Hognostications - FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany

[Redskin in Canada]

This is the only post I might be able to make before I return home, so here it goes.

The time has come to have FIFA World Cup 2006 Hognostications. These are the 32 teams:



They are arranged in eight Groups with four teams each.

The Groups are described here:

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/group/index.html

Two teams from among each group will qualify for the next round. The Hognostications aim to identify the two winners in each group that move on to the next round. The next rounds will be defined by one-to-one straight up elimination.

Here are my Hognostications:

Group A

Germany
Poland

Group B

England
Paraguay

Group C

Argentina
Netherlands

Group D

Mexico
Portugal

Group E

Italy
Czech Republic

Group F

Brazil
Croatia

Group G

France
South Korea

Group H

Spain
Ukraine

My Hognosticatiuons reflect what teams I -feel- will go on and not necessarily those that I support. I am a CONCACAF (Caribbean, North and Central America) fan first and foremost and a Conmebol (South America) fan second. Although I really like teams from several Continents (The Elephants from Ivory Coast, Czechs and Dutch, for example).

Please post below your Hognostications for this round. I will post further rounds later on as the results keep coming in. I will keep scores for all rounds of elimination if there are other posters willing to risk and participate.

Good luck!

RiC

[TincoSkin]

no USA?? arnt we ranked like 6 in the world??



wow... well you are in canada

[Redskin in Canada]

no USA?? arnt we ranked like 6 in the world??

wow... well you are in canada

I said I am a CONCACAF fan first and foremost. I support the USA as much as all other teams in this Confederation. BUT they are in the "Group of Death" The Italians and the Czechs are two among the BEST teams in Europe IMHO right now (but I include Netherlands and England there too).

You talk about rankings...

Q. Do you know what teams are ahead of the USA in the "Group of Death"?

A. Yup, Czech Republic (2nd after Brazil). Sadly, the USA team does not appear to be at its best right now due to injuries and lack of chemistry. They played against Angola without numbers on their backs and behind closed doors (without media and public) to avoid showing their weaknesses to Ghana.

It comes down as to whether I feel that the USA is better than Italy right now. I am sorry to say no. But this is the fun about this thread. Prove me wrong. It will be fun if I get it wrong.

Put your -Hognostications- where your heart is if you so wish. After all, I am in Canada indeed.

[frankcal20]

I heard that the main guy who got hurt is going to be ready to play. Sorry, I followed soccer and knew everyone years ago but that was 10 years ago or even longer when the world cup was in the US.

[Redskin in Canada]

I heard that the main guy who got hurt is going to be ready to play. Sorry, I followed soccer and knew everyone years ago but that was 10 years ago or even longer when the world cup was in the US.

Thanks. There is another thread for general talk about the World cup:

http://www.the-hogs.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18067

I would prefer if we could keep this one as much as possible focused on predictions (oops!) ... Hognostications.

Go ahead guys. Show your love and/or knowledge.

[UK Skins Fan]

OK, I'll give this a go. Just because I come from the home of the game doesn't mean that I have any more of a clue than anybody else round here. I suspect that will be conclusively proven by the success of my predictions.

RiC - I have assumed that the idea is simply to state the two teams that we think will qualify, and not to place them with respect to whether they will win or be runner up in the group? Otherwise, I may need to think a little harder and make a couple of amendments.

Group A
Germany
Poland

Group B
England
Sweden

Group C
Argentina
Ivory Coast (I'm relying on a Dutch collapse here)

Group D
Portugal
Mexico

Group E
Czech Republic
Italy

Group F
Brazil
Australia (yep, a real gamble!)

Group G
France
Switzerland (but I could easily change to South Korea)

Group H
Spain
Ukraine

[Irn-Bru]

So it turns out that RiC doesn't like every team, just all teams in North, Central, and South America. . .and most teams in Europe that are good.

I've never understood liking regions or conferences--that's like saying that I like the NFC East as a whole, or that in the NCAA tournament I was hoping to see the PAC-10 win. . .

Anyway, here are my predictions:

Group A

Germany
Poland

Group B

England
Sweden

Group C

Argentina
Netherlands

Group D

Mexico
Portugal

Group E

Italy
USA! (I see an early upset of the Czech Republic [also plagued with injuries], who won't recover)

Group F

Brazil
Japan

Group G

France
Switzerland (like UK Skins Fan, I'm on the fence with this one)

Group H

Spain
Saudi Arabia

[SkinsFanInHawai'i]

Group A
Germany
Costa Rica

Group B
England
Sweden

Group C
Argentina
Netherlands

Group D
Iran
Mexico

Group E
United States
Ghana

Group F
Brazil
Croatia

Group G
France
South Korea

Group H
Spain
Saudi Arabia

[Redskin in Canada]

So it turns out that RiC doesn't like every team, just all teams in North, Central, and South America. . .and most teams in Europe that are good.

Some, I do like to watch because of their offensive, entertaining style (Ivory Coast, England, Netherlands and Czech Republic). Yet others are my personal sentimental preferences and still are likely to be successful (e.g. Mexico, Argentina, Brazil).

