Group F
Brazil, Croatia, Austrailia, Japan
13-Jun-06 BRA:CRO
12-Jun-06 AUS:JPN
18-Jun-06 BRA:AUS
18-Jun-06 JPN:CRO
22-Jun-06 JPN:BRA
22-Jun-06 CRO:AUS
"Jacques Santini...will be greeted in every dugout of the country by "one-nil, one-nil" - Clive Tyldsley, 89th minute of France-England June 13, 2004.
"Ooooohhhh Nooooooo" Bobby Robson 91st minute.
This won't be easy as it seems for Brazil. Japan have looked good lately and Australia have a good squad and with Hiddink in charge I think they will reach the QF. Brazil will still qualify definitely, almost certain top but they won't have it easy in their matches, except maybe Croatia.
I think Brazil will top the group easily. Austrailia and Japan fighting for second place but Japan's experience might help them nick a point off Brazil and go through.
"Jacques Santini...will be greeted in every dugout of the country by "one-nil, one-nil" - Clive Tyldsley, 89th minute of France-England June 13, 2004.
"Ooooohhhh Nooooooo" Bobby Robson 91st minute.
Group F
Brazil, Croatia, Austrailia, Japan
13-Jun-06 BRA 2:1 CRO
12-Jun-06 AUS 1:0 JPN
18-Jun-06 BRA 1:1 AUS
18-Jun-06 JPN 2:1 CRO
22-Jun-06 JPN 0:3 BRA
22-Jun-06 CRO 1:0 AUS
Saw Brasil yesterday and wasn't impressed.
Adriano and Ronaldo are shockingly overweight.
Nonetheless, i just can't picture Ronaldinho crying after elimination . . . . in his whole career.
City definetly have the best bands playing at half-time.
O'Bama - "Eerah yeah, I'd say we can alright!"
G.O'Mahoney Trapattoni'll sort ém out!!
I can't wait for this group. Hopefully Japan and Brazil get through, 2 of the most exciting teams in the world. If Croatia/Australia get 2nd then I think it's an easy enough last 16 match for the winner of Italy's group. I don't rate either of them very highly.
Zico said Nakamura can "astonish the world". I think he's up there with Larsson as truely world class players at Celtic. He got man of the match against Greece and Brazil in the confederations and was one of the stars of that tournament. I love the guy and really hope he's at Celtic next season.
Last edited by eirebhoy; 01/06/2006 at 10:43 AM.
I think Australia will be bottom.
But I think Croatia may do well. Friendly victories include a 4-1 away win in Austria and a 3-2 win over Argentina. Japan have always played lovely football, or since 1998 anyway.
Is Adriano overrated? His Inter goalscoring record isn't impressive as far as I know. Would Edmilson have been a starter for them?
I don't think so. He plays for a team full of Argentinian's and they don't like each other. In fact, Veron gave him a real bashing in the papers last week saying he's not a patch on Ronaldo. In the calender year 2004 he scored at a rate of almost a goal a game for club and country. He scored 7 goals and was the star player of the Copa America and scored 20 goals in the 4 months before Christmas for Inter.Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
He'll guarantee you goals in a Brazil shirt though and I'll be suprised if he's not there or there abouts for the golden boot.
Another example of Japan's play. The goals against Germany:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzOTgFMyev8
No guessing who that was that beat 2 Germans in the middle of the field.
The most interesting group of the lot this one in my opinion. Brazil will win it i think but its wide open for second spot. Again i am inclined to err on the side of the european team as the competition is in Europe. Croatia are a good solid side while Australia have too many weak points for me despite having one of the best managers. Japan have every chance and with them playing Brazil last gives them a slight advantage over the other two IMO. as we saw when Norway Beat Brazil in the final game of group 1 of France 1998 if Japan really go at them then Brazil will look to protect themselves esp if they have first place wrapped up by the last game.
It has to be Brazil to win this group no problem. Croatia should get second place but Japan might sneak it. I think the Aussies could be the big flop of the tournament and finish bottom of the group.
If you don't like John 3:7...
There's always Limerick 37!
I think Croatia have a strong chance to pick something up from their opening game against Brazil. Croatia are a tight well run side who are never going to be push overs. Parreira has said in the last few days that he does mind if Brazil are not 100% going into the this game as it will give them room to improve.
He has also had criticism leveled at him because of the lack of competion in friendlies. He did sight the past tournaments where they used this tactic and it paid off but I for one need more convincing.
That would mean that they have to beat the Ozzies which they should but that doesn't mean that it will happen just because they are the champions they still have to go out and work bloody hard to win.
They should win the group, of course, but it's no foregone conclusion. There is a chance that they will not win it and even a smaller chance that they go out in the group stages. Not likely, maybe, but stranger things have happened and they some holes in this team and if they get exposed through some freak event or just plain bad luck then it could well happen.
Even if Brazil were at their best it would still take a portion of luck to win all three matches. Consider that they won half of their matches in the qualifing.
This World Cup will be won by a side coming from the "pack" and so will this group.
A man is never really poor,
if he can still laugh.
I hope Brazil come second. Then I'll see them in Kaiserslautern on 27th June.
Brazil top, Japan 2nd.
Japan 1-0 up after 30 mins, a cross went straight in after a blatant foul on Schwarzer who was taken right out of it, though it looked like he missed the flight of it anyway.
I've often criticised Schwarzer for not being as commanding as his physique suggests he should be but he was unlucky on this occasion.
Last edited by Stuttgart88; 12/06/2006 at 1:42 PM.
First major refereeing blunder of the WC right there.
"Jacques Santini...will be greeted in every dugout of the country by "one-nil, one-nil" - Clive Tyldsley, 89th minute of France-England June 13, 2004.
"Ooooohhhh Nooooooo" Bobby Robson 91st minute.
Tim Cahill has just equalised.
Cahill has got a second. Australia deserve to win after the blunder from the ref.
I can't believe Japan got nothing from that match.
Good win for the Aussies but they were very very lucky.Japan just could not convert their dominant procession in the second half. Cahill scored two good goals but should have being penalized for the penalty.I think a draw would have been fair.
Zico said before the tournament that the lack of a decent striker would be their undoing. They just have nothing up front. That right back of theirs can't cross either. I don't know how many times Nakamura set him away in ridiculous acres of space and he put in a crap ball. I didn't see anything wrong with Japan's goal. Fair play to the Aussies for digging in but I find it shocking that the Japanese went down to three goals.
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