World Cup!!!

[Eljohno]

Ok guys it is only a few more weeks til the World Cup starts so who do you think will win it and why?

Do England have any chance with or without Rooney?

For me i will take the obvious choice and go for Brazil simply because i have not seen any other team who looks anywhere near as good as them although being the World Cup it does not always go with the favourites.

[Admin]

England [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

Usual suspects will probably win, Brazil, Germany or France. Worth dutching all 3 in a bet, and laying England if less than 10.0

Remember, all the teams done virtually the same to qualify, so back against short priced teams in the group stage.

1st games used to be low scoring, but this trend has changed in the last 3 competitions with a high number of goals. Betting 2+ goals for the first group games has proved profitable lately.

[ivor&mel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Eljohno &#064; May 22 2006, 11&#58;48 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>

Ok guys it is only a few more weeks til the World Cup starts so who do you think will win it and why?

Do England have any chance with or without Rooney?

For me i will take the obvious choice and go for Brazil simply because i have not seen any other team who looks anywhere near as good as them although being the World Cup it does not always go with the favourites.
[/b][/quote]
Brazil are usually favourites, but they never quite make it when the WC is played in Europe. Maybe it will be different this time as they have so many of their team playing in Europe now? Assuming both teams progressed, at what stage would England be likely to encounter Brazil? I&#39;d love an England v Brazil final, but I have a feeling that would not be possible?

This has got to be England&#39;s best chance for years, with or without Rooney. And the last chance for several players. Maybe for allplayers if we have nothing but McLaren to look forward to&#33;

[ivor&mel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(admin &#064; May 23 2006, 08&#58;35 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
England [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

Usual suspects will probably win, Brazil, Germany or France. Worth dutching all 3 in a bet, and laying England if less than 10.0

Remember, all the teams done virtually the same to qualify, so back against short priced teams in the group stage.

1st games used to be low scoring, but this trend has changed in the last 3 competitions with a high number of goals. Betting 2+ goals for the first group games has proved profitable lately.
[/b][/quote]
So what do you think of this, Keith? Is it a load of billhooks or what?

[ginapeterb]

<span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"> Will England win the world Cup ?</span>

I don&#39;t often comment in the sports section, but its about time I did &#33;, With the support England has at home, there is no reason why they cannot win it, to say that in the last 40 years they havent won this knockout trophy is pretty sad, remember Old Jimmy Greaves, when he used to pundit on the BBC, his favourite words were this " Both sides are tired, its just a matter now of who wants it the most ?" that just about sums it up for me.

I was watching a programme on BBC2 last night about Argentina, whose rise to world cup prominence, took place amid 10 years of political dissapearances, dictatorship and the Falklands war, and yet they manage to win it twice, 1978 and 1986 I think, what impressed me about Argentina&#39;s mental attitude to the game, was the total self belief in sucess, the whole of Argentina was behind them, and they had one thing going for them that was different to the England Set up.

Carlos Menotti had the players to himself for months before the campain started, no problems with getting clubs to release players, and he had a mandate, bring the world cup back to Argentina with all the resources he needed from this generally poorer latin american country.

England&#39;s players are well paid, and we should have the resources to bring this trophy back to footballs home, the quality of the players is there, just look at Steven Gerrard and others, I think its all a matter of national support, and player self belief and temperament, I&#39;ve always thought that England never win it for one reason only, at the end of the day, if we win it fine, but if not, they always go back to lucrative salaries and they are always ok, as Jimmy Greaves says &#39; Saint its a funny old game, but really its just a matter of who wants it the most, hence the reason France won it in France 98, national pride, playing in front of the home crowd, can you imagine how we would feel if England could defeat Germany in Berlin in 2006 to take the trophy back to England, it would be the match of all time, and the greatest match ever played in world cup history, its there if they want it, its just a matter of how much ??

[Admin]

They have those formulas for everything.

If England win, I&#39;ll polish the Pope&#39;s bell [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yikes.gif[/img]

We couldn;t beat Belarus....and that WAS NOT our &#39;B&#39; team......as some of the players are going the World cup, and Owen played like the sack of spuds he is, and he&#39;s our main striker [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yikes.gif[/img]

I&#39;m a professional gambler, I&#39;ll be taking them on for bucket loads after the group stages. Haven&#39;t failed to profit in the big soccer tournies yet, and I won&#39;t fail this year eaither. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]


Come on TOBAGO..... [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cwm24.gif[/img]

[ivor&mel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(admin &#064; May 29 2006, 07&#58;11 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
They have those formulas for everything.
[/b][/quote]
I&#39;m going to use e=mc2. I&#39;ve always liked that one [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(admin &#064; May 29 2006, 07&#58;11 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
If England win, I&#39;ll polish the Pope&#39;s bell [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yikes.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]
Oh ye of little faith&#33; Get your Brasso out then&#33;

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(admin &#064; May 29 2006, 07&#58;11 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
We couldn;t beat Belarus....and that WAS NOT our &#39;B&#39; team......as some of the players are going the World cup, and Owen played like the sack of spuds he is, and he&#39;s our main striker [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yikes.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]
Yeah, that was a result that&#39;s best forgotten. Owen&#39;s rusty (the Newcastle air does that to people) but he&#39;ll come good in time. He scores goals when it matters, and I think he&#39;ll deliver.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(admin &#064; May 29 2006, 07&#58;11 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Come on TOBAGO..... [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cwm24.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]
Tobago? Even Wales beat them&#33; And they have to have Trinidad to help them [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

[Admin]

It was Tobago&#39;s &#39;B&#39; team [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Grin.gif[/img]

[walesrob]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Eljohno &#064; May 22 2006, 11&#58;48 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>

Ok guys it is only a few more weeks til the World Cup starts so who do you think will win it and why?

