Predictions?
My picks to advance to the round of 16:
Group A Germany, Poland
B England, Sweden
C Argentina, Holland
D Portugal, Mexico
E Italy, The Czech Republic
F Brazil, Croatia
G France, South Korea
H Spain, Ukraine
My pick to win it all is Brazil (I know I'm really going out on a limb).

Logic says you're right. Though this is competitive sport and the beauty of it is that there's always surprises. Remember Senegal, Korea and Ireland in '02? There's a few sleeper teams here too: Paraguay - did pretty well to finish 4th in the South American group, USA look to be a good side but are unlucky to face Italy and Czech Republic in their group. Australia also looks good but again, like USA, have a tough group.

I can't wait. I hate non World Cup or European Championship summers.

This is englands years,But we say this all the time

Don't underestimate Ivory Coast, Serbia, or Spain. They're very good. Brazil will of course win the WC, and countries like Nederlands and Tsjech Republic will also end up high.

Argentina has a strong defense, their midfield is very good (Riquelme, Aimar, Cambiasso) but their attackers aren't so well. Crespo is super of course, but the rest?
That country won't get to the finals.

Germany has a weak team, will go out in the 1/8 finals, just like England.

Togo and Trinidad will be the most weak of them all. Does anybody actually know those countries, in a football perspective?

World Cup Odds from major bookies

Top 10 favourites according to these odds:

1. Brazil

2. England

3. Germany

4. Argentina

5. Italy

6. France

7. Holland / The Netherlands

8. Spain

9. Portugal

10. Czech Republic

My favourites:

Semi-Finals: Brazil, Germany, Czech Republic, Holland

Final: Germany - Holland

Winner...HOLLAND...YES! Finally, justice after all!

Why?! 10 Reasons:

1. Marco Van Basten - Johan Cruijff taught him well

2. Ruud Van Nistelrooij - Will become top scorer
3. Arjen Robben - Amazing skills and rushes
4. Rafael Van Der Vaart - More creativity
5. Wesley Sneijder - More creativity and passing
6. Edwin van der Sar - Will stop a penalty in the semis
7. Dirk Kuyt - More goalscoring power, inspiring worker
8. Phillip Cocu - Will decide semis with a header
9. Edgar Davids - Will eat any opponent on the midfield
10. Roy Makaay - Will score 3 times vs Germany in the final

powA!

Dude, you have listed 4 midfielders and 3 centre-attackers as reasons. They can't all play, you know.
I know Van Basten plays attacking football, but Makaay, Van Nistelrooy and Kuyt in one team is too much.

We got 22 players and a coach.

These are just the 10 that will make the difference throughout the tournament (also: otherwise I would have been short 2 players for you need 11 on the pitch and Van Basten is retired...)!

Spain are even bigger underachievers than England and the other two - don't make me laugh. :p

We've got a fair few Trinidad players that have played or play in English leagues and can think of 4 or 5. Only one plays at the top level (Hislop) and the other that has played at the top level is now with Sydney FC I think (Yorke). Chris Birchill for Vale was good when he came to Glanford Park but being in League 1 and facing Baraclough, Torpey, Crosby, Beagrie and co is a bit different to potentially facing Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney, Terry and Beckham.

Spain: Puyol, Valeron, Marchena, Vicente, Joaquin, Raul, Torres, Morientes, Villa, Baraja, Xavi, Luis Garcia, Casillas, ....
No need to go on, it's clear that Spain is a VERY good team. Now if they only could play together

Yeah, but only 11 can play. So there's now way that Kuyt, Makaay, and Van the Man will have a dominant role. Only one of them can play. And they are players you cann't change after 80 minutes, they have to stay. So the only option to let them all play is: first game Ruud as attacker, next game Makaay, then Kuyt. But that is kind of silly.

Spain: Puyol, Valeron, Marchena, Vicente, Joaquin, Raul, Torres, Morientes, Villa, Baraja, Xavi, Luis Garcia, Casillas, ....
No need to go on, it's clear that Spain is a VERY good team. Now if they only could play together [/b][/quote]That's exactly what I'm saying. On paper they should be within a chance of winning every major competition but always underachieve.

Yeah, but only 11 can play. So there's now way that Kuyt, Makaay, and Van the Man will have a dominant role. Only one of them can play. And they are players you cann't change after 80 minutes, they have to stay. So the only option to let them all play is: first game Ruud as attacker, next game Makaay, then Kuyt. But that is kind of silly. [/b][/quote]There's a sports cliché that says you're as good as your backups. Nearly every team has to deal with injuries. It's those you have to replace them that can determine how good you are. Plus all those players mean options. Managers love to have options.

I knew that, but I think it's different this time. Their coach is good, and however I admit that they weren't so good in the qualifications, they were very good in the ... uhm how do you say that... those extra games that the second of every qualification group had to play.
Spain totally mastered Slowakia with 5-0, three goals from Garcia.

Yeah, but not all of the back-ups will be determinant in the (possible) victory of Holland.

