The unofficial World Cup Thread,

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by AlexanderSextus

Europeans, y'all can stop laughing at us now.

---

I am texting my cornfed cuz as we speak to relay the good news, no doubt he didnt even know it was on.

Will the USA's round of 16 game be on ABC or ESPN?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by woad&fangs

Will the USA's round of 16 game be on ABC or ESPN?

---

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-c...cc=5901?ver=us

Sat 6/26 2 p.m. ABC 1st C vs. 2nd D

1st C is us! If we'd ended up 2nd in the group it would have been on espn according to the schedule.



I might have to miss it though :(

****, Lukovic again in the first eleven...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gaelic cowboy

I have to disagree Louis that was middling at best, but they won and thats what matters. They were worth the win and should have won 2-0 but too many times they displayed a poor touch, Slovenia were not worth the win so overall England deserve to go through as second place team

---

Agreed. That was just over the line stuff. Doing the minimum required to get the result.

The group standings are fair, USA should have beaten Slovenia but for that ruled out goal and England while not quality were comfortable enough in the end. England to get knocked out next round, and deservedly so.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gaelic cowboy

I have to disagree Louis that was middling at best, but they won and thats what matters. They were worth the win and should have won 2-0 but too many times they displayed a poor touch, Slovenia were not worth the win so overall England deserve to go through as second place team

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Stuart Pearce

That was just over the line stuff. Doing the minimum required to get the result.

---

I thought England were good. Brisk, especially the fifteen minutes before and after half-time. They failed in putting one or two more in. Other than that, they never looked in too much trouble, except for a few scary moments, when they fell back too far on their own half.

It was not world class football. But was that to be expected? More important was that today saw a semblance of a spirited performance, of team unity. With a clear plan and sense of purpose. It's all not as easy as it looks. There was a lot of pressure, Slovenia is a strong opponent, it's a difficult tournament.
Spain, Germany, Italy face tense games too. It remains to be seen if they can repeat England's performance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_Wo...Knockout_stage

Some good games ahead. Fun to see that either Uruguay/South Korea/USA/Ghana will be in the semifinals. And whoever wins in England-Germany will face Argentina-Mexico winner in quarterfinals.

Altogether now, all you Englishpersons: Two world wars and one world cup, doo dah, doo dah!
Much better performance by England, not stellar but much improved over their previous two games.

I'm not sure what Serbia was thinking in that second half. They didn't seem to have any interest until the first Aussie goal. Apart from the wrestling, good effort from Australia.

Holman was someone I wasn't aware of till I could watch Aussies' matches yet since his first show up as a substitute in their first match, I've been an admirer of his energy and able feet.

At last, one of my lesser surprises of the tournament played some football indeed against one of my favorites. Had they been able to finish previous clashes with eleven men, I don't doubt they could qualify for the last 16.

Anyway, thanks to Ozzie for their great participation as I'd need to express my disappointment with Serbia's unexpected failure as well.

Ghana deserve to be where they are. They are enthusiastic and energetic, and concentrated enough at times. However, the same problem persists for all African teams: A goal against disrupts all the will, they suffer mental collapse. Also last-touch decision making is a disaster. They shoot wildly where it is not needed, they keep dribbling where they need to handbrake the ball and drift it in, they look around and commit an unnecessary, and generally inaccurate, pass where the goal is clear to aim.

Oh, and the Germans:


ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖZİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİİLLLLL-EAAAAAH !

:beam:

Slovakia - Italy 1:2
Paraguay - New Zealand 2:0
Cameroon - Netherlands 1:3
Denmark - Japan 1:1

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LeftEyeNine

Ghana deserve to be where they are. They are enthusiastic and energetic, and concentrated enough at times. However, the same problem persists for all African teams: A goal against disrupts all the will, they suffer mental collapse.

---

I thought Ghana kept their heads well, they very nearly scored from a header about a minute after they went behind. The game should have had more goals than it did, and Ghana had a couple of very good chances to equalise.

Will Ghana beat USA or USA beat Ghana I did not see last game???????


@ England

I almost forgot anyone for penalties??????

