Interference World Cup thread #3

[pepokiss]

1st half, amazing...


2nd half...

 

[pepokiss]

Group E is the best... tomorrow at 10 am (here) it'll be the clash of the death group

 

[Salome]

I think Argentina did the best they could under the circumstances
both teams are just too wel organized for the other to just walk through the defense and score 2 or more goals +
wanting to win and having to win are 2 completely different things

 

[vaz02]

Although I'm an England supporter I'm surprised so many people think England will easily defeat Ecuador. Sure Ecuador lost 3-0 to Germany yesterday but they benched 5 of their best players (they probably wanted to play England lol!) and they beat both Argentina AND Brazil in the qualifying rounds...(granted, that was at a different altitude!)

I hope I don't jinx England but I might just put a bet on Ecuador - that way I win no matter who loses!

i know ! no south american team can be taken lightly and their are no fools left in this tournment.

 

[1stepcloser]

i quite enjoyed the first half of Argentina vs Holland. Then i fell asleep at approximately 55 minutes into the second half.

Anyway, onto the topic of Brazil. Clearly Ronaldo isn't firing on all cylinders and we have only seen flashes of what Ronaldinho can do to a team so here's my solution to their small problems. Start the next game with Ronaldo on the bench, push Ronaldinho up into the support striker position with Adriano and bring in Juninho Pernambucano in the position Ronaldinho used to be playing.

If Brazils manager doesn't play this then he is an idiot!

 

[J_NP]

bring in Juninho Pernambucano in the position Ronaldinho used to be playing.

Juninho , and he's from my same city

I think only Brazil happens this , the best free-kicker stays on the bench . probably the Best FK of the world today , without mention He was THE player of the French League .

But there's still hope .

A question , is anyne dutch here ....

 

[U2@NYC]

I think Argentina did the best they could under the circumstances
both teams are just too wel organized for the other to just walk through the defense and score 2 or more goals +
wanting to win and having to win are 2 completely different things

Agreed.

Argentina knew that it would be first in the group with a draw. Yet, they looked continuously for the score. Note that Argentina had also taken out their two main strikers (Saviola and Crespo and their most attacking midfielder, Sorin) since they had yellow cards. As you mention, the Dutch defense is clearly much better than the Serbian defense, so it was harder to penetrate.

Regardless, I think these two teams are among the best in the competition and should go far. Holland should play a good game against Portugal. Argentina may have a tough time against Mexico (they always complicate our lives) but, judging by the levels of the two teams, Argentina should prevail.

And tomorrow morning, the definition of Group E should be

 

[J_NP]

But dude I believe you agree with me , that the best guns are Messi and Tevez , I think everyone on the world would always call them the main ones.

 

[U2@NYC]

But dude I believe you agree with me , that the best guns are Messi and Tevez , I think everyone on the world would always call them the main ones.

Sure, before the WC I would have agreed with you.

But Crespo and Saviola have played very well in the first two matches and I would tend to agree with Pekerman. I would start them against Mexico.

And would bring in Messi and Tevez when the other team is more tired, in the second half, to finish them off...

 

[mandy1973]

...Only 13 hours until Australia v Croatia!! I'm getting butterflies in my stomach already thinking about it!! I bet i won't be able to get to sleep, I'll probably still be lying awake when the alarm goes off at 4:15 tomorrow morning for the game!!!

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

If Cote d'Ivoire stopped giving their opponents two goal handicaps, they might actually be in the knockout round right now.

Just a thought.

 

[speedracer]

USA-Ghana and Italy-Czech Republic in 7 hours.

USA needs a win and either an Italy win or a hell of a lot of goals to advance.

Problem is, if USA wins or ties, Italy needs only a tie to clinch first place, whereas an Italy loss would leave them in second (assuming they hang on to their goal differential advantage over the USA). So if the USA is tied or leads, it's late in the game, and Italy-Czech are tied, Italy will hear about it. Then will then have zero incentive to try to win the match, and a lot of incentive to not lose it, meaning they'll play for the tie. (I'd like to believe that the best way to avoid losing is to attack instead of to play passive defense, but that's definitely not true late in the game.) Then the USA will need a ton of goals against Ghana.

The alternative would be for the USA to go down early, force Italy to play for the win, then come back with two goals against Ghana. I think we can all agree that this is ridiculous.

If I were on the USA soccer contingent, I'd work on a way to jam all the communications around the Italy-Czech Republic match to prevent them from finding out the score. There must be some Army engineers we can fly in to handle this.

