1. Which team will be the dark horses? Mexico, have an ok group. Play nice football, keep the ball well and some talented individuals. Also played very well against Italy the other day in a friendly.
2. Who will win the World Cup? Spain v Holland final. Spain to edge it
3. Who will be the outstanding player? Iniesta could be key for Spain. Also Sneider has been excellent for Inter this season.
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer? Could be France,obviously very lucky to even be at WC but with such an awful manager as well as an average squad and may not get past last 16. As for player- hope it will be Ronaldo.
5. How far will England go? Hopefully semi finals, anything less will be a disappointment.
2. Who will win the World Cup? Hard to look past Spain but the Dutch are going about their business quietly but look good, won all of their games in qualifying conceding only 2 goals
3. Who will be the outstanding player? Sneijder
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer? Portugal, fancy them to go out in group stages
5. How far will England go? Semi (Heart overruling head slightly)
Good shout on Chile - they sailed through their qualifying and think they have a good chance to go deep into the knockout stages. Portugal have a f***er of a group (though Ivory Coast losing the Drog is a big blow for them)
1. Which team will be the dark horses?
Serbia
2. Who will win the World Cup?
Spain
3. Who will be the outstanding player
Messi
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer?
France
5. How far will England go?
Quarter Final
I know, I'm sorry LA but I was about to start a thread with my thoughts on the World Cup when I saw this one.
I love The World Cup but I'm afraid heading towards forty has made be somewhat pessimistic in my outlook. The way I see it is that there are the big four in international football as much as in domestic football. Since I was born (1972) four teams have won it twice:
Brazil
Argentina
Italy
Germany
The only other winner was France in 1998. It seems to me that contrary to any logical analysis before the tournament, one of these four always manages to see it through. Of these four at the moment I only see Germany as weaker than normal, and Argentina as having a dodgy manager. However, contrary to expectations, they will probably do very well because they always do. The other two are fine and I see no reason why they won't do it. The ultimate question is can all four get it wrong. I don't think so. One of them will get it right even if the others fall by the wayside. The only hope of an alternative at the moment is Spain.
If you look at the FA Cup as an example it is almost always one of the big four that win it. Only once in the last 15 years has this not been the case. 15 World Cups take 60 years. So based on this logic I only see a team outside the big four winning it once every 60 years. This would mean that will will have to wait until 2058.
Although I don't exactly believe that it will really take this long I do think that people are kidding themselves if they think that England really have a decent chance. In my opinion we are the equivalent of the 10th team in The Premiership, or based on the FIFA World rankings we are 8th. We have an outside chance but ultimately like any 8th best team in the Premiership we will go out at the very best in the semis.
Comments
Cameroon
2. Who will win the World Cup?
Argies/France
3. Who will be the outstanding player
Carlos Tevez
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer?
Kaka
5. How far will England go?
Semis
England
2. Who will win the World Cup?
England
3. Who will be the outstanding player
Rooney
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer?
Holland
5. How far will England go?
all the way
Serbia
2. Who will win the World Cup?
England/Italy
3. Who will be the outstanding player
Rooney
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer?
Argentina/Messi
5. How far will England go?
All the way or lose on penalties to Germany in the semi!
Ghana
2. Who will win the world cup?
Holland
3. Who will be the outstanding player?
Villa
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer?
Kaka & Brazil
5. How far will England go?
First knockout stage
Serbia
2. Who will win the World Cup?
Everything points to Spain
3. Who will be the outstanding player
Xavi
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer?
France and Ribery
5. How far will England go?
Semis
2 - england
3 - glen johnson
4 - messy
5 - see answer 2
2. Who will win the World Cup? England ( i hope :) )
3. Who will be the outstanding player? Lampard
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer? Argentina
5. How far will England go? all the way
Mexico
2. Who will win the World Cup?
Holland
3. Who will be the outstanding player?
David Villa
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer?
