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[thefro]

Ideally there would be some sort of seeding committee for this instead of a random draw, but considering FIFA could probably never seat a relatively unbiased committee with all the politics involved the ping pong balls are the best option.

Winning your qualifying group should mean something.

 

[Wilbur]

I'm trying to figure out if Colombia are for real or not. I think they're going to choke on a big stage with real competition. 2010 was a good learning experience for Chile. I may be biased but I really think they will surprise a lot of people. All I know is they are a team I wouldn't want to play against.

Beat us with ease without their best player. We rotated as well but they were far far better.

 

[Tawpgun]

First rooting for USA

Then inevitably rooting for Germany

 

[ErasureAcer]

Probably already been said but Iran vs. USA please. Could help to bring our countries together and bring out the wingnuts either way.

 

[Skellig Gra]

Probably already been said but Iran vs. USA please. Could help to bring our countries together and bring out the wingnuts either way.

They are in the same Pot, unless you are talking about in the knockout rounds?

 

[The_Hitcher89]

They are in the same Pot, unless you are talking about in the knockout rounds?

lol, there's no chance they're getting to the knockouts. Not with Dempsey playing, anyway.

 

[ErasureAcer]

They are in the same Pot, unless you are talking about in the knockout rounds?

Yes. I did just see that but thanks for bringing it to my attention had I not. =) Bummer.

 

[woodland]

He hasn't scored at an international tournament since 2004 iirc

Agreed on the last line at least

Yea I know ;( I just like watching him play, don't expect an amazing performance or anything.

Amazing list Wilbur

 

[Randdalf]

JM7 to tear it up before he melts into a puddle and evaporates into the rainforest.

 

[gutshot]

lol, there's no chance they're getting to the knockouts. Not with Dempsey playing, anyway.

So you give Iran a better chance at making the knockouts than the US? OK then...

 

[Clegg]

This is Ronaldo's time to show why he's the best player in the world.

So much rides on him to make this a memorable World Cup.

 

[Mesousa]

I'm trying to figure out if Colombia are for real or not. I think they're going to choke on a big stage with real competition. 2010 was a good learning experience for Chile. I may be biased but I really think they will surprise a lot of people. All I know is they are a team I wouldn't want to play against.

They are not for real.


They were losing 3-0 to Chile in Barranquilla before Chile stopped playing and let them back in.

Colombia is probably the 4th best team in South America.

 

[jamesinclair]

Uruguay and Russia would decimate Mexico :lol

Lolercoaster.

Uruguay has been garbage this year, and Russia has been garbage for 100 years

Mexico will waltz straight into the semi finals

 

[shira]

where can I watch this? is there a legal stream?

 

[gutshot]

Lolercoaster.

Uruguay has been garbage this year, and Russia has been garbage for 100 years

Mexico will waltz straight into the semi finals

Yes, a team that needed Graham Zusi to score a late goal against Panama, when the US wasn't even really trying, to even make it to the World Cup is going to go to the semis.

 

[jamesinclair]

Yes, a team that needed Graham Zusi to score a late goal against Panama, when the US wasn't even really trying, to even make it to the World Cup is going to go to the semis.

You missed the last two games when they went back to their roots and kicked out all the eurosnob posers.

Massive victories

 

[Firemind]

This is Ronaldo's time to show why he's the best player in the world.

So much rides on him to make this a memorable World Cup.

You mean Messi.

 

[Snaku]

This is the year guys, USA all the way.

 

[alba]

wtf

I know, it's odd but me and my best friend did that as a kid and it stuck so, once you start you don't stop

 

[Wilbur]

Lolercoaster.

Uruguay has been garbage this year, and Russia has been garbage for 100 years

Mexico will waltz straight into the semi finals

Mexico hardly made it to the World Cup.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

I know, it's odd but me and my best friend did that as a kid and it stuck so, once you start you don't stop

So if it was Brazil vs Belgium in the final you'd actually want Flopmar to lift the cup?

 

[Metrotab]

I don't know if we stand a chance, but I'm glad my country is involved again for once.

 

[aggro crag]

USA has Klinsmann as trainer. He will fuck up completely or miraculously win the WC. Wait, no, he won't win the WC, not even with a miracle, but he could surprise us.

Even if Klinsmann fucks up monumentally, he's already done a lot for the future of the USMNT. Lots of younger players committing to the team could mean really good things for future World Cups.

That said, I hope we get far/win it all next year.

 

[alba]

So if it was Brazil vs Belgium in the final you'd actually want Flopmar to lift the cup?

Yup, I'd be fine either way but yes, as strange as that may sound

 

[Clegg]

You mean Messi.

Ronaldo is statistically and demonstrably the best player in the world this season and since the back end of last season too.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

Ronaldo is statistically and demonstrably the best player in the world this season and since the back end of last season too.

Ronaldo is the best player in the world at the moment

Messi is the best player in the world


Hope both can go into the world cup with some momentum, which won't be happening for Messi unless Barca stop rushing him back from injury and start trusting some of their other apparently world class players to get the job done.