But let us be clear: my heart is on this continent against teams from any other region. Clear now?

By the way, if anybody needs to see how the real "experts" in a certain magazine feel about this, see:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/s ... index.html

[NC43Hog]

What's Soccer?

[Redskin in Canada]

What's Soccer?

If you ask me, it is Hockey without sticks played on a bit larger field of grass.

But I hear that neither hockey or Soccer make it even on radio to some regions of NC.

[NC43Hog]

We prefer to put a round ball through a metal hoop!

No feet allowed.

[Redskin in Canada]

We prefer to put a round ball through a metal hoop!

Ah! that little game invented in Upper Canada? Yes, I know.

[Redskin in Canada]

Odds to win the tournament today:

BRAZIL 5/2
ARGENTINA 9/1
ENGLAND 7/1
GERMANY 8/1
ITALY 10/1
FRANCE 12/1
HOLLAND 14/1
SPAIN 14/1
PORTUGAL 25/1
CZECH REP. 33/1
SWEDEN 40/1
MEXICO 50/1
UKRAINE 66/1
CROATIA 66/1
IVORY COAST 80/1
USA 100/1
SERBIA & MONT. 125/1
SWITZERLAND 125/1
AUSTRALIA 150/1
KOREA REP. 250/1
PARAGUAY 250/1
GHANA 300/1
JAPAN 300/1
POLAND 400/1
TUNISIA 400/1
ECUADOR 500/1
IRAN 750/1
TOGO 750/1
ANGOLA 750/1
SAUDI ARABIA 1000/1
TRINIDAD & T. 2000/1
COSTA RICA 2500/1

[Deadskins]

What's Soccer?

Futbol

[SkinsFanInHawai'i]

Odds are USA 100/1.

I would take those.

We (USA) need to prove we are a legitimate team; we have to at least make it to the semifinals.

The USA are the Skins and the rest of the world is Dallas as far as I'm concerned.

I know I can't spell, but in short,
you guys are going down.

[Redskin in Canada]

The USA are the Skins and the rest of the world is Dallas as far as I'm concerned.

Maybe you want to take it ONE game at a time, Right?

Let's see how it works on Monday. I will cheer for the Skins tomorrow too.

[Redskin in Canada]

All FIFA World Cup Hognosticators:

I will be posting the results of this first round tomorrow evening.

I will post the matches for tyhe -second round- in e few minutes (except for those matched that are still to be defined).

[Redskin in Canada]

Partial Results First Round:

Group A

Germany
Ecuador

Group B

England
Sweden

Group C

Argentina
Netherlands

Group D

Portugal
Mexico

Group E

Italy
Ghana

Group F

Brazil
Australia

Group G

?
?

Group H

Spain
Ukraine

[Fios]

I have Australia and the Netherlands in my pool at work ... yay

[Redskin in Canada]

Final Hognostication Results for round 1:

13 - 03 UK Skins Fan + - + + + - + + - + + + + + + +
12 - 04 FanfromAnnapolis + - + + + + + + + - + - + + + -
11 - 05 Redskin in Canada + - + - + + + + + - + - + - + +
10 - 06 SkinsFanInHawai'i + - + + + + - + - + + - + - + -

[Redskin in Canada]

Games for the -second round-, start your Hognostications for this round NOW:

24 June 2006 Munich Germany v. Sweden
24 June 2006 Leipzig Argentina v. Mexico
25 June 2006 Stuttgart England v. Ecuador
25 June 2006 Nuremberg Portugal v. Netherlands
26 June 2006 Kaiserslautern Italy v. Australia
26 June 2006 Cologne Switzerland v. Ukraine
27 June 2006 Dortmund Brazil v. Ghana
27 June 2006 Hanover Spain v. France

My Hognostications:

Germany
Mexico (surprise of this round)
England
Netherlands
Italy
Ukraine
Brazil
Spain

Good luck to all.

[UK Skins Fan]

Oooh - do I hope that France qualify because they were one of my picks for round one, or do I behave like a true Englishamn and hope they fall flat on their faces? It's a tough one, but GO TOGO!!!!!

Actually, I just hope that South Korea get through, because their fans are just unbelievable.

[UK Skins Fan]

This "sudden death" phase is where it really gets difficult. Some big favourites can freeze on the big occasion, while the underdogs can be inspired (see Japan and South Korea in 2002):

Germany
Argentina
England
Portugal
Italy
Switzerland
Brazil
Spain

The Portugal prediction might be more wishful thinking - England V Portugal in the last eight would be a chance for revenge frrom Euro 2004 In truth, I don't care who gets through as long as England are there.

[REDEEMEDSKIN]

Germany v. Sweden - GERMANY
Argentina v. Mexico - ARGENTINA
England v. Ecuador - ECUADOR
Portugal v. Netherlands - PORTUGAL
Italy v. Australia - ITALIA!!
1st G v. Ukraine - 1ST. G!!!
Brazil v. Ghana - BRAZIL
Spain v. 2nd G - ESPAÑA!!

I didn't know this thread existed. Sorry for the late entry.