Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Archived Boards => 2010 World Cup - South Africa => Topic started by: Spursy on May 10, 2010, 10:25:09 PM
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Which team do you think will claim the Fifa World Cup in South Africa ?
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usa
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I strongly WANT Holland will beat everyone :-*. USA was favorites but without key players like Charlie and Gucci.. it looks kinda grim but dempsey will turn some heads and if donavon is still in form watch out SA, their keeper and captain is also very good.
The rest... Spain has too many injuries to be any kind of threat and Argentina despite having Milito etc usually flops like Portugal.
Favorites, hands down Brazil.... again and why not they played in most of the stadiums, Lucio, Maicon are the best in their respective positions consistently it will be very hard for them not to win it all. Another factor is Dunga.. He is a winner.
Don't underestimate De Lippi, but Italy is too old with nothing of high vintage quality yet to surface besides Super Mario who is completely impatient and cocky for his own good. Listen to Jose MARIO !!!
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:-\ @ USA........right................
My teams will be Brasil and Germany.
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Brazil in 7!
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if sven know what he doing....ivory coast. and yes they capable of beating brasil.
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if sven know what he doing....ivory coast. and yes they capable of beating brasil.
Nah! Doh get meh wrong....I supporting ALL African teams and want to see them do well. I just think that this current Brazilian team (especially if they remain healthy) is going to be too tough to beat by anybody. I wouldn't mind at all if Ivory Coast were to garner a historic victory against Brazil, not to mention the resultant implications it would have for African Football........I just don't see it happening with this Brazil side. :beermug:
.....nor do I have faith in Sven at the International level.
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usa
It's not the team you want to win.....it's the team you (seriously) think will win....or can win.....or has a chance....a slight one, at least. Brazil, good, usa, bad.
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Brazil - Germany final.
Tough to call, I could go with Braz for now ;-)
Give S. Africa until the semis ;-))
However, I think those African countries could real get on in Africa - Cameron, Ivory Coast.
VB
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Brazil all the way; every world cup! Would love a Brazil v Holland finals.
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America did really well to reach final of the Confedaration Cup last year and if they reach the Quarterfinals of the World Cup in SA they will continue to silence their critics...Anyway I believe Spain will win their first World Cup in SA..Spain is my choice
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if sven know what he doing....ivory coast. and yes they capable of beating brasil.
Nah! Doh get meh wrong....I supporting ALL African teams and want to see them do well. I just think that this current Brazilian team (especially if they remain healthy) is going to be too tough to beat by anybody. I wouldn't mind at all if Ivory Coast were to garner a historic victory against Brazil, not to mention the resultant implications it would have for African Football........I just don't see it happening with this Brazil side. :beermug:
.....nor do I have faith in Sven at the International level.
i agree with yuh all de way. im de type of guy that likes to see underdogs beat down favorites. i've been cheering for brasil for as long as i can remember, and yea brasil in this world cup have an elite squad. ivory coast on de other hand have a pretty strong squad as well, stronger than 06 (this team gave argentina trouble, imagine this year). its going to be a throw up we just gotta wait and see. :beermug:
ps: my faith in sven not at 100% either...
usa
they eh coming out that group. usa feel everybody in that group is a push over :shameonyou:
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usa
That belong over in the long shot predictions thread.... :devil: ;D
Would love a Brazil v Holland finals.
:beermug: :beermug:
With a Holland win..... :praying: :praying:
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On paper, it looks like Italy or Spain...
But I would like to see any of these teams in the final...Brasil, Ivory Coast, Germany and Holland.
Big Up!
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England / France
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Germany!!!!
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I can't wait for the World Cup to start-2-3 matches a day for a month! I actually enjoyed World Cup 2002 and having to watch games midnight and 2:30am-sacrificing for the cause.
It's the most wonderful time of every 4 years!
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usa
That belong over in the long shot predictions thread.... :devil: ;D
Would love a Brazil v Holland finals.
