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Post by Elite Sim News (ESN) on Jun 6, 2006 14:42:59 GMT -5
Is anyone else excited about the World Cup starting Friday? Yes, I'm talking soccer. I can't wait. International Soccer is amazing in my mind. Nothing better than the World Cup.
So who ya got? Me, I am going to go with...well here's my final four:
Argentina v France Portugal v Brazil
From there I have:
Argentina v Portugal
With ARGENTINA winning the cup.
* Despite the popular opinion, I actually think the USA will advance from their group. A group that includes the Czech Republic (who I believe will win the group, and I have going to the Final 8 before losing to France) and Italy. Seeing how it is unlikely Brazil will lose a game in their group (I can't see them losing to Croatia, Australia or Japan...though Croatia will probably be a test) the USA would have to win their group to avoid playing Brazil in the 2nd round. While I do like this US team a lot, I can't see them beating both Italy and the Czechs, but I can see them winning 2 of the 3 games to advance. Unfortunately on my card here, they would end up playing Brazil. Tough draw.
* Having seen a few friendlys leading up to the cup, I like the looks of England, even more so if Rooney's foot heals up and he can play. France is getting up there in age, but they still have loads of talent. Young Mr. Ribery is fun to watch, but I'm not sure how much he will get to play.
* Am I alone in thinking that the Ivory Coast could beat the Netherlands? I would be shocked if they beat Argentina, but they have a lot of talent on their squad. Toure, Akale and Drogba have been quite noticeable.
* Of course I'm wanting to see the USA do well. But I have to say that my favorite player in this tournament in Thierry Henry of France. He's an amazing player. Having gotten a chance to watch some of his play for Arsenal has been quite enjoyable, and I will hope to catch any France matches to get a chance to see him play.
Ok. I don't know how many of you like soccer enough to comment, or even at all. I myself will be glued to the set as the teams take the pitch for a chance at immortality. Cheering on the Stars and Stripes, but overall just the passion of each game is worth watching.
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tampagm
Beer League Participant
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Post by tampagm on Jun 6, 2006 22:00:34 GMT -5
Rooney practised hard today in Germany in England's first training session. His foot looks healed to me. He was taking free kicks and putting a lot of pressure on the foot.. so keep the fingers crossed. If I had to pick my favorite. I'd like to see Sweden win with their youngsters. Or England.. or even the Germans.. as long as Argentina doesn't win it ... I'm good....
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Post by Elite Sim News (ESN) on Jun 6, 2006 23:26:37 GMT -5
Good news for England. I wouldn't mind seeing them win it, but I couldn't pick Brazil. I didn't want to pick Argentina, but my hand had control of the pen today.
I would love to see the US do well, but like I said earlier, I think I'm gonna be rooting for France also. I'm also rather high on Portugal, but we'll see what happens.
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Post by Detroit Cherni on Jun 7, 2006 18:26:52 GMT -5
This is a hockey site. Soccer may be the world's game, but it's not a sport. No, I'm not excited. There's nothing to be excited about!
To add to this.....In anyone's right mind, you can't be a soccer fan and a die hard hockey fan at the same time.
Nuff said!
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Post by Anaheim GM on Jun 8, 2006 15:09:27 GMT -5
I am excited and will try not to miss a US game. We have a tough draw with Italy, Ghana, and the Czech's so it should make for some very interesting games.
I played soccer for 15 years so I am a huge fan of International Soccer, it is amazing to watch! Considering that most European hockey players were (or still are) soccer players, the two sports go hand in hand, especially since hockey is a lot about footwork. The two sports are practically married, Dave.