Btw, Holland has too many centre-attackers: Vantheman, Makaay, Kluivert, Kuyt, Hasselbaink, Babel, Vennegoor, Bergkamp...
Plus all the wingers; Castelen, Robben, (Kalou), Zenden, VanderMeyde, Van Persie,

I think Holland is going to be a contender this year.
Van Basten has formed a real team. If they can keep it this way and don't start fighting they are gonna go a long way.


Belgium didnt qualify for the first time since 1978, so we have to root for Holland this year.

I think Holland is going to be a contender this year.
Van Basten has formed a real team. If they can keep it this way and don't start fighting they are gonna go a long way.


Belgium didnt qualify for the first time since 1978, so we have to root for Holland this year. [/b][/quote]I totally agree!

I also agree with Scifo; we DO have too many good attackers, but that's a luxury problem. BTW: Bergkamp is retired as international and Babel, Hasselbaink and Vennegoor of Hesselink will probably not make the selection (just as as Kluivert, our all time topscorer).

However: We also have a good and creative midfield, our defence is getting more and more solid. Perhaps Jaap Stam will change his mind after all. Plus: We have a world class keeper, a good coach and lots of fanatic, positive orange fans who live close by.

An other plus: The past two tournaments in Germany we reached the finals (WC '74 and EC '88) of which we won one

1988 in Munich!

Holland have a good chance as always!
I will be rooting for England of course!
Spain always under achieve but in theory have a great team!
Germany are hosts & historically do well in World Cups but i think they will flop this time..
Brazil are worthy favourites
Argentina are always useful
Italy look good...

Yikes i can't wait

Wayne Rooney to conquer the World!

England got a reasonable draw in the first round but it's not as straightforward as people think. You haven't beat Sweden since about 1638 and Paraguay will be no pushovers coming from the school of hard knocks in S America.

As Turi said earlier there's always at least one surprise team (Turkey and Sth Korea in '02 semi finals) and one of the big guns usually goes home early (Argentina and France in '02). I fancy Italy to go home early, they've got a tough group, Ghana are probably the best of the African teams.

My surpise package...Spain!! The laws of probability say that they must click sometime and with the tournament in Europe and it being the last hurrah for the likes of Raul, Pujol, Xavi etc I've a sneaking suspicion they might at last come good and maybe grab a semi final place.

As for the winners...it's hard to look past Brazil. If they manage to avoid Argentina can you really see anyone beating them??

One to watch...look out for Lionel Messi of Argentina, he's still only 18 and he's been getting rave reviews for Barcelona

The BBC website has a WC predictor here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/spl/hi/predictor/html/football/world_cup_06/ default.stm#

For a bit of fun I input my predcited results and came up with this as the round of 16:

Germany v. Sweden
England v. Poland
Argentina v. Mexico
Portugal v. Holland
Ghana v. Australia
Brazil v. Czech Rep
France v. Ukraine
Spain v. Sth Korea

my semifinals

Holland - Brazil
Argentina - Spain

what about GERMany?

They don't have any good players, except for Ballack and maybe Deisler and Kuranyi.

True but they are still......GERMan!

Whoever wins it will have to beat England to do so, most likely Brazil, such teams as Spain and Holland are just too inconsistant.

And England isn't? :rolleyes:

The major threats to win the whole enchilada are imo:
Argentina
Brazil
England
France
Germany
Holland
Italy
Spain
Of these eight teams I believe Argentina, Brazil, Germany and Italy are the cream of the crop and the winner will be one of those squads. But as Turi mentioned earlier this is competitive sports and the beauty of it is that there are always upsets, cinderella teams/runs and brilliant coaches/managers. So, taking all this into account, anything can happen.

And England isn't? :rolleyes: [/b][/quote]Besides missing the past WC all together, Holland has been pretty consistent the past 30 years, always making it to the Quarter-, Semi- or Finals. We were the only team to qualify without suffering a single loss (14 games unbeaten in a row) and have been topping the FIFA ranking list for the past years (2nd and 3rd place)!

On the count of Spain and England (they're always so unlucky, look at what happened to Rooney last EC) I agree they often dissapoint.

Just wanted to bump this thread. Hey, the Tournament is nearly 5 months away.

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/

5 months.. Can't wait. Too bad it's in june, because I have big tests at school then. That means I have to choose: studying or watching football. Tough choice...

I'm still thinking England will flop, and if Holland can have a good team ready, they will be a serious contender and maybe a threat for Brazil.

I would also like to see your dream teams. I'll start with my Brazilian team

----------------Dida

Cafu-----Lucio-----Roque Junior-----R. Carlos

---------------Emerson
-------Kakà------------Zé Roberto
------------Ronaldinho

--------Ronaldo------Robinho

Argentina has a good defense line but, the best times for Argentina in Soccer were with Maradona.

By the way, we can enjoy the matches.

About Lionel Messi, he is supposed to be the New Maradona, but it`s a exagerated definition.

Argentina... I'l give my team.

---------------Abbondanzieri

Zanetti-----Samuel-----Ayala-----Sorin

-------Mascherano-----Cambiasso
-----Riquelme--------------Aimar

----------Crespo------Saviola (or Messi)