:beermug: :beermug:
With a Holland win..... :praying: :praying:
:beermug: :beermug:now thats what am talking about....................GO HOLLAND ALL THE WAY :beermug: :beermug:
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algeria will poison d states, and d states will draw wit england
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Since we talkin predictions-Sleeper team that can make some waves -Serbia -Worse teams-toss up between USA and New Zealand.
Movin on-
Group A- Mexico and Uraguay
Group B- South Korea and Argentina
Group C- England and Algeria
Group D- Germany and Serbia
Group E- Holland and Cameroon
Group F- Italy and Paraguay
Group G- Brasil and Portugal
Group H- Spain and Honduras
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England / France Holland
Either one of these two.
Germany or France could get a bligh too, but England and Holland is my big two.
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my money on brazil.
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England I think have ah good chance. :devil:
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Charlie Davies and the Ugly Side of Fandom
Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 10:06 AM EST [General]
UPDATED MAY 13: Because of a very busy day and the continuing interest in this topic, I'm leaving this up on the front page. Scroll down for more on Davies' situation, and fresh links to top stories.
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American coach Bob Bradley released the USA camp roster yesterday afternoon at 2 PM Eastern. Within five minutes, “Charlie Davies” was a trending topic, after it was revealed the injured forward was not going to be making the trip to South Africa.
Criticism of this choice was swift, harsh and troubling. American soccer fans have been wildly unrealistic about this team for quite some time, but Davies’ omission tipped this into venom. Bob Bradley was ripped throughout the blogosphere, with some asserting that Davies “had” to be on the team, and that the manager was somehow denying the Yanks a chance this June. Not some small ire was aimed at forward Robbie Findley, who’s only crime, as far as I can tell, is playing well enough to get picked for a camp, and having injury problems of his own.
What to make of this?
Is Davies’ omission disappointing? Of course. It’s also entirely expected: Davies hasn’t played a game since the October car crash that killed one of his fellow passengers. While his recovery has been swift, people seem to forget that the question around Davies just six months ago wasn’t if he would ever play soccer again, it was if he was going to recover and have a normal life.
Roping another player into this? That’s beyond the pale. And while Bradley is surely ripe to be criticized for his tactics, his player selection and the team’s overall performance, ripping him for leaving an injured player home strikes me as wildly unfair.
I realize many folks wanted a happy ending for Davies. I hope those same folks think about it for a moment and realize that Davies’ life and career don’t begin and end with the World Cup in South Africa. He certainly hopes to have a long career, and if he recovers and reaches the level he was at last summer, he’ll be on the next American squad.
Still, the venom troubles me, as I fear it conceals something deeper. American soccer fandom has long had a siege mentality. It’s understandable, if outdated: After all, soccer has succeeded here. It doesn’t need further proselytizing, just folks paying for tickets and cable hookups. And yet, that mentality continues, and it has shaded into intolerance.
More than a few American fans feel that they must rip down European leagues and players to “defend” MLS and the national team. Still others wildly overrate the chances and the quality of the players the Americans field because they superstitiously fear that if they do not, they are courting disaster. There’s an ugly xenophobia that has emerged, and it is growing toxic.
American players do deserve support from the fans, for sure. And speaking as a member of the press, nothing ticks me off more than opening my local paper (the Chicago Tribune, to be exact) each morning after an MLS game to find that while the Bears get three pages in the off-season, the Fire get a two paragraph brief. (I think most people would say that not covering a local team, playing in a major league that draws about 16,000 people to every game, is abdication of a newspaper’s core duty.)
But there’s a line here. On the one side is the fan’s duty; on the other, the stalkerish, unhinged braying that has plunged the sport in a number of other countries into chaos. Some American fans have crossed that line, and need to be reeled back.
The reaction to Davies threw that into stark relief. Some fans don’t seem to be able to separate reality from fantasy and that should trouble everyone.
I’ll go one step further and suggest that the folks who operate the blogs and the messageboards where a lot of this bile circulates need to step up and tamp it down. I don’t buy the line that moderating comments is “censorship;” the fact is, anonymous commentary is cowardly and a lot of it is incendiary. The folks who are paying their server bills by pandering to this should take a hard look in the mirror. This is not “supporting” the sport; it’s just plain ugly.
