Will you watch the soccer world cup?

[Craig Tucker]

Well then why bother with the football game, just go straight to a strip bar.

:P

[Helmut]

France is out and next favorit out will be Argentina..

[Craig Tucker]

Helmut
I just hope the Swedish team are'nt as complacent as you. Hopefully England will top the group by beating Nigeria, and I would love to see Sweden knock out Argentina, but it's not going to be a walk in the park. If you beat them or get a draw, it will be well deserved, but I think Argentina will be a bit too strong. I hope I am proved wrong.

Craig

[tgpo]

Go Germany!

[Truman]

The germans played like real heros. Congratulation to Ireland too. Hope we meet in the semi final again.

[Helmut]

YEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

[droolian01]

Phew!!!!!
England got the result they needed, just don't like watching those go for a draw type matches - too risky sometimes.
Well done Sweden in knocking Argentina out.
Why do i say this? I remember how arrogant the players were celebrating in their team bus PRIOR to the England match. I also remember how arrogant they were in posting their team selection very early before the England match - disrespectful to England and Sven in particular. Sweden on the other hand played good solid and honourable football.

HA HA HA HA HA - Who's celebrating in the bus now!

[boss]

keanoooooooo!!!!!!!!!!(again).
we're in the last 16! everyone said we were a one man team but we proved them wrong! it's a great achievment when you consider argentina and france are out. it looks like we have to play spain next, unless they play a reserve team against south africa but i think they'll want to play us more than germany. we'll be lucky if we can beat spain, but who knows! oh, and well done to germany, everyone keeps writing you off but you bounce back(kahn is the best goalkeeper in the world!)

[Craig Tucker]

Well done Sweden, and thank f**k for Rio Ferdinand

[d4n13l]

Yeah, Rio proved himself against Nigeria, he is one hell of a defender for a 23 year old. But the Nigeria game sucked, I knew it would be a boring game, both sides just happy to take a point... Sweden played very well, but poor Argentina; my heart bleeds...
Ireland - Paraguay, looks set to be a good game, especially with Paraguay's keeper taking the free kicks. The one that hit the cross bar in the Slovenia game was clocked at 69 mph! I hope he manages to score, because I think that would make him the first ever keeper to score in the World Cup finals. Oh, I hope Ireland beat them though.

Brazil tomorrow...

[ember]

But Ireland are playing Spain!

[d4n13l]

LOL, whoops!
Of course, silly me; the winners play the runners up of the opposite groups dont they...

[boss]

yeah- we're ONLY playing spain- it'll be no contest- staunton vs. raul for example. will anyone from barcelona or bilbao(or even gilbrator!) be cheering ireland on? tell us!

[Phibes]

Did you see Brazil x Costa Rica? That's what I call a football game. Both teams looking for the goal. Sorry most of you but I don't like the style that England, Sweden, Ireland and many others are playing. They stay all the game in defense waiting for a chance. That's why people like jeex don't like football.

What about Ronaldo? Is the great Ronaldo borning again? I hope so.

And like I said before, the brazilian defense is almost the worst of the Cup and the attack is almost the best.

[boss]

brazil are the best attacking team in the world there's no doubt about that. you're right defending is'nt important you'll always score more goals than the opposition. Er, what was the score in the '98 final again? 3-0 to france. defending was'nt important then was it? or what about 1982 "when the best team never to win the world cup" (but did'nt bother defending)brazil, lost to italy.even today you conceded 2 goals to those world beaters costa rica. what are you going to do when you have to play a real top class team? hoping that you score more goals might not be enough without some defending!

[ember]

boss is right: Brazil are a great team but they have yet to be tested. If Italy go out now (and it is quite possible- halftime score -Mexico 1-0 Italy) this world cup will be remembered as the giant killing cup. With Brazil having a nice easy run to the semis. Letting in 2 goals against Costa Rica is pretty lame: even Scotland failed to do that!

[tgpo]

Italy tied it up.

