World Cup 2006 - and it's called football, not soccer!

don't remember that

Friendlies don't count with Erikson anymore as all he ever does is play the first team (which can't really be bothered) and then bring in the cover players.

I'd prefer it if he used friendlies to try out the reserves from the start and then add the senior players slowly in the second half.

Like against Northern Ireland?

damn, there goes my selective memory again

yeah, what he said

Group E looks like the toughest division to me....some great teams and no game will be easy for any country in that division...



Italy, Usa, and the Czechs can all play ball well

My predictions:

Group A
Germany
Costa Rica
Poland
Ecuador

Germany 3 - 0 Costa Rica
Poland 2 - 1 Ecuador
Germany 1 - 1 Poland
Costa Rica 0 - 1 Ecuador
Germany 2 - 0 Ecuador
Costa Rica 1 - 2 Poland

Final Table:

1. Germany: 7 points, 6 for, 1 against.
2. Poland: 7 points, 5 for, 3 against.
3. Ecuador: 3 points, 2 for, 4 against.
4. Costa Rica: 0 points, 1 for, 6 against.

Group B
England
Paraguay
Trinidad and Tobago
Sweden

England 2 - 2 Paraguay
Trinidad 1 - 3 Sweden
England 2 - 0 Trinidad
Paraguay 1 - 0 Sweden (Upset)
England 0 - 0 Sweden
Paraguay 2 - 1 Trinidad

Final Table:

1. Paraguay: 7 points, 5 for, 3 against.
2. England: 5 points, 4 for, 2 against.
3. Sweden: 4 points, 3 for, 2 against.
4. Trinidad: 0 points, 2 for, 7 against.

Group C
Argentina
Ivory Coast
Serbia and Montenegro
Holland

Argentina 2 - 1 Ivory Coast
Serbia 2 - 2 Holland
Argentina 1 - 0 Serbia
Ivory Coast 0 - 5 Holland
Argentina 2 - 3 Holland
Ivory Coast 2 - 0 Serbia

Final Table:

1. Holland: 7 points, 10 for, 4 against.
2. Argentina: 6 points, 5 for, 4 against.
3. Ivory Coast: 3 points, 3 for, 7 against.
4. Serbia: 1 point, 2 for, 5 against.

Group D
Mexico
Iran
Angola
Portugal

Mexico 4 - 1 Iran
Angola 0 - 3 Portugal
Mexico 2 - 1 Angola
Iran 2 - 5 Portugal
Mexico 2 - 3 Portugal
Iran 3 - 3 Angola

Final Table:

1. Portugal: 9 points, 11 for, 4 against.
2. Mexico: 6 points, 8 for, 5 against.
3. Angola: 1 point, 4 for, 8 against.
4. Iran: 1 point, 6 for, 12 against.

Group E
Italy
Ghana
USA
Czech Republic

Italy 2 - 0 Ghana
USA 0 - 4 Czech Rep.
Italy 3 - 1 USA
Ghana 2 - 3 Czech Rep.
Italy 0 - 1 Czech Rep.
Ghana 0 - 0 USA

Final Table:

1. Czech Rep.: 9 points, 8 for, 2 against.
2. Italy: 6 points, 5 for, 2 against.
3. Ghana: 1 point, 2 for, 5 against.
4. USA: 1 point, 1 for, 7 against.

Group F (This is where it gets interesting)
Brazil
Croatia
Australia
Japan

Brazil 2 - 2 Croatia
Australia 3 - 3 Japan
Brazil 0 - 2 Australia
Croatia 0 - 1 Japan
Brazil 2 - 1 Japan
Croatia 3 - 0 Australia

Final Table:

1. Croatia: 4 points, 5 for, 3 against.
2. Japan: 4 points, 5 for, 5 against.
3. Australia: 4 points, 5 for, 6 against.
4. Brazil: 4 points, 4 for, 5 against.

Group G
France
Switzerland
Korea Republic
Togo

France 2 - 1 Switz.
Korea 1 - 0 Togo
France 3 - 2 Korea
Switz. 4 - 1 Togo
France 0 - 2 Togo
Switz. 2 - 1 Korea

Final Table:

Switz.: 6 points, 6 for, 4 against.
France: 6 points, 5 for, 5 against.
Korea: 3 points, 4 for, 5 against.
Togo: 3 points, 3 for, 5 against.

Group H
Spain
Ukraine
Tunisia
Saudi Arabia

Spain 4 - 2 Ukraine
Tunisia 2 - 0 Saudi
Spain 1 - 0 Tunisia
Ukraine 5 - 2 Saudi
Spain 6 - 1 Saudi
Ukraine 2 - 3 Tunisia

Final Table:

Spain: 9 points, 11 for, 3 against.
Tunisia: 3 points, 5 for, 3 against.
Ukraine: 3 points, 9 for, 9 against.
Saudi: 0 points, 3 for, 13 against.