Italy
5. How far will England go?
Semi Final
USA
2. Who will win the World Cup?
Argentina
3. Who will be the outstanding player?
Lionel Messi
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer?
Christiano Ronaldo/Portugal
5. How far will England go?
Semi Final
2. Who will win the World Cup? Spain
3. Who will be the outstanding player Villa
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer? Cronaldo
5. How far will England go? Semis
2. Who will win the World Cup? Spain v Holland final. Spain to edge it
3. Who will be the outstanding player? Iniesta could be key for Spain. Also Sneider has been excellent for Inter this season.
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer? Could be France,obviously very lucky to even be at WC but with such an awful manager as well as an average squad and may not get past last 16. As for player- hope it will be Ronaldo.
5. How far will England go? Hopefully semi finals, anything less will be a disappointment.
Paraguay
2. Who will win the World Cup?
Germany
3. Who will be the outstanding player?
Rooney
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer?
Italy
5. How far will England go?
Semis
1. Which team will be the dark horses?
Portugal
2. Who will win the World Cup?
Argentina
3. Who will be the outstanding player?
Heskey
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer?
France and Henry hopefully
5. How far will England go?[/quote]
QF's
Paraguay
2. Who will win the World Cup?
Brazil
3. Who will be the outstanding player
Fabiano
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer?
Holland
5. How far will England go?
Semis
2. Who will win the World Cup? - Italy
3. Who will be the outstanding player - Van Persie
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer? - Spain
5. How far will England go? - Semi's
1. Which team will be the dark horses? Chile
2. Who will win the World Cup? Hard to look past Spain but the Dutch are going about their business quietly but look good, won all of their games in qualifying conceding only 2 goals
3. Who will be the outstanding player? Sneijder
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer? Portugal, fancy them to go out in group stages
5. How far will England go? Semi (Heart overruling head slightly)
2. One of the big four
3. Someone in the losing finalist's team
4. Depends on expectations
5. Quite far because the distances between games is greater than normal for seeded teams
Can do it tomorrow.
Serbia
2. Who will win the World Cup?
Spain
3. Who will be the outstanding player
Messi
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer?
France
5. How far will England go?
Quarter Final
2. Spain
3. Torres if fit
4. Holland
5. More quarter final heartbreak
I love The World Cup but I'm afraid heading towards forty has made be somewhat pessimistic in my outlook. The way I see it is that there are the big four in international football as much as in domestic football. Since I was born (1972) four teams have won it twice:
Brazil
Argentina
Italy
Germany
The only other winner was France in 1998. It seems to me that contrary to any logical analysis before the tournament, one of these four always manages to see it through. Of these four at the moment I only see Germany as weaker than normal, and Argentina as having a dodgy manager. However, contrary to expectations, they will probably do very well because they always do. The other two are fine and I see no reason why they won't do it. The ultimate question is can all four get it wrong. I don't think so. One of them will get it right even if the others fall by the wayside. The only hope of an alternative at the moment is Spain.
If you look at the FA Cup as an example it is almost always one of the big four that win it. Only once in the last 15 years has this not been the case. 15 World Cups take 60 years. So based on this logic I only see a team outside the big four winning it once every 60 years. This would mean that will will have to wait until 2058.
Although I don't exactly believe that it will really take this long I do think that people are kidding themselves if they think that England really have a decent chance. In my opinion we are the equivalent of the 10th team in The Premiership, or based on the FIFA World rankings we are 8th. We have an outside chance but ultimately like any 8th best team in the Premiership we will go out at the very best in the semis.
2. Who will win the World Cup? Holland
3. Who will be the outstanding player? Luis Fabiano
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer? Germany and or Heskey
5. How far will England go? Last 8
Neither would I. That's why I stated that I think we're lower than that in reality.
That's good shout because they'd only have to score and they'd be a dark horse.
Holland
2. Who will win the World Cup?
England
3. Who will be the outstanding player
Rooney
4. Which team or player will be the biggest under-performer?
Spain
5. How far will England go?
Win (eek!)