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Post by Elite Sim News (ESN) on Jun 9, 2006 9:13:31 GMT -5
Alright, it's the first day of World Cup 2006. I figured I'd post a good long write-up about how I see things playing out group by group here. For those of you who aren't soccer fans, well that's just too bad . Group A1. Germany 2. Poland 3. Costa Rica 4. Ecuador Germany is usually money in the World Cup as is, but as the host nation they shouldn't have any problems winning this group. Even without Ballack, who they will need badly, they would get through to the next round. Poland has some good young talent, and I wouldn't expect them to lose to either Ecuador or Costa Rica. I'm not really expecting much from the non-Europe representation in this group, but Costa Rica could surprise. Group B1. England 2. Sweden 3. Paraguay 4. Trinidad & Tobago Despite the Swedes being a younger bunch, and Rooney in the same boat as Ballack injury wise, I am still going to go with England to win the group. Paraguay has a chance, albeit a small one, to stay with England and Sweden for a good portion of those matches, but both England and Sweden are clearly the most talented teams in this group. Group C1. Argentina 2. Netherlands 3. Ivory Coast 4. Serbia & Montenegro Labeled as the "Group of Death", there certainly are no gimmies here. In fact, as many experts have said, all four teams have a chance of moving on. I would be surprised if Argentina didn't advance, however. Serbia just hasn't scored enough for me to put them through, although their defense is very good. Like I said earlier, I'm becoming a fan of the Ivory Coast. They have a lot of skill. However, as also noted earlier, the European countries have the edge, and in their World Cup debut, I can't take put the Ivory Coast through, as much as I want to. Group D1. Portugal 2. Mexico 3. Iran 4. Angola This group is much like Group B in that there is a clear talent difference from the top two and bottom two of the group. Mexico is currently ranked 4th in the FIFA World Rankings, and they are plenty good. However, I like the young talent Portugal has to offer. They are a much more mature team since 2002, and I think they have a very good chance at winning the whole thing. Iran and Angola don't really have much of a chance in this group, but that's why they play the games. Group E1. Czech Republic 2. Unites States 3. Italy 4. Ghana Tough draw for the boys eh? Maybe you could apply the "Group of Death" to this group as well. We have all heard of the rapid development of US soccer, and this will surely be a test. The Czechs are one of the best teams around, and a fully healthy squad will surely win this group. Italy is talented as always, but are dealing with major concerns from home. A match fixing scandal in the Italian league "Seria A" hasn't done anything to help the Italians before the Cup. They also had some injury problems, but should be ready to go. Ghana is no pushover either. They will challenge every team in this group, but in the end I see the USA being able to make it through. It would be a huge statement if they move on. Group F1. Brazil 2. Croatia 3. Australia 4. Japan This is a pretty solid group top to bottom also. I'm not even going to waste time talking about Brazil. Croatia had a very impressive go with qualifying, and they have a lot of talent. Australia and Japan are talented themselves, but it will be tough for Japan to win any of these matches. Croatia and Australia will battle for the second slot here, and I believe Croatia has the upper hand. Should be a good group to watch though. Group G1. France 2. Switzerland 3. South Korea 4. Togo Like I've said for a while, I'm a big fan of France. They are loaded with talent, although most of it is a bit older. The Swiss have a lot of young talent, and could challenge France for the top spot of this group. South Korea had a very impressive run to the Cup semis in '02, but having never made it out of group play in any Cup which they didn't host, I can't see that changing here. Togo would do well for themselves by getting a point. Group H1. Spain 2. Ukraine 3. Saudi Arabia 4. Tunisia Despite their often underachieving ways, I am going with Spain to win this group. Saudi Arabia and Tunisia aren't exactly soccer powerhouses, and I wouldn't expect either of them to challenge Spain or Ukraine. I would not be surprised to see Spain lose to Ukraine, however. But I'm playing the hunch in thinking that Spain will actually show up for all three games. Ok, so going off of that, here's how the rest of the Cup would look: 2nd RoundGermany v Sweden Argentina v Mexico England v Poland Portugal v Netherlands Czech Republic v Croatia France v Ukraine Brazil v Unites States Spain v Switzerland QuarterfinalsSweden v Argentina Czech Republic v France England v Portugal Brazil v Spain SemifinalsArgentina v France Portugal v Brazil ChampionshipArgentina v Portugal 1. Argentina 2. Portugal 3. Brazil These results kind of go against the thinking that the Europeans have an advantage, hah. But this all just my view of things. Plenty of talented teams to go around makes for an exciting tournament. If you don't want to watch, however, all I can say is you will be missing out.
