[kfay]

Wanted to start a poll... but too much to talk about!!!

Now that the draw is complete:

Group A:
South Africa (FIFA World Rank 86)
Mexico (15)
Uruguay (19)
France (7)

Group B:
Argentina (8)
Nigeria (22)
South Korea (52)
Greece (12)

Group C:
England (9)
United States! (14)
Algeria (28)
Slovenia (33)

Group D:
Germany (6)
Australia (21)
Serbia (20)
Ghana (37)

Group E:
Netherlands (3)
Denmark (26)
Japan (43)
Cameroon (11)

Group F:
Italy (4)
Paraguay (30)
New Zealand (77)
Slovakia (34)

Group G:
Brazil (2)
North Korea (84)
Ivory Coast (16)
Portugal (5)

Group H:
Spain (1)
Switzerland (18)
Honduras (38)
Chile (17)

Who's going to make it out of group play? Any predictions for the semis and finals?

Frankly, I'm really excited about USA's chances next year.

[Walddk]

A: South Africa and France.
B: Argentina and Nigeria.
C: England and USA.
D: Germany and Ghana.
E: Netherlands and Cameroon.
F: Italy and Slovakia.
G: Brazil and Portugal.
H: Spain and Chile.

That's all for now.

Roland

[gwnn]

Darn Kevin I wanted to make this thread. Anyway:

A: France, Uruguay
B: Argentina, Nigeria
C: England, US
D: Germany, Serbia
E: Holland, Cameroon
F: Italy, Paraguay
G: Brazil, Portugal
H: Spain, Switzerland

Not sure of the exact k/o brackets but if it's A vs B then AB vs CD etc and you can't meet anyone from your group earlier than the final as I think is normal (but not always respected):

2nd round
France beats Nigeria
England beats Serbia
Holland beats Paraguay
Brazil beats Switzerland
-----------------------------------
Argentina beats Uruguay
Germany clobbers US
Italy loses lamentably to Cameroon
Spain loses to Portugal, ending their golden era

QF
England loses to France
Holland loses to Brazil
---------------------------------------
Argentina beats Germany
Cameroon loses to Portugal

SF
France loses to Brazil,
-----------------------------------
Portugal beats Argentina

Consolation final:
Argentina beats France and gets a well-deserved medal.


Final:
Brazil beats Portugal easily, well that's because somehow I put Portugal in the final, not sure why.

[Codo]

A Uruguay and Mexico - maybe France will make it but I want to see them fail cause I hate the way they qualified...

B Argentina and Nigeria

C England and Slovenia

D Germany and Serbia

E Netherlands and Cameroon

F Italy and Paraguay

G Brazil and Ivory coast (Ronaldo will be injured and Portugal without Ronaldo...)

H Spain and Switzerland

1/8 final:

Argentina and Nigeria England and Germany Netherlands and ITaly, Brazil and Spain will make it to the 1/4 final, I have no idea who plays who afterwards, so no more predicition, but I think that the final of the best teams (Brazil/Spain) is impossible, they will meet earlier.
Anyway, I bet whoever wins that match will win the worldcup.

[gwnn]

Yes, poor Irishmen.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Jf9fx4ipF4Q

They didn't cry and ask for a replay or ask for a 34th place for Macedonia did they? Nobody told the ref "DUDE the linesman was signaling for offside!!"

Also, just looked up the brackets online, looks like Spain can't meet Brazil before the finals if they both win their groups. If exactly one of them finishes 2nd, they meet right in the 2nd round

[Rossoneri]

What I currently think, based on gut feel. I might revise this when I look at the data and statistics.

Group A:
Mexico (15)
Uruguay (19)

Group B:
Argentina (8)
South Korea (52)

Group C:
England (9)
United States! (14)

Group D:
Germany (6)
Australia (21)

Group E:
Netherlands (3)
Denmark (26)

Group F:
Italy (4)
Paraguay (30)

Group G:
Brazil (2)
Ivory Coast (16)
Portugal (5)

Group H:
Spain (1)
Switzerland (18)

[paulg]

England coach Capello has been here long enough to master British understatement, "The draw is not so bad".

[Gerben42]

The biggest surprise here: How did England become group head and not Portugal? In that group they will probably manage to be 2nd in the group behind the USA.

1st Quarter:

1A (Mexico) - 2B (Greece)

Close one for Mexico.

1C (USA) - 2D (Australia)

After an exciting game, the Ozzies win!

--> QF: Mexico - Australia.

Australia continues to surprise everyone


1E (Netherlands) - 2F (Slovakia)

Italy won't forget to win their group this time, it's too easy. So an easy RO16 for Netherlands.

1G (Portugal) - 2H (Chile)

Exciting game, Portugal to go through

--> QF: Netherlands - Portugal

Revenge for last time, Netherlands goes through.


