Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Archived Boards => 2010 World Cup - South Africa => Topic started by: warmonga on December 04, 2009, 11:39:14 AM
-
GROUP A
South Africa
Mexico
Uruguay
France
GROUP B
Argentina
Nigeria
Korea Republic
Greece
GROUP C
England
USA
Algeria
Slovenia
GROUP D
Germany
Australia
Serbia
Ghana
GROUP E
Netherlands
Denmark
Japan
Cameroon
GROUP F
Italy
Paraguay
New Zealand
Slovakia
GROUP G
Brazil
Korea DPR
Cote D'Ivoire
Portugal
GROUP H
Spain
Honduras
Chile
Switzerland
-
i betting money that the fifa mafia give france a group of death.
-
wha kinda haircut becks posin wit dey boy? ;D
Big Up!
-
Damn Becks....horrible hair cut.
-
Charlize real talking dred.
-
brazil vs Ivory Coast..looking forward to that
-
Charlize real talking dred.
And talking shit. She feel she at de Emmy's ah wha? Dey's serious business. steups
-
i betting money that the fifa mafia give france a group of death.
Looks like they get a relatively easy draw.
All the groups look balanced right now.
Who get an easy pot 2 team get a hard pot 3 team and vice versa. Only Germany could complain so far.
-
group D is pressure!
-
i guess G is the group of death but D tuff too
-
Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France. Group B: Argentina, South Korea, Nigeria, Greece. Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia. Group D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia. Group E: Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon, Denmark. Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia. Group G: Brazil, Ivory Coast, Korea DPR, Portugal. Groug H: Spain, Honduras, Chile, Switzerland
-
group D is pressure!
Yeah Germany will have it tough but Ivory Coast get screwed again. They have to set they sights on Portugal from now. Pressure for North Korea.
-
G is the GROUP OF DEATH!!!
Big Up!
-
Group G is tears.
-
USA with an easy group....i know the american fans wanted england
-
Group G; Group of Death,
Group E; Group of Sleep
-
Good draw for the US too. Only thing better was if they had drawn South Africa.
-
i still tink USA have two losses and a draw in that group! They had their moment of glory at Confed Cup. :devil:
-
like diego had he hand in dis ting ! we could not ask for a better group !
-
The US will be in for a rude awakening..... Cappello will never allow a team he is coaching to lose to the US.
The Algerians will terrorize the US (pun intended) That Slovenia game will be a physical one.
-
Group A is a fack up group, that go be interesting..
-
brazil... ivory coast... portugal... pressure does buss pipe. I feel we go see a Cristiano cry session early this rounds...
France group is tougher than it looks, no walkover teams in that group.
-
That Brazil group looks entertaining stuff.
-
Steve McManaman and Efan Ekoku are great additions to the studio to balance out the inanity of Bob Ley and Lalas. Ekoku in particular is a rising star in English commentary in my book... I hope they bring him on to call Cup games.
-
brazil... ivory coast... portugal... pressure does buss pipe. I feel we go see a Cristiano cry session early this rounds...
France group is tougher than it looks, no walkover teams in that group.
This is my group of Death.. predicting an ealy upset at this WC..
Watch Drogbar score 10 goals in this WC too ;D
-
Group G is the clear group of death... second place finish means you pulling Spain next as Macca juss mentioned. Tough road for Ivory Coast to hew.
-
Group A is a fack up group, that go be interesting..
If I recall correctly, didn't South Africa embarrass LaVolpe's Mexico at the '05 gold cup opener? They'll be looking to repeat, for sure.
-
Them North Koreans hungry and crazy..... I think Ivory Coast will surprise Brazil....
-
Brazil gets the group of death.
Argentina gets the same group from WC 94, just replace Bulgaria with Korea Republic...... so it's actually easier.
All the other groups look reasonable yet competitive enough for the top seed.
-
USA with an easy group....i know the american fans wanted england
and I know that England wanted the USA ....
The ball is round folks !!!!!!!!!!
