The unofficial World Cup Thread,

[Secura]

Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pique, Puyol, Albiol, Iniesta, David Silva, Xavi, Fabregas, Torres and David Villa have got it in the bag, methinks.

I haven't fancied England's chances in a football tournament since 1998; I'd love it to happen, but I just don't see it.

[Louis VI the Fat]

If I had to make a prediction, I'd say:

Spain - but might collapse under pressure
Brazil - duh
Italy - god forbid
Germany - tournament players par excellence, even when they are bad, they make it to final
England - why not, eh? Capello's got his act together
Serbia - surprise package

France is really just waiting for Blanc to take over. The ref will finish the blues off in the last group match against the home country.
Argentina's players are second to few, but they are coached by the Nose of Coke, El Diego. who managed to not select half of Inter's side.

Portugal and Holland for dangerous outsider.

[Jolt]

I'll reserve my statement of Portugal's probability or not to go far, after the next friendly with Cameroon, a few days from now.

[GeneralHankerchief]

USA. And we still won't care.

In all seriousness though, I'd like to see Argentina go far because their coach is apparently legally insane. That'll make for some interesting news fodder. And maybe England, because I feel sorry for them.

For the non-clueless followers of the sport, does Mexico have any shot? Or did they only stomp us last year because the game was in Azteca?

[naut]

Dunga will win it for Brazil. The man's a tactical and defensive whiz.

[drone]

Or did they only stomp us last year because the game was in Azteca?

I don't think Mexico will make it out of the groups. South Africa will get the calls as the host nation, so Mexico has to beat out France and Uruguay for the other group spot. Not promising. Skill-wise, I'd put Mexico a little behind the US (all other things being equal). Azteca is a huge advantage, at a neutral site they won't intimidate the refs, won't have the altitude, and won't have the battery fire from the stands.

[naut]

I don't think Mexico will make it out of the groups. South Africa will get the calls as the host nation, so Mexico has to beat out France and Uruguay for the other group spot. Not promising. Skill-wise, I'd put Mexico a little behind the US (all other things being equal). Azteca is a huge advantage, at a neutral site they won't intimidate the refs, won't have the altitude, and won't have the battery fire from the stands.

It'll be tight, tight, tight. None of the teams have really impressed. Uruguay and France have both struggled, Mexico play some good stuff but are profligate.

[Fragony]

We bring a pretty good team, defense is weak but we have plenty of offensive power.

[Pannonian]

France is really just waiting for Blanc to take over. The ref will finish the blues off in the last group match against the home country.

Talking of finishing off, wasn't one of your captains shot for treason after France flopped in a World Cup?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

COME ON YOU ENGLAND!

Now I've seen everything.

Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Pique, Puyol, Albiol, Iniesta, David Silva, Xavi, Fabregas, Torres and David Villa have got it in the bag, methinks.

I haven't fancied England's chances in a football tournament since 1998; I'd love it to happen, but I just don't see it.

England always do well, just not well enough.

Now I need to take a lie down to recover from Rhy's outburst.

[Fragony]

Last time a family tragedy of one of the players took out the joy, they absolutely destroyed Italy earlier. Enjoy your cup, had we let Romania win they would have been finito. We have a more offensive team then ever, if we get to dictate the pace down=you

[Moros]

Last time a family tragedy of one of the players took out the joy, they absolutely destroyed Italy earlier. Enjoy your cup, had we let Romania win they would have been finito. We have a more offensive team then ever, if we get to dictate the pace down=you

That's all nice and well if you actually can play in the tournament. Oh well with the rising talent Belgium has we might surprise next time. Now let's hope Lukaku will become as good as they say.

[Fragony]

Qualifying helps ;)

[Moros]

Qualifying helps ;)

Oh then that's what me must be doing wrong!