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Post by ex-BluesGM on Jun 9, 2006 10:48:11 GMT -5
Its not soccer baby its FOOTBALL...
Love soccer, Love the World Cup, and will be recording every game I can't watch live on my DVR, which, BTW I bought just to be able to see every game of the WORLD CUP!
To comment on the above: Dave, hockey is soccer with skates and a puck, it is one of many sports that are soccer derivatives. TO say you can't be a soccer and a hockey fan is ludicrous!
Personally I'm an ARSENAL fan and Thierry Henry is the best player right now in the world. UEFA and FIFA love Brazilians and hate players that play in the EPL otherwise Henry would have been world player of the year over Ronaldihno.
The US drew a tough group, and no one wants to admit it but its the group of Death of this tournament. What's really frustrating is that FIFA draws are always so rigged. Germany and Brazil couldn't have easier groups, while The Netherland and the US have killer groups.
I don't like France to go too far despite Henry. They'll only move as far as their soft draw allows them.
OVerall I like Portugal and The Netherlands to make a nice run. I think Italy will win their group and either the Czechs or US will advance (US I hope). I don't think Brazil is the powerhouse they once were, there stocked on offense but not on defense and none of their truly great players right now are good team players, their all magicians who fall asleep when they don't have the ball. The US will either choke hard or rise big. I hope they rise to the occassion and I think if they do they can make the semis.
Predictions: Group A- 1.Germany, 2. Poland Group B- 1.Sweden, 2. England GroupC- 1. Netherlands, 2. Ivory Coast GroupD- 1. Portugal, 2. Mexico GroupE- 1. Italy, 2. US GroupF- 1. Brazil, 2. Japan GroupG- 1. France, 2. Korea GrouH- 1. Spain, 2. Ukraine
2nd round: Germany vs England Sweden vs Poland Dutch vs Mexico Ivory Coast vs Portugal Italy vs Japan Brazil vs US France vs Ukraine Spain vs Korea
Quarters: England vs Sweden Netherlands vs Portugal Italy vs US (that's right Uncle Sam's army is knocking off the the brazilians) France vs Spain
Semis: Italy vs Spain Netherlands vs England
1. Netherlands 2. Italy 3. England
This of course is all guess work, the real shame [since the draws suck] many great teams will be knocked out in the first round while some so-so teams advance.
Roger you come to STL to talk football any time you want my friend!
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Post by Detroit Cherni on Jun 10, 2006 0:06:32 GMT -5
You people are sick. I'm embarassed for you! All of you! If you're true hockey fans, soccer wouldn't be in your vocabulary!
Disappointing!
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Post by Elite Sim News (ESN) on Jun 12, 2006 12:52:39 GMT -5
Wow. Czechs are pretty good, and kicked our ass today. I didn't expect the boys to beat the Czechs though, and they still have a chance. They are going to have to move Donovan to mid-field and play Johnson up front for McBride to have a chance against Italy, IMO.
Beasley and Donovan didn't do jack crap today, Beasley especially. Donovan is more effective, in my view, when he can create from the mid-field. He needs to be more involved in the play.
All credit goes to the Czechs. They are a good squad, but we'll have to see if Koller is going to be able to come back. The Czechs are all but into the 2nd round, and I still don't see them losing a game in this group.
Saturday is a must win for the US. If they don't beat Italy, it's all over. With the 3-0 loss, the goal differential would come into play if they don't beat Italy and Ghana. Hopefully the Italy-Ghana game will be close.
Basically we just confirmed what the rest of the world thought about us, in that we were not worthy of the #5 FIFA ranking. We are going to have a tough time to say the least now. I'm still hopeful, but the effort is going to have to be MUCH better against Italy.
