Lets get ready to rumble!!!!!!

Italy and France met in the 2006 final,in 2010 they met at the airport!!!

Things will get very interesting from here on in.Teams will have to go for goals now and we will see more exciting games.Some peoples comments about this being the worst world cup ever have been very harsh.People had said this after just a handfull of games. Group stages are always like this. You just have to get the job done. Teams who have not impressed in their groups have often went on to win the World Cup. Thats why you can't write England,Spain etc.. off

A lot of people have questioned the defensive aspects of a lot of sides in the World Cup....but why does that surprise anyone???I can't speak for the South American teams or Asian teams, but in Ireland and England why does this surprise us?If you try and do a piece of skill (a backheel,a flick etc...) you get lamented by the other players "cut out the tricks.....stop the messing!!!!".I remember once I did a great piece of skill and still got abuse from my own players. This sort of culture exists in football today,in a lot of countries. The South American teams encourage skill because they know how important it is to turn a game. The great players are great because they are masters at one on one situations,their skill can beat their opponent,with a little shimmy or faint. That may well be the key to winning this World Cup. It is decision maijg plus your skill. Thats the problem these days, people don't express themselves enough!!!They stay within themselves!!!!

I am still backing Brazil to win because they have players who have skills,combined with discipline (bar last night lol) and experience to win the World Cup :-)

Gary

Aussie Aussie Aussie Bye Bye Bye

It's was upsetting to see the exit of our adopted nation today from the glory of the World Cup. Many people are blaming Pem and his slighlty negative play, but it was really lost with two moments of madness from Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell. Noone can deny that those two incidents jepordised the team getting enough points and goals.

With that said the side showed real guts, determination and a never say die attitude that would make any man proud. Let's hope the future manager of Australia witnessed this fight. One learns more from a loss than a win so this could be the silver lineing.

One final acknowledgement for a super effort by the team. CLAP CLAP CLAP

Finally after 35 games we got to witness a free kick from South Korea of all nations. Let's hope it's got the ball rolling (pardon the pun). The Asian sides seem to have a great master of this ball and always seem to get the height perfect.

Also a mention must go to 7-0 Portugal V Korea DPR. Fantastic and I witnessed it and taught there you go Tom. Some goals for you. Most ever in FIFA world cup game.

I sit here right now about to watch New Zealand V Paraguay and pray that perhaps I will witness another Magic Moment. Twice now New Zealand have dazzled (slightly over flattering) and shocked the world can they do it again.Fingers and toes crossed. Was Going to put up Kiwi flag but Amy would give out to me.

Enjoying the Cup,

Conor

Seeing Red

Apart from the poor performances from England & France, the level of refs at the WC also leaves a lot to be desired. Not surprising really when Fifa recruit refs from Uzbekistan, Mali and the Seychelles!!

Many of these refs have shown themselves to be very trigger-happy with their cards, racking up some ridiculous stats. Nine days into the WC and we've already had as many red cards - 9 averaging one for every 3 games! Refs have also dished out an astonishing 111 yellow cards!

The worst effected teams have been the Socceroos with 2 reds/ 4 yellows & their group rivals Serbia with 1 red/ 8 yellows. The game with the most cards so far, was Germany Vs Serbia with 1 red and 8 yellows!

Harry Kewell received the fastest red card so far, 24mins into the Ghana game on Saturday night. While Kaka took the record last night for the least time between bookings with 2 yellows and a red in 3mins!

It's easy to give out about the referees and obviously a lot of the bookings were warranted. But their split-second decisions have been off the mark, inconsistent & have made a massive impact on games for the wrong reasons. I hope Fifa intervene and get it sorted before the knockout stages.

*Update: 11 days - 11 Red cards!

My thoughts so far.......

Well we are well in to the second round of World cup games,and personally I think it has got going now.The pressure is off in a way,in these second round games,most of the teams have to go for it now!!!!The first games were cautious,hit teams on the break and defend like lions!!!

England have been very dissapointing so far.Tom made the point that they don't play with a smile on their faces.Thats exactely right.They all look like they are carrying the pressure of their public!!A smile or two would'nt go astray.The teams that are doing well are the confident ones and the ones that (cliche) go out and enjoy the game.Argentina,Holland,South Korea(although they suffered a heavy defeat).Englands fans were a disgrace,Rooney was correct in what he said(apologised after it mind).Look at the sheer frustration in his eyes!!!!!If only they had Scholsey in there!!!

