Held in Germany for everyone living under a rock. Lots of good teams so far, USA included. In fact it's rated fourth in the tournament, behind Netherlands, Czech Republic, and of course Brazil. So I was just wondering who you guys think will win it. USA is actually in a rather hard bracket this year, with both Czech Rep. and Italy in it. Ghana is also in their bracket, but they are a newcomer to the World Cup. They have only had 4 goals scored on them out of the 12 qualifying matches, which is an incredibly hard feat to pull of from such an inexperienced team. My bet this year is Czech going all the way but USA could easily take the bracket depending on how well DeMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, and Brian McBride do.
Nice to see the US finally in serious contention. Should be a fun year.
Posted by Atlantis (Member # 8788) on :
I'm betting on Brazil. They've been in the last 3 world cup finals, so chances are they could do it again. And I hear they have some new blood this year, never hurts. Posted by SoaPiNuReYe (Member # 9144) on :
Yeah Brazil has Ronaldo and Ronaldinho which are two of the best players in the world currently. Ronaldo is really old now and he isn't nearly as fast as he used to be. I still the Czech could do it simply because they got a lot of talent up front. Their defense is good too.
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
The Angola vs. Portugal game was a tad dull - after that early goal it seemed more like a game of keep-away than anything else.
America's first game agaist the Czech is tomorrow, noon eastern time. It's playing on ESPN2. And if anyone's interested in other games, you can find the times and channels here: http://www.soccertv.com/wc-us.cfm Posted by Soara (Member # 6729) on :
I'm rooting for Mexico.
The world cup is most fun to watch on the spanish stations, for obvious reasons.
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
For me, all the World Cup means is football on TV 24/7. I live in a house full of boys. I hate football.
Oh, and drunken men shouting 'Eng-er-laaaand!' at me in the street and trying to grab my skirt. I hope England loose really soon.
I'm secretly with the Scottish and supporting Trinidad, but I can't say that, for fear I'll be lynched. In fact, I'm probably taking my life in my hands even posting it here. Happy days. Posted by calaban (Member # 2516) on :
Riots, mobs, fervent zelots, and specialized clothing.
Sometimes it seems that sports are the only true god and futball is it's prophet. Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Stupid Poland. The game is played for 90 minutes, not 10!
-Bok
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
Well Australia doesn't have a chance to win - it's our first time qualifying in 32 years.
But we just beat Japan 3-1!
Very exciting game too - Japan was 1 goal up from 26 minutes to 84 minutes, and then Australia scored three in the last 8 minutes.
Posted by cheiros do ender (Member # 8849) on :
Oh you beat me to it.
Socceroo's rock my world. Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
Horrible game for the US...they just lost, 0-3, to the Czech Republic. Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
quote:Originally posted by Kwea: Horrible game for the US...they just lost, 0-3, to the Czech Republic.
It looked like they had no real will to play. I only saw part of it but if they continue like that there's really no chance they will qualify. Honestly, I didn't expect them to anyway, in a group with Czech Republic and Italy.
SoaPiNuReYe, I don't know where those ratings came from, but I think the US are nowhere near the top teams. Beside those that you've already mentioned (Netherlands, Czechs, Brazil), any of Argentina, Germany and Portugal seem clearly better, and England, France or Spain should also be above their level. Maybe next time.
On the other hand, it's another peaceful World Cup for me, as the Romanians have failed to qualify for the second time in a row. I'll just sit back and enjoy the games.
As for the "dream final" this year, (almost) everyone wants to see Brazil - Argentina. Should be quite a match.
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
Brazil will have its first game today, against Croatia. The streets are being adorned, Green/yellow (our flag's collor) everywhere... when the game begins, the whole country will stop and, if we win, there will be great parties all night long.
I was actually cheering for the U.S. against the Czecs. Unfortunatelly, it was not meant to be.
Let's see what the future brings :-)
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
Hehe, before Brazil's game another country will stop working. At 6PM France plays Switzerland. I wonder if the tramway will still work.....
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
ditto on the US game... a defender absolutely quit on the 3rd goal.
But the guy who is in real danger is whoever scored the own goal for Paruguay, giving England a 1-0 victory.
They asassainated a guy for that a few years ago (and no, that isn't a joke).
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
It was in Colombia, not Paraguay. And please, don't say every south-american country is the same. ;-)
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
Booooring... France - Switzerland, the peace game. Ended 0-0, with very few occasions, and very little play from both parts. Maybe Togo will qualify from that group? Posted by BaoQingTian (Member # 8775) on :
Well, my U.S. hopes are going down the tubes. Argentina is still alive though. I watched Argentina play Ivory Coast (I think it was, since i saw it on the Spanish channel). It was a good game, but they seemed to have trouble keeping momentum late in the game. I'm kind of hoping for a Argentina vs Brasil final (as long as it doesn't turn into another war like Honduras and El Salvador). I like Brasil a lot Eduardo, just not quite as much as Argentina. Plus, my wife and her entire family would banish me if I failed to root for the white and blue
BTW, does anyone else think it's kind of BS how all these countries can just snatch up players from other countries to play for them, as long as they pay them enough? For example, aren't Spain's 2 best players from Brasil?
Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :
Hmm, Brazil played "rationally". Since when?! They're suppose to go out there, enjoy the game, score more than one freakin' goal! Oh well, maybe against Australia...
BaoQingTian, yeah, it was Argentina vs Ivory Coast. Don't forget that Ivory Coast are no slouch either. But yeah, they'll have to do better than that if they want to beat the Netherlands. (not that they really need it )
Oh, and which Spanish players are you talking about? I don't really know many of them, I can't say who's better. And I don't think anything's wrong with that approach. It's happening in all sports and not only sports. Let them go where they want.
