Nah, they were quite lucky. They got Australia and Ukraine in the first two knock-out rounds, they beat Germany only in the last minute of extra time and won against France on penalties.

Look at Germany this year. They got England and Argentina in the first two knock-out rounds, beat them by scoring to each 4 goals, and are bound to face Spain and eventually Holland in the final.

Compare both tracks. Italy had a much easier route and still didn't convince as much as Germany are doing at the moment.

You can only beat the teams that are in front of you

And Brazil had an easy last 16/quarter final as well in 02 no one said they didn't deserve to go through. Germany were unluck since England came second in their group so they obviously came against the tougher opposition.

Having said that England were terrible the entire tournament bar 15 minutes against Slovenia and Argentina despite their brilliant attack were terrible defensively and imo should have been put to the sward by Mexico had there not been that terrible refereeing decision. Spain will offer their first real test so we'll see how that goes before labeling them as champions

seriously¨the way Germany played Argentina.. Argentina is not as ba.. excause me, as good as Australia. But Im suprised the way Germany played agianst Serbia.

Heh, did I call it or what?

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/sto...;cc=5901?ver=us

Leo or Scolari to replace him

It was known Dunga was leaving before the cup started, though not officially I don't think. Leo has been linked with them for a while now

Leo would be a good fit.

The Brazilian FA seem a bit silly though. Apparently they're not happy with the style of football played.. so why did they hire a DM as coach?

Dunga was not fired, he quit. He said so right after the game, in his press conference, that his agreement was only four years and he would not be extending it. You could argue if he didn't quit he would have been fired anyways, but the fact is he quit.

And CBF's (Brazilian Football Confederation) president Ricardo Teixeira was quick to announce his support and liking of Dunga every step of the way (even when we were losing, and playing like crap.) So no, I don't think they were at all unhappy with Dunga. So much he actually remained for four years, see?

A little OT, but just curious. Do Brazil care about the Copa America or not? They seem to field alot of pretty weak squads.

Not particularly (as in we're not really throwing any parties if we win it), but losing it is usually considered pretty shameful. Specially if the loss is to Argentina.

In fact, that's how we feel about pretty much any tournament bar the world cup.

Kaka: Brazil's ouster "worse" than in 2006

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/sto...5901&ver=us

(ESPN Soccernet)

Well, there'll surely be some fortune teller who predicted something else.


Yap. Europe - South America 3-0.


They way everyone seems to have fallen in love with our team and how everyone praises this team makes me afraid we won't win anything...

I just hate how they make it seem as if the trophy had their name written all over it before the tournament even started

Glad they're gone!

In shocking news Paul the octopus picked Spain for the victory.
Paul picks Spain

As if to confirm might I also add that the last time Nadal won Wimbledon, Spain won the Euros.

Wow...that's amazing. My rabbit, who has seen almost every match of the WC said Argentina will beat Germany 3-1. Those animals don't know a thing about football.

That's a fake picture.

It's the one Germany-Serbia but photoshopped.

LaPalma, I need to have a talk with that bunny of yours. Tsk.

You want to have a talk with my pets also?

I don't know them, Chu-Lip! Are they inert fans or something?

No, of course they aren't. They are good animals. Sweet, lovely cats and they seem to be interested in you.

Duff told me to inform the fish that he wants a Germany-Holland final. He is from Europe, after all.

So, the Maradona dog-and-pony show has mercifully come to an end following his resignation. Argentina will be kicking themselves over that one for some time. But at least they can become a football team again and not be reduced to a sideshow.

Horrible decision to hire him, but I'm very disappointed he's gone. Ruining Argentina + his entertainment value were great I thought.

Perhaps they'd like some catnip cookies then? Or some whiskey?



This fish would be okay with that final!

Yeah. If only the likes of VH1's reality programming met the guillotine just as swiftly.

I could never see Spain winning the WC.
but Germany.. even my fishes are turning black , yellow and red

IMO Germany > Holand > Spain > Uruguay.
So I expect the final to be Germany vs Holand.

P.S. Jose Luis Runco (Brasil's med.)says that Kaka was not fit for WC - link
So this way Dunga invited players that were not fit instead of players that had perfect seasons with their teams , Ronaldinho for example.

I hope and I wish Urugauy wins Holland !!
then Germany > Uruguay > Holland> Spain

Ronaldinho was good but no way in hell was his season perfect. Let's not go overboard.

Plus, he hardly played any international ball under Dunga.

Actually the first half of the qualifiers + Olympic games featured Ronaldinho. He stopped being called when he got benched under Carletto.

What about Pato? he could easly repalce Luis Fabiano
Why Nilmar?