:hide:

A deserved win for Germany. :] The Ghanaans were extremely dangerous but luckily unable to score. You guys do know that England is absolutely chanceless next match? :p

:paraguay: 1 - 0 :newzealand:

:slovakia: 0 - 2 :italy:

:denmark: 3 - 0 :japan:

:cameroon: 1 - 1 :netherlands:

:denmark: 2 - 1 :japan:
:cameroon: 0 - 3 :netherlands:
:paraguay: 1 - 0 :newzealand:
:slovakia: 0 - 1 :italy:

I hope that somehow italy doesn't advance.

Denmark https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...enmark.svg.png 1 - 0https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._Japan.svg.png Japan
Cameroon https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...meroon.svg.png 0 - 1 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...rlands.svg.png Netherlands
Slovakia https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ovakia.svg.png 0 - 1 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._Italy.svg.png Italy
Paraguay https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...raguay.svg.png 2 - 1 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ealand.svg.png New Zealand


Uruguay to make it to the semis! :uruguay:
Could they go all the way for their third to become the most awesomest football country on the planet?


Ingerland :england: 1 - 1 :germany: Deutschland. Germany to win on penalties. :balloon:


Which reminds me. Johnhughthom: what are your rules for the knock-out stage? Do people who predict a draw need to predict the score after 120 minutes too, and penalties? If you predict a victory, does a win in extra time count as victory? Or are scores simply counted after 90 minutes? etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat

I thought England were good. Brisk, especially the fifteen minutes before and after half-time. They failed in putting one or two more in. Other than that, they never looked in too much trouble, except for a few scary moments, when they fell back too far on their own half.

It was not world class football. But was that to be expected? More important was that today saw a semblance of a spirited performance, of team unity. With a clear plan and sense of purpose. It's all not as easy as it looks. There was a lot of pressure, Slovenia is a strong opponent, it's a difficult tournament.
Spain, Germany, Italy face tense games too. It remains to be seen if they can repeat England's performance.

---

I hate you. :shame:

Denmark 1 - 1 Japan
Cameroon 0 - 1 Netherlands
Slovakia 1 - 1 Italy
Paraguay 0 - 0 New Zealand

:balloon2:

Back in the game

Denmark 1 - 3 Japan
Cameroon 2 - 1 Netherlands
Slovakia 2 - 1 Italy
Paraguay 0 - 1 New Zealand

Go the underdogs :clown:

:denmark: 1 - 1 :japan:
:cameroon: 0 - 2 :netherlands:
:paraguay: 2 - 0 :newzealand:
:slovakia: 0 - 1 :italy:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat

Which reminds me. Johnhughthom: what are your rules for the knock-out stage? Do people who predict a draw need to predict the score after 120 minutes too, and penalties? If you predict a victory, does a win in extra time count as victory? Or are scores simply counted after 90 minutes? etc.

---

We'll just count scores after 90 minutes, seems the fairest (and simplest) way to me.

Denmark 2 - 0 Japan
Cameroon 1 - 2 Netherlands
Paraguay 2 - 0 New Zealand
Slovakia 0 - 1 Italy

Possible England route to the trophy: Germany, Argentina, Spain, Brazil, cheers Donovan :clown:

But yeah the Germans will probably beat us, oh well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Elite Ferret

Possible England route to the trophy: Germany, Argentina, Spain, Brazil, cheers Donovan :clown:

---

:yes:

Hehe. Good stuff. Always good to have to fight play the old enemies... :wink2:

Wouldn't it be great if Portugal beat Spain allowing England to beat the Germans then the Argentinians and then the Portuguese all on penalties. Imagine the odds on that happening :dizzy2:

You all missed the opportunity of a lifetime to put a tenner on USA to top the group what about those odds

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Elite Ferret

Wouldn't it be great if Portugal beat Spain allowing England to beat the Germans then the Argentinians and then the Portuguese all on penalties. Imagine the odds on that happening :dizzy2:

---

Of England beating Portugal on Penalties?..... I say about 0.0% :D

We'll just tell our goalkeeper to take his gloves off again.

Italy...why....what....???? Ugh, so, so bad.

I'm not competing, predictions for fun purposes (I know I missed almost the first halves):

Slovakia 0-1 Italy
Paraguay 3-0 New Zealand

Denmark 1-1 Japan
Cameroon 1-4 Nederlands

(w00t, Azzurri already on the trail. meh.)

Strba's knee slit open, gets back into the play after the first aid. Oh.

That was a nasty cut.

Slovakia can knock Italy out with a win. Go Slovakia!