World Cup fever!

[coolweather]

<p>I really want to see Argentina and Netherlands at the final game.</p>

[blackeyedsusan]

<p>… and France appears to be falling apart. They refused as a team to practice today to protest Anelka being sent home. One of their team directors quit as a result.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/france/7841810/World-Cup-2010-France-squad-refuse-to-train.html[/url]”>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2010/teams/france/7841810/World-Cup-2010-France-squad-refuse-to-train.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[Alexandre]

<p>Europe’s main teams have not performaned well in this world Cup. in France’s case, it is a combination of poor coaching and poor team chemistry. </p>

<p>England, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain have all underperformed. France is pretty much out. England, Italy and Portugal will most likely not qualify for the next round.</p>

[gloworm]

<p>I hope two countries that have never won a final play for it. Fabiano got a goal from a double handball. He’s got a rep in Spain (Sevilla) as a dirty player. Stilll keeping my fingers crossed for USA and Spain.</p>

[coolweather]

<p>Off course I want to see the USA at the final too. And I may take a day off on Wed to watch.</p>

[soccerguy315]

<p>

Soccerguy: If Germany beats Ghana, and Australia beats Serbia, wouldn’t the standings be:</p>

<p>Germany 6
Ghana 4
Australia 4
Serbia 3</p>

<p>THen does Ghana or Australia advance?

</p>

<p>hm, I didn’t think about this result. Interesting. If this happens, it would go to tiebreakers. The first tiebreaker is goal differential (scored - allowed). Right now, Ghana is +1 and Australia is -4. So, Australia would have to make up that difference, meaning Australia and Germany would have to win their last games by a combined 6 goals. Unlikely, but not impossible. This is where it really hurt to get that red card in the first game. It led to the score getting out of hand, which is bad for the tiebreaker scenarios. If Germany/Australia win by a combined 5 goals, then the tiebreaker is goals scored over the 3 games (which Australia would be likely to win if they win their last game and Ghana doesn’t).</p>

<p>the tie breakers are:
goal difference in all group matches;
greatest number of goals scored in all group matches;
greatest number of points in matches between tied teams;
goal difference in matches between tied teams;
greatest number of goals scored in matches between tied teams;
drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee.</p>

[soccerguy315]

<p>wanted to share this article about one of the New Zealand players… he doesn’t even play professionally, he is a banker. He has played some in Northern Ireland and in the US (USL, not MLS).</p>

<p>

The first time a number of Andy Barron’s workmates knew he was an All White was when he took the field against Bahrain in that World Cup qualifier last November.</p>

<p>Some of his closest colleagues knew but for many, he was that reasonably athletic-looking guy in the wealth division on level 12 of the Westpac building on Lambton Quay.</p>

<p>"Quite a number of people didn’t even know I played and I’m not the type of guy to blurt it out.</p>

<p>“Some were quite surprised. The head of wealth didn’t know I was an All White and left a message on my phone. He saw the game and admitted he nearly fell off his chair [when he saw Barron playing]. It was quite hard to keep it under wraps after the game.”

</p>

<p>[Soccer:</a> Cup role out of bag now - Soccer - NZ Herald News](<a href=“http://www.nzherald.co.nz/soccer-football/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=10638995&pnum=0]Soccer:”>Soccer: Cup role out of bag now - NZ Herald)</p>

<p>doesn’t even play professionally and he tied the Italians… guy must be living his dream.</p>

[lotsofquests]

<p>Brazil vs Portugal should be fun!</p>

[gloworm]

<p>Wow! A total demolition of NK by Portugal. NK is out. Now Brazil and Portugal will play for the #1 spot in the group. I can’t wait. </p>

<p>If any of you get isolated shots of Ronaldo after all the teammates’ goals showing him going into the happy group, please let me know. He only seemed happy after HE scored.</p>

[chaoses]

<p>I think Brazil and Portugal will be a boring match… I think brazil will just settle for a draw and Portugal wouldn’t be mad with that result. Portugal would like to win but they won’t risk their players for it. A draw is sufficient enough to go through. Ivory Coast is 99% eliminated because they are 9 goals behind Portugal in goal differential. </p>

<p>Brazil vs Portugal would be great if they play the first game of the group stage instead of last game.</p>

[gloworm]

<p>Well, Spain better golear Honduras to be in the goal difference + side more than Chile and Switzerland. If Spain wins its next 2 and Switzerland beats Honduras, 3 teams at 6 pts. would look at goals. </p>

<p>Let’s go Spain!!!</p>

[gloworm]

<p>Well, they won, but maybe didn’t score enough goals. How do you make 2 really good goals and then miss a penalty, Villa?</p>

[Cardinal_Fang]

<p>They scored enough goals. If they beat Chile, they’ll be at least +2 and Chile will be at most +1, so they’ll be in. If they tie Chile, then no matter how many goals they scored today they will be depending on Switzerland not beating Honduras, and if Switzerland doesn’t beat Honduras, then Switzerland will be at most +0, and Spain will be +1.</p>

[chaoses]

<p>I think the group stage makes soccer a very interesting sport: the points, the goal differences, match up result… another good thing is that both games in the group are played at the same time so players won’t know what happened at the other game.</p>

[Cardinal_Fang]

<p>This is my first time paying attention to the World Cup. What fun the group stage is-- all teams have played their first two games, and only two teams are definitely out. Intrigue! Suspense! Excitement!</p>

<p>North Korea, which normally doesn’t televise live sports or live anything else, picked a bad time to make an exception. Oops. Dear Leader will not be pleased.</p>

[soccerguy315]

<p>If Spain beats Chile and Switzerland beats Honduras, that group could end</p>

<p>Spain - 6
Chile - 6
Switzerland - 6
Honduras - 0</p>

<p>and someone would go home with 6 points. No one has ever gone home with 6 points in the WC (though there has been a 6, 6, 6, 0 group before, but there were only 6 groups, so the next 4 teams with the most points went through also to make 16 teams in the 2nd round). In fact, I’m pretty sure that no one has ever gone home with 5 points either.</p>

[gloworm]

<p>soccerguy,</p>

<p>That’s why I wanted more goals from Spain yesterday-if needed for a tie-break. I thought Chile tried all throughout their game to score more goals, while Spain was complacent near the end of their game. Goals could be the reason for not going through on 6pts.</p>

[Rachacha]

<p>Has anyone else been reading Dave Barry’s articles about World Cup - hilarious!</p>

<p>[Dave</a> Barry: Blowing the vuvuzela is the new World Cup tiebreaker - Dave Barry - MiamiHerald.com](<a href=“http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/21/1693072/dave-barry-blowing-the-vuvuzela.html]Dave”>http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/21/1693072/dave-barry-blowing-the-vuvuzela.html)</p>

<p>The French have a half an hour to show up…</p>

[gloworm]

<p>Regarding the French, The Guardian has an article summarizing the viewpoints of the major French newspapers on the subject. Our French neighbors could have written any of them!</p>

[Nrdsb4]

<p>^^^^I can’t find that article. Can you provide a link?</p>