₦airaland Forum

Rooney lost the plot today due 2 his petulance!


Why am i not shocked?

The Samba Boyz are out!


Who would have thought that at the start of this tournament

yeah go Henry

Great Tor by Henry as per Arsenal connection

Die German Machine  2 Roll over the Azzurri!


Champions---------------WM2006-----Deutschland

No need 2 wonder, i guess he was just there 2 clean da other players boots!

Scheisse Erikkson!

Pekerman has shown the world his tactical naivety, duh!

and now

He quits!

JUDAS?



Argentina coach Jose Pekerman is likely to have a long look in the mirror on Friday night following his side's exit from the World Cup.

The South Americans, who many thought were the favourites to win this summer's tournament, were sensationally dumped out by hosts Germany.

Things looked good for Argentina with Roberto Ayala's powerful header shortly after half-time giving Pekerman's charges a lead.

However, with the game entering a crucial stage, Pekerman made a host of baffling changes - opting to leave wonder kid Lionel Messi on the sidelines.

Pekerman did have his hands tied in that he was forced into bringing on Leo Franco for injured keeper Roberto Abbondanzieri after 72 minutes, but he still had one change left up his sleeve.

Rather bizarrely he took off Hernan Crespo, who had not had a sniff up front and ran his socks off, for the ineffective Julio Cruz.

With all three changes made, having brought on Esteban Cambiasso for Juan Roman Riquelme, starlet Messi would not have the chance to shine.

While Cruz did score from the penalty spot in the shoot-out he added little during extra-time when Germany had basically ten men with Michael Ballack a mere spectator.

Messi would have torn Germany apart, as he did when impressing off the bench against Mexico last weekend, but it was not to be as Argentina crashed out on penalties.

What do you think of Pekerman's substitutions? Should Messi have been given a chance? Should Crespo have gone off?

Hitler? that tryant

This happens 2 be Jurgen klinsmann"s Blitzkrieg!

I am OK , but i REALLY hope it doesnt get stolen b4 its actually handed over 2 them

the girl is fly 

WITLJ

hmmmm where und when did they buy it? 

ADE whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat,


OMG pleeezzzzz

its also gonna be our new home 4 Gunning down all opponents!

Go Henry!

Big games demand big performances from big players!

I have this feeling of that i will get an inspiring perfomance 4rom Ballack

The "Blitzkrieg" starts 2day!

I expect the German Machine 2 roll over the Albicelestes ---"dont cry 4 me argentina"

Prediction 1-0 to Germany, Michael Ballack 2 score with a header!

Beckenbauer blasts divers




France international Thierry Henry was the latest player to court controversy after going down clutching his face after being caught in the chest by Spanish defender Carles Puyol in the second round.

There have also been several yellow cards for diving, with Ghana's Asamoah Gyan sent off for picking up a second booking for the offence against Brazil.

The antics in Portugal's stormy 1-0 win over Holland last Sunday also drew criticism about the behaviour of players in Germany.

World Cup winning coach, and captain, Beckenbauer is unhappy with how players are reacting to challenges and feels it is having an impact on the performance of referees.

"Of course players make mistakes, referees do as well as they are only human, but players do not make life any easier for the referees by the way they fall down and roll over and over every time they are touched," said Beckenbauer.

"They try to incite the referee into awarding a free kick or show a yellow or red card.

"What the players are doing is so exaggerated they are making life harder for the referees all the time.

"But at the same time the referees are often too quick to whistle, they are too quick to show a yellow card and then they have a problem because they have to then show a [second] yellow and red card."

Despite Beckenbauer's disgruntlement with this issue, he is delighted with the impact the World Cup has made with supporters.

He added: "It has been a fantastic occasion and because it has gone so well you wish it could carry on for longer, but that is just wishful thinking.

"But the legacy it leaves behind will, I hope, be that the thousands of people who have met in the Fan Miles and exchanged emails and phone numbers stay in touch and remain friends.

"This is the way God wanted the world to be, thousands of people in peace, no matter what their race, creed or colour. This is what humanity should all be about."

POLL ends international career! 




English referee Graham Poll has decided to retire from officiating at international tournaments after his high-profile blunder at the World Cup.

The official from Tring contrived to show Josip Simunic three yellow cards during Croatia's 2-2 draw with Australia, but failed to send the defender off having produced the second caution.

As a result, he was sent home from the tournament and has now decided to call time on his international career, although he will continue at club level.

