Top Games of the 2006 World Cup

I would add the bizarre Italy-US game in the first round. Red cards flying, people bleeding, 10 vs. 9 for almost an entire half, an own goal (only one Italy has given up). Come on, for sheer weirdness and entertainment value, that one has to be on the list!

Argentina Vs. Mexico…

Italy v Ghana was an excellant game. Totti was on great form and as it was their first game in a tough group the Italian’s went at it like they did against Germany.

BEST OF LUCK TO ITAIY!!!! GO ITALY

Italy vs Germany has to be one greatest world cup games ever. atleast in my lifetime.

Italy has been my cup team forever. I’m not a jump on the bandwagon fan. Being from the states I get lots a crap for this. /rude usa fans. having said this I’d say Italy vs USA game has to one of the all time worst. Poor ref’in yes, but poor sportmanship is worse.

for all you non-believers out there… Italy may not always win it, but they WILL always be a superpower in Football.

GO ITALY ! ! !

Argentina vs. Mexico! I’m a supporter of El Tri so naturally I thought it was a great game (despite losing). However, a special treat was the camera cutting to Maradona as he was literally shaking from nervousness in his seat. A fond memory from WC 2006…

My favorites are:
1.Germany-Italy for the sheer beauty of the last 2 minutes
2.Argentina-Mexico : Mexico should be proud of their earnest gamesmanship
3. Holland-Portugal : It was very entertaining in a wicked way.

How about the Japan vs. Australia match? Australia comes back in the last 7 minutes w/ three goals to defeat Japan – talk about drama.

Czech Republic vs. Ghana was a fantastic game of football.

I also liked England vs. Sweden

my personal fav was the korea france game just because the fans were nuts!!! great bloody game blokes!

5. Cote d’Ivoire-Serbia and Montenegro
4. Argentina-Mexico
3. Italy-Germany
2. Argentina-Serbia and Montenegro
1. France-Brazil

France and Brazil should be on there. France dominated the Brazilians and made them look like amateurs on the field. Also what about France vs. Spain? That was another game that was excellent to watch and it has even greater significance, since France beat down all of the offensive Spanish racisim and sent Spain home with a bruised ego and reputation on the world’ stage.

Australia vs Japan
Argentina vs Germany
Netherlands vs Portugal
Australia vs Croatia
France vs Spain

Sure, I’m biased, but the most intense game was Italy – USA. That was an all out battle, I couldn’t sit down the entire second half.

Does anyone know about the Eritrean Soccer Tournament being held this week in Seattle?
Trying to find out game times today & their site has not been updated since 7/1.

5. Germany / Poland
4. Italy / USA
3. Argentina / Serbia
2. Argentina / Germany
1. Argentina / Mexico

Surprised only one person has mentioned Germany vs Poland. 0-0 games can be thrilling too, and then that last minute goal from Neuville!! He’s been one of the unsung heroes of the Cup for me.

Germany vs Argentina. Yup, people have cited this one already. Not much to add, except go Lehmann! If Germany vs Italy had ended in penalty kicks, we would be seeing a different team battling the French on Sunday.

Germany vs Italy was an excellent match, but too heartbreaking for me. And I’m not even a German supporter! This World Cup has done great things for Germany.

France vs Spain for sheer excitement. With almost all the matches being won by the team that scores first, it was great to see a turn of events where France battled back and won the clash. Two great teams, one great match.

France vs Brazil. France has been the most dynamic team to watch, in my opinion. Zidane is like a football wizard, and France played the perfect game here.

Portugal vs The Netherlands. The football was great. The drama only added to the excitement. The hooligan in me loved the brawling.

How about most boring matches? As an England supporter, it hurts me to point out the obvious, that England’s play was just uninspired throughout the tournament (although we did give Portugal a good run with ten men). France vs Portugal had me napping too, although I expect France was saving the fuel for the final to avoid fatigue and yellow card accumulation. Thoughts?

Most boring match: any match with Switzerland.

Sorry, but they bored their way into the round of 16.

The match that was the biggest letdown has to be Holland vs. Argentina. I was all hyped up for this match and actually fell asleep while it was on.

No love for Trinidad & Tobago vs. Sweden?

France vs. Spain
France vs. Brazil
Mexico vs. Argentina
Germany vs. Argentina
Australia vs. Italy

What about S. Korea vs. France? The Koreans put on a frenzied push at the end of the game to tie it spurred on by their great fans. France looked average and vulnerable in that game before they turned it around in the……..Spain vs. France game! Even after Spain scored early on the penalty kick, you had a feeling France would come back. Zidane showed the world how great a player he is. Also liked England vs. Ecuador. Watching Beckham struggle in the heat was good drama.

Germany vs Argentina was a beauty.

Nola, good thinking. I agree with you all the way….. I also agree with Claude and Liverpool FC.

