Posted on 06/13/2006 6:05:50 AM PDT by soccer_maniac
World Cup favorite Brazil will kick off its World Cup campaign on Tuesday as the opening round of the tournament continues in Germany. The defending champions will face Croatia at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN2) in Berlin in the second Group F match, following Australia's come-from-behind victory over Japan Monday.
The match will feature the highly-anticipated debut of FC Barcelona great Ronaldinho as he looks to lead the South Americans to a record sixth championship. But the reigning FIFA World Player of the Year is hardly the only weapon in coach Carlos Alberto Parreira's arsenal. Also at his disposal are Ronaldo, Kaka, Robinho and Roberto Carlos -- just to name a few -- who could leave the Croatian defense in for a busy day.
In the day's first match, first-time qualifiers Togo will be looking to upset 2002 semifinalists South Korea (9 a.m. ET, ESPN2). Though the Asian side does not have home field advantage as they did four years ago, the side is very experienced and boasts much talent, including 10 players returning for their second consecutive finals. The Koreans will be looking to Ahn Jung-Hwan for offense.
Togo enters the match as one of the surprise teams in the field, having secured qualification for the first time in the tiny nation's history. With many players coming from the French, Swiss and English leagues, they are a side capable of raising a few eyebrows.
Also making their 2006 World Cup debuts on Tuesday will be France and Switzerland, the neighboring nations squaring off at 12 noon ET on ESPN2. 'Les Blues' are chock full of world-class talent, including Arsenal's Thierry Henry and former FIFA World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane, who led the French to their only World Cup title on home soil eight years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at mlsnet.com ...
He's 17, and he still has some maturing to do.
Hmmmmmm....where is Thierry Henry?
There really is an ingrained PC belief in American soccer circles that soccer is the ultimate democratic sport where size and speed don't matter. IMHO, having been through the ODP system back in a former life, the coaching staffs are wowed by quick, little flashy guys and not by a big, domiant grinder.
Not much else can explain why Cobi Jones spent so many years zipping about but not accomplishing much against stout competition. I see Donovan and Beasley as the next generation of the same old thing.
Those bigger guys *are* out there, they just aren't developed.
Never mind - they had the graphics wrong.
OOPS -- Brazil is later. Now we have France - Switzerland.
French-Swiss chicks are OK as long as they are shaven.
If any chick looks good enough to pass as Brazilian then I don't care if she's a bandwaggoner.
I often wondered what a guy like Bo Jackson would have been like on a soccer pitch.
I couldn't agree with you more. At most ODP tryouts the players are already picked. All you had to do was watch the coaches not really looking for some sneaker players. Ben Olsen is a perfect example of that. He knew in advance of ODP tryouts that he made the team, so he didn't even go.
Go Switzerland.
ROSICKY WILL JOIN TO ARSENAL AFTER WORLD CUP...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/5008544.stm
TEAM LINE-UPS
France: Barthez, Abidal, Gallas, Thuram, Sagnol, Zidane, Makelele, Vieira, Ribery, Wiltord, Henry.
Subs: Boumsong, Chimbonda, Coupet, Dhorasoo, Diarra, Givet, Govou, Landreau, Malouda, Saha, Silvestre, Trezeguet.
Switzerland: Zuberbuhler, Magnin, Senderos, Muller, Philipp Degen, Cabanas, Vogel, Wicky, Barnetta, Frei, Streller.
Subs: Behrami, Benaglio, Coltorti, David Degen, Djourou, Dzemaili, Grichting, Gygax, Lustrinelli, Margairaz, Spycher, Yakin.
Referee: Valentin Ivanov (Russia).
Was it just me, or was the officiating in the ITA/GHA match horrendous? Specifically, two penalty kicks that Ghana should have been awarded late in the 2nd not being called -- with all of the controversy over the Italian league and match-fixing, did they really need a "favorable" ref in the first WC match?
Could you imagine Shaq in his prime as a striker?
As a former goalkeeper, a Bo Jackson type with average soccer skills, superior speed, commanding size, and freakish hops scares me more than a 5'8, 155 lb. ball-control magician any day.
Well, the first one I posted was Brazilian. At least a Brazilian fan.
Not too interested in the current game. France...
Couldn't care one way or the other. Besides, it looks like they are playing the Red Cross.
Bad form.
Anyhow, some of these latter-day Florence Nightincales are kinda cute.
Team facts - France
France are taking part in the World Cup for the 12th time. Their best performance came in 1998 when they lifted the trophy in their own country. In the final they beat Brazil (3-0). In 2002, France were knocked out in the group phase without scoring a single goal. No other defending champion has failed to score a goal or finished bottom of its group.
France have not scored in their last three World Cup matches. Between 1930 and 1994, Bolivia set the World Cup record by not netting a single a goal in five consecutive matches. France have not won in the last three World Cup matches. Between 1966 and 1978 France had their worst ever World Cup run, failing to win in five successive games. France have won five, lost five and drawn one of their 11 opening contests in World Cup finals.
Team facts - Switzerland
Switzerland will be taking part in the World Cup for the eighth time. They made the quarter-finals on three occasions (1934, 1938, 1954), but have not won an opening fixture at the finals since 1954 when they were the hosts.
Switzerland have failed to keep a clean sheet in all of their previous 22 World Cup matches. This already marks an all-time World Cup record. On the positive side, no Swiss player has ever been sent off in a World Cup match.
Tell me about it. In the Mexico/Iran match, I was rooting for injuries. ;)
French players are wearing tricolore wristbands with Cisse's name on them.
Nice touch.
The US tied Switzerland in their first match in the 1994 WC.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.