He did not step behind his goal line. He was knocked out of it. By whom it does not matter the important thing is he did not step out!

Panucci stayed down in order to place Ruud offside? So he had foreseen what would happen? He must have acquired this magical power this season that's why he's scored so many goals! Since when can't a player get injured I may ask!

I really can't see how that was deliberate!

And I don't think you expect him to stand up walk back in and ask the ref for permission to get back out?

---

It's clear to me that this occasion does not fill most of the requirements the rule sets! It was clear offside in my view. And if the ref really let the goal count because of this rule then he should have shown a yellow card to Panucci. It seems to me that he either does not know what he's doing or that the linesman did not (want to) see it was offside...

Anyway... it's happened now... and it can't change.

Here are datasport's player ratings for today's games:

ROMANIA
Lobont 6, Chivu 6.5, Contra 6.5, Radoi s.v., Rat 6, Goian 5.5, Tamas 6, Nicolita 6.5, Cocis 6, Codrea 6, Mutu 5.5, Dica s.v., Niculae s.v., Niculae 6

FRANCE
Coupet 6, Abidal 5, Thuram 6.5, Gallas 6, Sagnol 5.5, Malouda 5.5, Toulalan 5, Ribery 6.5, Nasri 5, Makelele 5.5, Benzema 5.5, Gomis 5.5, Anelka 5

ITALY
Buffon 6, Panucci 5, Barzagli 5.5, Materazzi 4.5, Grosso 6, Zambrotta 5, Camoranesi 4.5, Cassano s.v., Gattuso 5.5, Pirlo 5.5, Ambrosini 5, Di Natale 5.5, Del Piero 6, Toni 4.5

NETHERLANDS

Van der Sar 7.5, Boulahrouz 6, Heitinga s.v., Ooijer 6.5, Mathijsen 6, Van Bronckhorst 7, De Jong 6.5, Engelaar 7, Kuyt 7, Afellay s.v., Van der Vaart 6, Sneijder 7.5 (MOM), Van Nistelrooy 6.5, Van Persie 6.5

Well, well, where to begin?!

France played as I expected, without inspiration and Romania fought with its own weapons which ended up with a horrible and bore draw!

Italy on the contrary had very bad luck, the first goal was a definite off side as Panucci was hit by Buffon and stayed out side the pitch injured (but don't expect the uefa to say that the referees were wrong) then they conceded a second goal where Di Natale and Buffon share the fault, but after that I think it was all down to Donadoni and the guy didn't deliver.

He should have made some substitutions at the half time, taking off one of the DM (Gattuso) and put in Del Piero. In term off substitutions Don is worst than Carlo, I'm sure even Carlo would have switched to 2 strikers. Don was so afraid of the Dutch midfield that he didn't give his team all its chances. Grosso was good but should have come earlier (at the half time).

Anyway, it's a very bad start for Italy but this will probably make that group even more interesting. I'm sure the French are going to draw against the Dutch again, so every thing will decided in the last match of the group and the second nation to qualify will be France or Italy, of course Italy have to beat Romania first.

(IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

France-Romania ratings seem to indicate that Romania played better then France, while in the contrary I think if there was a team that was closer to the 3 pts, it was undoubtedly France, since Romania did nothing but defend!

Why wasn't he yellow carded? Because he couldn't make an attempt to return to the field as he was down, that's why. But the fact still remains that he was 'in play' at the time.

But what you're referring to is a technicality. He still 'illegally' tried to make RvN offside, whether he wanted to or not.

Like if a player accidently handballs it on the line, he should still be sent off and ap penalty rewarded as the fact remains he stopped the ball illegally. Same if a GK pulls out of a challenge to tackle a player, if he takes him down it's a penalty + red card, even if he didn't mean it.

As for the ratings, I'd have gone for either Sneijder or van the man. They were both outstanding!

Who?! (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
(Does this mean anything?)



That's just mean and very very very low! (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)



(No flaming morgoth) Max. Talking about Milan like a bunch of cr@py guys and sh!ty club!!! You don't like the club, it's players or philosophy then go and find yourself a classier, younger and on form b!tch to satisfy you, but stop insulting Milan (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/realmad.gif)



(IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/king.gif) (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/king.gif) (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/king.gif)

Anelka is known to be a very moody player, so he got given this nickname. (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

This post has been edited by kurtsimonw: Jun 10 2008, 01:42 AM

If you can't accept the truth and our reality nowadays (do I need to put a UEFA Cup logo in?) then just accept the others opinion.

(IMG:http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/gallery/2002/12/09/anelka_petit2.jpg)

(IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

I will point out that everyone here is entitled to their opinion, and that's what it is: opinion. Truth is something I'd prefer to leave to the philosophers because very few subjective statements regarding football or Milan can actually be proven (aside from things like 'Milan is in Italy'). This is a football forum and one person's 'truth' is another person's '[insert naughty word here]'.

If Board Member A has the opinion that everything having to do with Milan is utter garbage, he or she has a right to say so.

If Board Member B's opinion is that Milan and its players are really rather good, then he or she has a right to say so as well.

(IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

That's brilliant!

There have been a number of comments over the past several days regarding 'foreigners' playing for various national teams. I did some research and the results are below for those teams participating in Euro 2008. Please note that if someone was born in a country (though their parents might not have been), if they had 1 parent from that country, or if they were born in an external province of that country, I counted them as being 'from' that country.

AUSTRIA: 1 Albanian, 1 Croat
SWITZERLAND: 1 Bosnian, 1 Kosovar, 1 Cape Verdan
POLAND: 1 Brazilian
PORTUGAL: 2 Brazilians, 1 Cape Verdan
ITALY: 1 Argentine
FRANCE: 2 Zairians, 1 Cameroonian, 2 Senegalese
GREECE: None
TURKEY: 1 Brazilian
CZECH REPUBLIC: None
GERMANY: 3 Poles
CROATIA: None
RUSSIA: None
SPAIN: 1 Brazilian
SWEDEN: None
ROMANIA: None
NETHERLANDS: None

It would seem, then, that foreigners taking a country's nationality is not uncommon though more have done so for France than for any other country.

(IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

So if you just went on a player being born in that country and nothing else, there would be even more people playing for the wrong nation!? This is terrible.

Well done to the Czeches, Swedes, Greeks, Croats, Russians, Romanians and Dutch!

Couldn't said it better (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/king.gif) !
One former referee on TV said the same thing. Referees just must think logicaly in this kind of situations (and evaluate them) and in this situation it was more then clear that Panucci did not leave the pitch intentionaly (he was knocked off by Buffon) to make the offside trap for the Dutch.
But on the other hand, if he was convinced that Panucci did that, than he should have showed him a yellow card.

What about Abonglahor He is of half-Nigerian and half-Scottish descent and yet he plays for........England (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)