NationStates Jolt Archive

With the World Cup draw today (Friday the 9th), and a thread already already appearing on the USA's chances next year, perhaps it's time for a formal World Cup 2006 (football/soccer) thread....

So, I'm inviting everyone to put their predictions, discussions, team summaries, and dissections of just why the final's going to be between Togo and Trinidad and Tobago here.

OK then, just to get the ball rolling... Some thoughts on the qualifiers...

EUROPE

Germany (hosts): In largely dismal form, fielding arguably the worst German squad since the 60s, and with a coach (Jurgen Klinsmann) regularly attacked for refusing to move back to Germany from his California home. So that'll be the semi-finals, then?

Croatia: Topped their qualifying group above Sweden, and finished third the last time the tournament was held in Europe (albeit with a very different squad), so must be considered a dark horse.

Czech Republic: According to the FIFA rankings, the Czechs are the third best team in the world. I'm not sure about that (and it's worth noting they lost to the Dutch twice), but surely the sort of second seed no one's going to want to draw in their group.

England: Semi-finalists. No, really. Owen and Rooney are arguably one of the best forward lines in the world, three quarters of the midfield's to die for, the goalkeeper's solid, and the only question marks are over a defence that's shown signs of occasionally losing focus. But just watch them go out on penalties. Against Germany.

France: Past it. Begging your '98 stars to come out of retirement is not a recipe for success.

Netherlands: As ever, they'll either play the sort of football you drool over, or they'll self-destruct after a particularly nasty bout of in-fighting. Or maybe both. Still, surely at least a quaterfinalist.

Italy: Always efficient, always dangerous, always prone to sit on a one goal lead and then complain about a conspiracy when the other team has the temerity to score just the sort of 89th minute goal they fully deserved to concede given that they refused to mount a single attack after scoring the game's first goal.

Poland: Honest, worthy, doomed

Portugal: No one doubts their incredible potential, but a lot of people doubt their ability to perform under pressure (see USA v. Portugal, 2002)

Serbia and Montenegro: Will almost certainly qualify for the second round, possibly after failing to concede a goal. Unfortunately, they couldn't score in a brothel, so look for at least two 0-0 draws involving this lot.

Spain: By now Spain's inability to transform their league form into international success is such a cliche that there's surely no need to repeat it here again (what do you mean I just did?)

Sweden: Like the Czechs, few people will want to draw the Swedes as their group's second seed. Like the Czechs, I can't really see them making it past the quarterfinals.

Switzerland: Odd lot the Swiss. They finished second in a difficult group, and beat Turkey on aggregate, so they can't be that bad. But I just can't see them making the second round unless they get a good draw.

Ukraine: First European team to qualify, and finished top of a group featuring Turkey, Denmark and Greece. And Shevchenko is one of the world's best forwards. A team who can easily cause an upset, but surely not semi-finalists for all that.


SOUTH AMERICA

Argentina: As always, justifiably one of the pre-tournament favourites. But Italy 1990 notwithstanding, they have a poor record in European-based cups.

Brazil: Everyone's pre-tournament favourites, dripping with talent, and the only South American team to have won the tournament in Europe (albeit nearly 50 years ago) - surely semi-finalists unless there's a huge shock somewhere, or Ronaldinho breaks a leg.

Ecuador: Tip - Germany has no international stadia at the same altitude as Quito. A first round exit beckons.

Paraguay: Strong second round chance if they can only convince themselves that the entire world isn't involved in a giant conspiracy against them


ASIA

Iran: Don't really expect them to reach the knock-out stage, but capable of an upset

Japan: I'll be interested to see how they travel, but they surely won't get past the second round.

Saudi Arabia: Can surely only have improved after their disastrous 2002 performance (international teams just don't lose 8-0 any more), but just as surely amongst the also-rans.

South Korea: Until 2002, South Korea held the record for the most tournaments participated in without winning a match - and while I expect them to be solid, that record is surely a better indicator of their long term prospects than their fourth place finish in the last tournament. Capable of reaching the second round, but no more.



CONCACAF (North and Central America and Caribbean)


Costa Rica: Their 5-2 loss to Brazil in 2002 was one of the more entertaining matches of the tournament. If they can find some discipline to go with their flair, they could spring a surprise.

Mexico: North American football has come a long way in the last 20 years, and the Mexicans will probably reach at least the second round. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

Trinidad and Tobago: Surely doomed to be cellar-dwelling goal-difference boosters.

USA: Bruce Arena is the finest coach the USA have ever had, but even he'll be hard-pressed to reach the quarter finals again. Still, it's a sign of the times that the Americans lobbied FIFA hard to be one of the top 8 seeds, weren't laughed out of court for making the suggestion in the first place, and came within a seeding point of displacing Italy and Argentina in the top 8.


AFRICA

Angola: Potentially tricky customers who qualified above Nigeria, but surely out of their depth here. First round exit.

Ghana: Just because it's their first world cup doesn't mean they aren't dangerous. My pick to be next year's sub-Saharan surprise. Possible quarterfinalists

Ivory Coast: And if it isn't Ghana, it'll be this lot. Ghana and the Ivoirians have very good continental pedigree, and both should at least make the second round.

