Only 15 days away to the worlds biggest sporting spectacle so i figured i would get this thread started. It seems like it has been a long four years since the last World Cup(seeing how bad the US played last time). Here is the US Roster <a class="postlink" href="http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_ives/2010/05/usa-world-cup-team-announced.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.soccerbyives.net/soccer_by_i ... unced.html</a>. Focus: Discuss who your favorite team is and tell me who you think will be advancing out of the group stages and beyond. 1st in group/2nd in group A.France/Mexico B.Argentina/Greece C.US/England D.Germany/Ghana E.Netherlands/Denmark F.Italy/Paraguay G. Brazil/Ivory Coast H.Spain/Switzerland Round of 16 France def Greece, US def Ghana, Argentina def Mexico, England def Germany, Netherlands def Paraguay,Brazil def Switzerland, Italy def Denmark, Spain def Ivory Coast Quarterfinals US def France, Argentina def England(again),Netherlands def Brazil, Spain def Italy, Semis Netherlands def US, Spain def Argentina Final Netherlands def Spain for their first ever World Cup. I know it is wishful thinking to have the Americans making it all the way to the semis but i can dream. I think it will come down to winning the group stage so we do not have to face Germany in the second round.
This could be a legendary year for the USA. That is something to be a little more excited about. I always enjoy watching the world cup but it is that much more sweet when the US (obviously isn't a favorite) but can actually advance!
If the United States can match their 2002 run (to the quarterfinals, where they lost to the Cup runner up Germany) that'd be great. However, I hope Italy goes down in a bunch of flames. Zidane....I miss you. Sigh
If the USA comes in second and Germany comes in first in their respective groups that will be the match-up again for the quarter. Are there any USA fans happy out there with the decision NOT to put Brian Ching on the roster? Sure he's a veteran and can hold the ball well... but thats about fucking it. It'll be up to Joze to use his size and Gomez/Buddle to use their speed to stretch defenses. And for god sake Bob... DON'T PLAY BORNSTEIN AT LEFT BACK. Spector or Cherundolo can play left while the other plays their natural right because they play in top leagues. Bornstein struggles with MLS half the time. Finally on the MLS note... it's not ready for international competition. It should be 10 European and 1 Mexican based Americans taking the field against England - NONE FROM MLS.
Could not agree more with this post. I'd like to see Argentina finally come to play on the biggest stage. If for no other reason than I want the entire world to see in full light the brilliance that is Maridonna's reincarnation -- Lionel Messi. I could not be more excited for the Cup. Ten fold better than the next greatest sporting event, and a full month long. Can. Not. Wait.
Oh man, I can't wait for this to start. It sucks that I'm starting a new job the exact day the world cup begins. I'll be stoked if the US could make the quarter finals again. Anything better than 2006's showing would be great. I think we've got a decent team, but in a lot of matches they seem to play too defensively after they have the lead. That can be fine against most North/Central American teams, but is dangerous against the European and South American power houses. After the nfl playoffs, this is my favorite sporting event. Sadly, I don't follow the sport as well as I should. It does make it a bit more difficult when you live in a country where 98% of the people don't give a shit.
Being a Germany fan has been horrifyingly heartbreaking since 2002. I hope that motherfucker Boateng gets his comeuppance at the hands of Schweinsteiger.
Fuck that! GO USA!! Yea I said it bring on the hate. Even though we our big underdogs I will be rooting for them every step of the way. Ronaldo doing what he does best.
Sorry you are wrong. We would play Germany in the round of 16. You are correct that we played them in 2002 in the quarterfinals, but you some how seemed to forget that big win we had over Mexico in the round of 16. Go USA
I never understood how anyone could support some other countries national team like this. I live in Spain right now and can´t even get myself to really care about them. Even during the European Championship I didn´t really care. I will still watch most of the games in the tournament, no matter who is playing. I will probably root for the smaller teams like the African sides again. It sucks to be from a country that will never make it to the world cup (I´m Estonian). At least we beat Canada whenever we play... Oh and I really hope team Engerland crash and burn. The most arrogant fans in the world who are incredibly full of themselves. Complete opposite to Irish and Scottish fans who were great to hang out with and the team is full of cunts. Shrek the grannyshagger, Terry who fucked his best friends kids mother, camelgob Rio etc.
