world cup groups are out

flint · Post by **flint** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 4:49 pm

DAMN the USA is in a tough group
Group D and C are also particularly good

Group A - Germany, Costa Rica, Poland, Ecuador
Group B - England, Paraguay, Trinidad Tobago, Sweden
Group C - Argentina, Cote D'Ivoire, Serbia and Montenegro, Netherlands
Group D - Mexico, Iran, Angola, Portugal
Group E - Italy, Ghana, USA, Czech Republic
Group F - Brazil, Croatia, Australia, Japan
Group G - France, Switzerland, Korea Republic, Togo
Group H - Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia

Darius · Post by **Darius** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 7:51 am

Poland should advance to the playoff stage with relative ease IMO. We've recently wasted Ecuador 3:0 and Costa Rica should be easy too. The Germans on their own turf will be hard ofc but it's not a truly great team anymore so we should be able to put up a good fight. I'm also supporting the Dutch team. Now, this group seems a lot tougher. Even Ivory Coast is not a bunch of n00bs with Premiership players like e.g. Didier Drogba (Chelsea) or Kolo Toure (Arsenal).

Brazil are the favorites though. Ronaldinho, Juninho, Kaka, Ronaldo, Adriano, Robinho, Roberto Carlos, Lucio, Dida, Cris... OMG, what a team.

Styrofoam · Post by **Styrofoam** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 8:42 am

ooooooooooh my god.

Bane · Post by **Bane** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:24 am

Yeah, both Poland and Deutschland should make it in that group, and in Swedens gruop both we and England are kinda favorites, but one shouldn't underestimate Paraguay, they are good too.. May be a tough gruop.

Other that that, I think gruop E will be a tough one, both Italy and Czech Republic are great teams, and Ghana and USA should be able to stand their ground pretty good.

Heres my prophecy:

Group A: Germany and Poland
Group B: Sweden and Paraguay
Group C: Argentina and Netherlands
Group D: Portugal and Iran
Group E: Italy and Czech Republic
Group F: Brazil(duh!) and Croatia
Group G: France and Korea
Group H: Spain and Ukraine

I know it's mostly favorites, and not an especially wild and daring prediction, and most likely at least one of the african countries will make it through to the quarter finals.

Well, looking forward to this great event! Hopefully I won't be working then.. :-/

flint · Post by **flint** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:26 am

Bane wrote: Group E: Italy and Czech Republic

grrrrrrrrrrrrr

Although I kind of agree, I think the greatest thing for American soccer right now would be to show the world that the last world cup wasn't a fluke.

Bane · Post by **Bane** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:29 am

Actually I would love to see Italy out of the game, 'cause I kinda hate their diva style of playing, but unfortunely they always play better than ever in the world cup and it'll be mighty hard for the US to take a place in that gruop. And I definately think Chech Republic are the best team in that group.

flint · Post by **flint** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 10:00 am

BTW, no England? Beckham is gonna get bitched on his final outing? I like your style Bane.

Bane · Post by **Bane** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 2:27 pm

Well, England didn't play very convincing in the qualification to the world cup. IMHo, their team, tho gifted with a few extrodinary talented players, is not up to par with Paraguay or even Sweden. They won a couple of games 'cause of one individual performance even tho the rest of the team had played a fairly crappy game over all. My faith in'em are low, even tho they have a swedish coach

And Sweden hasn't lost to England in the World Cup since 1964 or something like that, that's a pretty good record which hopefully wont be broken next year either.

edit: btw, Beckham isn't as good as he once was anymore, I don't think he'll be one of Englands most valuable players in this WC.

Darius · Post by **Darius** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:59 am

Becks is IMHO the most overrated player in the world. When he still played for ManU, he was a dynamic, young player with excellent free kick execution and passing ability. Now, he's just walking advertisement.

Terry, Lampard, Rooney, Gerrard - this is the current engine of the English team. Still, I have some doubts about England. They have possibly the best team since like 1986 (Lineker, Barnes, Beardsley, Butcher, Pearce, Shilton, etc.) but they are just not performing in the real big events. I don't think I would bet anything on England.

Bane · Post by **Bane** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 7:18 am

Darius wrote:Becks is IMHO the most overrated player in the world. When he still played for ManU, he was a dynamic, young player with excellent free kick execution and passing ability. Now, he's just walking advertisement.

Terry, Lampard, Rooney, Gerrard - this is the current engine of the English team. Still, I have some doubts about England. They have possibly the best team since like 1986 (Lineker, Barnes, Beardsley, Butcher, Pearce, Shilton, etc.) but they are just not performing in the real big events. I don't think I would bet anything on England.

I concur with the above. And on another note, one of Englands better qualities has always been their strong defence, and that to is weaker today than has been in the past.
My god, "Svennis" - the coach, will be slaughtered after the WC methinks.. The british media has been on a "Sven-Goran" hate-campaign for quite some time now, and if England doesn't win the whole WC, he's finished.

flint · Post by **flint** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:10 pm

germany hammered the US 4-1

even so I like our chances at making some noise this year

RoamingMadness · Post by **RoamingMadness** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:47 pm

My favorite thing about USA being good at soccer.. is that its like our 10th most important sport. And everyone elses #1.

Even if we won. A grand total of like 30 people would care.

flint · Post by **flint** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 7:21 pm

soccer is extremely popular in the USA - just not the MLS

RoamingMadness · Post by **RoamingMadness** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 7:41 pm

flint wrote:soccer is extremely popular in the USA

If you're under 15.

Soccer isn't that popular. It's right up there with tennis. Golf is more popular.

RoboTurtle · Post by **RoboTurtle** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:27 am

Bane wrote:Well, England didn't play very convincing in the qualification to the world cup. IMHo, their team, tho gifted with a few extrodinary talented players, is not up to par with Paraguay or even Sweden. They won a couple of games 'cause of one individual performance even tho the rest of the team had played a fairly crappy game over all. My faith in'em are low, even tho they have a swedish coach
And Sweden hasn't lost to England in the World Cup since 1964 or something like that, that's a pretty good record which hopefully wont be broken next year either.

edit: btw, Beckham isn't as good as he once was anymore, I don't think he'll be one of Englands most valuable players in this WC.

England will DEFINATELY get through, it's our birthrite. We get through, and then lose in the semis or maybe quarters.

It will happen.

Bane · Post by **Bane** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 3:43 pm

Heh, it prolly will, and same for us too