France V Portugal. Discuss

evad_lhorg

as the title says.

i think france will just win this one.

shatners basoon

I certainly hope they do. Depends how they play really, if say both teams play at their best France would win in my opinion as they've the better team on paper. Phil is by far the better manager but Zidane can lift the team to even greater heights so its really ZZ vs BP!

Lex Luthor

Portugal to nick one in extra time from a Barthez howler

Unearthly

France

Out of the 2 teams they're the only one to put in a performance that looks like World Champions.

Portugal are slugging through their matches but if Zidane is on form, he'll break them down.

Of course if France pre Spain turnup, Portugal to win.

gimmick

I have a feeling the Portugese will win this one. They have played better throughout the tournament, and Big Phil is a far better coach than Domenech. I think they could be cynical, and target Zidane being on a yellow and/or just try and take him out of the game altogether.

Hopefully the game will be played in the spirit of last nights game, and not like the Portugal Holland game.

I see Portugal to win 2-1

span

I think france will win. The final will be a much better one if France are there.
I haven't been impressed by portugal at all and think they got passed Holland by using dirty tactics and then scraping passed a very poor England side.

I can see them diving all over the place tonight and trying to break up the rhythm of the game

GrumPy

I want Portugal to win, But if France play well that wont happen. Should be a good semi-final.

Jimi-Spandex

I'll be supporting portugal. They will be alot better than they were against England with Deco and Costinha back. They will give a much better balance to the team and Deco will provide the bit of guile up front.

That said, I reckon france will win.

CivilServant

I think portugal but I hope france. It will be a good football match though, like last night. On a side note the world cup is almost over ...

LostinBlanch

I think this game is going to be awful, full of diving, cheating, trying to get players sent off. Everyone knows the Portugese are masters of these dark arts but what about Henry's disgraceful attempt in the last match? Viera also has form in this area, wasn't he caught on camera trying to get Hamman sent off by going to ground with no contact and a yard of clear space between them?

With a load of players on possible suspensions for the final - Zidane, Thuram, Ribery, Sagnol and Saha if he plays. Throw in Gallas's and Domenechs comments about everyone being aware of what happened to Laurent Blanc in 98 I think that has to have an effect on the game. I can see people ducking out of tackles etc.

Domenech lost to the Portugese in 1996 when coaching the French Olympic team, they had one player sent off and there were 11 players booked in that match. Cisse was also sent off in 2003 in an under 21 game against Portugal. So I'm betting that someone is going to get sent off in this game.

Thank God that neither Valentin Ivanov or Graham Poll aren't reffing this game.

tred

LostinBlanch wrote:

I think this game is going to be awful, full of diving, cheating, trying to get players sent off. Everyone knows the Portugese are masters of these dark arts but what about Henry's disgraceful attempt in the last match? Viera also has form in this area, wasn't he caught on camera trying to get Hamman sent off by going to ground with no contact and a yard of clear space between them?

With a load of players on possible suspensions for the final - Zidane, Thuram, Ribery, Sagnol and Saha if he plays. Throw in Gallas's and Domenechs comments about everyone being aware of what happened to Laurent Blanc in 98 I think that has to have an effect on the game. I can see people ducking out of tackles etc.

Domenech lost to the Portugese in 1996 when coaching the French Olympic team, they had one player sent off and there were 11 players booked in that match. Cisse was also sent off in 2003 in an under 21 game against Portugal. So I'm betting that someone is going to get sent off in this game.

Thank God that neither Valentin Ivanov or Graham Poll aren't reffing this game.

This world cup has being full of divers. They should ban them afterwards or card them afterwards if TV shows it.....a few times totti last night was just pathetic. Henry made a bad a terrible dive as well.But you have to agree technically it was a body check and was a foul i think..but he should have being carded for Dive.

Ref was good last night, apart from the free kick that should have being a penalty if itwas indeed a foul...but all in all he did well. could he be a candidate for the final?

LostinBlanch

tred,

I agree with you. There should be an automatic three game ban for anyone caught diving on tv after the game. All it would take is one player to get done and the rest will stop. I'm not a fan of someone trying to do thsi as you amy have guessed :rolleyes:

bohsman

If a player is caught diving it should be a straight red with no suspension.

LostinBlanch

Oh yeah and the ref was good last night. I just hope not too good for the final! If he came from a small country i.e Togo or something he wouldn't have a hope. It should go to him but I don't know if he'll get it.

I mean can you imagine the amount of politics involved in getting to ref the final?

sprinkles

Potugal to win 2-1

I think Big Phil has the beating of The french. He'll target ZZ and with him out of the game Figo will dominate.

KdjaCL

Hoipe Portugal win regardless of what some of the players have done they play nice football. Always forevertrying to walk the ball into the net. Only bad game they had was vs England where they showed them too much respect and sat back.


Hopefully another game like last night.


kdjac

unkel

France to win 2-0 in regular time. Unless the Portugese can get away with dirty tactics again. Could last nights ref do this match as well

gimmick wrote:

Hopefully the game will be played in the spirit of last nights game, and not like the Portugal Holland game

Second that!

tred

LostinBlanch wrote:

Oh yeah and the ref was good last night. I just hope not too good for the final! If he came from a small country i.e Togo or something he wouldn't have a hope. It should go to him but I don't know if he'll get it.

I mean can you imagine the amount of politics involved in getting to ref the final?

hes mexican is he not?

Earthhorse

All depends on what teams show up tonight. The France of the last two games will win against the Portugal of the last two games. But if they play like they were playing at the start of the tournie then Portugal will win.

