The OFFICIAL Interference World Cup Thread

[yertle-the-turtle]

Huntelaar
Giuly
Bent
Kuranyi

I'm also a bit surprised by Figueroa's non-selection for Argentina, hasn't he been involved in most recent squads?

Well since we're posting squads, here's my team, not that anyone apart from me will care:

Goalkeepers: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata), Yoichi Doi (FC Tokyo), Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus Eight)

Defenders: Makoto Tanaka (Jubilo Iwata), Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (Gamba Osaka), Alessandro Santos (Urawa Reds), Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama F Marinos), Keisuke Tsuboi (Urawa Reds), Akira Kaji (Gamba Osaka), Yuichi Komano (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Koji Nakata (Basel)

Midfielders: Takashi Fukunishi (Jubilo Iwata), Mitsuo Ogasawara (Kashima Antlers), Shinji Ono (Urawa Reds), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Hidetoshi Nakata (Bolton), Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic), Junichi Inamoto (West Brom)

Forwards: Seiichiro Maki (JEF United Chiba), Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus Eight), Atsushi Yanagisawa (Kashima Antlers), Masashi Oguro (Grenoble), Naohiro Takahara (Hamburg)
-------------
We are up against:
Brazil (ouch)

Croatia

Goalkeepers: Tomislav Butina (Club Bruges), Stipe Pletikosa (Hajduk Split), Joe Didulica (Austria Vienna)

Defenders: Robert Kovac (Juventus), Stjepan Tomas (Galatasaray), Dario Simic (AC Milan), Mario Tokic (Austria Vienna), Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin), Igor Tudor (Siena)

Midfielders: Jerko Leko (Dynamo Kiev), Niko Kranjcar (Hajduk Split), Niko Kovac (Hertha Berlin), Marko Babic (Bayer Leverkusen), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Ivan Leko (Club Bruges), Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb), Jurica Vranjes (Werder Bremen), Anthony Seric (Panathinaikos)

Forwards: Dado Prso (Rangers), Ivan Klasnic (Werder Bremen), Bosko Balaban (Club Bruges), Ivica Olic (CSKA Moscow), Ivan Bosnjak (Dinamo Zagreb).

AND

Australia

Goalkeepers: Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough), Zeljko Kalac (AC Milan), Ante Covic (Hammarby)

Defenders: Michael Beauchamp (Central Coast), Craig Moore (Newcastle United), Lucas Neill (Blackburn Rovers), Tony Popovic (Crystal Palace), Mark Milligan (Sydney FC)

Midfielders: Marco Bresciano (Parma), Tim Cahill (Everton), Scott Chipperfield (Basel), Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven), Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers), Vince Grella (Parma), Stan Lazaridis (free agent), Josip Skoko (Stoke City on loan from Wigan Athletic), Mile Sterjovski (Basel), Luke Wilkshire (Bristol City)

Forwards: John Aloisi (Alaves), Harry Kewell (Liverpool), Archie Thompson (PSV Eindhoven), Mark Viduka (Middlesbrough), Josh Kennedy (Dinamo Dreseden)

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

Oh, and I've have plumbed for Daisuke Matsui who apparently ain't doing too badly at Le Mans in Ligue 1, not that I think he's going to solve our striking problems anyway.

 

[J_NP]

Hey mate , you know i'm rootin for Japan as well Hopefully , when the games with braz comes , both will already have 6 pts or sthin like that , and bth will qualify.

You know I'm gonna be paying attention and watching the games I can of japan , its very remarkable the evolution of footy in jap.

Besides u got zico , which is good not coz he IS zico , coz u know there are some great playrs who didnt go ver well as coaches and all or just didnt know how to perform as good as playing , but zico he's a really smart coach , unlike a lot , thats somethin great , coz bud believe me there are some teams , some big teams which looks like they dont have a coach , just like that .

BTW u got a really fine goalkeeper ( Kawaguchi ) , Nakata doesnt need any comment . And I also know Takahara and Yanagisawa , they can grow a lot , bud in the competitin , trust on that.

 

[bonsai]

I don't really wish a particular team to lose, I just enjoy it when an underdog is able to stand up against the "big boys" or at least manage a draw.

Great games (to me anyway during the last WC)
Italy 1 - 2 Croatia
Ireland 1-1 Germany
Mexico 1-1 Italy
USA 3-2 Portugal
South Korea 0-0 Portugal
Senegal 1-0 France
Denmark 2-0 France
England 1-0 Argentina

 

[bonsai]

Croatia
Defenders: Robert Kovac (Juventus) , Stjepan Tomas (Galatasaray), Dario Simic (AC Milan) , Mario Tokic (Austria Vienna) , Josip Simunic (Hertha Berlin), Igor Tudor (Siena)

Midfielders: Jerko Leko (Dynamo Kiev), Niko Kranjcar (Hajduk Split), Niko Kovac (Hertha Berlin) , Marko Babic (Bayer Leverkusen), Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk), Ivan Leko (Club Bruges), Luka Modric (Dinamo Zagreb), Jurica Vranjes (Werder Bremen), Anthony Seric (Panathinaikos)

Forwards: Dado Prso (Rangers), Ivan Klasnic (Werder Bremen), Bosko Balaban (Club Bruges), Ivica Olic (CSKA Moscow), Ivan Bosnjak (Dinamo Zagreb).