Argentina look very impressive so far.Great options up front.Although no free kick has been scored so far,I am impressed by their set pieces and they will score more from dead ball situations.They have players(mainly defenders) who will go in where it hurts,thats vital to have.

Serbia have impressed me aswell.I feel that they should have beaten Ghana.They were well in control in that game,but the penalty killed them.Technically they are excellant and physically they are very strong.Serbia is a very up and coming market now(there is a lot of attention there at the moment).They are producing quality players.They should try to avoid stupid mistakes that have led to penalties and they will do well.

The African teams.....well,although I said they were impressive in my other post,I did say before the competition that they would struggle with this expectation that they will do very well in this competition.Of course luck can play its part.Nigeria seem to have capitualted recently,against Greece they had the lions share of posession!!!

I think it has been an exciting World Cup so far and I am not just saying that to go against public opinion.Most fans feel let down.I think that referee's have spoilt the games.Last night,Australia were shot in the foot by the referee.Harry Keweel was looking lively too.Book him and give a penalty referee,not a sending off.Referees are following the book too closley and not counting to 10 before they make a decision.Slow it down guys,I bet they are regretting pulling the cards out at every opportunity.USA and Germany aswell were unlucky with decisions.

Big teams are struggling,Spain had a shock result but should go through.But who knows,lesser teams have no fear and that is great to see.I loved the passion of the North Korean player during their anthemn and the USA fan who was in tears when they got the equaliser.Thats the passion that makes this game the best in the world.

Gary

FIFA FAN FEST

Tonight we got to experience one of the 6 Exclusive FIFA Fan Fest locations with the others being Rio, Paris, Berlin Rome and Mexico City. The site is in Darling Harbour with 3 Massive screens in the water which can be viewed by approximetly 20,000 people. It's a sample of what would be on offer in South Africa.

We (Tom, Amy, Gary, Charlie Joe, Gar and myself) were all excited about Australia's chances. It was a realistic goal for Australia to achieve all three points against Ghana. Tim Cahill suspension did make it a little more challenging but we all had hope in Harry Kewell.

I taught I would attempted to bring a bit of a carnival atmosphere to the whole event and painted my hair the Aussie colours Green and yellow. We were ready Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi.......

The arena was pretty impressive and we arrived just in time for kick off. The game kicked off with a huge shot of fire from Darling Harbour giant screens. It was going to be good.

Australia started amazingly and grabbed a quick goal thanks to good play by Kewell. This wasn't to last though and before 30 minutes was gone Kewell was deamed to handball it on the line and receive a RED CARD and conceed a penalty..

Looking at this reply it seemed so harsh for Kewell to have to take an early bath. The referee simply took out his card and ruined the game. Ithink 2o minutes into a game you need to think a little about making such a big decision. To be fair the sending off resulted in a strong unity with the remaining 10 men. They dug deep and kept pushing for the winner. Unfortunetly it never came for the Aussies. Australia can hold their heads high from this but it most likely won't be enough to gain qualification. They will need to defeat Serbia significantly. Cahill is back so he needs to make up for lost time prompto.

The referee has the most important job on pitch so that's why it's cruical to ensure you get the best in the business. Referees seem to be making some cruical mistakes so the idea of two referees on half a pitch each may not be bad idea although I believe the notion of a referee underanding players better to be another great option. This can be achieved by trained old pros.

Heads up everyone,

Conor

Who will save England??

Why? Why are they playing so poorly on the big stage and couldn't muster up a goal against the Algerians never mind a victory. A team so talented, with players from the alleged 'best league' in the world cant put a goal past a goalie who plays in the Bulgarian league in his 2nd game for his country?!!!

Well my theory is simply the team are crippled by the weight of expectation and pressure on their shoulders. I think the fun has been taken out of representing their country. The players dont play with a smile on their faces and it tells in the way they play. They are afraid...afraid of making a mistake, afraid of failing and their fear is paralysing them. I for one am not one of those England begrudgers who hopes they lose every game they play. I would like to see them do well. However at the moment I have been let down.

I mean the little football they are playing has been very average. No player is performing to his capabilities. Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney and Terry are world class players but neither has taken any game by the scruff of the neck and played outstanding yet. They are weighed down by fear!! They cant express themselves, like they do for their clubs every week, on the pitch.

