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Post by dolly on Jun 2, 2006 3:47:16 GMT -5
Here is my Pre-Cup Man of the Match: Freddie Ljungberg. If you don't know who he is, then you suck, b/c he plays for the mighty Arsenal. I could care less about Sweden, but look at this fine specimen of man. I have decided he is my soulmate - I also have a panther tattoo! Very similar to that one, only mine is on my left hip, but close enough. The sad thing is none of you are going to appreciate this picture. Your loss.  Trust Layla to have a flaming soulmate  |
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Post by NdY on Jun 2, 2006 9:45:32 GMT -5
Of course they don't. The qualifications are hideously unfair. Teams like the US find easy entry b/c they play such futbol luminaries as Haiti. The only CONCACAF team I even look twice at is Mexico. It makes me angry b/c Australia has so much potential, but has needed to play the 5th ranked CONMEBOL (read: Sth America...ie countries who have nothing else to do but play futbol all day) to get a look in. To be fair, Layla, and not getting into hyper-defensive Yankee mode, the US has qualified out of their group in two of the last 3 world cups, Mexico consistently qualifies out of their group, and Costa Rica also qualified last time around. So, no matter how easily their qualification into the WC may be, they certainly have a history of proving their worth when they get in. The US beat Mexico last time around, and have an extremely favorable head-to-head record against them in recent times (outside of Mexico City where NOBODY ever wins it seems). So only looking twice at them seems a bit tunnel-visioned. Or you could just be biased against the US like everyone else. No worries. |
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Post by NdY on Jun 2, 2006 9:47:30 GMT -5
The problem with the US squad is that they have a history of performing miserably on European soil. The opening match with the Czechs, who I actually think they can hang with, will go a long way as to seeing how well they perform.
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Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on Jun 2, 2006 11:22:49 GMT -5
Ndy - Watch out for the Czechs though - unstoppable on their day, and their head to head record with Holland in the last 6 years (during which they seem to have drawn each other in every quali group and tournament going) has been extremely impressive. They have one of the world's best players in Pavel Nedved, but age has now caught up with them, I fear. Smicer hasn't made it. Berger hasn't made it. Poborsky is, what, 95 years old? Rosicky remains promising and creative. Jan Koller is like Peter Crouch - awkward but sometimes effective, giant of a man. The US will impress me muchly if they find a way to win that game.
Layla - Ljungberg is a hell of a footballer, but it's widely acknowledged in Sweden that you don't get your hands on his trouser python unless you're packing your own meat and two veg. 100% gaybo, no doubt about it.
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Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on Jun 2, 2006 11:26:53 GMT -5
Italy shouldn't do much at all. I just have this feeling that the current crisis in Italian football - guess what, corruption in Italy! - will act as a spur and they will, as always, be nearly impossible to score against.
You're going to be doing some serious penance after they lift the Jules Rimet. Oh yes indeed...
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Post by NdY on Jun 2, 2006 12:04:00 GMT -5
Yeah, the age issue is why I think the Americans can hang with them. We're chock full of young athletic energy guys, and if we can keep them out of the back of the net for the most part, I think we could steal a point or three.
We'll see -- it could just be blind optimism -- but age can catch up to a team really quickly.
I don't see us taking the Italians down though. Don't know why, but I just don't see us at the point where we can take out the historical powerhouses in the WC, regardless if we're the more quality side or not.
So best case scenario I see us placing second and getting destroyed by the Brazilians. Which would be okay, I guess.
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Post by kmc on Jun 2, 2006 12:34:40 GMT -5
The US and Italy make it out of their group, though Italy makes it out at the top. I just think that American speed and perhaps an influx of the right attitude puts them over the Czech.
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Post by limitdeditionlayla on Jun 4, 2006 22:24:18 GMT -5
Trust Layla to have a flaming soulmate
Oh, yes. Its all about the panther tattoo. Anyone who gets one can join our club. We drink beer & talk smack about the Welsh. Who wants in? Not Jllm, because he has a thing for the Welsh.
