FIFA World Cup (FIFA)

[Pro-Life]

Germany vs Argentina... 2014 (Germany but whadda I know)

[Tackler]

Good one...

http://www.stockhouse.ca/blogs.asp?page=viewpost&blogID=150&postID=2848

[Tackler]

Australia is robbed!

[cosmoworld7]

Been an outstanding tournament so far! eom

[blasher]

Stocks and the World Cup . . . . ...

check out this article:

http://www.elliottwave.com/a.asp?url=features/default.aspx?cat=gw&dy=nthl&cn=5b

[Tackler]

TNT 0 Sweden 0 go TNT !!!!!!!

[Tackler]

Sweden takes on underdog Trinidad and Tobago soon.

[Tackler]

World cup starts today!

[WinLoseOrDraw]

The playoff pairings for the final 5 spots:

Europe

Spain v. Slovakia
Switzerland v. Turkey
Norway v. Czech Republic

South America/Oceania

Uruguay v. Australia

North/Central America/Asia

Trinidad & Tobago v. Bahrain

[WinLoseOrDraw]

Qualifying as Group winners from Europe:

Netherlands, Ukraine, Portugal, France, Italy, England, Serbia and Croatia.

Qualifying as top runners-up:

Sweden, Poland

Qualified for a two-game playoff for the final three spots:

Czech Republic, Turkey, Slovakia, Switzerland, Norway, Spain

[WinLoseOrDraw]

Complete list of teams now qualified...

Africa is sending Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Ghana, and Tunisia. Conspicously missing are Nigeria and Cameroon, who were considered a virtual lock when qualifying began.

Asia is sending Japan, Iran, (South) Korea, and Saudi Arabia. One other country will earn the right for a playoff with a team from North/Central America.

North/Central America is sending USA, Mexico and Costa Rica. One other team will host a playoff with a team for Asia for an additional spot.

Europe is only half-decided. In so far are Germany (as host), Ukraine, Netherlands, Poland, England, Croatia, Italy and Portugal. The one remaining guaranteed spot and the teams eligible for a playoff for 3 remaining spots are going down to the last match day.

South America is sending Argentina, Brasil, Ecuador and Paraguay. The fifth place team will have a playoff with the winner from Oceania, which will almost certainly be Australia.

[WinLoseOrDraw]

Huge qualifying day in Europe. Countries that punched their tickets to Germany are Netherlands (2:0 winners over Czech Republic), Poland and England, whose final confrontation against each other now loses its importance, Italy (1:0 Slovenia, locking up first place in the group), and Croatia (1:0 over Sweden, locking up no worse than best runner-up).

Countries still in control of the destinay include Sweden, who qualify automatically with a win over lowly Iceland, and Portugal, who lock an automatic berth with a win in the late game against hopeless Lichtenstein.

[WinLoseOrDraw]

Croatia wins its match against Sweden and clinches a spot next year's World Cup. The question now is seeding: by finishing top of a European qualifying group they've certainly done enough for a #2 seeding, but like all such subjective measures, no way to know if they'll actually get it.

[WinLoseOrDraw]

I knew it! Mourinho was totally setting up Liverpool. The Blues absolutely crushed The Reds today, and Liverpool is effectively already out of the Premiership race.

Ouch ouch ouch.

[WinLoseOrDraw]

Gotta be careful - that'd be English hooligans, not British. Don't want to be starting a ruckus with any Scots within shouting distance. ;)

[Chris McConnel]

Was reading an article today in Spin magazine about the brit soccer holigans.

Interesting bunch of, um, "lads".

[WinLoseOrDraw]

LOL! I tell you what, Irish footie fans are truly world class. Them and the Scots. We've hosted both in Croatia, and they love the game, drink like GMOed fish, and cause no trouble.

[Chris McConnel]

>>> England need a new manager. <<<


Is that why the irish pubs around town are a little louder than usual?

[WinLoseOrDraw]

Eurozone qualifying:

Group 1: Holland did what it needed to - does any team in Europe have attackers to match the Dutch? - while Czechs did not, slipping against Romania. Holland completely in control now.

Group 2: Ukraine is in, Turkey take second unless Greece win-out.

Group 3: Portugal need but a draw from final two games, second place comes down to Slovakia-Russia in October

Group 4: Dead heat between Switzerland and France, with Israel and Ireland right there if they slip up.

