World Cup Losers
While the World Cup allows only one winner, it’s already thrown up a few losers.
Not necessarily the teams who’ve gone out (the likes of Australia and Ghana definitely can’t be called losers) but the teams, players and coaches who’ve either failed to perform or suffered some horrendous bad luck.
Who’ll look back on Germany 2006 with less than happy memories?
Ruud van Nistelrooy: Van the man needed a good World Cup to secure a move away from Manchester United Reserves and the wrath of Alex Ferguson. Despite starting the Group C games, and scoring against Ivory Coast, he didn’t impress Marco van Basten (who knows a thing or two about playing centre forward) and spent the Netherlands vs Portugal redcard-o-rama on the bench. As his team desperately chased a goal, van Nistelrooy sat in growing frustration while van Basten threw every other striker he had at Portugal. Ruud’s face has never looked longer.
Bruce Arena: Came into this tournament as the longest serving coach, a solid reputation, and the word “genius” being mentioned here and there. A decent performance might have landed the USA coach a dream job somewhere in Europe, but his adherence to 4-5-1, his team’s failure to make a mark in Group E, and his public feud with DaMarcus Beasley mean he’ll probably end up back in MLS.
Michael Owen: Broke his foot on New Years Eve 2006, but battled back to be ready just in time for World Cup 2006. Didn’t look fit in England’s first two games, and just when Owen looked to be approaching match fitness he collapsed in the early minutes of the final group game. After being diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate knee ligament, Owen will be out for at least five months and maybe more. That goal in 1998 must feel like a lifetime ago.
Spain: Out in the second round. Again. Seems no matter what they do, the last 16 will always be Spain’s cue to go home. The best Spanish team in recent memory – full of youth, exuberance and goals – still couldn’t take them to the latter stages. Even worse, the Ukraine team they demolished 4-0 in the first game is now in the quarter finals.
Daniele De Rossi: In a World Cup full of contentious dismissals, De Rossi’s red card was one of the few not worth debating. Didn’t do himself or his team any favours by elbowing Brian McBride in the face, and deserved his early bath. De Rossi received a four match ban, meaning he won’t be elegible for selection until the final, and Lippi’s unimpressed reaction suggests he’s in no rush to re-instate him. In fairness to De Rossi, he has sincerely apologised to McBride.
Graham Poll: The well respected English referee had a howler while officiating Australia’s 2-2 draw with Croatia. Lowlight of the night was him showing three yellow cards to Croatia’s Josip Simunic before finally sending him off. Poll was considered to have a shot at reffing the final, but has now been sent home by FIFA to watch the tournament on BBC.
Czech Republic: After an explosive start, where they hammered USA 3-0 and really did look like the second best team in the world, Czech Republic lost consecutive games to Ghana and Italy and are now back home wondering what happened. While some of the squad may see 2010, senior citizens Pavel Nedved, Jan Koller (struck down by injury after scoring an early goal) and Karel Poborsky will have hung up their international boots.
Who else has had a World Cup to forget?
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Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 53 comments.
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By Pedro Silva | June 29th, 2006 at 8:24 pm 
TO PF: what i was trying t say about polland is that they need to change something in the way they play – the technical quality of their players,ifo they want to do well in the future.
One thing is to qualify from a group in which only england was a strong side.
Another is to qualify from a group with at least 5 contenders who are strong,and sdoing so ,playing the way polland does.
And the polish supporters are completely infaated about the real value of the team. And they do play like headless chicken. They dont think when they play. it is not just the coach.
It´s the style of play.
I expected better from polland. And the glorious achievements of polland were way back in the past. In 1982 and 1972. 24 years ago. Does not count for the present time.
Posted from 
Portugal
By JOE M. Hutchinson | June 29th, 2006 at 8:31 pm Experience is the Stats to beat win.
Brazil are the big winners. Not yet at their best and are so experienced and strong.
France, Germany and Argentina..so attractive.
Experience will win over all the statistics.
Posted from 
United States
By John | June 29th, 2006 at 8:43 pm 1. Landon Donovan (US) for not showing up against Ghana in a “win or go home” game. I defended him mightily after the Italy game, where he played himself to total exhaustion at both ends of the field as the US gained its only point of the Cup, playing a man down almost the entire 2nd half. Never again will I defend him. If you can’t at least play your heart out when it’s do or die (Ghana game), screw you.
