It's fucked that we're in with Germany. Apparently Serbia are quite good, too.

I'm liking England's chances.

Also, Croatia are notable in their absence.

I'm really looking forward to the World Cup!

So many sleepless night's in frustration. I WUV IT!

Group A

1 11/06 22:00 Johannesburg - JSC South Africa v Mexico
2 12/06 02:30 Cape Town Uruguay v France
17 17/06 02:30 Tshwane/Pretoria South Africa v Uruguay
18 18/06 02:30 Polokwane France v Mexico
33 22/06 22:00 Rustenburg Mexico v Uruguay
34 22/06 22:00 Mangaung / Bloemfontein France v South Africa

Those times are WA local time apparently.

Game times and further info here - calculates local time

World Cup fever has hit me this weekend!

3 LIONS ON THE SHIRT...

I'm going for Australia and England. Does Australia have any football songs that aren't bogan themes?

Interested to hear who people think England should take as their (presumably) four strikers. Obviously Rooney and Defoe are pretty much shoe ins, but then you've got Bent, Zamora, Cole, Heskey, Crouch and Agbonlahor.

Despite a lack of real height I'd go with Zamora and Gabby.

There'll be a big man - whether he's wide (Heskey) or tall (Crouch). Possibly both.

that site is cool toadphoney thanks

excited.

(must book leave)

my ongoing love of the oranje is always tempered by history.

and even guus - not going to the cup for first time in 12 years - knows it....sigh

''We will always expect well of the Netherlands, until we're in with a chance and shoot ourselves in the foot again,'' Hiddink said.

id put my money on it being crouch and heskey

(comment not relevant, photo is)

Maradona is (back) on crack not selecting Zanetti or Cambiasso in a squad of 30.

Dunga leaves out Ronaldinho but more interestingly Pato as well.

Domenech has no space for Benzema, but we already knew he Raymond was crazy.

Domenech has no space for Benzema, but we already knew he Raymond was crazy.

Nasri's star sign was an issue as well it seems.

a look at that Spanish midfield boggles the mind: Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Fabregas, David Silva, Senna, Busquets, Iniesta, Mata and Navas.

Je-bus.

I'm not sure any other nation could leave out Arteta in a squad of 30

Wow, it is amazing to see so many stars of world football missing out on selection: Ronaldinho, Pato, Diego, Totti, Benzema, Nasri, Hitzlsperger, Van Nistelrooy, Joel Griffiths... some are gettin' on but still have plenty to offer.

Argentina really take the cake though. I found an XI made up of missing players on another forum, which included: Zanetti, Milito (def), Cambiasso, Banega, Riquelme, Zarate, Lisandro Lopez, Gago, Aimar, Zabaleta...

Even then there's all the player that need to be cut from preliminary squads. Makes you really aware of Australia's lack of depth.

Then England: Heskey and Walcott over Ashley Young and Agbonlahor? Sheeit.

Who'd be a national manager?

I would be! My Belgium adventure on FM was fun. Having Lukaku, Defour, Witsel, Fellaini etc for 10-15 years makes it a bit nicer though I must admit.

Love that Argentinian XI of missing players carlos. They reckon the other (attacking) Milito will miss out on the 23, he who had pretty fantastic season for a club who could(/should) win the treble.

Just saw England's Brave John Terry is in doubt with a suspected fractured foot.

Oh wait, we were talking about good players who are missing the World Cup. My bad.

I have blue blood, but Dawson/Carra over Jagielka?!

And Maradona's selections are pure madness. Veron over Cambiasso? Yes, Diego, winning local trophies with Estudiantes is far more impressive than potentially winning a Serie A/Coppa Italia/Champions League treble! Not to mention being over-the-hill and a Premier League flop. Palermo over Milito is madness too.

i'm too annoyed to stay awake.

fuck

Chipperfield probably played the worst game I've ever seen him play for the Socceroos. Though he did look a threat when all was lost and he got forward. Neill was far more of a liability than Moore tonight. I'd like to see Milligan partner Moore in central defence, move Neill to left back and Chipperfield to left wing (with Kewell surely unlikely to play any part in the tournament now). Not gonna happen but anyway. Podolski was brilliant and was basically unplayable so Wilkshire gets a pass mark.

Verbeek set up the midfield completely wrong. His insistance in playing 2 holding midfielders ironically cost us defensively where 1 man marking Ozil was the way to go. Valeri and Grella were given the time and space from Germany (with Khedira and Schweinsteiger sitting back and Ozil not too interested in defensive work), and running from their teammates further up the pitch to move the ball along the ground for once in to more attacking areas. They (along with all 4 defenders) still did this but far too slowly most of the time though. It's been the hallmark of the Verbeek era really. Centre backs and holding midfielders (Culina aside but he's often positionally poor in that role) who are not good enough on the ball.