1B (Argentina) - 2A (France)

On of the top games of the RO16, Argentina edging ahead.

1D (Germany) - 2C (England)

Always exciting but England will lose 3-1.

QF: Germany - Argentina

This will be too tough for the German squad.

1F (Italy) - 2E (Cameroon)

Italy will struggle here, but win 1-0 in overtime.

1H (Spain) - 2G (Brazil)

I'm waiting for this one... Who knows. I'll say Spain.

QF: Italy - Spain.

Bye bye Italy.


That leaves the semis:

Netherlands - Australia
Argentina - Spain

Final:

Netherlands - Spain

Since Spain has knocked out all the tough teams already, they are too tired and Netherlands wins the final 2-1. Or of course everything will be different... Looking at the order of the groups, winning group H might not be the best idea

[Aberlour10]

Gerben42, on Dec 5 2009, 04:55 AM, said:

The biggest surprise here: How did England become group head and not Portugal?

Because FIFA used the ranking from October 2009 for the seeding: England (7), Portugal (10)

"

Quote

Wir haben die FIFA-Weltrangliste von Oktober 2009 als Kriterium herangezogen. Es war die fairste Lösung, weil alle Mannschaften die gleiche Anzahl von Spielen bestritten haben. Die WM-Turniere von 2006 oder 2002 wurden nicht berücksichtigt", sagte der französische FIFA-Generalsekretär Jerome Valcke am Mittwoch auf einer Pressekonferenz im International Convention Centre von Kapstadt. Selbst UEFA-Präsident Michel Platini, ebenfalls Franzose, habe die nun umgesetzte Vorgehensweise unterstützt, so Valcke.

[mike777]

USA



I assume you guys seem to pick other.....

send winnings to mike777

[gwnn]

mike777 predictions on par with the batteries he was named after:



(not sure if you had those in non-Eastern Europe)

[mike777]

gwnn, on Dec 5 2009, 06:49 AM, said:

mike777 predictions on par with the batteries he was named after:



(not sure if you had those in non-Eastern Europe)

NOte I tried to find GWnn prediction....but it was tooo tiny........

[gwnn]

[cherdanno]

I had not looked at the draw yet, but:

kfay, on Dec 4 2009, 02:13 PM, said:

Group A:
South Africa (FIFA World Rank 86)
Mexico (15)
Uruguay (19)
France (7)

Group G:
Brazil (2)
North Korea (84)
Ivory Coast (16)
Portugal (5)

Wow. Group A has the teams ranked 10, 11, 19 in Nate Silver's ESPN world rankings, quite tough for the supposed easy draw of the home team! Group G has ranks 1, 7 and 9!

http://espn.go.com/soccer/spi/rankings

[Aberlour10]

R16

France
Uruguay
Argentina
Nigeria
England
Algeria
Germany
Serbia
Netherlands
Cameroon
Italy
Paraguay
Ivory Coast
Portugal
Spain
Chile

QFs
Argentina
Nigeria
Germany
Netherlands
Cameroon
Italy
Portugal
Spain

SF
Northwestern
Time Bandit
Cornelia Marie
Wizard

Final
Spain
Argentina

[dicklont]

Walddk, on Dec 4 2009, 09:34 PM, said:

[snip]
E: Netherlands and Cameroon.
[snip]

Roland

So the Danish dynamite has lost it's power Roland?

Netherlands will meet Brazil in the Q-finals. That's were it will end for us.

[dicklont]

Group A: France and Uruguay
Group B: Argentina and Nigeria
Group C: England and United States
Group D: Germany and Ghana
Group E: Netherlands and Cameroon
Group F: Italy and Slovakia
Group G: Brazil and Portugal
Group H: Spain and Chile

I expect the African countrys to perform very well and Spain will win it's first world title.

[shyams]

I think the England team is being underestimated by the people making predictions so far. I am not saying they are my pick for a win; but they are definitely stronger than just a QF elimination.

Plus here's a piece of history for the superstitious. The penultimate tournament win by Spain was in 1964. They won the next one after 44 years -- Euro '08.

The last major win by England was in 1966 -- add 44 years and you get a reason to pick them as the next WC winners.

[Aberlour10]

shyams, on Dec 6 2009, 06:20 AM, said:

I think the England team is being underestimated by the people making predictions so far. I am not saying they are my pick for a win; but they are definitely stronger than just a QF elimination.

No doubt, England has at the moment the strongest football league ever. But what is the price for the development in this league during the last 20 years? I dont want to say England has a weakest national team ever.... but close to it.

[Aberlour10]

dicklont, on Dec 6 2009, 04:47 AM, said:

So the Danish dynamite has lost it's power Roland?

Not the power, I think they lost their famous team spirit that allowed them in old good days to beat everyone.