Togo: Bless. If they have the misfortune to be drawn against Brazil in the opening game, I guarantee you they'll at least get a 1-1 draw. After that, it'll be all downhill for the Sparrowhawks.

Tunisia: African champions, and qualified for the third tournament in a row, so nobody's fool. Still, I remain unconvinced of their chances, and much will depend on who they draw in their group.



OCEANIA

Australia: Apparently a third of Australians now believe the Socceroos (worst nickname in football?) will go on to win the tournament - which only goes to prove how little most Australians know about the sport. An honest and worthy team of mid-table battlers who still lost to Tunisia in the Confederations Cup. If they make it past the second round, I'll be shocked.

Good analysis - pretty much spot on. I think you're underrating the Czech Republic, and at 20-1 I think they're worth a bet. 4 years ago I thought this might be England's tournament, and I agree they have a shot this time around.

Italy suffers from star syndrome - their coaches are under pressure to play established names, like Del Piero. That has hurt them badly in the past.

Holland looks rather different than in previous years, and they might not underachieve for once.

Finally, the hype here in Australia is not among anyone that actually knows football. A second round spot would be a huge success, silly poll results notwithstanding. I've also heard someone push for a name change the the Swagmen, to go along with our women's team - the Matildas. Don't know how much better that is though. Our top 11 is competitive with most teams, but the depth and experience falls off too quickly for this level.

I see. So the fact Australia defeated Uruguay (the only world cup winner not going to Germany) means nothing, then?

Oh, and from January, technically we're part of the Asian group.

I see. So the fact Australia defeated Uruguay (the only world cup winner not going to Germany) means nothing, then?

Oh, and from January, technically we're part of the Asian group.

I live in Melbourne.

I was at the MCG for the 2001 1-0 victory over Uruguay, was up at 6:30am to watch both the 2001 and 2004 losses to Uruguay in Montevideo on SBS, and had my in-laws record the victory in Sydney last month that sent Australia to the World Cup when I was in Bangkok - I'm not dismissing Australia for the sake of it.

Of course the victory over Uruguay counts for something. But Australia haven't qualified for 30 years, and for the most part are full of worthy but unexceptional professionals. Their official odds on winning the tournament are 100-1, and while that's better than Angola or Trinidad and Tobago, it's worse than, say, the USA.

So I'll stand by my analysis: "An honest and worthy team of mid-table battlers who still lost to Tunisia in the Confederations Cup. If they make it past the second round, I'll be shocked".

And even with the move to Asia in January, for Germany 2006, Australia officially count as a qualifier from Oceania because, erm, that's where they qualified from.

I think Brazil is the only one , that can win the WM..

Well I'm part of the percentage of Aussies that doesn't expect Aust. to win...

I mean it'd be great if we did but...:p

I see. So the fact Australia defeated Uruguay (the only world cup winner not going to Germany) means nothing, then?

Oh, and from January, technically we're part of the Asian group.
Yeah when did Uruguay last win 32 0r something?:p
Oz a team that has lost to New Zealand twice in the last 6 encounters??:fluffle:

I'm surprised that a third of Australians think we'll win it. I'll be happy if we win a game or two in the pool matches & beside myself if we progress to the next round. Anything beyond that is just fantasy.

My money is on the Brazillians, with the Dutch as a good bet & the Croatians as a real dark horse.

Brazil will beat Holland in the final, 3-1. Germany and England will be the other semi-finalists. 'Surprises' will include Sweden in the quarter-finals, Italy and Spain screwing up, Argentina not making it past the last 16, and the Cote d'Ivoire making it to the quarter-finals.
My predictions for every country:
Germany (hosts): Semis
Croatia: Last 16
Czech Republic: Quarter-finals
England: Semis
France: Last 16
Netherlands: Final
Italy: Last 16
Poland: Group stage
Portugal: Last 16
Serbia and Montenegro: Groups
Spain: Last 16
Sweden: Quarter-finals
Switzerland: Groups
Ukraine: Last 16
Argentina: Last 16
Brazil: Winners
Ecuador: Groups
Paraguay: Groups
Iran: Groups
Japan: Groups
Saudi Arabia: Groups
South Korea: Groups
Costa Rica: Groups
Mexico: Groups
Trinidad and Tobago: Groups
USA: Groups
Angola: Groups
Ghana: Groups
Ivory Coast: Quarter-finals
Togo: Groups
Tunisia: Last 16
Australia: Quarter-finals

I'll hold off my predictions until we see the draws. A lot of how certain teams will do depends on where teams like Brazil or Argentina or Netherlands end up.

USA: Bruce Arena is the finest coach the USA have ever had, but even he'll be hard-pressed to reach the quarter finals again. Still, it's a sign of the times that the Americans lobbied FIFA hard to be one of the top 8 seeds, weren't laughed out of court for making the suggestion in the first place, and came within a seeding point of displacing Italy and Argentina in the top 8.

We deserve a seed. FIFA's got us ranked eighth. :p

Holland will win the tournament after a 12-0 game against Germany, scoring 7 goals in the first half and 5 in the other half. The game will end with the Dutch defensive players as strikers and vice versa. In the 90+3rd minute Germany will get a penalty but it is stopped by Van Nistelrooj, so there will be no honour for them.

