Official World Cup Thread

[Beirut]

The Official World Cup Thread

Have fun!





Please! - No country bashing. No insults. Keep pics 800x600 or less.

[edyzmedieval]

Yeey!!!

[Kagemusha]

Gah!Bah! Our National team has not ever got even in the bloody world cup. Maybe the winter here is not the best football practice season here.

[LeftEyeNine]

Germany '06 without a Turkish national team would lack a lot of enjoyment, that's why the Swiss will lose on Wednesday

[Dutch_guy]

Beirut, you seem to have forgotten to post a Johan Cruijff pic.

Now on topic..

The Dutch lost against Italy yesterday. 3 - 1.

Our first loss in 16 matches, 3 personnal errors and the game was lost

[The Blind King of Bohemia]

Looks like brazil were taking it easy last night, only the eight and seven of them came in the second half. May god help us all

[miho]

Looks like brazil were taking it easy last night, only the eight and seven of them came in the second half. May god help us all

They're not that tough. What are they actually good at besides running, shooting, dribbling, passing, ...

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
...shooting, scoring, winning...
.

[Dutch_guy]

since this is the main thread, concerning the WC, I thought it best to ask the question here, in this thread ,

Which country is going to win the WC ?

Who will survive the group fase, the quarter finals , semi finals , and everything in between.

what do you guys think.

[Kagemusha]

Brazil is going to take the throphy home!

[LeftEyeNine]

I made 3 accurate predictions in a row for '96, '98 and '00 torunaments.

A good prediction is based on situation, so I'd rather wait for the groups to be drawn, then make qualifications on my own regarding the draw system for later stages.

But now that's a general rule : Good teams are those defend well and make good passing.

[miho]

Germany might go far in this world cup but my favourites are Croatia (my national team) and then England, Czech and Netherlands.

[miho]

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

[GiantMonkeyMan]

come on england!!!! i think england will be knocked out the semis/quaters like they do each world cup... but having said that we have a younger and experianced squad to some of the other 'good' teams who are getting older so... good luck

[miho]

come on england!!!! i think england will be knocked out the like they do each world cup... but having said that we have a younger and experianced squad to some of the other 'good' teams who are getting older so... good luck

Semis/quaters is also a good score.

[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.

[Ja'chyra]

Gah!! We're not going. Oh well, so long as you-know-who doesn't win I'll be happy enough.

[English assassin]

Gah!! We're not going. Oh well, so long as you-know-who doesn't win I'll be happy enough.

Ah yes, it must be great being Scottish when England qualify for the world cup, so many teams to support, Cameroon, Nigeria, Portugal, Sweden...

England will lose in the semi finals, to Germany, on penalties. David Beckham will take the first penalty and will somehow manage to hoof the ball into a low earth orbit.

[miho]

England will lose in the semi finals, to Germany, on penalties. David Beckham will take the first penalty and will somehow manage to hoof the ball into a low earth orbit.

That's most likely gonna happen.

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.

Come on! What they did on the Euro '04 was the worst massacre of football I've ever seen. Czech republic and Portugal should have been in the finals. But they did play their tactic well and deserved the victory.

[LeftEyeNine]

Come on! What they did on the Euro '04 was the worst massacre of football I've ever seen. Czech republic and Portugal should have been in the finals. But they did play their tactic well and deserved the victory.

Czechs were my favorites as well, I absolutely agree on them..

However I'm not talking about football murder here. I'm a tactics stuff addict, and Greece absolutely prepared a cup-long tutorial named : " For Dummies : How to be a Tournament Team "

Something that modern Netherlands - unfortunately - has to work hard on. Their last generation lacked team work so hard that whole team was rebellious against each other and their coaches. However, the new generation is young and therefore enthusiastic. Not predicting anything before the group drawings but if they can lean on the ones like Cocu, Van Der Sar and Van Bommel, these brilliant young guns may hit the bullseye..

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
Ahh, memories! In Mexico '86 we had a bet with the grocer: I for Brazil or Argentina and he Italy or England. I had a free coke in the end.
.

[Geoffrey S]

England will lose in the semi finals, to Germany, on penalties. David Beckham will take the first penalty and will somehow manage to hoof the ball into a low earth orbit.

Can't imagine that; I mean, it's not as if there's a precedent...

Something that modern Netherlands - unfortunately - has to work hard on. Their last generation lacked team work so hard that whole team was rebellious against each other and their coaches. However, the new generation is young and therefore enthusiastic. Not predicting anything before the group drawings but if they can lean on the ones like Cocu, Van Der Sar and Van Bommel, these brilliant young guns may hit the bullseye..

Anyone in charge of the Dutch team needs to be more adventurous when it comes to selecting players. This has been happening more often lately, thankfully, but it takes guts to place far more emphasis on new players than on the recognized overpaid stars.

[Dutch_guy]

Czechs were my favorites as well, I absolutely agree on them..

Yeah, well, after the Portugese beat us then I I too wanted them to win;)
'
And I really hated the fact that Greece won the tournament....they did not deserve it, what ever you might say - they didn't.

Something that modern Netherlands - unfortunately - has to work hard on. Their last generation lacked team work so hard that whole team was rebellious against each other and their coaches. However, the new generation is young and therefore enthusiastic. Not predicting anything before the group drawings but if they can lean on the ones like Cocu, Van Der Sar and Van Bommel, these brilliant young guns may hit the bullseye..

I sure hope they do LEN , though I'd put Van der Vaart up in the list of names too.
He is just what the team needs , a leader, once the above mentioned retire, he'll be one of the most important players.

[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.