Both Ronaldinho and Pato suffered in the eyes of Dunga because of their poor display at the Olympic games, which Brazil failed to win.

I do agree both of them are much, much, oh dear God much better than the alternatives Nilmar and J. Baptista. I can sort of understand Pato in the sense he was injured for a lot of the season, but then again, it's not like Dunga was calling him when he was fit either.

Just poor judgement on his part. Way too many defensive/holding mids (did we really need Kléberson? I mean, seriously) and just two real creative mids in Kaká (injured for most of the season) and Elano (a superstar in... Turkey?).

I think Dunga had his team (for the most part) picked out a year or two ago and, barring any injuries this year, that was the team going despite anyone else's performance.

To quote an old-school NBA player (and all-time quote machine), Mychal Thompson: "You can't make thoroughbreds pull a buggy. You have to let them run free and wild."

Dunga did just the opposite with the Brazil squad, as they never really played their freewheeling style under his reign. It showed on the pitch and ultimately cost him his job. The Copa America was a temporary plug in the dike.

I think Brazil played great and the game against Netherlands was just a causal fluke. They would have been the favorites for me had they passed the quarters. Dunga did a few mistakes in the player call-ups (leaving Pato home and calling friggin' Grafite), but the first line-up was very solid. I think they mostly suffered from Kaka's absence. He was practically null in this WC, save a couple of assists here and there. Tactically, he was very good, unlike that douchebag of Maradona.

I disagree. Brazil didn't face any tough opposition till the quarterfinal. They barely managed to beat North Korea, won against the absolutely disappointing Ivory coast and that match against Portugal was super boring. They were good against Chile, but they were abviously not a great team. Dungas mistake was that he wanted to teach the Brazilians to play more european than the european themselves. It had to fail.

^ Are you saying Netherlands deserved to win against Brazil? They played an absolutely horrid game, and took advantage of two defensive errors by Brazil. Brazil could have easily closed the first half 2-0, and sealed the match. I repeat, their loss to the oranje was purely casual.

As for Brazil - I understand Dunga in a way. But - not calling Pato and Dinho turned to be his big mistake. They failed at the Olimpics, but then again, it was 2 years ago.

When we speak of "tough opposition" question is - what is tough opposition really? Some would say England, Argentina, Paraguay - some would just laugh it off and turn the other way. Germany who got to face Ghana, England and Argentina, plus now Spain and won the first 3 matches still isn't indesputably "great". So, following the same logic, I don't think we can say Brazil had "easiy opposition" - all the 32 or at least 29 teams seem to be hard enough, while winning against Ivory Coast and playing with Chile or Portugal isn't that easy either.

I have to disagree here. You seem to be of the opinion that unless a team completely dominates the opposition they don't deserve to win the match.

Key word here is Brazil could have done a lot of things. Could. But they didn't. Netherlands could have decided it was game over at 1-0, coz Brazil almost never concede a lead. But they didn't. They fought back, and won 2-1. The red card was after Netherlands took the lead anyway. As dominant as Brazil were in the first half, I think the Dutch easily won the second half. Brazil were as impotent as Hefner and just ran around aimlessly, while taking time off to complain about the refs. Never thought I'd say this, but they should have taken a leaf out of Italy's last 15 minutes against Slovakia. Slovakia played even more cynically than Netherlands. Wasting time, diving, kicking. At least for those 15 mins in the world cup out of the 270+...Italy played like world champions.

Took 'advantage' of 2 defensive errors by Brazil? I could argue that Germany took advantage of 4 defensive errors from England. The first goal by Germany against Arg. was again a defensive error. I think by Otamendi or Burdisso.

What you can claim is that the Netherlands habit of disturbing the Brazilian rhythm by claiming and commiting fouls was cynical. That to me is the same as the Barca fans who claim that Inter played anti football and so didn't deserve to win the CL. Tough cookie. An opponent not playing to your strengths is nothing to complain about.

So the first semifinal is today: Uruguay v. Netherlands.

Who do folks favour?

Jack, this is the first time we disagree. As much as I like Holland, I'd say their victory was fluke. Usually there are teams for wich you say (like for ex. the Swiss against Spain) they had 1 or 2 chances and scored 1 or 2 goals. I'd say Holland had zero chances and Brazil just invited them to win after they simply stopped playing. Did Holland accept the invitation? No, they scored to very fluke goals and in the end were lucky.

My fazit would be - both teams disappointed me in that match, and I do think Uruguay will beat Holland.

I do think Uruguay are in with a very good chance, primarily coz there's no RvP, De Jong and Mthijsen. They've just ripped the spine apart.

