World Cup predictions

[endabob1]

They are just better?

Surely not, it must be the ball, the altitude, the vuvuzelas, the weather, the time difference, the time of day they're expected to play, the boredom in the 5 star resorts.......

[shakermaker1982]

Surely not, it must be the ball, the altitude, the vuvuzelas, the weather, the time difference, the time of day they're expected to play, the boredom in the 5 star resorts.......

The English media crack me up.

Capello was God 6 weeks ago. Now he's just a Johny foreigner with poor English. He's also too hard on the players. Sven however was too lax. The Mirror has even published a day in the life of an English footballer at base camp South Africa.

[Sullivinho]

Cappelo was God 6 weeks ago.

Signed a new contract just before the WC. If only the FA had known they had a perfectly capable manager in 'JT'...

[osarusan]

This is a quote from the BBC -

Italy need to beat Slovakia on Thursday to guarantee their place in the second phase, but should they only manage a draw then New Zealand could deny them with victory over Paraguay in their final Group D match.

I'm assuming that the ways group positions are determined are:

1. Points
2. Result agains the other team with the same points
3. Goal difference
4. Goals scored



Am I not right in saying that if both Italy and New Zealand drew by the same score, they'd have the same points, same result against each other (1-1 draw), same goal difference (0, obviously, as they'd have drawn all 3 games), but NZ would have scored 2 goals to Italy's 1, and would go through on that basis?

Can anybody enlighten / correct me on this?

[osarusan]

Never mind, here it is from a pdf on the FIFA website (section 39.5, page 40): http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tour...s_en_14123.pdf

The ranking of each team in each group will be determined as follows:

a) greatest number of points obtained in all group matches;
b) goal difference in all group matches;
c) greatest number of goals scored in all group matches.


If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria,
their rankings will be determined as follows:

d) greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between
the teams concerned;
e) goal difference resulting from the group matches between the
teams concerned;
f) greater number of goals scored in all group matches between the
teams concerned;
g) drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee.

I still think that point C above would mean NZ could qualify with a draw, as long as it was by the same score as Italy's draw.

[Schumi]

I still think that point C above would mean NZ could qualify with a draw, as long as it was by the same score as Italy's draw.

If they draw with the same score, they draw lots, if NZ have a higher scoring draw, they go through.

[osarusan]

At the moment, they both have 2 points, goal difference of +/-0, but NZ have scored twice to Italy's once. So if they both had 0-0 draws in their final game, NZ would still have that 1 goal advantage which would be point 3 in the criteria.

[Stuttgart88]

I'd be very disappointed if a Spain win denies Chile, one of the most interesting teams of the WC so far.

[bennocelt]

At the moment, they both have 2 points, goal difference of +/-0, but NZ have scored twice to Italy's once. So if they both had 0-0 draws in their final game, NZ would still have that 1 goal advantage which would be point 3 in the criteria.

Osarusan,Italy havse scored twice.

[osarusan]

Oops! Yes they have! I was confusing their 1-1 draw with Paraguay with France's 0-0 draw with Uruguay.

[bennocelt]

I'd be very disappointed if a Spain win denies Chile, one of the most interesting teams of the WC so far.

Just like Spain tonight, messing against the worst team in the Wcup (IMHO) means that Switzerland will get through on goal difference
That Navro fella was AWFUL

[TheBoss]

If Spain were to beat Chile 1-0, the Switzerland beat Honduras. They would all have six points and the head to head cancels each other out, so goal difference between the 3 teams will be the same, will the results over Honduras be then included ?

[osarusan]

Spain winning 1-0 would give them a better goal difference than Chile.

If that happened, and Switzerland beat Honduras 1-0, Spain would finish top (+2 GD to the +1 of the other 2 teams) and Switzerland and Chile would have identical records in both GD and goals scored, so it would come down to the result between them, and Chile would go through.

If on the other hand the Swiss won 2-0, they'd match the Spanish on GD (+2) and goals scored (3), but go top because of the result between them. Spain would be second, and Chile would go out. If the Swiss won 3-1, they'd go top because of more goals scored (4 to Spain's 3), and Chile would be out.

All that's my understanding of it anyway.

[bennocelt]

Here.....................
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/standings/whatif.html

Also have to think of possible last 16 opponents - Brazil or Portugal?

[endabob1]

I was getting very irritated with Spain last night, I want them to win their group so I can see them in the 2nd round, if I end up watching Switzerland because they couldn't be bothered to break sweat against Honduras I will not be best pleased.

[osarusan]

2 more for South Africa (not impossible), Uruguay win 1-0 - the Bafana are through!

(or 1 more for S. Africa and a 2-0 win for Uruguay).

EDIT : Uruguay take the lead!!

[Stuttgart88]

SA had their chances to make it, but the best teams in taht group went through. Latin Americans are the teams on best form at the moment.

[strangeirish]

France Au revoir! Karma est une chienne!

[Stuttgart88]

Just watched highlights of Uruguay v Mexico. Both play lovely football, but both leave a lot of chances untaken, Mexico especially so. How did that guy miss that header in the second half?

[Sullivinho]

Martin Palermo. A guy who misses three penalties in one game and breaks his leg celebrating a goal deserves one in the World Cup. Fair play to him.

I will not miss Greece.