World Cup Groups

[St_Cyrill_of_Tyrrenhaes]

I'll update them as they come out of the pots.

Group A
---------
Germany
Costa Rica
Poland
Ecuador

Group B
---------
England
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago
Sweden

Group C
---------
Argentina
Ivory Coast
Serbia & Montenegro
Holland

Group D
---------
Mexico
Iran
Angola
Portugal

Group E
---------
Italy
Ghana
United States
Czech Republic

Group F
---------
Brazil
Croatia
Australia
Japan

Group G
---------
France
Switzerland
South Korea
Togo

Group H
---------
Spain
Ukraine
Saudi Arabia
Tunisia

[Killyoursons]

Groups C and E look pretty tough (although in both groups there's two big teams you'd fancy to come through, but it won't be easy).
France and Switzerland reunited - they must be sick of each other at this stage.

[St_Cyrill_of_Tyrrenhaes]

Some tasty matches there. Italy vs. Czech Republic and Argentina vs. Holland are the standouts as far as I'm concerned. I'll predict the following qualifiers.

A: Germany, Poland.
B: England, Sweden.
C: Argentina, Holland.
D: Portugal, Mexico.
E: Italy, Czech Republic.
F: Brazil, Croatia.
G: France, South Korea.
H: Spain, Ukraine.

[Killyoursons]

Some tasty matches there. Italy vs. Czech Republic and Argentina vs. Holland are the standouts as far as I'm concerned. I'll predict the following qualifiers.

A: Germany, Poland.
B: England, Sweden.
C: Argentina, Holland.
D: Portugal, Mexico.
E: Italy, Czech Republic.
F: Brazil, Croatia.
G: France, South Korea.
H: Spain, Ukraine.

Twelve European teams in the last sixteen? It could happen (esp. in Europe), but I think some of the more average European teams will get tripped up. I can see Japan heading off Croatia, and Poland might struggle too.

[Aphex]

ok who's playing where during the group stages? i'll be somewhere in munich...

[CHANCE]

Germany are playing costa rica in munich.
Ivory coast against serbia and montenegro in munich.
Brazil against australia is in munich.
Tunisa against saudi arabia is in munich.

Hope that helps.

[chalkitdown]

Group G
---------
France
Switzerland
South Korea
Togo

Hmm..I wonder, if it'd been us and not the Swiss that got through would we have been able to get out of that group.

Probably not.

[MonTheHoops]

France and Switzerland reunited - they must be sick of each other at this stage.


And England & Sweden must be sick of each other too. Go Henrik.

[ho chi feen]

Hmm..I wonder, if it'd been us and not the Swiss that got through would we have been able to get out of that group.

Probably not.

if it'd been us and not the Swiss that got through would we have been able to beat Turkey at home and stick two past them away?

I donnnnn't.... think sooooo....

[Dude]

Bit disappointed with the group stages,nothing to get really excited about.You've got the Argies versus the Dutch and the Czechs versus the Italians but thats about it.No genuine group of death.Thing all the big boys will go through,can't really see any suprises in the first round.

[General Michael Collins]

England should be happy enough with the group that they got.Spain who I will be supporting, should also have little trouble making it through to the second round-then again you never know with Spain.Have always had great players but failed to win anything in the past.Argentina and holland should be a tasty encounter.

[devilman]

Yup, hard to see past Europe in most of these groups to be honest. The Italian group looks a bit tasty, ghana's central pairing of appiah and essien will make them competitive, the yanks have pace to burn. While you expect Italy and Czech Republic to go through, they'll have to be playing well to do it, which is no harm for the competition.

I also fancy Mexico to top their group. Very tidy team, that should be able to overcome a Portuguese side without teeth up front.

The sasanaighs are already trying to figure out who they'll meet in the semis... keep talking lads!

[Captain Planet]

Group A
---------
Germany
Poland

Group B
---------
Sweden
England

Group C
---------
Argentina
Holland

Group D
---------
Portugal
Mexico

Group E
---------
Italy
United States

Group F
---------
Brazil
Japan

Group G
---------
France
Switzerland

Group H
---------
Ukraine
Spain

id fancy the usa to get out of their group. ivory coast are another maybe.

[ho chi feen]

England should be happy enough with the group that they got.Spain who I will be supporting, should also have little trouble making it through to the second round-then again you never know with Spain.

