2006 Soccer Football World Cup in Germany

[UK Skins Fan]

So, with Egypt's victory in the Africa Cup of Nations (why that isn't called the African Nations Cup, nobody knows), we now know that neither the reigning champions of Europe or Africa will be at this summer's finals.

As five times winners of the African Cup, Egypt's faliure to qualify is a major disappointment. With Cameroon, Senagal and Nigeria also failing to qualify, it may be that this is a very weak entry from Africa this time around. Of those that have made it, Tunisia may make an impact in Group H against Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and the perennial underachievers of Spain.

The African Cup runners-up from Ivory Coast will struggle in a group containing Argentina and Holland, whilst Serbia & Montenegro cannot be taken lightly either. If Didier Drogba is on form, he can terrorise any defence, but as he showed in the final against Egypt, he will sometimes struggle to hit a cow's backside with a banjo (as we say over here).

Ghana may play a full part in the "Group of Death" with Italy, USA and the Czech Republic, but they won't make it to the next round.

Togo are ranked 56 in the world, but may just have something to say in the outcome of Group G. They have been unfortunate to draw France in their last group game, when France should be into their stride, and may give them a real spanking. However, South Korea (without Gus Hiddink to mastermind their progress) could be vulnerable, and Switzerland are nothing special.

Anybody can spring a surprise, but it's difficult to see which of these teams will qualify for the second stage.

[DESkins]

It'll be interesting. I have a bet with my boss, the winner being the one that gets the most picks advancing from the first round, of course we will then have the second bet, et.al., until the final game. Won't go into my picks at this point, but I'll let you know how things work out.

[Redskin in Canada]

Anybody can spring a surprise, but it's difficult to see which of these teams will qualify for the second stage.

The local (or even regional) venue is a tremendous advantage in this Africa Cup. Egypt winning does not mean as much outside of Egypt.

Having followed a few games, I think that the African Team with the best possibilities is, surprisingly, Ivory Coast.

But lack of consistency is an African trademark. And I am sure African teams will have both great and bad games. Still, my "money" (I never bet money on anything) is on Ivory Coast.

[Redskin in Canada]

History gives hope to Africa's nearly men
13 February 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com

The thousands of fans who turned out to greet Côte d'Ivoire's footballers on their return home from the CAF African Cup of Nations had only one message for their heroes: "You have lost but we remain proud of you."

Such slogans adorned many of the banners held aloft at the airport in Abidjan and along the subsequent route to the national stadium which was packed to welcome back Didier Drogba and Co after their run to the final of the continental championship in Egypt. The Ivorians may have lost out on penalties to the hosts the previous day but as the crowds who turned out on Saturday would testify, there was plenty to celebrate.

Victories over African powerhouses Cameroon and Nigeria took Côte d'Ivoire to only their second ever Nations Cup final and have understandably created considerable optimism as Henri Michel's men now start planning for their first FIFA World Cup™ appearance in Germany in June.

Central defender Kolo Toure declared with confidence: "This was our first tournament together and it's going to help us play good football at the World Cup, definitely." Michel himself said that the experience could prove invaluable: "The thing we have to take away from this is the good run we've had at this tournament with this team."

The Elephants were certainly the pick of Africa's five FIFA World Cup finalists in Egypt: only Tunisia joined them in surviving the group stage before then falling at the quarter-final hurdle. And, as the history books show us, Côte d'Ivoire's failure to beat Egypt in the final is hardly going to hurt their prospects in Germany.

Indeed recalling the African teams who have impressed at past FIFA World Cups only one – the Nigeria side who reached the second round in 1994, before losing narrowly to Italy – entered the finals as continental champions. That occasion apart, it has been the nearly men of the Nations Cup who have caused the biggest stirs on the world stage.

Unlike the 1974 champions Zaire, who returned home with nul points from West Germany, Tunisia were beaten semi-finalists at the Nations Cup in 1978 before then becoming the first African country to collect a FIFA World Cup point in Argentina. Similarly in 1982, Algeria reached the last four in Libya before subsequently causing a sensation in Spain with a 2-1 victory over West Germany.
An even better example for Côte d'Ivoire is the Senegal team who enjoyed great success in the Far East four years ago. Bruno Metsu's side lost the Nations Cup final in Mali in a penalty shootout against Cameroon but while the Cameroonians duly disappointed in Korea/Japan – failing to get past the first round – Senegal beat holders France in the tournament's opening match and went on to reach the last eight.

The only African side to have got that far previously were Cameroon in 1990. Like Senegal in 1990, they beat the then holders Argentina in the opening game; unlike Senegal, however, they had not even got out of their group at the Nations Cup three months earlier. Never mind Côte d'Ivoire – it seems first-round losers Angola, Ghana and even Togo can take heart too.

