FIFA 2010 World Cup Predictions?

[Mango Chow!]

algeria will poison d states, and d states will draw wit england

Nah the US getting level cut arse from every body.....there will be no drawing or beating England.....not that I care either way   

    Brownsugar, yuh's a true hater after meh own heart gyul!! 


GO HOLLAND!!!.....but I eh wit yuh on dis one.  The dutch must see no success on South African soil!! In fact, I eh want NO europeans to see too much success dis roungs! Ah done kinda pushin' it by supportin' Brazil!   

[Sando prince]

Spain will win..they will repeat their 2008 Euro success in SA

[Jah Gol]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/VgR14QQeOlQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/VgR14QQeOlQ</a>

[Mango Chow!]

Major props to both players!

[Zeppo]

I can't see any team in this tournament stronger than Brazil. Spain could go far though.

And I already made my other World Cup prediction here:

http://www.socawarriors.net/forum/index.php?topic=47398.0

[Bakes]

Major props to both players!

Indeed... nice to see Ronaldinho breaking out the French.  Seedorf's statement speaks volumes.

[nunu]

an african team or france going to win the world cup .

[Midknight]

Other serious contenders are the Swiss, boasting one of the best defensive players in Philipe Senderos, the gunners man is sure to be a major hit again this summer.

What are you smoking man? Switzerland?
Wasn't Senderos loaned out by Arsenal?
Was he even starting in his new club?

edit: now doh get me wrong, I have them edging into the RO16 on GD

but...dat is why they can't be serious contenders. They not beating Spain to first place and Brazil ent getting anything less than first in their group...so you know de lix dat sharing one way or another.

I glad to say it, I could vote heart and head for the same team. Brazil all de way:
tough and entertaining comeback win over Spain in the final

It hurt to say it, but England have a nice clear path to the semis. If they let that France side beat them at the QF hurdle, that is mih only fear for Brazil, but it have no way that shite coach deserve to make 1 World Cup final let alone two. In any case, dat side ent ready yet.

Holland only crime go be meeting Brazil, Germany's meeting Spain. One of these two matches will be the match of the tournament.

US and Mex 2nd round no further.

Africa will real disappoint...Only one team will make second rounds, unless FIFA pull strings for the Bafana at Mexico's expense

[Mango Chow!]

Major props to both players!

Indeed... nice to see Ronaldinho breaking out the French.  Seedorf's statement speaks volumes.

   Yes it does, and I really think it was intended to.  Seedorf is a man that always has shown an admirable level of consciousness outside the game, even if "we" the fans didn't always agree with him with every position he has or has not taken.  Great, great player.   

[Zeppo]

Indeed... nice to see Ronaldinho breaking out the French.  Seedorf's statement speaks volumes.

   Yes it does, and I really think it was intended to.  Seedorf is a man that always has shown an admirable level of consciousness outside the game, even if "we" the fans didn't always agree with him with every position he has or has not taken.  Great, great player.   

You definitely sense the bitterness there by him not naming Holland. It's a shame that things ended the way they did between him and the Dutch national team. He should easily have over 100 caps by now. Too many problems between him and Van Basten. At the 2006 WC he was still only 30 and could have contributed a lot. Even now he could be a great option for them.

[Mango Chow!]

Indeed... nice to see Ronaldinho breaking out the French.  Seedorf's statement speaks volumes.

   Yes it does, and I really think it was intended to.  Seedorf is a man that always has shown an admirable level of consciousness outside the game, even if "we" the fans didn't always agree with him with every position he has or has not taken.  Great, great player.   

You definitely sense the bitterness there by him not naming Holland. It's a shame that things ended the way they did between him and the Dutch national team. He should easily have over 100 caps by now. Too many problems between him and Van Basten. At the 2006 WC he was still only 30 and could have contributed a lot. Even now he could be a great option for them.