Well, I made this up with a friend:p

Anyway, Holland will be in the final because: Last time Australia played was in '74, that tournament was also in Germany and Holland lost that final (we'll get you this time, Germany:p )

Holland will win the tournament after a 12-0 game against Germany, scoring 7 goals in the first half and 5 in the other half. The game will end with the Dutch defensive players as strikers and vice versa. In the 90+3rd minute Germany will get a penalty but it is stopped by Van Nistelrooj, so there will be no honour for them.

Well, I made this up with a friend:p

Anyway, Holland will be in the final because: Last time Australia played was in '74, that tournament was also in Germany and Holland lost that final (we'll get you this time, Germany:p )

I don't know. Germany's looking pretty awful lately. Maybe not that far fetched.

Cruijff once said: 'Football is a game of two times 45 minutes and in the end the Germans win.' Even when they're awfull.

Brazil 23 - Germany 21. With a last minute field goal :)

England will win, i know it

Quarterfinals:

England 2
France 1

Italy 0
Holland 0 (Italy advance on PKs)

Brazil 4
Spain 2

Argentina 2
Germany 1


Semifinals:

Brazil 3
Argentina 2

Italy 0
England 0 (Italy advance on PKs)



Finals:

Italy 0
Brazil 0 (Italy win on PKs)


hehehe

I'll hold off my predictions until we see the draws. A lot of how certain teams will do depends on where teams like Brazil or Argentina or Netherlands end up.

Well, the draw's made now....

THere's nothing really sticking out as a single group of death to my mind, though the Argentina - Netherlands group sticks out as the most dangerous.

Those groups in full, with my predictions for the qualifers from each group in bold... (which are mostly dull and predictable, with the exception of Ghana, which I'm only picking because I feel vaguely obliged to pick an African team to go through somewhere)

GROUP A

Germany
Costa Rica
Poland
Ecuador


GROUP B

England
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago
Sweden


GROUP C

Argentina
Ivory Coast
Serbia & Montenegro
Holland


GROUP D

Mexico
Iran
Angola
Portugal


GROUP E

Italy
Ghana
USA
Czech Republic


GROUP F

Brazil
Croatia
Australia
Japan


GROUP G

France
Switzerland
South Korea
Togo


GROUP H

Spain
Ukraine
Tunisia
Saudi Arabia

I'm loving the German media though right now.

Generally they will not leave a good hair on them, they'll criticise the national team whenever they can.

But as soon as the groups came out, now it's all like: "Now it's business", and they all have full analyses of Ecuador, Costa Rica and Poland - it's like they're already going through it all in their head.

Important for the German campaign will be to get a good first few games, such that the fans and the media will stand 100% behind the team. It's pretty young, and they need that confidence to do well.

EDIT: Golden!!! :D
Lez Murray's (Australian icon of the pro-football movement) response to an anti-football column after Australia managed to qualify for the world cup.
http://twg1.sbs.com.au/opinions/index.php3?id=65939
It was one Kevin Naughton, writing in Adelaide’s Sunday Mail. Ever heard of him? No, neither have I.

Of course, he could be a very nice man and his mother probably loves him but I would need to get to know him better before I could form the same view.

I would say that Brazil would be favourites in the World Cup. The Have a fairly easy group then IMO would come up against USA in the Round of Sixteen (with the Czech Republic to win group E). France, Italy and Portugal will all under-perform and not make it past the Round of Sixteen. The closest group would be Group E with USA to just edge out Italy into the 2nd spot. Spain got a good draw and should progress fairly easily through their group but fall in there Quarter Final Clash.

Group Winners:
Group A - Germany with Poland sneeking in just behind them.
Group B - Sweden going through unbeaten with England Coming 2nd.
Group C - Argentina putting their loss to England behind them to edge out Netherlands to 1st place.
Group D - Mexico to progress in 1st with Portugal coming 2nd.
Group E - Czech Republic cruising to victory with USA edging out Italy.
Group F - Brazil to easily progress winning all of their games with Japan 2nd.
Group G - France to just edge out South Korea into 1st place.
Group H - Ukraine to progress in 1st position with Spain in 2nd.

As a US fan, and one who largely hates about half the players on the national team, I think I can present a fairly objective analysis of US chances in 2006.

very small

Persoanlly, I was stunned to discover how high FIFA ranks the US (who missed a seed only because Germany got one automatically). Unless Landon Donovan grows a pair over the next 7 months, world class defenders will have no problem erasing him in about five minutes. Service for US strikers is generally poor, and much of their success has been predicated on speed and opportunism as opposed to classic interplay and ball control. The generally higher level of competition and more conservative, defensive play that typifies group play could cause the US extreme difficulty. The US team's one saving grace is Kasey Keller. Appearing in his final World Cup, Keller gives the US an outside chance in any match against any opponent. Improving on the 2002 team's succes, though, will be a heavy burden for Keller to tote alone, a task not alleviated in any way by the US's draw. Based solely on current FIFA rankings, the US has drawn far and away the most difficult group. Barring a shocker against Italy or the Czechs, I don't see any way the US gets out of this group. Simply put, the current US team doesn't look to me like it's configured or prepared for the competition it's drawn. I'm not sure they'll even take a point out of group play.

