Vieira’s Out, Coupet’s Retiring (Maybe), and the Game Might Go to PENALTIES?!?!?

nah Julien, its just you lol. Greg is not an a**hole, he just has an air of confidence that he carries around. He’s a team first kind of guy, whic means i would be sad if he retired on a bad note.

i am kyle, but ima be in school ( library )during the game, sorry.

“all we are saying”…”is give Frey a Chance”
“all we are saying “…”is give Frey a chance”

Julien, I think it is just you. Coupet seems like a very nice guy, like in this interview: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x10gfp_interview-coupet

I especially like the way he addressed the question about how he feels to be one of the few “whites” in the France squad. His response is that France is not only made up of whites, that being French is being born on French soil, and one does not need to be White to be French.

I think he had a bad match on Friday, without a doubt, but he has also contributed a lot to France throughout his international career.

L’Equipe suggests we’ll see a 4-4-2 with a lineup like this (from right to left):
Coupet – Clerc (or Sagnol), Gallas, Thuram (or Abidal), Evra – Govou, Makelele, Toulalan, Ribéry – Henry, Benzema

It would be nice to see a younger defense. And Malouda being left out to put Ribery at his place is just the best decision Domenech has ever had.

Posted from  France

There will be no need for penalties. France will win 3-0 and prove once again that France is the real world champion.

Posted from  Canada

“There will be no need for penalties. France will win 3-0 and prove once again that France is the real world champion.”

I love people who post comments like this, they make worriers like me calm down a bit.

Please dear god, no penalties for 3rd place!!! A more stupid exercise in futility would be hard to come by.

My brain hurts. I can’t spend any more time figuring out all the permutations of what might happen if so and so scores a zillion goals or draws 0-0 or 1-1- or 7-7 yadayadayada….I just want this all over.

My stomach’s a mess worrying about it in the last week, I’ve had restless nights….I just can’t take it anymore. The last time I felt this way to this degree was when it looked like Brazil was not going to qualify for the 2002 wc. Hysteria was beginning to set in.

I just wish Domenech had spent all his years as manager of the French national team blooding in young players instead of using them as afterthoughts, keeping them marginal, never really developing them, and constantly resorting to older and older players who are now making stupid defensive mistakes that no experienced defender should be making at this level. (I’m looking at you, Lillian).

France definitely have the capability to beat Italy today. But I’m going to have to find out only after the game because I won’t be able to watch it live, I’m too damned gutless. I’ll be sending positive spiritual vibes all day to the team, of course, and refuse to contemplate defeat.

Posted from  United States

porchetta, I guess no spaniard never ever dived. Are you fucking kidding me?

Posted from  France

Porchetta you’ve got a lot of nerve! Calling Les Bleus, divers when your entire team is going to appear on the platforms at the Beijing olympics. Maybe they’ll do better at the pool, and that is exactly where Les Bleus will send your team packing to the Meditranian for a well desreved holiday. You failed to mention the beauty they scored against the Samba Boys, I guess that was offside as well? Spain is next for us and Cesc will eat his words once again!

I think the problem is that several years ago France had a certain Zinedine Zidane in their ranks. Now they don’t. Quite simple.

Posted from  United States

Porchetta,

Though your words are a bit harsh you make some very valid points.

regards

why are you getting so…anxious? relax..Holland will lose and then will kick Italy and France, 2 great teams anyway, out of the Euro…simple, isn’t it? DDD
I find it unbelievable that Frey hasn’t been the main goalkeeper and Trezeguet has been left home…

Porchetta, get the hell of this page if all you can do is come over here and shout insults and show yourself to be a major hypocrite. Stick with the Italy page. The hypocrisy of an Italy supporter criticizing France for “cheating” and “diving” beggars belief. Your team is the master at such behavior.

Posted from  United States

I think all of the accusations can be summarized in plain short sentences.

Spain: “Impeding the Progress of an Opponent”. Generally, a player cannot use his body to impede another players movements, even if it is not deliberate. This can be called if a player is not within “playing distance” of the ball (i.e., 3 feet) and block’s an opponent’s movement or screens an opponent from the ball. However, if a player is within playing distance & able to play the ball (meaning not laying on the ground), the player can legally screen an opponent from the ball.”

Any overhead shot of that play will clearly show obstruction by Puyol.

Portugal: Clear cut penalty. Carvalho hits his foot and not the ball in the box. Henry fell like the Roman Empire. Still a penalty.

Italy: Malouda dove, but at game speed, he sold it brilliantly. Flounder Malouda has a gift for diving, I won’t dispute that.

However, 3 months later France pwned Italy 3-1. But I guess all of those goals were diving penalties somehow.