Do England have any chance with or without Rooney?

For me i will take the obvious choice and go for Brazil simply because i have not seen any other team who looks anywhere near as good as them although being the World Cup it does not always go with the favourites.
[/b][/quote]

Look, I don&#39;t know much about Footie, but you must admit its not looking too good if England are pinning their hopes on a player with a broken foot. Isn&#39;t there other players as well? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Erm.gif[/img]

What makes me laugh when it comes to World Cup time is how the Scottish and Welsh will just NOT support England, not matter how good they are - it really is quite pathetic. I spoke to one looney Welsh Nationalist yesterday, and he said he&#39;d rather eat his granny than support England [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Admin]

I&#39;d get behind any team.....as long as it&#39;s not France or Man U [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

[andypaul]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(admin &#064; May 29 2006, 01&#58;56 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
I&#39;d get behind any team.....as long as it&#39;s not France or Man U [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]

Even Everton??

[Admin]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(andypaul &#064; May 29 2006, 09&#58;34 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Even Everton??
[/b][/quote]

I&#39;m always behind Everton.....my great great grandad was the manager for a number of years, so our family still gets looked after by the ground [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]


Back to the World Cup, with our strike force down to &#39;crap&#39; we now change the formation, and rely on Gerrard & Lampard, who don&#39;t really perform at International level. Next we&#39;ll have Angus Deayton in goal [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[cappelan]

<span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%">AUSSIE..AUSSIE..AUSSIE..OI&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;..OI&#33;&#33;&#33;..OI&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;</span> [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/BouncyHappy.gif[/img]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=104992

<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Dogged Australia hold Dutch to draw</span> [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yikes.gif[/img]

Monday Jun 5 05:29 AEST

Australia showed the world how to stop the Netherlands at the forthcoming World Cup with a battling 1-1 draw on Sunday.

The Dutch took a first half lead through Manchester United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy but the Socceroos hit back after the break with Tim Cahill smashing home a rebound after Mark Viduka&#39;s penalty came back off the woodwork.

They even survived the 61st minute red card of Luke Wiltshire to continue to frustrate their talented opponents right to the final whistle.

Australia employed rough tactics, teetering on the limit of legality, to nullify the more seductive football produced by their opponents to gain a flattering result.

Australia&#39;s Dutch coach Guus Hiddink was delighted.

"What a great match, with a great physical level that proves our players are ready even if they were tiring at the end," he said.

"Tactically we have come up against one of the best teams in the world and we matched them.
"The progress we have made is amazing in several short months compared to the Australia of six months ago."

Marco van Basten&#39;s men went on the attack from the first whistle and were ahead after just nine minutes after Mark Schwarzer parried a centre from Dennis Ooijer straight to the former PSV Eindhoven player&#39;s feet.

The Netherlands remained in the ascendancy with Schwarzer troubled into keeping out efforts from Wesley Sneijder, Mark van Bommel and van Nistelrooy.

But that all changed after the break as Sneijder limped off and then Giovanni van Bronckhorst brought down Viduka to give the visitors a lifeline.

Viduka missed from 12 yards, as he had done in the successful World Cup play-off shoot-out against Uruguay in November, but thankfully Cahill was following up.

Soon after, Wiltshire was given his marching orders for assaulting van Nistelrooy and the injured party, along with attacking partners Robin van Persie of Arsenal and Chelsea&#39;s Arjen Robben, went close to snatching victory but found Schwarzer in inspired form and the Netherlands were forced to content themselves with a draw.

"Our performance was not perfect," moaned van Basten. "There are many things we need to improve, that&#39;s for sure.

"But at least we played very well, created a lot of chances."

Van Basten had no complaints about Australia&#39;s physical approach despite injuries to Sneijder, Phillip Cocu and van Bronckhorst.

"This was a match for men. It is more enriching to play in a match like this but unfortunately three of my players are now injured.

"I hope it is not too serious."

For Australia it was a morale-boosting result on the territory of FIFA&#39;s number three rated country, but that could not mask the gulf in class at times.

In the first half, Viduka cut a lonely figure up front on his own with midfielders unable to reach him quickly enough to offer support.

Australia could not match the speed of the Dutch wingers, nor the creativity of a midfield superbly marshalled by the excellent Sneijder.

But Schwarzer played a blinder and could have earned himself a start ahead of Zeljko Kalac in the June 9-July 9 showpiece.

