World Cup Champions: France or Italy?

World Cup Champions: France or Italy?

  • France

    Votes: 40 46.0%

  • Italy

    Votes: 47 54.0%
  • Total voters
    87
  • Poll closed .
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Not open for further replies.
Marc-A. said:
I'm supporting France for obvious reasons, but I feel Italy team's stronger (French team seemed so exhausted from their struggle against Brazil). So better chances are for Italy, but my heart beats for France.
And to be fair: Allez les bleus & forza azzuri.
Marc
PS: anyway, the champion will be transalpine ... we just don't know from which side of the Alps ;-)
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I support France for slightly obvious reasons. I don't have anything against Italy, but my heart is more invested in La France.

If we go by statistics alone, you'll notice that they've been steadily followed during this World Cup. And statistics show that the Italian team has only defeated the French team a few times in about 20 years. So, if yer a bettin' kind of guy...

That being said, I agree that the France-vs-Portugal game was not spectacular, but I think it showed that both teams were rather equalized: theatrics on both sides, for sure, and it proved a big corollary: battles are won by the young, but wars are won by the veterans.
 
This is a hard one to call.
I wanted Argentina to win. They played the prettiest football. But beautiful football doesn't usually win tournaments. If it ever does!

I'm happy Italy got to the final. I thought Germany didn't deserve to go to the semis let alone the final. Marcello Lippi has Italy so well organised and the midfield and full backs have played so well.
I like their style. I always liked Lippi and I was so happy when Alex scored the winner the other night.
I had a Juventus shirt but it didn't have the number 10 and DelPiero on it.
actually it didn't have anumber but that's besides the point, if it DID have one, it'd have had 21 Zidane on it because Zizou was my footballing hero and in a lot of ways still is.

I've had this wee sneaky feeling about France for a while. Since they got past Spain. I thought Spain would roast them but it didn't turn out that way.
I don't care who wins I only care how they win. I want both teams to just go for it. Play their hearts out and win the game in the best spirit of the competition.
 
Allez les bleus! I too have a sneaky feeling about the French team. En anglais, le mot est "sly" ... comme un reynard. That said, I have not watched the Italian side in this cup, and everything I hear is that they are especially strong in midfield. If they do control there, then that is likely to be the match. I relate it to the neutral zone trap in hockey ... it can determine the result, even if it is boring and frustrating.

But Zizou... go baby!
 
fgianni said:
Isn't this the kind of comment designed to stir trouble? 😉
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I think it's fair to say that the referee will be a big influence on the outcome when the two teams have such comparable quality. A single wrong decision may completely havoc the match..
 
pvdhaar said:
I think it's fair to say that the referee will be a big influence on the outcome when the two teams have such comparable quality. A single wrong decision may completely havoc the match..
Click to expand...

I do agree with this 100%, but I don't think it is exactly the same as saying that the team who has the referee wins, in fact most of the matches we have seen in this world cup have been decided more on the field by the players than by the referees.
 
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Unfortunately I think the final will be a crappy game, France will play with just one forward (Henry) since it is essentially their only sensible option, Italy to avoid being caught off-balance will do the same, and we will all yawn.
 
I cant believe France is actually ahead in our poll. The last game was terrible, i thought. The Italians on the other hand really gave a good game against germany. I am quite sure Italy will win. Sorry Zidane 😉
 
People have a problem here, they are still under-estimating Italy, and giving too much credit to France, Ortugal and Brazil both played like crap, it's their own fault that they couldn't win, France isn't that greta of a team any more..Italy is better on every line as someone mentioned here...

Italy played a better team than France and Portugal both, which is Germany, they were solid enough, they kicked Argentina out, also ebcause they were crap, and having easy encounters ahs nothign to do with their chances in the final, just emans they are mroe relaxed...

Which gives them an additional advantage...Barthez is a very shaky GK, he's funny, i like him, but not a good goal keeper, he'll struggle.

And then if Lippi put 2 strikers, instead of starting with Toni alone, France will suffer. Italy is very solid, no offense meant, but what makes you give so much credit to France, other than the fatc they eliminated Brazil, Spain, Portugal, because Spain were really so wrong, their deefense was wide open for anyone to score,Brazil were crappy, they were crappy from the start, they wasn't ready for such an encounter, Portugal, well we know how Portugal has gone all the way.
 
OK, I am imposing a one soccer thread on the front page rule that I just made up. The World Cup thread is back after a much needed night's rest so I am going to move this one. The poll is linked over there, lets keep voting and keep up a fair spirited conversation for the final WC weekend.

Oh, and Forza Azzurri!!!

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=333139#post333139
 
Italy plays a very effective style and has proven that they can develop tactical concepts suiting perfectly to disturb other teams concepts, and surfing on their weak sides.

Nonetheless a World Championship has it's own laws and is always strongly influenced by the situation and the emotions. The French can be effective too and they are experienced too, not a bunch of dynamic youngsters as the Germans are.

So IMHO France can make it as long as they do not lose their tactical track and do not step into that effectivity trap like the Germans, I do hope this revival will work for Zizou and his copains
They will have a strong support from the German fans, which love Italian food and design, but not Italian football 😉

My forecast is 1:0 for France or penalty, won by France too. Vous ecoutez moi, Monsieur Barthez ?! Hopefully.🙂

Allez les Blues !

Fitzi
 
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