World Champions!

Woooorld chaaaampions after 24 years!!!

You can't have even a pale idea of what is happening here...

Four fantastic months in a row, at least for the majority of italians (and someone is eating his hat, at the moment).

So, er, your football association and half the players aren't going to jail now

Congratulations.

I'd've bet big bucks on Italy to beat France. No surprise, but a big win for the Italians.

Congrats!

Personally, I'm surprised Brazil didn't make it to the final round, but hey, today has been a day for really interesting sports games: Italy wins in penalty kicks and the White Sox win in the 19th inning.

While hardly a majority of Americans care, I have to say that I greatly appreciate a World Championship game that actually involves the World. The wife is doing mission work in Naples. They left Rome right after the Germany game. (Not because of the soccer crowd, mind, they were scheduled). Said it was nuts in the streets. I shouldn't worry about her being trampled in Naples, *gulp* should I?

I do hope so! They have no excuse. Having won the cup does not lessen their guilts.

But the scandal does not involve players, rather the football societies. I really hope they'll be sentenced to go back to minor leagues (well, I don't know how to express that in english well )

I don't think you should. People in Naples is... beautiful! They are so nice.
The city has many problems, it is true, but people there really enjoys life. They might seem crazy to foreigners (well, also to italians!) but, if you are in trouble, they would do ther best to help.

On the other hand, if you are a foreigner and if you act too much as a foreigner, you might get into some trouble, maybe someone would try to steal your money, your backpack, or would offer you a ride on a non-official taxi at double, three times the standard fare.

But this is something that could happen more or less everywhere in the world in big towns. I think an american town is, on average, much more dangerous. I don't want to be upset anyone, but I have traveled a lot in Europe and in the U.S., and my feeling has aways been that americans themselves are much more scared of their cities than us here in Europe.
I still remember my first night in Pittsburgh, after ten years...

19th inning??? Wow! It lasted more or less the whole day!

I find it interesting. The French captain completely blew the chances of the French side, and today the French hero worship him irrespective.

Last time around Beckham did exactly the same for England, and we just character assasinated him hook, line and sinker, chewed him up and spat him out.

What a difference a couple of miles of English Channel make!

You can't tell that to most Americans these days. They hate the French here. (Never mind that much of the world hates us nowadays - and I can't say I don't understand why.)

Very reflective, now if only your powers that be would see it.

I think that there is guite possibly a genetic constant involved here though CE Geek. Think about it.

The British have a genetic dislike of the French (swathe, sophisticated alcohol drinking connisseurs of food that they are). The Americas used to be a British colony. As an ex-colony there are rampant British genes at the base of your society. They're no longer dormant is all

The events from the other side of the fence: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/5168126.stm

Not sure it was wise to admit to that O.o

It's up to the people to see it, so they vote on the issues instead of making every election a popularity contest. (Sorry - I'll stop ranting now.)