2006 Soccer Football World Cup in Germany

Punu · Post by **Punu** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 6:32 pm

Ecuadors defense looked dominant today! Poland seemed to be able to control the ball and hold it for a while, but they couldnt do anything with it. Ecuadors strikers took advantage of every opp and took every shot they could. I hope England losses tomm. As for Germany, Respect for playing pretty good, even with one of thier solid players injured.

Redskin in Canada · Post by **Redskin in Canada** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 3:18 am

UK Skins Fan wrote:Their defence looks wobbly, but it will still take a good team to beat them.

Germany played the off-side trap on defense.If Costa Rica caught them two or three times, a better team will do real damage on them. Germany will play better as the games go on. But this game did not leave a good taste on their fans once the hang-over after the first victory goes away. It always takes a good team to eliminate Germany indeed but ... I thought that MOST of the teams in the finals were good. :shock:

Oh! You mean a -really- good team. :wink:

Poland was completely thrown off balance after the first goal by Ecuador. The system put in place by Ecuador's coach worked like magic. Poland -might- come back but it needs to win against Costa Rica and at least tie but probably also win against Germany. A loss is difficult to come back from in the first game of this round.

We will see two intriguing matches today: England v. Paraguay and Argentina v Cote d'Ivoire and you know what? the two favourites can really lose these two games. They will be very entertaining.

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:31 am

Punu wrote:I hope England losses tomm.

Oh, you do, do you? :evil:

I won't make any silly predictions here, because England generally struggle early on in tournaments, but England should have far too much for Paraguay. But we've thought that about a lot of teams against whom England have come up short before.

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:40 am

I didn't watch all of the Poland-Ecuador game, but from what I did see, and the highlights that I've seen since, the score could easily have been 2-0 the other way around. I think we can safely say that neither of these two teams will win the tournament, but the result has certainly shaken up the "experts" supposed pecking order in Group A.

By the way, like Wanchope for Costa Rica, Ecuador's second goalscorer, Delgado, is a former player in the English league. He made absolutely no impact at all. So often, a player being successful seems to depend on some alignment of the stars, or a conjunction of circumstances that bring about exactly the right conditions for them to achieve. That's part of the magic of the World Cup - there will be players that we've never paid any attention to who will make us jump up and cheer at some time, whilst some of the "stars" disappoint.

Punu · Post by **Punu** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 12:42 pm

Look like England got lucky :wink:

But I'm watching sweden right now and their getting sooooo many shots! Score should be 1-0 by now easy. See how long trinadad can hold up.

EA7649 · Post by **EA7649** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 12:51 pm

Brasil will win.
Ronaldo
Ronaldino

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/5679188

The president of Brazil questions Ronaldo's weight.

Redskin in Canada · Post by **Redskin in Canada** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 12:59 pm

The first game in the tournament is tough for everybody

Like Germany, England did not convince anybody to look like champion.

Like Germany, England's game will improve and get better in the next few games.

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 1:08 pm

England won, played well in the first half, very poorly in the second. Paraguay were poor, and should be going home after the first round. They only looked better in the second half because (yet again) England reverted to their standard method of throwing games away in major championships. Why on Earth they decide to drop back and defend their goal from the edge of their box, I just don't know. It happened against Portugal in the European championships of 2000, Brazil in the last World Cup, and Portugal and France in the last European championships. It comes down to coaching. Which brings me to...

...what in the world did Eriksson think he was doing by substituting Owen when he did? Here is a player that needs matches to get back to full fitness, a player that wins big matches for England. When he went off in the second half, England were already playing poorly - when he went off, they simply disappeared. Left with no possession, they chased the ball around, and left the field looking drained. Which brings me to...

...fitness. England have been training to play football matches, I assume? Because they looked dead on their feet for the last 35 minutes or more. Yes, it was hot. But it was also hot in Mexico in 1986, and games were played at high altitude there too. I don't remember that England team collapsing into sweaty heaps at the beginning of the second half.

And then there's the referee. Why FIFA insist on using inexperienced and unqualified officials for their tournaments is beyond me. The man proved himself to be a third class referee and a first class moron.

Still, we have three points, and that is really all that counts. But if England want to win the World Cup, we'll need to see more of the side that was playing in the first half, please. [-o<

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 1:13 pm

Punu wrote:Look like England got lucky

But I'm watching sweden right now and their getting sooooo many shots! Score should be 1-0 by now easy. See how long trinadad can hold up.

Yeah, England were lucky in the sense that they scored one more goal than Paraguay? Paraguay were very poor, and didn't look like creating chances. Frank Lampard had more shots on target than the whole Paraguay team. They were poor, but not lucky, except in the fact that they came up against a team that wasn't good enough to take advantage when their play fell away in the second half.

Not bothering to watch the Sweden game, but I'm looking forward to Argentina v Ivory Coast later tonight. Should be a good one.