I hope England will relax, enjoy their football again. Just play to their strengths and believe in themselves. I hope they give Slovenia a good thumping... but i dont hold my breath.....


TOM BURKE

Argie Bargie

Last night saw the first really classic game of the world cup it had ups and downs, laughs and crys, arguements and agreement, drama and that was only watching it with Charlie, Gary, Joe and Ger.

Argentina stepped up and said look at us we can score and win this competition. Argentina have really showed up the Spanish and Brazillians and a response is needed in their next games.

Messi was majestic as usual and feature strongly in the build up to all the goals. Higuain was awesome and with the lack of goals so far in this competition he is the man to knock of the perch for top goal scorer. Aguero was a good sub by Maradona. He helped Argentina kick themselves out of a 20 minute spell in which South Korea showed us why they can be a good side.

South Korea played well and in someways 4-1 may have been a harsh score for them. They need to beat Nigeria in their last game and hope that Greece don't pull of a shock result against Argentina.

The Greece game was looking to be another dull affair until Nigeria got Sani Kaita sent off for a moment of pure stupidity when he kicked out. Silly move that cost his country the game. Victor Enyeama pulled off some amazing saves for Nigeria but really should have done better for one of the goals.

Just finished watching the France game and Mexico deserved it. France are so bad. They look like they don't want to be at this competition.

Still watching for you,

Conor

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE BOO BOO BOO

Ok my headline may sound like I'm going to rip into the Australian team but that's further from the truth then possible. I believe AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE BOO BOO BOO to be the attitude of the Australians thus far. I want to see more believe from people. Anything is possible. So come on the Australian contingent let's see some genuine spirit. I got my Australian colours on most days so come on the nation of Australia.

Enough ranting let's find out WHAT I TAUGHT OF THE GAME's so far. Well I'm an extremely positive person so I will always find something good about everything but it is slighltly surprising the lack of goals in the cup so far. Tom blames it on the Jabulani Football but I really don't think it's as big an impact as you might think. It was only before the tournament that footballers stated they taught there would be too many goals as a result of the ball. So it doesn't work two ways. Maybe lots of unlucky players, good defending, smart tactics, super keepers or a combination of all. Anyways goals don't just define the beautiful game so lets stay patient.

I will agree with Tom in regards to his comment on the European Championships. It is a well known fact with many footballers commenting on how much more dificult it is to win it then the World Cup. The reason behind this is because overall European based countries are of a higher quality then the likes of some of the lower outfits who make the cut for the World Cup.

So far no team has stated this is my World Cup and I want it bad but the Spanish are up tonight and I hope they will be the team to do that.

WORLD CUP MAGIC MOMENT

It's time for my section in which I describe a magic moment in the world cup. This can come in the form of a goal, something funny or both. This one is definetly a magic moment. It was the 88th minute of Slovakia V New Zealand. I bet was a few people who skipped this game or maybe assummed it was over after 85 minutes. If you were one of those guys/ girls too bad you missed out.

Moments before the commentator stated basicly that New Zealand should be happy that they can tell their grandchildren at least that they played in a World Cup finals. He meant they had no chance of progression from their group. Up stepped a Danish-New Zealander to level things up with the Slovakians in a SWEET AS move. Great cross and a cool finish. The New Zealand team are going to fight in the group and the commentator better know it too.

Keep Reading

Conor

SHUT THE 'VUVUZELA' UP!!!

So we are nearing the end of round one of games and I have to say my taughts so far are...a little disappointment. I think the footy has been of an average standard so far with Germany being the exceptions. The teams seem to be too afraid to lose to really go for it. Some of the teams are just poor.. Algeria, Slovenia, Greece and Australia! But thats the nature of these early stages I suppose. But this tournament has renewed my belief that the Euros is a better 'footballing' tournament.

Having said that I'm really looking forward to the coming weeks as I reckon the teams are just taking a while to settle in, getting used to the ball, release those first game nerves and adapt to the annoying vuvuzelas!!!

THOMAS BURKE

Tactical changes

I am enjoying the World Cup so far.We have seen some great goals and the African teams are impressive so far.They are big,strong and fast.Nigeria were unlucky against Argentina but with Messi,Tevez and co they look like they can score at any moment!!!