My guess is that the Italians are so burnt out from the game against German, they will do what they do best, cheat and dive and dive and cheat.

You’re quite right about Saudi-Tunisia. Very entertaining.

Travis | July 6th, 2006 at 11:38 pm “How about the Japan vs. Australia match? Australia comes back in the last 7 minutes w/ three goals to defeat Japan – talk about drama.” To be honest this was one of the most interesting games, it wasn’t that much of an important match somewhere in the middle of the tournement, nor did it have World power football countries in it, that’s why it was forgotten , but anymatch that has crazy last minute comebacks could be exciting, especially if the team is losing 0-1 and ends up winning the match 3-1 in the last 10 minutes

1 Germany- Italy Some people keep on saying both Germany and Italy usually play a boring football. How come every time the match together is turns to an amazing game? Maybe i am biased being Italian but this match will remain in the memories of football lovers for a while
2 Argentina – Mexico Some classy football from both sides and a good share of thrill. Great match.
3 Portugal – Holland Rude play. Well sometimes rudeness is entertaining. An amazing clash
4 Ghana – Czech Republic African football at its best. Speed, power against an aged but still talented european team. Very good one.
5 France – Brazil Zidane lectures the brazilians, something you should not miss.

honorable mention:
Ivory Coast – Holland
and yes i agree Bob Tunisia- Saudi Arabia, very entertaining.

Mostly agree.

Argentina vs Mexico stands out for its tactics and technics and players. They were all fantastic. Mexico defense was effective and elegant. The tackles in penality box were just masterful. of casue it takes a superb goal from Maxi to finish it off. Goal of the Cup!

France vs. Italy will be the finest performance.

Pure Hollywood! Where else will we find a better collection of actors!

(Actually when I think about it Italy vs. Portugal would have been better)

Germany vs Poland

and an honorable mention to Sweden vs TnT – the most exciting 0-0 game I’ve ever seen.

Momma G. are you an Eritrean?

Argentina vs. Mexico was my favorite match…the teams were so evenly matched and both teams played w/ so much hunger and passion, this match was what the WC is about to me. Portugal vs. Holland was entertaining for a whole different reason, the drama! The Arg. vs Serbia & Montenegro was great for the shear fun of watching a side get thrashed by great football and so many goals. I also thought all the matches that Ivory Coast played were great, I still think they were the best team not to make it out of the group stages.

Cote D’Ivoire’s first 2 group matches vs Argentina and Netherlands were great games. I was expecting an upset in one of those two matches. Both the Italy-USA and Portugal-Dutch games were mesmeriszing for the sheer ferocity and theatrics involved. They were not pretty games, but they were compelling to watch in the same way that you can’t help but look at an accident scene.

As an Aussie, i thought the most thrilling match was Australia vs. Croatia – with both teams extremely desperate to advance to the next round. What made it such a nail-biter was the incompetence of the Australian keeper – Kalac (why they left Schwarzer on the bench i will never really comprehend). Every time the ball went near him i shat myself!

Irishdownunder…..you wet your “downunder” AGAIN?!!

What a lot of crybaby losers you aussies are.

That Totti penalty kick was a fitting end….not to the Australian Football team (brave performance, bravo)…but to all these anti-Italian racists around here.

BTW, it’s not “soccer” (a term coined pig-facedly by the US),

but “Football”….you know, the one in which is played by the Foot (not the hand),
the most popular sport in the world, the one that made the NBA finals in the US lose 80% of share this year.

Joseph from Malta my inbred friend, what makes you think I’m Australian?

Soccer is a British term, not American.

Ivory Coast vs. Netherlands
Aus vs Jap

spectacular

I agree with westcoast fan-the Italians are best at doing what they do-well cheat and they are now in the final of the World cup what a bummer. But I would like to complement Lippi for changing the face of Italian Football for playing a more attacking game then they have ever done in the past-but I still think they ought to have gone down to Australia in the round of 16 but for the theatrical artistry of one Fabio Grosso and the incompetentcy of Senor Luis Medina.
I love to call the beautiful game -Football/Futbol, as the world calls and understands it. But it is true soccer is an english term-but who calls it that in England. I see that the americans have popularised that word and a seemingly growing number of people around the world wants to call it soccer-maybe because of their patronising of the USA.
Yes Korea-France was one of the more intense game in this edition, and any game with Switzerland was boring.
France-Spain really good. Zizou is the personification of the saying – Form is temporary, class is permanent.
Will just pick this two.

I have to admit, as a Brazillian, that Argentina had a GREAT team and it represented your country so well. I loved your team because they were fabulous individually, and yet played so well as a team together (unlike our Billion-dollar Brasil team)

Honestly, despite the outcome, they’re still the best and most exciting team of the tournment in my opinion

France is just getting better with each game and they beat real opponents on their way (Spain, Brasil, Portugal) to the Final so, Te Salut Franca!!