   ....yuh know, Zeppo, coming from him, I eh so quick to call it bitterness as I would call it consciousness.  Not that I know the man or know what he's thinking, but I just get a sense that he's a man that grasps the significance of this whole event and what it means for the entire continent of Africa.  I was tempted to say "maybe if he would have said 'South Africa' you can call it bitterness" but then, I'm sure he's to savvy for that and he strikes me a a man at peace with himself.  I could be wrong and you could very well be right but I want to give him the credit.  You are absolutely right about his understated value to his own national team, though.  Holland totally mishandled him and his international career.....not the first time that the Dutch will have "mishandled" a Black man, to put it ever-so-lightly, a fact not lost on most of us, now that we are growing in anticipation of next Friday on South African soil.....but, enough of me an my issues!!  Enjoy.

[Zeppo]

   ....yuh know, Zeppo, coming from him, I eh so quick to call it bitterness as I would call it consciousness.  Not that I know the man or know what he's thinking, but I just get a sense that he's a man that grasps the significance of this whole event and what it means for the entire continent of Africa.  I was tempted to say "maybe if he would have said 'South Africa' you can call it bitterness" but then, I'm sure he's to savvy for that and he strikes me a a man at peace with himself.  I could be wrong and you could very well be right but I want to give him the credit. 

Oh, I believe that he's being sincere and truly wants to see an African team in the final. But when you've represented a country over 80 times in a 14-year period, in a World Cup and three European Championships, and you don't name them as one of the countries that you want to see in the final? Whether he's bitter or not, it's still a clear potshot that he's taking at Holland.

Anyway, Seedorf is admirable not only for being a great player, but also because he's a great person and a humanitarian. Did you know that he is responsible for the funding and construction of an entire stadium in his native Suriname? You can see it in this video.

I even had the pleasure of meeting him in person once. It was in a hotel in Madrid. I asked him if he spoke English and he answered perfectly. Then I asked him if we could get a photo together, and he was more than happy to do so. Then I wished him good luck, and he said thanks. He was very polite and friendly altogether.

[asylumseeker]

Thx for the video.

[Mango Chow!]

   ....yuh know, Zeppo, coming from him, I eh so quick to call it bitterness as I would call it consciousness.  Not that I know the man or know what he's thinking, but I just get a sense that he's a man that grasps the significance of this whole event and what it means for the entire continent of Africa.  I was tempted to say "maybe if he would have said 'South Africa' you can call it bitterness" but then, I'm sure he's to savvy for that and he strikes me a a man at peace with himself.  I could be wrong and you could very well be right but I want to give him the credit. 

Oh, I believe that he's being sincere and truly wants to see an African team in the final. But when you've represented a country over 80 times in a 14-year period, in a World Cup and three European Championships, and you don't name them as one of the countries that you want to see in the final? Whether he's bitter or not, it's still a clear potshot that he's taking at Holland.

Anyway, Seedorf is admirable not only for being a great player, but also because he's a great person and a humanitarian. Did you know that he is responsible for the funding and construction of an entire stadium in his native Suriname? You can see it in this video.

I even had the pleasure of meeting him in person once. It was in a hotel in Madrid. I asked him if he spoke English and he answered perfectly. Then I asked him if we could get a photo together, and he was more than happy to do so. Then I wished him good luck, and he said thanks. He was very polite and friendly altogether.

   I hear you......and good for YOU to have met him.  I hope you still have the picture!

[Feliziano]

Team I would like to win:
Spain - been a fan and backing this side from small..yes had plenty heartache too.

My other favorites:
Holland - I seriously think this could be their year.
England - Stevie G is captain now lol
South Korea - not to win but give a good showing
South Africa - probably going to be the best of the African teams

Teams I want to see go home early:
France - cheating arrogant swines
Italy - players and fans bad attitude
Portugal - Ronaldo

[Bakes]

Seedorf is a giant... no two ways about it.  I used to go out of my way to post his monthly chats from the Goal blog on the NYTimes website.  Some idiot moderator saw it fit to bury the post in the Milan thread so I realized I was just wasting my time.

In his chats he speaks very candidly about problems on the Dutch National team (without betraying team confidentiality), about problems in world football in general... about his philantropy in Suriname... Seedorf is indeed one of the more socially conscious footballers in the world... or one who is vocal about his "consciousness" of social issues, and who does not shrink from the position of responsibility he's been given due to his celebrity.

I think he's definitely bitter about his experience with the Dutch National team, but not consumed by it... his perspective is much too big to let something as relatively minor as that detract from his focus.

