South Africa: World Cup 2010

[social rhinoceros]

The days seem to be dragging now, don't they, as we positively dribble with tremulous anticipation in the face of the upcoming World Cup kick-off.   Yes, CaB, my thoughts have been very much wandering towards weighty matters, I can tell you.  Like surely that Hugo Lloris isn't french at all, but with that name must secretly be Welsh? Or who will carry off the coveted Doug Rougvie award for the ugliest player this time out, given the unfortunate absence of outstanding candidates such as Luka Modric? Can you acually make an internet-based anagram generator spontaneously combust simply by giving it the names of the North Korean squad? Is Daisuke Matsui a Japanese midfielder or a 5-door mid-range family hatchback?

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

I just got Sky+ today for it. WooHoo!



Actually I rang them up and told them I was moving to another provider. They wanted to speak to the bill payer (my girlfriend) so I rang back twenty minutes later pretending to be a lady.

Luckily I got two different girls, foreign sounding, each time. After standing my ground and insisting on leaving they put me onto their "colleague". Great I thought - halfway there.

That was until the colleague turned out to be a young guy from the Irish base. So I persisted with my old lady schtick for about ten minutes until I agreed payment. Ended up getting the HD box half price with free installation by the way.

"How do you want to pay?" He said.

"I'll use my son's card" I replied, as I summoned myself to the phone. Then I gave him my card details.

So yeah, the World Cup, lookin forward to it, live or otherwise.

I'll get my prediction together and post it as soon as I can find a chart.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

I hope you're happy to have KILLED A MILLION BABIES you Murdoch-bummer.

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

I hope you're happy to have KILLED A MILLION BABIES you Murdoch-bummer.

I don't know if I've helped or added to the problem with my scam. The only thing for me to do is watch so much television that I forget everything and lose this sense of guilt.

[biggytitbo]

I get Sky HD and all the premium channels for nothing!! HAHA! I'm not sure how much of a cunt that makes me, since I'm not paying for the satan but I am enjoying his seductive wares.

[jimmy jazz]

http://www.myworldcupprediction.com/

Anybody else get France to knock us out in the quarters? Yeah, their manager is absolutely potty but I've factored in the inevitable Ferdinand injury and Rooney sending off before our extra time win against Ghana.

[buttgammon]

http://www.myworldcupprediction.com/

Anybody else get France to knock us out in the quarters? Yeah, their manager is absolutely potty but I've factored in the inevitable Ferdinand injury and Rooney sending off before our extra time win against Ghana.

After the draw was made, I did this on a few sheets of A4 paper and I put England to lose to France in the quarter-finals too. Probably on penalties, though there could be another Hand of God-type incident, mirroring both 1986 and Ireland in the play-offs.

Domenech's uselessness could hold them back but they've got a good enough squad to overcome a dreadful manager, provided he's at least sensible enough to select the right players.

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

With a few upsets taken into account in the group stages I've ended up with Italy beating the Brazillians in the final.

Some notable results are group winners England to be narrowly pipped by runners up Germany in the last 16. It's a very tough call but the Germans tend to play well without much weight of expectation on their shoulders, something the English will have. Also I think England need a lot more time to get used to playing without Rooney just incase he gets crocked. There's many options up front to get used to.

Should they beat Germany, they'll probably beat France and lose to Brazil in the semis on penalties.

[weekender]

Realistically, if any of the following sides bring their 'A' game to the World Cup, I can see any of them winning it:

Brazil
Germany
Holland
England
Spain
France
Argentina
Italy

Obviously I haven't looked at the Group Stages to see how it all pans out, but would you be completely surprised if any of the above teams won?

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

but would you be completely surprised if any of the above teams won?

Apart from Holland and Argentina, not really, no. Some great players of course, but I'm not sure they can "grind" out victories when necessary.

[hundred]

My predictions are really boring

Last 16
Sat 26th June, 4pm         Sat 26th June, 8.30pm         Sun 27th June, 4pm         Sun 27th June, 8.30pm
Mexico v Nigeria         England v Ghana         Germany v USA         Argentina v France
                              
Mon 28th June, 4pm         Mon 28th June, 8.30pm         Tue 29th June, 4pm         Tue 29th June, 8.30pm
Netherlands v Slovakia         Brazil v Chile         Italy v Denmark         Spain v Ivory Coast

Winners: Mexico, Argentina, England, USA, Netherlands, Italy, Brazil & Spain
All through to the Quarter Finals.

Quarter Finals
Fri 2nd July, 4pm         Fri 2nd July, 8.30pm         Sat 3rd July, 4pm         Sat 3rd July, 8.30pm
Netherlands v Brazil         Mexico v England         Argentina v USA         Italy v Spain

Winners: England, Argentina, Brazil & Spain
Through to the Semi Finals.

