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Originally Posted by ShaunHillFTW49
SA 3 Mexico 1
People talking crazy wild in this thread, from all sides.
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Originally Posted by ShaunHillFTW49
SA 3 Mexico 1
People might be talkin' crazy, but that particular prediction isn't wild. Maybe on a neutral field Mexico would smash, but this will be the first World Cup game ever held in Africa, and the crowd will be absolutely wild. Korea came out in 2002 and beat Poland and Portugal in the group. You can't underestimate home-field advantage in the World Cup, especially when it's such a huge/historic first game. Not sure if Mexico, or any other team, would be able to deal with it. I wouldn't be surprised if Mexico won, but you're nuts if you think South Africa can't pull out the win in that atmosphere.Originally Posted by CincoSeisDos
Originally Posted by ShaunHillFTW49
SA 3 Mexico 1
People talking crazy wild in this thread, from all sides.
exactlyOriginally Posted by PersiaFly
I don't think there is any need to argue in extremes. The truth is probably that the US is capable of giving England trouble if it plays as well as it did towards the end of the CC, but England is a better team overall. Counting out the Yanks would be dumb, but saying they should/will beat England is equally dumb. To me it's a classic underdog-with-a-fighting-chance matchup.
Don't underestimate the amount of Mex fans that will be in attendance. Just like you heard chants of "PUTO" last night, you'll be hearing them come June 11. Mex. fans travel extremely well and drop cash to watch their team play, I wouldn't be surprised if there are more Mex fans at the game than actual SA fans...with neutrals rooting for SA.Originally Posted by PersiaFly
People might be talkin' crazy, but that particular prediction isn't wild. Maybe on a neutral field Mexico would smash, but this will be the first World Cup game ever held in Africa, and the crowd will be absolutely wild. Korea came out in 2002 and beat Poland and Portugal in the group. You can't underestimate home-field advantage in the World Cup, especially when it's such a huge/historic first game. Not sure if Mexico, or any other team, would be able to deal with it. I wouldn't be surprised if Mexico won, but you're nuts if you think South Africa can't pull out the win in that atmosphere.Originally Posted by CincoSeisDos
Originally Posted by ShaunHillFTW49
SA 3 Mexico 1
People talking crazy wild in this thread, from all sides.
Originally Posted by DownyBoy
Don't underestimate the amount of Mex fans that will be in attendance. Just like you heard chants of "PUTO" last night, you'll be hearing them come June 11. Mex. fans travel extremely well and drop cash to watch their team play, I wouldn't be surprised if there are more Mex fans at the game than actual SA fans...with neutrals rooting for SA.Originally Posted by PersiaFly
People might be talkin' crazy, but that particular prediction isn't wild. Maybe on a neutral field Mexico would smash, but this will be the first World Cup game ever held in Africa, and the crowd will be absolutely wild. Korea came out in 2002 and beat Poland and Portugal in the group. You can't underestimate home-field advantage in the World Cup, especially when it's such a huge/historic first game. Not sure if Mexico, or any other team, would be able to deal with it. I wouldn't be surprised if Mexico won, but you're nuts if you think South Africa can't pull out the win in that atmosphere.Originally Posted by CincoSeisDos
Originally Posted by ShaunHillFTW49
SA 3 Mexico 1
People talking crazy wild in this thread, from all sides.
btw, some english reporters were asking their mexican counterparts why the mexican fans were chanting "futbol" after the goalie kicked it.
More Mexicans than South Africans in South Africa?Originally Posted by DownyBoy
Don't underestimate the amount of Mex fans that will be in attendance. Just like you heard chants of "PUTO" last night, you'll be hearing them come June 11. Mex. fans travel extremely well and drop cash to watch their team play, I wouldn't be surprised if there are more Mex fans at the game than actual SA fans...with neutrals rooting for SA.Originally Posted by PersiaFly
People might be talkin' crazy, but that particular prediction isn't wild. Maybe on a neutral field Mexico would smash, but this will be the first World Cup game ever held in Africa, and the crowd will be absolutely wild. Korea came out in 2002 and beat Poland and Portugal in the group. You can't underestimate home-field advantage in the World Cup, especially when it's such a huge/historic first game. Not sure if Mexico, or any other team, would be able to deal with it. I wouldn't be surprised if Mexico won, but you're nuts if you think South Africa can't pull out the win in that atmosphere.Originally Posted by CincoSeisDos
Originally Posted by ShaunHillFTW49
SA 3 Mexico 1
People talking crazy wild in this thread, from all sides.
btw, some english reporters were asking their mexican counterparts why the mexican fans were chanting "futbol" after the goalie kicked it.
