World Cup 2006 Draw/Groups

OPM, that's not what i wanted to say...anyway if you have that feeling i will gladly apologize. I have nothing whatsoever against German people, i never wanted to offend German people.
It's true that i'm not a big fan of German football.
The German national team ususually is very succesfull in big tournaments but rarely with "good, attractive football" (whatever that may be).
There have been very good and attractive German teams like the ones in 1970, 1972 (the best ever) and 1974. But since then they rarely sparked much enthusiasm outside Germany.
And about referee decisions. Let's make a bet: i will gladly pay you PES6 if there will not have been controversial referee decisions in favour of Germany at the next WC. If i "win" you don't have to anything, consider it as an apologie for the wrong impression i have made...
 
i think that if Portugal goes to the World Cup with a different mentality than the previous time, we have every chance to make a great cup
maybe even win
 
Re: World Cup 2006 Draw Tonight 9th Dec 21:20 CET

maradro said:
all the other groups look completely unbalanced, it seems fairly obvious who will go through:

Group F: Brazil and Japan
Group G: Korea and France/Swiss
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fixed
 
Portugal have been very lucky with this draw. But we were also lucky in Korea and we didn't make it.

The truth is that although Scolari is the most stubborn manager in the galaxy he is built for the real thing. He has what it takes to make the team perform when it matters so maybe he will be able to make Portugal stay away from the usual "we already did it" stance sometimes betrays us.

PS - Why on earth were Mexico a top seed nation in this draw?
 
hahaha...fixed...lolz, there have always been some refree problems at every World Cup...and some players who just act stupid in important ties...

and Mexico is in there because they were constant over the past gew world cups and have high rankings over the past 3 years....but of course we know how "Fair" the rankings are
 
Mauras said:
Portugal have been very lucky with this draw. But we were also lucky in Korea and we didn't make it.

The truth is that although Scolari is the most stubborn manager in the galaxy he is built for the real thing. He has what it takes to make the team perform when it matters so maybe he will be able to make Portugal stay away from the usual "we already did it" stance sometimes betrays us.

PS - Why on earth were Mexico a top seed nation in this draw?
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mexico and U.S. beat or tie pretty much every team they play, that is why, it seems the majority of the europeans dont realize football is played outside europe... did you even watch the confederations cup, mexcio outplayed brazil....
 
Mauras said:
The truth is that although Scolari is the most stubborn manager in the galaxy he is built for the real thing. He has what it takes to make the team perform when it matters so maybe he will be able to make Portugal stay away from the usual "we already did it" stance sometimes betrays us.
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He is still a moron. No matter the outcome of Portugal in the world cup, I'll still dislike the guy. (PT)"nao me aquece nem me arrefece o gajo"
 
That first article tells it how it is Db.

an excerpt:

There, in the ‘Official Documents’ section is a file called ‘Regulations’. And Article 8, subsection 4, explains how FIFA will decide the seeding for the World Cup draw. It reads as follows: “The Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup shall form groups for the final competition by seeding and drawing lots whilst taking sports, geographic and economic factors into consideration.”

I’ll say that last bit again: “…taking sports, geographic and economic factors into consideration.”

Since when was the World Cup about “economic factors”? Forget world rankings and sporting performances, FIFA has as good as admitted that it will make up the seedings to suit FIFA and its TV partners.

It shouldn’t really be that much of a surprise. The World Cup is FIFA’s big money-spinner, its only source of income. So why jeopardise all that TV income by risking one of the big TV nations going out of the competitions early.
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Professor Nutmeg said:
That first article tells it how it is Db.

an excerpt:
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Pretty much sums up FIFA, doesn't it. I mean, what the fuck is the point of busting your ass in the last WC and winning your qualifying region in record time with a great run, and your regional cup. . .if all you're gonna do is face FIFA's idiocy that gives teams like Angola, Japan, Switzerland, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia a better group than you.

I am NOT complaining about the US not getting seeded. We screwed ourselves outta that with an awful 98 WC and not accepting an invite to the Copa America. I AM complaining that FIFA wants you to bust your ass in the rankings and if your hustling doesnt land you in a Seeded spot, then you're basically fucked if you're non-European cuz Geography means more than ranking at that point and you'll be forced to play two Euro teams while shitty Euro teams get two "soft draws".

Once you're in the World Cup, it should be about rankings. Not money. NOt marketing. Not geography. Just make it fair and balanced.

anyway. . .to be continued. :mrgreen:
 
Well the USA got a hard-ass group. I was pissed off at first. . for the reasons above. lol. . but now i am pretty excited. I have always wanted to see the team face some tough competition in a non-friendly game, so here we go. Two of the best in the world.

Czech were stunning in Euro 2004, but since then, they haven't looked the same to me. Even when Nedved came back they did not seem to have the flowing footy dominance they had in Portugal. With Koller injured and llikely out, and the midfield aging, and a defense that can be exposed by speed, i think we can pull off a draw or a surprise win.

