2006 FIFA World Cup™ Germany

Ok I wanted a thread NICE and early to discuss the world cup! Especially since the USA made it through to the group stages this time round.

How far do you think your country will make it?!

Official Webpage

Discuss!

Wow! I thought I was the only one interested in watching!

The US has done nicely in the past, but we all know Brazil is going for the 5th Cup

Leilany
World Cup Freak

It's Brazil this time...except...if you saw how Argentina took them apart at home during quals. Brazil still doesn't have reliable central defenders and its fullbacks are aging, with Cicinho still an unknown quantity on the big stage. But they've won it before with this kind of question mark, and this time they're even better up front. Bebeto and Edmundo wouldn't have a prayer of cracking this lineup. Kaka, Robinho, Adriano--each of them worthy of the yellow, and of course my favorite player since I saw him as a 17 year old, Ronaldinho.

Argentina has faded a bit with the slight fall in fortune of soccer's Joe Montana, Juan Roman Riquelme. So much for them depends on...Messi? No, I think Messi could explode in the tourney and take the world by storm, but he's not to be relied on. For me it's Tevez who has to be together and show his quality--which he has by bucketloads. Then, it's stay compact and tackle like muthas for them.

My pick is Brazil over Argentina 2-1 in the finals.

There's a big falloff after those two. Germany has fallen off the map. They're just not growing good young players, and except for home field and a remarkable ability to pull together as a team, is really no longer top five. France has dropped like a rock again because of a lack of good young talent. England has the young talent but is always overhyped and easily the biggest chokers on the world stage (I'm rooting though!). The Dutch are in transition from that Ajax group (Seedorf, Davids, et al). Spain has to prove it can win at WCs. Italy is banking on Toni and Gilardino and is my favorite for the Euro pride because I love the way Gattuso and Nesta play (who doesn't!).

Someone will do a little Greece in this WC. The quality just isn't there to keep out some hair-on-fire team screaming through town on the wind.

With its draw, the US has about a snowball's chance in the center dance floor at Succubus. It'll be fun, but the press will be ugly. They don't understand how lucky the 2002 Portugal win was (Donovan's deflected shot, for chrissakes!).

Argentina's downfall is their huge egos, I'll be rooting for them but I don't think they'll make it that far. They need to stop thinking about how great they once were and start working together, with the team and not their individual contracts in mind.

I see a Brazil - Italy final


Leilany

I think this is England's best shot at the cup, currently touted as second favourites after Brazil. A lot will depend on the path to the later stages of the cup, and luck plays such a big part in any competition with 'knock out' stages. I think we have a great chance, but I wouldn't bet against Brazil doing it again. One from:Brazil, England, Argentina, Germany, Netherlands.

Although historically, since the cup is taking place in Europe / Germany makes the Germans heavy favorites.

Have I been spelling Brazil wrong all these years?

Anyway, Hmmm.. Final.. Brazil of course, and although I hope upon hopes England can live up to it all and meet them at least, I see Germany or Argentina in the final with them.

Although, maybe Argentina have the kinda of team that could take care of Brazil straight after the group stages, and we all know what we did to Argentina in the friendly just after qualifying

No, you've been spelling it in English



I am sure they will relish the opportunity


Leilany

Thats a good point. We've been responding well under presure recently tho.. We can but hope.

; ; no world cup for us... *mumbles something about Isreal*

Well you'll just have to try harder!!

What happened?

Can't say I caught any of Isreals games..

Isreal scored in the 90th minute to hold us to a draw in the first match.. then held us to another draw.. its all there fault! *not* because Ireland suck arse!!

Ahh, tough break.. Who do you see in the final then?

I'd like to see a dark horse win it this time, like the Czech Republic.. but fantasies are just that.. germany, france, england and Brasil I think its between these.. Brits never get a break though

It be really nice to see Togo do it

I'd like to see Argentina meet Brazil after the group phase (duh).. Intresting to see what'd happen when they're both under pressure..

Sigh-

You are all wrong.

Despite all their arrogance and having won the cup 4 times, Brazil will not even make it to the semi's this year. While they do finally have a goalkeeper for the first time in forever, they still have way too much focus on offense and their defenders keep pushing forward too much (I'm sorry but Roberto Carlos has to be one of the most overrated players ever.) This year someone is finally going to realize that by playing to their ego's they can force Brazil forward, then counter attack effectively against them. And, when Brazil starts to pull back into a shell, taking shots from right around the 18 will get the job done.

So, who do I think is going to win it this year?

No Clue.

I'd love the say, if they stay healthy, and can keep focus for 90 minutes and not let down after they get a lead, the US actually has a chance at this cup (for those unbelievers, take a look at their goals from Friday's match. The second was one of the prettiest goals in terms of communication (they reminded me of the classic Brazil sides with the quick one touch passing) possibly in the history of the game.

However, honestly, I suspect the US will either slip in the midfield due to injury or just lose focu after getting a lead and blow it.

