Semi-Finals (4th Round)
— + remarks on the top 4 teams' performances & possibilities
Below are the final four teams, among which the 2006 World Cup Champion will emerge.
The teams stand according to their World Cup campaigns, the best campaign placed first, whereas the weakest of the four campaigns coming last.
The table below actually allows viewing how each team's entire World Cup journey has unfolded through the different tournament stages.
Pls. see the brief notes following the table (click on each of the 
text images, on the table header) to understand what each column indicates.
Click on a squad's name or flag, to reach its page in this eBook, the same applying to a Group's letter (green image, on the left). The two rows to appear in bold type signal the squads playing the World Cup Final Match. The other two teams play the 3rd.Place Match.
| Rank |
3Rnk |
2Rnk |
1Rnk |
Gr |
Pos |
On the ½Finals |
Matches |
Won |
Drew |
Lost |
Goals+ |
Goals– |
Points |
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| 1 |
2 |
3= |
6 |
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1 |
 Italy  |
6 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
11 |
1 |
15 |
| 2 |
5 |
8 |
13 |
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2 |
 France |
6 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
8 |
2 |
14 |
| 3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
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1 |
 Germany |
6 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
5 |
13 |
| 4 |
3 |
3= |
4 |
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1 |
 Portugal |
6 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
2 |
13 |
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3Rnk = Unofficial, overall Quarter-Finals Ranking for the top 8 teams contesting the 2006 World Cup–see Quarter-Finals for all 16 teams 2Rnk = Unofficial, overall Round of Sixteen Ranking for the top 16 teams contesting the 2006 World Cup–see Round of Sixteen for all 16 teams
Pos = First Round Group Placement–click on each Group letter, above, to see entire Group standings
Points = Points helping portray Squads' performances, relatively to each other, as in a championship based on points. Above are the teams that have played four and five matches. The next page (From Champion to 4th) displays these same four teams, after their seventh match–both the Rank & the Points columns (dark green, on either side) reflecting the results of their matches.
Pls. see the previous page, for explanation & purpose regarding the data displayed above, should it not be entirely transparent by now.
See, below, review of the Semi-Final Matches:
x — [1] Italy has now fully earned their place in the final, playing against both a brave, hard-working German side, and their enthusiastic supporting local crowd, but leaving both disappointed, after two beautifully crafted goals–in fact, one of the briefest goal-series, ever–just two minutes before an impending penalty shoot-out which would have favored the home side, most likely, given the statistics.
From this match, the Italian side emerges as a very strong Title candidate, and certainly a deserving candidate, amid the context of the current (2006) World Cup. Admittedly, this has not been among the most exciting World Cups. But, besides having convincingly beaten the home team, Italy has both the best defense and the best attack, by now. So they look as if they are on the way to becoming worthy 2006 Champions–that is, once they win the Final Match, if they do.
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— x But let us wait for the other semi-final match, and see what the French and the Portuguese are going to bring on to the pitch, in the beautiful Allianz Arena... Can either side measure up to or higher than the Italians, after their match?...
The Portuguese lack both World Cup experience and tradition at this level of the tournament, though their coach, -( ) Scolari, does not.
The French, in turn, appear to have found an ascending line, after a most disappointing debut had brought about echoes from their  Korea Republic⁄Japan disaster. But how accurate can the new, favorable impression really be?...
— After all, the  Spaniards have traditionally given it away after a usually impressive First Round...whereas the Brazilians seemed to have used up all their flame both at the Confederations Cup (2005) and on the joga bonito and other TV commercials, then seemingly neglecting to recharge their batteries, as they set sail for Germany.
— So, although it sounds all very impressive that Les Bleus set both Spain and Brazil on course to an early home-going, this could still be dangerously deceptive of France's true capabilities, after all. |
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— x The second Semi-Final match should be able to confirm the French side's newly found form...or deny it. As it will also reveal whether the Portuguese boys can manage to don Scolari's experience and sweep it over a more seasoned French side that could, after all, find it a challenge to match the Portuguese stamina.