Italy has looked average to me in the past few tournaments, but Lippi has improved them by playing his best players. Still, i dont see this as a blowout, and they were actually one of the 3 seeded teams i wanted to draw (spain and france being the others) because i dont think they will blow us out, even if they beat us.

Ghana - unknown. 3 time african champs, but never in a WC. has a defense that can be exposed and problems finishing attacks. I'll take 3 points here, please.

The real problem is that if we finish second in the group, we likely face BRAZIL. Oh Lawd!!!:shock: :mrgreen:

Fuck it. Bring it on. Everyone. This will be a tournament to remember and should certainly be more memorable a grooup than our last one with Korea and Poland.
 
ghazi said:
Ghana - unknown. 3 time african champs, but never in a WC. has a defense that can be exposed and problems finishing attacks. I'll take 3 points here, please.
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The main expectation of the africans I think will round about his individualities; Essien (Chelsea), Muntari (Udinese), Appiah (Fenerbahce), Yakubu (Vitesse), they has a great middle.
 
Ari-Glavisted said:
The main expectation of the africans I think will round about his individualities; Essien (Chelsea), Muntari (Udinese), Appiah (Fenerbahce), Yakubu (Vitesse), they has a great middle.
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Well said.
 
well, i feel that this is gonna be a boring WC.nevertheless, i will try to get tickets for a game of italy, preferrably for the game czech republic-italy only to see lucarelli.i hope lippi will add him to the squad.
 
Milanista said:
Byron Moreno - Italy's biggest enemy.
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Ghamal Al-Ghandour - Spain's biggest enemy.

Which drives me to say... Playing against the host team, whatever the referee is, is any team's biggest enemy.

I firmly believe that WC draws are somewhat fixed (heated balls or something like that) so that they get the desired, most commercial, TV blockbuster final: Brazil vs. Host Team.

WC 1998: France got through to the final after very strange results (France got South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Denmark - Brazil got Morocco, Scotland and Norway), Paraguay, Italy and Croatia games were full of doubt.

WC 2002: South Korea got Byron Moreno and Al-Ghandour on their side. The Italy game was a complete robbery. The Spain game was astonishing: two perfectly legal goals denied... God knows why! He didn't even give a reason why they were denied! Gemany had struggled to get past USA, they got away with Korea, but I hardly see them defeating Spain or Italy had the tournament not been so 'strange'. Brazil encountered Turkey, China, Costa Rica, Belgium, England (ok, their only tough game) and Turkey again.

It is surprising how WC after WC the host team and Brazil get the easiest groups, and the help of the referee in key moments. WC 2002 and the Korea robbery got me very disappointed with FIFA: World Cup games can't be the next boxing, where it is almost impossible to win if you fight the host boxer/team, and where referee decisions are so astonishing that any spectator can clearly see that the tournament is not fair.

I wonder... why do sub-standard level referees take part in WC games? There are lots of professional and experienced referees in Europe and South America, why call an Egyptian one? I mean, I doubt Mr. Al-Ghandour had before or will again be set in a match as important as that he screwed -up between Korea and Spain. He just did not fit there. The same goes for Mr. Moreno.

Please, FIFA, no more scandal-decisions that only benefit the host team (a very weak one this time, BTW) and Brazil. Spain may (that is a lot to say, given Xavi's and Raúl's injury) get through to the Quarter-Finals and meet Brazil there. I will be happy to see my country lose by 3-0 if they play their best, and still Brazil crashes them. That'd be normal, and I can easily see that happening. But I would be very, very disappointed to see a weak and doubtful Brazil win 2-1 thanks to a more-than-questionable clearly-out-of-the-box goalkeeper-getting-sent-off-in-the-third-minute penalty... just to get more TV audience. And I can also easily see that happening.
 
Did anyone see the Mathaus clip? They showed it on SKY multiple times. He picked up 1 ball, then let go and picked up another. The team came out to be Costa Rica for Germany's group. Some people think the heated balls thing is being used like a few world cups ago.
 
Gedtillo said:
Ghamal Al-Ghandour - Spain's biggest enemy.

Which drives me to say... Playing against the host team, whatever the referee is, is any team's biggest enemy.

I firmly believe that WC draws are somewhat fixed (heated balls or something like that) so that they get the desired, most commercial, TV blockbuster final: Brazil vs. Host Team.

WC 1998: France got through to the final after very strange results (France got South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Denmark - Brazil got Morocco, Scotland and Norway), Paraguay, Italy and Croatia games were full of doubt.

WC 2002: South Korea got Byron Moreno and Al-Ghandour on their side. The Italy game was a complete robbery. The Spain game was astonishing: two perfectly legal goals denied... God knows why! He didn't even give a reason why they were denied! Gemany had struggled to get past USA, they got away with Korea, but I hardly see them defeating Spain or Italy had the tournament not been so 'strange'. Brazil encountered Turkey, China, Costa Rica, Belgium, England (ok, their only tough game) and Turkey again.