-
call me insane , england getting licks..
go USA
war
-
Them North Koreans hungry and crazy..... I think Ivory Coast will surprise Brazil....
i will go out on a limb and say that if Ivory Coast surprise Brazil, that is the worst possible thing that could happen to their campaign (we reach mentality).
A draw would be perfect.
-
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/index.html
The games are alrady listed.
Duga and the Brasil under pressah
-
Have you kissed your local FIFA VP today. :devil:
-
call me insane , england getting licks..
go USA
war
insane....well..that is as long as fabio get he personnel right
-
The group stage is only part of it. Most of the favourites will not have much of a problem getting out of the group its then all about which bracket you got into.
I just put everyone into my spreadsheet and came up with a very predictable semi final.
Yes England is there knocking off France in the quarters, their reward is Brazil.
The other semi sees Germany meeting Spain. So if all goes according to form it will be a Spain vs Brazil final.
Now can someone tell me the last world cup when all the games went according to form??????
-
Them North Koreans hungry and crazy..... I think Ivory Coast will surprise Brazil....
i will go out on a limb and say that if Ivory Coast surprise Brazil, that is the worst possible thing that could happen to their campaign (we reach mentality).
A draw would be perfect.
The caliber of players on the Ivory Coast team wouldn't let that happen.....for someone like Drogba it would be his crowning achievement.
-
Did you see Harkes predictions? This guy does not have a clue.
-
Did you see Harkes predictions? This guy does not have a clue.
wha he say? link?
-
Did you see Harkes predictions? This guy does not have a clue.
wha he say? link?
He essentially boiled it down to Brazil over Spain in the final... I don't see what so clueless about his predictions really.
-
Did you see Harkes predictions? This guy does not have a clue.
wha he say? link?
He essentially boiled it down to Brazil over Spain in the final... I don't see what so clueless about his predictions really.
me too , mi nuh see nothing wrong wid it. di only prediction I think he off wid is counting out cameroon
war
-
Did you see Harkes predictions? This guy does not have a clue.
wha he say? link?
He essentially boiled it down to Brazil over Spain in the final... I don't see what so clueless about his predictions really.
How he got there I find was kind of naive.
-
on the other side of the spectrum, New Zealand vs Slovakia is a mouthwatering prospect. ::)
-
Lard Ivory Coast!!! They are Africa's best hope!
2006 Germany - Argentina, Netherlands, Serbia, Ivory Coast
2010 South Africa - Brazil, Portugal, Korea, Ivory Coast
Always trying to keep the black man down........lol
ah love it!!
-
groups B and E i find are harder than brazil's group but brazil group is tough nonetheless
-
de way argentina play..im scared.......yeah right.
-
groups B and E i find are harder than brazil's group but brazil group is tough nonetheless
Group B?
-
call me insane , england getting licks..
go USA
war
If Beckerman playing, yuh know who Crouch going by for the corners and free kicks.
-
wheys u should hear them brasilians dread...saying all kinda thing brasil in a easy group..ivory coast getting run over...brasil and they "brothers" (portugal) going through...if yuh see ting. i just cyah wait until that day when ivory coast beat brasil...that go be something...go ivory coast!!!!
-
hey,
if someone is enthusiastic enough to list the group draws , that'll do nice.I started this so that you can share your thoughts on the different groups.i'll share mines later.i hope you guys have gotten pver tnt not being there.here's one link to the draw, it being the official fifa one :
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/index.html
-
everybody saying group g is group of death. am going wid group A. Mexico , SA france and uruguay 4 teams dat plays 4 different type of football this will be drama. cant wait!!!!!
war
-
I thought the group with Germany and Ghana was the tough group, then ah see de REAL group of death.....Portugal going home early!! :devil:
Go Ivory Coast!!!...
-
Group A is a fack up group, that go be interesting..
Ah hope France get facked....
-
If Beckerman playing, yuh know who Crouch going by for the corners and free kicks.
Ha! Good one! ;D
-
on the other side of the spectrum, New Zealand vs Slovakia is a mouthwatering prospect. ::)
Must c tv
-
U.S. lucks into an ideal draw for 2010
A seismic shift in attitude toward next summer's World Cup is utterly palpable among U.S. soccer supporters.
