FIFA World Cup...Who Ya Got?!

blueheaven · Post by **blueheaven** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:00 pm

It's that time again! Football is upon us. Time to see which teams all you footy fans are rooting for.

For me, I am going for the Netherlands. I'm a big fan of Ruud Van Nistleroy, and I want to see him lead his squad to victory. But, the way things are, it's looking like either Germany or Brazil. So, who ya got?!

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:00 pm

Huh. Which way is that?

ljupco · Post by **ljupco** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 8:19 pm

I would like to see France win it but it will be Brazil for the 6th time.

soda · Post by **soda** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 9:35 pm

What television station are these being shown?

blueheaven · Post by **blueheaven** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 10:11 pm

soda wrote:What television station are these being shown?

It's on ABC this weekend, and ESPN(2) has games as well.

In_Gabriel_We_Trust · Sat Jun 10, 2006 12:03 am

Not the team I'm rooting for but my gut says Argentinia is going to walk away with this one.

The pressure is too high on favourites likes Brazil and home team Germany. England has too many off-pitch complications.

These are dark times for me as this is the first time in several decades (may even be since WWII) Belgium didn't manage to qualify for the World Cup. Now it's a bit like making puzzle, knowing that one of the pieces is missing.

Prince Vegeta · Post by **Prince Vegeta** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 6:59 am

Belgium used to be a fierce team back in the day....don't know what the hec happened to them.

Argentina is a decent team but they won't make it pass the quarter finals.

In_Gabriel_We_Trust · Post by **In_Gabriel_We_Trust** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 7:51 am

Prince Vegeta wrote:Belgium used to be a fierce team back in the day....don't know what the hec happened to them.

There are several reasons why Belgium didn't qualify this time.

The most obvious one is that the team today just isn't as strong as the one that caught 4th place in Mexico '86. But the team is just as strong as all the previous years... so what happened?

The European qualifying competition is getting more and more fierce. With the USSR and Yougoslavia crumbling into several different countries, more and more teams, all decent ones, pop up to play the qualifying round, making it much harder to qualify. I may be mistaken but I think Belgium played in a pool which had three countries in it that didn't exist three world cups ago.

During one of the rougher qualifying games, the Belgian captain spat in the direction of a Spanish adversy. Not on or at but in the direction of, which I still agree is a big nono. FIFA didn't bother too much with it because we've seen far worse but the National Belgian Football Association, going into a serious holier-than-thou-mode, decided to ban this (star)player for several of the qualifyier games. (You go and try to find one other country that would do that its national team). So that didn't help either.

[chauvinistic mode] And of course Belgium was treated unfairly in the last World Cup. After beating Russia to get to the second round, it faced Brazil. Not just Brazil, but also a Jamaican referee who suddenly decided football should be a contact-free sport and disallowed Belgium's opening goal and any attempt to get the ball from the Brazilians trough tackels. [/chauvinistic mode]

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 7:52 am

Ahem. Perhaps there was an interruption in my brain.

In_Gabriel_We_Trust · Post by **In_Gabriel_We_Trust** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 7:53 am

Prince Vegeta wrote:Belgium used to be a fierce team back in the day....don't know what the hec happened to them.

There are several reasons why Belgium didn't qualify this time.

The most obvious one is that the team today just isn't as strong as the one that caught 4th place in Mexico '86. But the team is just as strong as all the previous years... so what happened?

The European qualifying competition is getting more and more fierce. With the USSR and Yougoslavia crumbling into several different countries, more and more teams, all decent ones, pop up to play the qualifying round, making it much harder to qualify. I may be mistaken but I think Belgium played in a pool which had three countries in it that didn't exist three world cups ago.

During one of the rougher qualifying games, the Belgian captain spat in the direction of a Spanish adversy. Not on or at but in the direction of, which I still agree is a big nono. FIFA didn't bother too much with it because we've seen far worse but the National Belgian Football Association, going into a serious holier-than-thou-mode, decided to ban this (star)player for several of the qualifyier games. (You go and try to find one other country that would do that its national team). So that didn't help either.

[chauvinistic mode] And of course Belgium was treated unfairly in the last World Cup. After beating Russia to get to the second round, it faced Brazil. Not just Brazil, but also a Jamaican referee

who suddenly decided football should be a contact-free sport and disallowed Belgium's opening goal and any attempt to get the ball from the Brazilians trough tackels. [/chauvinistic mode]

Prince Vegeta · Post by **Prince Vegeta** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 8:25 am

While the world cheers for Brazil.....PV votes against the odds.

If it makes you feel any better IGWT.....I've been watching the world cup tournements for just over two decades now and while respecting them for their skills, I've always hated and voted against Brazil winning.

Always been a crazed German fan.

In_Gabriel_We_Trust · Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:45 am

Prince Vegeta wrote:Always been a crazed German fan.

Good choice, an excellent tournament team.

My two all-time favourite players happen to be German : Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Jurgen Klinsmann.

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:45 am

Where did you get your two all-time favorite players happen to be German Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Jurgen Klinsmann?

Nene · Post by **Nene** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:57 am

Keeping the faith for the England team as always. Gotta love that own goal by Paraguay today. XD

In_Gabriel_We_Trust · Post by **In_Gabriel_We_Trust** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 2:16 am

My favourite part was when the English goalie hit the huge 4-way screen in the middle of the dome.

As for England : "Three Lions on a shirt, Jules Rimet still gleaming..."

Love that song !