Posted on 06/23/2006 6:51:15 AM PDT by soccer_maniac
Spain will open the games, playing against Saudi Arabia in Kaiserslautern at 9:55 a.m. ET on ESPN and Ukraine will face Tunisia at the same time in Berlin (ESPN2).
Ukraine goes into the game against Tunisia knowing that it determines its own destiny. A victory will guarantee passage, but a draw could set up the possibility of another tie-breaking situation on goal difference. Tunisia, meanwhile, which hasn't won a World Cup game since its debut in 1978, has to defeat Ukraine and hope that Saudi Arabia does not defeat Spain by a large margin.
France will play against Togo in Cologne (2:55 p.m. ET, ESPN) without Zinedine Zidane, who is suspended for yellow card accumulation. 'Les Bleus' need a victory; any other result will put an end to their World Cup adventure. The 1998 champions were eliminated four years ago in the group stage, as well.
Switzerland and Korea lead the group with four points each and will face each other in Hannover (2:55 p.m. ET, ESPN2) knowing that a victory for either side will secure a spot in the Round of 16. A victory or a tie by Togo will guarantee both Switzerland and Korea a spot in the knockout phase.
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I´ll love to watch the game Spain vs. France. The Spanish will knock the French out with at least 3:0. ;-) Sorry France, you´ve a bad coach and an old team. And worst of all, your play sucks.
I'd agree with you about France - Spain except that Spain has an even worse reputation for crashing in the World Cup than France.
Actually I'd like to see France beat Spain and then face Brazil. Fat Man Ronaldo would love to get some goals off the French to repay the 1998 disaster.
First finals win for France outside of their own country since 1982. It came over mighty Togo but the French will take it.
The Spanish play good soccer - if we put aside that they showed up with their B-team today. So Spain vs. Brazil would be the tougher and more exciting match. Spain has a team that could send Brazil home!
Pretty impressive for the Swiss, after all those games without a shutout, they get 3 in a row in Germany.
Bye Korea Fight Chick. :(
Out of 16 teams still in, 10 are European and 3 South American. CONCACAF, Africa and Oceania have one team each. Asia missed out.
Mexico and Ghana will get crushed; Australia has a shot against Italy but will be underdogs.
First round went pretty much as expected except Switzerland and Ghana beat out South Korea and Czech Republic.
CONCACAF was a major embarrassment. 3 1/2 slots is obviously way too many for this region.
None of the teams would have made it through to the second round if Mexico had not been handed such a cupcake group.
Hopefully they'll get 2 1/2 or even just two slots for 2010.
Africa doesn't deserve five slots, but as South Africa is automatic they'll get four in addition I think.
Asia and CONCACAF should lose one each.
And Poland was expected to reach the next round from group A instead of Ecuador.
My predictions in percent of chances to reach the quarter finals:
Germany 80 - Sweden 20
Argentina 85 - Mexico 15
Italy 65 - Australia 35
Switzerland 80 - Ukraine 20
England 60 - Ecuador 40
Portugal 50 - Netherlands 50
Brazil 90 - Ghana 10
Spain 75 - France 25
But I'm not sure FIFA wants to have even more European teams than they already do. And Oceania I think is going away, as they will be folded into Asia. I think maybe what they should do is 3 and 4 CONCACAF should have a playoff with the 5 and 6 South American teams to decide who goes.
Dfwgator has a point, we can´t have more European teams.
Spain likes to wait to choke until the 1/4 finals. So expect them to get whipped by Brasil after beating an uninspired French side. :)
I'm sorry, I have a strict policy. I don't speak about the worst game of any tournament. And that happened to be it.
Yuch. What a stinker.
Ladies... nice to see you've made up and agreed that Trajan88 is your man ;-)
Mine are Brazil, Germany, Italy and Argentina. Final game Germany vs Brazil. I give odds to home town favorite Team Germany to take home its fourth World Cup.
Arena: 'Right now, I'm just an idiot'
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/soccer/specials/world_cup/2006/06/23/arena.ap/index.html
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