|
Post by Jon Broxton on Oct 14, 2009 14:35:13 GMT -8
So, we know a lot of the qualifiers now:
• DENMARK • SWITZERLAND • SLOVAKIA • GERMANY • SPAIN • ENGLAND • SERBIA • ITALY • NETHERLANDS • BRAZIL • PARAGUAY • CHILE • ARGENTINA • MEXICO • UNITED STATES • HONDURAS • AUSTRALIA • JAPAN • SOUTH KOREA • NORTH KOREA • GHANA • COTE D’IVOIRE • SOUTH AFRICA
• Either Cameroon or Gabon • Either Tunisia or Nigeria • Either Algeria or Egypt • Either Bahrain or New Zealand • Either Uruguay or Costa Rica
Then the 4 Euro playoff winners from Portugal, Greece, Slovenia, Russia, Bosnia, Ukraine, France and Ireland
Any thoughts from our football-loving posters?
|
|
Joe Irvin
Conductor
(I'm the one in the middle)
Posts: 815
|
Post by Joe Irvin on Oct 14, 2009 16:41:42 GMT -8
Not far, I'm sure. Also Jon, everybody loves the sport they call football.
|
|
cheno
Conductor
Posts: 1,012
|
Post by cheno on Oct 14, 2009 16:53:12 GMT -8
Despite the less-than-brilliant performance tonight, I can definitely see the United States getting out of the group stages. Especially with Altidore getting a year older.
|
|
|
Post by Armin on Oct 14, 2009 16:53:49 GMT -8
Not that many surprises, really. It's a tight field in Europe. Denmark did pretty well, and they usually are solid in the finals, so that could be an interestig squad to follow. Not sure what to make of Slovakia.
Perhaps Spain can pull something off after they finally won something recently. Until then they were in the "getting knocked out in the quarterfinals, possibly in a penalty shootout after having kicked everybody's ass in the group stages" with England and Holland.
The African teams are also good, looking forward to one of those making it through to the end.
Other than that it's the usual suspects: Germany or Italy with dreadful playing, Brazil with some magic, Argentina with sheer madness.
|
|
|
Post by Jon Broxton on Oct 14, 2009 17:18:05 GMT -8
Wonder how far we'll make it this time before we're knocked out. That will depend on whether FIFA seed the teams purely on world ranking - the US is currently ranked 11th, but with Croatia not qualifying, and France and Russia not yet in for sure, they could be bumped up to 8th. If they end up being one of the 8 seeded teams, they could end up getting a decent draw. HOWEVER; FIFA usually use a combination of world ranking plus performance at previous World Cup to seed the teams, and if they do that then the 8 seeds will probably be: Brazil, Italy, England, Germany, France, Argentina, Spain and Netherlands. That means that the US could get drawn in a group consisting of, for example, Brazil and Portugal, which would mean almost certain elimination in the group stage. On the other hand, they could end up in a group with, for example, Bosnia and Gabon (plus a seeded team) - it's all the luck of the draw! It'll be fun to see how it all transpires!
|
|
|
Post by Jon Broxton on Oct 14, 2009 18:34:28 GMT -8
Oh! Well in that case, the same issue stands The Socceroos won't be seeded, so again it'll depend entirely on the draw. Although, the way you dominated your group in qualifying, I sense a chance at the last 16 at the very least.
|
|
cheno
Conductor
Posts: 1,012
|
Post by cheno on Oct 14, 2009 20:59:04 GMT -8
There's no guarantee Portugal (or a similarly skilled team) would beat the U.S. After all, we did beat Spain.
|
|
cheno
Conductor
Posts: 1,012
|
Post by cheno on Oct 15, 2009 10:57:39 GMT -8
The United States last-second tying of Costa Rica means Honduras is going to the World Cup, and let's just say the Honduran announcer are a wee bit excited about it.
|
|
|
Post by Hook on Oct 15, 2009 12:46:35 GMT -8
Thank God. Now I know I can go out in 2010 without cars blaring their horns and trying to save myself from all the flags threatening to poke my eyes out.
|
|
cheno
Conductor
Posts: 1,012
|
Post by cheno on Oct 15, 2009 13:30:59 GMT -8
Thank God. Now I know I can go out in 2010 without cars blaring their horns and trying to save myself from all the flags threatening to poke my eyes out. Where are you?
|
|
|
Post by Armin on Oct 15, 2009 14:04:51 GMT -8
Costa Rica I'd say.
|
|
|
Post by Jon Broxton on Oct 15, 2009 14:10:59 GMT -8
Not yet. Uruguay might lose
|
|
|
Post by Jon Broxton on Oct 15, 2009 14:12:14 GMT -8
The United States last-second tying of Costa Rica means Honduras is going to the World Cup, and let's just say the Honduran announcer are a wee bit excited about it. I read today that the President of Honduras offered Jonathan Bornstein free vacations in Honduras for the rest of his life How cool is that? Haha!
|
|
cheno
Conductor
Posts: 1,012
|
Post by cheno on Oct 16, 2009 1:22:54 GMT -8
The United States last-second tying of Costa Rica means Honduras is going to the World Cup, and let's just say the Honduran announcer are a wee bit excited about it. I read today that the President of Honduras offered Jonathan Bornstein free vacations in Honduras for the rest of his life How cool is that? Haha! I've never heard of anybody take a vacation to Honduras. What's in it?
|
|
|
Post by Southall on Oct 16, 2009 8:56:28 GMT -8
Goats.
|
|