World Cup 2006: who will be the Champion?

Originally posted by American Mad Man
The US will win it all, and then share a collective laugh as we recycle the materials it's made out of because almost no one here cares about it.

Lets go Ghana!!! Can't wait to see Italy kick USA butt and then Ghana kick USA tail... So that we can forget about this world cup junk... and soccer in general. Now... There is a hockey game on tonight so I need to get myself a six pack to get ready for a game played by men.

We havent got a hope in hell, but i just wanted to shout OZZI OZZI OZZI OI OI OI.
3-1 over japan, glorious.Btw the only reason we yell that out at sporting events is that were usually too p@#$%d to say anything else.

On topic after watching tonight i believe czech republic will be the team to beat, that tomas risocky-awesome.

GO AUSSIES.

Cheers
M4S

Originally posted by Peronemlin

England vs Paraguay: I expected much more from both teams.

Just a question: How many World Cups have you payed attention to? I'm guessing you have seen more than one. You should know then that England are very slow starters, so dont expect too much from them in the group stages.

Argentina didnt exactly have a great 2002 World Cup and the loss to Holland in 1998 didn't go down well either. Should be a good matchup between them this year in the group stages and Argentina will be looking for revenge. Argentina has always struggled to emerge from the shadow of Maradona but the bitter pill to swallow is Brazil. Argentina takes two steps forward, Brazil take four, if you meet in the World Cup there will be only one outcome...

Reading through this thread, i could stay and educate you more in Football, but i have to go back to the sports site.

www.sportzawk.com

Man, USA got their arses pwnt by the Czechs! Maybe they should go home and play their little girl games? Tomas Rosicky's goals were beautiful.

The American's did have one or two good chances, but the Czechs are too good at counter attacks, especially against USA's poor defense.

I have a really strong feeling that this year could be England's year, our team seems to be in fantastic form. Aslong as nobody gets injured, sent off, or we don't have a stupid referee like the one in Portugal, then we'll have a damn good chance.

Originally posted by The Real Deal

Originally posted by Peronemlin

England vs Paraguay: I expected much more from both teams.

Just a question: How many World Cups have you payed attention to? I'm guessing you have seen more than one. You should know then that England are very slow starters, so dont expect too much from them in the group stages.

All of them since 1986. And I can tell you that no team playing as bad as England against Paraguay can win the cup.

Originally posted by The Real Deal
Argentina takes two steps forward, Brazil take four, if you meet in the World Cup there will be only one outcome...

Of course. We'll win, just as we did last time we played against each in a World Cup.

Originally posted by The Real Deal
Reading through this thread, i could stay and educate you more in Football, but i have to go back to the sports site.

Sure, stay, maybe I can teach you something.

Originally posted by xeroxed88
Man, USA got their arses pwnt by the Czechs! Maybe they should go home and play their little girl games?

I'll tell you one thing... I would respect the game of soccer a lot more if they cracked down on the constant diving. Let the officials decide if a guy is faking and give him a yellow card. Something doesn't appeal to me about grown men crying in agony and being carried off the field in a stretcher... Only to hop back up and run on the field ten seconds later.

My plan worked and I totally agree with you - footballers are a bunch of wimps! Then again, I have seen some pretty awful injuries; legs snapped clean in half, etc. But anyway, let's not turn this into another "There is only one kind of football..." thread.

If England don't beat Trinidad & Tobago then we have serious problems!

Go Carolina Hurricanes!!!
Even though hockey IMO is much more fun, i would have to go for Poland, gotta represent my homeland. I don't follow soccer at all, but all i know is that Poland is in and they lost to Portugal or some country like that.

Payce

Originally posted by xeroxed88
If England don't beat Trinidad & Tobago then we have serious problems!

Sweden are a damn fine team, and they didn't, there are no mugs at this level, and those who bitch out England for WINNING their fist game get right on my, well, you know. Also I've not seen anyone thus far feign injury. How about matey watches the bloody games before casting aspersions? I think the officials thus far have done a damn good job. Anyway, bring 'em on.

Originally posted by LostSailor

Originally posted by xeroxed88
Man, USA got their arses pwnt by the Czechs! Maybe they should go home and play their little girl games?

I'll tell you one thing... I would respect the game of soccer a lot more if they cracked down on the constant diving. Let the officials decide if a guy is faking and give him a yellow card. Something doesn't appeal to me about grown men crying in agony and being carried off the field in a stretcher... Only to hop back up and run on the field ten seconds later.

Yeah right whatever............



You do know that diving is a cardable offence don't you? Or are you going to insist on pulling your ideas out of thin air (or somewhere else?) to justify your quite extraordinary assumptions about a game you know nothing about?

Although, its a constant source of amusement to me that whichever forum you go to on the net, if its used by Americans and a football (sorry, sock-errr) thread comes up, you can guarantee one thing. That there'll always, always be some yanks that just simply cant help themselves, they have to start spouting on and on about how crap they think it is. and not just once or twice, on and on and on ad infinitum. Whats the deal with it?

Suppressed homosexuality? Well theres certainly lots of calls about it being 'not manly enough' and 'not enough hitting' and 'gay' and yada yada yada.......so the accusations flow like confetti
But, they totally fail to see the homo eroticism in a a bunch of guys dressing up in tights and armour, lining up to run at each other, and ending up in a heap of writhing bodies and UFIA's every few minutes. or do they fail to see it? hmmm maybe they see it only too well

Deep seated insecurity? That somewhere back in the recesses of what passes for the subconcious, they actually know that their sports really aren't that good? Because if they were so superior, why aren't they the premier team sports in the world?

