Because of the scandal with the Italian Soccer, will it affect them winning the World Cup?
543070
The current Italian Football scandal is another form of deterrent to all those guys, like many of you out there, who are making predictions and trying to look cool in the eyes of your mates.\nTo me the current situation reminds me very much of the turmoil Italy had prior to their winning campaign back in '82. At the time the paparazzi were going berserk and the media in general was getting down Bearzot's throt in his choice of players, even the unknown Paolo Rossi had no chance to get a place in the starting line-up.\nAll of that created the winning feeling & will to survive the experience providing the Italian squad with extra inner strength, which is synonym of the Italian fighting spirit. The rest is History with them winning the 3rd world cup.\n2006 seems to have the same unsettling atmosphere, which if carefully analysed can only be translated into a highly positive charging energy.\nSurely the favourites, such as Brazil and Czech Republic, will have a very good run for our money, but to win the world cup you need more then a great team full of outstanding players, you need co-hesion and fighting spirit that will make you want to "fight like a lion and sting like a bee".\nItaly has 23 great players, like any of the 32 final nations, but something else will differentiate them from the others and that would be: Passion for the game and anger for what is happening back home.\nDon't be surprised if Italy will come out of 2006 experience in a very happy mode.
1126304
I know man, IO totally agree. I used to respect Italy, they were my fav. team but after such a thing, you gotta admit, it would be shameful to ever support them!\n\nThe socceroos were clearly dominating, Italy was under pressure and what did they do? They CHEATED! Shamefully CHEATED! \n\nI was dumbstruck, there was my fav. team, versing the team representing the country that I live in, and Italy cheats? I could not bear it!\n\nSHAME ON YOU ITALY! SHAME, SHAME, SHAME !!!!!
1126870
Giuliano C I totally agree with you, but unfortunately nothing will stop them!!! I don't even want to think about when we win the World Cup, they'll be talking about the Italians until 2010....Unbelievable!!
881136
First of all I think this 2 facts have nothing to do with each other since Cannavaro was an extraordinary captain for Italy and played extremely good during the WC and Buffon too, but the other thing is that they were not involved in the scandal. There were gossips that Buffon was involved in illegal betting but they were never proved the same for Cannavaro, there were voices he somehow acted in a not sportive way when he moved from Inter to Juve but that was it. I' m not saying they are completely innocent coz I don't know, but I know they played amazingly well this WC and brought Italy to the win of the trophy. Is there anyone else that deserves to win those prizes? I think yes. It's Pirlo who was the director of the Italian team and all the important things were created by him and there are other non-Italians too coz I think a player should win those prizes if he plays very well during all the season even if he didn't win anything at the end or didn't play in any important final. But anyway, it seems those are the rules.
311696
No, but they will make it to at least the quarter finals.They r the host,i don't think fifa would let them loose before they make it out of there group.It would be bad for business.
411761
I hope not. They didn't deserved it. It is time that they lose scudeto in last week. I think they are very old and need to change a lot their team. Next 2-3 years will be the worst ones in Juve's last 10 seasons.
1112389
I haven't seen that.  I would only say the Brazilians haven't been going all out from the matches I've seen.  I would be surprised if anyone's taking money right now, at a time where there is such a big scandal in Italy over match fixing.
988750
I don't think it's corruption, who would dare with there already being a scandal in Italy?  Inept is the right word, the officiating has been horrible, the worst I've seen.  The Koreans benefited from it in the match with France when the french made a goal that wasn't counted, this time they were on the losing end.
865930
Yes, that would probably make it more exciting than it already is!! \nMany good teams have not won the world cup, they need the opportunity to shine!
1184436
Yes, and the only reason they won before was because they played in France but historically the team has had it's troubles great players such as Platini included CHOKE under the big stage-lights...   If they didn't host they still be pretenders and it has shown in the last two world cup.......   P...R....E......T.....ENDERS.... Le Chocke! Le Incompetent......!
142237
I wouldn't say it's just Juve.  FIFA doesn't come across as the sort of "clean skinned" organisation it says it is.  I'm sure Sepp Blatter and co. have a few skeletons in their closets.
485705
Juve will be in Serie B next year, Milan will get the title, the press will go gaga, and after a couple of weeks life will gon on normal and Italy will wil the World Cup and nobody will care anymore (besides the Juve fans).
1166681
no it's all a fix, you can plainly see some teams are getting shafted\n\nand everyone knows that title belongs to brasil
208625
Actually,it is unpredictable in soccer that who wins specially after seeing the magic of Senegal & S.Korea in 2002.But I am a supporter of Italy & wish Italy win the cup.
718134
The elections in Mexico are gonna be in the middle of the world cup. \n\nI believe that all of the attention will be in the World cup about three weeks before the elections, so anybody will be looking at the news, and hearing about the candidates. \n\nSo, it will affect, of course, because all of them need to convince the voters before the world cup start. And they need to convince them strongly, because there is so much scepticism that a great part of our population will not even botter to vote.\n\nI truly believe this time the winner will be the abstentionism, wich of course is so bad to our democracy.
321634
no no no. please dont give the greece example. it was one in a lifetime miracles what happend. it was a shame discrace for the europian soccer because that last final game of the europian championship was the most boring game i have ever seen. now having said all that difense is not the winner nor the offense but the combination of both. the offense will keep the ball away from your goal so the team wont be in danger of loosing the game. if you want ta winner for this upcomming summer check out italy, england and a have to include the scaaaary brasil. look for sleepers like germany or argentina too.
564527
I don't think so.  Too often in the past, the top teams get eliminated.  There is too much risk of upsets when it gets down to one game challenges.  It has been several world cups since the #1 team has won it.