As the day began, U.S. fans had reason to expect the worst. A history of nasty draws and a recent crop of up-and-down performances had churned up a certain bitter cynicism.
By the end of Friday's prolonged-but-stirring proceedings from South Africa, "overwhelming joy" had routed "dread" as the prevailing sentiment among U.S. supporters, who now have every reason to believe their side can slip into the second round next summer.
(continue) (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/columns/story?id=708347&cc=5739&ver=global)
-
Group A is a fack up group, that go be interesting..
Ah hope France get facked....
Watch yuh mouth girl friend, that's my team yuh talking bout. ;D
-
I think the yanks are getting ahead of themselves. They got a good draw yes, and technically they will be favored to take 2nd place in the group...but after seeing them have their hands full against the likes of Costa Rica, El Salvador & Honduras (and even T&T in the HC Stadium), I'm not sure that they're in a position to overlook Algeria & Slovenia just yet....
-
Group A is a fack up group, that go be interesting..
Ah hope France get facked....
Watch yuh mouth girl friend, that's my team yuh talking bout. ;D
They were never my favourites and with that stunt Henry pull is pure....
:flamethrower: :flamethrower:
fuh dem.....sorry.... ;D
-
Group A is a fack up group, that go be interesting..
Ah hope France get facked....
Watch yuh mouth girl friend, that's my team yuh talking bout. ;D
They were never my favourites and with that stunt Henry pull is pure....
:flamethrower: :flamethrower:
fuh dem.....sorry.... ;D
Ah want yuh tuh say dat when dey liftin the cup. :devil:
-
Gaetjens' legacy lives on for the U.S.
(http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2009/0127/soc_a_Gaetjens_576.jpg)
U.S. forward Joe Gaetjens, center, is best remembered for his goal that beat England 1-0 in the 1950 World Cup.
By Kristian Dyer
Special to ESPN.com
It had to be a typo.
When the English woke up on June 30, 1950, the newspaper had to be wrong. The afternoon before, their national team had played a World Cup match in Brazil against the lowly United States, a country more preoccupied with baseball and that other brand of football to be any good at the world's most popular game. The headline read that England had lost 1-0. In fact, many in England assumed that the paper merely misprinted and that the national team had won 10-1. The fact that the United States had even scored a goal against England, one of the most heralded teams in that World Cup, would have been considered an accomplishment the day before.
Nearly 60 years later, the match remains one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history and it was won by someone who wasn't even a U.S. citizen. Joe Gaetjens, the hero who scored the goal that afternoon in Belo Horizonte, was an immigrant from Haiti who was allowed to play for his adopted homeland under the more lax representation policies of the day. He was one of three players on the roster -- Joseph Maca from Belgium and the Scottish born Ed Mcllvenny -- who were not U.S. citizens. It was quite a team, a mixture of hard workers with an infusion of flair. They would go on to shock the world.
Born in 1924 in Port-au-Prince, not much is known about Gaetjens' early life. He lived in Haiti until the late 1940s when he moved to New York City on a scholarship from the Haitian government to study accounting. He enrolled at Columbia University in an era when Jackie Robinson was breaking the color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers just a few miles away.
Gaetjens made ends meet in New York as many college students do, combining odd jobs with time in the library. Working part-time as a dishwasher, he also suited up for one of the best names in soccer history, famed club Brookhattan. Gaetjens seemingly burst onto the scene as a center forward, winning the American Soccer League's scoring title in 1950. Those who played either with and against him, remember him as a prototypical striker who could turn a half-chance into a goal. He was flamboyant, a free spirit who hated to tuck in his shirt. He had, as they say, a "nose for goal."
"He was a fantastic player and a really good striker," recalls Walter Bahr, former teammate on the 1950 national team. "If you gave him that opening, he would take advantage of it."
