The Official 2006 World Cup in Germany Thread

If you look at what the odds makers said before the cup:

Latest World Cup Betting Odds
11-4 Brazil, 13-2 England, 7-1 Germany, 8-1 Argentina, Italy 10-1, France 12-1, Spain 14-1, Netherland 18-1, Portugal 20-1, Czech Republic* 28-1, Sweden 40-1, Mexico 50-1, Croatia*, Ukraine 66-1, Poland, Ivory Coast* 80-1, Switzerland 100-1, Serbia & Montenegro, U.S.A. 125-1, Australia, Ecuador 150-1, Japan, Paraguay 250-1, Ghana 300-1, South Korea, Tunisia 400-1, Angola, Togo 500-1, Costa Rica & Iran, 750-1 Saudi Arabia 1,000-1 Trinidad&Tobago.

You absolutely picked the exact same teams that every oddsmaker in the world picked to advance. Well done.

13 of the top 16 advanced. The three that did not were ranked 10, 13 and 16th. Hardly upsets.

Can you look into your crystal ball and tell me who you like in the Brasil-Ghana game?

right. My post wasnt intended as tapping my own shoulder as genius.
It was rather intended as sum up of what I've seen watching every game including an outlook based on my previuos outlook (that wasnt entirely wrong )

There was much rumble as ever about Europe being overrated, not deserving 14 seats, especially from Africa who claims a 5th seat.
Now only 1 African team is through to second round, their teams combining 10 points in 12 games (=36 possible points), and Ghana benefitted from a very dicy penalty while the 2 top Czech strikers fell out because of injuries ...

*Not commenting on the highfyling ambitions of worldrank 5 last semifinalist USA, last quarter finalist Korea, Japan, Irans "best team ever" ... its sport*

Lets see tonight, both games will be TOUGH even though I hope to see Germany and Argentina through ...

Nobody really had the USA doing much. They were clearly ranked 5 because of who they qualified against. As you can see, they were 125-1. They're clearly a mid level team that can get lucky and tie Italy or play poorly and lose to Ghana.

The US only made it to the Semis last time because they played Mexico which is the one team in the planet that they can consistantly beat.

I don't see sneaking into a quarter final and getting destroyed as a sign of a good team. (Korea, Japan, USA after beating Mexico.)

I certainly won't be surprised in 4 years if Ghana doesn't break the quarters.

Any mid level team can have a good game and beat (or tie) a higher level team. But to win 3 games like that (quarter, semi, finals) I think you'd actually have to be good.

The clock has struck 12 and it's time for Cinderella to go home.

Goodbye Ghana and Goodbye Australia. The big boys are going to play football now.

YAY YAY YAY for Germany

Boo for seeing the world's prettiest team go

Also boo for losing some of the free money the bookies gave me because I over-estimated Argentina, but yay cause I put some on Germany, too, in spite of all the doubts I had

Oh, and YAY for Klinsmann bringing the team so far despite all the know-it-alls like Beckenbauer and Matthäus telling him off all the time.

And YAY for Podolski finally wakig up and showing class

And happy 60th, mum Not that she'll read it, but she made me miss the 2nd half for her party

Bend it like...

Hee hee... OK, I'll shut up about this but I thought the rest of the world might like to know what was on US network television instead of the World Cup game.

WB: Stupid Comedy (repeat),
UPN: Stargate Atlantis (repeat),
ABC: Golf,
FOX: NAASCAR,
NBC: HALF PIPE SKATEBOARDING COMPETITION,
CBS: yes, you guessed it... TEXAS HOLD EM POKER.

What a silly country I live in.

I guess if you can't tell the difference between the Netherlands and Portugal a soccer game between the two isn't that interesting. Though watching cars turn left or watching other people play cards isn't that exciting to start with...

Sign from the TV Gods to get out of the house.

I want to go and be a hooligan and watch the game on the big screen in the city tonight...but none of my mates want to go! Even though I am a little scared cos there is going to be about 10,000 people there!

Well, Germany and Argentina (no surprises) england (barely, but ecuador didn't get it together) and portugal, whom i was expecting to go out in the next round, but.... they just won a game with nine players and an injured keeper, maybe they've got something going for them! Certainly england hasn't been playing well so I'll call for them to make it through... (portugal, that is) Brazil obviously, and personally I favour the Ukraine to Switzerland. ... I'm missing two teams. Oh yes, Spain, of course, france has been sucking, and.... er... well I'm sure Ukraine was the only slightly odd team I was picking anyway. Oh, whoever is playing australia! Erm... they'll win I'm sure which means brasil and oh yes, italy, for the next round. (ok, I looked it up). how boring. I think I'll root for australia.

So why was Beckham wearing a long sleeved shirt?

 Written by:

at least you don't have to get up at 1am to watch the game live ... bloody northern hemisphere

ahem, I got bad news for you the Earth rotates sideways, so next WC in South Africa still means you have to get up at 1 am

The good news is you might have a slight chance against Italy should they again dont get their act together and Austrailia fight as brave as ever, but I only expect the latter ...

Yeah, no surprises so far in round 2, apart from HOW Germany and England won their games. Portugal will pay for those yellow/redcards dearly ...

Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Italy in the semis ...

INFAMY!
That was no penatly, never. I guess the ref was tired to run on and made a concession for the red card. Also, Italians have divers track record falling like autumn leaves in the endzone ... sorry Australia.

I stayed up with my friends and watched the game and we've spent the last 30 minutes cursing the free kick. Pfft. That was rubbish!

oh well, that's the best Australia's ever done! wooohoo, good work guys

...wanders out mumbling something about the acting skills of the italians....


at least my sleeping pattern can return to normal now

penalty kick, no? because there were no people? and what beckham did, with people in the way, was a free kick? Or am I wrong?

So, Brasil, Germany, Ukraine, Portugal in the semis But Portugal will pay big time for all those cards.... man, germany and brazil in the final, booo-ring.

Well. 'twas no penalty, but it wasn't really a red card for the Italian guy either (and let's not even start on cards in the Portugal match...). Pity for Australia, but they had 95 minutes to score, and most of that against 10...

And the Ukraine match was (and I hoped I would never have to say that) worse than yesterday's England match. Again pity I can't say "Hopp Schwyz" anymore, but if you don't score in 90 minutes, or even 120. Hmmm.

Not sure whether I think Italy or Ukraine will win after those crxp games, and the same with a bad England against Portugal without 2 good players!

Damn Italy always likes to play dirty! what an absolute joke!

However considering we had never even scored at a world cup before, making it into the round of 16 is slightly DAMN GOOD methinks.

I always thought the shorts were good for showing off nice arses

Hey, I understand offsides perfectly. You can't tell me I know NOTHING about it

 Written by:

Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Italy in the semis ...

4:2 ... Here we go ... Achtung Italy