*sigh*

for what it's worth, the groups, current FIFA rankings, group difficulty based on those rankings, and my predictions, largely to get over how sad I am about the US draw...

Group A (4)
Germany 16
Costa Rica 21
Poland 23
Ecuador 37

setting being everything, Germany wins with Poland coming second. Costa Rica comes third, and Ecuador gets nothing.

Group B (6)
England 9
Paraguay 30
Tri & Tob 51
Sweden 14

England wins, Sweden disappoints, Paraguay shocks, and Trinidad... well, Trinidad is Trinidad. Paraguay second.

Group C (3)
Argentina 4
Ivory Coast 41
Serb & Mont 47
Holland 3

Holland Sweeps, making an opening statement. Cote d'Ivoire and S&M are just there for the party.

Group D (5)
Mexico 7
Iran 19
Angola 62
Portugal 10

Mexico proves Concacaf is horribly overrated, and Iran Goes through second to Portugal.

Group E (1)
Italy 12
Ghana 50
United States 8
Czech Republic 2

The Czechs poke the draw rules in the eye with a sweep, Italy comes second, and Ghana gets Bruce Arena fired with a 3-2 stunner.

Group F (2)
Brazil 1
Croatia 20
Australia 49
Japan 15

Brazil sweeps, and Australia tops Croatia on goal-difference, with Japan netting nil.

Group G (8)
France 5
Switzerland 36
Korea Republic 85
Togo 56

France tops the group, but Togo grabs the world's imagination by drawing with the French and the Swiss after an opening victory over Korea.

Group H (7)
Spain 6
Ukraine 40
Tunisia 28
Saudi Arabia 32

Spain disappoints again, but wins the group with a thrashing of Saudi Arabia. Ukraine and Tunisia finish level on points, with Tunisia getting the nod on goal difference.

I am a Germany fan and have been so since I was born.
Klinsman is a hero of mine but the team he has put together is the worst team in Germany history, It's so wrong.
With a nation like Germany that has so many world class players it is a shame to see the team today.

I best team in my mind was 1990 World Cup Germany team, Klinsman, Hassler and Lothar but today I am very angry with Klinsman and the DFB Federation.

Dont take this the wrong way, open your mind a litle bit to understand what I mean here before you yell racists or something, I am not a racists.

I can not understand why a nation like Germany seams to put so many non-Germans in the German National team. There is a guy from Kenya or some other nation in Africa that is fat and sucks as a player, that Turkish guy Kuranyi I think who has an ego problem and is not a team player. The Germany team even has a few other non-Germans in their team. I never could understand why nations put foreign people in their national team, kind of beats the point of the World Cup. There are so many German players that will not have a chance to play for their nation because of idiots in charge. It's really sad and this is not limited to the Germany team. It's for all nations, even African ones so dont bother attacking me. I just said what many are thinking.

God bless World Cup 1990 and the 1990 German team. Bless Argentina and Italy too for their great effort.

England will win, i know it

noooooooooooooooo!!!!! You can't... I mean... what about Australia...??? Have you forgotten all about us...?:D

(im only joking don't worry... I didn't ever expect us to win and now we have this draw...:rolleyes: )

Well, the draw's made now....

THere's nothing really sticking out as a single group of death to my mind, though the Argentina - Netherlands group sticks out as the most dangerous.

Those groups in full, with my predictions for the qualifers from each group in bold... (which are mostly dull and predictable, with the exception of Ghana, which I'm only picking because I feel vaguely obliged to pick an African team to go through somewhere)
GROUP A

Germany
Costa Rica
Poland
Ecuador

GROUP B

England
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago
Sweden

GROUP C

Argentina
Ivory Coast
Serbia & Montenegro
Holland

GROUP D

Mexico
Iran
Angola
Portugal

GROUP E

Italy
Ghana
USA
Czech Republic

GROUP F

Brazil
Croatia
Australia
Japan

GROUP G

France
Switzerland
South Korea
Togo

GROUP H

Spain
Ukraine
Tunisia
Saudi Arabia
Well i'll predict.
GROUP A
Germany
Poland

GROUP B
England
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago
Sweden -Though i love Paraguay
GROUP C
Argentina
Holland:mp5: -Hate

GROUP D
Mexico
Portugal

GROUP E
Italy
Czech Republic-I think they will sneak through

GROUP F
Brazil
Croatia

GROUP G
France
South Korea

GROUP H
Spain
Ukraine
Tunisia might surprise........

I best team in my mind was 1990 World Cup Germany team, Klinsman, Hassler and Lothar but today I am very angry with Klinsman and the DFB Federation.
They're old men now. They can't play.
And besides, the best squad was probably the 1956 team. If not them, 1974. 1990 was certainly the weakest of the three.

Dont take this the wrong way, open your mind a litle bit to understand what I mean here before you yell racists or something, I am not a racists.
What you're saying certainly reaks of racism though.

There is a guy from Kenya or some other nation in Africa that is fat and sucks as a player.
Asamoah's family is from Ghana. He's a German citizen. He's perfectly entitled to play for the national team if he's good enough.
He's not fat, he's all muscle. And he's obviously better than a fair few other players, because he's in the team - and he scored 5 international goals (33 caps), which is good for a player who's usually substituted in later in the game.
http://www.schalke04.de/526_asamoah/asamoah.php

that Turkish guy Kuranyi I think who has an ego problem and is not a team player.
Kuranyi is as German as I am (his family is from Brazil, not Turkey, you jackass). As for his ego problem...well, he seems to be doing his job, which is to create trouble for the opponent's defense and to score goals.
29 matches and 14 goals speak for themselves.