— Moreover, this time it is not Zidane that will be fresh from sitting out a match, but Deco & Costinha, even though both Figo & Cristiano Ronaldo will have just recovered from injury. On the other hand, the Portuguese face the disadvantage of having been through the extra-time against  England. Can the presence of a fresh Deco and a fresh Costinha help even out this handicap, even though Figo & Cristiano Ronaldo might not be at their best, physically? And how will Zidane's form be, now that he will be coming from a full 90-minute's play?... Well, well, the second Semi-Final match will be clearing all these unknowns. This is certainly another match not to miss. |
x [2] It would suffice to say that the Portuguese have been less efficient than the French in attacking, though, were it not for that penalty well taken by Zidane, perhaps the same could have been said regarding the French side, too. The penalty, itself, though legitimate, was called for a sort of play seen many times, along this World Cup, but not always resulting in penalties. In fact, yellow cards have even been flashed, in such instances, at the grounded player who had attempted to make it look more serious a foul than it had actually been. So, it could be said that, though by no means inaccurate, the 
referee was very rigorous indeed at calling that penalty; and of course he had a little help from Henry, who was careful to enhance his fall in the Portuguese box. The referee, however, did not show that same rigor again, for the rest of the match. And so, the Portuguese claimed in anger, afterwards, that one or two penalties should have been called in their favor.
Anyway, the French would have needed a second goal against Portugal, if they were to win all the way convincingly. Clearly, they did not manage to; so this leaves the Italian side as the one team that has shown both skill and stamina, as well as the ability to transform their intents in results in 2006. The French, on the other hand, have won their last two matches by the smallest score (the last of which, a penalty kick).
Interestingly, the French press had charged heavily on the Portuguese, in the build up to their match, to the point of causing a diplomatic objection from the Portuguese to the French governments (see here)! Nonetheless, what was seen on the pitch was that both sides could resemble the way that the French newspaper had described the Portuguese. Then midway through the game, Miguel was injured at a ball dispute and needed to be replaced (though no French player seemed to have suffered the same fate). This meant a bad loss for the Portuguese side, on a day that neither Figo nor Deco seemed highly inspired. Zidane, in turn, did not repeat his performance against Brazil, actually looking pretty exhausted in the second half.
All in all, the Portuguese side simply could not translate into goals their advantage in ball possession, so the French just administered the favorable score, till the end. There were, indeed, a few precious chances for the Portuguese, but all either wasted by their strikers, or else defended by the eccentric Barthez (who could have given the game away...but it was just not Portugal's day). Incidentally, in the goal-keeping context, Ricardo (see Records & Memorable Details) continued showing his value and valor, not only by nearly saving Zidane's penalty kick, but also by making a number of important saves and, in the very end of the match, even venturing in the attack and in support of the Portuguese middle field! But it would have of course been a miracle, if Ricardo had managed to tie that match for the Portuguese.
Last, though by no means least, the French victory also meant the end of another record winning streak (as it had already meant in Brazil's case, at France's previous match). This time, it was -() Luiz Felipe Scolari's record as a coach, which actually surpasses Brazil's own record as a team! See Records & Memorable Details, for Scolari's respectable mark.
(A number of related links follow, right below.)
Teams' performances & possibilities:
In the knock-out phase of the World Cup, sixteen teams–i.e., the top two from each
Group (1st Round)–played the 2nd Round (Round of Sixteen), which narrowed the group further:
eight teams emerged to play the Quarter-Finals, the winners of which
(not necessarily the top four, in the above table) were to play the Semi-Finals.These four winning
squads are highlighted in bold, above, the best campaigns always placed at the top
(as done in regard to the table for the Round of Sixteen).
The 32 Teams, Rd. by Rd.:
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GER: Germany |
ENG: England |
 ARG: Argentina |
 MEX: Mexico |
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 CRC: Costa Rica |
 PAR: Paraguay |
 CIV: Côte d'Ivoire |
 IRN: Iran |
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 POL: Poland |
 TRI: Trinidad and Tobago |
 SCG: Serbia and Montenegro |
 ANG: Angola |
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 ECU: Ecuador |
 SWE: Sweden |
 NED: Netherlands |
POR: Portugal |
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ITA: Italy |
BRA: Brazil |
FRA: France |
ESP: Spain |
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 GHA: Ghana |
 CRO: Croatia |
 SUI: Switzerland |
 UKR: Ukraine |
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 USA: United States |
 AUS: Australia |
 KOR: Korea Republic |
 TUN: Tunisia |
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 CZE: Czech Republic |
 JPN: Japan |
 TOG: Togo |
 KSA: Saudi Arabia |
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Top 16, above, unshaded – in the Top 8, in italics – the Top 3+4, underlined in italics, the Top 2, in bold type
The 16 not making past the 1st Round, in gray shade Abbreviations, above: used by FIFA, as well as in this eBook.
