Jump to content
aberdeen-music

The Official World Cup 2010 Thread


Adam Easy Wishes

Recommended Posts

500px-2010_FIFA_World_Cup_logo.svg.png

GROUP A:

South Africa

Mexico

Uruguay

France

GROUP B:

Argentina

Nigeria

South Korea

Greece

GROUP C:

England

USA

Algeria

Slovenia

GROUP D:

Germany

Australia

Serbia

Ghana

GROUP E:

Netherlands

Denmark

Japan

Cameroon

GROUP F:

Italy

Paraguay

New Zealand

Slovakia

GROUP G:

Brazil

North Korea

Ivory Coast

Portugal

GROUP H:

Spain

Switzerland

Honduras

Chile

First fixtures to be updated soon...

These guys are both delighted...

887039_medium.jpg

mandela_world_cup.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

funny enough I was thinking maybe bout time we had a thread seperate to the main footy thread! suprised holland are in the second pot.

a pretty open tournament but you have to, as always, fancy the brazillians with the usual european challengers such as spain and italy.

the plucky germans can never be written off since they refuse to be be beaten. england? under capello if they stay injury free they have a chance of a decent run but the media will ham them up as usual. capello is a winner through and through so who knows?

of the outsiders, chile could have a good tournament.

and i hope france and argentina fail miserably, especially the latter just to see little maradona squirming! neither are looking particular strong but in a WC anything can happen as they both have great individual talent.

bring it on!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll be supporting Nigeria if Shola gets his rumoured call-up; him and Martins up front? I've never heard of a strike partnership with less composure. If that falls through (and let's be honest, it will - Ameobi at a World Cup? Come on...), I'll just root for the team with the most Newcastle players, as I usually do. Looks like being Argentina this time though (Jonas and Colo), not sure about that.

I think England have a fantastic chance of winning it. Capello is a better manager than probably anyone they've had since Robson, and he's got a fantastic group of players to work with. If they stay injury-free (and if the likes of Rio can get over their injury problems before the tournament), I see no reason why they can't win it, especially with the likes of Brazil, Italy, and France not exactly setting the world alight just now. Their strongest starting XI is just about as good as anyone else's; maybe they lack a bit of depth in certain departments, but I can definitely see them doing well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nigeria could do ok, Martins and Yakubu up front together? That's a scary proposition for even the best defences. Hopefully they've got some reasonable midfielders to provide them with some chances.

I'll be citing my Englishness as a basis for supporting England. I think a shot at the 3rd/4th place play off match is a possibility.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Gladstone
I'll be backing England, and hopefully Australia and Japan can do well, just cos I like them.

I always flirt with the idea of backing England, and often genuinely start out hoping they do well, but the fucking media always make me want them to lose, and hopefully on penalties after getting 3 goals chopped off against Germany.

I'll enter this competition with an open mind as usual, and hopefully the media won't start off the tournament knowing that England is the best team in the tournament and unless everything conspires against them are bound to win the World Cup. If they just went in saying "yeah, we're up there with the best teams, and have a decent chance of going far in the tournament, and if we get that bit of luck you need, and the top players perform on the day etc etc we've got a chance of winning it" I'd find it much easier to back them.

But it's more along the lines of "Brazil? Fuck off, England are 10 times better than those fairies, and England will win the World Cup because we've been the best team in the world for at least 50 years. The fact we haven't came close to winning a tournament since 1966 with the exception of 1990 maybe is irrelevant."

EDIT: If only Woodsinho the realist was a commentator.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That Scottish chap from Soccer Saturday has backed Cameroon to win the World Cup. I'm pretty sure it was a serious wager too. Fearless.

I usually follow Croatia or Turkey at the big competitions, but neither of them are there. I like Japan. I don't know why. They are crap. Dead fast though. It's totally headless chicken stuff to watch, mind.

I think Capello is quite possibly the most skilled and experienced top level manager going to the World Cup. His pedigree lies mostly in club football, but his affect on England so far is undeniable. Much to the horror of the tabloids, he's even got Lampard and Gerrard playing together, which it was almost scientifically proven 100% that they could never even be stood in the same post code without something terrible happening. I think England have got a good shout at beating anyone there, as long as we shape up defensively. We absolutely dominated Holland in the friendly, and it was 2 howling errors that put them in the lead. That needs to be sorted pretty fast. I guess the rest of the season will show whether or not Rio is up for it. I really don't think he will be.

Hopefully Joe Cole will get a good few months of returning to fitness and first team opportunities. I'd rather have him on the left than merry go round fo Rooney and Gerrard out there, as well as the heads-down wingers like Wright Phillips and Young, who are fast, but nowt else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nigeria could do ok, Martins and Yakubu up front together? That's a scary proposition for even the best defences. Hopefully they've got some reasonable midfielders to provide them with some chances.

I'll be citing my Englishness as a basis for supporting England. I think a shot at the 3rd/4th place play off match is a possibility.

Mikel and Obodo will probably be the two central players and they're both solid enough (although I think Mikel's shit for Chelsea).

Obasi is a decent winger too. Unsure about their left side. Aluko..? 8-)

If Sone gets the nod I'll definitely be supporting them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I quite like Mikel. He plays well for Chelsea when he gets a run in, but is completely in the shadow of Essien, who is the king of football.