[Phibes]

Boss and Ember. I'm not saying that Brazil is the best or that I like it's defense. I said that Brazil x Costa Rica was the type of game that I like. Both teams looking for the goal, and that's the reason of football. The goal. I ask you. Did you like England x Nigeria or the way that Sweden played against Argentina, or Denmark against France? More than Brazil x Costa Rica? If your answer is yes I have to say that football is not the same game for you and me. These teams are in the next phase, I know, but I just don't like to see a team playing 90 minutes in defense.

[boss]

yeah phibes, but brazil had already qualified so they could play any way they liked. the likes of england and sweden only needed draws. so they were hardly likely to risk being knocked just so they could score a few goals. better football will be played in the second round, because these teams know they now they have to win to progress. oh and IF england face brazil who do you think will win. i don't support england but i think it might be closer than people think!

[Craig Tucker]

Well said Boss

[Craig Tucker]

Another fancied team (portugal) bites the dust. Nice to see both host nations have made it to the second round.

Craig

[ember]

Brazil have entertained and in a way I am glad they had it easy, but sadly the world cup is not like that for everyone. However, there is a spectrum of play: Portugal - after knowing the Poland score- were far too negative. England were negative against Nigeria, but that's because they are not the best attacking side: they have to protect any slim lead they have (or any draw).
Watch Brazil vs Italy (world cup final 1994) to see how Brazil may suffer at the hands of a nullifying team like Italy/Germany/England/Denmark. That was a close run final. Unexciting apart from the penalty shootout.

[Craig Tucker]

In the end winning is all that really matters, once your nations name is on that trophy who really cares how it got there.

Craig

[d4n13l]

YEEAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!
3-0 to the England!!!

Now I hope that Brazil beat Belgium because a Brazil-England QF will be a hell of a match.
Good Luck Ireland!

Helmut: Told ya... en enkel match! England ska agar Brazil och vinna den mästerskap!!! jeje

[droolian01]

Y E E E S S S S ! ! ! !
3-0 to England!!!!
I think on paper i would prefer us to meet Belgium on Friday, but then again if Belgium manage to beat Brazil then they will deserve full respect from the English.

p.s. good luck Ireland tomorrow, show the world what briliant football can be produced from this collection of small islands off the coast of continental Europe

p.p.s. i'll be in Tenerife for the England match on Friday, got my George Cross beach towel ready!!

[Helmut]

I wait anxiously for the results after the sweden and senegal has palyed.. I might be to nervous to watch the game.. cant handle the excitement. The alarm clock is set.

About the english game earlier today, I must congrat the english team for their great strategy. I dont like it but it is darmd good to use. Sweden almost do the same. It is not fun to watch soccer when team are so cowardly as sweden and england. But who cares, if we just win the world cup I'm pleased

I like brazil because they play offensive soccer.

[Phibes]

All right. I will not continue with that discussion. I didn't like
England 3 x 0 Denmark too, but you say that win the Cup is more important and I understand. I don't know if you know but here, in Brazil, there are a lot of people that don't like the 94 team. Some players of this team keep saying that in anywhere of the world they would be treated like herores. They are champions, we know, but they don't have the same respect that the 70 team has. I just realized that we have different cultures and this causes a lot of disagreements.

I just remebered that the press here is not happy with our team until now. They say we played with weak teams and the great test should be England but they don't like the way England play too. It's impossible to make them happy.

I don't have a great knowledge in english and sometimes is very hard to explain what I have to say. I'll keep trying.

[Decepticon]

Senegal just sent another overly proud European team back home for the year! What a great game, unbelievable playing. This World Cup is crazy, maybe we will see Senegal vs USA in the finals?

[Helmut]

I want say anything about the swedish player right now.. that wouldn't be fair Damd... I'm so depressed!! This will be hard to get over!!

I wish Brazil all the luck!

[ember]

Phibes - I would dearly love to see my beloved England play offensive 99% of the play, but you are in an enviable position of having a team that has one the cup many times and quite recently ('94) so you can be choosy. England have won it once and struggled to qualify a few times since. We are therefore using our best strategy to progress. The criticism levelled at the '94 Brazillian side was very much in hindsight AFTER they'd won it (after a world cup drought of 24 years). England has had a world cup drought of nearly 40 years!