Deep seated superiority? I think we can take that one at least as a given yes, the average NFL/NHL fan does have this inbred belief that they're above everyone else, and simply must tell any dissenters, in so many words, that they're 'gay' (see above)

Maybe its all, or some of the above. There are probably even more reasons behind this crack-like addiction that certain wankballers have. I do however think it certainly would make a very good thesis for someone to work on, as its happens all over the net.

Regardless, while I find it an amusing spectacle, I have to say this:
We know you don't like it. We get the picture. But, we don't care that you don't care. So do everyone a favour ok? STFU, GBTW and leave us to talk about the sport we love in peace. I have never, never seen an NFL or NHL thread anywhere get jacked by football fans yacking on and on and on about how crap they find the game. Yet damn near every football thread gets it, everywhere. Just go off with your wankballey mates, and talk about dressing up like demented Xmen and playing with yourselves until one of you is crowned 'world champions'

Thank you




[edit on 13-6-2006 by ridcully]

ridcully,

You having a bad day my man? You know I only talk smack like that because i get off on the fact that it ticks you off soooooooo bad. I don't normally troll... But it is just to much fun when it comes to talking smack about soccer.

You never answered my question... If diving is a cardable offense. Then why do so many players dive?

Let's keep some peace here, please. This is one event where the world unites to watch the beautiful sport of football. Who cares if LostSailor doesn't like football, there's many a million who actually do so lets join them and enjoy the tournament!

We, as humans, should celebrate the World Cup abit more and not cause any crap. The world's falling apart and this is one of only a few events that make many nations unite - apart from war. :shk:

However, I wasn't impressed with somebody's comment, "We don't care about the World Cup, once we in it we'll just recycle it" (or something like that). It really doesn't surprise me that you don't care about it, because you have nothing to gain from entering the World Cup, theres no oil involved and lets face it, you'll never win it. I joke, I joke.

But seriously, lets just chill with a beer or twenty and enjoy the beautiful game that is football!

To get back on topic:

It's a shame Togo lost yesterday against S.Korea. They funded themselves for the World Cup and I was routing for them all the way. That first goal was a beauty though!

Which teams do you think will be in the knock-out stages?


[edit on 13-6-2006 by xeroxed88]

Originally posted by LostSailor
ridcully,

You having a bad day my man? You know I only talk smack like that because i get off on the fact that it ticks you off soooooooo bad. I don't normally troll... But it is just to much fun when it comes to talking smack about soccer.

You never answered my question... If diving is a cardable offense. Then why do so many players dive?

lol no I wasn't LS, it was done in jest, sorry if it came across differently old chap. I'd just come out of a thread on another site with some hilarious trolling on it and couldn't help myself

To answer your question, theres a number of reasons, I'll try and give general answers but it can be quite complicated. If you get away with it and the ref thinks you've been taken down illegally, at the very least you'll get a free kick. Which can be very useful depending whereabouts on the pitch the 'incident' was. It at least gives you the chance to briefly stop play (up to about 30secs usually) and get your players into a better position to score, or to easily clear the ball when an attack was being mounted against your goal. If you manage to to get away with it in the opposition goal area, then you could get a penalty awarded. In itself, reward enough. If you do it really well, the player who comitted the *cough* 'foul' could get a yellow (caution), or even a red (send off) card. Straight reds are rare unless a player really has been injured, but a yellow is still very useful. It means the player then has to be very careful from then on in the game as another yellow card is an automatic send off and one match ban. The number of yellows a player collects (I think 5) over a period of games can also accumulate and eventually lead to an automatic ban.
Its a double edged sword though. Fans absolutely hate divers and will even boo their own players. If its done away from home the opposition fans will barrack them for the rest of the game. Which might not sound like much but having something like 50,000 people calling you all the names under the sun can and does have an effect. I saw it done last season when the team I support (who are basically pretty crap), managed to beat a much superior team and it was the abuse us fans gave the opposition had a lot to do with it. One player had it right from the start as his brother and cousin had just been sent down for a racial murder, but 2 diving incidents from other players really had us going and eventually the whole team lost the plot and we beat them.
I'll stop waffling now!

Alright alright... I just hope US beats those long haired, sissy looking, flopping all over the field and crying Italian girls!!!:bash:

I've just watch Spain vs Ukrain ,4-0!

Very impressive playing with the goal that Puyol made.

That's the greatest goal that I've ever seen.


bet Espania!

Who will be the champ? ECUADOR of course! (Viva la Republica!)





Ok, seriously though - I'm voting for these guys as I've taken on the underdogs, who have bucketloads in spirit what they may not have in talent or experience.


Go Ecua, Go Trini, Go Ghana!


And Spain wiped the floor with the Ukraine.

Between the 'big boys' I say Brazil, Italia and Argentina (in that order).

Sorry England.

Ecuador looked damn good out there today. Sorry all my English friends but I have to root for the underdog Trinidad & Tobago here soon!!!

not long till the end of the game now,

Roony is in, and Eng 0 Tri 0


come on England!!! 10 mins of the game left

SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Eng 1 Whooo hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo