generalgrog wrote:So is it two teams from each group make it to the next round? If so the Eagles have a good shot of making to 2nd round at least.


GG

youngblood wrote:My predictions for group winners:

Group A: France, Uruguay
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria
Group C: England, USA
Group D: England, Ghana
Group E: Netherlands, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Chile

InyokaMadoda wrote:

youngblood wrote:My predictions for group winners:

Group A: France, Uruguay
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria
Group C: England, USA
Group D: England, Ghana
Group E: Netherlands, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Chile

Probably about right, but I'd be surprised if England win group C and group D.......

Flashman wrote:Aside from being in the group adjacent to Germany who we should avoid by whipping American, Algerian and Slovenian arse, it all looks relatively straight forward. I think Brazil loom in the semis (assuming Brazil get that far, they were knocked out in the quarters last time around). Here's hoping France fall flat on their faces

generalgrog wrote:I think it would be cool if France won the whole thing!

GG

Flashman wrote:Yes, we English take a very dim view of people who use a hand to assist in the scoring of a goal. See 1986!

mattyrm wrote:What i want to know is, where this terribly unfair stereotype came from that England fans are "arrogant"

mattyrm wrote:

My argument with my Scottish/Welsh/Irish chums was always that England fans are not arrogant, we just think that we are ever so slightly less gak than they are!

generalgrog wrote:This just in, USA vs England to kick things off! June 12th 2010. It's gonna get interesting around here on the OT next summer.

GG

generalgrog wrote:This just in, USA vs England to kick things off! June 12th 2010. It's gonna get interesting around here on the OT next summer.

GG

mattyrm wrote:Well, i think the English and the Americans are both going to be happy because barring either team sucking even more than usual, they should both go through!

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Oh look.

England get 3 teams of quadra-spazzed life-supported chimps. Again. Which no doubt they will still struggle against.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Hey it's true.

England get easy groups pretty much all the time, despite having done precious little to justify their seeding

Somnicide wrote:I also think Keane is naive when he says that nobody wants to cheat.

Slappywag wrote:
*sigh* I hate France...amazing players though.

generalgrog wrote:This is the thing I don't quite get about World cup soccer. I do love watching soccer when the world cup comes around, but whats the deal with all the acting? The only close thing to that we have in America is the acting in basketball to draw fouls. But we don't have people drop and roll around in supposed agony, it's a real turnoff to a lot of Americans.

That acting job by the Italian in 2006 when Zidane "chest butted" him was rediculous. He acted like he got shot by a 12 gauge. And that kid from spain(portugal?) I forget his name he's the worst one.

GG

youngblood wrote:Baseball, basketball, and american football can all use instant replay effective due to so much down time during the game.

Flashman wrote:My favourite rolling around on the ground moment was when Deco (then Barcelona) was fouled by a Chelsea midfielder. Cue rolling around on the ground, clutching knee and crying like a girl. Terry then kicked the ball at him and Deco sprung to his feet in anger, evidently not injured at all. Terry received a yellow card for that, but it had to be the most satisfying yellow card of his career.

youngblood wrote:So here's the group breakdowns:
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia

So what looks like the good picks out of each group? Is there a "group of death" this year?

Albatross wrote:@Flashman - I love the Fact that Drogba is 6'5" and looks like he could bite my mother's head off, but goes down like a knackered lift when he gets a tap on the ankle. It's what makes him fun to watch.

Group G is gonna be the most interesting, I predict an upset - Ivory Coast will go through I reckon. Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't often perform well 'on the big stage', and given their group I'd say Portugal will definitely struggle.

Cheese Elemental wrote:You guys should just support Australia and spare yourselves the humilation.

generalgrog wrote:This is the thing I don't quite get about World cup soccer. I do love watching soccer when the world cup comes around, but whats the deal with all the acting? The only close thing to that we have in America is the acting in basketball to draw fouls. But we don't have people drop and roll around in supposed agony, it's a real turnoff to a lot of Americans.

That acting job by the Italian in 2006 when Zidane "chest butted" him was rediculous. He acted like he got shot by a 12 gauge. And that kid from spain(portugal?) I forget his name he's the worst one.

dogma wrote:

generalgrog wrote:This is the thing I don't quite get about World cup soccer. I do love watching soccer when the world cup comes around, but whats the deal with all the acting? The only close thing to that we have in America is the acting in basketball to draw fouls. But we don't have people drop and roll around in supposed agony, it's a real turnoff to a lot of Americans.

That acting job by the Italian in 2006 when Zidane "chest butted" him was rediculous. He acted like he got shot by a 12 gauge. And that kid from spain(portugal?) I forget his name he's the worst one.

As an American athlete I can say that acting is a big part of professional sports in America. Hockey and Basketball are probably the worst 'offenders', but football is pretty bad as well (especially with respect to the quarterback).

generalgrog wrote:

dogma wrote:

generalgrog wrote:This is the thing I don't quite get about World cup soccer. I do love watching soccer when the world cup comes around, but whats the deal with all the acting? The only close thing to that we have in America is the acting in basketball to draw fouls. But we don't have people drop and roll around in supposed agony, it's a real turnoff to a lot of Americans.

That acting job by the Italian in 2006 when Zidane "chest butted" him was rediculous. He acted like he got shot by a 12 gauge. And that kid from spain(portugal?) I forget his name he's the worst one.

As an American athlete I can say that acting is a big part of professional sports in America. Hockey and Basketball are probably the worst 'offenders', but football is pretty bad as well (especially with respect to the quarterback).

In basketball you have the flop, where people will pretend to be knocked down to draw an offensive foul. This happens a lot more than it used to. But when they flop they don't roll around the floor as though they had just had their leg cut off. The celtics are masters at acting to draw fouls. Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce being two excellent examples of the kind of player that will wildly swing their hands in the air, pretending to be bumped.

I haven't watched hockey in a while, so can't speak to it.

I don't watch a lot of NFL, but I do watch college football fanatically and I haven't seen much acting by college football quarterbacks. Only the punters act, to draw a running into the kicker penalty.(which is rare anyway)

But yeah your point is taken. I just don't think we have reached the level of sophistication with our acting yet. (and hopefully don't ever)

GG