Worldwide Soccer Thread I

[Az]

Beckham is going to Tottenham

[Lawrence of Arabia]

here are my predictions for the 32 teams in the world cup.

UEFA
Group winners: Netherlands, Ukraine, Portugal (theyve scored 21 goals in 6 games!!), Switzerland, Italy, England, Spain, Sweden
Best 2nd Place: Poland, Czechs
Other 2nd Place teams: Greece, Slovakia, France, Norway, Serbia, Croatia
Winners: France, Norway, Croatia

South America:
Winners: Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay
5th place: Uruguay

Oceanian:
Winner: Australia.
Australia v. Uruguay, uruguay wins goes to WC

Africa:
Group Winners: Senegal, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Morocco

Concacef: Mexico, USA, Costa Rica, Guatemala

Asia:
Group Winners: South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Japan
3rd Place winners: Kuwait, Bahrain
Kuwait advances to face Guatemala and loses.

Final List:

1. Netherlands
2. Ukraine
3. Portugal
4. Switzlerland
5. Italy
6. England
7. Spain
8. Sweden
9. Poland
10. Czechs
11. Germany
12. France
13. Norway
14. Croatia
15. Argentina
16. Brazil
17. Ecuador
18. Paraguay
19. Uruguay
20. Senegal
21. South Africa
22. Ivory Coast
23. Nigeria
24. Morocco
25. Mexico
26. USA
27. Costa Rica
28. Guatemala
29. S. Korea
30. Saudi Arabia
31. Iran
32. Japan

[Az]

Group winners: ...Switzerland....

Not going to happen

[Lawrence of Arabia]

YESITWILL

[Lawrence of Arabia]

after yesterrdays matches, thee most points france and israel can get is 12, for a total of 22. the most points switzerland and ireland can get is 24. however, with head to head action, if one team gets to 24, the next closest will be at 21, and the one after that will be at 18. if france maxes out at 22, the next team switzerland/ireland would be at 21, and the third place team swtizerland/ireland would be at 18. however, if france ties once in their next 4 games, that leaves them with 20 pts, switzerland and ireland can afford to tie one of their remaining games and still qualify. or they can tie AND lose and still take the 2nd spot in the group. if france ties twice more and gets 18 pts, then they are in real trouble because switzerland/ireland can tie AND lose and still qualify, as long as it is not against each other. the winner of switzerland/ireland would go on, if they both tie france. a tie would mean switzlerland advances based on goal differences.

they really are in desperate straights those guys.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Ireland will win that group and send the Swiss home.

Az, isn't that the FUNNIEST thing you've seen? Some people just have the craziest rumors.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

please, ireland hasnt beaten switzerland since before the euro cup. we always come to play against the irish. its gonna be france and switzerland fighting it out at the top.

the next three are at the faroe islands, at home against israel, at cyprus. thats 9 pts right there. that leaves us with 18.

irelands next three are at home against israel, at faroes, and at home against france. not as easy. i would give them a W against israel and faroes, but an L against france. thats 6 points, leaves them at 15.

switzlerlands final two matches are against france (oct 8th) at home, and ireland (oct 12th away).
irelands final two matches are against c yprus away and switzerland at home.

we can assume that ireland beats cyprus, they will have 18 pts in 9 matches, switzlerland will have 18 pts in 8 mathces. switzlerland only has to win one out of the two remaining games to go on, while ireland needs to beat switzerland. switzerland can play for the tie against both france (at home) AND ireland, and still qualify.

[Az]

I think the Irish will win the group, as well. second place is very much for grabs, though. Israel, for example, has two games, against the Swiss, and the Irish, which are crucial.

Az, isn't that the FUNNIEST thing you've seen? Some people just have the craziest rumors.

You know, this is one of these things that you say to yourself: "I don't believe anyone could make this stuff up.....

.... could it be true? "

Completely absurd.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

this guy smashes all over trezegol, yossi benayoun, AND keane.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

I think the Irish will win the group, as well. second place is very much for grabs, though. Israel, for example, has two games, against the Swiss, and the Irish, which are crucial.

thats a good point, but ireland cannot win the group without beatin israel, which would put you guys in a very poor position (anyone who loses from now on is in big trouble)

[Az]

thats a good point, but ireland cannot win the group without beatin israel, which would put you guys in a very poor position (anyone who loses from now on is in big trouble)

We could lose there and win in Switzerland
, and with 2 games against the faroe islands ahead, we'll have our goal stats improved..

[Imran Siddiqui]

I think the Irish will win the group, as well.

Irish Eyes Are Smiling....

And yes, I think Ireland beats Israel. The Irish have a pretty decent squad this time around.

Completely absurd.

Though it would be funny... The rumors about Owen, at least, sound more plausible, especially since Owen isn't playing as much as he'd like down in Madrid.

[Az]

And yes, I think Ireland beats Israel. The Irish have a pretty decent squad this time around.

Roy Keane is out for the next game, though.

I know... that's thin.

This is going to be very hard. It's times like this that I think we should've had this coach we have in the league, a total badass, and has the players for pawns.... he'd 1-0 us all the way to the final.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

We could lose there and win in Switzerland

a tie at switzerland is the best you can hope for i think.

And yes, I think Ireland beats Israel. The Irish have a pretty decent squad this time around.

so do i. israels run might end june 4th. if they tie however, that opens the door even MORE for switzlerland - in other words, the more the other teams tie, the more that israel plays the spoiler and keeps on tieing, the better chance switzerland will win the group. if israel ties ireland, and ireland loses, or even better ties, france, switzlerland will finish ahead of ireland, and probably even france.

[Az]

a tie at switzerland is the best you can hope for i think.

Yeah, especially after such a blast of a performance in Cyprus.