half time thoughts?

ukraine is not playing strong at all and if switzerland doesn't beat them, they don't really deserve going any further. if ukraine go through it will be a free ticket to the semis for italy.

on the other hand, if the ukraine manage to get their few shots on target its a ticket home for switzerland, too.

full time, and we just are about to start extra time........ 0'0... swiss playing far better though, tactically.

that's it. 0-3 after penalties. switzerland played great for the most of the 2nd half and really tried, but just didn't have the nerves for penalties. one way too slow, the other one to the crossbar and another one right at the keeper ...while ukraine converted 3 out of 4.

sad but that's how it is.

still have two other teams to cheer at, though.

A very dull match to watch for neutrals, now I know how it must look for non-England fans to watch one of our frustrating games. Think the Swiss edged it , but they lads bottled it at penalties.

Italy should crush the Ukraine.

This one knackered me - no way Ukraine beats Italia. Book it Italia in the semifinals.

I see Switzerland still have not had a goal scored against them Mind you, they did score one themselves last year.

Ukraine is in their first WC, and they started miserably by going down 0-4 to Spain. What a rebound!

Though they didn't look very inspired and Shvechenko didn't deliver, good luck to underdogs.

I was up 'til gone four o clock in the morning to watch this!

I was up 'til gone four o clock in the morning to watch this!

I stupidly predicted this 2-1 5555555555555

It was pretty turgid stuff, such a pity they didn't go straight into Penalties.

However, more disturbing is how Chelsea think they can possibly get value for money from that blockhead Chefchenko?? He does nothing for me

yeah its kind of sad to go out of the world cup without having received a single goal against, but that's how it is. they should have taken more risk converting the penalties, though.

I don't know how it is possible not to score three penalties in a row. Teams like that shouldn't be allowed to advance.

I don't know how it is possible not to score three penalties in a row. Teams like that shouldn't be allowed to advance.

Well, uhm, ok, Switzerland is out.

I don't know how it is possible not to score three penalties in a row. Teams like that shouldn't be allowed to advance.

Look's like FIFA heard you

I don't know how it is possible not to score three penalties in a row. Teams like that shouldn't be allowed to advance.

Look's like FIFA heard you

What do ya mean Lamps

trying to find out what he means now....

stand by... .

...okay, I see no news of relevance on the fifaworldcup.com site.

I think he just means, they are out. The set up of the tournament dictates that fifa heard you by eliminating them, or something...

trying to find out what he means now....

stand by... .

Still waiting

what??!! switzerland are out?? just when 24 hours later i got over the shock of seeing them eliminated you're telling me they got eliminated?

trying to find out what he means now....

stand by... .

Still waiting

That´s why I gave you a triple coffee.... I had actually edited it, WAAAAAAy B4 you .. oh sh1t, noope sorry, you´re coffee break came in a minute and a half before my edit.

what??!! switzerland are out?? just when 24 hours later i got over the shock of seeing them eliminated you're telling me they got eliminated?

By the way, rainman, so have ghana been eliminated.... But that is neither here nor there....Will spain or france face off the giants of football?

Sorry lads. Bit to subtle was it? I'll try to explain my attempts at humour next time

I stupidly predicted this 2-1 5555555555555

It was pretty turgid stuff, such a pity they didn't go straight into Penalties.

However, more disturbing is how Chelsea think they can possibly get value for money from that blockhead Chefchenko?? He does nothing for me

perhaps that has something to do with its owner ?

Shevchenko to Chelsea for £60m

Roman Abramovich is known to be a good friend of Shevchenko’s and has attempted to pursuade the Ukranian international to join the Stamford Bridge Revolution on several previous occasions.

as saying goes : "the one who pays, orders the music !" and definetely Abramovich can "order music" !

Abramovich strikes - and Chelsea win the World Cup

Whoever wins the World Cup, Abramovich wins

Theoretically, he could buy every decent player in the world. Practically, he has bought enough of them to give Chelsea not only a stranglehold on the domestic title and a good chance in Europe but jitters in the boardroom. They are deeply in the red. It might all yet crash around Roman's ears.