It's for all nations, even African ones so dont bother attacking me. I just said what many are thinking.
No. You didn't speak about African teams fielding other people. You're saying this as a weak defense for the bullshit you are spraying above.
There are no quotas, and there are no non-Germans on the team. That would be against the rules anyway.
Look at the scoring lists in the Bundesliga, and what do we find?
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/topscorers?league=ger.1&cc=3436
Except for Bdaric, and Borowski, Kuranyi is the best German player here. Borowski is also in the team, and Bdaric (probably not what you'd consider a good wholesome German name anyway :rolleyes: ) has been playing for the National Team before, and is an option.

We're # 8! We're # 8! USA! USA!

Hehe ... anyway, we have a deeper and more mature team and one of the, if not THE, best goalie in the world. I wouldn't discount the US at least hitting the quarters.

We're # 8! We're # 8! USA! USA!

Hehe ... anyway, we have a deeper and more mature team and one of the, if not THE, best goalie in the world. I wouldn't discount the US at least hitting the quarters.
Best goalie? I doubt it besides, a goalie is only as good as his defence.

They're old men now. They can't play.
And besides, the best squad was probably the 1956 team. If not them, 1974. 1990 was certainly the weakest of the three.


What you're saying certainly reaks of racism though.


Asamoah's family is from Ghana. He's a German citizen. He's perfectly entitled to play for the national team if he's good enough.
He's not fat, he's all muscle. And he's obviously better than a fair few other players, because he's in the team - and he scored 5 international goals (33 caps), which is good for a player who's usually substituted in later in the game.
http://www.schalke04.de/526_asamoah/asamoah.php


Kuranyi is as German as I am (his family is from Brazil, not Turkey, you jackass). As for his ego problem...well, he seems to be doing his job, which is to create trouble for the opponent's defense and to score goals.
29 matches and 14 goals speak for themselves.


No. You didn't speak about African teams fielding other people. You're saying this as a weak defense for the bullshit you are spraying above.
There are no quotas, and there are no non-Germans on the team. That would be against the rules anyway.
Look at the scoring lists in the Bundesliga, and what do we find?
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/topscorers?league=ger.1&cc=3436
Except for Bdaric, and Borowski, Kuranyi is the best German player here. Borowski is also in the team, and Bdaric (probably not what you'd consider a good wholesome German name anyway :rolleyes: ) has been playing for the National Team before, and is an option.

You are quick to make attacks.
The thing is I and many others in the world see the World Cup as competition of the nations teams. In other words a test to see what nation is the best and has the best players.
Germany has an endless roster of World Class players, as do many other nations, and I cant understand why the chiefs have made the unwise choise of fielding a bunch of lower class players and non Germans.
(A citizenship does not make you German as it does not make you Nigerian for that matter in the deepest sence. There is English and then it's English citizen) You see or understand? This is a matter for a political topic so lets not bug the author with this bull. Henry is my fav. player in the English league and Larson was my fav. in the Scottish division prick.
How many players in Germany are better than Asamoha*, Kuranyi and Schweinsteiker* (Dont have time to check the spelling). They could have been white for that matter, I dont care but the fact that they are of color makes it into a racial thing. Thats bias in it's self, jackass.

All i'm saying is that England, Japan, Senegal France blablablabla have better players in their ranks, regardless of race that they could field so why dont they?

I'll hold off my predictions until we see the draws. A lot of how certain teams will do depends on where teams like Brazil or Argentina or Netherlands end up. Argentina and Netherlands are in the Group of Dead...Brazil is in the Teletubies Group...
Just like for the last 12 years the Brazil and the Hosts get Telebubies Groups...

England: Honestly, we should at least make the semi finals, given that we are pre-eminent both in talent and capacity of all the European qualifiers, and can field on paper arguably the second finest team on the planet behind Brazil. Whilst Rooney will be justifialy critical to our beating any team of true meit, if we fire on all cylinders against any team I would not be terrified, since we beat Argentina bereft of two full backs, and with only Rooney truly playing to his potential.

And an issue that truly irritates me...

USA: A better team, according to FIFA, than Italy, England, Portugal, Sweden and countless other footballing nations? Quite evidently not. The FIFA ranking procedure is one that inherently favours non-European nations, and whilst the USA may well be organised, capable and reasonable defensively, I sincerely doubt they possess either the offensive capacity or the guile to progress past the group stages, and vehemently hope they do not.

One final word on FIFA rankings. They are done by taking into account competitive games over the last 5 years. European teams will play each other in that time, and the majority of the best teams in the world are from Europe. America, etc. on the other hand, rarely play teams of such high calibre - in CONCACAF, the USA's chief rival is Mexico, and then...um...god knows. There are 5 CONCACAF nations in the top 50, and 6 European nations in the top 10. Because there's no weighting on results (ie. more points for more difficult matches), the USA scores points by beating weak teams, while other countries have to play better teams to score the same points. If results were weighted, the rankings would be even more top heavy with European nations.