Depending on how they do in their Group of Death, I'd say either Croatia or Italy, but if the US dominates the group (probably unlikely) then I go back to the US as being one of the favorites.

Germany, I think, is out of it. This is their transition cup from the old guard to the new one and if it weren't for their soft group, I wouldn't bet on them getting out of the group stages.

The two European teams that traditionally do awful that might have a breakout tournamentn are Spain and the Netherlands. Neither has done spectacular in the cup in the past 20 years or so, but they both have really strong teams and, if they can learn to play as a team, they should go really far.

England is another cypher. The last 6 months of qualifying they looked awful and their defense is, once again, really suspect. However, if Wayne Rooney can keep his head on and Rio Ferdinand can learn to actually play his position, they could have a real shot at this, as long as they don't run into Argentina, a team they just can't buy a break against.

As for Argentina, forget it. They are the Columbia '94 of this cup and won't even make it out of their group.

So my prediction is as follows:

Group A: Germany and Poland
Group B: England and Sweden
Group C: Serbia and the Netherlands
Group D: Portugal and Iran (my upset pick)
Group E: US and Italy
Group F: Brazil and Croatia
Group G: Switzerland (another upset pick) and Korea.
Group H: Spain and the Ukraine.

The next round will Look as follows:

Germany
England
Sweden
Netherlands
US
Brazil
Croatia
Spain

After that its:

England
Netherlands
US
Brazil

Then

US V England in the finals.

Final score: England 2 US 3 after Rooney gets red carded in the 35th minute and England can't hold onto their 2-1 lead at that time.

So? I can dream darn it!

Here's mine:

Group Qualifiers:

A. Germany, Poland
B. England, Paraguay
C. Argentina, Netherlands
D. Mexico, Portugal
E. Czech Republic, Italy
F. Brazil, Croatia
G. France, Korea Republic
H. Spain, Ukraine

Quarter Finals:

Germany v Argentina
Czech Republic v Uruguay
Poland v Mexico
Brazil v Spain

Semifinals:

Germany vs Czech Republic

Mexico vs Brazil


Final: Germany vs Brazil

Champion Germany
2nd Brazil
3d Czech Republic
4th Mexico

Lol, did you see Englands recent(ish) friendly agaist Argentina? When we're under pressure we can pull it together against them. They haven't shown any USA matches over here since we played them a while back.

The USA have also drawn a tough group and I see Italy and the Czech Republic making it through. I'd love if it we could meet after the group stages though Who were they agaist in Fridays (whichever Friday it was) matches?

I believe we've got past the defencive problems we had during qualifying, our coach was messing things around, which is how we lost to Ireland. The second we put them back, we met Argentina in a friendly, and got 2 goals at the end of the match to take a 1 goal lead.


I see..

Groups

Group A: Germany & Poland
Group B: England & Sweden
Group C: Argentina & Netherlands
Group D: Portugal & Mexico
Group E: Italy & Czech Republic
Group F: Brazil & Croatia
Group G: France & Korea
Group H: Spain & Ukraine


Quarter Finals
Brazil
Argentina
Germany
England
Netherlands
Czech Republic
Sweden
Croatia

Semi Finals
Brazil
Germany
Netherlands
England (Because I can )

Final
Yet Again..

Brazil v Germany




Just the way I see it panning out, although I do have high hopes for England.

Haha, Raven, when you say that Brazil finally have a GK, do you mean Nelson Dida? He's 32 and has been Brazil #1 for a long time, or am I mistaken? Still the best PK-stopper magician there is. And Roberto Carlos, surely over-rated, but he's on much the same defense (if not better) which won in 2002 and reached the finals in 1998. He and Cafu work together on amazing cross-field passes that send the opposition into turmoil.

So they're the same, but older. Is the rest of the world better? Hardly! Italy is older and without any quality replacements for aging stars. France has fallen off the map. The Dutch are temporarily weak. Germany is anonymous (Bastian Schweinsteiger, anyone?). Spain is Spain--unimproved over time and with a bad history to buck. England is better on paper, yes, but they're a freaking mess. Until Gerrard (my favorite player in the world) and Lampard put it together, it doesn't matter what else happens with Rooney, Owen, Terry etc. Should be the best MF in the tourney, but that's what I thought during Euro2004 also and look what happened v Portugal--played to stalemate by Deco, C Ronaldo, Maniche and company.

The only major teams to improve over 2002 are Brazil and Argentina (and Portugal, but they're not major). Brazil is better on offense, and the same on defense. They've improved over 2002, or has anyone not seen a certain monster of a superstar named Adriano? Argentina has improved mightily since 2002 with the long-awaited emergence of Riquelme and has some serious steel to go with their grace.

That said, football is almost as frustrating as poker for all the upsets. Go Togo, I'm on that wagon also!

But we were without Rooney at the end of our part for 2004. And if I ever catch up with the FREAKING refferee..