World Cup 2006

[Whisper]

Why do people not accept that Crouch is a GOOD player.

He never played one bad pass and took his goal very well.

On the evidence of the past two games, if we play the loan striker role, I'd much rather have Crouch than Owen at this moment in time.

Thank you. I've been saying this about Crouch for ages, he's a good player and over the last two friendlies has done enough to show that he is capable of starting for us, and doing a job with it, at the World Cup. I'd prefer just to see Owen and Crouch together up front than the crappy loan striker formation. When will people learn that it just doesn't suit the English game?

[YI]

On a completely unrelated note, EWB needs to organise a "World Cup Women" competition.

[The Third Dukes]

Amazing. It's like all of England loves to do pre-emptive bitching during the World Cup. You all sound like my dad, who roots for U of Michigan football -- a perennial powerhouse -- and can only talk about how weak they are every year. Guys, you should finish atop the group, then beat Poland or Costa Rica in the second round to make the quarters. That means you're a great team, and you'll almost certainly do better than USA or Australia (your fellow EWB denizens). CHILL OUT.

That said, I hope to high heaven USA beats Italy. It's the win we'll need to cement that we have Arrived.

[Hajjhowe]

I hope Canada beats...

Oh wait.

Go Ukraine. Get on the bandwagon now, because it will fill up real fast.

[Quom]

Would like to see Australia do okay, but in all honesty we'll be lucky to make it out of the group stage. Holland have always been the team I go for in World Cups. Can't see a reason to make a change this time around.

Dukes: I think the difference is that football is England's game. We have aussie rules as our main sport (might be rugby can't be fucked arguing with the people up north). You guys have football, baseball and basketball. Whereas the English really only have football to sustain them (you could argue rugby and cricket, but I don't think they are as big over there as football?) As such there is probably a lot more riding on the world cup for them than for either the USA team or the Australian team. I don't know about in America but over here we're pretty much over the moon just to have made it this far. Anything else is a bonus.

Edited June 1, 2006 by Quom

[fineintent]

Of course we'll do better than Australia and the USA, it'd be a crime not to. But look at our last four World Cups: 02 - Quarter Finals, 98 - Second Round, 94 - Didn't go, 90 - Semi-Finals. That's hardly the form of a "powerhouse" (we haven't been last four in 12 years) and unless Sven takes his head out of the sand its hard to see an improvement

[IAceI]

We're more interested in the Germans than ourselves

I think we need to let that long rivalry with Germany go much like the one with Argentina is kind of subsiding. Then you have the media riling everyone up ready for it and it's just a huge thing in England.

Then again, we're not as bad as those Columbians ¬_¬

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

International cricket and rugby union in England are massive. Along with England they're our big three team sports.

We won the Rugby World Cup

We won the Ashes back

So a Footy World Cup win would complete a massive few years for us.

Is there any way England can play the USA in the World Cup? We never play them in major competition and they need showing how good European football actually is rather than them getting to being ranked 4th in the World by beating Mexico, Canada and Venezuela every now and again.

[Guest muddatrucker]

Rugby and Cricket are hardly massive, they're in the big 3, but massive I think not.

[Liam]

Rugby and Cricket are hardly massive, they're in the big 3, but massive I think not.

Not as big as football naturally, but they get huge TV ratings/live gates to matches and such. Whether massive is the right word is arguable, but the following is pretty big.

[Green Demon]

Is there any way England can play the USA in the World Cup? We never play them in major competition and they need showing how good European football actually is rather than them getting to being ranked 4th in the World by beating Mexico, Canada and Venezuela every now and again.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

How are Czech Republic ranked 2 in the world again? I just can't see them winning the world cup at all.

Netherlands third however is more realistic.

Cricket got massive for the Ashes but of course outside of the Ashes it's nowhere near as big.

[The Kraig]

Is anyone watching Poland's shitness?

The Columbian goalkeeper just scored, from his own penalty box. Fucking awesome.

Poland 0-2 Columbia, under 10 minutes left. They've already lost to Lithuania in their 'warm-up' matches.

[TMM]

Is anyone watching Poland's shitness?

The Columbian goalkeeper just scored, from his own penalty box. Fucking awesome.

Poland 0-2 Columbia, under 10 minutes left. They've already lost to Lithuania in their 'warm-up' matches.

What!?! What channel is this on!?! I need to see a replay of this goal!

[Guest Ringo Mars]

That was two-three days ago, no?

[The Kraig]

Yeah, it's old, but it's on now. Eurosport2.

I heard about it, but I thought there must have been some amazing coincidence. But no, Poland are just that shit.

Edited June 1, 2006 by The Kraig

[Guest Ringo Mars]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=unw5jFvR-SY&sea...lombia%20poland

Here's the goal. Huge fuckup by WBA's goalkeeper.

[TMM]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=unw5jFvR-SY&sea...lombia%20poland

Here's the goal. Huge fuckup by WBA's goalkeeper.

Holy crap! That commentator was awesome! He streached out "goal" longer than I've heard.

[Guest Ringo Mars]

Mexican commentators thend to do that a lot. It's why I tend to watch the Mexican feed rather than the American

[gunnar hendershow]

Well, I guess we all know how Poland are going to do in Germany.