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060213/1/621i.html

[trey53]

Just read the entire post. Nice to read everyone's insight into the Cup and see opinions of other soccer/football fans.

I'm very excited about the Cup this year. I am definitely a US supporter first and foremost but I spent 3 years living in England and root for them as well. It has always depressed me that with such talented players England hasn't won it. If they get their heads right (and their talent fit and injury free) they have a good shot to win it.

The US has really got me excited this Cup. The past couple of matches they have really started to turn it up. Granted they played a light Norway team and a respected Japan squad but some of the players are really turning it on. The MLS has really started to show how having a club league strengthens the national team. I think that the US will surprise some people this cup (even if they are expecting a strong showing from the US). They definitely have a really tough group...but whoever makes it out of that group is going to be the stronger for it. I will say that Ghana had better be taken seriously by everyone in that group though. They have the potential to be a disrupting force.

As an aside I also wanted to mention that I'm a DC United fan and I love the EPL as well. I definitely wish they would show more matches over here than they do. I'm a Liverpool fan in that league from when I lived in England back in 86-89. I also have a like of Chelsea (I know, I know...it's like loving the Skins and liking the Giants) though because I was able to see them vs DC United in the Clash of Champions friendly this past summer...they are the only EPL team I have ever seen live. Chelsea is amazing to watch though.

[Flit]

Well, have to be said about the post regarding Chelsea. Nobody in England likes them now, I really dislike Chelsea as they first are really boring to watch never watched an exciting Chelsea game in my life since Mourinho taken over an excellent manager as he is but plays very dull football. But back to the world cup, I see the English are optimistic as ever when we will learn that building our team up doesn't work has not done since 66 and doesn't look likely to in the future. England will fail at the Championships I'm sorry to say as they are trying to fit square pegs in round holes, just doesn't work. Gerrard and Lampard on paper is very good but neither of them can sit in front of the back four which will be exposed if the full backs push on like Sven likes them to. Beckham is a has been and living purely on reputation at the moment, Rooney is class absolutely pure class one of the best technical players I have ever seen throughout the world, very strong for a 20 year old as well. But to place all our hopes and dreams on his shoulders is a big ask considering how wound up and emotional he gets at times. Amongst the other teams, you have the usual suspects of Brazil, Argentina, Holland, Germany they will be there or there abouts around the semi finals as for the US they are my dark horse this year if they can get past that horrible group, Italy, Ghana and the very strong Czech Republic get out of that group and they will believe they can goto the very late stages of the tournament. This might seem like a long reply and all, but just my feelings on Chelsea and England really. Don't get too excited English fans just at the moment lets just get past the group stages which could be tricky and see who lies in wait

[Redskin in Canada]

I'm very excited about the Cup this year. I am definitely a US supporter first and foremost but I spent 3 years living in England and root for them as well. It has always depressed me that with such talented players England hasn't won it.

England won the World Cup against (West) Germany at Wembley in 1966!

The coach was knighted for that triumph.

[UK Skins Fan]

I'm very excited about the Cup this year. I am definitely a US supporter first and foremost but I spent 3 years living in England and root for them as well. It has always depressed me that with such talented players England hasn't won it.

England won the World Cup against (West) Germany at Wembley in 1966!

The coach was knighted for that triumph.

And rightly so. The eternal shame of the British establishment is that the captain of the team, the great Bobby Moore, was never sufficiently recognised in his lifetime. There'll be a statue of him at the new Wembley Stadium, but it's too late now IMO.

England have won it once, and The Netherlands have never ever won it. That remains one of life's great mysteries.

This summer represents England's best chance for 36 years, but I struggle to see anybody getting past the Germans on home soil.

[Redskin in Canada]

This summer represents England's best chance for 36 years, but I struggle to see anybody getting past the Germans on home soil.

The Dutch and the Cariocas may also be up there in the last eight, perhaps with your own side. I do not want to predict the other four yet.

[SkinsFanInHawai'i]

If the US were to win the World Cup,
do you think the rest of the world would be upset because the sport is not very popular in the States?

[Redskin in Canada]

If the US were to win the World Cup,
do you think the rest of the world would be upset because the sport is not very popular in the States?

Your country is one of the most competitive nations in the world. If the USA were to win the Cup Soccer would move ahead in popularity in leaps and bounds.

Yes, everybody else would be upset. Not because it is the USA and not because the sport is not very popular there. The real reason is that in EVERY Cup from the beginning of this competion about 70 years ago -everybody- else that has not won the Cup got upset!

Like the Superbowl, the only team truly and completely happy at the end is the Champion.

[UK Skins Fan]

If the US were to win the World Cup,
do you think the rest of the world would be upset because the sport is not very popular in the States?