ALLEZ LES BLEUS!

France doesnt have a chance. They were lucky to get a tie against Romania and lucky that netherlands eased up on them towards the end of that game. I promise you we’ll never see france in any major tournaments in the future.

And about the whole diving thing. All ‘Latin’ teams dive exessively including france,spain, portagal, and italy. Italy and Portugal are of course the worst most obvious divers.

Les équipes probables :
Coupet – Clerc (ou Sagnol), Gallas, Thuram (ou Abidal), Evra – Govou, Makelele, Toulalan, Ribéry – Henry, Benzema

Posted from  United States

Domenech does not fill me with confidence. He has a history of making poor decisions. Anelka over Trezeguet? Come on. I’m not a fan of “Crossbar” Trezeguet, but Anelka? I’d take almost anybody over Anelka.

His loyalty to Coupet should have been at World Cup, when Barthez was being a pain. Ah, well.

I am still full of optimism. The pessimist in me says we beat Italy and Romania beats Holland, then nobody shows up for the shoot-out.

Henry is going to show up large and in charge today, Makelele is going to leave the thug boots at home, and Thuram will show his knack for position defense. Can’t wait.

Posted from  United States

WE need Les Bleus to pick it up today, I really hope the Netherlands dont throw the game, I’d be sooo angry I would fly out to the Euro Cup and kill every player on the Netherlands hah j/k, or am I?!?!? Henry needs to step up his play, he should of had a pair of goals VS the Netherlands, when he had to just tap the ball over the goalie into a wide open net, and he boots the ball into the upper deck, idiot. Though hes still my favorite, I know Trézéguet was a bum in penalty kicks a couple yrs back, but he scored 20 goals this year, what was Domenech thinking? its not hard to see what France are lacking in this years Euro, goal scoring. Leaving a 20 goal scorer at home and to only have 1 goal in 2 games is pathetic. If France do not make it to the quarters, we need to fire Domenech & get someone who knows how to pick the best players for the team, and not the players he likes. David Trez… should of been shot in the last world cup for hitting the cross bar, but Zidane wasnt there, due to the “head butt” BUT what pissed me off the most was when Henry couldnt even stick it out for a few more minutes so he could take a penalty kick. I dont care how tired, or dehidrated you are, Zidane is gone and chances are its going to penalty kicks, yet he wants to come out…. IDIOT!!!!

Allez y les BLEUS, Viva La France!!!

Posted from  Canada

Am I the only one that thinks starting Nasri might help spark something on the offensive side…like a goal…no not a shot in the general vicinity of the net, but a goal? I just think the thought of Nasri, Ribery, Benzema, and Henry is extremely formidable and agressive. Maybe then it’d be easier for the ball to fall into the net. Any thoughts? Yeah I know the defense blew it in the last game…but still come on now, we only scored ONCE. Either way allez les bleus!!!!!!!!

I so hope we make the quarters.

No, Dan, you’re not the only one at all re Nasri. So he keeps Coupet. *sigh* I’ll refrain from ranting.

And Christian, I hate to say it but the Dutch have earned the right to rest their players, esp. those who are on yellow cards. Van Basten wants to avoid injuries whenever he possibly can. Any manager would do the same — Bilic did it yesterday with Croatia, Felipao did it with Portugal. I can assure you Donadoni and Domenech would do the same.

That doesn’t mean that a 2nd string Holland can’t still beat Romania.

Posted from  United States

Sandra, I dont see anything about me saying that the Netherlands shouldnt rest their top players, I said I hope when they play they dont try and lose. If they wanted to they can lose and say buh bye to Italy and France.
So I dunno why you bring it up, of course teams are going to rest their top players for a meaningless game, thats a no brainer. Some suggested that the Netherlands lose so you have 2 of the top 5 temas in the world gonzo, which would be very smart, pathetic but smart. Glad to see the Netherlands win VS Romania, France suck, Domenech needs to go and to never coach another socer team ever again. 1 Goal in 3 games OUCH, I’m embaressed to be a France fan, very much embaressed. Well its time to jump on a bandwagon, either Hollan who are looking unstopable, Portugal is always a good pick, those Croats are amazing as well. I will choose Portugal or Holland, good luck to those 2 teams. BOOOO FRANCE!!!!

Posted from  Canada

I’m embarrassed by our showing here, I’ll admit, but I’m also hopeful that under a different manager, things will improve tremendously. Even the best ingredients won’t make delicious food if there’s a bad chef.

LOL Seb, I’m with you on that, with regards to everything you said. I do like the chef quote, hahaha very true.

Posted from  Canada