The 'dark Horses' For This Tournament

[FourLaneBlue]

Who do you think may be the 'dark horses' this tournament?

Oh and no the Czech Republic and the Netherlands don't count... Or even Mexico, as one of the eight seeded teams, for that matter

I reckon...Tunisia.

African champions, the only one of the African big guns to make it here and with World Cup experience.

Not only that but their group is average. Spain are likely to win it yet the Ukraine are not a good team. Many seem to be blinded by Shevchenko...despite coming through a difficult group they were God-awful for the second half of it.

Anyway...Tunisia to cause an upset.

Any other long shots you reckon may surprise us all?

Edited May 26, 2006 by FourLaneBlue

[AussieinUk]

Very good topic FLB.

If I can't pick Mexico(my genuine pick) or Australia... it has to be Serbia & Montenegro

Very decent at the back and good on the counter, overall a very underrated team :ph34r:

Odds around 100-1

Edited May 25, 2006 by AussieinUk

[greggyk]

Ghana for me!

[bellamy11]

I think you're being unrealistic classic Mexico as a favourite. Otherwise, by that definition, we're just going to be listing teams that aren't going to win the world cup. There is no way Mexico, world ranking of 6 or otherwise, are classed in the same league as the Czechs or the Dutch. God knows why people think the Czechs are 'dark horses' anyway.

Ukraine then. They qualified from an extremely difficult group and have a few good players, even if Shev is injured for the start of the tourney.

But if Mexico are favourites then God help me.

[rog of the rovers]

Mexico for me!

I think the Ivory Coast could shock a few people

Edited May 25, 2006 by rog of the rovers

[shraffy]

mexico and S&M are the 2 darkhorse teams i've got money on ... also think costa rica can make some noise

[neekoy]

I am putting 20 on Portugal

[Perth_Rover]

I'm saying spain as dark horse's to win

To go well australia and poland

[FourLaneBlue]

I think you're being unrealistic classic Mexico as a favourite.

I'm not, I didn't mention them as a favourite at all but that doesn't make them 'dark horses' in any way if we sticking to that tired and overused cliche.

Mexico reaching the quarter finals for example would be no surprise at all, for some of the real minnows to do so would be a shock. Mexico to go further then that would suggest a surprise though I admit.

EDIT - I meant to say that they were in the first seeds rather than being favourites, which may explain the mixup.

I don't mean dark horses to win, more as to surprise a few people and become a story.

Edited May 26, 2006 by FourLaneBlue

[herbergeehh]

I believe Serbia and Montenegro will surprise a lot of people, they have some very good players in their squad. They have a lot of good players, especially attacking wise - Vucinic, Kezman, Zigic, Milosevic - and a fantastic player in Dejan Stankovic. In defence, they have solid players like Vidic and Krstajic.

[neekoy]

Serbia and Montenegro are definately going to be hard to beat, if they weren't drawn in the group of death I thought they could have been surprises further into the competition.

[Cocker]

I hear Ruud Van Nistelrooy has been on the sunbed. So my dark horse for the torni is him

Edited May 26, 2006 by Cocker

[Rovermatt]

The Ivory Coast.

They have some top players (Toure, Drogba, Kalou, Eboue, Zokora) the majority of the squad are based in Europe, they have a good set-up. They're in a very tough group but are more than capable of causing an upset.

[bellamy11]

I'm not, I didn't mention them as a favourite at all but that doesn't make them 'dark horses' in any way if we sticking to that tired and overused cliche.

Mexico reaching the quarter finals for example would be no surprise at all, for some of the real minnows to do so would be a shock. Mexico to go further then that would suggest a surprise though I admit.

EDIT - I meant to say that they were in the first seeds rather than being favourites, which may explain the mixup.

I don't mean dark horses to win, more as to surprise a few people and become a story.

Fair enough. That makes more sense. In which case I shall stick with the Ukraine, who may well have to face France in the second round but have the quality to overcome them. I'd have said the Ivory Coast but they are in a shocking group.

[Presty On Tour]

switzerland are 125/1, they could be a suprise, a few good players in the swiss side and their group with the french, korea and togo they should have a well good chance of making the second round.

[pick32]

Serbia & Montenegro

[blue/white]

the latest noise over here is that Mexico reckons they're a shout for the Semis !

Then I hear this Mex-American journo over here in the states bloating

that the Mexicans are so deep that their bench can qualify into the quarters.

Such is the pressure heaped upon the 'tri'...Such hubris crashlanding will be entertaining

to watch in the coming weeks. It will be cathartic I tell you.

schadenfreud, anyone ?

I seen a Argentina-2002 type meltdown on the horizon.

Surely the first head we seen rolling might be of LaVolpes', which

will make the zenophobic mexicans very HAPPY !

Edited May 26, 2006 by blue/white

[speeeeeeedie]

There are a good few. The tournament is very even. The Serbs and Croats can beat anyone on their day (amazing that they were the same team at Itaila 90), the Ivory Coast will scare some, the Aussies might surprise a few, Sweden could beat anyone with Larsson and Zlatan up front and their stingy defence, the USA are a strange bunch too.

Mexico will capitulate. They had all this talk last year too, during the Confederations Cup, but it will go nowhere.

[frosty]

Serbia and Ukraine for me.

From what I have heard anyway

[Fife Rover]

I have no evidence for this but I just have this intuition that the USA will go a long way; possibly to the semis or even the final. Another surprise could well be the Aussies.

Edited May 26, 2006 by Fife Rover

[Tango]

I've got money riding on Serbia & Montenegro, and would have tipped the Ivory Coast too but can't see them both qualifying from that group with Argentina and Holland.

[American]

I think T&T will make some noise and possibly get out of the group. Not sure which spot they would take yet, though. From the sounds of the friendly the other day, it could be Sweden's.

[philipl]

Mexico- I don't see it (despite them being stronger than usual).

Ecuador could well qualify from their Group which I think makes Sweden a good bet for the semi-finals and an England v Germany last 16 meeting.

I don't think any African team will make the last 16. USA to go home without a point because of the Group they are in and the fixtures order.

Australia to be the surprise package of the tournament.

Ukraine and S&M will flatter to deceive.

[dave birch]

I trust that your info on the Australians is not based on the match against Greece, philipl.

If the Aussies play that way against any team in the WC, then they'll get hammered. They won't be able to cope with any team that has a player that can hold a ball "up front".

The only thing that has me forgiving the Aussies, and that is that the main team hasn't played together for some months, and that they will get better. However, will the friendlies and the first round matches be enough?

The other thing is, they don't have a "game breaker", there's no one that can turn a game.

[American]

Take Philps predictions for what they are: Predictions from a man who is almost always wrong and was near the bottom of the prediction league this season...