 

[Clegg]

Ronaldo is the best player in the world at the moment

Messi is the best player in the world


Hope both can go into the world cup with some momentum, which won't be happening for Messi unless Barca stop rushing him back from injury and start trusting some of their other apparently world class players to get the job done.

It never would've happened if Barca hadn't called Messi back far too early to bail them out if the Milan game. He wasn't fit a month later when they got hammered by Munich. He hasn't been right since then. That was nine months ago.

 

[gutshot]

You missed the last two games when they went back to their roots and kicked out all the eurosnob posers.

Massive victories

...over New Zealand.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

He wasn't just "not fit", he was a walking corpse against Bayern.

It was like watching a distant relative being killed by a thousand cuts. Every touch got away from him, every pass misplaced/misweighed. He could barely even run, and Bayern even scored after he fell over under no pressure and lost possession. It was honestly sad to watch

 

[The_Hitcher89]

That GIF where Ribery just dribbles around Messi who can barely react is almost heartbreaking.

Then again, we got the comic relief of Muller twatting that little runt Alba aside for Robben

 

[Nesotenso]

USA has Klinsmann as trainer. He will fuck up completely or miraculously win the WC. Wait, no, he won't win the WC, not even with a miracle, but he could surprise us.

Low hasn't either. and if we are going by past history.............

 

[Clydefrog]

how is Bosnia a want over Croatia in Pot D???

 

[jamesinclair]

...over New Zealand.

You mean the confederation champion and best team in the region?

 

[Paskil]

Wow, so many African teams this time. Wasn't it only Nigeria and South Africa

Spoiler

only because they were host

last time?

 

[gutshot]

Wow, so many African teams this time. Wasn't it only Nigeria and South Africa

Spoiler

only because they were host

last time?

No, also in were Ghana, Algeria, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon.

 

[Firemind]

You mean the confederation champion and best team in the region?

Like that is something to boast about.

 

[Clydefrog]

You mean the confederation champion and best team in the region?

Tahiti Confederations Cup 2013. Never forget.

 

[Dartastic]

England as neutral in the OP? They're not that bad this time, are they? I haven't been following them.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

Lolercoaster.

Uruguay has been garbage this year, and Russia has been garbage for 100 years

Mexico will waltz straight into the semi finals

Lol Mexico ain't gonna win a game.

 

[WarrenMax007]

Russian here. Will root for Russia and then when they'll inevitably fail will root for Germany as always.

 

[ActStriker]

England as neutral in the OP? They're not that bad this time, are they? I haven't been following them.

They're all relative to the Pot they are in.

Would you want to have to play anyone in Pot 1? Nope. But you have to so you want to avoid one of the consensus strongest four in Brazil, Spain, Germany, Argentina.

In Pot 3, Japan are far and away the strongest team. Widespread opinion is that US are the other main team you want to avoid from that pot as they won their qualifying and their general history in the competition. Once again, all relative to the other nations in their pot.

,

 

[arkon]

2006 was group of death for Italy. How old are you?

Italy
Ghana
US
Czech Republic

That's not a group of death. Group C was in that World Cup.


The real group of death for Italy was WC2010.

 

[Exterminieren]

England as neutral in the OP? They're not that bad this time, are they? I haven't been following them.

They're far from terrible, but you'd choose to play England over Italy or the Netherlands in a flat second.

 

[Dartastic]

They're far from terrible, but you'd choose to play England over Italy or the Netherlands in a flat second.

That's definitely true. Still waking up, wasn't considering that. Hahaha.

 

[Barbacoatl]

Lol Mexico ain't gonna win a game.

You take that back!

But yes, we will fail. Eh, at least we'll be playing as locals. Should be fun.

 

[mantidor]

They are not for real.


They were losing 3-0 to Chile in Barranquilla before Chile stopped playing and let them back in.

Colombia is probably the 4th best team in South America.

Why would Chile stop playing? they were on the line, Colombia was much more relaxed, they only needed a draw to classify.

 

[Skellig Gra]

That's not a group of death. Group C was in that World Cup.


The real group of death for Italy was WC2010.

It certainly was in 2006. Judging the teams by their current makeup I would agree with you.

 

[Gentle Rodriguez]

I'll have to chime in as an Iranian myself and say we beat South Korea in our Quali pool and got first place. And we even beat them home and away, so we're definitely a better team than them and not really comparable to freaking Honduras and Costa Rica like the OP suggests :|

Spoiler

We don't have a chance in hell to make it out of our group but still...

 

[arkon]

It certainly was in 2006. Judging the teams by their current makeup I would agree with you.

Czech Republic haven't been a decent side in ages and that's going right back to 2006. The less said about the US the better. I'm talking about at the time, not their current status.

 

[Skellig Gra]

Czech Republic haven't been a decent side in ages and that's going right back to 2006. The less said about the US the better. I'm talking about at the time, not their current status.

This is revisionist history. Czech Republic got to the Euro semis that cycle, through a really hard group.