World Cup Discussion Thread

[Kylearan]

Hi,

Round of 16 begins in 7.5 hours. Here's my predictions: [...]

I agree with all, and I especially agree that Portugal vs. the Netherlands will be the closest game. I hope the Dutch will win, but somehow I doubt it.

Ok so I just realized I have EVERY group winner advancing.

Yep, so far it's a somewhat boring world cup with few surprises, if any. That Ghana advanced was a surprise, but everything else went as expected.

Brazil is brazil.

They will be able to beat Ghana, yes, but beyond that...I was really disappointed by their games so far. That's not the all-dominating team of soccer magicians we all had expected. In fact, they played no better than Argentina, the Dutch, Portugal, or even us Germans. They will have to do better to really win the world cup! Blame it to Parreira and his somewhat conservative and defensive tactics.

Spain won't have much trouble with France.

Agreed, and then I hope we won't see that French team of old men ever again...they're really embarassing.

Oliver Khan did so well in the last world cup that his merepresence on the sideline (a unfortunate happenstance in itself)

Unfortunate? Nah, I disagree. He's still a fantastic keeper (somehow we have no lack of fantastic keepers here...), but his style of playing is outdated. He's the best in the whole world on the goal line, but modern team tactics demand that the keeper has to come out more often, that he's more a part of the whole defense than just a mere goal keeper. Khan cannot do this, Lehmann on the other hand is fantastic in that department.

Too bad that we will have to face Argentina in the quarterfinals.:(I think Argentina was by far the best team during the first round of the tournament.

-Kylearan