World Cup Thread

[fuzzylogix]

Spanish players have cojones!

and it is not just how good an individual player is- sometimes that works against them. Beck is too self important. It is how the team works together. Often players who are not superstars work better together.

Back the dark horse! Viva Espana!

 

[Toro]

Re: RE: World Cup Thread

England will win the World Cup. We DEFINITELY have the mental toughness, as the Blitz spirit will pull us through. Also, our club teams have shown in the last season or two how we never-say-die, and are well capable of coming back from behind to win a game - as Liverpool did against AC Milan in last season's European Cup Final when they were losing 3-0 at half time but still went on to win the game, and how Middlesbrough, in this season's UEFA Cup, came from 3-0 behind on aggegrate in BOTH the Quarter Final and Semi-Final and still came back to win both games. The English have a never-say-die attitude, and if any team has any great lead over England in a World Cup game - leading 3-0, say - then that team shouldn't be so confident that they will still win that game, as England win probably come back and win 4-3.

Neither Brazil nor Argentina will win the World Cup as only ONCE, in 1958, has any South American team won the World Cup in Europe.

Blackleaf

I'm cheering for England, but don't tell me that England has great mental strength in sports. That loss against Brazil 4 years ago when England just rolled over - not even getting a single shot on target in the 20+ minutes against 10 men Brazil - was a joke. Remember, this is a nation that has had trouble qualifying for past World Cups. This is a nation that only twice in its entire history has even gotten to the semi-finals.

As a supporter of Liverpool, Istanbul was great, except that there were only two Englishmen in the squad that day.

I lived in England, and it struck me how ingrained in the society this idea that England's greatest days were behind them.

 

[Blackleaf]

Re: RE: World Cup Thread

I loved the way Beck croaked on his free kick last time. Hope he plays the same way this year!!!!

Well, you're gonna be disappointed. Beckham played magnificently in England's 3-1 win against Hungary last week and in England's 6-0 victory against Jamaica on Saturday. In the first game, his perfectly accurate kicks from dead ball situations set up every one of England's 3 goals. If he is still in this form in the World Cup, then England will be the tournament's deadliest team from set pieces.

 

[Blackleaf]

Re: RE: World Cup Thread

That loss against Brazil 4 years ago when England just rolled over - not even getting a single shot on target in the 20+ minutes against 10 men Brazil - was a joke.

Rubbish. Brazil are the greatest football team that has ever existed on the planet. Brazil won EVERY game they played in the 2002 World Cup, and England came the closest to beating them. We went 1-0 ahead from a fantastic goal by Michael Owen, only for the Brazilians to beat us by scoring to FLUKEY goals in the 2nd half, including a Ronadinho free kick that somehow sailed crazily over Seaman's head and into the bar. And, if I'm remembering correctly, England were the ONLY team in the last World Cup to have been beating the Brazilians at one point. The Final, against Germany, was much easier for Brazil, who won 2-0 comfortably. And, just before the England VS Brazil Quarter Final, everyone was saying that the winners of that game would go on to win the World Cup. So England were the second best team out of all the Quarter Finalists, only losing against the eventual winners by two flukey goals.

[Rmember, this is a nation that has had trouble qualifying for past World Cups. This is a nation that only twice in its entire history has even gotten to the semi-finals.

We've qualified for most World Cups than most teams - including teams such as Spain and France. And thinmk about poor Spain - they've NEVER won the World Cup and have only ever been past the Quarter Finals once.

As a supporter of Liverpool, Istanbul was great, except that there were only two Englishmen in the squad that day.

There weren't many English in the Liverpool team, but neither were there many Italians in the AC Milan team.

Here are the teams that played in the 2005 European Cup Final -

AC Milan: Dida, Cafu, Maldini, Stam, Nesta, Gattuso (Rui Costa 112), Seedorf (Serginho 86), Pirlo, Kaka, Shevchenko, Crespo (Tomasson 85).


Goals: Maldini 1, Crespo 39, 44.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan (Hamann 46), Traore, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Gerrard, Luis Garcia, Alonso, Kewell (Smicer 23), Baros (Cisse 85).


Booked: Carragher, Baros.

Goals: Gerrard 54, Smicer 56, Alonso 59.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the Liverpool team, there were two Englishman and three from the British Isles and in the Italian team there were four Italians.

