Finally, some good soccer!

After a disappointing semi-finals where Italy and Portugal players competed for best fakes, we are finally getting to see some really good moves on the field. Germany and Portugal are going all out in the fight for the third place. In 20 minutes there have been at least 10 attacking shots at the goal; 2/3rd by Germany. So far, Germany has displayed superior technique and some excellent footwork. And also fouled the most. The refrees though, are being a lot more lenient in this game.

Back to the semis - Italy's practice sessions sure came in handy for their game vs Germany. But Portugal went one up in their game with France. If it took the slightest contact for Italian players to hit the dirt; the Portuguese went down if they were within 6 inches from an opponent. In one instance, 2 players went down when the ball passed between them. The funny thing was neither of them came in contact with an opponent player or the ball. Nonetheless, both appealed! :)

Italy's Practice Sessions:


Update:
Germany scored a well-deserved win (3-1). They played the game aggressively from the beginning and kept the pressure on Portugal through the game. 3 of the 4 goals scored in the game were awesome; the exception being the self-goal by Portugal. If only Germany had played with this spirit in their semi-finals game with Italy, they well could have been facing France tomorrow! Lets hope the game tomorrow is just as exciting as this one.

Related Tags: Soccer, Game, Sports, Italy, Portugal, Germany, France, World Cup 2006, Fake, Footwork