Sorry, there's my hormones coming out there. Where's Boris Zivkovic the defender ? Is he injured ? He's hot as well!

Actually, I don't think Dario simic is that hot anymore. Maybe I should ask the girls on PLEBA

 

[the rockin edge]

hey yertle, did i see somewhere that japan drew 0-0 with scotland the other day? cause if so they've got a way to go if they're gonna get out of that group.

 

[U2@NYC]

I'm also a bit surprised by Figueroa's non-selection for Argentina, hasn't he been involved in most recent squads?

Figueroa broke his ankle 6 weeks ago. Gone for 3 months.

 

[trevster2k]

Hey, is that commentator who used to scream "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL" still around?

 

[lady luck]

 

[babyman]

And yeah BTW everybody here is talkin' bout Italy got 4 players from Palermo , BTW where is this team from ?

Palermo played UEFA CUP this year and they're arrived 9th in the league. They're a good team and all the players who got called have all offers of the biggest italian clubs. You don't have to play only for Ac Milan or Juventus to get into the nationalteam...................................

 

[babyman]

Hey, U2@NYC, what do you think about the Walter Samuel and Javier Zanetti exclusions? Pretty brave from Pekermann, isn't it?

 

[babyman]

One question , Italy is going to play with like 3-4-1-2 right ? France 4-4-2 ? what about Spain 3-4-3 ?

Italy 4-3-3 most probable. Maybe 4-3-1-2



BTW, I've read Intedomine's post, it doesn't seem he claimed an anti-Brazil feeling, he just affirms that he doesn't want Brazil to win because it would be their 6th time, and he would prefer better another team. It's normal, I don't see any anti-thing or whatever, he doesn't talk against them....................
Anyway, I'm of the opinion that who deserves must win, if Brazil is the strongest team I'd have no problem with their 6th cup. What counts is to see good, fair and exciting games.

 

[babyman]

My ideal Italy 11:




----------------BUFFON


CANNAVARO-NESTA-ZAMBROTTA

----------------PIRLO

CAMORANESI-DE ROSSI

------------------------------DEL PIERO

---------------TOTTI

----------TONI-GILARDINO

 

[the rockin edge]

Hey, is that commentator who used to scream "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL" still around?

don't all the american commentators do that?

 

[U2@NYC]

Hey, U2@NYC, what do you think about the Walter Samuel and Javier Zanetti exclusions? Pretty brave from Pekermann, isn't it?

Samuel has been sucking for the past couple of years. Good call.

Zanetti is more of a controversy. He is an icon. However, his game can be sometimes shallow. I think Pekerman chose players which can give him further flexibility, such as Mascherano, Coloccini or Burdisso.

I agree with most of his calls. The only one that surprised me was calling Franco instead of Lux as goalkeeper. As I am afraid that Abbondanzieri will suck in the World Cup and that we might need to resort to another goalkeeper after the first game.

Cant wait.

 

[U2@NYC]

don't all the american commentators do that?

American commentators are incredibly boring.

"Goaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllll" is the way to go.

 

[babyman]

Last year "The Wall" sucked, (well, he was at Real, you can't awate a player plays good there)but this season he played definitely better. I say Samuel is a defender I would always have in my ideal team, Argentina would have been a bit safer in my opinion

 

[babyman]

American commentators are incredibly boring.

"Goaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllll" is the way to go.

Southamerican commentators are the best in the world, no one overcomes them, no one! They talk even when the game is over!

 

[J_NP]

BTW, I've read Intedomine's post, it doesn't seem he claimed an anti-Brazil feeling, he just affirms that he doesn't want Brazil to win because it would be their 6th time, and he would prefer better another team. It's normal, I don't see any anti-thing or whatever, he doesn't talk against them....................
Anyway, I'm of the opinion that who deserves must win, if Brazil is the strongest team I'd have no problem with their 6th cup. What counts is to see good, fair and exciting games.

My friend that is only his 2nd comment , his 1st was that he would dearly love to see brazil loses the 3 games , tell me anyone who wishes this to other team , and is not an anti-feeling .

BTW I just saw the argentinian team is pretty brave , in a good and bad way , bad or crazy way coz I just saw , Zanetti is out , is he crazy or somethin ? Unless if he got the same 'thing' of Veron , well he's in the same team , but I dont think he entered in that little dirty behind scenes ' game ' promoted by Veron . I always saw Zanetti as a nice guy , unlike certain others or maybe I'm a big fool or not well informed . Anyway I think it's a loss for Argentina.

