OT World Cup 2010 South Africa

[patrickl]

Kick off in 2 hours - South Africa vs Mexico. AE forum should be quiet this month[:D]

[castor troy]

ORIGINAL: patrickl

Kick off in 2 hours - South Africa vs Mexico. AE forum should be quiet this month[:D]

not really, considering probably halve of the forum members are US ones... [:D] and those guys play FOOTball with their hands afterall...

[topeverest]

I beg to differ...not that I will be happy with the results I am sure. I can only hope that USA makes the round of 16, but that looks a longshot. Tough to watch halfway across the world...too much realtime news to avoid.

[Chickenboy]

What's the group prediction for the Yanks v. limeys?

[topeverest]

3-1 england. Not much hope for the USA unless the brits dont show up. Stranger things have happened, but there it is. USA hasnt been the confederation cup team of 09. They seem to be missing that je ne sais quoi of team spirit that is neede to win against great opponents.

[bklooste]

Dont know about that  for US vs England  , id back the US going by their friendly results.

[TulliusDetritus]

I guess this thread should go to the "General Discussions" section [:)] Like one week ago I wanted to start what I would have called "The Most Unofficial Bastard Thread of South Africa 2010" [8D]

I guess Brazil will win but... Argentina, Italy, Spain, even England... and of course the Football Machine (Germany) could win it. I'd like Holland to win it (their beautiful football deserves a reward) but i suspect they will finally implode...

Long live football!

[Dixie]

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

I guess this thread should go to the "General Discussions" section [:)] Like one week ago I wanted to start what I would have called "The Most Unofficial Bastard Thread of South Africa 2010" [8D]

I guess Brazil will win but... Argentina, Italy, Spain, even England... and of course the Football Machine (Germany) could win it. I'd like Holland to win it (their beautiful football deserves a reward) but i suspect they will finally implode...

Long live football!

Argentina should win it with the players they've got, but their coach is a bit 'special'.

I agree with you on Holland, but they'll do what they always do and throw it away in the last 16.

[Miller]

Lol "The Brits" - the Scottish will not like you calling England that.

Cant see past Spain or Brazil as the winners.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: topeverest

3-1 england. Not much hope for the USA unless the brits dont show up. Stranger things have happened, but there it is. USA hasnt been the confederation cup team of 09. They seem to be missing that je ne sais quoi of team spirit that is neede to win against great opponents.

Warspite1

Ugh?

[Alfred]

There are only 3 true world soccer superpowers:

Brazil
Italy
Germany

It does not matter how good or how bad their lead up preformances are, who the coach is or who is in the squad, whenever any of these countries are in a Championship, be it Euro/world Cup/Confederations etc, these three superpowers cannot be dismissed. They have:

(a) the domestic infrastructure which creates a huge pool of tough players/coaches/managers/ancillary staff

(b) a track record of international success, and past success generates future success, partly because coming second is a failure whereas subconsciously many countries equate qualifying of an international championship as a successful outcome - does the mention of Mexico, Russia (albeit not qualified for this World Cup), Sweden ring a bell?

(c) soccer is the preeminent domestic football code (and thereby garners the financial resources) which easily attracts everyone with any natural ability whereas other countries (eg England, France) which have the infrastructure and do produce technically proficient players nonetheless lose some of their naturally athletically endowed players to other football codes

Other countries are strong and when the right conjunction of talented players/coaches/circumstances come together at the same spot in the cycle, produce teams which can win a Championship but inevitably they eventually decline and need to rebuild until the next cycle conjunction. But only the three superpowers remain as enduring threats in any championship which they reach.

Alfred

[Kitakami]

ORIGINAL: Dixie

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

I guess this thread should go to the "General Discussions" section [:)] Like one week ago I wanted to start what I would have called "The Most Unofficial Bastard Thread of South Africa 2010" [8D]

I guess Brazil will win but... Argentina, Italy, Spain, even England... and of course the Football Machine (Germany) could win it. I'd like Holland to win it (their beautiful football deserves a reward) but i suspect they will finally implode...

