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"All" that needs to happen is -Quote:
Originally Posted by bennocelt
Italy to beat Costa Rica (likely)
Italy to beat Uruguay (quite possible)
England to beat Costa Rica (hmm)
And then rely on goal difference.
There's no penalty shoot-out in there, so yeah, it's possible
I think they are bizarrely almost favourites.Quote:
Originally Posted by bennocelt
Italy should beat Costa Rica pretty easily.
Given Italy will still need a result I think the most likely result in Ita-Uru is an Italy win
This would almost certainly mean England would qualify with a win against Costa Rica. Theyd have taken that at the beginning.
However can there ever have been a more embarassing qualification than going through with 2 wins and a win against Costa Rica!
9/1 England to qualify which is not a bad bet
If Italy beat Costa Rica tomorrow they would be through so I would expect Uruguay with Suarez in the team to get at least a draw against them. I think England are not nailed on to beat Costa Rica either
That'd mean Italy and Uruguay can (not necessarily will!) play out a draw, and both qualify. Not a nice position for England to be in, when their qualification comes down to two other teams not agreeing a draw.Quote:
Originally Posted by cavan_fan
They wont be through, theyll have 6 points and Uruguay and Costa Rica will have 3 so they could all finish on 6 and then goal difference.
I know im getting geeky here but that would work for Italy not Uruguay who would go out with a draw and a win (or possibly draw) for Costa Rica.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Thanks to Austria/Germany they wont know what they need
Could be right actually; I keep forgetting Costa Rica are on three points.
I still wouldn't go quite as far as to say England are favourites to go through though!
Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Not bad at 9/1 though.
Thinking about it the worst thing England could do would be to go 3-0 up by half time because then Italy and Uruguay could repeat the Mick McCarthy/Ruud Gullit moment from 1990
Anyone else enjoying the UEFA article feeds on here btw? On this day in the European Championships. They're trying really hard to pretend that the World Cup isn't happening.
Anyways, Japan v Greece, eh? This has to be a good game. Surely?
Both really need to win, so I hope so.
Am I hearing the commentary right here? One of the Greek players booked a flight home because he was upset at the quality of the crosses in training?
And he's still starting?
Bloody hell.
Am watching on BBC, fair to say its a tough sell to their target audience. 11pm on a Thursday night, Japan against the dullest team in World football and everyone in England has gone off football.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Tradition tells us that Italy are likely to draw with Costa Rica. That would leave Uruguay desperate, playing against a composed Italy who will not let Uruguay have a sniff.Quote:
Originally Posted by cavan_fan
Regardless of what CR do against Italy, they would likely only have to get a draw against England to put them in pole position.
I think CR and Italy have to be the favourites to get through.
What tradition is that?Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
A few decent bits of Japanese play is livening this up, but otherwise a little dull. Greece content to stick to a counterattack plan, Japan trying to break them down.
I was in a pub and could hear no commentary. Was it Gerrard who got the flick on for Suarez' winner? My night has just got better.
Is that 2 WCs in a row that England gave conceded directly from a goal kick? Klose got the opener straight from a goal kick in 2010 I think. That's pretty pathetic. I'm not sure I've ever seen it happen in any other game, ever. And I'm watching footy for 38 years.
I've no issue with Gibson's perspective btw. His teammates are English.
Well, my missus and extended family are English. My kids are probably English. Come on Uruguay!
I still think England might sneak through. A draw tomorrow and they're out, but Italy won't play for that. More realistic is an Italy win and then Italy and Uruguay will concoct something. Uruguay will see what's happening in England v Costa. If England is winning then that game will be a draw.
Greece down to ten men.
Might make this some way interesting.
I say as Greece almost go ahead despite the red.
The battle is being lost.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Nah, they know what's good for them really.
Apparently Claudio Ranieri is going to be the new Greece manager after the World cup. They have missed a trick big time... Trap and Greece would be a match made in heaven!!!!
Italy don't repeat the result of the first game. in the second game of the group.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
So. tradition tells us there is going to be a different result in the 2nd game, which if tradition holds the line, is more likely to be a draw than a loss.