But I don't think:

a. Goals from corners are fluky. Since when is bad marking at corners...fluky?
b. The self goal was 'luck'? Then what do you call Spain's win over Paraguay. A perfectly legal goal disallowed as offside. People argue about Xavi being forced to retake his penalty. But then the penalty saved by Cardozo should also have been disallowed, for the same reason..and retaken.
c. Holland had plenty of chances...they just inexplicably were wasteful. Go over the last 15 minutes. I counted two instances where the Dutch outnumbered the Brazilian defence and did some crazy stuff. For instance Sneijder trying to 'pass' the ball into the net, thereby rolling it into Cesar's hands. 9 times out of 10 he'd have hammered it in. The dutch could have scored at least 2 more goals in the last 15 but ruined it with really weak shots on target when there was no pressure...meaning it would have ended 4-1. In fact in a lot of ways, I find the match similar to the ending of the England-Germany match, except Germany were clinical in the finish. It's not undeserved at all, just coz you didn't dominate. I don't think barring the first half when Ooijer was all tangled up, the Dutch defence were really threatened.

Spain is no favorite of mine, we agree the game against Paraguay was very lucky. In fact - Spain got through to the semi finals with to tiny 1-0 victories and more importantly does two goals should have been disallowed.

As for Holland - they were unable to create a chance - they looked like the did not know how to attack. Robbens movement was from time to time comic, always doing the same thing. Kuyt, Huntelaar and Van Persie did everything they could to complicate their attacks and their main goals seemed to be destroying counter-attacks.

All in all, yes, the corner-goal was a normal chances, but the first one was a fluke. I'm really not impressed by the way Holland plays. Was any of the performances they put out worthy even mentioning?

The most dissapointing thing was against Brazil Holland had no will, no motive - just a genius in Sneijder. Nothing else played a role. As they turned the result I think they were as surprised as many spectators. It was not a plan, or strategy.

I can't agree.

The offside goal was offside. Cardozo made an attempt to try and win the ball from an offside position - this makes him 'in play' and the offside flag should go up. It's irrelevant whether he makes contact or not, because he alters the field of play by going for the ball. He drew a defender to him for starters, leaving Valdez on his own.

You could also argue Spain should have had another penalty and the keeper sent off. After saving the Alonso penalty, Fabregas gets to the ball first and the keeper takes him out.

(from bbc)
German 'psychic' octopus predicts victory for Spain




A "psychic" octopus in Germany, which appears to have correctly predicted every World Cup game involving the national team so far, has picked Spain over Germany in the semi-final.

Paul, from the Sea Life Aquarium in the western city of Oberhausen, chose a mussel from a jar with the Spanish flag instead of one with a German flag.

The two-year-old cephalopod has become a national celebrity.

According to his owners, he has a record of predicting German results.

They say Paul chose the winner in nearly 70% of Germany's games during the 2008 European Championship.

He correctly predicted all five of the team's previous World Cup games - including a shock defeat by Serbia in the group stages.

His prognosis ahead of Wednesday's World Cup semi-final was broadcast live on German TV.

Correspondents says Paul's plumping for Spain has caused alarm in the country, but some analysts point out that his predictive powers are not perfect.

During Euro 2008 he wrongly picked Germany as the victor against Spain.

Uruguay proved to be a very good squad especially in the attack and very dangerous from free kicks but I can't see them winning over Holland. Forlan has been great until now but he is alone comparing with Holland stars.
Huntelaar is still ACM player so I'll support Holand for this and political reasons .

My prediction Uruguay 1 - 3 Netherlands

I favor Uruguay all the way.

Two big questions for them: how to replace Suárez and will Lugano be able to play?
IMO Lugano is crucial to them, not just as a reliable CB.

Holland on the other hand has to replace Persie, v. der Wiel and de Jong.
It should be an interesting game.

Medias in my country are saying that Uruguay will play like this: link
(4-4-2): Muslera, Maxi Pereira, Victorino, Godin, Caceres, Perez, Rios, Gargano, Alvaro Pereira, Forlan, Cavani.

They also miss Fucile, right? Or can he play? I'm not sure. IMO these 2 or 3 will be missed A LOT. Therefore I am convinced The Netherlands will go trough to the final.

De Jong can be replaced by De Zeeuw who is awesome. Van Persie can be replaced by Huntelaar or Kuijt can play in the middle and Elia or Afellay plays. Boulahrouz probably replaces Van der Wiel.

Exactly. I find all mentioned substitutions in the Holland team more then fine, except Boulahrouz. On the other hand, the line-up d'Arc.LP mentioned is very questionable. Cáceres and Gargano didn't actually play up till now. The whole defense looks questionable now. It will be tuff to win.