World Cup - who to you think will win??

**cragwolf** · 23-06-2006, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by alexione

My guess - Argentina... Unfortunately, somebody also has to be the worst one, and this time it's my country

I don't know about that. Serbian team does have tendency to implode, but my team (Croatia) is worse than yours, they didn't even deserve to be there. Your team had a very tough group.

**savage** · 23-06-2006, 09:10 AM

The Australia Vs Crotia match was incredible in terms of highs and lows. The referee was a joke. He missed at least 2 penalty opportunities in favour of the Australians and then awarded an Australian goal where 2 of them were offside. I think the best team won, but the refereeing decisions were appalling.

Australia will have it tough against Italy's defence and they need to get rid of their new goalie and go back to using their No. 1 goalie. Australia have the ability to get the ball into the goal area, but they are terrible finishers. They tend to do the hard work of getting the ball there and then wait for the opposition's defence to surround them, thus making a shot nearly impossible on goal. Even against Brazil they did this and messed up loads of opportunities. And in all their matches they have had the most shots on goal compared to their opposition. They can't afford to mess these things up against Italy.

The Brazil we know and love came alive last night and I think are the team to beat.

**cragwolf** · 23-06-2006, 12:17 PM

Australia played a woeful Japan, a lazy Brazil, and an incompetent Croatia. Nevertheless, they have done well to reach the second round, coming back from deficits on three occasions (0-1 Japan, 0-1 Croatia, 1-2 Croatia), which is incredible at this level of the game. They have fully deserved all their results. I hope they can pull off an upset against the negative Italian team.

**Legolas** · 23-06-2006, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by cragwolf

Australia played a woeful Japan, a lazy Brazil, and an incompetent Croatia. Nevertheless, they have done well to reach the second round, coming back from deficits on three occasions (0-1 Japan, 0-1 Croatia, 1-2 Croatia), which is incredible at this level of the game. They have fully deserved all their results. I hope they can pull off an upset against the negative Italian team.

Unfortunately my team (italy) had a hard group (not like argentina but hard

)... And we are playing all matches in 10, because of a fat, arrogant, overestimated, ignorant boy, that spits here and there and does not run at all (totti). I hope that in the next match someone will break his legs, so maybe we could play a better football :roll:

**grudzio** · 23-06-2006, 02:20 PM

I think Brasil has best chances to win. As Cragwolf mentioned they play lazily, but that is because they didn't play against an opponent who would really test their skil.

I am very curious to see how Spain and England will be doing. In my opinion they (and Argentina) are the only teams that can stop Brasil.

Unfortunatelly my personal favourites are doing not very well. Netherlands plays badly and Czechs are going home. (not to mention Poland :cry: )

I am also very curious if France is going to make it to the 1/8 finals.

**cragwolf** · 24-06-2006, 06:30 AM

Originally Posted by Legolas

Unfortunately my team (italy) had a hard group (not like argentina but hard

)... And we are playing all matches in 10, because of a fat, arrogant, overestimated, ignorant boy, that spits here and there and does not run at all (totti). I hope that in the next match someone will break his legs, so maybe we could play a better football :roll:

I thought Italy played very well against Ghana, that was a good match. Against the USA they played very strangely, and against the Czechs they were very negative, but I suppose they got the result they wanted.

**savage** · 26-06-2006, 07:48 AM

I was hoping Mexico would cause an upset and defeat Argentina, but alas it was not to be, I'll have to hope the Germans can beat them.

England did enough to get through and actually looked better than they have all competition. Beckam's bend was impressive.

The Portugal/Holland match was incredible. I blame the players for not thinking. If they know a referee is cracking down on stupid behaviour, they should put 2 brain cells together and behave themselves. Anyway I think Portugal did well to get through and England are lucky that the key Portugal players will be out for the next match.

I am still hopefull that Australia can upset Italy this afternoon, though the chances are slim to none. Either way Australia should be happy to have made it this far. Especially considering that football in Australia has not been a very popular sport until now. Australians prefer other sports like Australian rules football, tennis, rugby, swimming, hockey, basketball and even triathlons ahead of football/soccer. I think that since they have progressed so far, more money will be spent on the Australian soccer/football programmes in the country, so they should hopefully do better in the next world cup.

**Huehnerschaender** · 26-06-2006, 08:43 AM

The germans did a quite good job until now. But unfortunately next match is against Argentinia and I don't hope, but guess that we are out after the next match.

But who knows? Even Argentinia is only a bunch of eleven human beings....

I don't give up hope... ^^

Greets,
Dirk

**Firlefanz** · 26-06-2006, 01:42 PM

Hi!

Germany played great the last games. I think Argentinia is very strong and the winner of the match could be the next World Cup winner.

But if we play like in the last games we have a good chance. :roll:

Firle

**savage** · 26-06-2006, 05:06 PM

Australia were robbed! But that is football as it is today. Players can fake all sorts of stuff and win crucial matches. I hope that Fifa really look at adding a video referee as other sports have adopted in order to make the gameplay fairer.

Well next one is Switzerland Vs Ukraine. I think the Swiss should take that one cause Ukraine were not very strong in the earlier rounds.