World Cup blog for soccer fans of all levels... Update: France sans Zidane

[dirtylicious]

 

[wttm]

i agree with everyone about england lol the hype machine is in full effect. i don't see how you can place them above brazil in any way possible. i know everyone loves watching spain but i honestly dont see them winning it all. yeah they did well in Euro but this is the WC. ill reiterate again from my past in these soccer related threads, no european teams have won outside of european soil. YES, this is also the first time WC is held in Africa, but i can't see the drought to end here YET. 

 

[persiafly]

I actually like that song Dirt.

This is still my favorite SA2010 video though...

 

[jjgrt5]

^ cosign, that video is

I think ESPN is doing a good job with these commercials

 

[persiafly]

Just posted a player profile on Brazil's Lucio.

Who should the next one be on?

 

[jdb1523]

Thank you!

 

[noskey]

Originally Posted by JJGRT5

^ cosign, that video is

I think ESPN is doing a good job with these commercials

I was shocked when I saw it was a commercial for the WC; the quality of the commercial is amazing.

 

[knightngale]

that shakira song is terrible

 

[bkmac]

So I just got caught up with the entire blog, major props PFly

.

I've been playing pick-up games the last few weekends with my friends. I am not very good at all, but nothing beats the feeling of getting a goal and celebrating like a maniac

So pumped for the June 11th start!

 

[Trey Bantz]

Originally Posted by CoupeIt88

My top 5 teams in order for 2010 World Cup are...
1) Spain (choke artists)

2) England (overrated like always)

3) Brazil

4) France (When you doubt France, they always seem to show up) (I agree with this one)

5) Portugal/Germany (no/no)

If I were to bet on it I couldn't see myself betting against Spain.  The Spanish players have finally caught up to the world class elite and have proved that they are defensively as solid as a team like Germany with a great tactical midfield as well as being lead by two of the best strikers in the world.  Not to mention they play a beautiful game of football. I'm Portuguese so I'm rooting for my country all the way but Ronaldo (this also goes for Messi) must show up this world cup and prove to the world why he earns that pay check.  The Portuguese squad must also learn to play as a team and not individuals although they lack a good common striker. England is close with Spain, there record in the past 2 years is 

, seems like the hiring of Fabio Capello was a great move.  Brazil are up there, not because they look good but because there Brazil and they always seem to find a way to conquer, although there team seems great on paper the New Brazilian team lacks focus and teamwork from what I've seen (Argentina as well, same deal). Germany is up there because they play hard nose defensive football that always carry's them deep in tournaments but never finishes the job. 

Honorable Mention - Italy (they are a great team but they seem to fixated on there older generation rather than there new one) - Argentina (I'm sorry but I don't see the hype, they barely made the World Cup in a continent that one of the easiest to play on (

Seriously? Have you ever watched a South American qualifying match? Pure blood, sweat, and tears out there.) but they do have Messi and where there's Messi there may be gold)

A lot of you fail to realize that what a team achieves in the qualifying stage means absolutely nothing and is no indicator whatsoever as to how a team will perform in the World Cup. I can't bring myself to seriously believe in the Spaniards, Spain is the same tired old story Cup after Cup, every World Cup is supposedly the one that Spain will break out and win yet they haven't even ever reached the semi-finals. The same story goes for the English, with the exception of the 1966 World Cup which was pretty much handed to England by referees because they were the hosts, England has never reached semi-finals and I don't think its just a coincidence I think they just flat out aren't as good as they're made out to be, just because you invented the game doesn't mean you perfected it.

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by trey ohh five

Originally Posted by CoupeIt88

My top 5 teams in order for 2010 World Cup are...
1) Spain (choke artists)

2) England (overrated like always)

3) Brazil

4) France (When you doubt France, they always seem to show up) (I agree with this one)

5) Portugal/Germany (no/no)

If I were to bet on it I couldn't see myself betting against Spain.  The Spanish players have finally caught up to the world class elite and have proved that they are defensively as solid as a team like Germany with a great tactical midfield as well as being lead by two of the best strikers in the world.  Not to mention they play a beautiful game of football. I'm Portuguese so I'm rooting for my country all the way but Ronaldo (this also goes for Messi) must show up this world cup and prove to the world why he earns that pay check.  The Portuguese squad must also learn to play as a team and not individuals although they lack a good common striker. England is close with Spain, there record in the past 2 years is 

, seems like the hiring of Fabio Capello was a great move.  Brazil are up there, not because they look good but because there Brazil and they always seem to find a way to conquer, although there team seems great on paper the New Brazilian team lacks focus and teamwork from what I've seen (Argentina as well, same deal). Germany is up there because they play hard nose defensive football that always carry's them deep in tournaments but never finishes the job. 

Honorable Mention - Italy (they are a great team but they seem to fixated on there older generation rather than there new one) - Argentina (I'm sorry but I don't see the hype, they barely made the World Cup in a continent that one of the easiest to play on (

Seriously? Have you ever watched a South American qualifying match? Pure blood, sweat, and tears out there.) but they do have Messi and where there's Messi there may be gold)

A lot of you fail to realize that what a team achieves in the qualifying stage means absolutely nothing and is no indicator whatsoever as to how a team will perform in the World Cup. I can't bring myself to seriously believe in the Spaniards, Spain is the same tired old story Cup after Cup, every World Cup is supposedly the one that Spain will break out and win yet they haven't even ever reached the semi-finals. The same story goes for the English, with the exception of the 1966 World Cup which was pretty much handed to England by referees because they were the hosts, England has never reached semi-finals and I don't think its just a coincidence I think they just flat out aren't as good as they're made out to be, just because you invented the game doesn't mean you perfected it.