Australia drawn with Brazil.
Now, wasn't that predictable how FIFA tried their best to keep Australia out of this world cup.

Brazil is unbeatable. They will win the WC, scoring more than 2 goals per match, with Adriano being the max. scorer.

So we're out in quarterfinals again. :(

One final word on FIFA rankings. They are done by taking into account competitive games over the last 5 years. European teams will play each other in that time, and the majority of the best teams in the world are from Europe. America, etc. on the other hand, rarely play teams of such high calibre - in CONCACAF, the USA's chief rival is Mexico, and then...um...god knows. There are 5 CONCACAF nations in the top 50, and 6 European nations in the top 10. Because there's no weighting on results (ie. more points for more difficult matches), the USA scores points by beating weak teams, while other countries have to play better teams to score the same points. If results were weighted, the rankings would be even more top heavy with European nations.There is weighting on the results, see the Fifa site (and then the page where they explain the ranking system). But the USA only plays Mexico as real opponent and the other countries are just something in between. That's how they (Mexico and US) get high places in the ranking.

There is weighting on the results, see the Fifa site (and then the page where they explain the ranking system). But the USA only plays Mexico as real opponent and the other countries are just something in between. That's how they (Mexico and US) get high places in the ranking.

Explains why Australia are only ranked around 50 despite not losing many games including friendlies.

Zlatan has said that Sweden will win the WC. At first he was laughed at and ridiculed, but then it seems like he's been paying off all the journalists to agree with him, 'cause now they're also saying Sweden has never had such a huge shot at winning. As long as we don't have to face Brazil, that is. England is fine, we've not lost to England since the 60ies, so no one expects us to be beaten now either. They've got a great team, but Sweden's got probably the best team in it's history, and now they're all excited that they've got a chance at winning, so the morale will be great.

I'm not saying that Sweden will win, 'cause I seriously doubt it, but I think we'll make it to the semifinals.

Brazil is unbeatable. Tell that to Argentina.

last official game they played...
Argentina clearly Dominated Brazil... and with both teams at full strength(all starting stars)..
Brazil managed to score one goal at the 71' minute.

Mexico proves Concacaf is horribly overrated, and Iran Goes through second to Portugal.
What do you mean Concacaf is overrated? Mexico had to defeat powerhouses such as Dominican Republic and Honduras. There's also Jamaica, Canada, and Guatemala to worry about. I'm not sure if Greenland has a team.

How many players in Germany are better than Asamoha*, Kuranyi and Schweinsteiker* (Dont have time to check the spelling).
I'm saying that the best players of German nationality are in the national team.
Asamoah has a great international record and is very effective when substituted in late in the game.
Kuranyi is one of the top two strikers (along with Miroslav Klose) at the moment, and therefore he will play.
Schweinsteiger is a young player, but skilled (otherwise Bayern wouldn't have gotten him), and with a good record in the Bundesliga. He did okay in the U-21 and the Open National Team, and there was a serious issue a few years back about the national team being to old and no newcomers being available. That problem has been solved, and I'm happy with that.

The onus would be on you to show me that there are better players who weren't selected.

=============================================

Here are my picks by the way.
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10066605&postcount=3

http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=10066722&postcount=6

GROUP A
Germany - top
Costa Rica
Poland - second
Ecuador
Costa Rica and Ecuador don't stand a chance. Germany vs. Poland should be a good, tight, defensive game.

GROUP B
England - top
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago
Sweden - second
As with Group A, two teams don't stand a chance. England vs. Sweden will most likely be a draw.

GROUP C
Argentina - second
Ivory Coast
Serbia & Montenegro
Holland - top
Not as clear cut as you might think. Ivory Coast have some excellent players (Drogba and Toure for a start), while Serbia & Montenegro topped their qualifying group - which included Spain. However, Holland to beat Argentina to secure top spot.

GROUP D
Mexico - second
Iran
Angola
Portugal - top
Fairly simple. Unless Iran and Angola play out of their skins, their won't be any upsets.

GROUP E
Italy - second
Ghana
USA
Czech Republic - top
Another tricky one. Italy and Czech Rep. look likely to go through, but only a fool would write off the USA.

GROUP F
Brazil - top
Croatia - second
Australia
Japan
Japan don't have the climate advantage this time round, so they'll struggle. Brazil will obviously claim 9 points from their 3 games, so it's the Croatia vs. Australia match to watch out for. Croatia to edge it.

GROUP G
France - top
Switzerland - second
South Korea
Togo
As with Japan, S. Korea don't have the climate advantage. France don't need to be in top form to win this group, and with 3 games to get going, stand a good chance beyond the group stage.

GROUP H
Spain - second
Ukraine - top
Tunisia
Saudi Arabia
Possibly the most difficult to predict. Spain don't have a fantastic record in major tournaments, Ukraine comfortably qualified from their group, and Tunisia are the current African champions. Ukraine and Spain, but only just.

Yes, I know I've knocked out all the Asian and African teams, but I'm being realistic. In a European climate, European teams do well, so I've put 13 through to the last 16. Brazil and Argentina are two of the best teams in the world right now, so they won't have any difficulty, and Mexico are second best in a poor group.

