World Cup 2010
 

Draw has been made...


Good luck North Korea :laughing:

England vs USA :D :D

Nice to see we got one of the easiest groups.

12th June, here we come!

I still think Spain'll win it.

Heh you just beat me to it Urban! I posted this in the football thread. Over the moon with that draw myself. Group G is a bastard of a group, ill enjoy watching that one.

Dunno about that, there's a good chance they'll have either Portugal or Brazil in the 2nd round.

Like many of my fellow Englishmen, I'm absolutely loving the look of that group

As for England-USA as our opening match, bring it on :D

They can beat either.Tbh I think Paraguay are the team nobody wants to draw,very hard side to beat and I can see them making the semis.Same for Netherlands.

I think most England fans have made semis right now.

I give England last 16,as they could end up drawing Germany in the last 16,who'd beat them easily.

I think England would more than likely draw Australia in the 2nd round. And Germany are nowhere near the level they were in the past.

But they'd then get Germany in the quarters.Really can't see England winning it at all.

Anyone actually coming out here for it?

Hopefully going to receive some tickets for England vs Slovenia in Port Elizabeth and if my my luck is high the Portugal vs Brazil game in Durban!

Couldn't be happier with the draw, England drew a good group :)

I may go to the final, regardless of who is in it, but it's hard to tell what I'll be up to next summer.

Still better than England, and have more experience in big games.

No they wouldn't, they'd get the winners/runners up of groups A & B

The earliest England can play Germany assuming both teams win their groups is the final.

nice! should be an interesting first round, not exactly optimistic considering Landon Donovan is the best the US can muster. :laughing:

Spain should have a right way of things, their group doesn't look too strong. i'm just not sure who will win out group G, that looks insane.

So France or Argentina?That's be an interesting Last 16 match.

Even if we did get Germany in the last 16, it wasn't so long ago that we went to their turf and deservedly beat them there anyway.

Besides, the way I see it, after the state we were in when Steve McClueless was in charge I think it's already been a successful campaign having just got to the finals. Judging by how we got there as well, we're easily semi-final material, nevermind a couple of inconsequential friendly results against Spain and Brazil.

Don't forget we have a very good team who are currently playing well, unlike last World Cup where we had a very good team who ended up playing like a dog on a wheel. I doubt we'll win, but I think we'll have some great games. It's the consistency that worries me, or the one little mistake that can cost us a game.

Clint Dempsey has been on fire for Fulham lately. I could easily see him putting a few away against Algeria or Slovenia

I am somewhat biased considering that we in Ireland are bitter about the behaviour of the English press during the World Cup, and the relentless jingoistic crowing that comes with any England success.

I've never really understood that criticism.

I don't see what's wrong with going to a competition wanting to win it. Other countries are just as passionate about it & nobody labels them jingoistic.

Without checking my facts and figures, I think that North Korea recorded one of the greatest upsets ever in the World Cup when they beat Portugal in 1966and Portugal at the time had a great side with Eusebio etc. Saying that though, I don`t think they got a chance in hell of scoring, a goal let alone win a match. Same goes for New Zealand...........amazes me how they got there:confused:

^ That's Italy they beat I think. They were beating Portugal 3-0, but lost 5-3 in the end. With that in mind, the re-match should be an interesting one.

It's Italy you're thinking of re:1966 and Portugal beat them 5-3 after being 3-0 down in one of the best matches ever.

New Zealand got there because of how poor the teams they had to play along the way were in the Oceania group.

Watch/read your own fucking press!










:love:

Yeah it was Italy

The match took place at Middlesbrough's old Ayresome Park ground.

Edit: The winner of the Oceania group used to have to go into a play off with the 4th or 5th place South American team I assume that isn't the case now.

All the same, it'd be dead funny if they qualified from that group with Slovakia.

England as always, have too many mediocre players and not enough world class players like Rooney and Gerrard etc and some really weak areas in the team that any world class side can penetrate, but what they do have is an excellent manager who may just pull it all together. I think they`re looking at the QF`s, which for the English press would be deemed an absolute disaster.

I think England have enough world class players, the biggest problem is that it doesn't really stretch beyond the first choice 11.

It sounds a stunning match and yer your right it definately was Italy!

That`s because Australia are now in the Asian Zone leaving NZ the possibility of getting through a play off with an Asian team.

and Tim Howard is reliable enough as keeper. i have no doubt they'll secure a victory against either Algeria or Slovenia, those aren't exactly the teams i'm worried about in their group.

i probably shouldn't close the book on them so quickly but considering the extent to which there is depth in the lineup consists of Onyewu, Beasley, Dempsey and Donovan, i doubt they'll make it past the second round.

still, it's gonna be fun to see a Ronaldo - Ronaldinho - Drogba matchup. i just wonder who's gonna get the call for the dive first.

Anyone else think they really need to rethink the qualification process to stop the New Zealands and North Koreas of the world getting in ahead of better sides like Ireland and Costa Rice purely based on geographic location?As a football fan I'd rather see the genuine best teams in the world playing it out rather than any poor teams from the Far East who don't deserve to be there(eg Saudi Arabia in 2002).

They now play against an Asian side and the 5th place South American side plays off against a central/north Amercian side (This year Uruguay beat Costa Rica)

I sort of agree with this but I don't ever see FIFA doing anything about it. They want it to be an international event, If they just put the 24 best teams in only people from Europe, South America & Africa will get a look in with maybe Mexico , USA & Australia sneaking in.

My biggest issue is with the qualifying groups. I think there should be pre-qualifying for nations like San Marino, Faroe Island, Andorra and places like that.
I'm bored of seeing the teams of those places just sticking 11 men in the penalty area and not attacking for the whole game whenever they play a big name side.

I don`t think Algeria will trouble anybody and its Slovenia or USA for second spot. Slovenia surprisingly put out Russia in the play offs and Russia were probably the most exciting side along with Turkey in the last Euro Champs (Neither of these two teams are there!) Slovenia got there because the home form was very impressive something they`ll not be able to fall back on in South Africa, so I don`t think Slovenia will be complete push overs. Their shorter passing game will definately contrast with the more athletic and disciplined approach of the USA.

My biggest objection is that the Euros have made the same mistake and expanded to 24 when it's claim to being better than the World Cup was that it had only strong sides in it.

I think a 20-team world Cup like the Rugby has would be the best idea,with 5 teams to a group.It'd still be enough football for the TV people,but only decent sides would get in.

At least one crap team needs to get there, otherwise we`ll have no more 7-0or 9-0 matches.

That's usually the host nation

There's too many crap teams in that bunch though.