World Cup thoughts....as a forum let's hear some views

[phenomenon]

don t u think it is early to discuss who will be champ ?
some leagues have 4 5 matches left ..
some important player may face with injuries... for example MESSI
this may affect ur bets... I ll wait last 2 weeks to bet on or think the better team...

[Shark79]

Group A
Team MP W D L GF GA Pts
South Africa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mexico 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Uruguay 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
France 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

To Advance: Mexico, France, Uruguay.

Group B
Team MP W D L GF GA Pts
Argentina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nigeria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Korea Republic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Greece 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

To Advance: Argentina, Nigeria

Group C
Team MP W D L GF GA Pts
England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
USA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Algeria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Slovenia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

To Advance: England, Algeria, USA

Group D
Team MP W D L GF GA Pts
Germany 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Australia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Serbia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Ghana 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

To Advance: Germany, Ghana

Group E
Team MP W D L GF GA Pts
Netherlands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Denmark 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Japan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cameroon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

To Advance: Netherlands, Cameroon

Group F
Team MP W D L GF GA Pts
Italy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Paraguay 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
New Zealand 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Slovakia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

To Advance: Paraguay, Italy

Group G
Team MP W D L GF GA Pts
Brazil 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Korea DPR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Côte d'Ivoire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Portugal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

To Advance: Brazil, Portugal

Group H
Team MP W D L GF GA Points
Spain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Switzerland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Honduras 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Chile 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

To Advance: Spain, Chile

Thoughts on that ?

[Jimmy0607]

Think objectively for a second. I know you're a Forlan fan boy and all, but Uruguay isn't going to stop Mexico. Mexico have taken Uruguay out now twice in Copa America, don't see why they can't do the same in the World Cup..

When?

[Jimmy0607]

Costa Rica, a team Uruguay struggled against. Costa Rica had Uruguay time wasting on their own home soil, disgraceful.

We handed their ass to them in "Super tough Saprissa Stadium" where the US have never won a game

[JRLM8]

Since rosters are starting to be released, I figured I would post them in here. Algeria needs to cut two players from this squad but this is basically their World Cup team.

Algeria Preliminary Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (4): Fawzi Chaouchi (ES Setif), Lounes Gaouaoui (ASO Chlef), M'bohi Rais Ouhed (Slava Sofia), Mohamed Liamine Zemamouche (** Alger)
DEFENDERS (8): Habib Belaid (Boulogne), Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth), Madjid Bougherra (Glasgow Rangers), Rafik Halliche (Nacional Madeira), Abdelkader Laifaoui (ES Setif), Carl Medjani (AC Ajaccio), Djamel Mesbah (Lecce) Anther Yahia (Bochum)
MIDFIELDERS (10): Djamel Abdoun (Nantes), Riad Boudebouz (Sochaux), Adlane Guedioura (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Fouad Kadir (Valenciennes), Medhi Lacen (Racing Santander), Yazid Mansouri (Lorient), Karim Matmour (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Mourad Meghni (Lazio), Hassen Yebda (Portsmouth), Karim Ziani (Wolfsburg)
FORWARDS (3): Rafik Djebbour (AEK Athens), Abdelkader Ghezzal (Siena), Rafik Saifi (Istres)

[Sforz]

good stuff JRLM!

[polsefest]

in the knock-out stage how about betting against teams who played 120 minutes if the other team finished their previous game in 90 minutes. maybe I should look into that. in 2006 Germany lost to Italy 2-0 after playing a long game vs. Argentina, and before that game Argentina played a long game vs. Mexico while Germany beat Sweden 2-0 in 90 minutes, etc.

[Socrates]

We handed their ass to them in "Super tough Saprissa Stadium" where the US have never won a game

We're not talking about the U.S. here, remember what the topic of conversation is between you and I, Mexico winning group A.

I mentioned Costa Rica because that's a common opponent (I hate to argue using common opponents, but it's all we've got right now until game time) Mexico and Uruguay have during WCQ. Mexico beat Costa Rica by 2, home and away...not only beat, but dominated.

When?

Mexico eliminated Uruguay in the 2001 semifinals, tied in group stages in 2004 and then Mexico beat Uruguay again in 2007 by winning 3 to 1 .

Don't want to stray too far off, my point in all of this is that I will be putting money on Mexico to take group A.

[SoV]

Info about Spain:

Fernando Torres will miss the first few games.

Xavi might miss the whole tournament since he's playing through a calf injury for Barcelona.

[JRLM8]

South Korea's 30 Man Provisional Squad:
Kim Young-Kwang (Ulsan), Lee Woon-Jae (Suwon), Jung Sung-Ryong (Seongnam); Kang Min-Soo (Suwon), Kwak Tae-Hwi (Kyoto), Kim Dong-Jin (Ulsan), Kim Hyung-Il (Pohang), Oh Beom-Seok (Ulsan), Lee Young-Pyo (Al Hilal), Lee Jung-Soo (Kashima Antlers), Hwang Jae-Won (Pohang), Cho Won-Hee (Suwon Bluewings - on loan from Wigan), Cha Du-Ri (SC Freiburg), Cho Yong-Hyung (Jeju); Koo Ja-Cheol (Jeju), Ki Sung-Yong (Celtic), Kim Bo-Kyung (Oita), Kim Nam-Il (Tom Tomsk), Shin Hung-Min (Pohang), Kim Jae-Sung (Pohang), Kim Jung-Woo (Gwangju), Lee Chung-Yong (Bolton), Kim Chi-Woo (Seoul), Park Ji-Sung (Manchester United); Park Ju-Young (AS Monaco), Ahn Jung-Hwan (Dalian Shide), Lee Seung-Ryul (Seoul), Yeom Ki-Hun (Suwon), Lee Keun-Ho (Jubilo Iwata), Lee Dong-Guk (Jeonbuk)