I hope the Argentina can put together a team like this next cup.

Finally, just so we can laugh at our msery a little, here’s a story from a Brazillian network, soon after Brasil’s defeat:

(Brazilian Reporter interviewing an Argentinian fan about the two countries similar fate at the end of the Cup)
-”So, did the Argentinian fans feel closer to its neighboors once Brasil was standing as the last S. American country in the tournment?”

-(Arg. fan) Oh Yeah!! We like them so much we decided to bring them back with us!!”

SAUDI Vs TUNISIA>>> //by far the best…\

And Parguay Vs Sweden comes in 2nd

Two games worth mentioning are

Cote d’Ivoire v Argentina. The Ivorians were shocked by the Argies taking a 2-0 lead but dug in to get a fab goal back through Didier Drogba.

Japan V Brazil was also very interesting to watch. The Japs took a 1-0 lead only for Brazil to come back with 4 fantastic goals.

Arg vs Mex and T&T v Sweden.

[...] Top Games of the 2006 World Cup [...]

Lalrinchhana ‘R.Cho’ Tochhawng are you really from India. First, your team has to qualify, do they own soccer shoes?

Thank you Alvaro for mentioning the T&T vs. Sweden match. I’ve watched all 62 matches so far and was mesmerized by Shaka Hislop’s performance. That was the most exciting scoreless tie I’ve ever watched. Sweden kept attacking and could not score. Sweden’s fans looked dejected after the match as if their team was eliminated, and the T&T players and fans celebrated as if they had won.
My final comments on Sunday’s final: I expect Italy to beat France since France looked weak during the Portugal match, and Italy looked strong against Germany, but then again, I expected Brazil to beat France, so I’m hoping for an exciting finish to this tournament.

Lol, Irishdownunder. You wouldn’t be originally from Donegal, would you?

It is funny. As one of the best games Italy is only mentioned ones in connection with Germany. What did they do before they actually played a real game? Looking for tricky ways to mess up the German team before the game? I also liked USA vs. Italy because it demonstrated to me what the Italian team is all about, lame, lame lame.

Actually, Brasilianfan, that is very funny. Good thing that people get their sense of humor back. Though I support Germany (DNA thing), I always always loved Brazil.

The France vs. Brazil game was an absolute borefest. There were two clear scoring chances, both for France, and the first one was quashed out by a professional foul.

A MISERABLE game except for some wonderful midfield work from Zidane. However neither team looked great.

Italy lame? All of you might want to take your beer goggles off because you wouldn’t know football if 11 guys ran right over you. You’re just angry because Australia and the US lost to Italy, that’s okay, there were plenty of sore losers in Germany too. You should have seen the Mexicans after Argentina beat them in around Leipzig/stadium. Same with the Germans (at least SOME Germans congratulated us). Let’s hope Ireland and the US make the World Cup in four years (probably not), teams like Italy, Argentina, Germany etc. can get in a few practice games before the real ones….oh and by the way, FOUR Italian players shortlisted for MVP. US? Australia? thanks for making it out….keep those Irish eyes smiling too…

I’m actually gonna have to go with one nobody’s said yet. I enjoyed the Mexico vs Angola match, especially the second half. Everytime the ball got near the Angolan goal I held my breathe, only to have the shot saved, again, by Ricardo. Very impressive saves to hold on to the tie.

definitely a great list….for sure the Italy/Germany game is number 1, it was breathtaking, emotional at the end and just amazing to watch from the beginning whistle until the last whistle

Best game of the world cup was Itlay vs Germany, by far.At that stage of the tournament is very rare to see such an open match.Best team was probably Argentina but they got complacent and their coach was incompetent.The Australian they were lucky to be in that position against Italy because the Materazzi sending off was at least harsh…The penalty: if you look at the footage properly you will see the aussie player lifting his elbow and Grosso tripping over it.It was not the most obvious penalty ever given but if you send off Materazzi for a foul he didn’t do….. that was a penalty then…Some of you should show more respect for a nation which has won the cup 4 times, being in the final 6 times, and another two times reached the semifinals….This team is the history of the world Cup.If you love football, you should show more respect for such teams and football nations…..

Maltese all descend from bastards. Short, fat, hairy bastards. Centuries of inbreeding created a race of imbeciles.

This is one of the greatest worldcups I have ever watch. We really watched exciting matches like those from the legendary world cups of old. France v Brazil, Italy v Germany, Argentina v Italy, the list of such mouth watering clashes was unbelievable. Suddenly I was watching the 70 82, 86,and 90 world cups all at once. It was a world cup of great teams not a world cup of sheer luck and controversy as the 2002 world cup when teams like South korea, Senegel and Turkey spoiled the show