The Netherlands have been paired with Argentina, Ivory Coast and Serbia and Montenegro in Group C while Australia face Brazil, Japan and Croatia in Group F.

[Admin]

Italy played complete crap the other day, I&#39;ll be playing against them in the tournie, but after watching Brazil [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yikes.gif[/img] they look by far the best of all the teams I&#39;ve seen so far, no surprise there though.

[ivor&mel]

Italy seem to have been distracted by the all the corruption stuff in their league. Going to be interesting to see the outcome: at the moment, the feeling is that Juve are going to get the boot - and it won&#39;t be golden&#33;

Who do people think has the best chance amongst European teams (apart from England, of course [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img] )? Spain are overdue for a good run... and the Czechs are looking pretty formidable again.

[Admin]

Ivory Coast......not very European...but then nor is Israel&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;

[ervenescence]

Philippines&#33; [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/BouncyHappy.gif[/img] hehehe

Brazil still the best team...

but Come on England do your best, think you can do it.

Do the Crouch.

[Admin]

The Phil scored a point in the group qualifiers.....a record for them [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/BouncyHappy.gif[/img]

Probably cos the othe team didn&#39;t turn up, and they still only managed 0-0 [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

[ivor&mel]

Apparently the balls they are going to be using (Adidas Teamgeist) are light, stitching-free, move about a lot, and are difficult for goalies to handle when wet. Thank God we have Sven in charge - I&#39;m sure he can offer advice about what to do with slippery balls [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif[/img]

[Eljohno]

It is hard to understand why England do not play better considering they have some great players in the team. But then they never really start well in big competitions so i am sure there is much better to come.........

[Admin]

....just a question of WHAT year? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

[ivor&mel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Eljohno &#064; Jun 11 2006, 04&#58;17 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
It is hard to understand why England do not play better considering they have some great players in the team. But then they never really start well in big competitions so i am sure there is much better to come.........
[/b][/quote]
3-1 was a good start against France - but that is too far in the past [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img] Think it was in the Euros rather than the WC? But, yes, it always amazes me how crap England look on the field compared to other teams: touch, technique, keeping possession, tactical awareness, adaptability, substitutions that actually improve the situation... and Owen Hargreaves... It still seems to be the same old "blinkers-on-and-up-and-at-em" attitude - as long as it&#39;s not too hot and the ground isn&#39;t too hard and the opposition stop laughing at us. Always so much hope, so much potential that never gets fulfilled.... We&#39;re still going to win it though [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Hellooo.gif[/img]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(admin &#064; Jun 11 2006, 04&#58;21 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>....just a question of WHAT year? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]That would be 1970... but then we lost Banksie [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

[ervenescence]

The England team was hibernating, they blamed the heat of why their game recently wasn&#39;t too great.

awww...just 30 degrees? What if the WC will be held in a boiling country? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Doh.gif[/img]

[ivor&mel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ervenescence &#064; Jun 12 2006, 04&#58;35 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>awww...just 30 degrees? What if the WC will be held in a boiling country? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Doh.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]Like Boilivia perhaps? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Hammer.gif[/img]

I&#39;ve got me coat...

[Eljohno]

It was good to see Australia doing well although it is Brazil next for them&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;



Chec Republic looked very good today....

[cappelan]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Eljohno &#064; Jun 13 2006, 05&#58;02 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
It was good to see Australia doing well although it is Brazil next for them&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;
Chec Republic looked very good today....
[/b][/quote]

BRING EM ONNNN&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;

AUSIE AUSIE AUSIE OII OII OII

3 -1, 3-1, 3-1, 3-1 etc etc etc [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugher.gif[/img]

[Admin]

Two Paraguay players play in the German League..........Argentina....Australia....etc....all play in the cold....so England just use any excuse.......the Czechs managed to win....must have been the heat making them play better [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

[aromulus]

I sincerely wished that the Swiss had rogered the french, but it didn&#39;t happen....

Brazil, apart from a couple of sprints didn&#39;t set the game alight, and ronaldo was a waste of space, his sub did more damage in the first ten minutes of play than the big man himself in all of his time on the pitch.
The only goal was good.

The policy of not wasting talent playing too many friendlies, worked for Italy quite well, 2 superb goals and an exciting game. They will go far... unless they met Korea again... In which case is the bus back home....

If it wasn&#39;t for the own goal... England was not even average in my mind. and not really worthy of a win, but that&#39;s football.
(how did you guess I was not English?)

[ivor&mel]

Ronaldo is a waste of ever-increasing space&#33; Even for his one shot at goal, he hardly moved. I no longer have expectations of him, but Adriano was a disappointment if he is supposed to be the future Brazil strike force; maybe he can forge a better partnership with Robinho? Kaka though was absolutely magnificent; this guy just impresses me more and more each time I see him.

[Admin]

Pity the game with Toga was buggered up with a sending off, would have been very interesting otherwise.

Ronaldo is like Beckham.....too big a name to replace [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img] Wonder if McLaren will have the bottle.....

....and also make GERRARD captain.