PeteEU said:
Looking forward to it as I do every 4 years. It is after all the biggest sport on the planet and the biggest single sporting event of all.
22 days and counting!!!
The US has a slim chance of progressing as Italy are Italy.. mega team of Europe and would require a very bad day to lose to the US (but hey it has happened before). Ghana is brilliant on a good day and are about the only team the US has a chance of beating. The Czechs are probally the best "team" in Europe as they have played together for years, but that of course is a problem as thier average age is over 30. They are former finalists in the Euro Championships and if I remember right did not lose a game qualifying.
I disagree. I think the U.S. has a good chance of advancing. In two of the last three World Cups, the U.S. were grouped with the team touted as being the one able to make a run at the title (Colombia in 1994 and Portugal in 2002.) IN both occasions, the U.S. beat them and contributed to their first round elimination. I expect the same to happen with the Czech Republic. The Czechs did well in Euro 2004, but European cinderellas have a history of bombing out in their next major tournament. Also, the U.S. has a formula that can exploit Czech weaknesses - their lack of speed and age. The U.S. is one of the fastest and most fit teams in the tournament, and Claudio Reyna is a master ball distributor. If he can get the ball on the flanks to Landon Donovan and Damarcus Beasley, the Czechs AND the Italians will have a tough time.
Don't forget, this is the same team that would have beaten Germany in the Quarters last time around were it not for multiple major errors by the officials.
Other teams to watch are of course Brazil and Ronaldino (playing tonight in the second biggest sporting event on the planet, the Champions Leauge Final in Paris), Ronaldo, Kaka.. heck the whole team are brilliant.
Agreed they they are brilliant, but Ronaldhino looked very human last night in the Champion's League final.
Argentina are also up there with among others the new rising star Lionel Messi, the semi old hag Riquelme and a few more stars. A team that should make the quaterfinals if not the semis at least
But Argentina has been slumping of late, losing to teams they shouldn't be losing to.
England have some good players but have yet to prove thier talent on a big scale. Getting Rooney back on the field is key, unless Gerrad can produce something insane again and the others finally will wake up and play football instead of looking in a mirror and checking thier hair.
Rooney won't be back until the second round by most accounts. Without him, they may suffer the fate of Zidane-less France four years ago.
Of course one should not forget the hosts Germany, the only nation that can go through a whole tournement playing like crap and yet win or get to the final regardless.
They have played lousy of late and have a tough first game against Costa Rica. IF they don't get their acts together, they may find themselves behind the eight-ball on opening day.
Portugal might have a good chance as well as Spain, but these teams have always been under achievers, considering the stars, the national youth teams and the nation leagues.
Portugal DID get a pretty good draw, and I hope they beat the Dirty Mexicans. Spain is the perpetual underachiever.
Just about every team can make it in the tournement and there are very few, if any teams that are viewed as cannon fodder for the big teams.
Togo, Angola, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad and Tobago are good cannon fodder candidates. GER 8 KSA 0 - can't ever forget THAT lopsided result.
Only sad part is the total lack of respect or interest shown by many Americans.. but then again we Euros could give a rats *** about baseball and american football
. At least this is a true world cup, and the winners are world champions
Agreed, but this is one American who is pumped and will be watching long after the U.S. is eliminated (if it is
Hey, I will support my team until the end, win, lose or draw.