 

[Blackleaf]

The 19th World Cup starts today, and it's a football feast with two or three games on TV nearly everyday for the next 5-6 weeks.

Tonight we have Germany VS Costa Rica in the opening game, at 5pm British time. Then, at 8pm, we have Poland VS Ecuador, both games from Group A.

Tomorrow, there are the Group B matches - England VS Paraguay and then Sweden VS Trinidad and Tobago. And there is one Group C match - Argentina VS Ivory Coast.

 

[Blackleaf]

What a great opening match to the 2006 World Cup.

Germany 4-2 Costa Rica.

The reason why there were plenty of goals was because Germany were pretty good in attack but absolutely atrocious in defence. Germany play Poland next, on Wednesday, and they will be a much tougher opposition.

Germany could also play England in the Last 16 and I can't see the Germans winning that game if we do meet. England are a much better team, and this is the weakest Germany side for years.

I also learnt during the match that only ONE of the Germany players was actually born in Germany.

 

[dekhqonbacha]

the result is like in hockey

 

[dekhqonbacha]

the first goal was wonderful.

 

[fuflans]

Eccccccccccccccccccccccccccuador!

Ecuador: 2 Poland: 0

Edit: Poland was lucky that they only had two goals scored against them. So much for dominance.

 

[fuzzylogix]

Wow- we've found something that ruffles Blackleaf's feathers besides pompous British history!!!

 

[Toro]

Blackleaf

I'm an anglophile. My paternal grandparents were born in England. I have lived in England. Like most North Americans who follow football, we adopt foreign teams because ours have no chance. And my adopted teams is England. I want England to win the World Cup!

No doubt England are tough when it counts, i.e. fighting wars. But they certainly haven't been at the World Cup. In the entire history of the tournament, only once has England ever reached the semi-finals outside of when they hosted the tournament in 1966. Here is when England has been eliminated at the World Cup

1950 - First round, and lost to the US in the biggest upset ever in World Cup history
1954 - Quarter-finals
1958 - First round
1962 - Quarter-finals
1966 - Winners
1970 - Quarter-finals
1974 - Did not qualify
1978 - Did not qualify
1982 - 2nd round
1986 - Quarter-finals
1990 - Semi-finals
1994 - Did not qualify
1998 - 2nd Round
2002 - Quarter-finals, losing to 10-man, defensively-deficient Brazil without registering a single shot after Ronaldhino was sent off. And this guy agrees with me.

So, up until this tournament, England didn't even qualify for three of the past eight tournaments.

That's not much of an accomplishment given England's stature in World football.

From Brian Glanville's latest column

ENGLAND FLATTER TO DECEIVE
08/06/06

Hard for one who was actually at Old Trafford last Saturday to understand such euphoria over England’s prospects in the World Cup.

The FA as we know in a moment of sheer hubris had already scheduled a literally regal celebration. Now Sven Goran Eriksson leads with his chin by stating that England could beat Brazil. What? On the basis of a 6-0 win against opposition as negligible as Jamaica, whose quick attackers, so much superior to their inept defenders, time and again embarrassed England’s own defence with their admirably cool and confident ball control, keeping possession under great pressure, sometimes laying the ball off, sometimes getting to the goal line, the right hand one, to put in a dangerous cross.

That shocking error in the first half by John Terry let Jason Euell in for a fierce drive which keeper Paul Robinson did wonderfully well to beat away. And subsequently, a jewelled through ball by Euell gave Luton Shelton a palpable chance, which he wasted by shooting wide of a post. Late in the game, the England defenders charitably stood off, enabling the Jamaican left back, Reid, to shoot from far out at his leisure, David James, by then in goal as sub, being obliged to leap and turn the ball over the bar.

There were eulogies for Peter Crouch on his hat trick, though one of his goals was an outright deflection and he carelessly missed that penalty. For many years I have been an admirer of Crouch and his undoubted ball skills – the irony being that despite, despite his colossal height, he is probably better on the ground than in the air – from his early days at Queens Park Rangers. But he still does not seem to me a player, lacking in acceleration as he does, of international quality, and the still probable absence of Wayne Rooney is likely to cost England very dear. Not least since Michael Owen inevitably, after so long a lay off, has yet to regain his old, incisive pace.

