The 'dark Horses' For This Tournament

[neekoy]

What the hell is going on? Dave are you trying to lead yourself into a situation where you aren't going to be let down if we don't make it out of the group stages or something?

No one is expecting Australia to win the bloody thing but your negativity is quite surprising, you are acting like we don't even deserve to be there

Show some faith man, get behind the boys. The perfomance was promising, there is room for improvement but they have a couple of weeks yet to get it together.

FFS, England lost to Belarus and you don't hear them writing the death notes yet

I can count on one hand the amount of 'game breakers' playing in the world cup and four of them are from Brazil

[ihtd]

Predictions for kind of dark horses!!!

Togo to finish with a point

Australia to finish third in their group behind Brazil & Japan.

T&T to finish second in group B behind England

Spain to make a rare appearance in the Semi's

Argentina/Germany/Holland all fail to make it out of the group stages

Sol Campbell to have a winning goal disallowed at some point of the knockout stages.

This post should have really been put in the predictions page!

[Eddie]

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...

I think it unlikely that America don't take a point, but it is a reasonable prediction given their group. Personally can't see them taking more than three.

[American]

We didn't have a chance against Portugal 4 years ago, either...

If Convey and/or Dempsey play, we can win the group. Our backup squad that started last night looked great.

[Eddie]

Yes, but I think the big difference is that at the last tournament you had to get through a group that simply contained one of the smaller of the "big" nations. This time you are facing two of the best sides in the world, both of whom could be classed as underdogs and dark horses in their own way. I've becomed tired of this debate with American friends who time and time again say "look at 2002", get through, maybe, win the group and you need a few Italians and Czechs to pick up the Spurs virus.

[philipl]

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...

If Ibrahimovic is as over weight and out of form as being reported, Sweden's chances are not as bright as I suggested.

Ukraine had an impressive warm-up game so I might have got that wrong as well.

[ihtd]

Ukraine should have a good tournament as most of their players do not have the excuse of playing too many games due to a lot playing in the Russian league and many sitting on the bench of Top European clubs with the exception of a few, on the otherhand they have the excuse of not having match sharpness due to lack of matches.

I only mentioned that as i was reading that Gerrard article about him playing in 59 matches this season before the World Cup.

[mick hickmans wig]

AUSTRALIA WILL MAKE THE SEMI´S

[Napoleon]

Croatia. Drawn in a fair group, they have an excellent defence and they qualified for the tournament comfortably.

[philipl]

Croatia. Drawn in a fair group, they have an excellent defence and they qualified for the tournament comfortably.

Does the fact a Malta team (whose star player is a regular in Mansfield Town's Reserves) were very unfortunate not to hand Croatia a well-deserved beating in the Qualifiers colour your view of Croatia's chances?

Edited May 30, 2006 by philipl

[tchocky]

Not mine. I also think Croatia could go far.

As for white horses, I can only think of Ruud van Nistelrooy...... Oh, you were looking for dark horses..

hanger. coat. door. bye.

[RoyRover]

Apart from the favourites, like Brazil and Aregntina, there are a number of dark horses that I think could do well. They include the likes of Croatia, Holland, England, Ukraine and the Ivory Coast. I'm looking forward to seeing Croatia play, they always play good football and with the likes of Niko Kranjcar, Dario Srna and the lethal Ivan Klasnic, they could do well. When Ukraine play, I'll be very happy as well, because finally Andriy Shevchenko can play at the highest level. I remember watching an interview with him and he said that his career, for all its titles, trophies and goals would be a failure if he never achieved anything with his country.

[grizfoot]

Ivory Coast or Australia

[blue/white]

Ivory coast drawing w/ chile???? dark horse? please !

[American]

Japan to the semis, at least. Not just on the strength of last night's match, but they have a lot of players in Germany, and there is a large Japanese population in Germany.

[blue phil]

There's a large Turkish population in Germany .....but they won't do owt ! Neither will the Japs .

[cn174]

There's a large Turkish population in Germany .....but they won't do owt ! Neither will the Japs .

Turkey wont do owt, cos Turkey aren't in it:)

[blue/white]

QUOTE(blue phil @ May 31 2006, 19:08 )

There's a large Turkish population in Germany .....but they won't do owt ! Neither will the Japs .

Turkey wont do owt, cos Turkey aren't in it:)

I think this succession of posts pretty much sum up where this thread is heading, no?

Edited May 31, 2006 by blue/white

[blue phil]

Turkey wont do owt, cos Turkey aren't in it:)

Exactly ! There are a lot of Germans in Germany but I don't think they'll win either ....well hopefully not anyway

[bluebruce]

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 !

That's xenophobic

S&M to be dark horses....they're not going to win or anything, but I think if they can escape their group they've a good shot at the quarters or semis. A 'big' nation will win the whole thing, won't be a major upset.

[blue/white]

Thanks for that, mr. pedantic

I knew this, but it's funny how when in a stream of concious it just seemed like Z was right....

[bluebruce]

Thanks for that, mr. pedantic

I knew this, but it's funny how when in a stream of concious it just seemed like Z was right....

That's Mr. Pedantic.

Edit- Whilst I'm at it, 'conscious'. ;)

Edited June 1, 2006 by bluebruce

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

A good headline for some of our liberal luvvies in one of the Sunday tabloids today....

BEWARE OF THE DROG

If Ivory Coast were in an easier group (such as Group A) , I think they would qualify as they have some good players like Toure and Eboue in the team; but playing in Group C with Holland, Argentina and Serbia-Montenegro will be tough for them and I'm not expecting Ivory Coast to qualify from their group.

We had a surprise winner of Euro 2004 with Greece, but I'm fully expecting one of the 'big' nations to win the World Cup this summer - probably Brazil, but with a maximum of eight other teams in with a chance - Argentina, Italy, England, Spain, Germany, France, Holland and Portugal.

If the tournament was being played outside of Germany I wouldn't rate their chances, as they don't appear to have many world-class players at the moment.

[FourLaneBlue]

We had a surprise winner of Euro 2004 with Greece, but I'm fully expecting one of the 'big' nations to win the World Cup this summer - probably Brazil, but with a maximum of eight other teams in with a chance - Argentina, Italy, England, Spain, Germany, France, Holland and Portugal.

So you've managed to narrow down the likely winners to just under 30% of the teams left?

Good work Smithy!

[American]

Who will give me the best odds on Brazil not making it out of the group?