World Cup 2006

[Candide]

Like.. uh.. well... yeah, like Candide said, England really doesn't have a star that is a natural DM. All their midfield stars are attacking minded.

Don't be shy when quoting Candide. The guy is always right.

That's England's main weakness but sometimes it doesn't really matter if their attacking minded players score enough goals. Take France in 98 for example. They had no forward that can actually score goals yet they still scored more than any other team and won it.

As for Australia, getting there is good enough. Stop being so bloody negative.

[soccerfeva]

Don't be shy when quoting Candide. The guy is always right.

Yay !!

(warning: intoxicated )

[dgfds01]

i'm scratching my head too, supposed to be plane crash, but i check there was not....may be confused with man U team. I wasn't alive back then...my mistake...

The Munich air disaster occurred in 1958, way before the England WC victory.

[Jimmylinn]

Have you guys checked out the world cup predictor on bbc.co.uk.? I did it and (unfortunately) Brazil turned out winners. However we (England) get knocked out in the semis by the Czechs

[Long]

yes, we are in, but for how long.... i don't think we stand a chance against the group that we are in. sorry but i'm cynical

Here are my thoughts on the Australians:

1. We have one of the best coaches in the world.

2. We have one of the finest squads in the world.

3. We should be able to beat Japan and Croatia.

4. We have the ability to hold Brazil to a draw.

5. Which means we have a 75% chance of qualifying to the 2nd round.

6. Once a team qaulifies for the 2nd round anything can happen - as Turkey showed in the last World Cup and Greece showed at the European Championships.

[soccerfeva]

Statement 2,4, and 5 are wrong.

You cant underestimate Japan. Not even Croatia.

[Long]

Statement 2,4, and 5 are wrong.

You cant underestimate Japan. Not even Croatia.

I aint under-estimating no one. All I am saying is that when you look at it Australia has a 75% chance of qualifying out of the group stage.

Statement 2 - Is corrrect. Australia has one of the most talented strikers in the world in Mark Viduka, a world class midfielder in Harry Kewell, and a goal stopper in Mark Schwazer. It is also one of the best squads Australia has assembled in years and is probably just as good as the English Squad overall.

Statement 4 - Is correct. Not only Australia - but any team in the world is capable of holding an opposition to a draw. The last 2 times Australia has played the "Full Strength" Brazillian Squad we drew 0-0 and the last time we met we beat them 1-0. Also if I remember correctly, in a lead up match to the 2002 World Cup the "Full Strength" Brazillian team lost 1-0 to Guatemala of all freakin teams...

[chuy605]

hmmmm. interesting stuff here.

[Moinllieon]

Australia has one of the most talented strikers in the world in Mark Viduka,

Umm, no.

a world class midfielder in Harry Kewell,

Uh, no.

and a goal stopper in Mark Schwazer.

He's good. But wow, amazing, a goalkeeper that "stops goals".

It is also one of the best squads Australia has assembled in years and is probably just as good as the English Squad overall.

Uh... no. Just Rooney by himself is already a better midfielder and striker than Kewell and Viduka respectively.

Statement 4 - Is correct. Not only Australia - but any team in the world is capable of holding an opposition to a draw. The last 2 times Australia has played the "Full Strength" Brazillian Squad we drew 0-0 and the last time we met we beat them 1-0. Also if I remember correctly, in a lead up match to the 2002 World Cup the "Full Strength" Brazillian team lost 1-0 to Guatemala of all freakin teams...

Brazil has a reputation for playing Friendlies for a "political" result. Heck, a "full strength" Brazillian side once drew China 0-0.

[Big AL Cho]

LOL!!!!!!!!

Moinllieon, why don't you just shoot him, I don't agree with his 75% qualifying chance statement but every guys got a bit of bias in him........If he doesn't up his teams worth, who else will...................

BTW.....that comment about Australia's sqaud being as good as Englands was just too much..............you need to watch more football, Long....

[Moinllieon]

LOL!!!!!!!!

Moinllieon, why don't you just shoot him, I don't agree with his 75% qualifying chance statement but every guys got a bit of bias in him........If he doesn't up his teams worth, who else will...................

BTW.....that comment about Australia's sqaud being as good as Englands was just too much..............you need to watch more football, Long....

75% chance of advancing.. whatever, that's not THAT ridiculous of an assertion. But come on, the other talks is just bull. Viduka is one of the most talented strikers in the world? Laughable. Kewell a world class midfielder? Crazy. (Not to mention he doesn't play midfield so much as he is a winger/forward.) As good as England, silly. Come on. Those are some ridiculous assertions.

[Long]

75% chance of advancing.. whatever, that's not THAT ridiculous of an assertion. But come on, the other talks is just bull. Viduka is one of the most talented strikers in the world? Laughable. Kewell a world class midfielder? Crazy. (Not to mention he doesn't play midfield so much as he is a winger/forward.) As good as England, silly. Come on. Those are some ridiculous assertions.

Well we'll see how far England progresses compared with the Australians...

The World Cup has a habbit of making good teams look bad - and teams with nothing to lose go on amazing runs...

If Greece can win the Euro Championships anything is possible in soccer...

I'd love to see another match between Australia and England - let's see who'll come out on top this time... I tend to forget what the scoreline was the last time we played them... Can anyone here remind me???

[Long]

Brazil has a reputation for playing Friendlies for a "political" result. Heck, a "full strength" Brazillian side once drew China 0-0.

These games 'weren't friendlies' Australia drew with them 0-0 and then beat them 1-0 in the past couple of meetings in the Federations Cup. Though not taken seriously by some teams - these games are more competative then just mere friendlies...

[Moinllieon]

These games 'weren't friendlies' Australia drew with them 0-0 and then beat them 1-0 in the past couple of meetings in the Federations Cup. Though not taken seriously by some teams - these games are more competative then just mere friendlies...

Yes, by some teams. Not Brazilians.

[Moinllieon]

Well we'll see how far England progresses compared with the Australians...

The World Cup has a habbit of making good teams look bad - and teams with nothing to lose go on amazing runs...

If Greece can win the Euro Championships anything is possible in soccer...

I'd love to see another match between Australia and England - let's see who'll come out on top this time... I tend to forget what the scoreline was the last time we played them... Can anyone here remind me???

Just because Australia might get further in the WC doesn't make necessarily them a better team, it's the nature of a knockout tournament.

And I'm willing to bet that you remember what happened the last time the Aussies played England very well. Except, well, you see, that was another friendly. And what was the result of the matches between England and Australia before that one? And I'm sorry, I'm a Palace fan and when Tony Popovic is the rock at the center of your defense, you are in trouble. But hey, if you are willing to rest your argument on a friendly that happened 2 years ago, be my guest.

[lucy like alec]

viva South Korea, Japan and France!!!

[W21_h0ng]

England to win. Gerrard, Lampard, Owen and the mighty Rooney

[PotentBlend]

Im rooting for Brasil and Portugal..............however Im not for England!

[Extremer88]

Im rooting for Brasil and Portugal..............however Im not for England!

At most, Portugal can only reach the quarter-finals... Unless Cristiano Ronaldo or Pauleta hits top form, hard to see them doing well.

[Long]

England to win. Gerrard, Lampard, Owen and the mighty Rooney

Can someone tell me who heck these guys are? They arn't even good enough to make the Trinidad side. So how can England possibly stand a chance filling the team with such low quality players.

Bring back the likes of Gordon Banks, Geoffrey Hurst, John Connelly, and Robert Charlton I say. They're mad for leaving them out of the World Cup squad