Semi Finals
Tue 6th July, 8.30pm         Wed 7th July, 8.30pm
England v Brazil         Argentina v Spain

Winners: Brazil & Spain
Through to the Final.

The World Cup Final

Sun 11th July, 8.30pm
Brazil v Spain

YOU HAVE PREDICTED THAT BRAZIL WINS THE 2010 WORLD CUP!

I'm positive there will be more surprises.

[phes]

Apart from Holland and Argentina, not really, no. Some great players of course, but I'm not sure they can "grind" out victories when necessary.

Cambiasso, Zanetti and Samuel might have something to say about that. But once you account for the stupendous drag factor of Diego then I guess it looks unlikely. I really can't see France doing it - they have an awesome first eleven, except their centre backs are rubs. Quarter finals max I reckon.

[phes]

Quarter Finals

   
Paraguay v Chile        France v Germany        Argentina v England        Italy v Spain


Winners: Germany, Argentina, Paraguay & Spain



Semi Finals


Germany v Paraguay        Argentina v Spain

Winners: Germany & Spain


Final

Germany v Spain

Winner: Spain

[localhero87]

From a purely betting perspective, I think I'm putting my money on Argentina to win it. Not because I think theyre the favourites as theyre clearly not. They have an icnredible attacking team but an inept manager and suspect defence. But of all the team that have effectively been written off by many critics I think they may be darkhorses.

The odds for them might be worth me placing a cheeky £10 bet on em.

[confettiinmyhair]

Group Winners & Runners-up

Group A   Group B   Group C   Group D
1. Uruguay   1. Greece   1. England   1. Germany
2. France   2. S Korea   2. USA   2. Serbia
             
Group E   Group F   Group G   Group H
1. Netherlands   1. Italy   1. Brazil   1. Spain
2. Cameroon   2. Paraguay   2. Portugal   2. Chile

Last 16

Sat 26th June, 4pm   Sat 26th June, 8.30pm   Sun 27th June, 4pm   Sun 27th June, 8.30pm
Uruguay v S Korea   England v Serbia   Germany v USA   Greece v France
             
Mon 28th June, 4pm   Mon 28th June, 8.30pm   Tue 29th June, 4pm   Tue 29th June, 8.30pm
Netherlands v Paraguay   Brazil v Chile   Italy v Cameroon   Spain v Portugal


Winners: Uruguay, Greece, England, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Brazil & Portugal
All through to the Quarter Finals.

Quarter Finals

Fri 2nd July, 4pm   Fri 2nd July, 8.30pm   Sat 3rd July, 4pm   Sat 3rd July, 8.30pm
Netherlands v Brazil   Uruguay v England   Greece v Germany   Italy v Portugal


Winners: England, Germany, Netherlands & Portugal
Through to the Semi Finals.

Semi Finals

Tue 6th July, 8.30pm   Wed 7th July, 8.30pm
England v Netherlands   Germany v Portugal


Winners: Netherlands & Germany
Through to the Final.

The World Cup Final

Sun 11th July, 8.30pm
Netherlands v Germany

YOU HAVE PREDICTED THAT NETHERLANDS WINS THE 2010 WORLD CUP

[weekender]

All of this said, I had a dream the other day that Peter Crouch scores the winning goal in the World Cup final, does his robot dance and becomes a national hero, but is then driven mad by the pressure of the media who force him to do robot dances in every press conference, and he ends up buying that penis-shaped swimming pool so he can kill himself in it.

Does this give a clue as to who might win the World Cup?  I'm not sure.

[weirdbeard]

Carragher for England according to today's papers.  He'll still be sub though, so Capello must be charming him to bits.

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

He's probably realised his club is going down faster than a lead hooker and is using the WC as a shop window.

[Geraint]

He's probably realised his club is going down faster than a lead hooker and is using the WC as a shop window.

as if his form hasn't been a big factor in their decline...

total dick move this, retire 6 months after the world cup in a strop because the england manager wanted to use a friendly to try out a player who'd been out injured for ages, and because he was behind Terry and Ferdinand who are objectively better,  then 3 1/2 years later and an utter shell of the player he was, decides he quite fancies playing in another world cup - where he'd undoubtably force out someone who both took part in qualification and resembled a footballer in the season just finished. just baffling that he has such a good reputation in football, he's one of the dirtiest players in the top flight on the field and brags of his 'scouse mafia' mates and the implied threat of siccing them on anyone who does unto him as he does every. fucking. match.

[kaprisky]

Brazil to win this thing. They're the only team to win it outside of their own continent, plus they've got Julio Cesar, Maicon and Lucio as part of their back five.