What is bizaree for me so far is some of the tactical changes that have taken place so far!!!!!!Lets look at England first.Capello picked Lampard and Gerrard together as his central midfield.This seemed strange to me as he has not used this method before.Gareth Barry was used as their holding midfielder (injured or not fit at the moment granted) throughout the qualifiers.Why then would you change your philosophy when the big games come along!!!!Lampard and Gerrard are great players but who sits and who holds??????Capello is a great manager so time will tell.England don't look like winners to me.Lennon and Milner on the wings,chopping and changing in defence and Green in goal,I don't see it!!!!!!!

Pim Verbeek,Australia's manager,started with Cahill up front by himself!!!!!Once again he has changed his philosophy!!!Fair enough Kewell and Kennedy(not sure) are half fit but why leave Scott McDonald out of the squad when you know your other strikers are not fit!!!!!Cahill is arguabley their best player,so taking him out of his best position,bizaree!!!!

Time will tell whether these managers succeed with these changes or alter it in the next game.
Gary

Day 2 - It's Heating Up

We are under full swing now and after a slow start with two draws, things are heating up. South Africa is proving itself as a worthy host with some magnificent stadiums, but the famous 'vuvuzela horns' are really getting old already! It feels like the TV is a beehive after a while!!

Cape Town - Polokwane

Port Elizabeth - Nelson Mandela

Day 2 has given us the first win, South Korea causing an upset against a really disappointing Greece. It's left me wondering if the Greek government has taken a bribe to help pay off some of their loans!!

But the Koreans are reminding us why they reached the last 4 in 2002, with a solid win. Led from the front with a great individual effort for the second goal from the captain - Park Ji-sung.

The final whistle has just gone in the second game, giving Argentina their first 3 points. A somewhat underwhelming fixture with only a single goal from Heinze after 6 mins. At least his sponsors will be delighted:

Heinze Baked Beans!

Argentina showed some massive potential, especially with Messi creating a chance every time he got the ball. Maradona looked pretty good in his suit too!

Although Nigeria didn't go down easily, looking solid at the back and a few promising long range chances from Yakubu. Nigeria have proven themselves a force to be reckoned with and have a great chance of qualifying after the earlier Group B draw.

England take on the USA in their World Cup 2010 debut at 4:30am Australian time! I'd love to see the US get a win over Capello's boys, just imagine the headlines in the Star!

Update: England 1 - 1 USA. Delighted!

Why I hope France will go all the way

I read a great suggestion on Twitter last night. Henry should play all of the World Cup with his hands tapped to his hips. That way he can't cheat anyone else.

The French don't look that impressive judging from their performance against Uruguay last night. Anelka 'sulking' (surprise, surprise!) when he was substituted for Henry. Intercepting each others passes and getting in each others way. It looks like they are 11 guys who have just been put together for the first time.

Apart from this and the obvious reasons I hope the French go all the way to the final.

The Arsenal Players:

France have many Arsenal players like Gallas, Diaby, Clichy and Sagna. Hopefully a win in the World Cup will do them well for the new Premier League season.

Good for the economy:

If France are in the Final it will be good for the European economy and for the Euro that I have sent home making it better for my trip home in August.

We could say we should have been there:

If they go to the final we can say that we would have got that far if they hadn't cheated us out of it. We could say stuff like, "Imagine, we could have got as far as the final..."

but finally...

I hope they get to the final against Spain. What a great final that would be. A bit of European derby. Torres vs Gallas, Puyol vs Henry, Cesc vs Diaby. I hope it is a really open game with goals exchanged throughout.

I hope they go into the final 5 minutes of the game with France in the ascendancy, tied at 3-3. Then Cesc collects the ball on the right hand side of midfield. He lofts the ball towards Torres running in on the left hand side of the box. Torres jumps in the air and collects the ball AFL style (or GAA style) and slams it into the back of the net. The French start to go mad, screaming at the ref. Howard Webb just shrugs his shoulders and says "I didn't see it!"

Spain win the World Cup 4-3 and France go mad! Blatter says they are going to reply the final and bring in video evidence and everyone else in the world say sorry lads, not going to happen.

Revenge is a dish best served cold and this would be the best way to serve it...

We can dream...


Charlie

Ro's Dodgey Predictions

Well......... just one game in and already we've seen the best goal of the year. What a strike from South Africas, Siphiwe Tshabalala, ya gotta love that name too.

Winning world Cups is all about your defense, but but I'm going to go against my head on this one and follow my gut feeling, the most in form, exciting team there is at the moment, the strongest attacking team in the comp with the arguably the strongest attacking line up available but with the worst defence............