We're # 8! We're # 8! USA! USA!

Hehe ... anyway, we have a deeper and more mature team and one of the, if not THE, best goalie in the world. I wouldn't discount the US at least hitting the quarters.
Best Goalie HA!
Utting is the Best Goalie!

I heard somewhere that If Australia manages to get second in their group, we then have to play the winner of Italy's group (ie Italy). Is this true?

I heard somewhere that If Australia manages to get second in their group, we then have to play the winner of Italy's group (ie Italy). Is this true?

Yes it is... good luck!

Brazil is unbeatable. They will win the WC, scoring more than 2 goals per match, with Adriano being the max. scorer.

So we're out in quarterfinals again. :(

not really... no team is completely unbeatable... difficult, yes, but not unbeatable...:)

I wouldn't be so sure about writing Australia off as long shots to make the 2nd round. It's a good draw for us considering there is only one ultra tough opponent in Brasil. Japan and Croatia are both quite beatable, and considering it's a WC...We all know anything can happen.

GROUP A
Germany
Costa Rica
Poland
Ecuador


Shouldn't be excessively difficult for the two European teams here... Much as I'd like to see Costa Rica advance, I'll say Germany and Poland. Poland may go fairly far in this Cup...


GROUP B
England
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago
Sweden


Hmm... Paraguay doesn't really seem up to its old form, so probably England and Sweden. The England-Sweden match should be interesting, and any upset would be in either of the two matches against Paraguay.


GROUP C
Argentina
Ivory Coast
Serbia & Montenegro
Holland


The Netherlands will top this one. It'll be between the other three for the second spot; Argentina are probably favourites, then Serbia & Montenegro, but I'm going to predict Côte d'Ivoire edging them out. Côte d'Ivoire are a good team, and we need at least one upset. ;)


GROUP D
Mexico
Iran
Angola
Portugal


Interesting group... No problem for Mexico. Portugal have always been very strong, but Iran and Angola are very good in their respective continents. Probably not strong enough to come close to even hoping to knock out Portugal, so I'll have to say Mexico and Portugal.


GROUP E
Italy
Ghana
USA
Czech Republic


Hmm... In another group, both Ghana and the USA might have a very good chance of qualifying, but Italy and the Czechs will take this one. And two good teams will be knocked out in the early stages.


GROUP F
Brazil
Croatia
Australia
Japan


Japan is getting better, but not good enough to prevent Brazil and Croatia from snatching this one. Australia is, sadly, out of its depth.


GROUP G
France
Switzerland
South Korea
Togo


And so France faces Switzerland yet again... The Koreans are not to be underestimated. I'm hesitant to make any kind of prediction here, given my country's dismal performance in 2002, and struggle to qualify. I'm going to say South Korea tops this one, with France snatching second place. Switzerland may well qualify though. And I'd be delighted if Togo did... but not at France's expense. ;)


GROUP H
Spain
Ukraine
Tunisia
Saudi Arabia

Should be fairly easy for the Ukraine, and I can't see Tunisia or Saudi Arabia edging out Spain, so the two Europeans should qualify here.


QUALIFIED FOR ROUND 2, my prediction:

Germany
Poland
England
Sweden
Netherlands
Côte d'Ivoire
Mexico
Portugal
Italy
Czech Republic
Brazil
Croatia
South Korea
France
Spain
Ukraine

Good analysis - pretty much spot on. I think you're underrating the Czech Republic, and at 20-1 I think they're worth a bet. 4 years ago I thought this might be England's tournament, and I agree they have a shot this time around.

Italy suffers from star syndrome - their coaches are under pressure to play established names, like Del Piero. That has hurt them badly in the past.

Holland looks rather different than in previous years, and they might not underachieve for once.

Finally, the hype here in Australia is not among anyone that actually knows football. A second round spot would be a huge success, silly poll results notwithstanding. I've also heard someone push for a name change the the Swagmen, to go along with our women's team - the Matildas. Don't know how much better that is though. Our top 11 is competitive with most teams, but the depth and experience falls off too quickly for this level.

Del Piero should sit the bench as a utility midfielder/forward.

Here's what I think Italy's starting 11 should be (i might have left and right back mixed up):

G - Buffon (obviously)

Left back - Gianluca Zambrotta
Center back - Fabio Cannavaro
Center back - Alessandro Nesta
Right back - Fabio Grosso

Left midfielder - Mauro Camoranesi
Central midfielder - Andrea Pirlo
Attacking central mid - Francesco Totti
Right midfielder - Gennaro Gattuso

Forward - Luca Toni (or perhaps Cassano)
Forward - Alberto Gilardino

Italy are going to be good. The above line-up provides the usual wall in defense but it's also a side with enough offensive weapons to really push the attack. So Lippi, write those names down. I don't want to see Del Piero and Totti starting at the forward spots... you need Toni and Gilardino on the field.

Lef

Hmmmm.... I've just done a quick run through the implications of some of my earlier predictions, and assuming England and Brazil both win their group, we're looking at a Brazil-England semi-final.

For the interested, the BBC now has a World Cup predictor (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sol/shared/spl/hi/predictor/html/football/world_cup_06/default.stm)on-line, where you can put in all your scores for the first round, and then pick the winners of the knock-out stages.