It is surprising how WC after WC the host team and Brazil get the easiest groups, and the help of the referee in key moments. WC 2002 and the Korea robbery got me very disappointed with FIFA: World Cup games can't be the next boxing, where it is almost impossible to win if you fight the host boxer/team, and where referee decisions are so astonishing that any spectator can clearly see that the tournament is not fair.

I wonder... why do sub-standard level referees take part in WC games? There are lots of professional and experienced referees in Europe and South America, why call an Egyptian one? I mean, I doubt Mr. Al-Ghandour had before or will again be set in a match as important as that he screwed -up between Korea and Spain. He just did not fit there. The same goes for Mr. Moreno.
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That is bull my friend.
Your facts are not exact: France played teams like Paraguay and Croatia. Furthermore a team like Denmark is a very good team. I remember their match against Brazil in 1998, maybe the best match of the tournament. Furthermore Brazil had to play Netherlands aswell, another tough team.

Regarding Brazil's opponents in recent WC's: Scotland is always a tough opponent for Brazil. It may sound chauvinist but the match against Belgium was their toughest match of the tournament (at least that was the feeling of the players according to Roberto Carlos) and the Jamaican ref disallowed a perfect legal Belgian goal (but i'm sure the man did not do it on purpose).

You mention Italy and Spain: when they have a disappointing WC (and Spain always disappoint) they blame the refs...Fact is that Spain and Italy simply were not good enough in France, Korea/Japan and Portugal...

The only team where i have the distinct feeling that there is something is Germany...but let's not start that again...i could be wrong.
 
gerd said:
That is bull my friend.
Your facts are not exact: France played teams like Paraguay and Croatia.
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And defeated them suspiciously... especially Croatia. Remember?
Furthermore a team like Denmark is a very good team. I remember their match against Brazil in 1998, maybe the best match of the tournament. Furthermore Brazil had to play Netherlands aswell, another tough team.
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Yeah, but their group is ALWAYS the easiest. As is the host's.
Regarding Brazil's opponents in recent WC's: Scotland is always a tough opponent for Brazil. It may sound chauvinist but the match against Belgium was their toughest match of the tournament (at least that was the feeling of the players according to Roberto Carlos) and the Jamaican ref disallowed a perfect legal Belgian goal (but i'm sure the man did not do it on purpose).
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With all respect, Scotland and Belgium are far from being tough teams. And so were back in 1998.
You mention Italy and Spain: when they have a disappointing WC (and Spain always disappoint) they blame the refs...Fact is that Spain and Italy simply were not good enough in France, Korea/Japan and Portugal...
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Spain did not disappoint back in 2002. They usually do, but not then. They lost zero games. They ended up fifth. They were doing very well. But then came Al-Ghandour. It is a FACT that both Moreno and Al-Ghandour did a horrible job and had a LOT to do with Korea getting through to the semis. I watched the Italy-Korea match, and it was a complete scandal. So was the Spain-Korea match. And every spectator in the world saw it. I am not making anything up:
atraco_joaquin1.jpg
Did that cross the line? Why did Ghandour invalidate Baraja's goal? Luis Enrique was one-on-one with the keeper... but Ghandour called an inexistant offside. And we all saw Byron Moreno's performance.

Plus, Brazil got another inexistant penalty (and a red-card for Turkey) in their opening match, Germany got through in spite of Torsten Frings clamorous handball on the very goal line... There are just too many mistakes, and they fall always on the same part.

But hey, it's me that could be wrong, and Ghandour did great, Moreno did great, Brazil and the host team are recurrently the luckiest team on Earth and there are no hot balls, no fixed draw and no "opportune involuntary mistakes"... ;) Hello from outside The Bubble!
 
Changing subject, I'd love to see a european team win this WC. As I said in another topic, I hope it's England (or Spain, hehe, but that's not very likely). So much expecting to see if any team in Europe can beat a good Brazil (not that shadow of the 1998 final).

Germany? Heck, no! They lack world-class strikers, and have a very weak defence.

The Netherlands? Could be... but the're a bit too young, like England four years ago. Maybe RVN+Cocu+Seedorf will give some experience, but most of the team lacks international experience.

Argentina? Always favourite, but this time there's no SuperStar. Maybe it'll be Messi's or Riquelme's WC. But they lack a 9.

France? Horrible qualifier. Weak defence (Boumsong?). Not enough team-spirit. But Henry+Trézeguet means a lot there, so it could happen...

Italy? Hey, they have a great team. If only Maldini was still there... Always have to count on them.

Maybe this is will be Africa's big WC... but I don't know... I think this'll be England time. "Three lions on a shirt..." ;)
 
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