We still did get the ball to feet to the attacking midfielders more often than we normally do but Emerton showed he hadn't played a competitive game in months, Garcia was good off the ball but used it poorly, Culina good and smart on the ball but didn't do his defensive job against Lahm well enough. Khedira and Schweingsteiger played fantastically to negate the centre and force us wide though, where deep crosses to an isolated Cahill up against Per Mertasacker was never going to work too well. You could see how frustrated Cahill was in the first half.

It's a pity about the red card (thought the officials were good apart from that and the possible penalty. Liked the tough stance on the diving). With Holman we had looked a bit more promising but after that everything is moot. But it was lost in that first half, and in our defence and defensive midfield.

All is not lost. We're capable of beating both Ghana and Serbia, I'm just not sure Verbeek is tactically adept enough to exploit each side's weaknesses unfortunately.

totally predictable in every possible way. We were always gonna get flogged, let's face it. The Aussie team ain't what it used to be. What the fuck is Moore doing there, apart from inventing off-sides? How about Lucas Neill? Fuck knows how these people even made it to the world cup when players like Benzema or Ronaldinho did not. The German team will win this World cup as they are just so good both in attack and defense. We were outrun, outplayed and outnumbered every time.
The difference is that none of our players play in top clubs (and no, Everton, Hull and Fulham are NOT top clubs). Some of our players don't even play regularly enough.

Germany have got to show something against a team with a genuinely creative midfield and/or a pacey attack before being considered contenders. I'll be really interested to see how Joachim Low tactically adapts to different teams' styles, as far as I'm aware the system they played tonight is pretty rigidly what they always use.

Ghana would be a good litmus test for Germany, but that game could well be meaningless by the time it comes around. Unless Raddy Antic changes things a lot, can't see Serbia doing much against them.

This thread is eating posts btw

well that was embarrassing.

thanks kaz, excellent analysis!

looks like germany won't be tested for a while: if they win the grp they play runner up grp c which is who? usa? england? slovenia?

telling that five or is it 6 of the germans play for the same club, bayern. it showed.

I don't watch too much footballs matches and didn't exactly pay close attention to the Australian VS Germany match. But what was the intent of Australia playing with such a high defensive line? and so many defensive midfielders? It seemed the high defensive line left Australian susceptible to counter-attacks, whilst resulting in minimal off-side traps. There was no scrapping for the ball in the midfield by Australia. They were unable to hold possession or set up attacks from the midfield. And why not play some big striker cunt like kennedy? Even if Kennedy didn't play well there's always a possibility of someone like Kennedy muscling his way onto the ball and scoring from a corner.

Hopefully Australia/Verbeek re-think their approach to the remaining group games.

Even if Kennedy didn't play well there's always a possibility of someone like Kennedy muscling his way onto the ball and scoring from a corner.

The german defence is tall. quick and quite handy. Kennedy is tall - and that is about it.

Really the score could have been as high as 10-0. The reality is we really don't have too good a side.

Really.

Agreed.

i dont know much about football but watching the australian team play is like watching paint dry. what a pathetic team the worst football in the world cup ever (this is not an understatment)... they need to change the whole squad there are no redeeming factors to this 4-0 defeat.

The reality is we really don't have too good a side.

but that goes against the manifest destiny of us being amazing that's been in all the media coverage up until now!

how dare you attempt redefine the narrative with reality! We've even gone ignored our asian cup performance as it didn't fit in with the groupthink!

i dont know much about football

the worst football in the world cup ever

Ahem

''amen'' you mean

I blame graham arnold

i dont know much about football
worst football in the world cup ever (this is not an understatment)

ITT: uninformed generalisations and sweeping statements

as someone heckled from the enmore ''johnny warren died for this?''

sure, it was poor taste, but i still laughed.

got in before me toady

This thread is eating posts btw

it's also doing the thing where a few posts need to be made after your own before it shows up. someone start a new one with the fancy group image?

probs wont be much to talk about hurr.

Germany was always going to be a tough proposition first up, but way to make it tougher by selecting completely the wrong side and being so thoroughly tactically inept Pim.

We've moved this discussion across the hall

Glad I didn't wake up at 4:30am this morning. I almost wrote wank up and that was more the truth of it.

The reality is we really don't have too good a side.

what a revelation.

Vamos Paraguay! Good to see them play a great game against the Italians.

i dont know much about football
worst football in the world cup ever (this is not an understatment)

ITT: uninformed generalisations and sweeping statements

alot of commentators have said the same thing, they are pathetic you have to admit. even NZ is doing better.

Argentina are beautiful footballers playing the 'beautiful game', I watch it on my beautiful couch while my beautiful girlfriend snores.......