Picking the games one at a time led to some surprises, not least of which is that despite my previous prediction for Argentina to go through, once I scored the games individually - and allowing for Cote D'Ivoire to spring a Cameroon-style mugging in Argentina's first match - I had Argentina finish bottom of their group (and the Ivoirians second behind the Dutch). Otherwise any weirdness was mild (Ukraine to just pip Spain to third).

And my final, using the BBC model? Well, I optimistically gave England a win over Brazil in the semis, and had Sweden knock out Germany in the second round, but otherwise my knock-out results went more or less according to expected form. And the final was...

Netherlands - England

With the Czechs and Brazilians playing off for third.

not really... no team is completely unbeatable... difficult, yes, but not unbeatable...:)
Brazil had to cheat to beat Turkey in the last World Cup.

Australia has played Brazil 4 times and won once in 2001.

They have played Croatia 4 times and won 2 drew one and got slapped 7 or 8 nil in 98.

Brazil had to cheat to beat Turkey in the last World Cup.

Australia has played Brazil 4 times and won once in 2001.

They have played Croatia 4 times and won 2 drew one and got slapped 7 or 8 nil in 98.

My memory of that Brazil - Turkey match is different. I remember them being deserved 1-0 winners against a resilient Turkish squad, but perhaps you remember something I don't. It was 3 1/2 years ago, after all.

As far as the other two points....

Australia's only win against Brazil was in a meaningless Confederations Cup third-place playoff against a 2nd or 3rd string Brazilian side. OK, so it was 2001, but that's not a form guide.

Neither is losing 7 or 8 nil against a Prosinecki and Suker-led Croatia in 98, just before Croatia reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, and during the Australian off-season.

Brazil are Brazil. While anything can happen, only a brave man would put any money on Australia getting a result against them. So, assuming Australia get a result against Japan (which is by no means a foregone conclusion), a lot will rest on that Croatia game. And I just think Croatia will squeak by - European World Cups tend to favour European teams. Once again, anything can happen (and I hope it does), but I have to, reluctantly, conclude that Australia are going home at the end of the first round.

But I'll buy me a drink if I'm wrong ;)

USA over Poland, 6-1 in the final game. That's my prediction. :)

Maybe this whole "World Cup" thing is getting too big. I remember getting very dirty because we kept playing when it started to rain in November.

This is not particularly dirty.

Or so says this fun little article, with which I find myself agreeing a little...
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,389880,00.html

Take hostess Heidi Klum, for example. Heidi Klum is the first to admit that she knows absolutely nothing about soccer. She isn't qualified to give commentary on a soccer game, nor is she really qualified to be the MC at a World Cup final drawing. Heidi Klum is a fashion model. But she has exceedingly beautiful legs and she walks like a goddess, even when she's wearing a seemingly endless gown.

What do Heidi Klum's legs and the World Cup have in common? About as little as Heidi Klum and soccer. Despite her obvious lack of qualifications, this giggling model -- together with Reinhold Beckmann -- MC'd the biggest soccer spectacle of all time.

After all, it's soccer. Those 22 sweaty men chasing the ball around the field are merely a sideshow.

Hmmm, in line with Neu Leonstein's Heidi Klum comments, if I had a dollar/pound/euro for every time I heard someone say something along the lines of "Heidi Klum can fondle my balls any time", during or after the draw, I'd be considerably wealthier today than I was last week...

Alright, all you football/soccer supporters.

We have a minor problem.... We all love the World Cup, right?

In fact, we all love the world cup so much we currently have three separate World Cup threads on the go, which is diluting discussion slightly.

Or is it simply too early? Are our passionate discussions of why Trinidad and Tobago are going to finish top of their group best left until May of next year?

Give it up. Serbia and Montenegro is going to win.

We're # 8! We're # 8! USA! USA!

Hehe ... anyway, we have a deeper and more mature team and one of the, if not THE, best goalie in the world. I wouldn't discount the US at least hitting the quarters.


the FIFA rankings are a joke.

there's no way the Czech Republic is #2... they were inferior to Holland in group qualifications and barely better than Romania.

Italy beat Holland recently 3-1 in Holland.

Italy is the strongest side in that group... the Czech Republic's counterattack is only really great against teams that bring their defenders forward, and Italy really doesn't do that.

Mexico at #7 is overrated. US at #8 is overrated. England at #9 is underrated. Italy at 12 is underrated. etc.

Give it up. Serbia and Montenegro is going to win.

<suppresses giggle>.

S&M (oooh-er, missus) obviously aren't a bad team. But they're not going to win. Their main problem? While their defence is strong, they couldn't score in a brothel.

Me, I'm expecting them to feature in three epic 0-0 draws, and go home with three points.

<suppresses giggle>.

S&M (oooh-er, missus) obviously aren't a bad team. But they're not going to win. Their main problem? While their defence is strong, they couldn't score in a brothel.

Me, I'm expecting them to feature in three epic 0-0 draws, and go home with three points.

Wait and see. We'll beat Holland, lose to Argentina, and beat the Ivory Coast.

Then, we'll play against either Mexico or Portugal (who we'll beat). Then, we'll probably be playing against England in the third round, and that's where it gets tricky.

Wait and see. We'll beat Holland <snip>
No, you won't:p