My prediction is that France will win tonight, but only just.

gracehopper

I think France will nick it. Viera and makelele will more than mix it with dirty costinha, carvalho and co.

BTW
Did anyone see Zidane pictured having a smoke in the indo today? i thought that was weird to see the best player of a generation have a smoke on his hotel balcony.

herbieflowers

ZZ needs to assert his coolness...and we alll know smoking is soo cool

shatners basoon

ZZ smokes???!!!! Oooooo, we can't like him anymore - Lets get him!!!!!

eirebhoy

France to win with Vieira and Thuram getting booked and I'll be happy.

Supercell

I've been hopelessly wrong with my predictions so far in the tournament..so tonight I forecast France to win (but hoping for Portugal to sneak it)

France, you just got the kiss of death!!

mike65

France by a goal

Mike.

Pighead

France to win with Louis Saha coming on to score the winner. Pighead also reckons Ronaldo might get sent off tonight. If things aren't going his way he'll lose it and this referee has already booked him in this tournament (V Angola)

PHB

this referee has already booked him in this tournament (V Angola)

Incorrectly I might add

cournioni

Ronaldo doesn't seem to be phased by the boo's and jeers so far. He's looking quite dangerous tbh.

PHB

Oh it's a peno! Bloody hell!

Without a doubt against the run of play, France really don't deserve this, this is gona really tighten up the game if he scores.

Ricardo gets a a hand to the ball again, how does he keep doing it?

Defo not a peno on Ronaldo

KdjaCL

Lol Henry never dives.



kdjac

Ruu_Old

1-0 France, penalty.

cournioni

KdjaC wrote:

Lol Henry never dives.

Bit of a dive alright. There was contact but there was no need for the theatrics.

acquiescefc

Nice dive by Ronaldo

www.letsallbooronaldo.com

KdjaCL

acquiescefc wrote:

Nice dive by Ronaldo

www.letsallbooronaldo.com

Am i only one rooting for the guy to skin 3 players and crack one in?

Entertains me every week but now hes a bad guy ....aww poor ickle blamemonkey.


kdjac

PHB

I'm with ya Kdjac
He nearly just did

Guy:Incognito

shatners basoon wrote:

ZZ smokes???!!!! Oooooo, we can't like him anymore - Lets get him!!!!!

He looks like the laramies moose off the simpsons

bohsman

Im also supporting Ronaldo. Best player on the pitch in the first half.

PHB

France ahead but I don't think they deserve it.

Henry went down very easily, but Zidane put the ball away excellently.

Open game, with Ronaldo getting doubled up on, a lot of space is opening up, but Pauletta is just not good enough imo, so the goal has to come from midfield.

Anyone else think that if France are gona play a 4-5-1, Henry shouldn't be playing? Couldn't you just drop Maluda and bring on Trev or Saha

GrumPy

:mad: I hate France!!

Guy:Incognito

PORNAPSTER wrote:

Bit of a dive alright. There was contact but there was no need for the theatrics.

Yeah he's not doing himself any favours in this wc. Contact doesnt automatically mean you deserve to be allowed fall down and get a penalty.

Whatever happened to trying to stay up? I can honestlyt say I've never dived playing football, in fact I make a point of trying to stay up even when I get hoofed. I cant stand divers.

PHB

I personally feel I don't have the ability to dive, not because I don't want to, but because it takes an incredible level of control that most people on amateur level can't do effectivly.

KdjaCL

Stekelly wrote:

Whatever happened to trying to stay up? I can honestlyt say I've never dived playing football, in fact I make a point of trying to stay up even when I get hoofed. I cant stand divers.

Was talking about that earlier, if we dived what would we get other than a facefull of grass?? Honestly the ref would laugh at you.


Altho one guy did vs a team i played for in Nightowls on the plastic pithces got a peno too Odd every player in our back 4 ensured every other tackle on him was worthy of a red card. Lucky we won 3-2 with 9 men (from the start) and stayed up.

Thats the only dive i ever seen in real football, but after it he was cut in half literally and the ref gave him nothing, said sorry to us after it as he realised he did dive but let us away with the seriously nasty ones


kdjac

mike65

At least a 5.7 for Ronaldo.

I had no idea he was so unpopular with the French.

Mike.

PHB

I had no idea he was so unpopular with the French.

He isn't.

Think about it.

The English are the ones who hate him. The French couldn't care less about him 'cheating' the english, if anything, they'd encourage it.

But it's a semi-final, and which semi are England fans most likely to have tickets for?

All it takes is about 500 English people for the amount of boo's we've heard.

cournioni

KdjaC wrote:

Am i only one rooting for the guy to skin 3 players and crack one in?

Entertains me every week but now hes a bad guy ....aww poor ickle blamemonkey.


kdjac

I'm with you on that too. All of this booing is fairly petty. What did he do again?

bohsman

Did you see that, the Portugal player smiled and pointed after the French player went off injured. Unbelievable.

PHB

Simao for Figo?
Maybe Simao for Pauletta, with Ronaldo up front

Oh yeh, go me

Anyone think Portugal are gona score? That threat doesn't seem there

Ronaldo can't get anything off being trebled-teamed now.

KdjaCL

please portugal score....


france have 1-0 and playing for it..... just score portugal entertain us.......



kdjac

PHB

Very attacking move, Ronaldo gona drop back probbaly as a second striker behind Postiga.

KdjaCL

Frances "foreign legion" are all big strong lads no point in trying to lift the ball, the only wat portugal are gonna create a chance is by skill and beating a man.


kdjac

PHB

lol. Ronny taking a shot

Ronaldo hits it perfectly, how did Figo miss!!!!!