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 5:38 pm

Argentina v Ivory Coast - what a great game of football. This is eaxctly the kind of clash that only the World Cup can bring.

Oh, and as for Sweden - whoops. Didn't watch the game, but it sounds like they were very unlucky. Oh dear, never mind.

Redskin in Canada · Post by **Redskin in Canada** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 6:35 pm

UK Skins Fan wrote:Argentina v Ivory Coast - what a great game of football. This is eaxctly the kind of clash that only the World Cup can bring.

Oh, and as for Sweden - whoops. Didn't watch the game, but it sounds like they were very unlucky. Oh dear, never mind.

1) The Elephants are the best African team. It is a real pity that they ended up in the most difficult group in the tournament.

2) My two weakest CONCACAF teams played very well. Costa Rica played well in a good game against Germany and Trinidad and Tobago taught a lesson of resilience and discipline. I am very happy with the way they played.

I am waiting to see how the two stronger teams in CONCACAF do tomorrow and Monday.

This is going to be a strong tournament between Europe and America (the continent) in the latter stages.

Redskin in Canada · Post by **Redskin in Canada** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:27 am

My Hognostications for today:

Winners: Netherlands, Mexico and Portugal.

I will be cheering for:

Netherlands, Mexico and Angola.

Serbia and Montenegro should be an early test to see how well in sync is the Dutch side.

The Bundesliga players of Iran should also test Mexico. I am looking forward to see Mexico in the next phase. This is the Concacaf team with best chances to go far.

Redskin in Canada · Post by **Redskin in Canada** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:31 am

By the way, just a side rethorical question up to Suday morning:

Q: Has anybody seen a team capable to defeat Brasil yet?

A: I have not (although Argentina always plays them tough).

Let's see the Dutch, Mexicans and Portuguese today.

Amberion · Post by **Amberion** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 11:03 am

Netherlands beat Serbia & Montenegro 1-0. Dutch
were OK but not great. Dont think they will beat Brazil.

RiC dont count out the rest of the world in your calculations. there are good teams from Africa and Asia in this tournament.

GO AUSSIES GO

frankcal20 · Post by **frankcal20** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 11:31 am

GOOOO Trinidad.

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 1:15 pm

Redskin in Canada wrote:By the way, just a side rethorical question up to Suday morning:

Q: Has anybody seen a team capable to defeat Brasil yet?

A: I have not (although Argentina always plays them tough).

Let's see the Dutch, Mexicans and Portuguese today.

Well, as it's rhetorical, I won't tell you the half dozen teams that could beat Brazil.

UK Skins Fan · Post by **UK Skins Fan** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 1:23 pm

The Dutch looked pretty good in the first half, but faded somewhat when Serbia & Montenegro upped the pace in the second half. It was a good test for them. All these European sides will look a lot better when they get to play in sensible temperatures, because they'll be able to play at a high tempo for ninety minutes. My 2 cents

Redskin in Canada · Post by **Redskin in Canada** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 5:42 pm

Amberion wrote:RiC dont count out the rest of the world in your calculations. there are good teams from Africa and Asia in this tournament.

GO AUSSIES GO

Man, look at the criticism I have received precisely for saying exactly the same thing.

OK guys, Mexico beat comfortably the second best team in Asia. Concacaf is well and alive.

Like England and Germany, Netherlands will become stronger as the tournament goes on. I was impressed. Serbia is a really good team.

Portugal looked good but not great against Angola.

I am intrigued by the US and Australia. It is your time now guys. Go!

Redskin in Canada · Post by **Redskin in Canada** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 5:43 pm

frankcal20 wrote:GOOOO Trinidad.

They are still in the middle of things. Do not dicount them at all. They have still some good football to show.

welch · Post by **welch** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 9:01 pm

Think orange.

frankcal20 · Post by **frankcal20** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 11:30 pm

I hear ya RIC. Thats kinda my point. They are like underdog so i'm kinda rooting for them. I really enjoyed seeing Iran loose today.

JansenFan · Post by **JansenFan** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 1:46 am

Mexico was just too fast and aggressive. Iran seemed to be content to play for the tie until those two quick goals. By then it was too late. I only caught the game from about 3 minutes before Mexico's second goal, but it was pretty exciting from that point on.

Countertrey · Post by **Countertrey** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 9:05 am

Portugal looked good but not great against Angola.

Consider that Angola was a Portugese colony... the Angolans had a little motivation that the Portugese didn't have. Perhaps that had something to do with it.

Countertrey · Post by **Countertrey** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 9:10 am

RIC wrote:

frankcal20 wrote:
GOOOO Trinidad.

They are still in the middle of things. Do not dicount them at all. They have still some good football to show.

I sure enjoyed watching them frustrate the Swedes while a man down on Saturday.

Sir_Monk · Post by **Sir_Monk** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 10:54 am

That was a stunning collapse by the Japanese today. Here we go, USA up next!