The Soccer Thread

[bukie]

Here's how I am thinking it'll shake out:

 

A: 1. Uruguay 2. France 3. South Africa 4. Mexico

B: 1. Argentina 2. Nigeria 3. Greece 4. South Korea

C: 1. England 2. USA 3. Slovenia 4. Algeria

D: 1. Serbia 2. Germany 3. Ghana 4. Australia

E: 1. Netherlands 2. Cameroon 3. Denmark 4. Japan

F: 1. Paraguay 2. Slovakia 3. Italy 4. New Zealand

G: 1. Brazil 2. Portugal 3. Ivory Coast 5. North Korea

H: 1. Spain 2. Switzerland 3. Chile 4. Honduras

 

Round of 16:

1A: Uruguay over 2B: Nigeria

1C: England over 2D: Germany

2C: USA over 1D: Serbia (homer pick)

2A: France over 1B: Argentina

1E: Netherlands over 2F: Slovakia

1G: Brazil over 2H: Switzerland

2E: Cameroon over 1F: Paraguay

1H: Spain over 2G: Portugal

 

Quarters:

England over Uruguay

USA over France (homer pick #2)

Netherlands over Brazil

Spain over Cameroon

 

Semis:

England over Netherlands

Spain over USA

 

Finals:

Spain over England

(Netherlands over USA)

[TruffleShuffle]

italy not making it out of the first round would be great.

[Guest]

italy not making it out of the first round would be great.

 

Ditto with Mexico, but I think both advance.

[TruffleShuffle]

italy not making it out of the first round would be great.

 

Ditto with Mexico, but I think both advance.

 

i think mexico is pretty boned. france and uruguay are good teams and mexico has to play south africa in their opening game, which will be full of emotion.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

My apologies if this has been posted already since I don't read this thread...

http://estaticos01.marca.com/multimedia/graficos/futbol/2010/mundial/calendariomundialingles.swf

[CubInOK]

italy not making it out of the first round would be great.

 

Ditto with Mexico, but I think both advance.

 

i think mexico is pretty boned. france and uruguay are good teams and mexico has to play south africa in their opening game, which will be full of emotion.

I think Group A is the toughest group to pick because all sides have something going for them. I can see every team finishing in any spot. Mexico has looked good in friendlies and has good young strikers, Uruguay has great forwards in Forlan and Suarez, France has typically been a quality side, and South Africa is at home.

[wolf stansson]

Group A - 1 Mexico, 2 France

Group B - 1 Argentina, 2 Nigeria

Group C - 1 England, 2 United States

Group D - 1 Germany, 2 Serbia

Group E - 1 Netherlands, 2 Cameroon

Group F - 1 Itlay, 2 Paraguay

Group G - 1 Brazil, 2 Portugal

Group H - 1 Spain, 2 Chile

 

Sweet 16 - Mexico over Nigeria, England over Serbia, Germany over US, Argentina over France, Netherlands over Paraguay, Brazil over Chile, Cameroon over Italy, Spain over Portugal.

 

Elite 8 - England over Mexico, Brazil over Netherlands, Argentina over Germany, Spain over Cameroon.

 

Final 4 - Brazil over England, Argentina over Spain.

 

3rd place - Spain over England

 

Final - Argentina over Brazil

[Guest]

Group A: France, Mexico

Group B: Argentina, Nigeria

Group C: England, USA

Group D: Germany, Ghana

Group E: Netherlands, Cameroon

Group F: Itlay, Paraguay

Group G: Brazil, Portugal

Group H: Spain, Chile

 

France over Nigeria, England over Ghana, Netherlands over Paraguay, Brazil over Chile, Argentina over Mexico, Germany over USA, Italy over Cameroon, Spain over Portugal.

 

England over France, Brazil over Netherlands, Germany over Argentina, Spain over Italy.