Your country is one of the most competitive nations in the world. If the USA were to win the Cup Soccer would move ahead in popularity in leaps and bounds.

Yes, everybody else would be upset. Not because it is the USA and not because the sport is not very popular there. The real reason is that in EVERY Cup from the beginning of this competion about 70 years ago -everybody- else that has not won the Cup got upset!

Like the Superbowl, the only team truly and completely happy at the end is the Champion.

In my opinion, most football fans in the "traditional" football playing world would be mildly aggravated if a nation that doesn't seem to even take the sport seriously were to win the cup. Upset is probably too strong a word. Personally, I don't want to see the States win it, but then there is only one nation that I would like to see win it.

[SkinsFanInHawai'i]

I guess what I'm trying to say is
would the US winning the World Cup be like Dallas winning the Super Bowl?

Dallas is the last team I'd want to win.
Do other nations have the same feeling towards the US winning?

[Redskin in Canada]

I guess what I'm trying to say is
would the US winning the World Cup be like Dallas winning the Super Bowl?

Nope.

Dallas is the last team I'd want to win. Do other nations have the same feeling towards the US winning?

I do not see the analogy at all.

I feel that a true fan wants to see their own team win and other than that we want to watch a great game. I do not feel that the fans as a whole have any animosity against any given team.

Surely, there are some countries were anti-US propaganda is pretty intense, e.g., Iran. But even there, the real fans would not go in favour of anybody that plays against the US.

There are also some very bitter rivalries. Argentina v. Brazil or Germany v. England to name a few. But fans get over that once the games are over.

The public for the most part is open-minded about all other teams. Teams earn the respect of the public during the championship. For some reason, some teams -earn- the love of the public regardless of their origin.

If you ever wanted to see a team with a HUGE contingent of bandwagon fans, that would be Brazil. They win and they carry along more than the load of their nationals behind them.

Please note that I am speaking of my understanding of most good fans I know. Surely, there can be a lunatic somewhere, even in the US itself, that does not want the US (or any other given team for that matter) to win a single game for any particular silly reason. But these are the exception, I suspect.

[Flit]

Nope, if the US won the world cup I don't think there would be any resentment at all from the football world. They would congratulate the US as champions and try to work out how to emulate there sucess, I think it could only be a good thing for a new nation to win the world cup as it gives re-newed hope to all nations as to what they can achieve. Example being Greece in the last European Championships not many talented players but a fantastic work ethic and a good game plan won them the tournament.

[UK Skins Fan]

The fact that a bunch of workmanlike plodders like Greece could even get anywhere near winning the European Championships was something I found hugely depressing. A team with no discernible gameplan other than to hang on for dear life, occasionally lump the ball into the opponents half of the field, and hope to scramble a goal somehow, then retreat into 11 men behind the ball mode, should not be able to win championships.

Don't get me wrong - Greece played in a way to make the best use of the talent they have available. It is no criticism of them that such a limited team won the trophy. It is a criticism of the other teams that they couldn't find a way to beat Greece by playing something approaching entertaining football. How in the world Greece won that title will always baffle me.

Some pompous fools still call football "the beautiful game". I defy anybody to watch the likes of Greece, and still think of beauty. Football ceased to be a thing of beauty some years ago, apart from the occasional isolated and joyful moment of brilliance.

Boy, that turned into a bit of a ramble, didn't it?

[UK Skins Fan]

I guess what I'm trying to say is
would the US winning the World Cup be like Dallas winning the Super Bowl?

Dallas is the last team I'd want to win.
Do other nations have the same feeling towards the US winning?

I think attitudes to teams evolve through the course of the championships, and can turn on single incidents. For example, Germany is a team that I loathe for their ability to win whilst apparently playing badly, giving the impression of always having unnatural slices of luck on their side, and yes, because they always seem to beat England on penalty shoot outs. However, back in 1986, Germany played Argentina in the World Cup Final. As a result of Diego Maradona's legendary "Hand of God" goal against England in the quarter finals, which resulted in England's elimination, I found myself rooting for the Germans in the final.

Everybody always seems to have Brazil as their second team. Based on some absurd notion that they play football the way "it's meant to be played" (seriously - watch Brazil play football sometime, they are a cynical and vicious bunch, when they want to be), people tend to root for them when their own team has been eliminated from the championship. However, when you get an incident like the one in the last World Cup where Rivaldo shamefully feigned injury in an attempt to get an opponent sent off, then opinion shifts again.

An English trait is often to support the underdog. Normally, that would involve rooting for the team playing against the US. But in football, the roles are reversed, as the US would be underdogs against any of the major nations from Europe and South America.