The fact that Gaetjens was black and an immigrant from Haiti doesn't seem to matter as much as the fact that the man could simply score goals. Soccer, for some reason, didn't have the same racial divide and tensions as many other sports. Maybe due to the international flavor of the game or perhaps because, until the 1970s, the game was mainly an ethnic sport played overseas, but Gaetjens faced few enemies in the locker room or on the field.
There were isolated incidents of racism in the game. In the 1950s, Howard University, a historically black college, played Bowling Green on the park field of the Washington Mall. The match was played in secret because there was an unofficial ban by many colleges on playing black schools. The fact that the players from Bowling Green wanted to play Howard badly enough that they were willing to do so in secret is a testament to the tolerance that was displayed on many soccer fields.
"We never looked at him as black. It wasn't an issue, it wasn't a question or something we thought of," Bahr said. "He was the Haitian, much like there was the Scot or the Belgium or someone from some part of the country. In no ways, do I think, was he treated differently because of his skin. That was the great thing about that team, the way we would just come together."
Gaetjens shocks the world
Gaetjens was not part of the qualification process in 1949 that would enable the U.S. to play in the tournament in 1950. In fact, the first time he would take the field for his adopted country would be in the "build-up" for the World Cup. The U.S. played one friendly, against an English select team in New York, and lost 1-0.
It took four days for the U.S. to fly down to Brazil, with a fuel issue sidelining the team for a day in Central America. The U.S. team was situated in a military installation, even playing another team from the base in a scrimmage. There was no media interest.
"It was completely ignored. The only American reporter there was Dent McSkimming of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, who was reportedly on vacation," said Robert Woodward, a soccer historian and author of the upcoming book, "Black People Don't Play Soccer? Unlocking American Soccer's Secret Weapon." "Since he was familiar with many of the players from the St. Louis area, it might not have been a total coincidence."
The tournament started off poorly for the U.S., with the team losing an early lead to drop a 3-1 decision to Spain. England beat Chile 2-0 and their media mockingly jeered and derided the U.S. in the days leading up to the encounter at Belo Horizonte. Most expected an easy win for the English, including many on the U.S. squad.
"We felt that if we could hold them to three or four goals, it would be good," Bahr said. "We could go home with our heads held high if that was the case."
It wouldn't turn out that way. After encountering an opening blitz from England -- Bahr recalls that the favorites hit the framework at least twice -- Bahr would take a shot on goal from some distance. It didn't look like much would happen from the chance, but Gaetjens, ever an opportunist, would make the most of it.
Instead of going the direction English keeper Bert Williams thought, Gaetjens made a full-out dive, covering several yards and heading the ball onto goal. His contact would send the ball to Williams' right and into the back of the net. Flat-footed, Bahr recalls that Williams didn't have a chance. It was opportunistic finishing by Gaetjens, but it wasn't the piece of pure luck some would make it out to be.
"I took the ball and shot it, and Joe, true to form, just found a way to make something happen," Bahr said. "He just got in front of it. Some in the English media said it hit him and others said it was a panicky clearance on my part. That wasn't the case."
England would continue to mount pressure, hunkering the Americans into their own half for much of the rest of the game. Gaetjens would rarely touch the ball in the attacking third of the field for the rest of the match, but he had already done more than enough.
At the final whistle, the crowd in attendance (around 10,000 fans) stormed the field and carried the Americans off. Gaetjens, the only black player in the starting lineup, was an instant hero and made headlines across the world.
"It was huge for an instant worldwide," Woodward said about the result. "England [had] boycotted all the previous World Cups so this [tournament] was the initial appearance of soccer's birthplace. The result gave the United States some instant credibility."
Except in the U.S., where Gaetjens, the part-time dishwasher received barely an accolade. The Americans lost the next game to Chile and were eliminated from the World Cup. One of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, went virtually unnoticed.
"I returned home and it wasn't much different," Bahr said. "My wife was the only one to meet me at the airport."
Tragic ending
Not much is known about Gaetjens upon his return to the U.S., but he certainly didn't become a well-known celebrity in America. He would go on to play in Europe, signing with French second division side Troyes and would then suit up for Racing of Paris. After three years, he moved back to Haiti and represented the island's national team several times. Palmolive would hire him to be a spokesman on the island and he opened his own dry cleaning business . He became politically connected and rather famous in Haiti.
