And would dribblin', steppin', sprintin' Leo please return to the AWs immediately please.
We deserve that
COYN Brown/plodder/mac for vicilich. vicilich for smyth. Smyth for lochhead. Done.
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I go along with the fact that Tim Brown would fit in better than anyone else, but you guys are dreaming.
He has had pins in his shoulder and come Monday has not played for 4 weeks. No only would it not be fair for him, but would be bad for the team.It is amazing that he is training at all.
He has had pins in his shoulder and come Monday has not played for 4 weeks. No only would it not be fair for him, but would be bad for the team.It is amazing that he is training at all.
If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid
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I hope brown gets game time. He deseves a run.
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Don't think Rickie will change the team much. Perhaps Brown will come off the bench when Vivelich tires in the second half.
I thought the Slovakia team played us the ultimate compliment in the way they approached the game. They set out to negate our tactics. Skrtel man marked Fallon out of the game, they always put two defenders onto Bertos when he was on attack and they often pressed three attackers forward to match our three defenders and then used Weiss to attack wide.
I don't think Italy do this to the same extent which may help us out. Italy will try and keep possesion for long periods.....keep the ball on the deck and just try and blow us away with their superior attackers.
If we keep our shape and defend well we may frustrate them. The longer the game goes without them scoring the more rattled they will get. If we can then get some possesion and then get some diagonal balls into our big guys then we could nick a goal.
The worst scenario would be if they scored early. Italian sides are famous for sitting on a lead...we would struggle to get any meaningful possession.
The logical result would be Italy by 2 or 3 goals but you never know.....Switzerland just beat Spain. If the guys dig deep and have a bit of luck then we could run them close.
I kind of wish we had Moss in goal for this one.....it could be a game for our best shot stopper!
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Realistically a loss seems probable to me but, yes, hopefully we can keep it to a one goal margin, two at the most. That way, unless Paraguay murder Slovakia, we will at least have a theoretical chance of knocking off Paraguay on the day.
Doubtful I know, but unlike Paraguay we will have nothing to lose and in such a situation pressure can do strange things to the supposedly superior team. Today I was thinking idly (very idle in fact, since I was at work tinkering with league tables while my ringing phone remained unanswered) of a scenario where we needed to beat them by two clear goals. A goal from us with 15 to go, for example, might just cause Paraguay to panic, not knowing whether to press for an equaliser or defend their superior goal difference. Anything could happen on the day.
Knowing we still have a chance in that 3rd game will also keep interest in NZ very high, with all that great, positive media exposure that comes with it.
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The worst scenario would be if they scored early. Italian sides are famous for sitting on a lead...we would struggle to get any meaningful possession.
Sounds like a good scenario to me. Slovakia sat on their lead and look what happened. If Italy score early on and try sit on the lead we'll have almost a full 90 to get one back.
Three for me, and two for them.
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The worst scenario would be if they scored early. Italian sides are famous for sitting on a lead...we would struggle to get any meaningful possession.
Sounds like a good scenario to me. Slovakia sat on their lead and look what happened. If Italy score early on and try sit on the lead we'll have almost a full 90 to get one back.
Yeah I agree. Their defense is terrible compared to previous years if they score an early goal and sit back I'd say we would have a good chance to get one back
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I watched the Italy v Paraguay game and Italy looked pretty good to me. Paraguay are a very good side. I think people are getting caught out by all the negative hype aimed at Italy, this is not a bad Italian side.
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Agreed - plus the fact that Italians teams have responded great to negative press over the last few decades..
a.haak
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I watched the Italy v Paraguay game and Italy looked pretty good to me. Paraguay are a very good side. I think people are getting caught out by all the negative hype aimed at Italy, this is not a bad Italian side.
how is this not a bad italian side? Comparing them to previous years they are weaker in every position
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yes...it's true... this is the weakest italy i have ever seen.
but i haven't seen this great show from Brasil, England, Holland or Spain... so, after the big pessimism, i'm a little bit more optimistic.
however i think our ultimate goal is quarter-finals... nothing more...
i don't understand all the importance you give to the % of possession... yes, it's important, but only if it's finalized to score, or at least to control the match... for the moment, to win a match, you must score at least a goal... not have 100% possession.
