The Official FIFA World Cup thread...

[Pard4Life]

I figured since the first match is only a few days away I'd get the chatter flowing.

What does everyone think of U.S. chances? Frankly, I think we are overrated a bit.. we are 6th in the world or something like that, and we have never beaten a major European continental soccer power... France, Germany, Italy, England. We have to play Italy the second preliminary, and the Czechs before that.. we are in a group of death essentially. I have been reading that the health of some of our players is questionable too.

But, I'd earmark my favoirtes as France, Brazil, Argentina, South Korea if they get lucky.. Spain, Portugal.. it is quite wide open this year.

It'd make sense to tag Germany since they are home, but they have been team rollarcoaster in the qualifying stage and needed to bring an A game vs. the U.S. a month ago to calm the German fans.

[bandl]

Good thread topic...

Personally, I have a bad feeling about the U.S. club and I don't think they'll get past the first round. Not because they are a bad club (they aren't the sixth best national team in the world either, IMO), but because Italy and Czech are two great clubs. I would LOVE for them to get out of the first round though...advancing out of the group of doom will be quite an accomplishment and could help fuel them for later matches.

I can't wait! :hurray:

[bodoyle]

Damn Brazil. I like watching Ronaldhino (sp?) though. He's ridiculous. What was that article I saw, he had 23 goals in a game when he was 13 or something? :eek: :bow:

From Wikipedia: His first brush with the media came after a 23 goal flurry against a local team, at just 13 years of age

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e6/Ronaldinho01.jpg

[colgate13]

What crazy sport are you guys talking about again?

[GannonFan]

It's Brazil's Cup to lose, and I don't see anyone beating them. But, the European teams do play well in Europe, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a France or an Italy do well. England will crash and burn as always, and Spain will underacheive, as always. South Korea will fall back to Earth without the home field advantage this time. I fear for the US - we stink playing on European soil and we have a killer group - losing all 3 games is a distinct possibility despite having probably our best team ever. I would be overjoyed with a second round game if we were that lucky.

Oh, a question for those out there - are the games going to be available to watch live on the Web, kinda like how March Madness was? Those games with the noon local starts will mean I have to watch them on the Web or TiVo them and watch them when I get home after following the scoring online. If anyone knows that would be great!

[LacesOut]

Frankly, I think we are overrated a bit.. we are 6th in the world or something like that, and we have never beaten a major European continental soccer power... France, Germany, Italy, England. We have to play Italy the second preliminary, and the Czechs before that.. we are in a group of death essentially.

Yep yep and another yep. I can see them losing all three, or losing two and getting a draw in another game. They got really farked with the group that they are in. I don't see them duplicating their 2002 run.

[bandl]

What crazy sport are you guys talking about again?

The most popular sport in the world...:thumbsup:

I understand your point though. It's a shame that it hasn't ever really caught on in the U.S. like it has everywhere else in the world. There are just too many big sports to compete with. :confused:

I'll admit that I wasn't ever a huge soccer fan (played it for over 10 years though) until I started catching Premier League (from Europe) soccer games on TV several years back. Intense stuff, incredible athletes, just fun as hell to watch. Then going to actually see a live game (PSV) in Holland recently...that just iced the cake. I'm totally into it now! :hurray:

[Pard4Life]

There is a FIFA World Cup fantasy game on Yahoo... you guys should sign up.. you can pick whoever you want regardless who has who in your league. There are so many superstars it really doesn't matter who gets picked.

[Pard4Life]

My predictions...

Group A - Germany, Poland, Costa Rica, Ecuador
Group B - Sweden, England, Paraguay, Trinidad
Group C - Argentina, Netherlands, Serbia, Ivory Coast
Group D - Portugal, Mexico, Angola, Iran
Group E - Italy, Czechs, USA, Ghana
Group F - Brazil, Japan, Croatia, Australia (this is a tough group IMO)
Group G - France, South Korea, Swizterland, Togo
Group H - Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia (i'd pick Ukraine, but they have injuries)

Stage 2 - Germany over England; Argentina over Mexico; Italy over Japan; France over Ukraine..... Sweden over Poland; Portugal over Netherlands; Brazil over Czechs; South Korea over Spain

Argentina over England (Revenge of the Falklands); France over Italy.... Portugal over Sweden, Brazil over South Korea...