If the US play football in an attractive style, in the right spirit, and display grace in victory and defeat, then why would anybody begrudge them victory? If they play like Greece, then I'd be delighted to see them eliminated at the earliest opportunity.

[UK Skins Fan]

Following my two posts above, I feel the need to make an admission. I am of course an appalling hypocrite, because I really don't care how England win, just as long as they win. The only time I complain about England's style of football is when they lose!

[Redskin in Canada]

The fact that a bunch of workmanlike plodders like Greece could even get anywhere near winning the European Championships was something I found hugely depressing. A team with no discernible gameplan other than to hang on for dear life, occasionally lump the ball into the opponents half of the field, and hope to scramble a goal somehow, then retreat into 11 men behind the ball mode, should not be able to win championships.

I do not believe that you give them much credit. Defensive football is not pretty. Some continental European Teams enjoy and practice it because it works -sometimes-. Italy and Greece are two prime examples. Let us remember that Greece's coach was not Greek at the time.

The same problem plagued Hockey for over a decade. The term "defense wins championships" with the trap in the neutral zone paralysed hockey for over a decade. Sadly, some of the best defensive (and effective) efforts came from my own team, the Montreal Canadiens (in contrast with a great tradition of offensive play in the past).

But there are instances when defensive football has succeeded in many leagues around the world. It is boring. It is destructive. It is not a great entertaining type of game. But the reason why it is done is because it -can- be effective.

One of the teams worthy of being a champion who has not won it to date is the Netherlands. They might do it this year.

[DESkins]

Defensive play is not pretty, but it is effective. The thing is, if you get a team that has a reputation for being "defensive minded" as opposed to "offensive minded", you can do some amazing things to other teams if they buy into the idea that you will not score against them often. I coach, and stress defense, which is not as popular, but the kids that I coach are so offensive minded (everybody envisions themselves as the next Mia Hamm), that I have to work them harder on defense so that they have a sound foundation for those times when it becomes necessary. This doesn't mean that it has to become a boring game. My last team only had three real offensive threats, but the other 8 girls were a solid defense, so we were hard to score against, and in fact only gave up two goals during the course of the season. Before anybody says "BOOORING!!!", consider this, we scored 40 goals during the season, and went undefeated ( I did say that I had 3 real offensive threats, right?). And in every game, even in the re-matches against teams that we'd already beaten soundly, the coaches of the other teams said the same thing after the match, that we were supposed to be a "defensive" team.

[ComebackSkins]

I will cheer for south american teams and the USA. Above all, I want to see great soccer. I also want tos see what some of the younger players like lionel Messi, Robinho, Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo can do. I wanna see something from Argentina...we'll see how Riquelme handles this world cup as the team leader.

PS: I hate Defensive teams. They are boring to watch, ie. Chelsea.

[Redskin in Canada]

Defensive play is not pretty, but it is effective.

It -can- be effective but it is definitely not pretty. Balance is the key in my view. Brazil has a great offense but its defense is nowhere as good. Still, they are the team to beat.

A lot of things can change between the qualifiers and the cup. Italy justdefeated Germany by a large argin last week. I would still not make a prediction how any of these teams may perform in Germany.

[Redskin in Canada]

I wanna see something from Argentina...we'll see how Riquelme handles this world cup as the team leader.

If you want my view, Argentina is the MOST feared team by Brazil in this championship. Nobody knows Brazil and plays to their weaknesses better than Argentina. It is one of the GREATEST rivalries in this continent.

I expect Argentina and the Netherlands, and Mexico and Portugal to win the top two spots in their groups. These are four VERY even teams regardless of the prejudices surrounding Mexico and Portugal among some. They will face one another in the next round. Mexico plays very well against Argentina and Portugal is not an easy team at all to play against by the Dutch.

[UK Skins Fan]

I'd love to see Brazil and Argentina facing each other in this World Cup. It would certainly be entertaining, but don't necessarily expect great football. I would expect to see both teams kicking each other up in the air at every opportunity.

Mexico are a team that are easily underestimated in Europe. We rarely get to see them, and for that reason tend to discount them. I don't believe that their current world ranking is accurate, but they'll be a threat to spoil the chances of anybody.

[UK Skins Fan]

Defensive play is not pretty, but it is effective.

It -can- be effective but it is definitely not pretty. Balance is the key in my view. Brazil has a great offense but its defense is nowhere as good. Still, they are the team to beat.

A lot of things can change between the qualifiers and the cup. Italy justdefeated Germany by a large argin last week. I would still not make a prediction how any of these teams may perform in Germany.

England beat Germany 5-1 in the qualifiers for the last World Cup, and who reached the final? It certainly wasn't England - I'd still put my money on Germany ahead of Italy to reach the final this summer.