Holland, Holland all the way! Should beat, Brazil, England and Spain on the way to the Cup. Why not dream. . . With Robben fit again after an easy group stage for them they could hit top gear when it counts most.

Top Scorer..... Van Persie (If he doesn't get injured or already have an injury that is!)

........ OK gotta go concentrate on this French game (France, my other dark horses now that the child molester is back)

Toms Predictions

So Its literally minutes till the greatest tournament in the world, in my opinion, kicks off. Now the lads below have already given you the fluffy facts and dreamy statements about the tournament so Im gonna go straight to how I think the tourno will turnout.

World Cup Winner: BRAZIL!!

Despite Spain having by far the best squad in the tournament with a world class 11 and a few on the bench just for good measure, I still believe the Brazilians are the ones to beat. They are the World Cup kings, having won the tournament 5 times in 4 different continents. Brazil for once arent the favorites going into this tournament and I think htat will work for them as they are kinda slipping under the radar as all eyes watch Spain now.

So the reasons are: I predict Kaka to return to his best, Robinho is a different soul playing for Brazil and they have 2 of the most exciting fullbacks in the world. They have a solid goalie in Julio Ceasar for 1st time since Taffarel. Lucio is a quality defender. This could be Fabianos tournament, to put all the doubters to bed.

Golden Boot: David Villa
Despite going for Brazil to win the WC, I still predict Spain to have a good tournament and David Villa to justify every euro Barca paid for his services. He is a goal machine..simple as and with the soft group Spain have been drawn in I predict goals galore for Villa.


Golden Ball: Kaka
Like I said earlier Im expecting a fully fit Kaka to flow through defences majestically at this tournament. He has an on-off season with Real, troubled by injuries, inconsistent team and lack of form. But I reckon he will be back to his best here. I'm really excited about seeing the best players in the world competing for their countries. I think tournaments like the World Cup really cna separate the Men fro the Boys. Rooney, Ronaldo, Messi, Lampard, Torres are all players capable of taking this mantle aswell amongst others. I think by the time every team has played 2 games we will have a better indication of how players and teams are playing. But Kaka is my bet for now.

The Underdog: Uruguay & Cameroon
I love the underdog. At the last euros we had the great run the Turks and Russians had. At 2002 South Korea, 1998 Croatia so who will it be this time?? I think Uruguay can be a surprise package and finish top of Group A.

Firstly, I dont fancy the French at all, I think their manager is a flute and their players uninterested. Secondly, I'm not sure what to expect from Mexico with the disruption with manager prior to tournament. But more importantly, I think Uruguay are a quality attacking side whose strikers will cause every team problems. They have Forlan who scored 28 goals this season and helped Atletico win the Europa league. Suarez who is 4 days younger than me, has just scored 49 goals in 48 apps for Ajax this season!!! Nothing wrong with those stats, solid defence aswell based around lugano..watch this spot

Also Im naming Cameroon as a potential underdog story. An African team is bound to do well in this tournament. I think Cameroon have the best chance. With Essien out for Ghana, S.Africa lacking the talent and Drogba major doubt for Ivory its between Nigeria and Cameroon. I marginally go for Cameroon. Etoo is world class player, Kameni a quality keeper, Jean Makoun a pitbull and Alex Song ever improving. I fancy them to sneak behind the Dutch out of group E.

Rising Stars

So finally Im just gonna name some non-mainstream players I think are worth watching out for this tournament, so you cany say I heard it first on sowhatdoyouthinkofthegame:

Javi Hernandez (Mexico)
Luis Suarez (Uruguay)
Thomas Muller (Germany)
Dominic Adiyiah (Ghana)
Marek Hamsik (Slovakia)


TOM BURKE

Gary's Predictions

The World Cup,it truely is the best competition in the world.It is amazing,people everywhere are talking about it,even those who do not regularly follow the game.It sparks opinion's and gets people talking.It is a passion,your country has 23 players representing your flag,your anthemn and your culture.It is that big and that is why we love it.The colours,the sounds,the agony and the ecstasy.Football is a cruel game but it is also very rewarding.Ireland are not there,so in a way we can enjoy it more.....but give me that agony and ecstasy feeling anyday of the week!!

Injuries are the unfortunate part of the game.I spoke to my good friend Kieran Costello,and as he said "you could make a world class team from those who have pulled out with injury"!!!!