Long live football!

Argentina should win it with the players they've got, but their coach is a bit 'special'.

I agree with you on Holland, but they'll do what they always do and throw it away in the last 16.

Argentina's coach is the reason a lot of people want Argentina to loose... even people of Argentinian descent, like my wife. I, on the other hand, would like Holland to do well. I know they won't win, but I like their football very much.

So I was surprised to see that someone basically echoed my thoughts in a post

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Alfred

There are only 3 true world soccer superpowers:

Brazil
Italy
Germany

It does not matter how good or how bad their lead up preformances are, who the coach is or who is in the squad, whenever any of these countries are in a Championship, be it Euro/world Cup/Confederations etc, these three superpowers cannot be dismissed. They have:

(a) the domestic infrastructure which creates a huge pool of tough players/coaches/managers/ancillary staff

(b) a track record of international success, and past success generates future success, partly because coming second is a failure whereas subconsciously many countries equate qualifying of an international championship as a successful outcome - does the mention of Mexico, Russia (albeit not qualified for this World Cup), Sweden ring a bell?

(c) soccer is the preeminent domestic football code (and thereby garners the financial resources) which easily attracts everyone with any natural ability whereas other countries (eg England, France) which have the infrastructure and do produce technically proficient players nonetheless lose some of their naturally athletically endowed players to other football codes

Other countries are strong and when the right conjunction of talented players/coaches/circumstances come together at the same spot in the cycle, produce teams which can win a Championship but inevitably they eventually decline and need to rebuild until the next cycle conjunction. But only the three superpowers remain as enduring threats in any championship which they reach.

Alfred

Warspite1

World Cup history says that is broadly right.

You can never write-off the Germans. They broke every neutral's hearts in 54 and 74. And even when they are playing badly, I would never want to play them...ever.

Italy are hot and cold - but as their record suggests, more hot than cold.

Brazil are just well....Brazil - class.

[MorningDew]

I'm from the US, and I've been listening to the games all day during "work".

[Andy Mac]

grrrrrr Beat France home and Away and have Italy in our qualifying group and we didnt qualify unfair cheating swine we should be in South Africa <mutter mutter mutter> etc etc.
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The ENGLISH are in South Africa not the British - Irish got cheated by the French and we Scottich just got screwed by a system that put both the previous finalists in our qualifying group and we managed to beat France home and away - did I mention that...
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Not that I have a chip on my shoulder in any way shape or form......

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

grrrrrr Beat France home and Away and have Italy in our qualifying group and we didnt qualify unfair cheating swine we should be in South Africa <mutter mutter mutter> etc etc.

The ENGLISH are in South Africa not the British - Irish got cheated by the French and we Scottich just got screwed by a system that put both the previous finalists in our qualifying group and we managed to beat France home and away - did I mention that...

Not that I have a chip on my shoulder in any way shape or form......

Warspite1

Andy Mac - which country are you talking about? Scotland? You beat the French home and away in the European qualies didn't you - not the World Cup?

[Andy Mac]

Warspite you are spoiling a good chip on my shoulder !!!! [:D][:D][:D]
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See the English even want to spoil my whinging by bringing in some inconvenient truths....

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Warspite you are spoiling a good chip on my shoulder !!!! [:D][:D][:D]

See the English even want to spoil my whinging by bringing in some inconvenient truths....

Warspite1

Sorry mate [;)] However, I trust you will be cheering on the English tomorrow?

[Andy Mac]

Yeah sort of having lived in London for 10 years it sorta rubs off

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Andy Mac

Yeah sort of having lived in London for 10 years it sorta rubs off

Warspite1

Thats nice to hear [:)] Although supporting England is not that different from supporting Scotland - one World Cup aside, we both have a tendency to grab defeat from the jaws of victory [:@]