Group 5: Italy need one draw from final two games to secure the group, with Norway, Slovenia and Scotland in a dead heat for the second spot

Group 6: England need a new manager. Poland takes the group, England has second place secured.

Group 7: Spain continues to struggle, drawing with Serbia today. Absolute toss-up, with even Bosnia still in the mix.

Group 8: Croatia did it again - completely cocked-up a guaranteed win by allowing Malta only their third goal in 9 games. They do this at least once every qualifiying, lol. Sweden now leads the group, and it all comes down to the Oct. 8 game in Zagreb between the two leaders. This may prove to be a good thing in the long run, as the Swedes now go into the game looking for no more than a draw.

The top 2 second place teams get automatic berths in the final; currently those teams are Croatia and England.

[WinLoseOrDraw]

Big qualification week in Europe:

Group 1 : Dead heat, will most likely go down to the Oct. 8th showdown when the Dutch visit Prague. Nederlanders have an easier time of it this week, playing hapless Andorra while Czechs have to play a competent Romanian side.

Group 2 : Ukraine firmly in control and can clinch when they host Turkey on Saturday.

Group 3 : A close group, Saturday's Russia-Portugal and Latvia-Slovakia games should sort out who has staying power.

Group 4 : Either the least competent or most competitive group, with France, Israel, Ireland and Switzerland all in equally good positions to claim the top spot. Unpredictable.

Group 5 : Italy has control of the group, Wednesday's clash between Slovenia and Norway should go a long way in determining who gets the second spot.

Group 6 : England and Poland have games they should win, setting up an October showdown. But with England's incredible inconsistency, who knows what will happen?

Group 7 : Spain hosts Serbia on the 7th, that should settle who will win the group.

Group 8 : Croatia has two away games, but against Malta and Iceland they should be able to sock away the full 6 points. If Sweden trips up against either Bulgaria or Hungary, it should be lights-out for their bid to top the group. If both teams play to form, Oct. 8th in Zagreb will determine the group winner.

[WinLoseOrDraw]

Champions League group stage set. The most promising groups look like A (Bayern & Juventus), E (Milan & PSV, great semi last year), and F (Real & Lyon). Liverpool drew Chelsea in Group G, but it wasn't all that scintillating a matchup last time, so I'm not expecting much this time, either. Last year Liverpool essentially mailed in their domestic league performance to concentrate on CL, I don't think they'll be able to do that again this year and I have a feeling they won't even make it out of the group stage.

Switzerland's Thun, a club so small they can't even host their own games, has to be the greatest surprise so far. They are going to earn more from the group stage alone than their entire on-field budget for last year!

[WinLoseOrDraw]

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Diego Maradona acknowledged that he struck the ball with his hand in the famous "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals. Speaking on his local television talk show Monday night, Maradona called one of soccer's most controversial goals ``something that just came out of me. It was a bit of mischief."

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=ap-maradona-handofgod&prov=ap&type=lgns

After the score, Maradona said he quickly realized the line referee had allowed the goal but none of his teammates had rushed to celebrate with him -- themselves figuring the goal would be waved off.

"I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me and no one came,'' said Maradona, who was the team captain. "I told them, 'Come hug me or the referee isn't going to allow it.'"

[WinLoseOrDraw]

It appears all 64 World Cup games will be broadcast in the US in high def. Don't know yet for Canada, but I would expect the same.

[WinLoseOrDraw]

Croatia gives as good as it gets and earns a 1:1 draw against the world champion Samba Boys.

http://www.index.hr/clanak.aspx?id=278974

Wish I could have been there. :(

Meanwhile England, oy, what was that? Very baffling. With Gerrard, Lampard and Beckham there should be enough blood and guts in the middle of the field to at least lose gracefully. It was a bad day for islanders in general: Ireland lost and Scotland blew a 2 goal advantage.

[JT_Marlin]

US USA USA!!!

[DCschmoeka]

In Germany! weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[WinLoseOrDraw]

Sometimes I'm on the wrong side of the ocean: Wednesday night, in summery Adriatic Split, Brazil visits Croatia for a friendly. Two teams with firepower and in excellent shape for World Cup qualifying, this could be quite an entertaining match.