Fifa Germany 2006 - world cup thread

This is what I mean, you say France are ageing, yet place Italy in the top 5 with no mention of them.

You're making excuses about Sweden trying harder against England, everyone can see it. They didn't try "harder", they were just playing a shitter team than Germany, a team the always do well against. Have they been trying harder for 30 years? This is why I dislike your kind of England fan. They play shit and you will back them and sing their praises no matter what.

My opinion on England? Besides being massively overrated, they have great players, they have the talent to win the World Cup in their squad, not in the team they use. They don't play well enough, they don't play as a team, they don't play to their advantages.

Brazil haven't been at their best, but I didn't expect them to whoop teams 8-0. I expected them to win comfortably and they have done in all their games., aside from Croatia, arguably. England haven't, and the difference is that people have an unrealistic belief of England's talent.

-AC

Originally posted by Mattomic
They did try harder, you only have to hear the gamesmanship they were trying in interviews and stuff leading up to the game, there was none of that with Germany, but ofcourse I will not excuse the two defensive lapses we shown, they almost cost us the match, but ask any Swede which of those two matches meant the most to them, they'd say England

gamesmanship...well that may be because half of the swedish team plays in the premier league, and of course would a match that i haven't lost, mean a lot more to me than one i've lost...

now the way i see it, Germany stands a better chance against Argentina than England against Portugal..let's be honest...in those 4 preceeding matches for England nothing really clutched together gamewise...it was a poor perfomance against mediocre teams, a disappointment if you believed the loudmouthing England made before the tournament..and if even the bloody "Sun" begins to praise the german football, something's going terribly wrong for you guys...

now if Ericsson hasn't come up with a miracle, then it'll be very tough against Portugal...cause make no mistake about it..those portuguese bench players're just itchin' to get a go against England...

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
This is what I mean, you say France are ageing, yet place Italy in the top 5 with no mention of them.

You're making excuses about Sweden trying harder against England, everyone can see it. They didn't try "harder", they were just playing a shitter team than Germany, a team the always do well against. Have they been trying harder for 30 years? This is why I dislike your kind of England fan. They play shit and you will back them and sing their praises no matter what.

My opinion on England? Besides being massively overrated, they have great players, they have the talent to win the World Cup in their squad, not in the team they use. They don't play well enough, they don't play as a team, they don't play to their advantages.

Brazil haven't been at their best, but I didn't expect them to whoop teams 8-0. I expected them to win comfortably and they have done in all their games., aside from Croatia, arguably. England haven't, and the difference is that people have an unrealistic belief of England's talent.

-AC

Maybe Germany have played better football than England in this world cup, but that doesn't make them an alltogether better team does it?? Had we not played Brazil last time around, we would've gotten to the final, so I wouldn't even say we played worse football than them last World cup, they haven't got the talent we have, and are not as good in terms of reputation and actual ability, but it cannot be disputed that they have played better football than us this time around, but I disagree with RogerRamjet when he says they have a better chance against Argentina than we do against Portugal, the Argies are a much better side with world class talent all over the park, whereas Portugal are above average, and that's being kind to them.....

I do agree with what you say to a degree though, England are not playing the right tactics nor the right players to win the World Cup beyond dispute, Beckham isn't good enough anymore despite coming up with a cracking free kick the other day, I also don't think 4-5-1 suits us either, Rooney needs a partner, he isn't an out and out striker, he likes to drop back alot, and when he does, who does this leave in attack?? Maybe Gerrard or Lampard from time to time.....I am in no illusions that England have had a good tournament, because as of this typing, they have not, but as alot of people say, they've done enough to get this far, that's all we can really ask, but if we want to go all the way, we need to improve quite a bit, moments of brilliance and magic have occured, but that's it, no lasting, meaningful memories, that's for sure

I take my hat off to zee Germans, they have played very confindently so far, and deserve their place in the last 8 more so than England, but form on a football pitch can change within the blink of an eye, it's a matter of being patient (as an ardent England fan) and waiting and seeing, because no one can predict the future, for all we know the opposite of everything we're saying could come true, that's what makes it the beautiful game, the unpredictability of it all

On a personal note, even though i've shown signs in recent time of insulting anf annoying others, which includes you AC, I do apologise for that, I got caught up in a slanging match which isn't usually me

I respect that other people won't see my point of view, agree with it, or maybe even give it a second look, but it's the way I feel, and solely the views of me, and no one has to agree with it, as long as I am happy with what I say, and then back it up in an approriate manner, that is enough for me, and I hope it is for you too

Originally posted by RogerRamjet

now the way i see it, Germany stands a better chance against Argentina than England against Portugal..let's be honest...i

you're not being honest are you?
argentina should beat germany, and england should beat portugal.

