With the Olympics over, we look forward to...

[Nifty]

the next world sporting event...  The World Cup in Korea/Japan!  so much better than the Olympics, and I don't give a rat's butt if the Americans don't even get out of group play.  At least we're going!  Over 180 countries can't say that.  

I dunno who's gonna win this one.  Argentina was tough in qualifying.  England was bringing it on late.  France still has the talent, and Italy and Brazil...  well, they're Italy and Brazil!    anyways, I obviously will pull for the Americans, and after that it's England, then Germany.  I go with my ethnic roots.  

Speaking of football, ya Brits took notice that there was an American between the posts for the Worthington Cup champion, didn't ya?    (oh, and our other keeper was on the bench for Tottenham.  Wonder if Hoddle is thinking Keller shoulda got the nod over Sullivan in hindsight?)

[Raubvogel]

World Cup? Pffffttt

The greatest sporting event in the world begins in a few weeks. Nothing is more exciting or entertaining than March Madness!! I schedule vacation around it every year.

[fd ski]

Originally posted by Nifty
At least we're going!  Over 180 countries can't say that.  
 

I think they need to do away with the regional playoffs.
They are rather unfair to many good teams outthere.
Sort if affirmative action in football...

[Curval]

The World Cup is truely a world event....

March madness...pfffffft  

England look good...but I lost money on them last time around...(many thanks David Beckham)...so I don't dare bet on them again.

France...God I hope they don't win again...the World will never hear the end of it if they do.

Brazil.....their program is in shambles....they aren't going anywhere.

Never count out Italy.....

[Nifty]

hehe, I said world event, not the greatest in the world.    Besides, over 1 billion people can't be wrong!

true fd ski.  but doesn't the Champion's League and UEFA cups work the same way?  You have win your domestic league (or finish in the top 2 or 3 in some leagues) or win domestic Cup competitions to get in.  Wouldn't that potentially leave out some of the better teams to include weaker ones?  

UEFA gets more spots in the cup than anyone and they deserve them.  North America on the Caribbean only get 3 slots (Costa Rica, Mexico and the US) this time around.  If we don't show well, we could lose a slot.  If the 3 teams do well, we could earn another spot.  

Besides you never know when one of those "other" teams will score the upset in group play.  USA 2 Colombia 1 in 94!!!  Cameroon over Argentina in the 90 opener (hehe, Roger Milla was the man!)

[Raubvogel]

My favorite Simpson's quote:

World Cup Commercial- "Come see the battle to determine what the greatest nation on this planet is: Portugal or Mexico."

[Curval]

Originally posted by Raubvogel
My favorite Simpson's quote:

World Cup Commercial- "Come see the battle to determine what the greatest nation on this planet is: Portugal or Mexico."

LOL good one.

Let's see though...which is the greatest US college basketball team of all time?

Answer by European...."Who cares?"

Answer by Australian...."....whoever serves the most beer!"

Answer by Mexican...."We cannot afford basketballs in our colleges...so who cares?"

[Tac]

I hope the US wins.. I'd love to see that chick's boobs again on TV.




Dont count Colombia in, we royally suck after Pibe Valderrama retired *sniff*

[Dowding]

America win the world cup? You won't even be qualifying for the second round!

Portugal and Poland will p*** all over you, although South Korea shouldn't be too bad. Perhaps you'll finish third in the group if you're lucky. By the way that's third out of four teams

England, OTOH, have perhaps the worst group of the lot. Argentina are excellent, as are Sweden on a good day. Nigeria are a very unknown quantity, although they can be a bit ropey.

Overall, I think Argentina or France will win. Maybe England has an outside chance, but it will mean beating France and Argentina at some point in the proceedings which is a tall order.

On a good day, England can beat any team on the planet.

[Boroda]

Well, Russia is in a nice group with Belgium, Japan and Tunisia... So, we'll probably see lame Russian yard-team football in play-offs. First time sime 1986, when Soviet team was quite good, but ran against unfair judgement in quarter-final...

But anyway we have much more chances then US ever did.

[Nifty]

Originally posted by Dowding
On a good day, England can beat any team on the planet.

and on a good day against Argentina they'll still lose.  Either the ref will say "That wasn't a hand ball" or the Spice Boy will get a red card in a nice 2-2 game when the English are playing better.  Poor English, gotta play the Argentines in group play.  Enjoy your group of death, boys.    I was gonna root for England, but after this post, I think I'm gonna root for Argentina, Nigeria and Sweden.  

[Dowding]

heh.

Well, adversity is something we have a history of overcoming. On and off the field.

Check out our qualification run. Third in the group with Germany leading unbeaten. We win every remaining game bar one (which was a draw), and beat Germany 5-1 on German soil, to win the group. How was your qualification? Costa Rica - that great footballing nation - top of your group if I remember correctly? Didn't you lose at home to Honduras?

Brad Friedel . A bit of class.

From an England perspective, I'd much rather see the US qualify over, say, Holland. But if you were neutral and wanting a competitative tournament, you'd have wanted Holland to be there.

BTW, have you seen Beckham play for England recently? He's a man compared to the boy who played in World Cup '98. He can single-handedly win a game and never, ever gives up. I used to despise him simply for being a Manchester United player, but now I think he's simply superb. Perhaps the best player in the world.

We lost on penalties to Argentina after playing half the match with 10 men. All you need in a penalty shootout is luck. Something England rarely have in such circumstances.

PS. I'll be eating my words in 20 years time when football is huge in the US and they field a World Cup winning team. Let's face it, a country with 280 million people ought to produce 11 decent players eventually.

[Nifty]

hehe, if we can ever convince kids that the REAL football is soccer or that basketball sucks compared to footie, you guys better watch out.   We split our athletes into 5 sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer) while you guys either play soccer or cricket.  

Friedel has silverware now, he's the man!   What are you guys gonna do for a keeper?  Bring out David Seaman and put him on a ventilator and keep the defribulator handy?  He's what, 56 now?  

hmm, what's the English record against the United States in World Cup matches?  

hehe, I like England, and I know the US isn't top 20 material.  However, I do know the sun shines on every dog's butt once in awhile, and that it's shone on our butts more than once (94' Cup, 95 Copa America, 96 Gold Cup).  So I'm gonna root for the upset of Poland and a spot in the Second Round.

oh yeah, Beckham is one of the best in the world (maybe the best now, tho Luis Figo and Zinadine Zidane are still awesome), and Owen is one of the best strikers around.  

[funkedup]

I'm looking forward to baseball season.  The opportunity to sit in my seat behind home plate and tell Jason Giambi what a worthless sellout poser he is.  

[midnight Target]

Soccer is football for lamo tards that can't catch!

The Aussies come pretty close to the coolest game though. Aussie rules football is sorta like tackle soccer.

Basketball is the game for the greatest athletes in the world, and nothing compares to the Final Four weekend....PERIOD!