FIFA World Cup Thread

[Ford Prefect]

Now is the time for Australia to make it's giant killing act!

[Next of Kin]

I am, and will always cheer for Italy. That being said, the team is stacked with some Juventus talent from a team that has fallen on hard times. I looked at the roster...no Luca Toni!?! No Fabio Grosso!?! Who will score the goals!?!

[Qwerty 42]

1. United States.
2. It looks like we've got a very difficult path to the cup. From what I understand, if everyone wins the games they're supposed to, then the U.S. gets Germany in the Round of 16, and that will most likely be the end of that.
3. I've got a feeling about the Netherlands.

[thejester]

I am, and will always cheer for Italy. That being said, the team is stacked with some Juventus talent from a team that has fallen on hard times. I looked at the roster...no Luca Toni!?! No Fabio Grosso!?! Who will score the goals!?!

Since when has Italy been about scoring goals?

[Hillary]

That said, IIRC if we do make the 16 we most likely play England...man, fucking them up would be golden. We could lose the next 10 ashes and I'd still be smiling.

I'd take that deal like a shot - we aren't going to win the WC anyway. Oh, and I got Australia in the office sweep

The chances of a single team winning the world cup are always lower than 50%. I would give 20% to Brazil, 15% to Argentina, Italy and France, 10% to Germany, 5% to England and Netherlands.

No Spain in that equation? France are utterly appalling at the moment and Argentina were terrible in qualification.

[Hillary]

I didn't know Maradona was Argentina's coach!

He is, and he's an idiot... I wouldn't put it past that coked out retard to put Lionel Messi in goal and play a donkey at striker

As I read the other day, where most opposition coaches have failied, Maradona appears to have succeeded in nullifying the threat of Messi.

[thejester]

That said, IIRC if we do make the 16 we most likely play England...man, fucking them up would be golden. We could lose the next 10 ashes and I'd still be smiling.

I'd take that deal like a shot - we aren't going to win the WC anyway. Oh, and I got Australia in the office sweep

Yeah but imagine the backlash. Football is, well, the third or fourth footballing code in Australia in terms of interest and money (perhaps more prominent in terms of talent); it's England's national sport. You guys would never live it down.

Oh, and because I'm sure Phant would love it:
"They can suck it and carry on sucking it."

[Big Phil]

I didn't know Maradona was Argentina's coach!

He is, and he's an idiot... I wouldn't put it past that coked out retard to put Lionel Messi in goal and play a donkey at striker

As I read the other day, where most opposition coaches have failied, Maradona appears to have succeeded in nullifying the threat of Messi.

Lionel Messi plays for Argentina... Diego Maradona coaches Argentina... what am I missing here?

[Phantasee]

Sounds like an insult disguised as a compliment. Like the military grunt sayings about the worst enemy being behind you?

[Iosef Cross]

The chances are that the teams that already won world cups will have 85-90% of the chances of winning this cup!

Historically, from the 18 cups, Brazil won 5, Italy won 4, Germany won 3, Argentina and Uruguay won 2, England and France won 1 each.

So Brazil won 27.8% of the cups, Italy won 22.2%, Germany, 16.7%, Argentina and Uruguay, 11.1% and Britain and France, 5.6%. The chances of these teams are not too far off.

Take the last 6 world cups, Brazil won 2 cups, Argentina won 1, Germany won 1, Italy won 1 and France won their first. Hence 83.3% of the last 6 cups were won by countries that already did win before. Brazil won 33.3% of these cups, Argentina, Germany, France and Italy won 16.7%.

In every world cup, the single country with the highest chances of winning the cup are Brazil. Here, if "we" lose, the entire population cries... At least a good proportion of the population.

[Iosef Cross]

The chances of a single team winning the world cup are always lower than 50%. I would give 20% to Brazil, 15% to Argentina, Italy and France, 10% to Germany, 5% to England and Netherlands.

No Spain in that equation? France are utterly appalling at the moment and Argentina were terrible in qualification.

In 2006, France and Italy weren't the most counted on to win. The favorites were Argentina, Brazil and Germany, neither reached the finals. Brazil's team was considered to be one of the strongest ever fielded, and had a rather poor performance.

The world cup is quite deterministic, the countries that did well in the past have greatest chances of winning now, even if the countries that never won have good teams.

Spain and the Netherlands have good national teams on paper, the best teams that never won the cup, but they are always in good shape in every world cup, and never win!

[Thunderfire]

European teams never won the WC when the host wasn't a european nation.
So Brazil or Argentina are going to win this one. The WC winner needs a
good defense and ours(german) sucks.

[Lord Pounder]

Neither of the Ireland's got through so I'm an impartial observer in this one (a good friend is Spanish so I'll cheer for them most likely). I'm also hoping that at some point France play England and, in an unlikely event, a plane falls out of the sky on top of the teams I dislike so much.

I think Spain could go all the way depending on Torres staying fit, an unlikely occurence to be sure but stranger things have happened in a World Cup.

I think this World Cup is not going to be like others, no European or South American team this year looks especially strong, I actually fancy The Ivory Coast as an outside bet. Drogba has been playing out of his skin and if you look at their squad list they do have a good number of top level players and I am putting 20€ on them.

[Korgeta]

1) Who will you be supporting?