Don't listen to himOriginally Posted by CincoSeisDos
Originally Posted by ShaunHillFTW49
SA 3 Mexico 1
People talking crazy wild in this thread, from all sides.
Even "casual soccer fans" will get swept up by patriotic pride and will root for the team with everything they've got. They might not be a soccer country, but this is about much more than just soccer. It's the country's first major chance to show its unity and spirit after apartheid, much like Germany used WC2006 to dispel any remaining Nazi connotations. Maybe in the third group game, if South Africa has already bowed out, the crowd won't be too crazy about them, but the Mexico game will be insane.Originally Posted by DownyBoy
Key word is "actual" SA fans. Coworker of mine is from SA and has family ties to some of the people in charge of ticket sales for the WC. A lot of tickets went to casual soccer fans and even more went to scalpers for that opening game...more than you can even imagine. Sure its going to be a ruckus crowd, but it definitely won't be entirely in favor of SA. You have to realize SA is not a soccer country, far from it. They'll be there to support their team, but it won't be the same as with other host nations.
I pretty much agree with everything you said... taking everyone to school.Originally Posted by Carlos Tevez
Back in 06 I said Argentina or Brazil would win the 2010 WC since a European country has never won the WC outside of Europe.
Almost 4 years later and Brazil look to be very strong while Argentina barely qualified.
Brazil are a much different squad from the past 16 years or so. They are almost as good in defence and central midfield as any country in the world. This teamdoes not have 1-2 stars that'll carry the load offensively like Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, in the recent past. They just have a bunch of guyswho can score goals for them. This is a very solid counter-attacking team with few weaknesses. They are one of the big favorites going into the WC.
Argentina barely qualified but it does not matter how you performed in WCQ. The biggest problem for Argentina is that they now have only 5 months to figure outwhat their starting formation is going to look like. The top teams in the world have stuck with the same core players for the last 2-years or so whileArgentina have been changing their line-up on a game-to-game basis. This team is stacked up front with guys like Tevez, Aguero, Messi, Milito, Higuian, etc.all capable of scoring goals. The problem is that only 2 of them can start unless Maradona decides to go with a 4-3-3 formation. Argentina's centralmidfield and defence are very shaky. They have their ball winner in Mascherano but they lack a central midfielder who can link up the defence with attack.Argentina have some good defenders but Maradona keeps opting to go with bums like Gabriel Heinze. This is a team that will not have trouble advancing out oftheir group due to talent alone but I'm not sure they're capable of keeping tight at the back when the goals dry up in the late stages of thistournament.
I think Spain are the European team with the best chance of making history and winning the WC outside of its continent. This team is stacked with no realweakness. The knock against Spain is that this team is not very tough mentally and they choke in big matches. I think this is a very different team and guyslike Torres, Fabregas, Xavi, Iniesta, Puyols, etc. are no strangers to adversity. This is a team that'll fight to the death and make it deep in thistourney. Del Bosque's only real dilemma is who he'll start in midfield. Spain went with Xavi, Iniesta and Senna during Euro 08 but then went with Xavi,Fabregas and Xabi Alonso during the Confederations Cup since Iniesta and Senna were injured.
If they all stay healthy, Del Bosque will have to choose 3 of Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Iniesta, Fabregas, Senna, Busquets to start for Spain. I can see him goingwith Xabi Alonso or Senna as his defensive midfielder, Xavi next to them as the CM with Iniesta on one of the wings and Fabregas as the roamingattacking-midfielder.
England are very good defensively and will probably come out of their group unbeaten but I'm not confident in their attackers' ability to score somegoals once they meet some healthy competition. Assuming that England win Group C, they have a relatively easy road to the semi-finals as long as one of theseeded teams dont finish 2nd. If France dont win Group A then England wont have anyone standing in their way of a final 4 spot.
You cant rule Italy or Germany...2 traditional WC power houses.
I'm not too confident in Holland...they've let me down way too many times in the past. I may be wrong but I think their biggest weakness is defence.
Portugal are a very strong team defensively but they do not have anyone to score for them other than C. Ronaldo. They may be forced to go with him as theircentral forward in the WC.
France are not that strong but they are in a relatively easy group. This is a team that had trouble scoring during WCQ and were not that good defensively.Anelka, Henry and Gignac wont scare anyone. Come to think of it, they scored 2 lucky !!$ goals vs. Ireland. The first one by Anelka was a weak shot that got deflected into the net. Thesecond goal by Gallas was set up by Henry's hand. Sorry France fans but there is little reason to support this team unless you're French. They'renot a very entertaining team to watch and Domenech's tactics will have you shaking your fists in anger.