Or you could just be biased against the US like everyone else. No worries
I'm South American & specifically, from a country that hates the US with a burning, violent passion. Of course I'm biased against the US. I'd love to be able to root for England in football, but I'm not allowed. I'd be excommunicated by my Argentinian cousins.
More importantly, I also support a country that has a tremendously unfair qualification system & we usually have to sit back & watch lesser teams, like the US for example, get through while our own misses out. I just don't rate the CONCACAF teams all that high, with the exception of Mexico, who have my respect. So yes, bias me up.
Layla - Ljungberg is a hell of a footballer, but it's widely acknowledged in Sweden that you don't get your hands on his trouser python unless you're packing your own meat and two veg. 100% gaybo, no doubt about it
You lie. I won't tolerate this anti-Ljungberg campaign of yours, you hear?
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Post by limitdeditionlayla on Jun 4, 2006 22:34:05 GMT -5
Last night Australia played a friendly against Holland & though we really need to work on our offense, it was none too shabby. Maarts, did you see this game? I think being able to hold the Dutch to a 1-1 draw is fantastic for them at this stage.
Holland is looking really good. I've already placed my bets, damn.
The other night I predicted that Brazil would be knocked out before the round of 16...oh, yes, I was excruciatingly drunk. I don't know why I said it, possibly because there was a table next to us of Brazilians, but I must stand by my comments, because Sean promised me $100 if I was right. Down with Brazil & their cheating, sweet-talking men.
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Post by limitdeditionlayla on Jun 4, 2006 22:46:55 GMT -5
I think I'll apologise in advance for any trash-talking I do over the course of la Copa. Although, if you can't handle a bit of heated futbol rivalry, you probably should get the hell off the pitch.  |
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Post by maarts on Jun 7, 2006 6:05:42 GMT -5
Saw the game Layla and it was a good result for the Australians. It highlighted however one flaw- they need an awful lot of fouls to stop teams overrunning them. Don't mind the aggressive attitude of them as long as they realise that two yellow cards means automatic suspension for one game and with the Croatia-game, as last one in the group stage, probably being the most important one if a result is desperately needed, not a great prospect to find yourself on the sidelines. The refs this year are certainly less leniently as the ones in the friendlies.
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Post by Ryosuke on Jun 7, 2006 6:54:31 GMT -5
I don't have anything more than a passing interest in how we fare, but if this is any encouragement, I'm sure you guys will cream us. We probably used up all our sports luck in that World Baseball Classic thingy.
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Post by kmc on Jun 7, 2006 8:46:57 GMT -5
Last night Australia played a friendly against Holland & though we really need to work on our offense, it was none too shabby. Maarts, did you see this game? I think being able to hold the Dutch to a 1-1 draw is fantastic for them at this stage. Holland is looking really good. I've already placed my bets, damn. The other night I predicted that Brazil would be knocked out before the round of 16...oh, yes, I was excruciatingly drunk. I don't know why I said it, possibly because there was a table next to us of Brazilians, but I must stand by my comments, because Sean promised me $100 if I was right. Down with Brazil & their cheating, sweet-talking men. That's crazy talk. |
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Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on Jun 9, 2006 1:40:45 GMT -5
Ryo - good to see you mate!
Well, the day has arrived, and the butterflies are settling nicely in the stomach... and Rooney has been passed 'sort of' fit, so should play IF England get past the group stage. Which was good news.
USA fans - The great Pavel Nedved limped out of training with a knee injury yesterday. Good news for your first, crucial game against the Czechs, eh?
I'm looking forward to the groups of death - the USA group and the Argentina group - and lots of sexy goals... most likely from the Samba boys.
Tonight's predictions (bravely calling for an EIGHT, yes, count 'em, eight goal total):
German 4 Costa Rica 1
Poland 2 Ecuador 1
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Post by JesusLooksLikeMe on Jun 9, 2006 1:42:45 GMT -5
Tomorrow:
Paraguay 0 England 0
Sweden 5 Trinida & Tobago 0
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