With only one day to go until all the hype ends (ha!) and the football begins who is everyone's tip to lift the trophy?

And what do you think of England's chances?

No matter how crap I think England are at times, I'm always blindly optimistic before a big tournament starts. :lol: I wonder how long it will take to shake my faith... ;)

As for other countries winning, I haven't a clue of anyone else's form at the mo, so I couldn't possibly comment. :shrug:

Didn't we have a board sweepstake for Euro 2004? Although that was only when we had about 20 members, so it might be a bit more difficult to arrange now. :lol:

I don't think Brazil are as nailed on as everyone thinks not when you look at their defence but I guess with that attack they are gonna take some beating.

My dark horses are Portugal who I think are a pretty useful team and could do really well but if things go to plan ( winning groups etc ) then I think they are due to meet England in the quater finals so I guess that means I'm saying England will get to the quaters and then out. :ph43r: :whistling:

I didn't fancy their chances but looking at their group and possible route through the compettion France have got a pretty good chance.

I can't really see anyone beating Brazil.

By my calculations, and if we're lucky, we'll meet Brazil in the SFs this time around. We're not good enough to beat them. Argentina might be in with a shout on a good day, and the only real European threat IMO, would be Italy, who always raise their game for the big tournaments.

Brazil Vs Italy final, with Brazil taking it, once again :rolleyes:

:ermm: finale: germany vs brazil :shrug:

Argentina or Germany (I know they're poor but then again they always are - never bet against them).

I don't think there are any really outstanding candidates this time round.

Brazil's firepower looks amazing though, but their defence isn't that strong, and the full backs at least are aging.

Argentina look strong too, but none of the traditional European powers... Italy, France and Germany... look that good.

I like Portugal too, and I'd like to throw the Czech Republic in there too as a possible dark house.

But England could be there or thereabouts too... with a little luck things could happen. We have two of the best midfielders in Europe in Lampard and Gerrard, and Beckham's dead ball play over the last couple of games has been outstanding. The defence is reasonable, and maybe Owen's lack of games could w**k in his favour if he clicks, but he needs to get it together quickly.

Rooney aside, I think the immediate build up and preparation have been excellent. I think this England side is in with a chance, certainly the best chance in my memory. I feel the tournament is very open, and England stand as good a chance as any.

Andrew :yahoo:

I actually think we had a better chance in the last World Cup. If we'd beaten Brazil, we'd probably have gone on to win the tournament, IMO.

According to BBC Sport Sven's now considering Rooney for the Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden games. Likely to go down well with Alex Ferguson :lol:

there is a predictor "game" to predict the finalists

link

:)

Same here :)

The Germans are always jammy though, unless we beat them in the second round, of course :lol:

I reckon the yanks will suprise a lot of people*......... :thumbsup:

That is as long as they remember they dont have to substitute most of their players every time they lose the ball........ ;)



Disclaimer.....

* But then again I know squat about football........ :)

I'm just not at all bothered about this World Cup. Don't know why, I normally get quite into it, but I just don't care this year :unsure: :lol:

(Although if it looks like we're gonna win/do really well, I'll pretend I haven't missed a game and was supporting England all the way.. ;) )

I hope we win (most of the time) I'm not sure the team that gets picked will be capable though.

I agree that there's no clear favourites this time, no matter how great people (did have a bit of a rant about pundits here but it contained too many swear words) think Brazil might be.

I'm not sure Portugal have what it takes to win.

Home advantage and the fact that Germany just seem to know how to play in World Cups could get them further than what their form or ability might suggest.

Spain seem to be a lot of people's dark horses but they always are and they won yet.

Argentina will probably do well, Holland will flatter to deceive as usual, Italy will be tough to beat, as they always are, but not sure about their firepower which out of the main contenders just leaves France who have the players but... :shrug:

I'll be damn suprised if one of them don't win it though.

I don't follow football at all but during the World Cup I like to make an exception.

I pay attention to the other games and try to watch the England ones. Being in Wales, you get a ot of idiots trying to ambushthe screenings, whihc is complete stupidity as we are supposed to be 'Great britain' and support each other aren't we.

I'm really looking forward to the start of the World Cup! Now all the talk can stop and the football can start. I don't know but anyone else but I'm sick of hearing about Wayne Rooney's foot!

I think we have some great players but Sven will got pick a settle side so his best 11 as he calls them have no idea how play as a team. I think if we can get to the quater-final we will have had a good tournament!

Aye, but there's some bitterness that you get all this coverage of the England team (and the inevitable mentions of 1966 :rolleyes:) and the other nations have been unable to qualify.

Here we go. :)

6 mins: GOAL Germany 1-0 Costa Rica

One down lots to go.

Can't complain about the game, first half was better than the second though. And two or three cracking goals.

Germany difficult to judge, Costa Rica very poor.

Thinking of it from an England Vs Germany point of view; England are much better in defence and attack than Costa Rica, which should mean bad news for the German strikers and even worse news for their defenders. My opinion of the German team at the moment wasn't great to begin with, but after that display I'm seriously thinking that I'd rather get Germany in the next round than Poland. It'll be interesting to see how Poland do against them, probably a draw.