"Certainly what happened a week ago is something I deeply regret," he explained in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News. "I'm really forced into doing this.

"I understand there is a big interest so I've decided I will make one comment, it's purely for Sky Sports.

"Obviously, people will pick up on it and report what they will, but this is it - the only comment I make on TV, radio and newspapers. It's the only comment Graham Poll will be making on World Cup 2006.

"Basically, inexcusably, I made an error in law. Most mistakes are conjecture; most discussion, most controversy surrounds opinion. Was it a penalty or wasn't it? Should it be a goal? Was the ref right to disallow a goal or not? Was a red card correct?

"They're things we can always debate. What I did was an error in law - there can be no dispute. It wasn't caused by a Fifa directive, it wasn't caused by me being asked to referee differently to in the Premier League. The others in my team were absolutely clear, however, the laws in the game are very specific. A referee takes responsibility for actions on the field of play.

"I was referee that evening, it was my error and the buck stops with me.

"It's not carrying the can, it's being honest. I've had a week to reflect. I've had the first two nights completely sleepless, it's been something that has hurt me deeply. It's not about carrying the can, it's about being open and saying to people I got it wrong, I'm sorry and it's time to move on.

"You come in from a high octane match, a match of massive, massive importance and pressure, billed as one of the matches of the group stages. I still believe it turned out to be one of the matches of the World Cup thus far. It was a fantastic game of football. I was happy. One or two things went wrong with the game but nothing major, I was happy with how it went.

"We were unaware of what had happened. Disbelief went around the dressing room when we were made aware of the error. We had to look at the DVD around 11.30 that evening and we realised, for me, that 26 years of hard work of refereeing, working up from park level, it meant my dream was over.

"Firstly, Fifa's reaction has been really, really impressive," he explained. "The head of refereeing came to me immediately and hugged me and said he was disappointed for me, not with me. That's important - it shows there's family here.

"I've had nothing but support from other referees, feeling it could've been any of us. Whatever communication system we have, for some reason, we've had it before and it does happen. What we don't want is it to happen on a big stage and it happened to me.

"Last night, at the farewell dinner, I had a personal call from Sepp Blatter to urge me to continue, not to doubt my ability as one of the best referees in the world. It has to touch you when the president of Fifa, the most powerful man in football, takes trouble to say not you're rubbish, you've let me down, you've ruined the tournament but, basically, nobody died. He said these things, it happens, you're a fantastic referee and I urge you to press on and carry on with your career.

"I've been inundated with messages," said Poll. "Obviously family and friends are going to be behind you . It helped a lot in the first two days because they were a complete living nightmare. I've had calls from Brian Barwick, Richard Scudamore and countless referees and then, when you hear messages from David Beckham, the England captain, actually saying he does know me - we think he's a nice guy as well - he's gone out of his way in the middle of a World Cup, (now win it boys, I would say for them), to take time out it's nice and touching.

"The first thing is disbelief," he recalled. "Shaking your head. I couldn't replay the decisions in my head as I couldn't recall them. I was so fatigued in the 90th minute. I've seen the video and it doesn't look like Graham Poll refereeing. Any supporters, if they watch that last 10 minutes, would say it doesn't look like Graham Poll refereeing. That's true.

"Now I've seen the DVD, it comes back over and over and over again in my mind. I think I'll wake up because it's a bad dream but it's not - it's reality.

"I've been very disappointed, unfortunately not surprised with the reaction of the media, it led me to, in the first few days, having thoughts of retirement. Certainly, I told Fifa I had no heart to referee another game at the World Cup. The decision wasn't needed for them, it wasn't them sending me home. It wasn't them saying you're rubbish, go away. They've supported me fully but it's too soon, too immediate to think about running out on a major, major game for Fifa.

"It was certainly my request [to go home] but I'm not in a position to tell Fifa what to do and what not to do. I stated what I felt, my remorse, and offered any help to the other referees to make sure it doesn't happen again. It wasn't easy but it was done. That to me, is what you can do. If Fifa wanted me to stay, I would've stayed for the remainder of the tournament. They know my place is with my family and friends, and it's time for me to go home, so I'm pleased.

"For the first two or three days, you think about retirement. You think it's all gone wrong and you start to doubt your ability. It probably didn't last too long. 26 years of hard work, hard graft and countless games have gone well. It's the end of my best season ever probably - the 56th match of refereeing - that's all around the world, 18 were overseas. It's been a grinding schedule, but, a week on, I'm encouraged by the support of many, many people.