Ghana to be the best of the African teams and they'll run England close in the last 16. Denmark to make the quarters and Bendtner being the subject of multi-million pound bids from Real Madrid and Man City...

We should also try to guess how many Brazilians play for the other teams (they supplied 5 for Euro 2008).

[Queneau]

I just got Sky+ today for it. WooHoo!

If that whole story is true then I thoroughly congratulate you. Fantastic. Is the voice convincing enough for a bit of phone sex?

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

If that whole story is true then I thoroughly congratulate you. Fantastic. Is the voice convincing enough for a bit of phone sex?

The voice was tragically bad. I just basically softened up my normal voice and spoke a bit slower as I tried to play an elderly lady. It's actually not that easy on such short notice.

By the end of the call the chap was saying stuff like "So you're all sorted there *lads". This is not necessarily a gender-specific term in Cork (a bit like "guys") but I suspect he knew what was going on.

_{* what a fool! it was just myself}

[Vitalstatistix]

Totally stoked for this.

First day, I will have finished uni, no work to do. Barby with mates, festival at the park, few kegs, lots of football. Sorted :)


Oh God, I'm a stereotype!

[weirdbeard]

Slightly off topic. ESPN Classic are showing full length England game from the 1990 World Cup with original ITV commentary.  At the moment they are showing the 2nd Round game v Belgium, and I've been struck about how much of the better team the Belgian's were.  Enzo Shifo was running the midfield, Gascoigne was absolutely nowhere, with Big Ron slagging him off.   They've also whacked the post a couple of times at least as well - did Peter Shilton make one decent save in that entire tournament...?

People thought the Euro 96 game against Spain was lucky, this one must rank alongside it.

[biggytitbo]

We have a rose tinted views of our 1990 world cup campaign, we were cack in almost every game!

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

We have a rose tinted views of our 1990 world cup campaign, we were cack in almost every game!

Yep - apart from the one we lost (on penalties).

[hoverdonkey]

I have two wishes for this. Someone gets sent off for diving and England don't win. Imagine the place if they do.

[TheWizard]

Group Winners & Runners-up

Group A       Group B       Group C       Group D
1. France       1. Argentina       1. England       1. Germany
2. Uruguay       2. Nigeria       2. Slovenia       2. Serbia
                       
Group E       Group F       Group G       Group H
1. Denmark       1. Italy       1. Brazil       1. Spain
2. Netherlands       2. Slovakia       2. Ivory Coast       2. Chile
Last 16

Sat 26th June, 4pm       Sat 26th June, 8.30pm       Sun 27th June, 4pm       Sun 27th June, 8.30pm
France v Nigeria        England v Serbia        Germany v Slovenia        Argentina v Uruguay
                       
Mon 28th June, 4pm       Mon 28th June, 8.30pm       Tue 29th June, 4pm       Tue 29th June, 8.30pm
Denmark v Slovakia        Brazil v Chile        Italy v Netherlands        Spain v Ivory Coast
Winners: France, Argentina, England, Germany, Slovakia, Italy, Brazil & Spain
All through to the Quarter Finals.
Quarter Finals

Fri 2nd July, 4pm       Fri 2nd July, 8.30pm       Sat 3rd July, 4pm       Sat 3rd July, 8.30pm
Slovakia v Brazil        France v England        Argentina v Germany        Italy v Spain
Winners: England, Germany, Brazil & Italy
Through to the Semi Finals.
Semi Finals

Tue 6th July, 8.30pm       Wed 7th July, 8.30pm
England v Brazil        Germany v Italy
Winners: Brazil & Germany
Through to the Final.
The World Cup Final

Sun 11th July, 8.30pm
Brazil v Germany

YOU HAVE PREDICTED THAT BRAZIL WINS THE 2010 WORLD CUP!

[thepuffpastryhangman]

I've never waivered from Argentina, even when it looked like they might not qualify. Still, I picked them last time too, and despite playing some liquid football in the group stage they did nowt overall.

Though...tuther week, while taking a stroll, I saw a
football stuck in a tree, a sign! But how to interpret it? Ahhh, it's like an inverted tripod of branches supporting the ball, the Eiffel tower! But maybe the ball was flat and it'll be another 2002 for the French.

Anyway, up the Argies!

[Mr Colossal]

England are getting pissed all over for possession by the japanese.  strange side which seems to mimic their national  identity because they've always seemed to have crazy flair and workmanlike technique in midfield but lack any prolific desire to score- so always seem to play like an exhibiton side in a freindly,  regardless of whether its an important game or not.

hahah @  'darren brent'   on the big screen.


And frankie lamps has just missed another penalty... england seem to be losing their heads a bit.