OT World Cup 2010 South Africa

[LoBaron]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHYVT59zYgM

[:'(]

[Blind Sniper]

Thanks Tullius, you are more kind to Italy than me [:D]

In Italy, as in other nations where the soccer is a money machine, the clubs lay down the law.
Moreover Lippi won the last WC therefore his choices were unquestionables.

We are paying for this...

LoBaron...nice video [:)]

[frank1970]

Italy won the last WC because of some VERY strange decisions of the referees, expecially in their match against Germany. This time, they got what they deserved. Sorry to say it this harsh, but they were too lazy, too individual and to little team playing.
I think Germany will win against England (since 1966 the English won no important game against Germany). Top favourites are Argentina and Spain, with a small chance for Brazil, Portugal or Germany. It all depends on the referees, of course, who did some really strange stuff until now.
[;)]

[LoBaron]

Hehe thanks Blind Sniper. Since Austria has no football team to speak of and nearly every time manages to perform worse than even the lowest expectations,
the only bright side is when its possible to make fun of other teams that don´t do this on a regular basis. [:D]

I wonder how the Italian league survived the scandals of the last years ntw...

[Dixie]

ORIGINAL: Frank

Italy won the last WC because of some VERY strange decisions of the referees, expecially in their match against Germany. This time, they got what they deserved. Sorry to say it this harsh, but they were too lazy, too individual and to little team playing.
I think Germany will win against England (since 1966 the English won no important game against Germany). Top favourites are Argentina and Spain, with a small chance for Brazil, Portugal or Germany. It all depends on the referees, of course, who did some really strange stuff until now.
[;)]

*cough* 2001 [;)][:'(]


I'd expect Germany to win at the weekend though. Der Fussball machine always seems to do well at tournaments no matter how they play.

I still think Argentina are going to cock it up somehow...

[tocaff]

...and the only team in World Cup history to qualify for every tournament and advance out of group stage is....that's right the boys from Brasil. 

Only Argentina has looked special so far, but in the knock out stages lose and go home so anything goes.

[frank1970]

2001 was not so important

Germany managed to get really destroyed by the English, qualified in a qualification match and after that got almost world champion (thanks to a extremely great Oliver Kahn).

[frank1970]

But only because Germany was not allowed to take part in the 1950 tournament. In 1954 Germany showed what she was able to. [;)]

[frank1970]

Wasn´t it an English football-player who said:

"Football is 22 men fighting an giving all and Germany winning in the end?"

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: Frank
Wasn´t it an English football-player who said:

"Football is 22 men fighting an giving all and Germany winning in the end?"

Gary Lieneker said that, correct [:D] As a neutral I give both Germany and England 50% chances... Great match.

[vinnie71]

England vs Germany
 
Experience vs the need to prove oneself.
 
In my book they are pretty balanced with the game being decided by the team that can withstand (rather than apply) pressure, be it mental, physical or tactical.

[JohnDillworth]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHYVT59zYgM

outstanding!

[Blind Sniper]

Italy won the last WC because of some VERY strange decisions of the referees, expecially in their match against Germany.

Honestly, I don't remember very well this match (but I remember it was a good one although) but I don't think you win a WC for referee errors. Surely Italy has been lucky.

Do you remember the Italy - South Korea match in the 2002 quarter-finals? [;)]
What a referee...

Sorry to say it this harsh, but they were too lazy, too individual and to little team playing.

Quite true, too many first ladies...but sometimes they are able to win a match, sometimes no.

I wonder how the Italian league survived the scandals of the last years ntw...

Ehm...which scandals??? [:'(]
Seriously, a lot of clubs are going through a bad period...our league is not funny anymore.

England vs Germany
Now I'm a perfect neutral, I would say a Germany victory.
Anyhow it will be a good match to watch with friends and beers.

[aprezto]

Well that was very entertaining and very surprising from a kiwi perspective. We don't lose a game, we don't win a game, and we don't continue.

However, I think the New Zealand brand of football was pretty boring - unfortunately due to necessity. We showed a reasonable defensive resiliance, 1 good defender, 2 good up and comers, and a keeper that played out of his skin. However, we had no attack to speak of. I think our results are about as good as we could ever have hoped for, but that we don't deserve to advance.

I'll tone down the interest now, watch from affar and wait for the 'real' world cup [;)] (in which we will crush everyone in the pool game and quarters but not turn up in the semis and be out - yet again - sigh)

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: tocaff

...and the only team in World Cup history to qualify for every tournament and advance out of group stage is....that's right the boys from Brasil. 

Only Argentina has looked special so far, but in the knock out stages lose and go home so anything goes.

Warspite1

Not so Tocaff. Brazil have appeared in every World Cup that is true, but they have not advanced out of every group stage.

1930 - Finished second (one team went through)
1934 - No group stage, but they lost in the First Round
1966 - Finished third (two teams went through)

Those three tournaments apart, I believe they have reasonable record in the World Cup [;)]

[tocaff]

Oops!  Sorry they're feeding me lies here in football land!

The country stops for tomorrow's game and the fireworks will begin long before the ball is touched and since Brazil will advance, long afterwards.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Frank

But only because Germany was not allowed to take part in the 1950 tournament. In 1954 Germany showed what she was able to. [;)]

Warspite1

Not quite true either Frank. Germany did not enter in 1930 and in 1938 Germany lost in the first round to Switzerland in a replay.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: tocaff

Oops!  Sorry they're feeding me lies here in football land!

The country stops for tomorrow's game and the fireworks will begin long before the ball is touched and since Brazil will advance, long afterwards.

Warspite1

I would wish you luck for tomorrow, but I somehow don't think you are going to need it [:)] - Brazil are like Germany - you can never discount them in the world's premier football tournament....

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

I do find the flopping and over-dramatics to be annoying and detrimental to my enjoyment of the matches. They can be amusing too though, particularily when doing a slo-mo instant replay where you clearly see that the players either barely touching each other or missing entirely....followed by as much as a 2 second pause after which the player starts going down.....then throws his arms up in the air, arches his neck up and puts on his "anguish" face as if he'd just been hit from behind by a Denver Broncos linebacker in full gear.

OTOH, an American player needed four stiches yesterday to close the lip almost ripped off his face by the Algerians--stiches after the game. It wasn't seen by the ref, wasn't called, and he played on. That would not have happened in the NBA.

There are a lot of theatrics, but these guys aren't wearing pads or even mouth guards. They have highly developed leg muscles and the kicking impacts are pretty severe. The mixing it up and sliding after the ball, cleats high, has to be painful. Not to mention the head-to-head whanging during fights for headers.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay
With both of the finalists from the last WC out, it's time to pull for all the underdogs. I'd love to see a champion from a country that has never won it before.

We can mention this statistic.

When the WC has been played in Europe = an European team has won. ALWAYS.
When the WC has been played in the Americas = a team from the Americas has won. ALWAYS.

Until 2002, all the WCs were played in Europe and the Americas. It was the first visit to Asia = a team from the Americas won (Brazil).

Now for the very first time the WC is visiting Africa, so... the winner should be?

One thing is certain, the European teams ONLY won when they played in Europe.

We will see [:)]

My old Stats prof said something about correlation and causation . . .[:)]