Argentina def. Germany 3-2 (Extra Time)
Italy def. Ukraine 2-0 (Regulation)
Brazil def. France 3-1 (Regulation)
England def. Portugal 1-1 (Penalty Shootout)

The way I see it, the only two outcomes that are possibly desputable are the Argentina/Germany fixture and the England/Portugal fixture. Argentina and Germany have extremely skilled strikers, both experienced ones and younger ones. England and Portugal are well balanced but lower scoring teams. Those are the only two matches I see that might be decided in extra time or penalty shootout. As for Italy and Ukraine, we all know Italy is a World Cup veteran and Ukraine is the underdog with no World Cup experience, and that means everything in a quarterfinal matchup. Expect to see Italy play solidly even without Materazzi and Ukraine make a few mistakes under the pressure, relying heavily on the talent of star forward Shevchenko. Brazil and France is going to be the vengeance match for Brazil following their 3-0 loss to France in the 1998 WC final. Brazil has unbelievable flow and their greatest strength is their ability to finish any chances they get. Their running off the ball is superb and creates so many opportunities for them on goal. No room for argument that Brazil is a favourite and is just amazing to watch. Team Chemistry at 110% for them. France on the other hand is still starting to find their goal scoring prowess. Even with tremendous talent in the attacking third with Henry and Trezeguet, they aren't consistent on the break or the attack. Their Midfield line is arguably one of the best in the cup with a balance of experience and skill, but starting to age. Makelele, Vieira, Zidane are just 3 of the stars on the French national squad that will carry the team forward. When head to head with brazil however, expect the difference in chemistry to make the difference on the scoring sheet, Brazil wins hands down.

Originally posted by Mattomic
What about the post in question suggests i'm an idiot??

I have made predictions, and they're all of scores I believe will happen, here are my reasons

I believe Brazil will lose to France, because their back four are dodgy, and they've been lucky to have toothless teams to deal with, now they're against the likes of Zidane, Henry, Vieira, Ribery, etc-etc....I can see them being punished <<I agree that France has a star team. But so does Brazil, whose defensive line has been underrated from the start of the tournament. Brazil works together so much better and smoothly than france and can take apart even the pickiest defenses like that of Sagnol and Thuram.>>

Ukraine will beat Italy (in my opinion) because of all the turmoil in the Italian camp with the match fixing fiasco in Serie A resurfacing, the attempted suicide of Gianluca Pessotto, and the loss of two very good centre backs for them <<Italy is a veteran squad. Ukraine is not. When you're this far in the tournament that tremendous gap in experience looks to totally distort the outcome of the game in Italy's favor. The whole scandal issue won't be much of an issue at all for Italy, as it will not affect the players going into the game at least for the duration of the game. Italy is studded with stars as well who can play with the best of them. Ukraine is a squad of average players built around a diamond, Shevchenko. He cannot save his team on his own.>>

England will beat Portugal for a number of reasons, they are without Deco and Costinha, I believe we play better in the big games aswell, and I just think our quality will finally shine through << I agree with you very much here. Portugal has really suffered coming out of that gritty win against Holland and I must say both teams are really solid teams, but England has the better leadership, especially with Deco and Costinha absent in the very important upcoming fixture. Not the best time to pick up a suspension for Portugal, but England edges out on Portugal.>>

Argentina are too much of a powerful proposition for Germany (in my opinion) and will win the game comfortably <<Much agreed that Argentina is a better squad in most aspects than Germany, and I agree that Argentina will win, but i don't see how it should be a cakewalk. Where Argentina is a better squad IMO, Germany has homefield advantage, and when i say advantage its more of a landslide advantage. Host nations either love or hate the pressure provided by their fans, and I tell you, by the looks of Germany's performances so far, it seems they are rolling in the praise of their fans. They love it. Still a slight edge for Argentina>>.