Second Round

1. Germany 0 - 2 England
2. Holland 3 - 1 Mexico
3. Paraguay 1 - 2 Poland
4. Portugal 1 - 1 Argentina (1 - 1 AET, 5-3 Portugal on Penalties)
5. Czech Rep. 3 - 0 Japan
6. Switzerland 2 - 2 Tunisia (Tunisia win on Silver Goal)
7. Croatia 0 - 0 Italy (0 - 0 AET, Croatia fluke 3-0 Penalty win)
8. Spain 2 - 1 France

Quarter Finals

A. England 0 - 1 Holland
B. Czech Rep. 2 - 0 Tunisia
C. Poland 1 - 4 Portugal
D. Croatia 2 - 1 Spain

Semi-Finals

I. Holland 2 - 2 Czech Rep. (Holland gets silver goal)
II. Portugal 2 - 0 Croatia

Playoff

Czech Rep. 2 - 1 Croatia

Final

Holland 3 - 2 Portugal

Holland = Winners

Wait - you are suggesting Australia will beat Brazil?

Gus Hiddink is your manager, is he not?

He could train a flock of seagulls to beat Brazil.

Australia will not beat Brazil, I fancy a Brazil England final.

Haha, yeah, Gus is our manager. I hear he's good, yes, but Brazil? That's crazy talk.

I guess we'll see, huh?

Brazil not to qualify? That's a bold prediction.

I'll stick with it, even if I get ridiculed afterwards

Can't wait. Michi and I are going to watch the opening game at the big screen in our town.
My father and I are planning to take the family to Frankfurt for one of the games. The instaled a swimming hughe screen in the middle of the river with enough seats for 30.000 people to watch the games
Makes it alot easier to forget that we didn't manage to get tickets for a single game

Australia FTW!

It's going to be a great few weeks, can't wait for it to kick off, no pun intended!

Gaaaah and I realized I was likely to be unable to watch the first game AND the final

It's soccer. not football.

Can;t wait for it to start.

Brazil just had a friendly with New Zealand and wom 4-0. I was expecting a bigger gap like 7-0
Oh well.

Go New Zealand...but since we're not in the WC go Aussie.

It's so great to have the World Cup in my home country.
I guess I have never experienced a world or euro cup the way I'm already enjyoing this one.

It's such an excited atmosphere and whenever a few people get together they talk about nothing else but football and the health of Michael Ballack.

So who do you think is going to win? My bets are on Brazil (as always ), but I think a few teams have really good chances to win too.
But surpises and wonders can happen as we all know *points at greece*

ENGLAND

I think we have a chance and if Roooooney can make it, then we have an even better chance. I think we can qualify without him, and if we can win our first two games then we'll be in a great position.

If I were a betting man, my money would be on Brazil. However, I want to see a team really attack them because I don't think their defence is all that and if you scare them I think they could crumble. I don't think many teams could do that but England is one of them because we have a very attack minded midfield and wingbacks.

I've seen the BIG screens at Frankfurt and it looks great. I'd love to be there soaking the atmosphere (and sun, and beer ). You're very lucky Jule
Fredrik should be in Germany now waiting for the Sweden game....and chasing the girls no doubt, lol.

Good luck to Germany. I think your team is weak but you can never write them off, a la World Cup 2002

Hmm. I do have a spot spot for Englishmen (hell, I married one) but I must say the fans are so ungracious in defeat or in victory that I can't see myself rooting for England

Isn't there an english saying that "in the end Germany always wins."?!

Honestly I don't expect too much of the German team. They haven't won anything important in the last 10 years and defenitly lost contact to the leading nations. I think the FiFa listing of the national teams has us at position thirteen. Even behind Japan...
But the sentence you are reading most often in newspapers these days is that the germans are a tournament team.
And "we" are the current vice world champion. At least till early july

Anyways I hope for a peaceful time and fair games.
Hope you all can enjoy the opening game tonight

Here, here Jule!! In the end I hope that it's a great, peaceful tournament
And that's right, we do have that saying about the German team and sadly it's always true, lol

Can't wait for kick-off and I really like the new Bayern Munich stadium. I don't think it'll be a great match due to nerves, but it will be a great spectacle before-hand.

Looking forward to seeing the Soccorroos in action too!! They will have no pressure really (due to low expectations) and so they could be the dark horses....or should that be dark kangoroos??