Haiti's president "Papa Doc" was elected into office peaceably in 1957, but following a failed coup attempt, he quickly turned into a dictator. Having rewritten the constitution to ensure his power, the Haitian military police (the Tonton Macoutes) began to round up dissidents and those with ties to the old power. Bahr speculates that Gaetjens' family had such ties and he was one of those taken to prison. A few days later, Joe Gaetjens was executed at Fort Dimanche.
Legacy lives on
Now playing for Villareal in Spain's La Liga and one of the brightest young stars on the U.S. national team, Jozy Altidore has a lot in common with Gaetjens. Both of Altidore's parents are from Haiti and the young player made a humanitarian trip to the island several years ago. Before playing for Villareal, Altidore, like Gaetjens, played forward for a professional team in the New York area, when the striker was a member of the New York Red Bulls. Altidore's parents came to this country when they were in their 20s; his mother worked three jobs at one point and his father was a letter carrier for the post office. They spoke no English when they came here and Altidore can relate to the story of Joe Gaetjens -- the soccer player and the dishwasher.
"For me, the biggest thing that stands out is the obstacles and adversity he had to go through back then. I'm extremely grateful for players like him because they set the stage for future African-American players like myself," Altidore said. "Hopefully, I can one day inspire young players as he did for me and for others."
And that means being like Gaetjens, who always strove to be the consummate role model.
"I do feel the need to take on the role to be a role model. I feel that in every sport or profession, young kids, white or black, need to look up to a person that gives that child a positive outlook on things," Altidore said. "I think kids today are in need of a person they call their hero. Someone they can idolize. Even with that, though, at the end of the day, the responsibility falls on the parents.
"I definitely feel the need to make a mark. It is important that myself and others further cement the road ahead so future American players, black or white, can have a smooth ride through the valley of success."
And that road for success, for Altidore and others like him, began nearly six decades ago, when a man scored a goal in Belo Horizonte that would never be forgotten.
Kristian R. Dyer is a freelance writer for ESPNsoccernet. He is the associate editor of Blitz magazine and also writes for the New York City daily paper METRO. He can be reached for comment at KristianRDyer@yahoo.com.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blackhistory2009/news/story?id=3920046
-
U.S. won't overlook its opponents
Remember the old adage, "Be careful what you wish for, you may get it?" The U.S. men's national team should.
After years of getting the proverbial short end of the World Cup draw, last Friday the Americans received the kind of first-round group that manager Bob Bradley could only dream of. Yet with it comes some uncharted territory. The U.S. is now in the unfamiliar position of being favorites to progress to the second round. Those expectations come with the kind of pressure that they haven't always coped well with in the past, and closer inspection of their opponents reveals plenty of reasons to be wary.
The U.S. will face group heavyweights England in its opener on June 12, a match that will contain enough plot lines (David Beckham, Landon Donovan, 1950) to give David Mamet a migraine. But it's the Americans' other two adversaries -- Algeria and Slovenia -- that have U.S. fans feeling giddy. Algeria is regarded as the least powerful of the five African qualifiers (not including hosts South Africa). Slovenia are also deemed to be among the tournament's lesser lights.
(continue) (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/columns/story?id=710156&cc=5739&ver=global)
-
call me insane , england getting licks..
go USA
war
you are insane!!
-
I wanna see France make the finals, just so I can hear everybody in the world complain, and see if the French fans don't want the world cup because of the method used to get them into the world cup tourney.
-
I wanna see France make the finals, just so I can hear everybody in the world complain, and see if the French fans don't want the world cup because of the method used to get them into the world cup tourney.
:flamethrower: :flamethrower: :flamethrower: for France....they should get humiliated like in 2002.....karma is a bitch!!!...
-
Wham, where the results aspect of this thread??
-
Wham, where the results aspect of this thread??
(http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/6109/haha20sorry20jeff20threadjack1.jpg)