"I will be back refereeing in the Premier League next season - August 19 we start. Keith Hackett has already organised a meeting for how we go forward. Five weeks of rest now will be good but I need to keep fit, keep in training and be ready for the start of the season but it's time for me to let go of the mistake.

"I reiterate that nobody got hurt from the error. Nobody died - remember football is a game, an important game, the world's game and what I did was a public mistake but it didn't affect qualification or the outcome of the match. It meant a player who shouldn't have been on the field stayed on the field for two or three minutes longer than they should've done. I'm not trying to minimise that error but, because of that, it makes it easier for me to move on.

"It's time to move on, time to let go, certainly not to retire and to come back fit and strong for next season.

"I've had three major championships - Euro 2000, World Cup 2002 and World Cup 2006. None have gone right or worked out for me for various reasons.

"You say in life, if one thing goes wrong, you're unlucky. Two, maybe you're really unlucky. If it's three, you have to look at yourself and say maybe something's not right there.

"I don't enjoy time away from home. It's a difficulty for me as I've got young children. I wouldn't be going to Euro 2008, that decision is taken. It's not a knee-jerk decision, I discussed it with The FA already and it's time for someone else from England to have a go.

"For me, tournament football is over.

"For me, it's time. What I do best is club football, club refereeing. Yes, I've had good international matches but tournament-wise it hasn't worked. You have to be honest with yourself. The pain I've gone through, the agony in Japan, to go through that there and to have it happen again, well I couldn't have it happen again and tournaments, for me, are now finished."

The Tring official is ready to face the flak from supporters up and down the country next season.

"We get stick whatever happens," he reasoned. "If a song has changed then the song changes. I don't know what they will come up with but it'll be witty and,  probably by then, it'll be time to smile about it.

"It still doesn't take away the feeling. I had 30,000 referees in England who voiced their support for me to maybe achieve the ultimate, the first person to do the World Cup final since Jack Taylor in 1974.

"People need a dose of reality. They can all move on, once they've tried to destroy you. Someone said to me maybe one day, you can say, with your grandson on your lap, maybe you could've refereed the World Cup final - and I haven't."

Oga Maradona she na me u dey Yab

I tire oh, hmmmmmmm

anyway whether u like am whether u no like am, d ting be say

Ich bin GOONER 4 ever

I think that was a "theatrical tumble" by Monsieur Henry

Probably still pissed off about that champions league medal

Thats about the only thing missing 4rom his impressive resume

At the end all is well that ends well!i mean with Puyol

meself i wonder o

will have consult my "magic crystal ball" in order 2 know what goes on in Mr Eriksson"s head

End of the road 4 Ghana, what a shame  

me thinks they are just there 2 give their men some "TLC"

When a man like Arsene invests in youth he also working towards long term goals 


Arsenal 4 Ever

yeah i read that also probably to portsmouth!

FA: No evidence against Arsenal


Arsenal have been vindicated for their financial dealings with Belgian side Beveren, by The Football Association.

The Gunners were made the subject of an inquiry after revelations that they made an anonymous £1 million payment to the feeder club.

The world's governing body Fifa then handed responsibility for investigations to the domestic FAs of both teams, and the regulators of the English game have found no evidence of a breach of the Premiership's rules.

"As a result of those inquiries, we can confirm that we have not identified any evidence to suggest Arsenal have breached any rules of The FA or The FA Premier League in relation to their dealings with Beveren and specifically any breaches of the FA and FAPL rules concerning dual interests or associations between clubs," an FA statement read.

yeah that english ref that issued 3 yellow cards 2 the croat player b4 finally sending him off

Fine achievement by Ronaldo

"El Phenomenon" is back!

"Champagne Goals"


I will definitely drink 2 dat

No need 2 Swear

I bilif U

@kituan

The result means Ratomir Dujkovic's men will most likely face Brazil in the second round, however, Essien will play no part in the game after picking up his second yellow card of the group stages for a foul early in the match.


Essien will be suspended for their next match after he picked up a second yellow card of the tournament, but Dujkovic accepts this is part of football.

"Yes (we will miss Essien) but what can you do. Always in these tournaments you have to have substitutes for any position," he sighed.


@Shagari

I shall be the 1st to observe that Fast as long as u lead the way

Heil Ghana!

Kosoro