I have been thinking a lot about my predictions,although it does take the enjoyment out of the game.Football tournaments like this require that little bit of luck,I feel this is always the case with knockout competitions.Looking back on the past formed my judgements.

Teams who win the World Cup have a habit of starting off at a slow pace and then BANG!!!!Its a marathon,not a sprint.They don't peak too early.Keep your cards close to your chest!!!

The best managers are clearly Capello,Lippi and Del Bosque.Lippi has won it,whilst the other two have won major trophies in their time.These guys know how to win and that is a big bonus for their respective teams.However,with that said,who were Phil Scolari or Aimee Jacquet before they won it????Thats why it is important not to underestimate Dunga or Diego Maradonna.Both have contrasting styles.One is very meticulous,whilst the other is SUPER spontaneous(no need to explain who is who in this case!!!)Both have won the World cup as players and Franz Beckanbeur is a framework to show you can win it as both a player and a coach.Both have made pretty big calls too ie no Cambiasso or Zanetti for Argentina and no Mr Ronaldinho for Brazil.Managers who have won this competition have made big calls in the past,no Romario for Brazil in 2002 when Big Phil Scolari won it!!!

In the past I think we have seen that strikers don't win you world cups (yes I hear you with your Maradonna for Argentina in 1986(handball!!!!!) and the 3 R's for Brazil in 2002(Brazil are the exception to every rule in football by the way!!!).It will definetely help your team no doubt.I mean Spain's two strikers are world beaters and that could well be the difference!!!!!However,I look at midfields and defences that have won this.France in 98,what a midfield and what a defence!!!!!Strikers(young Henry wasn't a world star then,a flop for Newcastle United was their main man :P) and Italy in 2006(Totti and Del boy are good on their day but don't tell me that they won Italy the world cup!!!!!).Italy had a great defence and a classy midfield.It was longevity that formed it(hell some of them are still there so who knows!!!!!).This is why I will rule out Argie,because I am not convinced by the rest of the team,strikers are amazing and all add something different but the rest of the team doesn't quite cut it.

Captains,these guys are vital!Cannavaro,Dunga,Deschamps,Cafu!!!!I can't really see past Gerrard,Cannavaro,Lucio and Casillas for this.Lahm,Mascherano......I don't think so.

Finally,that little bit of magic ala Zidane,Ronaldo,Cannavaro(yes a defender,I love a tackle......its an art people)!!!!!!!There are quite a few on show.

WORLD CUP WINNER 2010:

Brazil

I think the name alone gets your heart beating(to the samba!!!!!!).Imagine representing this country,that crest alone inspires you and has an aura that no other team has.Brazil are always the team to beat in my opinion.They do have a tough enough group(bar one obvious team :P) but I feel this is their year.Their coach has won it as a player,has made some big calls(Pato and Ronaldinho).He sticks to his guns and you need this as a manager.He doesnt listen to the press or pundits,he is his own man.He has a bit of caution,that maybe Brazil need.Kaka has had a quite season,so I expect him to step up.Robinho,we are talking about different player to that of the Citeh Robinho,he steps it up for Brazil!!!!You have your past winners(2002) in Lucio,Kaka,Gilberto Silva etc...You have the best right back(s) in the world (Maicon and Danny Alves(possibly playing midfield)).Look at their defence,half of it constitutes the Inter Milan treble winning defence (Cesar(little niggle now),Maicon,Lucio0.So in a way,Mourinho will be there in spirt........"You will join Real Madrid!!!!!!!"Fabiano has a great record for Brazil.Klose has proven that you don't need to be a big name to score in a World cup(toto scillachi too!!!!!)!!!!Gilberto Silva was invincible for a season too.

I have too much to say to be honest so I will leave it at that.Top scorers or player of the tournament,well........maybe tomorrow before it kicks off but the winner is the most important thing on this site,because thats the name that will be carved into the most amazing trophy in the World.......The World Cup :-)

Gary

Charlie: World Cup Predictions

So the World Cup is nearly here and so are my World Cup predictions. Both eagerly anticipated but only one really worth the wait!

Winner: Brazil

Runner-Up: Spain

3rd Place: Argentina

4th Place: England

Player of the Tournament: Fabiano

Top Goal Scorer: Torres

Surprise of the Tournament: Paraguay. They have a great coach and are being overlooked due to the group they are in.

There are my quick predictions. Get your money on now...

For a more in-depth analysis visit back tomorrow. I promise it will be worth the wait!