yesterday Spain had 70-80% possession, but Switzerland could win 2-0 with only 2 shots...
it's sure that Buffon will not play against you. probably he ended his world cup.
the sub is Marchetti.
but i haven't seen this great show from Brasil, England, Holland or Spain... so, after the big pessimism, i'm a little bit more optimistic.
however i think our ultimate goal is quarter-finals... nothing more...
i don't understand all the importance you give to the % of possession... yes, it's important, but only if it's finalized to score, or at least to control the match... for the moment, to win a match, you must score at least a goal... not have 100% possession.
yesterday Spain had 70-80% possession, but Switzerland could win 2-0 with only 2 shots...
it's sure that Buffon will not play against you. probably he ended his world cup.
the sub is Marchetti.
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Italians bring out their equivalent of the SAS:
Cannavarro in kill mode!
Cannavarro in kill mode!
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Battalions of ninjas! Italy are fielding battalions of ninjas against us!!! 
Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009
This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads
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If that is the case Ricki needs to make a very shrewd call on when to use his power play.
"Phoenix till they lose"
Posting 97% bollox, 8% lies and 3.658% genuine opinion.
Genuine opinion: FTFFA
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Battalions of ninjas! Italy are fielding battalions of ninjas against us!!!
Gold!! Siggy may have to step up and bulldoze them
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I watched the Italy v Paraguay game and Italy looked pretty good to me. Paraguay are a very good side. I think people are getting caught out by all the negative hype aimed at Italy, this is not a bad Italian side.
What people are saying is that by Italian standards, this is not a particularly good side. I mean, I don't think they're among the top 6 teams at this World Cup, and I can't really say that of any other Italian World Cup team I've seen in the last 20-odd years.
But the point is that despite that, they're still much, much, much better than us. I didn't think they played poorly in the first game, they just played another pretty good team. The difference between that game and our one was very obvious - that game was played at a higher pace (both in terms of player movement and ball movement), with a very good technical ability of both sides. Neither us or the Slovaks were anywhere near that level in our game. el grapadura2010-06-18 11:53:08
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I thought Italy looked petty good against Paraguay as well. We'll have to have our best ever game and they'll have to have one of their worst for us to get anything out of it. Italy have proven it time and time again that they know how to win the bigs ones that count more often than not.
That said - its football and anything can happen. I just hope our mid-field can get into the game a bit more as we are otherwise pretty solid at the back and front.
Its a long shot, but on the other hand, if the mafia have decided to put a bundle on NZ to win.....
That said - its football and anything can happen. I just hope our mid-field can get into the game a bit more as we are otherwise pretty solid at the back and front.
Its a long shot, but on the other hand, if the mafia have decided to put a bundle on NZ to win.....
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Cannavaro is still a much better defender than anyone Slovakia has though
Cannavaro is awful these days. Way, way past his best.
Was very good against Paraguay I thought.
Anyway, easy meat for Fallon
To be honest I was actually quite impressed with Italy even though a lot of people weren't. Pepe especially showed a lot going forward and they didn't look like an old, slow, past it team.
Agree that Italy didn't play as badly as some have made out, but I actually thought that the two players you mention were among poorer Italian players.
Cannavaro's marking was shoddy (goal his fault), looked a bit slow to react, and generally depended on Chiellini to bail him out. Pepe made some good runs generally, and if he was actually half a footballer he could have done great damage. But he's rubbish, so half the time you don't even need to mark him and just wait for him to kick the ball out.
I agree with you EG. I think Pepe is really average. Never rated him whatsoever
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Never have I ever seen this happen, esp between football and Rugby. Friday Dom post.
skylab892010-06-18 14:50:33
skylab892010-06-18 14:50:33
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I should have placed a bet earlier on a draw and a win for a much better price.
In the under $10 bracket it's 3-1 at worst and 1-0 at best for Italy.
The hope for me is that Italy drew with Cameroon nil all in March and frankly NZ could beat the Cameroons at the moment; then Mexico beat Italy 2-1 two weeks ago and we lost 2-0. So we are not to far off the pace.
Height and a new found ability to keep the ball, play in our favour.