That's why I say "tradition tells us that Italy are likely to draw"
Trap and Algeria would be a 7th heaven for Trap.Quote:
Originally Posted by Razors left peg
I reckon Trap had, eh, high blood flow to his loins watching the first hour of Algeria v Belgium. It was Trap heaven.
So it's not a tradition at all so? Gotcha.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
(Just while you're being pointlessly patronising)
This is brutal.
Maybe I have missed something,Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
you asked me to explain something I wrote, then you say I'm being pointlessly patronising when I explain my point?
Usually people say thanks when someone goes to the bother of explaining a point they have a question about, but you appear to be needlessly rude.
That's generally how other non Irish football fans feel about watching Ireland at Final competitions on their tv.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Maybe one or two exceptions for some periods in a game.
They are not of my concern.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
The lucky thing for them it's usually once or so a decade that they get to see us. This Greek team just won't die.
http://youtu.be/53szBDUt7kM?t=1m30s
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that. No objective analysis of WC90 can throw up any other conclusion that we were turgid, uninspiring, unadventurous, lucky and utterly one dimensional. Yet in our eyes it was the greatest month in our country's historyQuote:
Originally Posted by geysir
That was a Trap masterclass from 10 man Greece.
Yeah history can hinge on small details but the fact is that Spain dug deep and beat Paraguay, another quality of great champions. I would have thought that winning three major tournaments in a row is great in any man's language really, regardless of preferences. Given most of the players were also dominating the club scene just reinforced their greatness. If winning, winning and more winning doesn't constitute greatness then what does? The argument that they'd no Plan B only emphasises how incredibly adequate their Plan A was, for the bones of six years at least. Anyway, agree to differ I guess :)Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Did anybody see 'Cesc's Story of Spain' on Sky Sports recently? Well worth a watch if it's on again. Apparently this goal was the start of the tika-taka in a crucial Euro qualifier in Copenhagen. It shows the full build up on the programme itself but this was the best I could find.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJH1f_U-ezM
There's ways and means to dissect either opinions. Sure winning 3 tournaments in a row is great but again it all hinges on the tiny decisions, on the missed calls.
Barca are a prime example of that. Would you rather have that Zidane and Ronaldo and Figo RM or that Barca team of Busquets and Pedro and Messi?
I feel that the 6 years were a nadir. And I'm happy it's over. My football mind doesn't find it beautiful. Like my apparent irrational HATRED for Brazil and my adoration for Uruguay and Argentina. I don't feel it. As objective as I can be it's tough going. I'll give them Euro2012. They were amazing, if boring.
---
Gerrard- "We've conceded goals and we have to defend better as a team."
Hmmmmmmm... How about you don't give the ball away or head the ball to Suarez?
As much as I agree that England would have been stronger defensively with Terry and Cole in the side, I think Eamo has completely forgotten that they were both present in 2010 for the Germany mauling, and much closer their prime if not actually in it. The way Dunphy has been carrying on you'd swear a goal has never been conceded with JT on the pitch.
F**king hate Greece.
I'm very disappointed in Japan. I had tipped them to top the group but they have been tactically poor in both games - not sure if it's down to the coach or the players playing within themselves. They haven't played their quick-passing, high-tempo game at all over the 180 minutes and I can't see them beating Colombia, which is what they'll need at a minimum.
I'm not sure where you're going with that.. It's not even like for like. Busquets would be more comparable to Makelele and Pedro maybe somebody like, I don't know, Solari? Anyway, I wouldn't have the same gra for Barca that I do for Spain for some reason, but I would consider their recent clan to have been a great club side, as was the Madrid side from the early 2000's, although I thought Figo was grossly overrated.Quote:
Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Henry, Messi and Eto'o would be a more comparable comparison to Zidane, Figo and Ronaldo. I'd still choose Real but it's close.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
Depends what BS meant, I've never heard the Barca side being mentioned as the team with Messi, Busquets and Pedro. Messi, Xavi and Iniesta has become such a Holy Trinity that sometimes one could forget that they have other players.
I'm assuming he meant in terms of attacking flair, implying that Barca were less about individual brilliance and more about wearing teams down, but I think those players plus Larsson, Villa, Ibrahimovic even, show Guardiola's Barcelona had plenty of flair outside Messi too. Even though Ibrahimovic didn't fit in.