FIFA: Germany 2006

[gr3atfull]

Tomorrow is a big day!

FIFA 2006 will start tomorrow in Germany. The games will be located in 12 different cities (Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Hanover, Kaiserslautern, Leipzig, Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart). It will be for one month (June 9th to July 9th)

32 countries will participate are:

Angola
Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Costa Rica
Côte d’Ivoire
Croatia
Czech Republic
Ecuador
England
France
Germany
Ghana
Iran
Italy
Japan
Korea Republic
Mexico
Netherlands
Paraguay
Poland
Portugal
Saudi Arabia
Serbia and Montenegro
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Togo
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Ukraine
And finally United States

Of course, I will be cheering for Iran. If they loose, I will be cheering for any other third world country since they are usually better at soccer than anyone (my opinion).

Any soccer fans, or any lucky person going to Germany to watch the games?

For more information about the schedule, teams, or anything else: http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/

[Thi3f]

....................

[Xollence]

I doubt this year's Korean team will be able to get up to 4th place again.

[FrogKing]

I can't wait till tomorrow!!! I will be planted at a local pub watching Germany vs Costa Rica bright and early! In a couple of weeks I will be in Germany watching either a 2nd round match or a quarter final game (depending on the match ups). I am pulling for the US (but their chances of exiting the group play is gonna be a stretch) and Japan (another tough bracket with the Aussie's, Kewell is back!, and of course Brazil). In Germany, I'll be surrounded by Brazians (my sister-in-law's family) so I am sure the Samba fever will be infectious and i'll be on board with them. CAN'T WAIT!!!

[gr3atfull]

Well, FrogKing, lucky you. I really envy you! When you are going to watch the games, please take pictures and post them!

[PSJ]

Tomorrow is a big day!



Of course, I will be cheering for Iran. If they loose, I will be cheering for any other third world country since they are usually better at soccer than anyone (my opinion).

That doesn't make sense. The team that scores the most goals is the better team.

I want Sweden to win of course but we will probably only make it to the quarter finals. A friend of mine who is a huge soccer fan and also knows very much said that he thinks Argentina will take it home this year so i'm going with them for the gold.

[gr3atfull]

What do you mean it doesnt make sense?

[Splash!]

Finally a World Cup Thread!!
Damn you Frogking you Lucky Bastard! I hope you have a great time though and you probably will.
Personally i am rooting for Italy being a big Italian soccer fan. I think alot of nations have assembled good teams this year that have the potential to go all the way. A lot of people think its going to be all about Brazil but i would definitely disagree with them. Sweden has good chances of getting quite far, what, with Larsson and Imbrahimovic. Although it was sad that the Dutch didnt even qualify last year, i think they will do quite well this year as well. The German team isnt looking all that strong apart from well maybe Ballack but home support can make all the difference!

[Winged Dancer]

Some people here at saying that we, Mexico, actually have a chance of winning this year.

I, of course, laugh loudly at the idea. Please! If we get to quarters that's too much.

Anyway, I bed some kind of freaky time-and-matter alteration Japan will be champion, and then they'll make 4673 anime series about it.

Otherwise, my money's on Brazil, they're usually the best team and while normally France would give them a run for their money I heard that one of their best players broke a leg yesterday or something.

Germany itself is a pretty good team, same goes for England, Italy and Holland... I wouldn't mind any of those teams to win, maybe because of the extremely stupid and shallow reason of the players being pretty good-looking.

I won't be watching the games at any rate, so, eh, I'll just come to yell if Mexico happens to win any matches.

*leaves topic*

[PSJ]

What do you mean it doesnt make sense?

You wrote that third world countries are usually better(in your opinion). If you would have left "in your opinion" out of it it would have made sense. The strength of a team isn't a personal preference, that was what i meant by it not making any sense. Now i am not a big soccer enthusiast but from what i know there are just as many first world countries in the top as there are 3rd world countries.


@WD: Italians looking good? Blasphemy!! All soccer players are homos! Real men play more manly sports.

On a more serious note, i would be suprised if Germany got far, one of their key players injured himself a short while ago and they had at least 4 more players who were uncertain if they could play.