Uruguay V Germany

It seems a 3rd and 4th place play off gets ignored well I for one will be watching it and watching it just as seriously as another game. I think both teams will be out to prove that they have what it takes and will want the bronze medals on offer. I see the Germans wanting it more and to prove to people they are still a good side that will be here in the future.

Also on a side note Dani and Amy face off in a battle of Pride. Who will win back their pride.

Joe's Predictions ;)

.......the countdown continues, but it's just a mere 50hrs to kickoff at Soccer City; midnight on Friday!

The list of injuries is increasing by the day but without further delay, here are my predictions for the 2010 Coupe du Monde.

I can't see any major upsets at the group stage this year, so my group winners are pretty much the top seeded nations. I can't see the Socceroos lasting long, with maybe only a draw to send them bouncing back down under. I also wouldn't be surprised to see New Zealand's oddly named 'All Whites' getting murdered by the natives before a single game!!

Kiwi's 'All Whites'

Group Winners:

Group A - France

Group B - Argentina

Group C - England

Group D - Germany

Group E - Holland

Group F - Italy

Group G - Brazil

Group H - Spain

It doesn't take long to get interesting.......in my opinion, bye bye to the last of the African teams in Round 2: Nigeria & Cameroon. Some other interesting games in round 2 could include - Germany Vs USA, England Vs Serbia & Holland Vs Paraguay.

Quarter Finals:

1. Holland Vs Brazil
2. France Vs England
3. Argentina Vs Germany
4. Italy Vs Spain

Ferdinand confirmed his exit from the English squad today, nevertheless I think England have the strength and depth in their squad to back up all the hype and be serious contenders this time around. They should slip passed France (cheating basterds!) and line up a mammoth Semi with Brazil.

Also a massive test at this stage for Spain to step up and bypass defending champs Italy.

Semi Finals:

1. England Vs Brazil
2. Argentina Vs Spain

Football's not coming home! Brazil should send the English back in plenty of time for their premiership pre-season!!

The Spanish are hot favorites in the bookies, easy to see why as they thumped the Polish 5-0 in a warm-up match yesterday. But they will have an uphill battle possibly meeting - Chile, Portugal, Italy, Argentina & even the might of Honduras along the way!! But hopefully they can overcome these tests and gain valuable momentum in the process.

Argentina have a similarly amazing line up as the Spanish but there only flaw has to be the manager! I think Maradona will make some poor decisions during the campaign and bring the Argentines undone.

The Madman!

Final:

• Brazil Vs Spain

This could be one of the best finals in recent years, two attacking teams playing a beautiful flowing brand of football. The Spanish could be the first team in history to follow their UEFA European Championship with a FIFA World Cup trophy!

But the Spanish are like the All Blacks of the football realm, they just love to choke in the big games! However they did manage to get the preverbal monkey off their backs and grab the last Euro Championship. So whether they can produce the same confidence in South Africa remains to be seen.

For now, I'm going to put my money on The Samba Kings.

Building on the success of their Confederations Cup victory late last year, I think Brazil have the confidence and pedigree to see off the Spanish and extend their existing record to six world titles.

Brazil could host their first world cup in 2014 as defending champs!

Plus with a nickname like 'The Red Fury' Spain deserve to lose, that just reminds me of Paul O'Connell!!

The Real 'Red Fury!'

Champs:

• Brazil

The 3rd place playoff could be a fierce clash between two teams with a tense history, in previous world cups. But Maradona's men should wallop the English, especially with Beckham not around to kick anyone!

3rd Place Winner:

• Argentina

Top Goal Scorer: David Villa – Spain

Player of the Tournament: Lionel Messi - Argentina

Surprise Team of the Competition: USA

The US have already proved themselves on the world stage and are still one of the most exiting emerging football nations. Most people would have already forgotten, their amazing showing at the 2009 Confederations Cup last November. Only just beaten in the final by a late Brazilian surge. Also some impressive performances from Landon Donovan, Tim Howard & my favorite - Clint Dempsey in the premiership this year have to be noted.

If the US grabs the runner-up spot behind England in Group C, they stand to face the Germans. This would be a big ask for Team American, but Germany are a weakened force without Captain Ballack and have a couple of strikers in questionable form. Also the US are no strangers to a Round 2 victory.

America, Fuck Yeah!

Let the games begin!

