FIFA World Cup 2010 starting today.

Who will win, who is your favorite?

[jecasc]

Unbelievable that four years have passed - but here we go again it's football time. The one with the round ball, not this ostrich egg you are using in the US.

So who will win? England? No way, they will probably meet Germany in the round of 16 and loose after penalty shootout. Germany will probably finish third, like last time. Title-holder Italy will loose in the quarter finals against Spain and I think the final will either be Brazil v Spain or Netherlands vs Spain.

[blend27]

YES, WE CAN!

[StoutFiles]

US deserved to be top 2 teams in that group, 2 disallowed goals...

It all equals out. You could argue we were lucky to draw England with the worst goal ever, and we were lucky in the Slovenia game that Dempsey wasn't immediately red carded when he elbowed a player in the face. I don't think I could have listened to weeks of "USA was robbed!" talk.

[blend27]

91-st minute Hollywood style

It was, wasn't it? ;) I watched a second half in a local Irish Pub next door, on a 23 Feet Diagonally, crispy-clean, Wall Projection sitting 12 feet form it with a cold Pint of vitamin G(Guinness) in a left hand.

It was truly awesome!

[arieng]

I've never been a soccer fan. In fact, I'd never watched an entire game before US vs. England a couple of weeks ago. This morning, I was nearly 2 hours late to the office because I couldn't tear myself away from the TV.

Consider me hooked!

[mack]

arieng I'm not much of a footie fan either, but the world cup is quite a spectacle. Its players at their peak trying to be the best. I always watch the World Cup with interest.

Mack.

[Brett_Tabke]

I was in a waiting room and just happened to watch the whole thing with spanish announcers. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!

[mack]

I was angry with the BBC during the pre-match discussion the presenter put on a very serious face and announced they where going over to the news room for a news flash. It then went to a BBC news logo and a stern news reader explaining a virus was spreading across the UK. there was then a pause and it became apparent it was a Hoax when she explained effected peoples houses where being marked with a red cross :) (England flag)

Football fever

I searched twitter and loads had been stunned by it. Someone clearly wasn't thinking.

Mack.

[jecasc]

Germany wins against Ghana and is first in its group which means it's Germany vs England on Sunday. A field day for british tabloids. Can't wait to read the headlines tomorrow.

[arieng]

Does that mean the US plays Ghana? I'm having a hard time finding that information.

[jecasc]

Does that mean the US plays Ghana? I'm having a hard time finding that information.

Yes. It's US vs Ghana.

[RonPK]

[off topic] anyone see the Isner-Mahut match at Wimbledon? Wow. Amazing. Wow. Did I say wow? Wow.

[Matthew1980]

Hi all,

Eh? Football? Sorry, lost me... pick a team, Erm, Stoke are in the premiership now aren't they? I live in Wales, and there are St George's flags hanging between the lamp-posts on some lanes, I thought they would have been dragons, given it's a Welsh town!

Cheers,
MRb

[blend27]

I'm having a hard time finding that information

I usualy look at game dates at fifa.com/worldcup/standings

p.s. seems like Italy is in trouble

[ytswy]

...but the world cup is quite a spectacle. Its players at their peak trying to be the best...

Hey it isn't just that! England pretty much always qualify I'll have you know... :)

[aleksl]

StoutFiles and blend27, my comment that you are quoting was removed for political incorectness :)

soooo... this is what politically correct part was:

But yes, scoring on the 91-st minute hollywood style is PRICELESS! :)

US deserved to be top 2 teams in that group, 2 disallowed goals...

Italy is out.

USA has all luck in the world now. Beating Ghana should not be a problem IMHO.

[Brett_Tabke]

> anyone see the Isner-Mahut

and we are still seeing it. whew, it was an amazing day for sports yesterday.

<added>
I see Isner just won.
</added>

[brotherhood of LAN]

>Italy is out.

Shocker! They were notorious slow starters, and it looks like the rather high average age of their squad needed longer than usual.. too long.

>USA

With some of these big teams knocked out, it looks like the USA could find themselves in the top 10 of the FIFA rankings.

[MatthewHSE]

What I can't figure out is how so many people here in the States are all caught up in this. Soccer used to be something gradeschool kids played, not a sport that anyone took seriously. But now all of a sudden everybody seems to care....

[Old_Honky]

But now all of a sudden everybody seems to care....

The USA is finally catching up with the rest of the world. It had to happen one day. The next stage will be the realisation that the game is called "football" and that the strange variant of rugby that requires body armour and is popular only in the USA should be called something else.

[dertyfern]

Argentina looks impressive. They look likely to take this world cup.

[Lexur]

Let's see what Spain does tonight against Chile.

One of the best things of football is the independence between the population or richness of a country and its results. India or China aren't in South Africa; Italy and France are out and down; and the expensive and "hypertechnical" spanish players could be defeated by those of a country with 1/4 of its population and GDP, so anyone can dream with the world's championship.

Viva Espaņa!

[Old_Honky]

USA has all luck in the world now. Beating Ghana should not be a problem IMHO.

Except for the fact that FIFA will impress upon the referee how important it is that an African country remains in the cup. Look out for a few disallowed goals and dubious offside rulings. Anyway Ghana are no mugs; they are a strong and skilful team. I'm glad that England missed them, in comparison Germany should be no problem we've already stuck 5 past them recently.

[akmac]

If the US wins the world cup the rest of the world should have to begin calling it soccer.

running away cackling...

[StoutFiles]

The USA is finally catching up with the rest of the world. It had to happen one day.

The largest nation in the tournament was able to manage escaping from a group that included soccer powerhouses Algeria and Slovenia! What are the odds!

I kid, but come on Americans, this was expected. This is NOT as big as us beating the Russians in hockey or any other ridiculous comparison the media is trying to make. The only thing unexpected was England finishing second in the group.

[jecasc]

I'm glad that England missed them, in comparison Germany should be no problem we've already stuck 5 past them recently.

Actually that was in 2001.

[Brett_Tabke]

>The largest nation in the tournament

Did you know that the average pro soccer player in the US earns less than your average Webmaster?

[blend27]

That was a clear second Goal for England, This Ref should kicked out.

[brotherhood of LAN]

Yeah, that goal should have counted. I think overall the German's deserved to win... they played well. Good game to watch too.

[Old_Honky]

An Apology
Please accept my apology for previous posts which may have inadvertently implied that England had a half decent football team. I now understand that this was a completely misguided view and that we only have a group of talentless, overpaid morons who couldn't hit a cow's @rse with a banjo let alone win a world cup.

Rooney was a particular disappointment and should have been substituted early in the game. As for John Terry - words fail me...

[jecasc]

Revenge for Wembley! Whoooooooo.