I reckon we can score but with my betting brain on, thinking best value for money:
My pick (on a good day) as I stroll to the bookies 0-0
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New Zealand +1 at $5.25. Covers draw as well as the NZ win.
Tempting value.
Tempting value.
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Okay, put a tenner on a draw.
Harping on a bit, yeah, watched that Mexico - Italy match in bar in Slovenia.
The Mexicans 'easily' got in behind Italy and the Italian goal was a very late consolation.
So I don't think we are going to be disgraced and think we can probably score.
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With that Mexican _Italy thing, makes me think Killen would be a good bet at that style of footie.
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Slovakia also drew 1-1 with Cameroon, who drew 0-0 with Italy...so yea, we are in with a chance for sure...look, Italy couldnt score against a Cameroon team who cant defend to save themselves, so we gotta believe we can do it!
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"I want to see the touted 'Waka'"
Is that our new formation for the game? I would prefer we used the Mike Basset tried and true Christmas Pudding
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"I want to see the touted 'Waka'"
Is that our new formation for the game? I would prefer we used the Mike Basset tried and true Christmas Pudding
Is the All Whites celebration, that was suppose to happen but didn't, as Reid got too excited.
The players in a line rowing, Waka style.
linds2010-06-18 20:31:07
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One thing we really need to improve on against Italy is our dead ball delivery. We probably will only get a couple of corners or attacking free kicks. the delivery must be 100% accurate to give our tall guys a chance. Against Slovakia both Elliot and Bertos were guilty of wacking in waist high corners.....dreadful waste of a chance.
Actually the whole WC has been full of wayward crosses.....makes you wonder what the players do at training if they cant deliver an accurate ball from a deadball situation.
Leo also seems to be in two minds whether to bomb forward with the ball at this feet or to pass back. I guess he is afraid of loosing possession and then being caught out of possession. Best advice would be if you get possession in their half......thump it into Fallon and co. We don't have the skill or speed to advance it into the box with fancy passing moves. At least if it is in the air our tall timber have a chance.
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Adios lads off to airport for flight to Jo'burg!
"Sharing rewards the weak"- Steven Colbert
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After Serbia beat Germany today, I am willing to place a wee bet on NZ to win. Frankly, do it to them before they can do it to us!
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"I want to see the touted 'Waka'"
Is that our new formation for the game? I would prefer we used the Mike Basset tried and true Christmas Pudding
Would you play Benson or Hedges in the midfield?
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"I want to see the touted 'Waka'"
Is that our new formation for the game? I would prefer we used the Mike Basset tried and true Christmas Pudding
Would you play Benson or Hedges in the midfield?
Probably Hedges as he has a smoother filter
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Italy are slow and show weakness in almost every department. In summary, they are ripe for the picking
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Here in Italy people and press think they will defeat All Whites surely 3-0/4-0.
I'm not sure about it,they are obviously stronger,but I think Aw can play a good game.
On Sunday probably Lippi is going to use 4-4-2.
Marchetti
Zambrotta Cannavaro Chiellini Criscito
De Rossi Montolivo Marchisio
Pepe Gilardino/Pazzini Iaquinta
I think Fallon can create problems to Cannavaro(in this season he was absolutely awful) and Reid could stop Iaquinta because he (in this position) is not a good player.
I'm not sure about it,they are obviously stronger,but I think Aw can play a good game.
On Sunday probably Lippi is going to use 4-4-2.
Marchetti
Zambrotta Cannavaro Chiellini Criscito
De Rossi Montolivo Marchisio
Pepe Gilardino/Pazzini Iaquinta
I think Fallon can create problems to Cannavaro(in this season he was absolutely awful) and Reid could stop Iaquinta because he (in this position) is not a good player.
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Italy are slow and show weakness in almost every department. In summary, they are ripe for the picking
If Pirlo plays we are in big trouble
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Italy are slow and show weakness in almost every department. In summary, they are ripe for the picking
If Pirlo plays we are in big trouble
Pirlo isn't playing.
Three for me, and two for them.
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In reality, anything 2-0 or less would be a good result for us, I hope people don't get too carried away. A goal would be awesome.
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34 hours to go......Prediction 1-1 draw
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