For England, my main worry is Glen Johnson's complete ineptitude for defending, and positional discipline. God, he's fucking rubbish at tackling. But he's going to be bombing forward, probably even when we don't have the ball. Essentially, we'll be line up as a 3-4-3. with Johnson just infront of Rooney. By just infront, I mean stood on the oppositions goal line, constantly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brazil will be the obvious choice I guess, Spain have a fantastic squad as well so if they gel then they'll be very difficult to beat. If the Dutch get going they have the attacking players to beat anyone, not too sure how their defence will cope with world class strikers though. They should just go on the "if you score three, we'll score four" basis. I also hope Italy and Australia get drawn together, that could be a tasty game after the last WC. I really think England have a fantastic chance this time, basically because of Capello. Looks like he is banning the WAGs from travelling and staying with the team and if he can shield his players from the media (which I reckon he will) then they have a great shout. They have a decent squad so have the quality to beat anyone on their day.

The key in preperation for England will be metatarsals. Protect the player's metatarsals in the months leading up to the WC and there won't be any Beckham or Rooney like situations about whether to play anyone without any decent match practice...this managerial thing is a fucking lark!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll be pulling for England. Despite the fact I'm Scottish. It's the league I get the most enjoyment out of (only coz it gets most coverage on TV and I can properly follow it) and the players I've seen develop over the years so I feel a kind of affinity towards them and am in a better position to analyse their performances. Also, I'd like to experience an England world cup win during my lifetime. Not because they are in any way 'my team' but i'd just find it interesting to witness the media storm. The moaning in the Scottish press, the hyper-inflated egos in the English press, the lenghty articles on the genuis of the players/manager, the level of expectancy for future tournaments... from a distanced perspective these things would be fascinating to see/hear/read in my opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Gladstone
I'll be pulling for England. Despite the fact I'm Scottish. It's the league I get the most enjoyment out of (only coz it gets most coverage on TV and I can properly follow it) and the players I've seen develop over the years so I feel a kind of affinity towards them and am in a better position to analyse their performances. Also, I'd like to experience an England world cup win during my lifetime. Not because they are in any way 'my team' but i'd just find it interesting to witness the media storm. The moaning in the Scottish press, the hyper-inflated egos in the English press, the lenghty articles on the genuis of the players/manager, the level of expectancy for future tournaments... from a distanced perspective these things would be fascinating to see/hear/read in my opinion.

It's clear to me that you live in France.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's clear to me that you live in France.

Even when I'm home, it honestly doesn't bother me, all the Engerland 66 chat. It's only natural they babble on about it. I mean, obviously there is an ignorant London-centric bias in the media where they forget the UK is more than just England but if Scotland, Wales and NI were competing at the top level on a regular basis things would be different. For example, during the Mcleish campaign we were begining to get media coverage that went beyond the usual 'plucky Scotland'. The same could be said for NI when Healy was whacking them in like an under 11s league. The onus is on us to improve in order to compete on the pitch and therefore in the papers also.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, I'd like to experience an England world cup win during my lifetime. Not because they are in any way 'my team' but i'd just find it interesting to witness the media storm. The moaning in the Scottish press, the hyper-inflated egos in the English press, the lenghty articles on the genuis of the players/manager, the level of expectancy for future tournaments...

....the sharp rise in anti-English violent crime on the streets of Aberdeen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest idol_wild

I'm gonna root for England. As an avid fan of the English Premier League, I've grown to really appreciate and respect some of the bigger players such as Steven Gerrard, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard - players who are awesome week-in, week-out. I'd really like to see these guys lift the World Cup. Especially Gerrard, who, for me, is the most complete footballer that's ever existed. He deserves it. He deserves to lift the English Premier League trophy too, but that'll never happen whilst he plays for Liverpool.

Sadly, it'll probably mean that unbalanced little bum grapes such as Ashley Cole get to lift the trophy too, but oh well.

I don't think England will win it, though. Quarters or Semis. They still struggle to turn it on against the stronger sides, and I think that'll be their downfall again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think the English media are as nauseating as everyone makes out, actually. Aye, they push the 1966 thing to death, but so would we if we ever won anything as a footballing nation. In fact, we'd probably be a lot worse. I don't pay much attention to the views of the footballing media in general, so I find them quite easy to ignore.

I was rooting for England against Brazil and I might even do it at the WC, we'll see. The likes of Lampard, Gerrard, Terry, and Rooney are unquestionably among the best in the world in their positions, and I've really enjoyed watching the way James Milner's career has developed since he joined Newcastle. I hope Fabio takes him, he's a very under-rated player who's much more effective than the likes of SWP but gets nowhere near the same amount of attention because he's not as fast and doesn't know as many tricks.

If Michael Owen gets picked, though, I'll be calling for their demise from the first game :p.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brazil, Italy or Spain are probably best placed to lift the cup. Holland and England cuold be there to pick up the pieces if any/all of those slip up. Argentina are utterly hopeless under Maradona, he's basically called up all his old mates who left the European leagues and went back to the Argentinan league cos they are too old to still cut it at the top level. Juan Veron FFS? France don't look a shadow of the team they were in 1998-2000, and Portugal appear to be struggling as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lucky, Idol Wild, Murrr, Ca Gere.....NO!

This rationalising of supporting Engerland is making me want to spew.

This is international football. They are the enemy. Fancy words and compelling arguments to the contrary do not apply. Youre not forward thinking and clever and original and brave to come out and say it. This kind of talk is simple treachery.

If England win the WC I'm coming for you all before I top myself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Whilst Holland have the players, I don't think they have the tactics, and players are being played out of the positions they play in naturally or have been weened into. They are almost a team full of wingers. They seem to utlise Van Persie as an attacking midfielder, which he is capable of doing, but he's the most dangerous in front of goal and has the quickest feet in the whole squad. You need him in the box all the time. They tend to prefer Kuyt upfront, who has proven he is much better suited to the wing and cutting inside rather than playing centrally. They keep the ball well, but rarely finish chances off, or even create anything clear cut. Despite not being victorious, both England and Scotland bossed the most recent games with Holland, and I think they'll certainly be exposed against teams who attack alot quicker.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...