[AirMan]

USA will reach quarterfinals..

[E-man]

Referee Ivanov Valentin will hand out 6 red cards to one team causing them to forfeit the match.

 

[Midknight]

Referee Ivanov Valentin will hand out 6 red cards to one team causing them to forfeit the match.

Is he refereeing again?

[E-man]

Referee Ivanov Valentin will hand out 6 red cards to one team causing them to forfeit the match.

Is he refereeing again?

Actually he wasn't invited back 

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/referees/index.html

[Mr Fix-it]

spain likely have a tougher draw than england. and they get bounce by usa in last year's confed cup. who knows.

==


Spain tipped for World Cup glory by economists: Reuters poll


 (Reuters) - Spain are favorites to be crowned World Cup champions, narrowly ahead of Brazil, according to a global field of 74 soccer fan economists polled by Reuters.

Twenty-four respondents said Spain would shed their reputation for perennial disappointment this year and clinch the title for the first time, a tad more than the 23 who expected Brazil to add to their record tally of five trophies.

But economists are not known for their powers of foresight in matters football.

For Reuters' 2006 World Cup poll, most of them showed as much acumen in guessing Argentina would win that year as they did in predicting an impending global financial crisis. Eight out of 96 correctly predicted a victorious Italy.

In the latest survey, just one economist expected the Azzurri to retain their title in South Africa this year, and Argentina polled a distant third behind Spain and Brazil.

"I'd go for Spain because they seem to have not just the talent but also the resilience and strength which they missed in the past," said Jean-Francois Mercier, chief economist at Citi in South Africa.

"Brazil is a big threat but will they have the energy to go all the way?"

South American champions Brazil remained top of the FIFA rankings on Wednesday, with European champions Spain in second place.

Fifty-two out of 68 economists expected at least one African team to reach the quarter-finals this year -- a feat matched only by Senegal in 2002 and the 1990 Cameroon team inspired by striker Roger Milla.

Nigeria were the most popular bet for this year, followed by Cameroon.

But the poll showed it was likely that South Africa, ranked 83rd in the world and facing top-20 teams France, Mexico and Uruguay in their first round group, will become the first host nation not to progress to the second round.

"It's gonna be tough for South Africa, but the overwhelming sound of vuvuzelas will scare the pants off the Mexicans and the French," said Johannes Khosa of Nedbank in Johannesburg.

Reuters asked a smaller sample of African economists and emerging market specialists in a separate poll about the economic impact of the World Cup.

They said South Africa's economy would get only a modest boost from hosting the World Cup, with fewer visitors to the event expected than was originally forecast.

MODEL OF PERFECTION?

Some forecasters have used complex statistical models to predict who will win the World Cup.

Last week, JPMorgan said England would win based on its quant models used to predict stock returns. UBS picked Brazil, Germany and Italy as the most likely winners based on a probability analysis.

Others have adopted simpler methods -- old-fashioned guesswork and superstition.

"England will win if they pick Joe Hart as first choice goalkeeper as any team with a former Shrewsbury Town player will do well," said Howard Archer of IHS Global Insight in London, referring to a fourth-tier English league club.

The largely European sample of economists selected Argentina's Lionel Messi as the competition's likely top scorer, followed by Spain's David Villa and Wayne Rooney of England, the fourth-most-fancied team for victory.

"Messi is bound to come good for his country at some point -- why not now?" said Noelani King Conradie at NKC Independent Economists in Cape Town.

Messi was crowned World Player of the Year and was last week joined at Barcelona by David Villa after a 40 million euro ($49 million) move from Valencia.

(Polling by Karan Belani, Ruby Cherian and Jason George of the Bangalore Polling Unit, Editing by Jon Bramley)

Not after dat first game 

[weary1969]

Team I would like to win:
Spain - been a fan and backing this side from small..yes had plenty heartache too.

My other favorites:
Holland - I seriously think this could be their year.
England - Stevie G is captain now lol
South Korea - not to win but give a good showing
South Africa - probably going to be the best of the African teams

Teams I want to see go home early:
France - cheating arrogant swines
Italy - players and fans bad attitude
Portugal - Ronaldo

Spain and socawarriorsu have realllllllllll bellyyyyy