The World Cups been pish so far. Referees have ruined it.

Deano, why should England beat Portugal? What are you going by? The last two meetings they've had in major tournaments have been wins for Portugal.

Originally posted by Mattomic
Maybe Germany have played better football than England in this world cup, but that doesn't make them an alltogether better team does it??

Tell me why England are a better team. Note: You liking them more doesn't count.

Originally posted by Mattomic
Had we not played Brazil last time around, we would've gotten to the final, so I wouldn't even say we played worse football than them last World cup, they haven't got the talent we have, and are not as good in terms of reputation and actual ability, but it cannot be disputed that they have played better football than us this time around, but I disagree with RogerRamjet when he says they have a better chance against Argentina than we do against Portugal, the Argies are a much better side with world class talent all over the park, whereas Portugal are above average, and that's being kind to them.....

That's bullcrap, dude.

A) You don't know that England would have got to the final.

B) They do have incredible talent that surpasses England's in many areas.

C) They aren't as good in terms of reputation and ability? Germany have won it three times and been in many more finals than that. What's England's claim to fame? 1966.

D) You're underrating Portugal. Let's not forget they've beat England in their last two tournament meetings.

Originally posted by Mattomic
I do agree with what you say to a degree though, England are not playing the right tactics nor the right players to win the World Cup beyond dispute, Beckham isn't good enough anymore despite coming up with a cracking free kick the other day, I also don't think 4-5-1 suits us either, Rooney needs a partner, he isn't an out and out striker, he likes to drop back alot, and when he does, who does this leave in attack?? Maybe Gerrard or Lampard from time to time.....I am in no illusions that England have had a good tournament, because as of this typing, they have not, but as alot of people say, they've done enough to get this far, that's all we can really ask, but if we want to go all the way, we need to improve quite a bit, moments of brilliance and magic have occured, but that's it, no lasting, meaningful memories, that's for sure.

So my question is: After waiting so long to win a World Cup, do you really want to win this way? It's hardly been a performance worthy of a win.

Originally posted by Mattomic
I take my hat off to zee Germans, they have played very confindently so far, and deserve their place in the last 8 more so than England, but form on a football pitch can change within the blink of an eye, it's a matter of being patient (as an ardent England fan) and waiting and seeing, because no one can predict the future, for all we know the opposite of everything we're saying could come true, that's what makes it the beautiful game, the unpredictability of it all

No one can predict the future? "England would have made it to the finals if they didn't get beat.", well I'm glad we agree now.

Originally posted by Mattomic
On a personal note, even though i've shown signs in recent time of insulting anf annoying others, which includes you AC, I do apologise for that, I got caught up in a slanging match which isn't usually me

I respect that other people won't see my point of view, agree with it, or maybe even give it a second look, but it's the way I feel, and solely the views of me, and no one has to agree with it, as long as I am happy with what I say, and then back it up in an approriate manner, that is enough for me, and I hope it is for you too

I get a long with Deano in this thread now, despite disagreeing, because he doesn't go around acting stupid anymore, even if I believe he has a stupid opinion. Countless times I've seen you contradict yourself, just take what you give in future.

Apology accepted, though.

-AC

Not to butt into any feuds going on between members in this topic, but Alpha Centauri, England has the edge against Portugal. Now I do live in the USA, so I don't have as much knowledge readily available on the statistics of the teams past histories in the WC and in past meetings between them, but I assume that what youre saying is true and England lost to Portugal in the last two major tournament matchups.

Now, in order for this to be of significant relevance, we need to know how recent these fixtures were. We need to know the form both physical and mental of the players involved and we need to know all the variables that could be a factor in the outcomes. It certainly says something about this matchup, but the relevance is questionable... again this is from a US soccer (football to most of you) spectator.

However, keep in mind Portugal lost two key players, and Deco is honestly an extremely large loss for the team. This gives England the edge in role players and players who can lead the team to a win.