Paraguay's 30 Man List:
Goalkeepers: Justo Villar (Valladolid), Aldo Bobadilla (Independiente Medellin), Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteno).
Defenders: Denis Caniza (Leon, Mexico), Dario Veron (Pumas), Julio Cesar Caceres (Atletico Mineiro), Paulo Da Silva (Sunderland), Antolin Alcaraz (Brugge), Claudio Morel (Boca Juniors), Carlos Bonet (Olimpia, Paraguay), Julio Manzur (Olimpia, Paraguay), Aureliano Torres (San Lorenzo).
Midfielders: Enrique Vera (Liga de Quito), Cristian Riveros (Cruz Azul), Jonathan Santana (Wolfsburg) Nestor Ortigoza (Argentinos Juniors), Victor Caceres (Libertad), Edgar Barreto (Atalanta), Marcelo Estigarribia (Newell's Old Boys), Eduardo Ledesma (Lanus), Sergio Aquino (Libertad), Marcos Caceres (Racing Club, Argentina).
Forwards: Oscar Cardozo (Benfica), Nelson Haedo Valdez (Borussia Dortmund), Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund), Osvaldo Martinez (Monterrey), Edgar Benitez (Pachuca), Jorge Achucarro (Newell's Old Boys), Rodolfo Gamarra (Libertad), Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City)

Mexico 26 man provisional squad
Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (America), Luis Michel (Chivas), Oscar Perex (Chipas)
Defenders: Paul Aguilar (Pachuca), Efrain Juarez (UNAM), Jonny Maggalon (Chivas), Rafael Marquez (Barcelona), Hector Moreno (AZ Alkmaar), Torrez Nilo (Atlas), Ricardo Osorio (Stuttgart), Francisco Rodriguez (PSV), Carlos Salcido (PSV), Valenzuela (America)
Midfielders: Adrian Aldrete (Morelia) Israel Castro (UNAM), Jonathan Dos Santos (Barcelona), Andres Guardado (Deportivo La Coruna), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Pablo Barrera (UNAM), Alberto Medina (Chivas)
Strikers: C.Blanco (Veracruz), Giovani Dos Santos (Galatasaray), Guillermo Franco (West Ham), Javier Hernandez (Manchester United), Carlos Vela (Arsenal), Adolfo Bautista (Chivas)

[Tommy_de1st]

Good stuff JRLM but I think you should open a new thread and put everything in there

[JRLM8]

Alright, next week (when the rest of the rosters come in) I will open a thread with all the rosters.

[Tommy_de1st]

Sounds good

[Jimmy0607]

We're not talking about the U.S. here, remember what the topic of conversation is between you and I, Mexico winning group A. I mentioned Costa Rica because that's a common opponent (I hate to argue using common opponents, but it's all we've got right now until game time) Mexico and Uruguay have during WCQ. Mexico beat Costa Rica by 2, home and away...not only beat, but dominated. Mexico eliminated Uruguay in the 2001 semifinals, tied in group stages in 2004 and then Mexico beat Uruguay again in 2007 by winning 3 to 1 . Don't want to stray too far off, my point in all of this is that I will be putting money on Mexico to take group A.

2007 was a third place game , my question to you is why are you writing France off so fast??

[Ace_of_Spades]

Mexico to win group A?

Thats a great possibility. Whats so funny.

[Ace_of_Spades]

I can't believe everyone is dismissing Slovenia. USA aren't a sure thing to go through with England. I don't even think the USA will make.

[Gracchus]

Rooting for Portugal, but the injuries on the team candidates list is getting long.
If Portugal and Brazil have secured advancement before they play each other (last game in Group F) then I think that will be the most entertaining game of the tournament.

Edit: In no small part due to Deco leaving Brazil for Portugal.

However, I think Argentina will hoist the cup.

[Socrates]

2007 was a third place game , my question to you is why are you writing France off so fast??

Bad form, bad coach. They arent shaking it off in a mere 4 to 5 months. They crashed out in 2002 as well, so it's not unheard of. I think Uruguay is going to advance at their expense.

Also, when I said Mexico took out Uruguay, I didn't mean out of the tourney, I meant took them out, as in beat them. I confused you, sorry.

[JRLM8]

Jimmy is going to love this.

Nate Silver did his group breakdowns for the World Cup using statistical analysis.

He has Uruguay winning Group A. Here is the full article.

[Shark79]

Jimmy is going to love this.

Nate Silver did his group breakdowns for the World Cup using statistical analysis.

He has Uruguay winning Group A. Here is the full article.

But posting this in a forum, just jinxed the play. Unless someone can find a way to unjinx it.

[Jimmy0607]

We will qualify but i dont think we will win the group