 

Brazil over England, Spain over Germany

 

Spain over Brazil

(England over Germany)

[CubInOK]

A- Uruguay, Mexico, France, South Africa

B- Argentina, South Korea, Nigeria, Greece

C- England, USA, Slovenia, Algeria

D- Serbia, Germany, Ghana, Australia

E- Netherlands, Cameroon, Denmark, Japan

F- Italy, Paraguay, Slovakia, New Zealand

G- Brazil, Portugal, Ivory Coast, North Korea

H- Spain, Chile, Switzerland, Honduras

 

Round of 16: Uruguay over South Korea, Argentina over Mexico, England over Germany, Serbia over USA, Netherlands over Paraguay, Italy over Cameroon, Brazil over Chile, Spain over Portugal

 

Quarters: England over Uruguay, Brazil over Netherlands, Serbia over Argentina, Spain over Italy

 

Semis: Brazil over England, Spain over Serbia

 

Losers: Serbia over England

Champs: Brazil over Spain 3-1

[Banedon]

My apologies if this has been posted already since I don't read this thread...

http://estaticos01.marca.com/multimedia/graficos/futbol/2010/mundial/calendariomundialingles.swf

 

Fancy. Only missing the TV info.

[wolf stansson]

The secret history of American Soccer:

http://www.slate.com/id/2256165/

Great article on how soccer almost became our second past time in the early 1900's.

[bukie]

Most people are talking about a potential Brazil-Spain final, but if either of those teams slips up in group play and finishes second, they'd meet in the round of 16.

[Guest]

Most people are talking about a potential Brazil-Spain final, but if either of those teams slips up in group play and finishes second, they'd meet in the round of 16.

 

That's the tough thing for Spain - they've got a tough (if Ivory Coast/Portugal) and potentially brutal (if Brazil) Round of 16 game.

[Guest]

This obviously doesn't mean they'll advance this year but it's interesting that Germany has the longest streak of advancing out of their group. Germany hasn't failed to advance since the 1938 Cup (though they weren't allowed to play in 1950). I'm not too surprised, but I figured it would be Brazil (didn't make it out in 1966) or Italy (1974).

[TruffleShuffle]

This obviously doesn't mean they'll advance this year but it's interesting that Germany has the longest streak of advancing out of their group. Germany hasn't failed to advance since the 1938 Cup (though they weren't allowed to play in 1950). I'm not too surprised, but I figured it would be Brazil (didn't make it out in 1966) or Italy (1974).

 

looked those years up just for fun.

 

in 1966, brazil somehow lost to both portugal and hungary by 3-1 scores.

 

1974 was held in germany; italy missed out because they lost to poland and drew with argentina (poland actually went 3-0 in that group; argentina had a better goal differential). also, haiti was the representative from concacaf, australia made it, zaire was the african representative and no asian team participated. i forgot how much the world cup was a euro/south american event (granted those are the teams that always win, but there are a lot more nations involved now). east and west germany were in the same group.

[shnsajax]

This obviously doesn't mean they'll advance this year but it's interesting that Germany has the longest streak of advancing out of their group. Germany hasn't failed to advance since the 1938 Cup (though they weren't allowed to play in 1950). I'm not too surprised, but I figured it would be Brazil (didn't make it out in 1966) or Italy (1974).

 

looked those years up just for fun.

 

in 1966, brazil somehow lost to both portugal and hungary by 3-1 scores.

 

1974 was held in germany; italy missed out because they lost to poland and drew with argentina (poland actually went 3-0 in that group; argentina had a better goal differential). also, haiti was the representative from concacaf, australia made it, zaire was the african representative and no asian team participated. i forgot how much the world cup was a euro/south american event (granted those are the teams that always win, but there are a lot more nations involved now). east and west germany were in the same group.

 

Those were back in the days of Eusebio for Portugal who was a beast.