Holland kicked our asses in the last European championship so i hope they get kicked out early, we had a good game against Italy that same year so i think it's a bit more open this year. But Brazil and Argentina will probably duke it out for the Gold, and Argentina will come out on top after a late goal in the second half, that's my bet. Would love to see Sweden repeat 1994 and take a bronze.

[gr3atfull]

^
Now I understand what you mean.

[Edort4]

Its Hard to say who is going to win (anyone bet for greece 2 years ago?). Germany plays at home, that alone is a plus (ask korea if its not) so they are going to get far, like brasil.

Then we have another few teams that have the potential to win and playing in europe will help teams like france, italy, holland, england etc to play "at home". So im betting lots of europe teams at quarters plus brazil and maybe argentina (a team with LOTS of potential but sometimes they play like shit, like at the last world cup). Czech rep is another team to watch, not favourite but has great players, maybe we can see them at semifinals.

Here we are always talking about winning or going to the finals but we always fall at quarters, people think that having one of the worlds best leagues makes you automatically a favourite.

Lets see what happens in this first games. To win or lose the first match is half of the competition.

[ChaosK]

Yeah, I got this weird feeling that Argentina is gonna win it (3 years ago I was in Taiwan for the Fifa cup and I won an Argentina Fifa bear...it was at some sorta carnival...I digress)

[DB_Hunter]

Well I live in England and all the debate has been skewed by Wayne Rooney's metatarsel (a bone in the foot) injury and if he will play in the world cup or not. Apparantly he has recovered now but is not match fit, so no one really knows when he will get to play. Of course everyone in England expects the team to progress past the group stages... personally I think alot depends on the first game against Paraguay... if England beat Paraguay then I think it is safe to assume they will be in the next round, since I don't forsee Trinadad & Tobago giving any trouble. A draw against Sweden would be enough anyway.

[Munsu]

I've always liked Italy to win it, and they've always dissapointed me. Even with the chance to win it in penalty kicks, with your best player kicking, he fucking misses. Last time, they got robbed in Korea, we can all agree to that.

If the Italians don't make it, i'd like for Argentina or Spain to get it. I kinda like the England team too, and then comes the United States, even though I don't like them as a soccer team, being "American" I'll always have a small portion of myself rooting for them.

Sweden and Germany are always fun to watch. Don't care much for France, and I've always hated the Brazil team, I hope they lose in an embarrassing fashion.

[DB_Hunter]

What's wrong with the Brazil team? They are like the magicians of world football on most days. I think you don't have to worry as to how they lose... if they do lose they will do so in an embarassing manner.

[Splash!]

Even with the chance to win it in penalty kicks, with your best player kicking, he fucking misses.

Ahh Baggio, such a great player yet that one penalty kick scars him for life. Yeah Italy has been dissappointing over the years, in particular the national team has had lousy coaches that have focused too much on defense. However, this time around the Italian team is more centered around midfield and attack which hasnt happened in a long time. Although i am not that big a fan of brazil either, but players like ronaldinho and kaka just make me like the brazilian squad all that much more. The others this time around dont grab my attention all that much but those two are really something. And as already mentioned, Czech Republic shows a lot of promise

[RyougaZell]

I should be rooting (sp?) for Mexico... but until I see their first game I won't... they kinda sucked in the friendly matches.

Anyway... my money is on Spain, Portugal, Corea and Ecuador.
Why them? Cause those are the teams I got via draw. Im paying 250 pesos (about 22dlls), and if any of those 4 win the World Cup (come on Portugal...) I'll win 1600 pesos (about 145 dlls).

Now... aside from money... Croatia, England or Germany should win. I want a Latin team to win... but Im kinda sick of both Argentina and Brazil... out of those two... only Mexico and... well... bleh to my own team...

Oh yeah... I hope USA get eliminated on the first round

[kooshi]

Being a Korean myself, I'll obviously be rooting for Korea. At least this time, they won't luck out as they did last time. I saw so many things that weren't suppose to happen in favor of Korea, so at least this year will be different. I'd like to see how well they do without the home advantage ^^

[Psyke]

World Cup starts today! Going to be a long month for me with all those late night matches due to the time difference. I watch the English Premiere League, but I seriously have doubts that England is going to win it. I'm going to support Japan and England, but I have this feeling Brazil is going to be champions (again).