Champs 2007!!!

Congrats! I told you that you guys were going to do well this year. I wish the same could be said of my Astros.

Postseason was short in LA this year.

Dubbel schreef:Postseason was short in LA this year.

At least you had one.

It was those 'has been' Red Sox hurlers of yours that left us without a chance. On the other hand, our guys where so frightened of Big Papi and Manny that it was a lost cause from the start. Postseason or not, 0-3 is a crappy way to close out a season.

Finally - post season is over in NY too. We had the same problems which we had all year - bad starting pitching & everyone trying to hit home runs.

Dubbel schreef:It was those 'has been' Red Sox hurlers of yours that left us without a chance. On the other hand, our guys where so frightened of Big Papi and Manny that it was a lost cause from the start. Postseason or not, 0-3 is a crappy way to close out a season.

Well, I was a little wrong about the Sox, although Schilling wasn't as good as everyone thinks. The key to the Sox was Josh Beckett and their bullpen.

And the fact that they scored more runs than anyone else in baseball.

I think you've conclusively proven that I can't predict shit.

Speaking of not being able to predict...

I also predicted early exits from the Rugby World Cup for France and England. Looks like I was wrong there.

I watched the France - NZ match, and while NZ threw away some chances to win the match, I must say that the last 15 minutes of that match is among the most stirring things I've seen in any sporting event. The way France defended was nothing short of heroic. I found the bravery of les Bleus to be inspirational.

Congratulations to France and thanks for a truly courageous performance.

aveslacker schreef:Speaking of not being able to predict...

I also predicted early exits from the Rugby World Cup for France and England. Looks like I was wrong there.

I watched the France - NZ match, and while NZ threw away some chances to win the match, I must say that the last 15 minutes of that match is among the most stirring things I've seen in any sporting event. The way France defended was nothing short of heroic. I found the bravery of les Bleus to be inspirational.

Congratulations to France and thanks for a truly courageous performance.

Not only courageus but truly cynical, aided and abetted by a truly appalling refereeing display. Never mind that France scored off a blatant forward pass, or that McAlistair was sinbinned for absolutely nothing, or that France 'defended' with hands in the ruck when hard-pressed on their own line, and got away with it.

That said, NZ choked again. 8 consecutive wins over France, including humiliating them by about 40 points in Paris all count for nothing. For all their reputation, The All Blacks (and 90% of all NZ sporting teams) do not have the mental strength to compete when it matters, or when the going gets tough. (much like Ajax, it pains me to say)

So, congrats to France, and I hope South Africa wins the cup.

P.S. On the plus side, there's no longer any need to get up early while hungover on a sunday morning to watch the games

Frans schreef:

aveslacker schreef:Speaking of not being able to predict...

I also predicted early exits from the Rugby World Cup for France and England. Looks like I was wrong there.

I watched the France - NZ match, and while NZ threw away some chances to win the match, I must say that the last 15 minutes of that match is among the most stirring things I've seen in any sporting event. The way France defended was nothing short of heroic. I found the bravery of les Bleus to be inspirational.

Congratulations to France and thanks for a truly courageous performance.

Not only courageus but truly cynical, aided and abetted by a truly appalling refereeing display. Never mind that France scored off a blatant forward pass, or that McAlistair was sinbinned for absolutely nothing, or that France 'defended' with hands in the ruck when hard-pressed on their own line, and got away with it.

That said, NZ choked again. 8 consecutive wins over France, including humiliating them by about 40 points in Paris all count for nothing. For all their reputation, The All Blacks (and 90% of all NZ sporting teams) do not have the mental strength to compete when it matters, or when the going gets tough. (much like Ajax, it pains me to say)

So, congrats to France, and I hope South Africa wins the cup.

P.S. On the plus side, there's no longer any need to get up early while hungover on a sunday morning to watch the games

Agree with the ref being poor (although I don't know enough about rugby to know when hands are in the ruck). I also thought the ref botched the advantage towards the end of the game, leading McAlister to try what he thought was a free drop goal. That sucked. Also agree that the yellow shown McAlister was harsh.

However, NZ made some tactical mistakes as well. I recall them losing possession twice when they were ahead in the waning minutes of the game because they kept on trying to pass the ball while being tackled (iirc, it was McAlister both times) rather than going to ground and letting the Kiwi forwards (who were truly awesome) go into the ruck and recycle the ball. The second time it led to France's try.

Any way, condolences to New Zealand. After the U.S. and Wales, I was hoping the All-Blacks would win it. Now the only team that really interests me is South Africa.

The referee.... The sore loser's favourite excuse.

If I were a kiwi, I'd question the absolute inability of the new zealanders to make their way through the french barbed wire defence, I'd say that Dan Carter's injury surely affected his production, but the referee??

Come on, you know better....

England 14 - Sarkozy 9

philippe schreef:England 14 - Sarkozy 9

hehe, I sure hope the Pumas gives France a good ass whooping, that'll teach Sarkozy a lesson