Football thread

[ypsidan04]

Can't wait for the start of the World Cup on June 9. It's nice to see some new qualifiers: Trinidad, Ecuador, Ghana, Togo, Angola, Switzerland, and AUSTRALIA! I'm so glad Australia finally made it in - I have family that live there. This is only their second appearance ever, and first in 32 years. They really should have made it in before now, but they were forced to play qualifiers against teams from South America or Asia. But being with Brazil, Japan, and Croatia, I'd be surprised if they win a game.

It's also interesting with what's going on in the world right now that Iran qualified. But the other countries in their opening group are not ones that they have a real beef with: Mexico, Angola, and Portugal.

I thought that the U.S. seemed to have a pretty tough group until I checked their world rankings. Italy, Czech, and Ghana. Czech is ranked #2, the U.S. is ranked #4 (!!), Italy is 14 (!!). I don't know what happened to the U.S. team, but I'll believe it when I see it.

[Sabeena]

YAY! i love football.. i used to be on a girls team and people always refer me to bend it like beckham the movie...because they stole my life story!!!... anyways all i got to say is COME ON LIVERPOOL!!

[Agnes]

Ole! Barcelona won after all. I personally think that this first goal (in 18 min) should have been admitted and then the match would have gone differently.

[tainted_chick]

Originally Posted by Agnes

Ole! Barcelona won after all. I personally think that this first goal (in 18 min) should have been admitted and then the match would have gone differently.

yeah ref should have let the goal stood and then not have sent off Jens Lehrman but silly ref likes sending people off! He is the ref that sent of Del Horno of Chelsea when they played Barcelona... I think ref must be a Barca fan LOL

ooo and FOOTBALL rocks

[freddie]

Originally Posted by tainted_chick

yeah ref should have let the goal stood and then not have sent off Jens Lehrman but silly ref likes sending people off! He is the ref that sent of Del Horno of Chelsea when they played Barcelona... I think ref must be a Barca fan LOL

I doubt that. If he was he'd probably allow the goal. Sending Lehman off was a lesser penalty.

One of the sideline referees was infact a Barca fan though. He's been suspended from the game some days before when he was seen pictured in a local newspaper wearing a Barcelona jersey.

[intervolkov]

in the second gol there is a error for Almunia in fact he haven't close the legs before the Beletti's kick

[marina]

In case you are wondering what exactly my contribution to World Cup is .....

[ypsidan04]

^^^^^^

And I thought no one knew what soccer was outside of the US, Canada, Australia, and maybe NZ.

[intervolkov]

i know that Vieri wants to play in the Sydney Soccer!

Is True??

[oppy]

Uouu visca el barça, we are the champions!!! this night party in the new camp yeaaa

We won spanish league and The champion league uau AWSOME YEAR

[tainted_chick]

Originally Posted by ypsidan04

^^^^^^

And I thought no one knew what soccer was outside of the US, Canada, Australia, and maybe NZ.

hey i know what soccer/football is as i LOVE it

Im getting ready for the world cup.. got my England Shirts and Flags:! Come on England

[Domi]

tainted chock, are you going to Germany ??? I would like to go so much, but I don't have tickets

[haku]

Right Said Fred is doing the opening of the World Cup in Berlin. Too sexy for my balls.

[socialite]

Originally Posted by marina

In case you are wondering what exactly my contribution to World Cup is .....

You spelt "football" wrong.

[spyretto]

Originally Posted by haku

Right Said Fred is doing the opening of the World Cup in Berlin. Too sexy for my balls.

Yeah, this is the only place in the world where those sorry has-beens still have a career:
in Deutschland. Their last country song sold really well

It says a lot about our European cousins’ musical taste.

Now, THAT's a good one, coming from a country that HAS taste in music
Didn't they unleash RSF to the world? weren't they number one in Britain circa 1992?...hmm, never mind then

Originally Posted by socialite

You spelt "football" wrong.

Offtop:
You spelt "spelt" wrong..it's spelled. Where on earth did you get "spelt" from.
I think the word soccer is overwhelming the word football anyway. It's the Americanised way to say "football": soccer, hmm
i like it, as I like McDonalds.

[freddie]

I might go to Munich if I have time. Not to watch the match (the tickets are sold out for months anyway), but rather to savour the vibe of fans. There's somekind of an aura of jubilation around fans attending a major sporting event and I love it.

I root for (how typical of me) Brazil! Sorry but I think they have the most impressing squad out there. And not just cause of Ronaldinho. This team gels. Much more than they did in 2002. That doesn't mean they'll win automatically though. Actually I don't even care who wins as long as it's not the Germans (I'm not racist, I just don't like the defensive football their current team displays... but I know it can be effective). Other than that it'd be cool to have an African team in the finals for a change (Senegal came mighty close in 2002 and this year Ivory Coast looks very impressive; especially Drogba... might be a good incentive for the 2010 WC in South Africa).
If I had to put money on it though... I'd say we'll see a South American team vs an European team in the finals (like we did for the last... *counts*... 4 WCs?) I'd also say eternal loosers England as well as Italian lotharios will make their dramatic exit after their group stages.

Group of death:
Holland (one of the strongest European squads... always in contention for the to spot... yet always with bad luck of some kind), Serbia & Monte Negro (last time as an unified country... Monte Negro separated from Serbian not long ago), Ivory Coast (awesome team; trashed us 3:0 in a friendly a week ago), Argentina ('86 champions, they'll be trying to put the national tragedy of 02 behind them... I think this is the best Argentinian squad since mid 90s)

Group D: Portugal (coached by Scolari who was Brazil's coach in 2002 when they were champions), Mexico (better than ever), Iran (not to be underestimated but I doubt they'd win against Potugal or Mexico), Angola (same).

[spyretto]

Yeah, Ivory Coast are a VERY good team, so talented. Hope they don't become some sort of early victims..and if there's a football god Brazil should win it but I fear they're gonna make a few "decisions" and "adjustments" in the fifa headquarters to ensure that they wouldn't ( or Brazil could even choke themselves under the pressure as they did in WC 98 ).
I'm curious to see how Portugal will cope after the Euro - in theory they got one of the best teams and now they got the experience as well. As for Holland, I don't think that they're as strong as they used to be in earlier competitions
( most of the players are from the Dutch domestic league and their big stars have struggled in their respective clubs - but we'll see ). Argentina also have a strong team individually so it depends on the style of football; but Mexico is advertised far too much by various sources and so I don't think they'll go far - I expect them to be one of the early victims. Italy are a bit of a mystery to me. They got lots of great players but I don't like the style of football they play in that country at the moment. Spain are of course perrenial mysteries as to how they end up being losers all the time; Germany are simply not good enough to win it. I'm also looking forward to watching the socceroos.
I also hear that Japan have worked wonders recently under Zico and experts are saying that they're gonna be as hyper as South Korea were in 2002 ( if not better ). But I haven't seen them playing as yet.
As for England, if they're knocked out early it would be great for football
But it seems they're destined to go a long way

[haku]

Originally Posted by freddie

There's somekind of an aura of jubilation around fans attending a major sporting event and I love it.

You mean like football fans getting drunk, breaking and burning stuff, and beating the crap out of each other. Football brings the best out of people.

[spyretto]

Originally Posted by haku

You mean like football fans getting drunk, breaking and burning stuff, and beating the crap out of each other. Football brings the best out of people.

No, he was thinking more of the samba chicks.

[haku]

Originally Posted by spyretto

No, he was thinking more of the samba chicks.

Ah yes, Brazilian fangirls have a nice way to show their support.