2. De Rossi (Italy) for blatantly throwing an elbow into the McBride’s face. He’s lucky not to get banned from the Cup entirely, and if I was the Italy coach, his butt would have been on the next plane or train home. Period. If Italy makes it to the finals and he plays, I’ll have lost all respect for Italian football (such as it is).
3. Peter Crouch (England) for yanking the hair of a Trinidad player on a header. Not only is that blatant cheating, it’s very dangerous. NO excuse. Sven should have sent him packing as soon as he saw the replay. I’ve lost my respect for English football, especially since some of their players have claimed that they play fair and don’t like all the diving and cheating. Hypocrites!
4. Not using video replays on close calls around the goal. France deserved a goal against South Korea, but it was understandable that the ref didn’t see it clearly. That kind of play cries out for replay evidence. And it fits the game because play stops for a few seconds when the goalie catches the ball anyway. No reason not to have playback on the sideline for the ref to quickly scan. It’s fair and it would not significantly slow the game down. Doesn’t happen that often, but is obviously incredibly important to the outcome of close games.
5. Ridiculously inconsistent reffing, especially on slide tackles. Mastroeni (US) got a straight red card against Italy for a cleats up slide that was no more than a millisecond late (he is so close to hitting the ball first that it’s virtually a tie). Only slow motion made it clear the Italian touched the ball just before he did. The very next day, Puyol (Spain) committed the same cleats up foul on a guy who had kicked the ball about 6 feet in front of himself before Puyol got there. The ref called the foul, but didn’t even book him! FIFA must make changes on this, because as it is now, it’s all over the map. Total inconsistency.
By Patrick | June 29th, 2006 at 9:03 pm Togo: bad attitude and no class blackmailing the Organizers (threat not to play).
Spain: Choke job again and now due to the comments made by the coach and staff during the game vs France may be excluded from the WC 2010!
Czech team: #2 and thats all you got??
Swiss team: for being the most boring team on the planet and for subjecting us to a horrid game vs Urkaine that ended with possibly the worst shootout perfomance in the history of football…keep aiming for goalie guys!
Italy: dive! dive! Gust of wind…a mammamia..my knee..err..ankle..err..neck…
Refs: Some bad work out there fellas….
Japan: 3 goals let in in the last 6 minutes vs Australia!
B. Arena: Go away…let someone competent coach the US team.
Croatia: Keep shoving the ref..it always works out for a team.
Posted from 
Canada
By Claude | June 29th, 2006 at 9:17 pm Why are you guys from Portugal wanting Poland to be in a European group that is 5 deep? Was Portugal in a group like that? Of course not. If you dump all the strong European teams into 2 or 3 groups you will end up with a team like Malta advancing to the World Cup. Poland was in a group with England and they advanced. Give poor Poland some credit. Portugal at least Poland can hold it’s head high by playing sportsmanlike. I would think Portugal got more yellow and red cards in one game then Poland got in their three. I also didn’t see any Poland players headbutt one of their opponents. Portugal could learn a lot about fair play from Poland. Just in case you are wondering I’m not Polish and have no real love for Poland. If they gave us Danzig and Silesia back, I would like them a lot better. However, I do want to thank Poland for giving us Klose and Podolski.
Posted from United States
By Matt | June 29th, 2006 at 9:24 pm Not sure what you mean about Spain being excluded from WC 2010. That’s absurd.
They’re a great team, still too young, but they’ll be back again. Then again, will Spain ever be able to reverse the curse?
http://worldsoccerblogger.blogspot.com
Posted from United States
By squiggle | June 29th, 2006 at 9:34 pm - The Spanish coach, obviously. Some Spanish fans for their behaviour during the match against France.
- Some English and Dutch fans for their moronic Nazi taunts.
- Several Portuguese and Dutch players for their display when the teams met.
By Miha | June 29th, 2006 at 9:48 pm For me Yugoslavia with Petkovic is the bigest looser of the turnament.
Posted from 
Slovenia
By Pavla | June 29th, 2006 at 10:25 pm my rankings:
Biggest losers:
- USA fans. Not because they played exceptionally badly, but because they had an unrealistic view of their team.
-the Czechs. C’mmon. They were ranked # 2, and there was actualy some credibility to this ranking.
