Official World Cup Thread

[Kojak]

Buaaah... My girlfriend and I were offered a pair of tickets for the game Ghana vs. Italy, just two hours before the game started by the boss of my girlfriend - for free!!!! And we were not able to go there! ARGH! (we would have needed at least three hours in order to get to Hannover). That sucked big time. Finally we went to the official World-Cup party in Hamburg and watched the game there with thousands of others. Not bad - but not the same as being in the stadium.

[apoorv_khurasia]

I'd put my money on Germany or France. I hope Holland can pull it off.
England is overrated and they will not make it past quarter finals. I don't want Brasil too win as they have won it enough, although with some luck on a few occassions.

The tournament is staged in Europe and only once did a non-european team win the final in Europe (Brasil did in 1958, played in Sweden). I'd say the cup will go to a European team.

I will put mine on the Czechs ot the Brazilians.

[zba78]

So far the Argentineans have impressed me the most. Although the Italians put on a good performance yesterday.

Sadly England have played the most boring match so far.

Brazil tonight though. Hopefully a great display of attacking football from them

So happy USA got trashed

[apoorv_khurasia]

Ok frankly speaking the match sucked in the first 30 minutes of the play...it was the "dullest" game ever until Kader scored a goal for Togo out of the blue. Koreans played it in their typical style --scoring the goals in the second half of the play. Both of the goals (Lee Chung Soo, Ahn Jung Hwang) were awesome. In the end the result was as expected. Togo lacked professionalism and there were two missed golden opportunities --which were a certain goal provided some one acted fast. Anyways good games are about to follow and I will leave for them now.

[TBD]

So happy USA got trashed

Me too ... maybe now they will quit fielding a team.

To the USA teams defence - I am sure the pool to draw a team from here is very small ... You have to look really hard to even find a fan.

[d38dm8nw81k1ng]

20 minutes in and croatia seem to be holding their own quite well. i'd like to see them beat brazil, then for brazil to lose again

unfortunately, i've missed a few matches, due to ITV reception being pathetic at my house. i might have to get myself down to the pub to watch them

[d38dm8nw81k1ng]

ok, it seems brazil are on fire. listening on the radio and kaka's just scored a cracker.

[Roxoff]

ok, it seems brazil are on fire. listening on the radio and kaka's just scored a cracker.

Hardly 'on fire'. I only watched the second half, and I couldn't believe it was Brazil. They are either shockingly poor, or (as all the commentators seemed to believe) they just aint trying 'cos they dont think they have to yet.

Croatia should really have won last night, they had several good chances, but they're just appalling in front of goal. Oh well.

On the plus side I've not seen anyone that England need to be scared of yet, but then again, if they all start like the England squad did, with an under-par performance, then it's gonna be too hard to tell until after the knockout competition starts.

[d38dm8nw81k1ng]

well, brazil were better in the first half than the second. i'll agree the second half was very poor. i was rooting for croatia too. it would seem that alot of the good teams are having slow starts. even england had a poor second half. i hope there's better to come.

[zba78]

Now that all of the serious contenders have got off to a good start and got 3 points under their (except the woeful French) I hope they'll each 'open up' and really put the gauntlet down in their second matches