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Post by LAKingsGM on Jun 12, 2006 15:05:05 GMT -5
That FIFA ranking is a joke....simply to set up the World Cup Brackets the way they want. d**n politics.
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Post by formerDallasGM on Jun 12, 2006 23:05:32 GMT -5
Man, I'd rather watch my wife shop, see a chick-flick, watch a WNBA game, drive thru West Texas...anything but soccer - the sport they invented for people who didn't have skills to play the real sports!!
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Post by CalgaryGM on Jun 13, 2006 4:52:12 GMT -5
Hey Hey, well said Dan. I'd rather watch golf than soccer, the game holds no interest for me whatsoever.
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Post by LAKingsGM on Jun 13, 2006 8:44:11 GMT -5
Alright, we get your point...just leave this post, which is in the pub, to people who understand the game, please. Thank you.
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Post by Elite Sim News (ESN) on Jun 13, 2006 10:36:17 GMT -5
Skills to play real sports? Wow. I understand soccer isn't very well accepted north of the Mexican border in this continent, but...wow. Anyway, with France and Brazil both in action today, I am a happy soccer fan. Much more happy than I was yesterday, hehe. I missed the Italy game yesterday. I was hoping to get a quick glimpse, but I guess I'll have to wait until Saturday. So far I have been somewhat surprised. I still can't believe Sweden didn't score at least 3 goals against Trinidad. I didn't like the way England played for much of their match with Paraguay either. Argentina looked alright, same for Portugal. I only saw the last 15 minutes of the Holland match, so I can't really say much about them. I was disappointed with the effort from both the Unites States and Poland, especially Poland. I didn't expect the US to beat the Czechs, but I also didn't expect them to get run off the field. As for Poland, I thought they had enough talent to beat both Ecuador and Costa Rica without much of a problem. Boy was I wrong about that one, hehe. Some quality soccer for so early in the Cup though. The France-Switzerland match should be quite enjoyable, same for Brazil-Croatia. For those soccer fans in the group, enjoy the day. For the haters, well, maybe you can figure out how to get Ales Hemsky to shoot the f'in puck eh.
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Post by Anaheim GM on Jun 13, 2006 13:23:43 GMT -5
Let's see...
We ran between 2 and 3 miles a game at full sprint, have been hard-tackled without any pads other than shin guards, and have taken cleat-spikes into legs during the course of a 45 minute non-stop half.
I hit a soccer ball into the net with my head that had been crossed from over 30 yards away while jumping over a defender that was literally climbing up my shoulders.
I have stood in a five person wall with my teammates praying to God to be hit by a soccer ball blasted at over 70mph so that my goalie wouldn't have to make a save.
Soccer players have the ability to manipulate the spin on the ball, bend it around walls, and out it into places just of the reach of goaltenders. And these goaltenders make Spiderman look like a rigid piece of metal.
The best athletes in the world play soccer. They may not be the biggest, although tell that to Mr. Koller (Czech Republic's 6' 8'' monster forward).
Soccer requires incredible foot/eye and hand/eye coordination. It requires stamina that is unmatched in any other sport. In hockey, you have to be on the ice for a minute, maybe a minute 10, then you get a break. In American football you are on the field for 7-8 minutes at the most before you get a break. Baseball, well, baseball you get breaks every 5 minutes or so.
In soccer you are running, most of the time sprinting 45 minutes straight. You get a 15 minute break, and then you are sent back out to run for 45 more minutes straight. If you are substituted you cannot come back into play. There are only 3 substitutions a side allowed per game.
You play injured, you suck it up, or your team plays a man down until you can get a substitute in. If you have already substituted you go a man down. Ask the Edmonton Oilers to beat the Caronlina Hurricanes with a man down. Hell, they can't even beat them even strength.
Ignorant people think soccer is some type of inferior sport. The rest of the world knows a lot better than you do.
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