England should, however, be capable of at least surviving the first round. Paraguay, their initial opponents, have a suspect goalkeeper and look unlikely to have the talented striker Roque Santa Cruz fit in time to play. Sweden, who have had the Indian sign on England for so many years, are clearly in a state of crisis. Even when Henrik Larsson, who scored from a splendid long range free kick, Freddie Ljungberg and Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned to the side last week against Chile in Stockholm, the team could manage no better than an unimpressive 1-1 draw with Chile and were booed off the pitch.

 

[Vicious]

Just so it's on the record at the beginning of this. I traditionally support Germany. Although I'm not German I was born there (I'll let you figure that out). I would support Canada if they would ever qualify. But they are not so I'm left with the Germans again.

 

[Toro]

Well, after day one, it is apparent that Germany are a very entertaining but highly flawed side. Ballack was criticizing Klinsman for being too offensive-minded, and he appears to be right. Costa Rica tore apart the German defense during the few chances they were able to break. A better side would have destroyed Germany today. But a great match to watch as a fan.

Hard luck to Poland. A 1-1 draw would have been a fair result, but sports aren't fair. Poland's goal should have been allowed as the linesman is supposed to give the benefit of the doubt to the attacker. Ecuador will probably be going to the second round with Germany as they looked to be a better side than Costa Rica.

 

[Toro]

Well, 1-0 to England.

They were all over Paraguay during the first half hour, but seemed to lack a cutting edge. The game also lacked rhythm.

But the result is what matters. England should be off to the second round. The only question is whether England will play Germany or Ecuador in the second round.

 

[Toro]

In one of the most amazing results of the World Cup, Trinidad held Sweden 0-0. The result isn't that stunning to anyone who watched T&T in qualifying. They have good players. What makes it truly stunning is that T&T had a man sent off in the 47th minute. The starting keeper for T&T was hurt in the warm-ups 10 minutes before match. Sweden had chance after chance but couldn't convert as the T&T keeper, Shaka Hislop, kept the Swedes at bay. 0-0 matches with one team having a man sent off usually aren't all that interesting. This match was.

This should be a warning to England not to take T&T lightly. It seems like every Englishman has written off the Socca Warriors as an easy stroll in the park. England do so at their peril. If they show the same lack of finishing like they did today, 0-0 is a distinct possibility.

 

[Blackleaf]

Go, T&T!!


A shock 0-0 draw for Sweden against Trinidad and Tobago means that England are already 2 points clear at the top of the group after they beat Paraguay 1-0. That means that if England beat Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday we'll be through to the Last 16 (which looks like it'll either be Germany or Ecuador) with the game against Sweden - who England haven't beaten since 1968 - to go.
-------------------------
Group B

.............P......W.....D.....L.....F.....A....Pts......P/D
England...1......1......0......0....1......0.....3.........+1
Sweden...1......0......1......0....0......0.....1.........0
T&T........1......0......1......0....0......0.....1.........0
Paraguay..1......0.......0.....1....0......1.....0.........-1

So, if England win against T&T on Thursday (and I can't see T&T pulling off two shocks results in a row) then we'll be through to the Last 16 with a game against Sweden to go, and we won't be bothered that we haven't beaten them since 1968 because we wouldn't have to beat them.

So it's been a very good start to England's World Cup campaign.

Go T&T!!!!!!!

 

[Blackleaf]

Re: RE: World Cup Thread

This should be a warning to England not to take T&T lightly. It seems like every Englishman has written off the Socca Warriors as an easy stroll in the park. England do so at their peril. If they show the same lack of finishing like they did today, 0-0 is a distinct possibility.

The result WAS a shock.

Trinidad & Tobago lost 3-1 against Slovenia in a friendly game last week, and lost 2-1 against Wales the week before that.

But Sweden also haven't been playing well. Since they qualified for the World Cup, they have failed to win all of the 6 games that they have played up to today. England, though, have won all of their last 7 games.

England will beat Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday. They won't be able to pull off another shock result.

 

[Toro]

And England lost to 10-man Belarus in Reading.

So I don't take much stock in T&T losing to Slovenia or Wales in friendlies.

 

[dekhqonbacha]

shame for Sweden

 

[Toro]

Oh, and Blackleaf

T&T getting a decent result is a shock to you because you're English. They can beat Paraguay.

Well, Ivory Coast is certainly giving as good as they're getting. This, too, could be an upset. Argies had a ball cleared off the line! Hahaha. I hope they lose 1-0.