England

2) How far do you think they'll get?

Given their strong performance in the qualification group, I think they can go as far as the final.

3) Who do you think will win the competition?

As much as I would like England to win, the strongest teams are without doubt Spain and Brazil, south Korea and the USA may also surprise a few (they managed to get to the confederations final). I think France, Argentina and Germany will be off form this year, though with France and Argentina it would be more down to incompetent managers on their part.

Will Italy do well? The problem with italy that at club level none of the Italian clubs at Europa or the champions league had any success. Yes Inter Milan was a success but they only had one Italian in the whole first team.

Group D will be a interesting group, Serbia knocked out Russia and Australia have improved, so Germany won't have it easy. A fight for second place could be a real possibility.

I expect David Villa to be probably the top scorer of the tournament.

[2000AD]

1) Who will you be supporting?
England

2) How far do you think they'll get?
Quarter finals at least, hopefully further. We've got a top class coach and a decent enough team. We stormed through qualifying, having the best goal difference and winnaing all but one, that being a fairly meaningless encounter when we'd already qualified.

3) Who do you think will win the competition?
Plumping for the Netherlands. They're on fire right now.

[Crown]

Lionel Messi plays for Argentina... Diego Maradona coaches Argentina... what am I missing here?

Messi is arguably the world's best player, and he has been largely anonymous in Argentina's (tight) qualification. The tin foil hatists will have you believe that this is due to Diego Armando Maradona intentionally sabotaging Messi due to Maradona being possibly jealous of the attention Messi is receiving and nothing to do that Argentina don't have Xavi & Iniesta as fulcrum's in the midfield that keep the game ticking and release Messi like a force of nature on the football pitch.

But, since this is El Loco we're discussing you can't entirely dismiss the possibility.

[Phantasee]

So quick opinion: how will Greece v S Korea go?

[UnderAGreySky]

In the 2006 world cup, the three favorites at the start were Brazil, Argentina and Germany. Not one of them reached the finals. In 2006 Brazil had a really lousy coach, a bad strategy and unmotivated players. In paper it was the best team in the world, in practice, it was the worst team among the major "powers" in football.

And were totally fucked by that one man genius who answered to the name of Zizou. I occasionally go back to the video of that match and watch how he threads passes around like he owns the bloody field. Between that match and the previous one against Spain, he showed why he was the best player that tournament with the exception of Cannavaro.

This time, the injury list is quite amusing... Drogba, Ferdinand, Nani, Ballack, Mikel, Robben... not to mention Beckham though he may not have even made it to the squad.

So, to answer them questions:

1) My adopted country, England. If not, Oz.

2) Semis

3) I'd have given the Argentines some chance if they weren't coached by that fat nincompoop. Spain? No, I get the feeling they are chokers. That leaves old-timers Brazil and diving defensive champs, Italy. Anyone know how good the Germans look this time?

[UnderAGreySky]

I think this World Cup is not going to be like others, no European or South American team this year looks especially strong, I actually fancy The Ivory Coast as an outside bet. Drogba has been playing out of his skin and if you look at their squad list they do have a good number of top level players and I am putting 20€ on them.

Except ol' Didier has broken a bone and won't be fully fit even if he makes it...

[Gil Hamilton]

1. USA, then Germany. My fiance is cheering for Germany, has has since she discovered that she wants Michael Ballack's baby. Even though Ballack isn't on the current German squad. Go figure.
2. At least to the round of sixteen. England will be a tough match, but we've got a great side this time and I think we can take Algeria and Slovenia. Besides, you can often count on England to suddenly and without warning snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I don't think we'll make it much further, but hey, I'm cheering for them.
3. Holland is looking good, as is Germany. There are alot of strong contenders.

[GuppyShark]

I got Paraguay in an office pool.

Are they any good? I'm leaning towards yes if only because they can pick up the guys Brazil and Argentina passed on.

[Next of Kin]

So quick opinion: how will Greece v S Korea go?

Most likely a draw. S Korea has a history of being a spoiler (see Italy loss in 2002). However, the Greeks managed to come out of left field to win the 2004 Euro cup.

[Commander 598]

Really, the only thing that matters is if we (America) can brag about a second win against England.

[Korgeta]

So quick opinion: how will Greece v S Korea go?

I say south korea, it still amazes me how greece won the euro2004 cup but they haven't come close to being as good as they were before. i think south korea will fare better though it would be 1 goal difference between the sides.

Mexico vs South Africa? South Africa will put on a good show but mexico will have the final say.

[Whiplash]

Just over two weeks away. A few questions to throw out.

1) Who will you be supporting?

2) How far do you think they'll get?

3) Who do you think will win the competition?

In my case, I will be supporting my home country, England.

Due to a pretty useful draw, it would be a bit of a disaster if they didn't make it to the quarter finals, where they'll likely play France or Mexico. I actually think they'll make it past either of those to the semis, where they lose to Brazil or, possibly, Holland.

Spain will win, as they have, by far, the best squad.

USA MOTHERFUCKERS!!!

I'm kidding, this is the first time I'll actually be watching the World Cup (though I'm gonna miss much of it tomorrow and Saturday).

But yeah, I'll root for the U.S.
I don't think they'll get very far.
As for who will win, I don't know, Brazil?