World Cup thread

[Don Carlos]

So, with the opening game just 4 days away, I thought it would be quite apt to start a World Cup thread for the people who will be taking notice!

So, who do you think is going to win the tournemant?

Group A
France
Mexico
South Africa
Uruguay

Group B
Argentina
Greece
Nigeria
South Korea

Group C
Algeria
England
Slovenia
USA

Group D
Australia
Germany
Ghana
Serbia

Group E
Cameroon
Denmark
Japan
Netherlands

Group F
Italy
New Zealand
Paraguay
Slovakia

Group G *group of death!!!*
Brazil
Ivory Coast
North Korea
Portugal

Group H
Chile
Honduras
Spain
Switzerland

Knockout stage
Last 16KO 1
Winner A v Runner-up B
KO 2
Winner C v Runner-up D
KO 3
Winner D v Runner-up C
KO 4
Winner B v Runner-up A
KO 5
Winner E v Runner-up F
KO 6
Winner G v Runner-up H
KO 7
Winner F v Runner-up E
KO 8
Winner H v Runner-up G

Quarter-finals
QF 1
Winner KO 5 v Winner KO 6
QF 2
Winner KO 1 v Winner KO 2
QF 3
Winner KO 3 v Winner KO 4
QF 4
Winner KO 7 v Winner KO 8

Semi-finals
SF 1
Winner QF 1 v Winner QF 2
SF 2
Winner QF 3 v Winner QF 4

Third place play-off
Runner-up SF 1 v Runner-up SF 2

World Cup final
Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

I would guess at Spain being the team to look out for this year as they have all round quality - as long as they stay injury free. Torres is made of glass, but he and Villa will be quite the partnership if he stays fit.

Argentina might be a real force if they didn't have that Maradona prick for a manager. He was undoubtidly a fantastic player but he is a terrible manager. Playing people like Messi and Tevez out of position, despite them having good scoring record for their clubs in their normal positions.

Portugal have one or two stand out players...but I think they will falter due to lack of commitment.

Italy/Germany/Brazil always turn up for the big occassions and they dont get bigger than this - I expect to see these 3 in the quarter finals witht he Germans through to the semi finals.

England - quarter final heart break...again despite having a very strong team.

[U4EA]

I'm holding out for anyone but England.

[Don Carlos]

Then you have already won sir...

[EtUL]

let's bet some posts

[losCHUNK]

Spain !, the quality on the pitch and on the bench is shocking, theyre getting my vote. England now have captain fantastic so im quite interested to see how he will react, seeing as its what he wanted for pretty much ever and how he can drag a team through a tournament kicking and screaming when shits going his way could show up, i doubt it though and expect them to make it to the 1st knock out round (against Germany :])

I like maradona as manager too, not of my club, but theres not many managers you hear tell a room full of journalists to suck his dick, then go out and run one of them over then call him the idiot, i hope he wins just to see the media go into meltdown. Will keep an eye on the Netherlands too, its a squad i follow but im not expecting much of them, same as Italy, France, Germany... Brazil will obviously light up the tournament then lose when they meet a team that can actually defend :]

could be an epic tournament, cant wait

[Eraser]

The Dutch will stumble through the first round, with all Dutchees moaning that "they" (the team) suck, then we'll play absolutely fabulous football in the 8th and quarter finals, followed by all Dutchees cheering that "we" are going to be world champtions only to be knocked out in the semi-finals.

It's like that every world cup. 'cept for 74 when Germany stole the cup from us.

[Ryoki]

I think we dutchees might actually have almost half a chance this year, maybe!

[U4EA]

Seriously though, Spain and Australia as usual

[Eraser]

I think we dutchees might actually have almost half a chance this year, maybe!

Just like at the European Championship eh? Where we did so greatly against Russia?
Don't kid yourself...

[Ryoki]

Ha! Got you speaking in 'we' terms anyway, mr. football pessimist

[losCHUNK]

I think we dutchees might actually have almost half a chance this year, maybe!

Just like at the European Championship eh? Where we did so greatly against Russia?
Don't kid yourself...

If i remember that game Arshavin had a blinder ?, dont be too upset about that you aint the only team hes done it against :/

[Eraser]

Ha! Got you speaking in 'we' terms anyway, mr. football pessimist

heh, at least I speak of "we" when it's about losing. I take it like a man.

[Tormentius]

Best football ad ever?

[menkent]

i think fate demands that the worst possible outcome for the US audience will always occur in soccer (football). thus: US chokes and gets eliminated in either pool play or in the first game after, then France miraculously wins it all so all the bobble-heads on ESPN will talk about is how they didn't even deserve to be there (re:Henri) and that it's a bullshit sport.

[seremtan]

probably brazil or italy

england will just do their usual routine of getting knocked out in the 1/4 finals, probably on penalties. rooney will get sent off for being a moron or will get a hairline fracture in one of his metatarsals, to replaced by peter crouch who will fuck up any chances that come his way

[/scottish-style pessimism]

[Don Carlos]

Best football ad ever?

Good, but not quite there yet...

[Don Carlos]

I really like this one...

[seremtan]

^ nice

[axbaby]

I am hoping the South Africa team does well

[phantasmagoria]

football: a bunch of thugs watching another group of thugs run around in a field kicking a sack of air.

[U4EA]

Australian advertising is generally shit, but I like this one:

[andyman]

IT'S GETTING CLOSE!

[losCHUNK]

lol not seen the Ozzy one

i like this one :]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zR0ISFcKeM

which was the finale to this series of ads -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKMCjKwO ... re=related

this ones pretty cool n all if it wasnt for the gunner love...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwlpTgbQTE

[Eraser]

Nice pics again on boston.com:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/0 ... d_cup.html

looks like he's knocking the dude out cold:


I love this one as well:

[Don Carlos]

Gotta love the Boston pics