Ehh, I agree about England as I said previously, but not sure on what basis you rule out Germany, or why France is a threat. What have they done without Zidane in the past 20 years? With a cloud over Ribbery now, why give them any more chance than England? 
And Spain isn't just the same old team, they have the experience of winning Euro 2008, and half their team was on a Barca squad that won every thing they could have last year. That experience counts for something. And I don't think they've ever had quite the talent level they do now, with two of the best strikers in the world, three or four of the best midfielders in the world, and a couple of the best defenders in the world. Plus Saint Ilker. There's a first for every team. 

I think you read way too much into history and not enough into the form and quality of the current version of these squads. France is in disarray and led by an idiot, Spain is stacked with incredible talent and led by a world-class quarterback in Xavi. That counts. 

 

[951guero]

Originally Posted by o fenomeno

england won't be doing anything special this world cup...except maybe gettin beat by the USA

 

[Retroballer]

This is still my favorite world cup ad

 

[persiafly]

I like that one too. Aimed a bit more at the kids, but touching nevertheless.

at Messi at the end.

 

[TheGift23]

Tough break for Honduras (No pun intended)...Carlos Costly (The best young forward in that group in his prime) is out of the World Cup after fracturing his ankle. Honduras now has to rely heavily on a Brittle, unreliable David Suazo, very old Carlos Pavon and very inexperienced Georgie Welcome...must suck for Costly that he's missing out...who knows if Honduras will make it back in 2014/beyond...

 

[rafabio]

I think Spain should be favourites going in as they haven't lost a competitive match in ages and have an embarrassment of riches in the midfield and are not too shabby up front either.

My dark horse would be the Dutch...

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by Rafabio

I think Spain should be favourites going in as they haven't lost a competitive match in ages and have an embarrassment of riches in the midfield and are not too shabby up front either.

My dark horse would be the Dutch...

Spain lost to the US in the Confederations Cup. Their streak is history, but still impressive. I agree that they're among the favorites, maybe even the best bet. I wouldn't say they're prohibitive favorites though.
And that's terrible news for Honduras, they needed all the help they could get. 

 

[marionthebarberian]

Originally Posted by TheGift23

Tough break for Honduras (No pun intended)...Carlos Costly (The best young forward in that group in his prime) is out of the World Cup after fracturing his ankle. Honduras now has to rely heavily on a Brittle, unreliable David Suazo, very old Carlos Pavon and very inexperienced Georgie Welcome...must suck for Costly that he's missing out...who knows if Honduras will make it back in 2014/beyond...

I actually like Costly.

smh.

edit: he is going to be out for 3 weeks.

 

[persiafly]

New post: Group Power Rankings.

Posts have been a bit less frequent because of finals. Will again be daily more or less after this week.

 

[xtapolapacetl]

4) France (When you doubt France, they always seem to show up) (I agree with this one)


I doubted them in Euro 2008. They didn't show up.

LOL, France are the #4 favorites to win the World Cup? Only if they invent a time machine and bring back a certain baldie in his prime. They will only go out of the group stage because they were lucky to end up in a phenomenally weak group. After that, they might win the first knockout stage depending on who they meet, but as soon as they run into Spain/Brazil/Argentina/Germany, they are done.

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by Xtapolapacetl

4) France (When you doubt France, they always seem to show up) (I agree with this one)

I doubted them in Euro 2008. They didn't show up.

LOL, France are the #4 favorites to win the World Cup? Only if they invent a time machine and bring back a certain baldie in his prime. They will only go out of the group stage because they were lucky to end up in a phenomenally weak group. After that, they might win the first knockout stage depending on who they meet, but as soon as they run into Spain/Brazil/Argentina/Germany, they are done.
I agree 100% with the first part of your statement, but I don't think their group is that weak. It's true that they don't have any superpower teams in their group, but Uruguay and Mexico could cause them lots of trouble with their offensive talent. And who knows how South Africa will play, that's a true toss-up. Anyone in that group could finish first, and anyone could finish fourth. I would NOT be surprised if Mexico and Uruguay advanced. 

 

[xtapolapacetl]

Uruguay and Mexico are decent teams, but it's the friggin World Cup, every group is filled with decent teams. I didn't say that the teams in their group suck, but they are most definitely relatively weak. It should be a piece of cake to go through that group along with Mexico.

 

[marionthebarberian]

can south africa break that streak?

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by Xtapolapacetl

Uruguay and Mexico are decent teams, but it's the friggin World Cup, every group is filled with decent teams. I didn't say that the teams in their group suck, but they are most definitely relatively weak. It should be a piece of cake to go through that group along with Mexico.

Like it should have been a piece of cake for Portugal and Poland to go through their group in 2002. When host teams are involved, nothing is predictable in any group. Group A is the most unpredictable this time because a France team that is weaker than it has been in some time is going up against a South African squad playing at home, a talented Mexican team, and a Uruguay team that many, like ESPN, think is the best team in that group. It will not be a piece of cake for any team including France, and they'll be lucky if they get out. 

 

[downyboy]

Originally Posted by TheGift23

Tough break for Honduras (No pun intended)...Carlos Costly (The best young forward in that group in his prime) is out of the World Cup after fracturing his ankle. Honduras now has to rely heavily on a Brittle, unreliable David Suazo, very old Carlos Pavon and very inexperienced Georgie Welcome...must suck for Costly that he's missing out...who knows if Honduras will make it back in 2014/beyond...

karma is a b****. Kiss that WC goodbye Costly...