ivansa said:Back in 1998, they were the clear favorites, but then the Frenchmen absolutely demolished them.
The French were powerhouse back then. Honestly, they aren't much of anything today. I guess you could tell me one single national team that can actually compete with Brazil on talent alone... besides Greece.😁
As long as Brazil has Ronaldinho and Kaká leading the charge alongside Ronaldo, there's nothing to fear. I suppose even the toughest Greek defense wouldn't stand a chance against them.
There’s really only one perennial favorite at every tournament—Brazil. The rest are just passing through; I guess France might actually get lucky if they qualify with that kind of play. As for the Germans, being the hosts is probably the only reason they won't crash out early.
nimblemarlin17 made a fair point, though for the Netherlands, it's mostly a pipe dream, even if I am hoping against hope.😁
Serse Cosmi said:Just thinking out loud here... the biggest candidates for relegation are probably teams like Buffalo, Portland, Seattle, Miami, and Orlando... while for promotion to the top flight, maybe it's Austin, Atlanta, and Phoenix.
The movie is decent enough, though I suspect they overstuffed it with unnecessary character drama... Agamemnon isn't nearly the coward he’s portrayed as in The Iliad, and neither is his brother; the film just makes them look like petty jerks who pick fights with everyone they meet.🙄 At times, Paris actually comes across as somewhat likable, which I guess is a brilliant bit of subversion, considering anyone who has actually read The Iliad knows he's easily one of the worst characters—right up there with Apollo and Aphrodite, who barely even show up here... Personally, I think it would have been better if they had included some of the gods so we could actually see those thugs in action. Besides, Achilles could probably charge into Apollo's temple all by himself since he's practically invincible.😁
frozencobra69 said:Well, I suppose that’s just your take on things...
In my view, Trezeguet and Djibril Cissé are better than Thierry Henry. Henry just lacks grit. Ludovic Rothen is easily a hundred times better than Robert Pires. Dacourt is superior to Patrick Vieira.
I can't quite say why you feel that way, but I guess the US could put together three incredibly strong teams... truly formidable ones...
That seems to be your opinion as well... though most top soccer analysts currently consider Henry the best striker in Europe, which makes the US much more dangerous with him than without him... And I suspect Cissé wouldn't even be a substitute for Henry, or for Rothen Pires if they were actually better than them...😎
That’s far from being the case; they wouldn't just crush us... They might still be a top-tier national team, I suppose, but certainly not compared to us. They simply wouldn't be in the same league as Italy, the Netherlands, or Spain anymore... That's all I was trying to get at.
frozentiger6 said:Well, I suppose it is what it is.🙄
I guess things just fall into place like that... though it all seems to stem from her dislike of those three players. If it weren't for them, France might never have been a World Cup or European Championship winner. Credit to Zinedine Zidane and the rest, but maybe Robert Pires and Patrick Vieira really did carry the heavy lifting on the pitch, especially defensively.
nimblemarlin17 said:So, you claim to love French football, yet you can't stand three of their four best players. I suppose there isn't much else to say about that logic...
I might also add that without those three specific guys from Arsenal FC, France would probably just be some mediocre side.
nimblemarlin17 said:Well, well, look at those sudden shifts, much like an American political platform changing overnight. Suddenly, everyone’s my best friend... 🙄
It’s all just ups and downs, I suppose.😁 I suspect that Pelé, Di Stéfano, and those old geniuses wouldn't stand much of a chance in today's game... it's just the way things work. Maybe players like Ronaldinho, Kaká, or even today's top talents would fare better if they were dropped back into that era😁... It is difficult to say if football is actually played better now; one only needs to remember how teams like Uruguay used to play with four🙏 attackers, whereas today we see a single striker who is forced to drop deep into defense😠 And while some claim Pelé was a genius, I think the Little Green has him beat... he was certainly the greatest to ever do it, though. Besides, when did Pelé ever score a goal with his hand?😁
Since I'm playing on the junior varsity squad... I suppose I'm decent enough.😂 😂 We might consider scheduling a game; I'd likely reserve my spot at right back.😁 If you insist, I could play forward as well.😁 My technique is somewhat reminiscent of Materazzi's, though I imagine my speed, strength, and sheer willpower compensate for that.😁 😁