World Cup predictions

[EAFC_rdfl]

Not dead yet. If the Mexicans and French draw (good possibility), then it comes down to a Cup Final between France and South Africa.
thats what i have been thinking too, listening to bill and giles last night, they were completely writing of SA. fair enough they were muck, but if mexico hold france, then its down to a one off match between france and SA, and surely they would turn up for a game as big as that, not like last night!

[Ciaran W]

2-0 argentina. . Bad defending !

[pineapple stu]

Careless careless careless.

Be interesting to see how Argentina respond to that in the second half. Just clear the ball and it's 2-0 and cruising. Now the Koreans have a chance.

[pineapple stu]

So, did Maicon mean his goal against North Korea? I think so. But more importantly - did Messi mean to find Higuain with a pass off the post? :p

[tricky_colour]

Argentina look set for gold, playing some great football.

[shakermaker1982]

I'd love it if Maradona, Messi and co won the whole thing.

[bennocelt]

So, did Maicon mean his goal against North Korea? I think so. But more importantly - did Messi mean to find Higuain with a pass off the post? :p

:DLOL thought that too
Messi was awesome, Tevez was good today too - much improved
Higuain - Jeez such an easy hat trick, and IMHO he is a bit of a donkey, but he is now top scorer!!
But Argentina really have a problem on the left side of defence - two shocking defenders with dodgy hair

[shakermaker1982]

It would be boring if they had a brilliant defence as well!!

[Sullivinho]

I'd love it if Maradona, Messi and co won the whole thing.

I'll second that. The celebrations would be priceless. God only knows how Maradona would react. Assuming of course that they're seperate entities.

"They'll be staying home early" - Hamman on South Africa :D

[Stuttgart88]

If the vuvuzelas drown out football chants like The Great Escape, England till I Die, Dambusters and GSTQ then that's fine by me.

I think they add South Africa's own personality to the tournament, just as the paper confetti did in Argentina in '78.

[Stuttgart88]

Sean looked fine to me against Algeria and Paraguay, both of whom are in the tournament. He was fantastic against Algeria actually.By his own admission (via The Doc :)) his club form has suffered. If that's thecase I think it's unrealistic to expect him to play at his best in a competitive environment.

[Stuttgart88]

Great workout for Argentina. Comfortable win in the end but they had to earn it. They could score 10 against someone if they take their chances, and if they can get ahead in the KO stages it'd be a brave team that put men forward against them. They look very dangerous on the counter.

Nigeria just scored. Greek keeper jumped out of the way of an inswinging free. As a keeper I used to hate inswinging frees, but I was LSL Division 3 - this is the WC!

To this day I judge top flight keeper by how well they deal with an inswinger, especially when distracted by a striker. The really top keepers deal with it well, but it does sort out the wheat from the chaff in my opinion.

[Sullivinho]

Greece are horrendous. Goalkeeper playing like his bonus is being paid in naira.

[Ciaran W]

Its an absolute embaresment* that greece are at this world cup, they actually add nothing whatsoever.

* I havent got a clue how to spell it

[Stuttgart88]

"Embarrassment". Madness, c. 1982 I reckon.

Greece bt Ukraine. Ukraine bt England. Everyone is beating Greece. It's a pity football doesn't work on the principles of Aristotelean logic.

[Ciaran W]

Torosidis just go home.

[Sullivinho]

Speaking of philosophy, it seems Greece's can change at the drop of a hat Torosidis!

[Declanus]

Hey how about this for a team
Howard, Evra, Heinze,Vidic,(Ferdinand if he was fit) Veron, Park, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez, Forlan, Rooney.

[Ciaran W]

Why would you put in 2 rooneys ? And no messi ? :o

[Ciaran W]

F*ck you greece

[pineapple stu]

2-1 Greece. Goalkeeping howler after a couple of excellent saves. Looks like Greece have been well on top since the rather soft red for Nigeria.

Copmetition seems to have been getting a lot better in the last day or two. Maybe that's what happens when you're only half-watching a stream!

[Stuttgart88]

2-1 Greece. Now that ball DID move. The keeper followed its path then all of a sudden was too far left of its path. ITV compared it to Robert Green saying the Jubilani ball had struck again. The two aren't even remotely comparable - one was about 20mph harder than the other.

[Sullivinho]

Argentina and South Korea to escape this group. The Argies will do the Greeks and the Koreans will do enough against Nigeria.

[bennocelt]

Damn Greece, damn, damn, damnhttp://foot.images/smilies/mad.gif And how did that guy miss that sitter.
Pity about the goalie as he was having another good game upto that point then it went all pear sheaped

[bennocelt]

If the vuvuzelas drown out football chants like The Great Escape, England till I Die, Dambusters and GSTQ then that's fine by me.

