World Cup 2006

[clontaago]

Well, with little over a month to go until kick off, I am interested to hear peoples views on the World Cup. I am not a soccer supporter at all really, I dont follow the A League. However no matter what the sport, whenever the World Cup is one I always get quite excited. The atmosphere at a large soccer game, even just in the pub, is unbeatable in my opinion.

The Aussies face Japan in their first pool match on June 12. We have 3 friendlies before that, Greece in melb on May 25, Netherlands on June 4 and Liechtenstein on June 7. These 3 games will be huge in terms of our preparation for the pool games.

While I dont rate Aus as any chance of winning the tournament, I do believe that if they can get away with a win against Japan in the opener, it will place them well in terms of getting through to second stage, the final 16. If we can scrape through in second, I am tipping our first game will be against either Italy or Czech Republic, so either way we are gone there. In reality though, I dont think Aus will beat Japan.

I strongly believe that the pools have been set up to enable the majority of top teams to reach the final 16, unlike 2002. My round of 16 looks like this:

Game 49 - Ger v Eng
50 - Arg v Port
51 - Swe v Cost R
52 - Mex v Ned
53 - CZE v Japan
54 - Fra v Tun
55 - Brazil v Italy
56 - Spain v Swit

Quarters

57 - Ger v Arg
58 - CZE v Fra
59 - Swe v Mex
60 - Brazil v Spain

Semis

61 - Argentina v CZE
62 - Mexico v Brazil

Final - CZE V Brazil

 

[Fluffy]

for someone who doesnt follow soccer you seem to have a fair bit of knowledge - and a love of the czech side

For what its worth i think if we get our full team in the field we are a good chance in all games. The brazillians underestimated us in the confed cup a few years ago and a few of them have already mouthed off, that said it would be a huge upset if we were to win. Both Crotaia and Japan will be beatable - our world ranking is lower than our real position due to the lack of games we play and the way it is calculated.

It is based on 7 games a year min - we do not make this quota every year, that means we are giving away raw points - generally about 15 - 20 a match (or about 5 places on the ladder)

 

[clontaago]

I am a raving mad Liverpool supporter bit they are about the only games I watch.

I rate the Czech side, if things pan out the way I have suggested they will have had an arguably easier run than the Argies. Having said that the Argies will still be extremely hard to beat.

And full side or not, we will be overawed and will be extremely lucky if we make it to the final 16. We wont beat Brazil, never, not in a million years on the World Cup stage, and we wont beat both Japan and Croatia, meaning we will need results to go our way at best. If we lose that first pool game to Japan you can kiss our arses goodbye I'm afraid.

 

[Fluffy]

i feel the same way but we have pulled out the upsets a couple of times in the last 5 years when on the big stage (barring world cup qualifiers) so who knows, Guus is a great coach so could get the boys up.

fingers crossed.

 

[ManlyBacker]

I have no idea who will perform but I am definitely looking forward to it. Hopefully Thierry Henry will be top goal scorer.

 

[Canteen Worker]

Despite my first love - League - i still run around in an over 35 Soccer team (i can't call it football as there is only one football!!!! :lol

I love the theatre of the world cup and the scope and passion of the tournament. I hate the way soccer players dive and try to win an academy award though.

Bring it on!!! (though I will watch two guys trying to catch a fly if it is called live sport)

 

[Rexx]

I am a raving mad Liverpool supporter bit they are about the only games I watch.

Love to hear your rendition of "You'll never walk alone, aa-alone". Best club song ever, Daddy Cool's Eagle Rock aside of course (Ross Wilson was a musical genius).

The pommie supporters really know how to support a team as a team (when you drop the thugs). A great experience when I had a stint in England was watching a Hammers game live at Upton Park. I followed them from the time I was a kid because of their maroon jersey.

The Liverpool song still sends tingles up my spine from the days of watching Craig Johnston scoring to seal the win in the FA cup final in the early hours of the morning.


"You'll Never Walk Alone"
When you walk through a storm,
Hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of a storm,
There's a golden sky,
And the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown..
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone...
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone...
You'll never walk alone.

 

[Fluffy]

its certaintly something that isnt matched here

When i was in scotland the local team playing in 3rd division had a 10K crowd

 

[clontaago]

Last years Champions League final will go down as one of, if not the greatest sporting comebacks I will ever see. I went absolutely nuts.

 

[PJ]

[quote author=clontaago]
I am a raving mad Liverpool supporter bit they are about the only games I watch.

Love to hear your rendition of "You'll never walk alone, aa-alone". Best club song ever, Daddy Cool's Eagle Rock aside of course (Ross Wilson was a musical genius).

The pommie supporters really know how to support a team as a team (when you drop the thugs). A great experience when I had a stint in England was watching a Hammers game live at Upton Park. I followed them from the time I was a kid because of their maroon jersey.

The Liverpool song still sends tingles up my spine from the days of watching Craig Johnston scoring to seal the win in the FA cup final in the early hours of the morning.


"You'll Never Walk Alone"
When you walk through a storm,
Hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of a storm,
There's a golden sky,
And the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown..
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone...
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you'll never walk alone...
You'll never walk alone.
[/quote]

That's not the Liverpool song they stole it- that's a Joeys war cry

 

[Garts]

the thing about soccer is you can dominate a team and still end up nil all at fulltime. more upsets can occur in soccer than say league so I have confidence we can cause a few.

Guus also has a good record coaching in the cup for the last 2 tournaments. If we play to our potential we can make the final 16!!!!

 

[Canteen Worker]

PJ - you Joeys guys!!!!! (Where were they at the Regatta this year???? :lol: )

Great post Rexx.

I notice the once great Leeds United are playing off for 90 minutes in the hope to finally regain their righteous place in the Premier League.

Poor Preston crashed out at home for the third time in the last few years to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

 

[PJ]

we didnt go that bad CW- second by a whisker and we weren't even expected to feature in the placings....

 

[Canteen Worker]

we didnt go that bad CW- second by a whisker and we weren't even expected to feature in the placings....

It was a windy day and the smaller crews were pummelled all over the place.

 

[PJ]

yeah- I was following it in the lead up and we weren't rated a chance so I thought that something might've happened!