France over Argentina.... Brazil over Portugal...

Finals: France over Brazil.. 3rd: Argentina over Portugal

[bandl]

My predictions...

Group A - Germany, Poland, Costa Rica, Ecuador
Group B - Sweden, England, Paraguay, Trinidad
Group C - Argentina, Netherlands, Serbia, Ivory Coast
Group D - Portugal, Mexico, Angola, Iran
Group E - Italy, Czechs, USA, Ghana
Group F - Brazil, Japan, Croatia, Australia (this is a tough group IMO)
Group G - France, South Korea, Swizterland, Togo
Group H - Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia (i'd pick Ukraine, but they have injuries)

Stage 2 - Germany over England; Argentina over Mexico; Italy over Japan; France over Ukraine..... Sweden over Poland; Portugal over Netherlands; Brazil over Czechs; South Korea over Spain

Argentina over England (Revenge of the Falklands); France over Italy.... Portugal over Sweden, Brazil over South Korea...

France over Argentina.... Brazil over Portugal...

Finals: France over Brazil.. 3rd: Argentina over Portugal

Interesting. Why did you choose France?

[89Hen]

Wow you guys are high on France. :confused: I think they may be the most overrated team as far as world rankings go. They are still living on the 1998 WC.

[AppGuy04]

A few days? It's over a week away, atleast thats what they have been advertising, June 9- July 9

[Pard4Life]

A few days? It's over a week away, atleast thats what they have been advertising, June 9- July 9

True, but it is still only a few days. June 9 will be here in a heartbeat.

[Pard4Life]

Interesting. Why did you choose France?

They seem to have a nice combination of youth and experience on their roster. Brazil is mega talented, but I think that French combination and a failure of the EuroCup and World Cup will motivate the French team. In a sense, expectations are not that high considering failures. That, plus the face of playing in Germany should incite some Franco nationalism. It sure helped in 1998. Also, I selected a few Frenchmen for my fantasy team and I think the will preform. Their group seems soft aside from South Korea, and they should get through the prelims in first place.

[TheValleyRaider]

I don't see why everyone is so down on our chances this time around. Yeah, it's a tough group, but we're not slouches. We will beat either the Czechs or Italy (or both) and couple it with a victory over Ghana. The Africans aren't exactly a bad side (far from it), but I'd be surprised to see them pick up a victory in this group. The Czechs are weak in the back, and don't underestimate the effects of scandal on the Italian's conscience. We're going to the second round and I think we have a better than outside chance of winning the group. You heard it here first :D

As for the others:
-Germany will go farther than they should because they're at home
-Sweden will win Group B because England can't beat them
-Aside from their inability to beat Sweden, England just needs to make it to the knockout rounds to get Rooney back and they have a decent shot at it. But if he doesn't come back, they can't win
-Argentina is another team I'm looking at to go far. Lower expectations combined with a talented group could propel them deep into the finals
-Group D is generally weak, Mexico should not have gotten a seed (certainly not over us), and Portugal could either springboard to the semis with a good group, or be poorly tested and falter in the Round of 16
-I agree with Pard, Group F is tougher than it's being given credit for, and I'm giving Australia the nod for second due to Hiddink pulling the strings. Brazil won't lose in the group stages
-France learned their lesson from 02, and are one of the more experienced sides this time around. It'll take them farther than it should. I don't see them winning, but I wouldn't be totally surprised to see them playing on July 9th. With Henry and Zidane, they've got 2 players who can take over a game. Not many others in the field can say that.
-South Korea's got speed to burn, but without Hiddink or home-field, beating the Swiss for second in Group G is as good as it'll get
-Spain will ingloriously flame out in the quarterfinals, like always

Of course, like any good predictions (see my NHL Playoff ones :o :bang: ), some if not all of these undoubtably will be wrong.

[Tribefan]

On paper, this is the best team we have ever sent to the World Cup. Pretty much every key playmaker from '02 is back. In '02 our back line was a liability, we just didn't have enough good defenders to hang with Germany. If it had not been for our GK Brad Friedel, then we would have gone home early.

It's time to perform. If the US doesn't advance again then this will be seen as a failure.