OK, I'll bite. I'm not a fan of Bafana Bafana - some of the selections are baffling. MacBeth Sibaya in midfield will kill us, and Parreira WILL start him if he's fit. He's 32 and slow as shit. I know I'll be shouting BOOOOOOOTH every time Matthew Booth gets the ball (look for the HUGE white dude with the shaved head - the supporters go apeshit whenever he touches the ball) - he played very well in the Confederations Cup last year and was S.A.'s best player by a long way. Yes, Booth is also slow - but he's very tall (6 ft. 5 in. at least) and almost impossible to beat in the air. I'll also be cheering for my former Durban locals Nomvethe and Dikgacoi (pronounced Di-ga-sh-we). I'll also be shouting for England, seeing as most of my family is from there. I'll be proudly wearing my old red Umbro England shirt to the bar when the match is on. As always, I hope Argentina makes a first round exit (I was ecstatic when that happened in 2002)
I am ridiculously excited for it. The greatest sporting event in the world, bar none. There's a buzz building in England; this is probably the best squad we've had for years but, as always, people build their expectations too high which only leads to disappointment, and history is not our side. (Plus, the Tories have just swept into power, so a bad performance may just crush the nation's collective soul altogether). But we have Rooney, possibly the most gifted player England has ever had. It's hard to look past Spain (probably the best squad list I've ever seen) and a Brazil who have become brutally efficient. Italy and Germany won't do much, the US look dire at the moment but will probably still finish second in the group, and France can just go fuck themselves. I have a feeling that Argentina will provide the story if the tournament - either a hapless Maradona will royally fuck it all up, or inspire his reincarnation/greatest player in the world Messi to repeat what his manager achieved in '86.
I was thinking about this the other day; we all know the clichéd rivalries between countries at a World Cup (Argentina - Brazil, Netherlands-Germany, England - Germany etc) but does South-Africa harbour any feelings towards the Dutch or the English? Do other African nations have any ill feelings towards their former European oppressors? Or am I just trying to find new footballing rivalries where there are none?
I think Algeria holds extremely bad feelings for France, but I can't think of many besides that. I think most of the Afrikaner people here will be supporting Germany and France and not the Netherlands, since it's well-known that Nedbank (which is a Dutch bank with branches in S.A.) funneled money to the then-banned A.N.C., which caused some ill-feeling from most Afrikaners. Most of the English-speaking White supporters will probably be supporting England - the bar I drink at on Fridays is filled with English ex-pats. Most of the Black supporters are fanatical against England, France, Germany and the United States (who they believed helped fund Apartheid by not immediately closing their corporations that operated here. Yeah. Fuck the fact that companies are run to make a profit...), but it won't matter a shit since Bafana will be eliminated after the first two matches.
Holy shit, 70th ranked New Zealand beat 15th ranked Serbia on the weekend. I am now jumping on the band wagon and am predicting that NZ will knock out Italy and qualify top of the group.
Look for Greece to once again be among the worst teams in the tournament. Otto Rehagel has lost the plot and his over reliance on certain players has grown tiresome. He has continually refused to usher in the next generation of talented Greek players. I assure you that the donkeys we force out on to the pitch are in no way representative of the actual talent that is available to us. For evidence look no further than the Greek under 21 squad which recently dismantled their English counterparts. No sir, I have a bad feeling about this World Cup. Look out for Sotiris Ninis (if Otto lets him see the field) he is a true talent and has been courted by the likes of Real Madrid, AC Milan and Manchester United.
HAHAHAHAHA. Benni McCarthy dropped out the squad for S.A.! That's what you get for being a silly wanker who has clearly eaten more pies than Paul Gascoigne in the last 5 months and can't get match fitness. I couldn't be happier, since McCarthy is a cunt (a great player, but a cunt). This means Nomvethe will get more chances to shine - he was one of our few players who came out of the 2002 World Cup with his head high. I still think Parker is useless and, honestly, I don't know what to make of Mphela. Sometimes he's brilliant, sometimes completely invisible. I still do not think S.A. will make it out of the group stage, though. I was also not surprised by the inclusion of Carrick in England's WC squad - I think it's more because there's a lack of decent players in that position that Carrick gets the nod, not because of his (lack of) skill as a player. Scott Parker would have been suspended before the group stage had finished due to his hard tackling and Huddlestone simply lacks pace. I was surprised Shaun Wright-Phillips got in though - he hasn't been a regular for Man City for this season. I'm happy Joe Cole got in though - he's been playing well recently. Why did Capello pick Heskey? England already have a hard-working tall guy in Crouch...
Well who could he have picked instead of SWP? Adam Johnson did do well for City but disappeared in the important matches and lacks a bit of confidence and experience on that level and this is coming from a City supporter. Walcott is just a speed merchant who runs faster than his brain works and he never looks around and can´t cross.
Ashley Young. Who has again been forgotten by England. He has more good games than bad and was a regular for Villa this past season. Johnson simply doesn't have the top flight experience required, but should be penned in for the Euro 2012 squad, provided he keeps his form up. Walcott never deserved to go. He simply has not played well enough. I don't think he should have gone to the 2006WC either.
I agree with your general point, but suggesting that Landon Donovan shouldn't start for the US is absolutely retarded. You may see a second MLS starter as well, as both Donovan and Clint Dempsey play much better for the US in midfield and all of our strikers other than Altidore are MLS-based. Hopefully Bornstein will be nowhere near the field, either Bocanegra or Spector needs to be starting at LB.