- Serbia and Montenegro — they got seriously thrashed
- Essien: not really a loser but frustrating for him to not play int he biggest match for the Ghanaian team in the WC – against the Brazilians. And worse, he had to watch his team get smoked from the stands and he could not do anything about it. That had to be tough.
USA team: again, unrealistic expectations.
Togo — they need to grow up. WC is about national pride not money!
The Asian teams — what happened?
Best team so far:
Argentina.
Most promising teams:
- Mexico
- all the african teams(except tunisia who )
- australia,
- South Korea
Most lethargic team — All the european teams (except Italy, Spain and portugal) Special mention goes to England –You can sleep through their matches.
Most intimidating team — of course Brazil
Most entertaining teams — argentina, Ghana, Australia.
Team with best looking players– the italian team — those boys are smoking!!
Best looking fans — the brazilian fans.
Posted from United States
By otzi | June 29th, 2006 at 10:39 pm PortugalRocKKssss | June 29th, 2006 at 5:39 pm
IT’S PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
THE WAY YOU TALK ABOUT POLAND.
it’s like you guys are the BEST.
PEDRO’s POINT EXACTLY.
“but think a lot of themselves”
when really you guys are a bunch of LOSERS.
Oh and
“they showed a great level of sportsmanship unlike some of other teams that advance.”
I really can’t tell ya mate. that’s probably because I never saw one Poland game. it’s because you guys suck and everybody knows it. I don’t even know a single person who knew you guys made it to Germany. They just laugh at you guys. The media don’t give a sh** about you. the PEOPLE don’t give a sh** about you either.
LOSERS GO HOME.
this comin from a canadian huh if it wasnt for poland in ww2 ud all b talkin the language of the deutschland. the poles play have good players except the stupid corrupt coach was to cheap to send them to the cup. for the record im no polak and hold no loving for poland. just dun call them losers wen many countries owe them sumthin.
Posted from United States
By Liliana | June 29th, 2006 at 11:07 pm LFC:
Thanks for the link. And here in the US we thought Andres Cantor was passionate, he has nothing on that guy.
Why might the commentator lose his job?
By Liliana | June 29th, 2006 at 11:12 pm I missed the Portugal vs. Holland game. Does anyone know where I can find a copy or watch it online? Thanks!
By Jack Issler | June 29th, 2006 at 11:40 pm As a former referee, am wondering what FIFA’s instructions were to the World Cup referees regarding the critria for giving yellow and red cards. It’s impossible to fathom what their instructions might have been after seeing the inconsistent application of yellow and red cards. I doubt if all the referees are incompetent and shouldn’t be refereeing at this level, but I would have loved to be privy to those pre-World Cup instructions.
In the USA v Italy match, the red card to DeRossi for elbowing McBride was certainly deserved. However, later in the match the red card for a USA slide tackle from the side shouldn’t have even been a yellow card! And especially since slide tackles from the rear throughout the match went unpunished. Was dumfounded when I saw that same referee doing a subsequent game!
Slide tackles from the rear are always deserving of at least a yellow card.
How a referee gave three yellow cards to the same player in a match and did not know it until the match is finished, is incomprehensible! Where are the Assistant Referees, or the Fourth Official during all of this. When I worked as the Fourth Official, one of my duties was to record the yellow cards and the players getting them. How come the fourth Official isn’t doing that? I noticed that the center referees are apparently “miked” – who’s talking to him and what are they saying? Somebody should be helping him out, especially at this level One thing to say for the 2006 World Cup – the refereeing will be great fodder for the Referee Assessors for years to come!
Posted from United States
By pf | June 30th, 2006 at 12:45 am Liliana.
I would look for a re-run. 
Eventually I will try to convert all the recordings from this cup to a pc format, but it will take me years (yah, I know…). Otherwise if you’re in US (the flag below your post doesn’t show up) I could lend you my copy…
By Chainsaw Charlie | June 30th, 2006 at 2:45 am Fifa – For not getting their Heads out of their Asses.
The Cheqs – What.The.Hell.Happened?
U.S.A.- Boy, them Fifa Rankings dont lie , eh?