I said next time... If Lukaku (16 years old and already scoring in the Europa League - where we got quite a bit further than the Dutch teams - and being topscorer Belgium) and the two brothers Hazard (With Eden being only 19 and already chosen to be the second best player of League 1 and winning twice in a row best/most promising player of the league 1) keep growing and Dembele (Ti ta tovenaar!) picks up where he left the previous season we've got quite an attack. With Vermaelen (selected in the Premier league dream team and the revelation of Arsenal this year), Kompany (Man City) and Fellaini (Everton) who are still growing and getting better we'll have quite a good central defence of Premier League level with some very good subs that are still getting better each year as well (Jan Verthongen, Lombaerts, Alderweireld,...) . In front of that Defour (Why did he leave Genk :( ?), Witsel and possibly De Bruyne (fingers crossed). And there are many more talents on their way who seem to be of great caliber: Benteke, Boyata (Man City), Ritchie de laet (Man Utd with two other Belgians), Carcela, Mats Rits (16 year old GBA striker), Raman, Dennis de Praet,...

Perhaps Vandenborre actually get his act together by then (so much potential just a lack of will or something), remember the tight game against Spain which we sadly lost with 1-2 in the end, he was phenomenal. If he always played like that Real Madrid, Chelsea and Barcelona would be fighting each other over him. Okay that's perhaps a bit much, but really if he just used the talent he has...

Either way we'll see in 4 years time.

Edit:
Just to back up my words:

[Fragony]

Sure would be fun to see Belgium kick some butt, enough quality. They think too much, most teams have developed a style of their own everybody knows his place. Good as individual talent may such teams will tear you apart. Italy is a good example it's a perfectly oiled machine. Sadly.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Now I need to take a lie down to recover from Rhy's outburst.

Haha, I always supported England to lose. But we were talking about this issue in my history class, and the lecturer pointed out that English fans supported Scotland when England didn't make it to the WC in the 70's, so I've decided to support England, mostly to troll my parents that are Scottish nationalists...

[InsaneApache]

It's true, in 1978 I supported Scotland. I should have known better! They lose to Iran in the first game.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Yes, I was wondering what was up with some Scot rooting for 'the enemy'.



'ere you go, mate:

[LeftEyeNine]

I guess I'll drop my match result predictions here. Here we go:

RSA 1 - 1 MEX
URU 1 - 1 FRA

And tomorrow:

ARG 0 - 0 NGA
KOR 1 - 1 GRE
ENG 3 - 2 USA

South Africa, having some prolific and experienced striker such as Benny McCarthy left out, would like to press on as much as they could being hosts and playing the opening match. However, as athletic as they may be on the flanks and creative in the center of the park, they lack as much when it comes to finishing chances. I say they could find the net on mental rush they'll be piled by the supporters yet the 23 from North America are no underdogs and Vela is one to watch especially in this tournament.

Uruguay, with one of the best upfront some national dream could ever dream of, are one of my shocker picks for WC '10. France is no more a team that sets up instant triangles to penetrate through the defences orchestrated by a genius like Zizou anymore and heavily supported by their solid centre backs, that's how they were the bulldozers of the new millennium. Domenech will have to handle more and more pressure which he already feels a lot and any slight mistake he or his team could make even during a match will end up with Les Bleus losing concentration. Yet first matches are rarely open to surprises when almost equal powers clash and I see this a draw with some fine spectacle.

Argentina is coached by a living proof of greatest-players-don't-make-great-coaches rule. I'm still amazed at the "ability" to leave out Cambiasso and Zanetti. The tournaments are run on a time constraint and it's quite probable that you may run into a series of injuries. I don't know if Zanetti ever played as a striker or a keeper what I'm sure of is that he can cover up any other area on the pitch like that mortar that Hagia Sophia owes its standing for centuries. Also Messi's cloak in white-sky blue jersey that has been hard to recognize so far is another question Argentina has to deal with. He is a tiny black hole that can suck up any hopes of any team and his level of performances will be a direct hit upwards if he ever manages it. Nigeria, on the other hand, this time, has a better upfront which is likely to change the impression "if he's African, he lacks technique". Their tandem of the defence looks prone to the exploitation of the swift and the agile. Still, Argentina, trying not to be criticized at the very first match and Nigeria looking to hold out La Albiceleste which would strengthen the chances for qualification from the group may end up with a draw if you ask me.