[USSoccer]

A- Mexico, South Africa (don't underestimate FIFA refs)

B- Argentina, Greece

C- England, USA,

D- Germany, Serbia

E- Netherlands, Cameroon,

F- Paraguay, Italy

G- Brazil, Ivory Coast

H- Spain, Honduras

 

1A: Mexico over 2B: Greece

1C: England over 2D: Serbia

2C: USA over 1D: Germany

2A: Argentina over 1B: South Africa (in an embarrassing fashion)

1E: Netherlands over 2F: Italy

1G: Brazil over 2H: Honduras

2E: Cameroon over 1F: Paraguay

1H: Spain over 2G: Ivory Coast

 

Mexico over England

Argentina over USA (Backline kills us)

Brasil over Netherlands (PK's)

Spain over Cameroon

 

Argentina over Spain

Brasil over Mexico

 

Brasil over Argentina

Edited June 10, 2010 by USSoccer

[Mark Priors Calves]

A-Mexico, France

B-Argentina, South Korea

C-England, USA

D-Germany, Serbia

E-Netherlands, Denmark

F-Italy, Paraguay

G- Brazil, Portugal

H- Spain, Chile

 

Mexico over South Korea

England over Serbia

Germany over USA

Argentina over France

Netherlands over Paraguay

Brazil over Chile

Denmark over Italy

Spain over Portugal

 

England over Mexico

Argentina over Germany

Netherlands over Brazil

Spain over Denmark

 

Argentina over Spain

Netherlands over England

 

Argentina over Netherlands

Edited June 10, 2010 by Mark Prior's Calves

[TruffleShuffle]

i'm not that high on argentina mostly because i think maradona is an awful manager. some of these other guys can coach circles around him and i don't think argentina's talent can necessarily overcome that against other very good teams.

[Mark Priors Calves]

Don't forget to register or make your selections at Yahoo! World Cup Pick'em

 

http://us.wc.fantasysports.yahoo.com/world-cup

 

Each game can be chosen up to 5 minutes before the match. The second interval picks is not until Saturday, June 20th.

 

Group #:10489

password: cubs

[Guest]

USS - If Spain and Brazil both win their groups, they wouldn't be able to meet in the final, not the semis. Under your scenario, Mexico would play Brazil and Argentina would face Spain.

 

Not sure if that changes anything in your prediction.

 

Ditto for MPC - semis would be Argentina-Spain, Netherlands-England.

[USSoccer]

USS - If Spain and Brazil both win their groups, they wouldn't be able to meet in the final, not the semis. Under your scenario, Mexico would play Brazil and Argentina would face Spain.

 

Not sure if that changes anything in your prediction.

 

Ditto for MPC - semis would be Argentina-Spain, Netherlands-England.

 

Whoops. Got my brackets all messed up.

 

Doesn't change anything, though. I still like Argie v. Brasil. Maradona might be an ass, but he's limited to the 23 he picked, and the attack is just too good.

 

Mexico is giong to just romp in group play. I'm thinking 7 points or something. That team's been playing together for like 8 weeks straight now.

[Mark Priors Calves]

USS - If Spain and Brazil both win their groups, they wouldn't be able to meet in the final, not the semis. Under your scenario, Mexico would play Brazil and Argentina would face Spain.

 

Not sure if that changes anything in your prediction.

 

Ditto for MPC - semis would be Argentina-Spain, Netherlands-England.

Nice catch, shows me being a lazy bastard using USS's bracket and editing it.

[Guest]

Donovan's US goals

 

Dempsey's US goals

 

More Dempsey goals

 

US-Mexico WC 2002

 

US-Spain

 

And because it will never get old

 

Bergkamp's wondergoal in the 98 cup with the Dutch announcer

[wvcbxl]

in 1966, brazil somehow lost to both portugal and hungary by 3-1 scores.

 

Hungary were quite good in the mid-sixties.

Not as good as the team that went from 1950 to 1956 losing only once (the '54 WC final), but still...

 

I'm useless at this pick'em stuff - I'm just going with Spain as the winners of the Cup. 8-)