Posted by BaoQingTian (Member # 8775) on :
Yeah, it is always happening in sports, but I hate to see it. I just kind of seems like the countries with the deepest pockets will eventually come out ahead. I kind of picture the world cup to be like the olympics...kind of a nation vs nation in friendly competition thing. To me it really cuts down on your bragging rights if your star players need to be recruited from another country.
Sorry, I can't remember the names of the two from Spain. A co-worker just got back from picking up his daughter there and said that they were pretty excited about their two Brazilian players (especially because one of them was pretty good looking I guess).
Posted by Risuena (Member # 2924) on :
Are you sure they weren't talking about guys who play in the Spanish League but are playing on the Brazilian team? Because Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and a number of other players for Brazil all play for Real Madrid or Barcelona. As far as I can tell, there are no Brazilians on the Spanish squad. There's an Argentine playing for Spain, but he's a dual national.
Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
I enjoyed the France-Switzerland game today, as well as the Brazil-Croatia. Great play from all 4 teams.
What was up with Ronaldo though? Man, that guy didn't do a thing the whole game. I was looking forward to some amazing Brazilian teamwork, and there was some, but Ronaldo was such a let down.
Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
ARMENIA!
er..
Lebanon!!
er...
canada? Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
Uh, you can't play on a world cup team unless you're a national/citizen of the country you're representing.
A lot of the players from developing nation play on European or South American teams during the regular season, though, which might be where the confusion lies. A number of European teams even have soccer academies in countries in Africa, for instance, to find and train up new talent.
Posted by jebus202 (Member # 2524) on :
Togo: 2006 World Cup winners.
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
lol
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
Eduardo,
sorry, I didn't mean to cast aspersions... I just meant that some fans somewhere killed a guy for scoring an own goal in the world cup a few years back... and that a guy did that and cost Paruguay a game.
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
Well the end to the Germany/Poland game was certainly exciting. :-)
If anyone is interested, I have a very nice, professional excel sheet that allows you to keep track of the games and scores. Very useful Send me an email (in profile) if you'd like a copy.
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
Wheee! All the U.S. has to do is beat Ghana (who whooped the Czech, 2nd ranked team, on Saturday), and the Czech has to beat Italy for the U.S. to advance to the next round in second place of group e....
Only to come up against Brazil, the superpower of soccer. Yeah....
We may not have an ice cube's chance in heck to get very far this world cup, but yah'll should tune into the game anyways - 10am eastern.
Posted by SenojRetep (Member # 8614) on :
quote:I just meant that some fans somewhere killed a guy for scoring an own goal in the world cup a few years back
It was a Columbian player, who scored a self-goal for the US in 2002 (IIRC).
Jhai- The US has to beat Ghana and Italy has to beat the Chech Republic (you had it reversed). Or the US beats Ghana and scores enough goals to offset the tie in points that would result from Italy tying or losing to the Chech Republic.
Go USA; go Italy; go Oranje (who, despite tying Argentina 0-0, really got outplayed yesterday)!
Posted by enochville (Member # 8815) on :
2-1, Ghana over USA at halftime
Posted by cheiros do ender (Member # 8849) on :
Two and a half more hours until the game that decides whether Australia will get through this round or not. Unfortunately, I can't stay up to watch it since I have work in 12 hours for a total of nine hours work (minus a two hour break in there somewhere).
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
Oops - thanks for the clarification, Senoj.
Well, the ref was horrible - Ghana's second goal (on a kick that should never have been) doesn't exist in my happy little universe.
Oh well... I'll still be rooting for Ghana to beat Brazil in a stunning upset next round.
Posted by SenojRetep (Member # 8614) on :
Oh well, thus ends another disappointing WC for the USA. We did score our first point ever in Europe, though. That's progress, right?
Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :
I would have liked to have seen the game.
Posted by Soara (Member # 6729) on :
I'm happy for Ghana, even though the US is now out. I felt like Ghana deserved it more--they're the underdogs, and they were so happy when they won. No one really supports the US team anyway, it's not a soccer country.
Posted by imogen (Member # 5485) on :
Australia's through!
(2-2 draw with Croatia, we play Italy next round. We are the second lowest ranked team to get through - Ghana is the lowest.)
Posted by Eduardo_Sauron (Member # 5827) on :
And Brasil finally showed our fabled l33t soccer skillz against Japan. 4x1. Ronaldo scored twice. The Phenom is back (I hope)!
Posted by valantin (Member # 9185) on :
We are from 0 to 0,the world cup means if I turn on the TV,I'll watch the programs from 7:00am till 3:00am on CCTV5!That's horrible!
Posted by valantin (Member # 9185) on :
Ronaldo caught the last chance.The match was exciting,but I was tired this morning at school.
Posted by cheiros do ender (Member # 8849) on :
This year Australia scored its first ever World Cup goal (and about 6 more since). We got through in a round with Croatia (where about six of our players were born), Japan (the Asian Champions), Italy and Brasil ('nuf said ).
Must say I'm quite impressed.
Posted by BaoQingTian (Member # 8775) on :
quote:Originally posted by Soara: I'm happy for Ghana, even though the US is now out. I felt like Ghana deserved it more--they're the underdogs, and they were so happy when they won. No one really supports the US team anyway, it's not a soccer country.
I don't feel like they deserved it at all. That penalty kick was complete BS. Looks like the spirit of Olympic figure skating judging has finally made it to the World Cup!
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