Official World Cup Thread

[Viking]

I've just started watching the game between Czech and Norway. Has anyone seen how the grass looks like? Half of it is missing!!

Shit happens....

Pity that we lost. One step farther away from the WC trophy.

[Dutch_guy]

Don't think Norway have much of a chance against the Czechs.

Too bad they were paired, now only one can go through, and I don't seen the Czechs losing..

PS : could all the soccer threads be merged to this one , now we have about 3 different threads, each one discussing a different WC (Playoff ) match.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I'm not getting very much news of the sport on television right now, so you lot might have to post some scores for me on occasion.

[Geoffrey S]

What are the odds the World Cup will be about football for once?

Though admittedly it's often more interesting than the European tournament.

[drone]

What are the odds the World Cup will be about football for once?

No chance of that, the US has already qualified!

[Soulforged]

Could I ask for a firms request to ban all the judges from the previous WC, they were clearly on the side of Brasil....
Now seriuosly I'll really like to see for the first time just one game of Argentina vs. Brasil in the cup, better in the final match.

I agree with LeftEyeNine, Turkey has improved a lot, the team showed it in the match vs. Brasil, where Brasil won with a little help, keep it up!!

[LeftEyeNine]

I agree with LeftEyeNine, Turkey has improved a lot, the team showed it in the match vs. Brasil, where Brasil won with a little help, keep it up!!

Ah yes, you refer to the match between the U-19 teams.. That was a memorable match, truly memorable..

Nuri was promoted to seniors after that match and against Germany friendly, he scored. You should have seen how the whole team and coaches were all over him congratulating for the goal..

We definitely missed such a magical pair of feet at the hands of Switzerland. I still don't get why Terim did not give him a chance where he was absolutely needed. No Emre, no Hamit, no Yildiray..

Well, keep following the thread about Switzerland vs. Turkey. I'll be posting what's going on here until the match..

Soulforged, let me tell you that Leo Messi has already been one of my favorites. Every 2 or 3 years a new Argentinian player is dubbed as the new Maradona but this kid is the only one that Maradona told watching him was very enjoyable.

I love Argentinian football a lot, just remembered how we failed on Ortega (I'm a Fenerbahce fan). However, Brazil is my all-time favorite. These guys dance on the ball, one of the reasons I love football is that it is the most aesthetic sports of all. And Brazilian feet definitely prove that..

Netherlands come as my 2nd favorites and France (because of my Djibril Cissé adoration ) may come the 3rd. (not a World Cup '06 prediction, by the way. Only my personal preferences)

But Argentina has always its place, mate..

P.S. Greece had truly deserved their trophy on Euro '04. I was a fan of their wall-like defense and accurate counter attacks tactic. Pity that they could not keep up with that style.

[Viking]

Don't think Norway have much of a chance against the Czechs.

You wait and see until tomorrow...

When I think of it, we actually beated Brazil 2-1 in the WC in '98.

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

Congrats to you Aussies....really wanted to see you do it and it was nailbiting watching reports of the pens as they were taken on SkySportsNews. It'll be great to see you at the World Cup.

[Alrowan]

im so [expletive]ing happy right now, i gettin piss drunk and laughing and cheering all night!!! Aussies are goin to Germany!!!!!!!!! THE 32 YEAR CURSE HAS BEEN BROKEN!!!


HUZZAH!!!!


AUSTRALIA

[Ser Clegane]

Congrats Australia!!

Quite a surprise - and definitely a pleasant one

Looking forward to seeing lots of Aussies visiting us here in Germany next year

[Dutch_guy]

Wow Hiddink managed to do it with them too ?

that is good news.

[InsaneApache]

UK based players who are likely to play at Germany 2006 (England players not included)

Argentina
Hernan Crespo (Chelsea), Gabriel Heinze (Manchester United)

Australia
Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough), Lucas Neill (Blackburn), Tim Cahill (Everton), Tony Popovic (Crystal Palace), Harry Kewell (Liverpool), Brett Emerton (Blackburn), Mark Viduka (Middlesbrough), John Filan (Wigan), Stan Lazaridis (Birmingham), Craig Moore (Newcastle), Luke Wilkshire (Bristol City), Josip Skoko (Wigan), Tim Cahill (Everton)

Brazil
Gilberto Silva (Arsenal)

Croatia
Dado Prso (Rangers), Ivica Mornar (Portsmouth)

Czech Republic
Petr Cech (Chelsea), Milan Baros (Aston Villa), Jiri Jarosik (Birmingham)

Ivory Coast
Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Kolo Toure (Arsenal), Emmanuel Eboue (Arsenal)

France
Djbril Cisse (Liverpool), Claude Makelele (Chelsea), William Gallas (Chelsea), Jean-Alain Boumsong (Newcastle), Thierry Henry (Arsenal), Mikael Silvestre (Manchester United)

Germany
Dietmar Hamann (Liverpool), Jens Lehmann (Arsenal), Robert Huth (Chelsea)

Ghana
Michael Essien (Chelsea)