Costa Rica just rely on Wanchope. They raved about Centano but I thought he was absolutely awful for the vast majority of the game. I don't see them troubling Poland too much, although they may give Ecuador a game.

ecuador win :blink: ......... a good game with a twist ......... the polishs have germany for the next game ....... it will a lot more difficult ........unless germany don't improve the defence.

I think Ecuador deserved their win, they w**k so hard in defence I think Poland thought all they had to do to win was turn up.


The German defence was just awful they are a dangerous on the attack they get out the group stage no problem once the face some the bigger sides they will struggle.

Does England actually practice crossing into the box? :ermm:

A convincing England performance :unsure: against a 12 man Paraguay. <_<

1st half was adequate, 2nd dismal, the midfield was none existant.

Improvement needed.

Despite the sycophantic gushing of the Beeb panel, I thought we played alright in the first half. No need to go into raptures, this was Paraguay afterall.

The second half was just plain awful. Tactically, I think everyone in the ground bar Eriksson could have said that replacing Owen with Downing was a joke. Where the hell does he get these ideas from? From a position of dictating the game we just capitulated and handed them the momentum. Any team better than Paraguay would have taken up the mantle and soundly thrashed us.

If we carry on playing that way, we don't even deserve to progress beyond the group stages. As poor as the Germans are, and as dodgy as their defending may be, they still, are at least adventurous going forward and possess an attacking mentality. Sven seem's intent on turning England into a glorified Serie A bore-a-thon. Negative teams don't deserve to win anything.

I thought it quite amusing that, despite Sven's protestations that this squad is much fitter than the one he took to Japan/South Korea, the first excuse out of his mouth after the match was the heat, later compounded by Beckham's 'exhaustion' excuse. :rolleyes:

Still, three points on the board, should be another three against T&T, and we'll be through. On today's evidence though, I've changed my mind, better than we avoid Germany. They're rubbish, but on our day, so are we.

I thought it was fairly typical of our first games in tournaments. The referee was hilariously bad, but then so was most of the football. I think the BBC pundits were watching a different game. Makes me laugh how Joe Cole can writhe around on the ground when he's barely been touched, but the referee treads on his hand and he doesn't even flinch :lol:

Seeing as none of our other games will be played at this time of day they won't be able to use the heat as an excuse from now on. :ermm:

Won't beat any of the good teams on that form.

If Gerrard and Lampard can't control a midfield against Paraguay what chance Brazil et al?

Crouch is a donkey, always has been, always will be.

The coach (and his monkey) have no idea how to use substitutes, what tactics are and most importantly how to change something to win games (proven at previous tournaments).

I'm glad I don't care.

(Apart from still wishing a proper kicking on Joe Cheat)

I have to agree with you, I also have to wonder what was the point in taking Theo Wallcott to the world cup if your not going to play him? I wouldn't have taken him as he has played just a handful of games and although he shows a lot of promise he's is just not ready! Sven has decieded to take so he may as well play him in the group stages before the games get a lot harder.

Neil thank goodness someone think that Crouch is a no talent plank!

Well done to T&T :yahoo:

Was far from happy with the performance, but well, it's a win. I wasn't sure about the substitutions either... I could have understood the withdrawl of Owen if he'd been replaced by Walcott, or Lennon maybe.

I can't see England playing that badly again, and sadly, I'd be surprised it Trinidad play that well a second time. It was obvious the heat affected us badly, not to mention the crass decisions not to let the players take on water during the game. Fortunately, the conditions should be a little less hostile for the last two games.

It's good to know that a win against T & T will see us into the knockout phase, and hopefully set us up for a relaxed game against the Swedes. Hopefully with Rooney playing 20 mins or so. It's 38 years since we last beat Sweden, so a win against them would be a real boost.

Of course, I'd rather we'd played better, but I see no reason for the wholesale panic in the media. I'd rather we start slowly and improve than go off like rockets, and fade, the way we did in Spain 82. A slow start and three points is fine by me.

Andrew :D

Well so far I think its been a really good start to the tournament with all the games being good to watch ... apart from the England game of course. :rolleyes: I thought we were poor but as Andrew said I'd rather we start off slowly and improve as we go and we should get better.

I thought the Ivory Coast were really good last night ( Kolo Toure's brother was very impressive ) and so far Argentina, Germany and Holland all look good going forward but less good in defence and if that trend continues with the other big teams it could make for a entertaining, goal heavy world cup. Hopefully anyway. :)

Forgot to say how great it is to have Martin O'Neil back as a pundit. :thumbsup:

I've just drawn Brazil & Italy in the office sweepstake! :thumbsup: (aswell as Australia, Ecuador and Tunisia) :)

Were you running the sweepstake perhaps? ;)

:whistling:

No :) It's funny because my boss (who's a tw*t) got Trinidad, Togo, Costa Rica, Iran and Serbia. Heh :)

They cant lose with that little lot...... :thumbsup: :lol:

It's just plain greedy having all those teams. ;) I take it you're based in a very small office? :lol: Or at least one with very few football fans in it?

There are 7 of us and only 6 taking part, so 5 teams each with 2 spare (one of which being Holland) :)

So if Holland wins the tournament, does that mean no-one wins the sweepstake?

T'is correct :)

A good come back by the Aussies, not sure Japan really deserved to lose 3-1 though.

And a very good performance by the Czechs, I thought they looked good going forward and fairly solid at the back. The early goal did help which allowed them to control the game. Koller's injury is a bit of a blow though.