Meanwhile, Chelsea could beat Brazil. Truly. They might beat Argentina. Or Italy. Almost certainly England. So could Barcelona. That clubs are stronger than most national teams has been plain for at least the past two World Cups.

...

How ironic that Franz Beckenbauer, whose presence is stamped all over this tournament, the man who brought the World Cup to Germany, should have uttered these words only eight years ago: 'The European league will come and the top clubs will gain in power. One day there won't be national teams any more. They will be replaced in the World Cup by club sides. Europe is growing together. At the moment the national team has a high value. But the influence of the clubs is getting bigger.'

Appearances, goals, and top performances by players from the most represented clubs at the World Cup (before quarter-finals)

Apps Players Still In Goals Man Of Match

Chelsea 46 15 11 8 8

Arsenal 46 16 6 7 2

Juventus 37 12 9 2 3

AC Milan 37 12 8 4 2

Barcelona 30 10 4 4 2

Man Utd 28 12 7 3 1

R Madrid 28 9 5 6 2

B Munich 27 9 7 2 3

D Kiev 24 7 7 1 1

Lyon 23 10 9 2 0

Valencia 20 8 4 3 0

Liverpool 19 9 4 5 2

so, c'mon, man, don't be so hard on Shev ! after all - he likes your country, its game (football), its money (well, British pounds are quite steady comparing to Leers or Euros ! ), AND its language :

Shevchenko's glimpse of Chelsea promise

"... it may have been the dominance of the English language, rather than Roman Abramovich's roubles, that persuaded the Wind to gust towards west London. "We knew it wasn't up to us to persuade him to stay, but up to his wife. She was determined to move to London, and let his son learn English," Gennaro Gattuso, his former team-mate at AC Milan, said. "In this way, Andriy is a typical Italian guy, for him the family comes always first, even when it's about his career."

oh, and one more thing : he is not such a "blockhead" as you think :

Andriy Shevchenko - Chelsea FC - Profile

Andriy Shevchenko is one of the world's great footballers.

A natural goalscorer he can also take wonderful free kick, head the ball well and deliver defense splitting passes with accuracy.

Voted European Footballer of the Year in 2004, Shevchenko fully deserved the award.

A player who can win matches.

However, more disturbing is how Chelsea think they can possibly get value for money from that blockhead Chefchenko?? He does nothing for me

may be for you he does nothing, but not for, say, Mourinho :

Roman Abramovich has finally persuaded AC Milan’s Andriy Shevchenko to sign for Chelsea this summer, in a deal reported to be worth £25m.

.....

Both Jose Mourinho and Peter Kenyon have revealed that Chelsea are targeting AC Milan’s Andriy Shevchenko.

Mourinho said today that the club want “to go after players of big quality, Shevchenko and another one.” Kenyon added: “I think Shevchenko is the type of player we would like. You stand a chance but there is a long way to go in the summer. It has got to be 50-50 but I would not say that it is any more than that.”

http://www.chelseablog.com/tags/abramovich/

and , well, he's shown certain consistency in his score results:

http://www.footballdatabase.com/site/playe...hp?dumpPlayer=9

Per Season Stats:

Season Club Country Level Apps Goals

2005-06 Milan ITA A 28 19

2004-05 Milan ITA A 29 17

2003-04 Milan ITA A 32 24

2002-03 Milan ITA A 24 5

2001-02 Milan ITA A 29 14

2000-01 Milan ITA A 34 24

1999-00 Milan ITA A 32 24

1998-99 D. Kyiv UKR A 28 18

1997-98 D. Kyiv UKR A 23 19

1996-97 D. Kyiv UKR A 20 6

1995-96 D. Kyiv UKR A 31 16

1994-95 D. Kyiv UKR A 16 1

compare that to : Lampard's , Rooney's or whoe else your England's favorite NOT-'blockhead' - Gerrard , Beckham, or

may be Crouch ? well, Owen perhaps has ALMOST near as good scores, except past year.

anyway, Sheva is AT LEAST as good as ANY of them - you name one of England's favorite players.