Cyprus 1 Germany 1

Whilst England and Holland saw out their ritualistic 1-1 laissez faire, with both sides too polite to inflict defeat on their friendly cousins (anyone else notice how NEITHER anthem was booed? A first, for England away in particular),

this has somehow passed under the radar....and I think it deserves its own thread in honour.

An explanation someone? The best side in the World (self styled) being held by a bunch of Islanders?

Personally havent read any of the posts regarding the England/Holland game yet, but if I come across a degrading comment regarding the boys in White or Orange from one of the resident German wind-ups, I will have to laugh very hard, since this was a COMPETITIVE match against a team ranked 80th in the World, a whole 30 places below the supposed cannon fodder that was Macedonia

Haha.

I bet otto had his script prepared but awoke this morning to the depressing news that not only had Germany DRAWN with Cyprus, but that 002 had scored

Cyprus are not actually that bad. thrashed ireland

But don't tell otto..


otto has already made his excuses for this one i believe

I've just read a couple of his posts.

The Holland/England game was indeed crap-that much I agree with him: there was none of that prickly history to spicen it up like a Germany- Holland or England- Argentina friendly.

However how Rooney has become singled out is beyond me, he shone out from the mediocrity on the occasions he had the ball, as did Robben for Holland.

I wonder who played well for Germany last night, Im intrigued

The Real White Pele wrote:I've just read a couple of his posts.

The Holland/England game was indeed crap-that much I agree with him: there was none of that prickly history to spicen it up like a Germany- Holland or England- Argentina friendly.

However how Rooney has become singled out is beyond me, he shone out from the mediocrity on the occasions he had the ball, as did Robben for Holland.

I wonder who played well for Germany last night, Im intrigued

no one and we also don't need a thread to discuss it as it was quite horrible, so lets talk about England Holland...
Have I actually said that I was right with my prediction...

Ballmädchen wrote:

The Real White Pele wrote:I've just read a couple of his posts.

The Holland/England game was indeed crap-that much I agree with him: there was none of that prickly history to spicen it up like a Germany- Holland or England- Argentina friendly.

However how Rooney has become singled out is beyond me, he shone out from the mediocrity on the occasions he had the ball, as did Robben for Holland.

I wonder who played well for Germany last night, Im intrigued

no one and we also don't need a thread to discuss it as it was quite horrible, so lets talk about England Holland...
Have I actually said that I was right with my prediction...

I was close with my prediction

Holland 2 (van der Vaart and Huntelaar)
England 1 (Rooney)

if only Huntelaar had scored ...

Should make a book on how long otto will stay away for.

What remains to be said? It was a lacklustre, tired performance from Germany who were missing some key players. Certainly not a disaster to draw away at Cyprus so I can live with it. It's impossible to electrify the audience in every match.

Isar Truppe wrote: Certainly not a disaster to draw away at Cyprus so I can live with it.

How the (supposedly) mighty have fallen...

Qualifiers are not finals. Only getting there matters.

Isar Truppe wrote:Qualifiers are not finals. Only getting there matters.

Cant argue with that. Makes great wind-up material though

Cyprus away always difficult.....

The Real White Pele wrote:

Isar Truppe wrote:Qualifiers are not finals. Only getting there matters.

Cant argue with that. Makes great wind-up material though

I can....

That's the big difference between us and our neighbours.

For them it's the *what* that counts, for us it's the *how*.

Neither is happy at the moment though

Well if you listen to Van Gaals interview before the Dutch game yesterday he will tell you who is currently playing the sexy football.

"Only Germany and Argentina managed to produce football worth watching at the World Cup"

And if the Dutch fans are all about the how, then why is Van Basten still in the job?

Because the Dutch FA backs him. Also the critics are not as negative as they were at Advocaat...

The majority of the people want Van Basten out!

This is not my opinion btw !

Axeslammer ! wrote:

The Real White Pele wrote:

Isar Truppe wrote:Qualifiers are not finals. Only getting there matters.

Cant argue with that. Makes great wind-up material though

I can....

That's the big difference between us and our neighbours.

For them it's the *what* that counts, for us it's the *how*.