Holland
Edwin Van Der Sar (Manchester United), Edgar Davids (Tottenham), Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Manchester United), Mario Melchiot (Birmingham City), Arjen Robben (Chelsea), Wilfrid Bouma (Aston Villa), Robin Van Persie (Arsenal), Andy van der Meyde (Everton)

Japan
Junichi Inamoto (West Brom), Hideoshi Nakata (Bolton), Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic)

Mexico
Jared Borgetti (Bolton)

Poland
Jerzy Dudek (Liverpool), Artur Boruc (Celtic), Kamil Kosowski (Southampton), Tomsaz Hajto (Southampton)

Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Ricardo Cavalho (Chelsea), Paulo Ferreira (Chelsea), Luis Boa Morte (Fulham)

Tunisia
Hamed Namouchi (Rangers), Rahdi Jaidi (Bolton)

Serbia and Montenegro
Zvonomir Vukic (Portsmouth)

South Korea
Park Ji Sung (Manchester United), Lee Young-Pyo (Tottenham)

Spain
Luis Garcia (Liverpool), Xabi Alonso (Liverpool), Fernando Morientes (Liverpool), Jose Reina (Liverpool), Albert Luque (Newcastle), Jose Antonio Reyes (Arsenal)

Sweden
Olof Mellberg (Sweden), Freddie Ljungberg (Arsenal)

Switzerland
Philippe Senderos (Arsenal)

Trinidad and Tobago
Chris Birchall (Port Vale), Russel Latapy (Falkirk), Jason Scotland (St Johnstone), Stern John (Derby), Kenwyne Jones (Southampton), Kelvin Jack (Dundee), Marvin Andrews (Rangers), Dennis Lawrence (Wrexham), Carlos Edwards (Luton), Shaka Hislop (West Ham), Brent Sancho (Gillingham),

USA
Claudio Reyna (Manchester City), Brian McBride (Fulham), Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham), Bobby Convey (Reading), Tim Howard (Manchester United), Eddie Lewis (Leeds), Jonathan Spector (Manchester United)

link

Looks like the UK will have a lot of recognizable names in Germany next year. I'm getting excited already.

[Alrowan]

i knew a lot of aussies played overseas, but thats suprising to see so many over in england, i guess they neeed a stronger league here where the pay and level of play is up there with the best :-/

[Tricon]

I haven't seen the game (Turkey-Switzerland), just parts of the aftermath. So I cannot comment on who provoked whom...
Now, I understand that soccer is a thing of national honor in turkey, but :FANS STOP TAKING MATTERS INTO YOUR OWN HANDS.
This is at least the sixth time (in the past three years) I noticed turkish fans acting like hoodlums and wreaking havoc (usually involving Galatarasay Istanbul fans, but also Fenerbahce Istanbul fans and others).
It's not right. This shames the people I've met as gracious hosts on several ocasions.

Edit: Note that I do not comment on ANY players or trainers action.

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

From PlanetFootball.com:

Swiss players have exposed the extent of the abuse dished out by Turkey during Wednesday's World Cup qualifying play-off.

Defender Stephane Grichting was hospitalised after receiving a kick in the stomach at the end of the match and was treated for a perforated urinary channel.

Violence erupted in the tunnel following Switzerland's qualification, with Swiss players claiming they were attacked by their Turkish opposition and a number of security guards.

Johan Lonfat, Johann Vogel, Benjamin Huggel and trainer Erich Burgener were all caught in the fracas.

"It is a scandal," fumed Swiss coach Kobi Kuhn. "I never saw it, nobody saw it - Turkish police officers stopped television crews from filming what happened in the tunnel."

Sochaux's Lonfat added: "After the match, the players were pushed around in the tunnel leading to the changing rooms. There, the Swiss players were worked over by Turkish players and police officers.

"Grichting got a kick in the privates and was bleeding. I was attacked. It is incredible."

Sepp Blatter, who is himself Swiss, has revealed his outrage at the events and has threatened to exclude Turkey from the 2010 World Cup.

It has also emerged that the Swiss government are considering legal action. Spokesman Raphael Saborit confirmed: "We can't exclude the possibility of there being action.

"We are seeing what we can do or say but initially we need to be put in touch with the people concerned."

Now I didn't see the game, but I've seen most of what was filmed afterwards. Really funny stuff, but is it me or did a Swiss player start it? They ran off the pitch, he kicked the Turkish coaching staff member and then it all erupted from that. It doesn't matter what happened on the pitch, the Swiss appear to have started the trouble afterwards, so I don't see why the Turks appear to be getting punished. I think Sepp Blatter, being Swiss, is not the right man to preside over this case. I'm just calling it how I saw it.

Also, I've heard that neither fans caused any trouble. I know Turkey have a reputation, but I really don't think they can be solely blamed for last night.

[miho]

Thats nice to know that the preimier league and the scottish league have so many good players. Anyway I counted that Chelsea has 10,Man. Utd. 9 and Liverpool 8 players.

[Spendios]

Vive la France ! Allez les Bleus !!!!!!!!!!!!!!