The Refs – If, in any other highly specialised profession, anyone did the kind of mistakes that 90% of the ref’s are doing, they would be out of a Job.I mean, there are 13 or so rules in the official book of referieng, How hard can it be?
and lastly, again
Fifa – Expect at the end of the tournament some announcemnts in “major changes in referieng(TM)”, to be followed by announcements on “a major discussion on football (TM)”, to a semi-convention somewhere in Bern(TM), to finally a small written note to the ref’s for “not being up to the task of a great tournament like the WC(TM)”
Posted from 
Germany
By Chris | June 30th, 2006 at 12:48 pm Oh well, excuse me but all the mexicans who are posting on these ‘worst team’ and ‘losers’ of the worldcup threads . .. don’t you think it’s stupid to criticize other teams and remark their mistakes, the mistakes of their players, the mistakes of their coaches, etcetera when the mexican team itself was, by far, the biggest loser in the worldcup? just a thought. .. I mean, didn’t the guys lose against Portugal, then lost to Angola (because face it, Angola played a good 100% better), then won Iran, purely by chance, and well. .. advanced to the second round by sheer luck only to lose again to Argentina in a game where the argentinians didn’t bother to put enough effort because the rival team wasn’t worth it?
It’s a sad fact that most mexicans tend to overrate the team, especially when the so called ‘best players’ in it are the worst second-league european players who are always in the bench, hahaha. So yes, the players suck, they have no strategy for winning a game, no attitude for that either and still make a lot of mistakes that are just a lot for making it to the ‘top 32′. I think its embarrassing that teams like this one are making it to the cup, and yeah, I’m calling FIFA losers too beacause there is absolutely no control over qualification.
I’ll put it this way so you can see my point: when I’m watching a Worldcup, I expect to watch GOOD football. I like to watch GOOD teams. I’m a football fan, not a ‘oh, my country kicks ass’-kind of fan. I have no preferences over teams, I just like watching football. And good one, period. Let the best team win. And it bothers me to no end when teams like Mexico and Saudi Arabia make it to the cup and teams like Uruguay or Romania don’t. I mean, wth! The Mexican team did SO MUCH WORSE than Romania, and Mexico qualifies nonetheless, no matter that everytime Mexico and Romania play Mexico loses. Anyway, the small team with the stinky football mexico makes it to the cup and they make football SUCK, not exactly what football fans want to watch, See my point?
Some people are 100% supporters or their countries, which is not bad, but why not just be a football fan than a country fan in a worldcup? It’s a lot more enjoyable.
Hence, I’m not a supporter of the mexican team because they stink and because the ‘best’ they can offer is a joke compared to what other countries can. Don’t get me wrong, It’s not that I don’t like this country or anything like that. No way, it’s just the fact that the players are bad, the coach is worse, their game style is bad too, and the money-thing running under the table in mexican football is just as bad, thus the team will get nowhere.
Back to the topic. The worst of the worldcup? Yes, Mexico. Why? Because not only they were terrible, but because they are loved, and glorified because of how terrible they were (‘oooooooh the team lost horribly but they made it to the round of 16, they are national heroes’). Another? Serbia and Montenegro.
A player who disappointed me is Luis Figo. His action against VanBommel demonstrated a notable lack of temper that I didn’t expect in a player of his caliber and experience.
Posted from 
Mexico
By Me | June 30th, 2006 at 1:31 pm What is with people dissing fans because they support their country’s team…each to their own…the same way the in national leagues each fan thinks their team is the best…this is exactly the same!!!
Although I was born and bred in London and I’m a Londoner at heart you will not see me supoprting England…EVER! I’m Spanish and although I knew Spain wouldn’t make it past France I still wanted, wished, hoped and prayed that they would make it to the final…maybe some day they’ll shape up and kick off their deamons and actually manage it…maybe, just maybe…”dreams can come true…” at least that’s what the song says!!!
In my opinion, the biggest losers of this world cup (apart from the atrocious referees and foul play) are the Hooligans…how the f*** do they still manage to get out of their countries…!?!?!?
I strongly believe Italy should not be in the quater finals…their cheating just gets worse…
I’m sure that with video refereeing and replays we’d be able to see a much higher level of football…here’s hoping someone with power and sense (a bit of an oxymoron I know but you never know!) is listening!!!
Posted from 
Spain
By pf | July 1st, 2006 at 5:10 am Don’t be dissin’ no Polska here…
(attention!)