I think they add South Africa's own personality to the tournament, just as the paper confetti did in Argentina in '78.


yeah, and its CRAP!!!

[osarusan]

When two teams finish on the same no. of points, how are they differentiated?

GD, followed by goals scored, followed by result between the two?

What's the order?

[Stuttgart88]

Damn Greece, damn, damn, damnhttp://foot.images/smilies/mad.gif And how did that guy miss that sitter.
Pity about the goalie as he was having another good game upto that point then it went all pear sheapedThere was one angle that, in my mind, absolved him from blame. He set himself up and got in position correctly - then next thing he had to adjust. Only one TV angle shows the ball changing direction. Not much but enough to upset a keeper planted in position.

[tricky_colour]

A team in green against France!!
As I was typing that Mexico scored!!! :D

Out you go France!!

[tetsujin1979]

payback. it's a bitch

[pineapple stu]

Tee hee. It's all the sweeter that he was offside too.

Lump on the draw between Uruguay and Mexico if this stays the same.

[pineapple stu]

Great peno from the 52-year-old.

To answer osarusan, it's head to head per George Hamilton, so France can't catch Mexico and are 5 goals behind Uruguay.

Winners, knoecked out round 1 witrhout scoring, runners-up, knocked out round 1 without scoring?

[tetsujin1979]

come on you boys in green!

[Dunny]

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh65/mungchamp/simpsons_nelson_haha2.jpghttp://media.photobucket.com/image/ha%20ha%20nelson/mungchamp/simpsons_nelson_haha2.jpg

[Sullivinho]

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7585/bitchl.jpg

[The Legend]

i'll be making love to my mexican gardener tonight!!!

[tetsujin1979]

oh, to be in the Sugar Club tonight - http://www.phantom.ie/entertainment/4306-france-v-mexico-pablo-a-phantom-need-you.html !!

[Mr_Parker]

"Thierry Henry, the Mexican Wave. Thierry Henry, the Mexican Wave..." :)

[Sullivinho]

I'm not sure the Mexicans and Uruguayans will be happy to settle for the draw. Avoiding Argentina in the next round would surely be a motivation.

[Noelys Guitar]

Henry, Domo, Napoleon, De Gaulle, Chanel, Monet, Debussy your boys took one hell of a beating. Adios Amigos.

[shakermaker1982]

God they were gutless. Ribery, Govou, Anelka.........you could name them all if being truthful. I backed Mexico to win so I'm a happy boy!

[back of the net]

I'm not sure the Mexicans and Uruguayans will be happy to settle for the draw. Avoiding Argentina in the next round would surely be a motivation.

very true plus the possibilty of facing the greeks or sth koreans for a place in the quarters....real motivation


God Lads............what a waste of a world cup place ...........im sorry for going old over old wounds..........but we shud be there...........our boys wud have represented our nation with pride unlike those spineless lot.

Ireland Forever.

[Sullivinho]

It'd be great if they did blatantly favour a draw against each other though. France put South Africa away only to be denied by something not entirely in line with the spirit of the game.. :D

[bennocelt]

Wow great stuff. World cup came alive today, was EXCELLENT
Mexico are a joy to watch, not a negative bone in their bodies at all. Two centre backs were great. Hope they can go on now to win the group................

[back of the net]

Wow great stuff. World cup came alive today, was EXCELLENT
Mexico are a joy to watch, not a negative bone in their bodies at all. Two centre backs were great. Hope they can go on now to win the group................

absolutely agree benno on mexico

luv watching them, real mix of youth and experience,

Even in 2006 they were great and very underated.

Stuck a bit of cash on them pre W.C on them to get to the semis...so heres hoping

either way -im delighted for them.

[shakermaker1982]

How good was their left back in the first half? I don't think the BBC commentators even noticed how well he was playing. They need to start Hernandez from now on.

[Dunny]

Anyone get free pizzas last night?

[Stuttgart88]

Yep, Mexico really are pleasing on the eye. They mullered England at Wembley, yet lost 3-1 though. You've got to be effective as well as pretty and I'm not sure they are. I'd like to see them do well, and Chile too.

[OwlsFan]

Strangely enough I didn't take any pleasure in seeing France being beaten because they didn't seem to care or feel the hurt. Perhaps in their hearts they believed they shouldn't really have been there or is that a bit Freudian. As for the 10 French supporters who turned up....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. We would have had at least 5k.

Well done to Mexico on 3 counts. 1. Winning the game. 2. Playing attcking football to try and win the game and 3. Their fans who were the first that could be heard over the vuvuvelas or whatever they are called.

[Ciaran W]

Hopefully germany play well again and serbia need to win so it should be an open game :D

[Ciaran W]

As much as i like richardson on Mns, i find it very hard to listen to him for 90 mins