BTW tomorrow , The final of Champions league , 24 players that will be on cup

 

[J_NP]

Palermo played UEFA CUP this year and they're arrived 9th in the league. They're a good team and all the players who got called have all offers of the biggest italian clubs. You don't have to play only for Ac Milan or Juventus to get into the nationalteam...................................

I see , didnt know they was on Uefa , tell me how many teams were on the Calcio thia year . coz I heard Palermo ended in the middle of it . I just thought strange they had more players to the azurra , than Lazio , Fiori , Inter , Parma , teams people know more.

 

[babyman]

Na, I don't think it was bad meaned. In the end, how can Brazil lose against Japan and Australia? Maybe a draw against Croatia

Leaving out Javier Zanetti was a big mistake, this player is able to carry a whole team on his shoulders, I'm sure Pekerman will have many regrets. Veron, I'm frankly waiting the day his bloody ass will be kicked out of Inter. He's nothing else than a miserable quarrelsome, selfish player, he made many Inter players to go against Adriano, and there's a very high risk that he might quit us. Veron is a suckass, he better leaves. During the game against Villarreal he quarrelled 90 minutes with his enemy Sorin, and he couldn't care the less for the game. He might be a good player, but he's an earthquake for the peace of a team. He wants everytime to overcome and to be the leader. Pekerman did the good of Argentina by not calling him

 

[babyman]

tell me how many teams were on the Calcio thia year .

In what sense? How many teams took part at he championship you mean? 20 teams. This was the final classement

1 Juventus 91
2 Milan 88
3 Inter 76
4 Fiorentina 74
5 Roma 69
6 Lazio 62
7 Chievo Verona 54
8 PALERMO 52
9 Livorno 49
10 Parma 45
11 Empoli 45
12 Ascoli 43
13 Udinese 43
14 Sampdoria 41
15 Reggina 41
16 Cagliari 39
17 Siena 39
18 Messina 31
19 Lecce 29
20 Treviso 21


You see, Palermo did a fine job, last year they've arrived even 6th.

 

[the rockin edge]

American commentators are incredibly boring.

and most of them don't know much about football

 

[J_NP]

Yeah in few words u explained for everyone , lemme see some of the reasons veron is outta argentina , and what have he been doing.

Yeah Now I see it , its not a really great final pos. but for a unknown team it's quite brilliant , but I'm surprised that Parma was behind it . Guess the end of parmalat , was pretty tough on it.

BTW buddy , if Juve really falls for serie B , so I guess what like the 3rd place of it will go up ?

P.S.: people , whos ' feeling a child ' these days , and collecting a sticker album of the cup ?

 

[bonsai]

My ideal line up for Croatia (3-5-2):

GOALKEEPER

Butina (not usualy their first choice but I think he makes less mistakes than Pletikosa)

DEFENDERS

---------R. Kovac--------Tomas----------------Tudor

MIDFIELDERS

Srna----(as he's proved to be very compitant in this position)Simic

-----------------------------N.Kovac---------------------------------------------

Vranjes------------------------------------------------------------------J.Leko

FORWARDS

----------------Prso------------------------------------Olic

 

[roy keane]

Replace Olic with Klasnic

 

[bonsai]

No Olic is a brilliant player

 

[1stepcloser]

Best commentary ever: Holland Vs Argentina when Bergkamp scored THAT goal in the last minute and the Dutch commentator went wild -

"dennish bergkamp, dennish berkamp, dennish bergkamp, DENNISH BERGKAMP, DENNISH BERGKAMP, DENNISH BERGKAMP!!!"

 

[speedracer]

American commentators are incredibly boring.

"Goaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllll" is the way to go.

For people in the US (and maybe Canada), Univision (Spanish-language TV in the US) is the way to go. The guys who were doing the games in 2002 were smoking some high-quality Colombian powder.

 

[intedomine]

My friend that is only his 2nd comment , his 1st was that he would dearly love to see brazil loses the 3 games , tell me anyone who wishes this to other team , and is not an anti-feeling .

Maybe, i do have an anti-Brazil sentiment, but it is not one which is directed out of spite, but perhaps out of a kind of tall-poppy syndrome.

And just think, if Brazil did lose all 3 games, it would be another fascinating contribution to the increasingly remarkable history of the world cup. The favourites exit without winning a game, ala France in 2002.

If this did happen, the best thing about it would be how it sticks it right up all of the pundits who reckon Brazil are a shoo in for winning the 06 World Cup, which I think is too simplistic.

All I'm saying is that if Brazil win the World Cup deservedly and exhibit their supremacy throughout the tournament, good on 'em and I'll have the utmost respect for them.

But I still would rather anyone else to win (except maybe England), cause i just reckon it'd be nice.

This is not anti-brazil in any way at all. If Togo were in the position Brazil are in now, I'd probably feel the same way about Togo.

In the lead up to this particular World Cup, I do not wanna see Brazil win. That's all there is to it.

And if Brazil were to lose all 3 games, it would be one less team the Aussies would have to worry about in progressing into the next stage.

C'mon Barca tonight...!