And that's the reason why we have 3 WC and 3 EC titles and your Elftal only one. You're rather dying in beauty than playing football successfully.

Ballmädchen wrote:

Axeslammer ! wrote:

The Real White Pele wrote:

Isar Truppe wrote:Qualifiers are not finals. Only getting there matters.

Cant argue with that. Makes great wind-up material though

I can....

That's the big difference between us and our neighbours.

For them it's the *what* that counts, for us it's the *how*.

And that's the reason why we have 3 WC and 3 EC titles and your Elftal only one. You're rather dying in beauty than playing football successfully.

But then again Germany is also a bit bigger then Holland. Imagine if we had 80 million people Then we would win everything I guess...

Ballmädchen wrote:

And that's the reason why we have 3 WC and 3 EC titles and your Elftal only one. You're rather dying in beauty than playing football successfully.

Yup and I feel fine about it

If I'd have to win in the manner you lot do, then I'd rather have we didn't play at all.

Which is the way Van Basten makes me feel

2 loses out of 31 matches and half the country wants his head, that illustrates the point rather well

A fair and admirable philosophy. But the only international trophy Germany have won while I've been watching football is the European Championship of ten years ago, when (I'm sure you disagree) I thought they were the best team and played the best football. (Not quite like now – ignoring last night – but still...)

'72, '80, '96, 2008...

Allez_les_rouges wrote:A fair and admirable philosophy. But the only international trophy Germany have won while I've been watching football is the European Championship of ten years ago, when (I'm sure you disagree) I thought they were the best team and played the best football. (Not quite like now – ignoring last night – but still...)

'72, '80, '96, 2008...

Apart from the England game, where you began playing for penalties in the second half of normal time (which Im sure you'll also disagree).

I can't be arsed to argue with you Pele – you probably think we were playing for penalties against Argentina too... anyway I remember it as being one of the most exciting periods of extra time ever and a very even game, certainly wouldn't call you the better side.

Anyway, one word for you: KUNTZ!!!!!

Allez_les_rouges wrote: IAnyway, one word for you: KUNTZ!!!!!

Yes, they all were.

Roger_Hunt wrote:

Allez_les_rouges wrote: IAnyway, one word for you: KUNTZ!!!!!

Yes, they all were.

I don't even remember the disallowed goal – how embarrassing – but don't be too one-eyed chaps...

"If extra-time was almost unbearable against Spain, this set a whole new standard in the realms of stress management. England hit the post through Darren Anderton, Gascoigne was inches away from forcing the ball over the line and the Germans seemed to score from a corner only to have it ruled out for a push that almost everyone but the referee failed to see." (BBC)

Allez_les_rouges wrote:I can't be arsed to argue with you Pele – you probably think we were playing for penalties against Argentina too... anyway I remember it as being one of the most exciting periods of extra time ever and a very even game, certainly wouldn't call you the better side.

Anyway, one word for you: KUNTZ!!!!!

I dont want an argument, because yours and my opinions will never change.

We were the more adventurous side, playing at home, knowing your record at penalties; numerous chances wnet amiss, none more gut wrenching than Gazza missing by a whisker from converting into an open net....


no, I'd like to say Im usually quite rational, but I cannot talk about that game without even now wanting to put my fist through a wall in despair.

That single game scarred me as an England supporter (with no club allegiances more) than any other; there is simply no doubt had England beaten Germany they would have defeated the Czechs infront of a home crowd.

1990 (I don't know how many of you remember this), Germany take the lead (rather fortunately ), England equalise and then there seemed to be only one team going for it.

96 was the same. When it was 1-1, there looked like there would only be 1 winner in normal time.

It's funny how the Germans consider drawing 1-1 a wonderful victory, which gives them bragging rights.

(all they're better at is penalties). Other than the 2001 clash at Wembley (where Hamann took the free kick whilst the ref was talking to the England players), I'm struggling to think of the last time Germany outscored England in a match

The English wins in Charleroi and Munich are their only victories since 1985, and their only competitive ones since 1966. The "bragging rights" thing is just bullshit and mostly one-way: whereas the English – perhaps understandably (combination of irrational hatred and rarity of success) – print T-shirts commemorating the scoreboard of their victory in a sodding QUALIFICATION game that sell in their tens of thousands, the Germans don't have to brag about solitary victories or be hung up on one particular opponent, having won three European and three world championships.