You say chicken without heads? Funny to hear that from a guy where Christiano Ronaldo is “the best”. Now that one cock(not a rooster mind you) without a head.
you say:
ones who made it to the TOP 8. ITALIA. FRANCE. ESPANA. PORTUGAL!!!!
did you get the memo? spain didn’t make it…. read some papers next time you take a craap… or is it that your daddy read you the wron bedtime story?
Dear beckham
Barf it like!
Your icon shows how we feel about your game. You’re right, we won’t reach the status you have, cause we don’t want to sink so low! Nooooboooodyyyy looovess you….
POLSKA POLSKA POLSKA
(at ease boys)
By Me | July 3rd, 2006 at 7:43 am BRAZIL…Sorry guys but what happened to the Jugo Bonito everyone was going on about…I sure as heck didn’t see any…even Spain’s play was “mais bonito”!!!
With these results there’s only one thing to say…”the Old Continent” has the best football…SUPPOSEDLY 
!!!
All guns are out on who will win the Worst World Cup in history…My full support goes to Portugal…here’s hoping they’ll be able to retire Zidane!
And let him and his team battle for 3rd place with Italy…!
Posted from Spain
By Me | July 3rd, 2006 at 12:36 pm I’d say the BIGGEST losers are ENGLAND…
For demonstrating to the World, once again, that they don’t know how to lose…or even win for that matter…
For finding a Scapegoat in Cristiano Ronaldo for Rooney’s red card…HEEEELLLLOOOOOO, you step on someones testicles and expect to get away with it…come down from the clouds please!!!…
And for not facing facts that 1966 IS LOOOONG GONE…GET OVER IT!!!
Football’s not going home, football has moved out with no intention of returning…
You can keep your three lions on your shirt and Jules Rimet can keep on gleaming…your 40 years of hurt are gonna make you keep on dreaming…and England’s gone and thrown it away, gone and blown it away and they’ve proved they can’t play…
hehehehehehe, slight revamp of the 1996 lyrics to “Three Lions” by baddiel and Skinner…hehehehehehehe…sorry can’t help but laugh!!!
Posted from Spain
By bob | July 5th, 2006 at 1:31 pm This world cup proves why soccer sux and will never make it!
Posted from United States
By josh | July 5th, 2006 at 3:23 pm haha okay. fyi bob, soccer has already made it. last time i checked it was the most popular sport in the world. nice try though champ. A+ for effort.
By walter | July 5th, 2006 at 7:49 pm We are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore!!!
Once again the world cup ends up transformed in a travesty of manipulation by the monopolistic FIFA.
It’s so obvious which teams are being help by the referees under the fifa orders.
It’s just business as usual.
We cannot allow them to keep bringing down the game to a miserable spectacle!
We deserve to enjoy a straight honest game for which we have to wait 4 years.
It’s obscene to bring down the aspirations of the population of a victimized country, with such barefaced “mistakes”.
The level of Football has grown to spectacular heights that the help of instant replay is necessary to keep it honest!
I prefer to wait a couple of minutes in my life for the right call, than to be robbed of a game for ever!
But fifa doesn’t want to loose it’s grip on manipulation!
By FRANCA | July 6th, 2006 at 11:58 am FORZA AZZURRI!!!!!!!
EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET OVA THE FACT DAT ITALY BEAT AUSTRALIA. I AM SURE ONCE THE CRICKET IS BACK YOU GUYZ WILL MOVE ON. DON’T WORRY GUYZ YOU HAVE A BETTA CHANCE OF WINNING THE RUGBY WORLD CUP……….OH WAIT BE CAREFUL CAUSE IT MIGHT BE RIGGED.
Posted from 
Australia
By Matthew Collins | July 19th, 2006 at 1:49 pm the portuguese were an absolute shambles and i aint just saying this because im english, but diving whining crying bastards.. i think they dove more than the bloody italians and thats saying something, we’ve come to expect it from those match fixing twits but from portugal who i actually rated. its a shame teams like australia and ghana are hiding in the shadows now because they were excellent, this entire world cup was poor and i for one cannot wait for real football THE PREMIERSHIP (not seria a not la liga or any other of that slow shite) because i was very dissapointed with what i saw in germany even from england.. diving out, match fixers banned, and crying to the referees is just plain fucking pathetic……. UP THE BORO
Posted from 
Kazakhstan
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