Joe

Conor: World Cup Predictions

So the World cup is nearly upon us I think it’s time we all give our insight into how the 64 games will go down. What will be the high’s and the lows of the tournament. Who will be the star player’s and who will surprise a few punters. Who will add their name to the most coveted trophy on the planet.

Young Player of the Tournament:

This is only a new award and was only introduced in Germany 2006 with Lukas Podolski grabing the price. The player I’m selecting may be somewhat controversial because of the country in which he is from. His country is no other than France. His name is Hugo Lloris and he is the goalkeeper. Selecting a Frenchman may be a bold choice but on www.sowhatdidyouthinkofthegame.blogspot.com it is all about selecting who you see as the best regardless of any potential prejudice.

As you all know this guy is probably the only French man to come out of the France V Ireland game with any credit from Irish fans. He was simply phenomenal in ensuring his team made it on the plane to South Africa. He is a young man and if the French are to go far it will be thanks to his hands.

Top Goal Scorer:

When I was growing up the easy answer to this was Ronaldo of Brazil but sadly he is no longer deemed good enough to grace the big stage. Klose is never a bad bet either. He seems to get by for club but country is a completely different matter. He shines for the Germans.

The player I’m going to be backing all the way is that of David Villa. The 40 Million Euro man has just transferred to Barcelona and will no doubt want to prove to his new club and the World he is worth every single cent of that price. I’m a huge fan aswell and I am going to be wearing Villa on my jersey this summer. I backed David Villa in Euro 2008 and it proved to be a great bet so this time I still think he has the hunger to achieve something great. He was a scoring machine for Valencia despite them not being one of the powerhouses of Europe.

The Spanish nickname him “The Kid” so I think once again he is ready to provide Spain with the fire power they will need to reach great heights.

Player of the Tournament:

Of course this is a massive question to ask anyone considering that the tournament will carry 736 players to be exact. Of that number it is most likely to be only about 50 in the running to join the likes of Zidane, Johan Cruijff, Maradona and win the Golden Ball. To be in with a change of winning this trophy you need to be an inspiration to your country and provide them with something magic in the last 20 minutes of a game.

This year the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Rooney have the expectations of their nations upon them. They are superstars for their club’s and countries so for obvious reason they will be favourites. The player I see will shine this World Cup will be Wesley Sneijder. Possibly not an obvious man to nominate for this massive award but I see the Dutch performing well this tournament and I believe this man will help them achieve success.

Wesley has had a pretty good season this year with Inter being instrumental in the semi final first leg game with an equaliser in a game they went on to win. He was also involved in the final with an assist. Jose obviously rates him very highly with him already strongly being linked with a move back to Real.

His international form is pretty good aswell with him grabbing a goal in a World Cup build up game against Ghana. In Euro 2008 he helped Holland play some beautiful football prior to their knock out to Russia. I see this world cup being the one that Wesley Sneijder becoming hot property in the transfer market post World Cup.

Surprise Team of the Cup:

The cup will take place in Africa so this means one of the African teams is likely to perform well. The African team that I see having a good World cup will be Nigeria. The team is managed by Lars Lagerbäck who has managed in two previous World cups which will help the team. Martins and Yakubu would frighten any defenders and will bang in a few goals for their country. I see them reaching the last eight.

Winner:

Winning the World Cup is said to be the greatest feeling any Patriot can feel. So once you win this you have got bragging rights for life. Just look at the 1966 England team they or their country has never forgotten about it. So that’s enough stalling who will win?

I really want to make a bold prediction and go for someone outlandish and say they will win the cup but after some investigation I still go back to my original answer and that’s Spain. They are simply World Class.

The defence is their weakness but no team can be perfect. With that said they only conceded 3 goals on route to victory in Euro 2008 and also obtained 10 out of 10 win in qualifying for South Africa so that’s not bad as a potential weakness is it. So if Spain are to go all the way it will be down to the likes of Ramos, Puyol and Pique

The midfield will leave you breathless with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Silva and Fabergas but to name a few. Not much explaining necessary for this guys as they can single handily change the fate of a game with a single pass.

The strikers are both superstars. David Villa I have spoken about and we all know the power of Torres. Torres is in trouble with Injury so for Spain to be the ultimate force they are they will need a fully fit Torres.

Only 8 days to go so it’s going to be upon us before you can blink 20 times.

So that’s how I see it all going down. Looking forward to hearing what you guys think about it all.

Keep reading,

Conor