But you know that, if Germany had won 5-1 in London or Manchester, Otto and the Germans would never let it lie.

Allez_les_rouges wrote:The English wins in Charleroi and Munich are their only victories since 1985, and their only competitive ones since 1966. The "bragging rights" thing is just bullshit and mostly one-way: whereas the English – perhaps understandably (combination of irrational hatred and rarity of success) – print T-shirts commemorating the scoreboard of their victory in a sodding QUALIFICATION game that sell in their tens of thousands, the Germans don't have to brag about solitary victories or be hung up on one particular opponent, having won three European and three world championships.

Real victories they were though, the ones where you outscore you opponents in normal time, not depending on penalties

Fey wrote:

Ballmädchen wrote:

Axeslammer ! wrote:

The Real White Pele wrote:

Isar Truppe wrote:Qualifiers are not finals. Only getting there matters.

Cant argue with that. Makes great wind-up material though

I can....

That's the big difference between us and our neighbours.

For them it's the *what* that counts, for us it's the *how*.

And that's the reason why we have 3 WC and 3 EC titles and your Elftal only one. You're rather dying in beauty than playing football successfully.

But then again Germany is also a bit bigger then Holland. Imagine if we had 80 million people Then we would win everything I guess...

The poplution has nothing to do with what I've said.
I only wanted to point out, that your attitude, rather losing in beauty than just snatching a victory, is the reason why you aren't as successful as Germany.

With the huge amount of talents you've "produced" in the last decades and the little success you've achieved with them you should question yourself why that so is. Axe comment just affirms my theory that you're too self-complacent.

Okay, maybe you Dutchies are happy with your achievements, but you could have won much more than only one EC and with an attitude like "as long as they are playing beautiful football, it's okay to lose" you will never achieve anything more.

Then again it's not my business to criticise you, so I'll stop it here. It's just that I would be pissed, if I were Dutch and see how many talented players are running around, but don't produce to win silverware for the country.

The Real White Pele wrote:Whilst England and Holland saw out their ritualistic 1-1 laissez faire, with both sides too polite to inflict defeat on their friendly cousins (anyone else notice how NEITHER anthem was booed? A first, for England away in particular),

this has somehow passed under the radar....and I think it deserves its own thread in honour.

An explanation someone? The best side in the World (self styled) being held by a bunch of Islanders?

Personally havent read any of the posts regarding the England/Holland game yet, but if I come across a degrading comment regarding the boys in White or Orange from one of the resident German wind-ups, I will have to laugh very hard, since this was a COMPETITIVE match against a team ranked 80th in the World, a whole 30 places below the supposed cannon fodder that was Macedonia

A defense that was all-over the place, an intimidated and insecure goalie (sorry, Timo, but that was awful)... A winger who was much more than just shocking and wasn't pulled off (why, Jogi, why?!)... Loads of crappy passing...






Let's just blame the ref (BIASED, of course), the weather (naturally, we're just not used to that sort of climate), the state of the pitch (some of the grass blades were longer than the DFB/FIFA/UEFA-grass-length-regulation-act allows and thus prevented Neuville from showing his best because he could barely see above them), Cyprus were a scary opponent from the start (which is why the German players ended up looking like headless chicken in the opening minutes; their knees were shaking so much and little Philipp Lahm was busy trying to find his teddy bear), the goal was nailed shut (as they say in Germany, I'm sure there must be a rule about that being illegal somewhere as well), the players were tired after the World Cup and a lot of mid-week fixtures (guess why Jogi didn't bring on any subs earlier: He didn't want to tire out more players ), Hildebrand isn't used to playing behind a wobbly defense anymore (see what winning a few games can do to you!)... And, lastly, well... No one told the public it was Völler/Ribbeck memorial day.

Which the players honoured! In style and greatly so.



[/sarcasm]