England - The best in the world already!

[Jaime]

When and if you ever get to the finals again and win it, you may be able to sit there and pass jugment.

Tono, I did not get to see the game, only read the reports that were on the Sun website

Nice one Chelsea - talk about putting your size nines in it! A case of the keyboard fingers being engaged before the grey matter, eh?

Have to go now, just off to watch my tapes of Barcelona winning the Champions League!

[Big Boy]

6 - 0
C'mon Paraguay, Trinadad & Tobago & Sweden - bring it on

[Rider]

With Peter Crouch and his robot dancing moves the opposition don't stand a chance!

Robot Groove!

Come on England!

[Big Boy]

Rider said:

With Peter Crouch and his robot dancing moves the opposition don't stand a chance!

Its a pity he only does the dance for a maximum of 2 goals in any match. Just think of the entertainment were going to miss.

[Joni]

Crouch

[lomuamart]

I know this might bore some people, but look at this link that I've just finished reading
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/stor ... 59,00.html

[Big Boy]

lomuamart,

I know this might bore some people, but look at this link that I've just finished reading

You're quite right, it did bore me - and I was actually interested.

Obviously a 'bad news' day. You can just see them at the news office, "No news today, who can we slag off?" "World cup is just around the corner, lets attack the English Captain - he's always good for a laugh."

There'll be a lot worse printed than that. Lets see what they've got to say about Beckham (or any other English team member) by the end of the competition.

The rest of the world's teams are given the utmost support when they play in world events. In England (I typed UK at first, but remembered the jealousy of our Scottish, Irish and Welsh cousins) we tend to shoot ourselves in the foot before anybody else has the chance of a shot.

[Jockey]

OK - How about a sweep for the first English player to burst into tears i.e. Gascoine 1990!

[Big Boy]

Jockey,

You're too late for that one, son. On a really bad news day, one of todays papers has been stating that David Beckham will shed a few a tears at the World Cup in Germany. They have quoted him as saying he will cry............................when he lifts the World Cup for England.

As with lomuamart's article, if its in the press, it must be true.

[Burger]

Jockey wrote:

How about a sweep for the first English player to burst into tears i.e. Gascoine 1990!

Oi Gazza never 'burst' into tears at all ............ it was more of a gradual 'welling'.
It was because he knew the booking meant he missed the next game, but it took him a full 30 seconds to work out that the next game after the semi-final was actually the final. You'd be gutted too!

After that I had the pleasure of watching the best football of his career down at WHL. Most talented footballer I ever saw, better than Hoddle
One ended up being tormented by demons, the other ended up drinking a lot

Burger

[Jaime]

In England (I typed UK at first, but remembered the jealousy of our Scottish, Irish and Welsh cousins)...

That's OK, just so long as you are consistent in this regard.... I'll be checking up on you!

[Guess]

I had a dream. England get throught the first round and then get knocked out by Germany.

Italy and Argentina get to the final with a 2 - 1 win to Italy.

Third place between Holland and Brazil with Brazil winning 2 - 0.

If you look at the history of the world cup all these teams have been fianalists before and three of them have already won.

[Burger]

Guess wrote:

I had a dream. England get throught the first round and then get knocked out by Germany.
Italy and Argentina get to the final with a 2 - 1 win to Italy.
Third place between Holland and Brazil with Brazil winning 2 - 0.

If you look at the history of the world cup all these teams have been fianalists before and three of them have already won.

I too had a dream.
It was strange, it was the world cup of the underdog.

Holland and Czechoslovakia made it to the final, Czech winning 1-0.
England and Sweden ended up together again in the third place play off, England winning 2-1.

If you look at the history of the world cup all these teams have been fianalists before but only one of them have won it.

Burger

[Jockey]

Hey guys - have you put in your World Cup predictions coupon yet?

[Guess]

Just as credible as my dream except there has always been a South American team in the semis as for as I know.


Some interesting stats.

There have been 17 world cuip finals since 1930
Four have bee held in South America
Two have been held in Mexico
Nine have been held in Europe.
One has been held in the USA.
One has been held in Asia.

South American teams have won all the finals outside of Europe but only once in Europe. A European team has never wone outside of Europe.

Counting Czechoslavakia and The Czech Republic as one team and counting West Germany and Germany as one team the most successful Europen teams are Germany (3 wins from 7 finals), Italy (3 Wins from 5 finals), France and England have both has one win from one final each. Holland, Czechoslavakia and Hungary have appeared in the final twice but failed to win and Sweden have appeared once and failed to win.

With South America, Brazil (4 wins from 7 finals), Argentina (2 wins from 4 finals) and Uruguay (2 wins from 2 finals).
Of all the teams mentioned above only Uraguay and Hungary are not competing this year.

The host nation has won six times.
All winners have been either South American or European.
Nine finals were between one of each.
Two finals have been all South American.
Six finals were all Eurpoean.
The last five finals have all been a South American team and European team mix with Brazil and Italy going to penalties. (This will lead me to another topic)

If historical trends stay in place this year it looks very good for Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Czechoslavakia and Holland. If a newcomer enters the semi final stage I believe the most likely will be the Ukraine.

I was Beckham, Lampard, Terry or Gerard I would be planning to watch the semis and final back at home with the family and If I was Owen I would be staight to the bookies to try and recoup some of my losses.