Jesus Christ dumbo, don't you have anything remotely interesting/original to say? Is your native langue clichéd-waffle? "Game of two halves Brian, and I'm over the moon", "he'll be delighted to get his hands on the Jules Rimet trophy Des, I'm sure", zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Have always had great players but failed to win anything in the past.

I suppose the European Championship doesn't count as 'winning anything', Dumbo? Gwanyafuppinggobshee nya.

Spanish joy
The first final in Paris between the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia was a close affair, the Soviets triumphing 2-1 after extra time. The 1964 tournament saw politics entering sport, Greece refusing to play Albania - they were technically at war. The final round took place in Spain, with the hosts beating the Soviet Union 2-1 in the Madrid final.

[General Michael Collins]

Yup, hard to see past Europe in most of these groups to be honest. The Italian group looks a bit tasty, ghana's central pairing of appiah and essien will make them competitive, the yanks have pace to burn. While you expect Italy and Czech Republic to go through, they'll have to be playing well to do it, which is no harm for the competition.

I also fancy Mexico to top their group. Very tidy team, that should be able to overcome a Portuguese side without teeth up front.

The sasanaighs are already trying to figure out who they'll meet in the semis... keep talking lads!
Yeah Devilman,you know what the english are like,always believe that they are going to win the world cup.They got a handy enough group though.

[xvis]

Twelve European teams in the last sixteen? It could happen (esp. in Europe), but I think some of the more average European teams will get tripped up. I can see Japan heading off Croatia, and Poland might struggle too.

i had exactly the same, with having Japan instead of Croatia, ..very eurocentric and i realised i had no african team in the second round, which is unlikely. but i worked it out according to the seeding to see how the following rounds work out.

my tickets have got me Spain v Tunisia in round one in stuttgart and 2nd round match potentially Brazil v Czech in Dortmund ..hurrah!!

Going to pump money on Argentina, if England and Brazil win their groups they will be on the other half of the draw.

interesting match could be second round England v Poland, if England win and Poland are second in group.

going with expectations, if these were all group winners and beat runners up in 2nd round, potential quarterfinals and semis would be..


Germany v Argentina
-------------------------- Argentina v Italy
Italy v France

---------------------------------------------------

England v Portugal
------------------------- England v Brazil
Brazil v Spain

[Killyoursons]

Qualifiers? I'll go for:

Costa Rica
Poland
England
Sweden
Argentina
Holland
Mexico
Portugal
Italy
Czech Republic
Brazil
Japan
France
South Korea
Spain
Ukraine


But there'll be some surprises there.... wouldn't be at all surprised to see the likes of the US, Tunisia or Angola progress....

There sure will, if your prediction for Germany's group comes through...

[ho chi feen]

There sure will, if your prediction for Germany's group comes through...

D'ohhhhhhh!

Nope. That's one surprise I can't see.. the krauts will progress.

[Killyoursons]

I can see Poland getting tipped out though, even though they'll be practically playing at home.
It would be a minor miracle if Angola progress, given that most of their squad play in their domestic league, which isn't even one of the best in Africa. I think an African team will qualify for the last sixteen (one has done for the last twenty years), it's hard to know which one though. The two teams which look the strongest (Ghana and the Ivory Coast) are both in very tough groups.

[ho chi feen]

New, & Improved!




Qualifiers? I'll go for:

Group A
---------
The Bosch
The Slabbers

Group B
---------
The Tans
The reindeer-piss drinkers

Group C
---------
The gotchas
The hash-heads

Group D
---------
The smelly illegals
The Monkeys

Group E
---------
Team Greaseball
Lagerland

Group F
---------
Bugs Bunny, Ee-or and co
To-joe
(Convicts just missing out)

Group G
---------
Les Grenouilles
The chinky to-joes

Group H
---------
The spiks
The russkis


But there'll be some surprises there.... wouldn't be at all surprised to see the likes of the US, Tunisia or Angola progress....

[Fat Tom]

England should be happy enough with the group that they got.Spain who I will be supporting, should also have little trouble making it through to the second round-then again you never know with Spain.Have always had great players but failed to win anything in the past.Argentina and holland should be a tasty encounter.

Yeah deffo the game I'm looking forward to most