 

[U2Man]

Agreed.

Argentina knew that it would be first in the group with a draw. Yet, they looked continuously for the score. Note that Argentina had also taken out their two main strikers (Saviola and Crespo and their most attacking midfielder, Sorin) since they had yellow cards. As you mention, the Dutch defense is clearly much better than the Serbian defense, so it was harder to penetrate.

Regardless, I think these two teams are among the best in the competition and should go far. Holland should play a good game against Portugal. Argentina may have a tough time against Mexico (they always complicate our lives) but, judging by the levels of the two teams, Argentina should prevail.

And tomorrow morning, the definition of Group E should be

Oh snap!

You know perfectly well how you would react if England had delivered the same kind of lazy performance. Oh wait, they did.....

Seriously, every single game should be a win-or-lose thing at the World Cup. Teams shouldn't even consider sparing their best players in any game.

Any news on the DVD?

 

[fly so high!]

...Only 13 hours until Australia v Croatia!! I'm getting butterflies in my stomach already thinking about it!! I bet i won't be able to get to sleep, I'll probably still be lying awake when the alarm goes off at 4:15 tomorrow morning for the game!!!

No..........I s'pose though,by the time you have a shower and stuff!

C'MON,AUSSIE,C'MON,C'MON!!!!!

 

[bono_man2002]

...when the alarm goes off at 4:15 tomorrow morning for the game!!!

4:15?, just to hear the SBS commentators talk about crap, although I guess they usually put something interesting on when Australia is playing. I'm getting up at 4:30 and driving to a mates place. (for the Plasma screen!!)

Good Luck Socceroos!

 

[bono_man2002]

It's great over here in the U.S. - all the matches are done by the end of the afternoon, so I can come home and then watch whatever I taped when I want to.

Yeah it was like that here in Australia in 2002. The first match started at something like 4pm and the last match finished around midnight?....those were the days

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

It was better in Singapore.

Japan and South Korea are only one hour ahead of us.

Bloody Europeans, ruining the time zones.

 

[AchtungBono]

You are cordially invited to celebrate the Australian Socceroos advance to the next round of the FIFA world cup.

Place: Germany
Date: 22.6.06
Time: 20:00 GMT
Event: The Australia socceroos TRASH Croatia to advance to
the next level.
Dress: Casual (Australian flags optional)
Drink: BYOB - and LOTS of it!!
Music: Lots of Savage Garden, Kylie Minogue,
INXS, Men At Work and AC/DC.

Be there with your "Waltzing Matilda" shoes on.....

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
OI, OI, OI!!!
GO AUSTRALIA
GO SOCCEROOS
GO AUSTRALIA!!!!

 

[bono_man2002]

 

[U2Man]

I just want to say that the World Cup takes place in the most perfect time zone this time around

 

[DignityPassesBy]

c'mon soccerroos do us proud boys ... and AchtungBono are you from australia but live in israel

 

[Salome]

A question , is anyne dutch here ....

I am

 

[jacobus]

go GHANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

go AUSSIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

Group E is the best... tomorrow at 10 am (here) it'll be the clash of the death group

I know! The outcome won't be determined until the whistle blows on both matches! Forza Italia!!! and Ghana!!!

 

[annie_vox]

What are the actual classifications of the Group E?

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

Sorry, a bit confusing cuz I copied it from a BBC site - it's all out in the open in this group, very exciting!

FIFA World Cup : Group E Table
P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Italy 2 1 1 0 3 1 2 4
2 Czech Republic 2 1 0 1 3 2 1 3
3 Ghana 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 3
4 USA 2 0 1 1 1 4 -3 1

By the way, any comments on whether Ghana's penalty kick was deserved? I missed it (watching Italy)

 

[speedracer]

Worst penalty EVAR.

Gooch had position on that ball. There was a little contact, but the guy for Ghana collapsed like a house of cards once he got touched.

 

[annie_vox]

So probably Italy and Ghana will pass... I feel bad for the Czechs, I like their football... But Ghana deserves it too.

 

[ladywithspinninghead]

That's interesting...the refs *seem* to be a bit biaised against the USA in this tournament - first Italy and now this....

 

[AchtungBono]

c'mon soccerroos do us proud boys ... and AchtungBono are you from australia but live in israel

Awwwwwww hugs to you too........

No, I'm from Israel but I'm a true Aussiofile.....I LOVE everything about Australia and I'm planning to visit there next year.

Aussies are the COOLEST!!