The Official World Cup South Africa 2010 Discussion Thread

[Furor Teutonicus]

Will be interesting to see if at least one African team can make it through the group stages. I wouldn't bet my money on this at the moment.
Cameroon and South Africa are a joke (I think they'll be the first host to exit after group stage), Ghana has potential, but   @ losing 1:4 against Netherlands. Wouldn't surprise me if underdog Australia advances. Ivory Coast of course has the most potential, but they're clearly not in good shape and are in the killer group again  I think Nigeria has a realistic chance, they don't look to strong either but their group isn't that hard. I would rank Algeria highest out of them at the moment but they have a tough group with England and USA.

[morbidenigma]

LULZ America have Spector and Altiodore in there team. Enough said.

[7even]

Will be interesting to see if at least one African team can make it through the group stages. I wouldn't bet my money on this at the moment.
Cameroon and South Africa are a joke (I think they'll be the first host to exit after group stage), Ghana has potential, but   @ losing 1:4 against Netherlands. Wouldn't surprise me if underdog Australia advances. Ivory Coast of course has the most potential, but they're clearly not in good shape and are in the killer group again  I think Nigeria has a realistic chance, they don't look to strong either but their group isn't that hard. I would rank Algeria highest out of them at the moment but they have a tough group with England and USA.

With the World Cup being in Africa, there is absolutely no way no African team will survive the Group Stage. I agree with Shallow thus far, that they will look to cut them African teams (especially South Africa) some slack.

[Furor Teutonicus]

Will be interesting to see if at least one African team can make it through the group stages. I wouldn't bet my money on this at the moment.
Cameroon and South Africa are a joke (I think they'll be the first host to exit after group stage), Ghana has potential, but   @ losing 1:4 against Netherlands. Wouldn't surprise me if underdog Australia advances. Ivory Coast of course has the most potential, but they're clearly not in good shape and are in the killer group again  I think Nigeria has a realistic chance, they don't look to strong either but their group isn't that hard. I would rank Algeria highest out of them at the moment but they have a tough group with England and USA.

With the World Cup being in Africa, there is absolutely no way no African team will survive the Group Stage. I agree with Shallow thus far, that they will look to cut them African teams (especially South Africa) some slack.

Even if the refs push them like they did the Koreans, it'll still be near impossible to get them through this group. Even if France is a fuck up.

btw Drogba is out now too IC has still some capable strikers, but I have very few doubts Brazil and Portugal go through. What a shame
Well, 1-2 teams may make it to  the round of 16, but like I said, I wouldn't bet on that.

[Lunatic]

Drogba injury sucks for IC but being Portuguese, I'm not complaining.

[K.Dub]

Drogba's injury sucks for IC the World Cup.

[Lunatic]

Word is Drogba is having emergency surgery and will only be out ten days..Still, with their opening game against Portugal just 11 days away, he'll be  rush to be ready for that game. I hope he sits it out 

[KURUPTION-81]

Who do you think should partner twatty terry now Rio is out.

None of the replacements fill me with confidence but id go with King if he can play games close together.

Carragher is to similar to Terry, Upson isnt good enough for international football and Dawson has no experience.

[Lunatic]

^ big blow. King has no knees, there mangled. It's probably gonna' be Dawson.

Sven is using this Drogba thing to mess with teams' in the group heads. Flip flopping whether or not Drogba will be healthy.

[On The Edge of Insanity]

^ big blow. King has no knees, there mangled. It's probably gonna' be Dawson.

Unless Dawson shows something in the week remaining before our first game that he didn't show in the 2 weeks the squad were together before the final 23 was picked I really can't see him starting. Upson, Carragher and King were all picked ahead of him initially, so you'd have to think he is behind them in the pecking order. I'd go with King as he has more composure than the other three and would thus dovetail well with Terry.

Baines didn't do his chances any good by admitting that he suffers from bad homesickness a week or so before Capello announced the squad.

[Furor Teutonicus]

Drogba's injury sucks for IC the World Cup.

word. With Drogba, Mikel and Essien 3 of Africa's best players are missing. Plus Ferdinand, possibly Robben and Milito + countless others

[K.Dub]

Drogba's injury sucks for IC the World Cup.

word. With Drogba, Mikel and Essien 3 of Africa's best players are missing. Plus Ferdinand, possibly Robben and Milito + countless others

Yeah, it sucks

[7even]

Things already got bloody in a friendly game in Johannisburg.

How big are the chances that this World Cup will have to be aborted?

[Lunatic]

Nani (Portugal) hurt in training, bruised collarbone, out of world cup   

WTF? I read yesterday he was going to just miss today's friendly against Mozambique (we won 3-0) and be fine for the first tournament game...Now a day later, they're ruling him out COMPLETELY    thats a big blow to us. Man I hope by some miracle he ends up OK 

[Furor Teutonicus]

Things already got bloody in a friendly game in Johannisburg.

How big are the chances that this World Cup will have to be aborted?

bla bla bla. Nothing'll have to be aborted.