Reputation and ability? England edges Portugal there. Reputation there's no doubt in my mind that I've heard a lot more of the English players and their excellence over any Portuguese players. I barely recognize any Portuguese players off the bat, but for the English team, I can name and recognize the lot of them. Doesn't mean Portugal is bad, but we're talking about reputation. Ability wise, I can't argue for Portugal except for C. Ronaldo (still a young player that needs more int'l experience before he really blooms with the Portuguese IMO) and Figo (He is quite the Portuguese player with Deco gone... spotlight's gonna be on him and his ability to carry his team on). England has so many more players to depend on and less pressure on each player then, because no one is really under any scrutiny, though you could argue Beckham.

England has played sloppily in this WC especially shocking in matchups where they should have really shined. I expected better from them in the first round, but it really looks like they've been struggling. That's the biggest argument in Portuguese fans' favor. England's chemistry and physical form has been average, thats not the issue. For some reason they just aren't playing with that intangible quality that allows a team to really shine. Portugal isn't really shining either, but they've certainly been riding along a lot smoother.

You could look at this matchup to go either way, but in my eyes, the scale tips slightly in the favor of England. As meaningful (or stupid) my analysis may seem... keep in mind, these are the words of an American spectator. Not trying to reinforce any stereotypes, but the American mindset will be significantly different from someone in Europe/wherever who really keeps their eye on these teams. I don't have that opportunity. Whichever team you choose, you've got arguments going your way. Happy prediction-making to all. Feel free to criticize the American bum! But prop me if you think im following your train of thought.

-suggs the american bum ( i guess this is my new tag as self defecating as it is) and NO not all americans are soccer/football-ignorant. We have people just like you over here. and i really hope the US soccer team puts itself together for the next WC.. honestly i am sick an tired of their overgrown hype.... they never live up to their hype. *end rant* cheers to all and may your national team have better luck then ours.. its hard not to.

and.. i just had to type more. seriously if you were too tired to read that essay i wrote up there, here's my view in a nutshell. england and portugal are heavily praised european teams. the pressure on either side to advance is the same. where the difference lies is on how that pressure is distributed. figo will be carrying the load for portugal and the rest of the team wont really find their time in the limelight. england has its whole team carrying all of that pressure. heck i dont even know what im saying but i think its true. ya so go ahead and say what you like about what i hafta say. just dont thrash me too hard.

Portugal still have Figo and Ronaldo, as a friend said today, losing Deco is the preferable option.

Ashley Cole may be able to handle Ronaldo but Neville can't cope with Figo.

-AC

I'm hoping Neville isn't fit, i think Hargreaves & Carra are better defensively. I'd like to see Hargreaves overall tho. England could go 4-4-2 if Lampard doesn't make it, so hargreaves may end up holding & obviously that would mean Crouch starting.

thing about neville is, that he gets forward and supports beckham, unlike carragher

Then what does Beckham do with it? Hoof it up the field with nothing but hope. Amounts to nought, most of the time.

-AC

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
Then what does Beckham do with it? Hoof it up the field with nothing but hope. Amounts to nought, most of the time.

-AC

Well Beckham has been involved in pretty much every England goal thus far.

Originally posted by T.M
Well Beckham has been involved in pretty much every England goal thus far.

Right, but if he wasn't there and Lennon was, chances are they'd have a lot more goals thus far, and a much better chance of winning things.

Crouch Vs Carvalho is going to be funny, as Mourinho said. When Liverpool played Chelsea, Carvalho beat him to every ball.

-AC

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
Portugal still have Figo and Ronaldo, as a friend said today, losing Deco is the preferable option.

Ashley Cole may be able to handle Ronaldo but Neville can't cope with Figo.

Cole can deal with pace usually, but isn't that skilled against tricky players: he concedes a lot of fouls. Neville can handle those kind, but he isn't very pacy.

Unluckily for England, Portugal have switched the sides of their wingers.

Germany is gonna kick our ass

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
Right, but if he wasn't there and Lennon was, chances are they'd have a lot more goals thus far, and a much better chance of winning things.

Crouch Vs Carvalho is going to be funny, as Mourinho said. When Liverpool played Chelsea, Carvalho beat him to every ball.

-AC

crouch wont be playing. rooney will. looks like ronaldo is out too for portugal

I hate Riquelme