UPDATE: Davies stirred the pot a bit last night with an interview in France that blamed Sochaux officials for not clearing him to report to camp. Here's the facts: Under FIFA rules, the club could NOT have prevented Davies from attending camp. The decision not to call him in was made by Bob Bradley and U.S. Soccer after advice from their own medical professionals. Some of the interview is archived here, en francais and English.
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There is one thing that can be said about the 30-man roster selected by Bob Bradley: It looks pretty stark. More than one fan got a wakeup call yesterday, realizing that this team is very, very average.
There a number of players in the camp who have had disappointing seasons, been hit by injury, or have just faded off the grid. Only four men — Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley and Tim Howard — look to be legit. (Marcus Hahnemann has had a great year too, but he’s not a field player, and he’s not a starter.) There are a lot of holes, and Bradley looks like he’s going to try to rely on heart and athleticism come June.
Would another coach have made a difference? Yes, probably. I think the players might have received better tactical training, and that might have carried over into their club careers. But I’m not sure even Guus Hiddink or Marcelo Lippi could do much more with this bunch.
The fact is, the Americans seem to be in a developmental valley. Until the problems with the collegiate game are fixed, we’re wasting time and talent every day. Until MLS is able to offer enough money to become a realistic goal for talented young athletes, soccer is going to be fifth-best in a four-sport country. These are huge problems, and while it’s worth noting that American has made enormous strides since 1990, this newest roadblock is an enormous one. It’s also one that isn’t going to be solved by June.
So, sit back, enjoy the games and root for the guys. But don’t expect much. There just isn’t much there.
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Well with a scoring beast like Sir Wayne Rooney who can stop England.
Brazil/Spain
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Brazil is always my horse. I like the three lions as well(England for those who don't know) but though really see them going to far. Of the African teams(which I want to see do well) Ghana is my horse...GO GHANA!!!
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If only Holland had a strong defense. My predictions is the best defensive side gonna win. Here are the contestants for that honor. Italy, old but still very very firm favorites to lift the cup again, Germany, although lacking a colorful frontline that is deadly as before like Klinnsman, the Germans can count on Philip Lalm and company to keep the backline tight as possible. 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. Slovenia, boosted by a seasoned veteran coach Guus Hiddink this side turned heads in qualifing beating Poland and outshining Czech Republic to make it to the last 32. And finally the organisational strenght of the Americans have grown much in confidence as they were able to hold off World leaders Spain and then do it to Brazil in the finals falling short of only experience.
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spain likely have a tougher draw than england. and they get bounce by usa in last year's confed cup. who knows.
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Spain tipped for World Cup glory by economists: Reuters poll
(http://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUSTRE64P3Z920100526)
(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)
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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 :devil: ;D
GO HOLLAND!!!
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Ivory Coast
Argentina (I cant believe im saying this)
Germany
Thats it!
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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 :devil: ;D
:rotfl: :rotfl: 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! ;)
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Spain will win..they will repeat their 2008 Euro success in SA
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http://www.youtube.com/v/VgR14QQeOlQ
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Major props to both players!
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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
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Major props to both players!
Indeed... nice to see Ronaldinho breaking out the French. Seedorf's statement speaks volumes.
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an african team or france going to win the world cup .
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
:beermug:
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....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 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-qlfcuMgl8).
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.
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Thx for the video.
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....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 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-qlfcuMgl8).
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!
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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
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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.
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USA will reach quarterfinals..
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Referee Ivanov Valentin will hand out 6 red cards to one team causing them to forfeit the match.
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Referee Ivanov Valentin will hand out 6 red cards to one team causing them to forfeit the match.
Is he refereeing again?
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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 :devil:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/referees/index.html
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spain likely have a tougher draw than england. and they get bounce by usa in last year's confed cup. who knows.
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Spain tipped for World Cup glory by economists: Reuters poll
(http://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUSTRE64P3Z920100526)
(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 :beermug: :devil:
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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