I can say South Korea is a better team with a lot of European competitiveness and experienced injected in, compared to their previous squads challenged in such tournaments. Such valuable features are concentrated particularly in the midfield and a midfield is what it takes to be the winners. Greece is the same old Greece with the "too-old"s having retired such as Dellas. You also can't expect any substantial change in the mentality since the Euro 2006 winner coach Otto Rehhagel is still in the director's seat. The choice of players strongly resembles their classic tactical approach to the game as well. "Smother, endure, float and head it".

My first most footy-fruitful prediction is yielded from the match-up of England versus USA. Rio Ferdinand is a great miss whereas I wouldn't want to take Dawson, Carragher and King lightly. The best may not be there but England squad is adequate enough to soothe the wound with better-than-the-most kind of center backs. But still coordination and harmonization among two center backs is like no other and I predict such first-time to cause a score like 3-2 thanks to USA seemingly learned FOOTBALL to a considerable extent. I'd like to see Jermaine Jones on the field running and biting around like Gattuso or Jing Su Park and I'd like to know if he's injured or something. Anyway, Dempsey is my favorite with some unlikely technique coming from across the ocean. Donovan is a #10 cut for such tournaments: gifted and experienced. USA lacks finishers yet the rest of the team is able to provide fruitful results that may allow football come into our minds along with basketball or baseball, when someone mentions the country.

Thanks for not reading this.

[InsaneApache]

Thanks for not reading this.

I read it mate, I read it.

[LeftEyeNine]

I read it mate, I read it.

He read it and he'is richer than you now.

First prediction is bullseye. Let's see what's next in the group.

Whom to single out:

Tshabalala, Gaxa, Mphela, Dos Santos, Blanco

[ELITEofWARMANGINGERYBREADMEN88]

Can someone tell me who are the good teams and who are not (I'm American ).


Are the Swiss good by the way?

[Rhyfelwyr]

Are the Swiss good by the way?

The armoured pikemen of Swissland take on Spain tomorrow.

[Ronin]

Can someone tell me who are the good teams and who are not (I'm American ).


Are the Swiss good by the way?

no..

good teams...

Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Germany....on lesser level, England, Italy...etc.

[Krusader]

I've been anticipating this World Cup for months and it has been a disappointment so far.
I'm wondering if this will be remembered as the World Cup of the (B)Zzzzzz later on because of boring matches and the vuvuzela. We were 3 who bought internet access to matches and the other two are watching the matches with no sound on. I've gotten used to it, but as someone said, you can't really hear the crowd. A commentator on Norwegian TV commented that when Drogba entered the pitch it was the first time you could hear the people cheer over the vuvuzelas' monotone sound in the entire World Cup.
I'm curious to how the reaction will be if we can't hear Brazilian samba and crowd cheers in the match later tonight. And when it comes to the footballing itself, a friend of mine in Germany said it best: "It's a sure tell its a boring tournament, when the best team is Germany". I'm hoping Brazil will make some goals. I'd say 18 goals in 11 matches it not that great.

[Lemur]

Poll has been added to thread per Myrddraal's request. You can select more than one answer, and the poll is public. Cheers.

[tibilicus]

Does anyone else feel like Spain play a really boring game. The football pundits refer to their "sensational" passes but when is a pass really sensational?

It might be a symptom of European football as a whole though. The Dutch and the Germans are the only European teams which have played entertaining football. I guess I just prefer the end to end South American style better. Maybe I'm just annoyed though that the Spanish have got through to the final producing consistent 1-0 wins and playing a fairly boring game of containment football but then again, that seems to be how modern football is won. Just a shame it takes away from the entertainment value.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Who's the Octosquid picking? He's money in da bank.

[Lemur]

Who's the Octosquid picking? He's money in da bank.

I just found out that he's receiving death threats. But I, for one, welcome our prognosticating octosquid overlords.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Who's the Octosquid picking? He's money in da bank.

Spain. Holland might as well go home now.