The official 2010 World Cup thread

[Narnia]

Thanks Mick. I spoke to declan and after a brief discussion he agreed with me.

[Odyssey]

As far as I am concerned the world cup is over. All the best teams are now gone and all you'll need now is for Germany to beat Argentina.

[Ladymuck]

500

[Ladymuck]

@ Quids:

ner ner ner ner ner

[DJKillaQueen]

I disagree all the best teams have gone. Spain is still in there. And Holland, whilst not playing the most exciting of football totally deserve their place. Argentina are not the completely great team some think they are. Strong in Midfield and up front but have weaknesses defensively that Germany might be able to exploit.

Great teams are not always about facny footwork and these days, players at that level are such finely tuned athletes that the days of any great player having enough time on the ball to thrill us all have gone.

As for football and cheating and so on.....that's why the game has a referee and free kicks and cards. Everyone plays by the same rules so I don't see any issue, except where the ref is at fault of course and in that respect I'd support goal line technology. In the end it won't matter anyway, neither team are good enough to beat Holland.

[Narnia]

I don't know one great team that has gone either. In fact we will have wait and if there are ANY great teams left. spain are the nearest to it at this point in time for me. Viva Espana!

[DJKillaQueen]

Another team with poor defense it torn apart by the Germans.

[Odyssey]

Odyssey Wrote:

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> As far as I am concerned the world cup is over.

> All the best teams are now gone and all you'll

> need now is for Germany to beat Argentina.

What did I say? The World Cup is dead.

[Odyssey]

The TV has been turned off. I'm taking an early holiday. I've had enough.

[ruffers]

Maybe England weren't so bad after all..

(NB, this is a joke)

[citizenED]

Germany 4 - 1 England

Germany 4 - 0 Argentina

Hurrah! we are better than Argentina

[DJKillaQueen]

Oh England were really bad and the Argentina defense has always been suspect too. Germany is the first decent team they've had to play and perhaps only one of three 'complete' teams in the tournament. Brazil were complete until they lost their heads for 20 minutes against the Dutch.

Odyssey, the world cup is not dead. You may have romantic nostalgis for the great Argentinian and Brazilian teams of the past, where a single player could win it for them, but what you have to remember is that in the modern football era there are no mystery players with magical talents. Every player is well known to their opposition and teams are far more evenly matched.

Only teams that are disciplined and strong in every area of the game are going to have any chance of winning. Argentina were never that kind of team. Germany, like Holland and Spain have shown themselves to be otherwise. They mark the danger men out of the game and break with pace and punish with top notch finishing. So far those three teams have been excellent on the whole - because they play as complete teams.

[????]

Another cracker. I think the quarter finals have been fantastic.

[Keef]

I like Spain, but haven't been overly impressed. They need to up their game to stand a chance against this Germany team.

[????]

Agreed. But it was another cracking game (2nd half anyway). At this stage in 2006 the World Cup went crap but this time the quarter finals have been excellent entertainment.

[Mick Mac]

citizenED Wrote:

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> Germany 4 - 1 England

> Germany 4 - 0 Argentina

>

> Hurrah! we are better than Argentina

Eh - less sh1t than Argentina.

[DJKillaQueen]

???? Wrote:

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> Another cracker. I think the quarter finals have

> been fantastic.

Yep I agree. Spain v Germany...well it's Villa vs Klose isn't it.....who can say which way it will go?

[ruffers]

Me - Germany 3-1.

[????]

Penalties.

[Mick Mac]

Today's winnings on Germany to win todays game (can you believe they were 9/4 to beat the Argies) have been dumped on the Geeeeermiins to win the Cup also at 9/4.

[matthew123]

Very impressed with Germany, different style to Spain, but very positive in how the play football. From what I've seen last few weeks I think they'll beat Spain on Wednesday night.

Although it is a simple concept, how many teams do you actually see making the right decisions of pass at the right time and to a player unmarked.. rather than dawdling and passing it down cul-de-sacs. They are a well oiled counter attacking team.

I think for the neutral this has been a great World Cup.

[Mick Mac]

A "great" World Cup - not sure I'd agree entirely Matt. I think there have been a scarcity of great matches but the quarter finals has lifted it massively and hopefully there is much more to come. Germany Spain should be good and then to cap it off hopfully the winner will meet Holland in the final. We have not had an exciting final for a while so hope this one is a good one.

[DJKillaQueen]

I agree with Mac. The opening rounds, notably the group games were poor on the whole. Germany are definitely the suprise of the tournament and they have the momentum so Spain will need to up it a gear I think. I think a Germany/ Holland Final would give us a great game (as opposed to a Spain/ Holland final which might be an anti-climax).

[????]

I think most of the games since and including the final set of group games have been exciting with some ok football. The stars generally haven't shone but all in all not a bad World Cup. Germany 2006 (the competition) started well and then got worse thsi is at least going the right way. 6/10. I think Germany Holland would be good final too and a kind of reverse in roles of the 1974 one.

[jimmy two times]

My new Dutch girlfriend really enjoyed the quarter final result. So much so that she came home with a Brazilian.