World Cup Draw Today!

[Teedub]

I played alot of serious football when I was younger. And I always ranked those who let their 'feet do talking' over the big mouths.

I can see why the managers like the strong personalities. Since it is like they get to have a 'Mini Me' on the pitch. But to my mind - that means they get overrated by the managers - since most managers overrate how important their motivation and instructions are are to the team.

But for me - it is about skills and nothing else. And the thing about players like Keane is they love criticising a player when they fuck up. But they can never take it from others when they fuck up. Complete double standard. The number of times I have seen Keane shout at a player for shooting over the bar from distance is immense compared to the number of times a player dared even glance at Keane when he did the same thing.

I guess it all comes down to how you perceive the game of football!

I'm not saying he's great 'player of football', I'm saying that at that level of the game, you need to be consistently pushed and he pushed that team with his own performances. Check out his performance against Juventus on their way to the Champs league final in '99. He got booked and knew he'd miss the final, but still gave a heroic performance.

Sure, he's no Ronaldo or Zidane etc, but he was the perfect midfield enforcer for a Ferguson side. I was going to say he wouldn't have been particularly appreciated abroad, and whilst that's broadly true, I think he'd probably be as esteemed as an Edgar Davids for example.

Personally, I don't like him as a man. I think he's a bully and I don't like bullies. I don't think Alex Ferguson is a good bloke probably either. However, the reasons I don't like him are probably the same reasons I wouldn't ever make it as a top level team sport athlete. I don't take peer criticism very well. I'm an "arm round the shoulder" type of guy, at least I was growing up.

I prefer solo sports as you are your own success or failure.

 

[OSL]

What are your predictions for who will get out of their groups?

GROUP A

Brazil
Mexico

GROUP B

Spain
Netherlands

GROUP C

Japan
???

GROUP D

Italy
Uruguay

GROUP E

Swiss
France

GROUP F

Argentina
Nigeria

GROUP G

Germany
Portugal

GROUP H

Belgium
???

 

[Akula]

Hopefully the US doesn't enter already defeated in their minds. Then again, the last fucking thing we need is a shitty Disney movie about the USMNT overcoming 'insurmountable odds' and pulling off a draw against Ghana.

Lol

Yeah, so true - give Hollywood a reason and they'll turn the wealthiest country in the world with the biggest military and 300+ million people into the underdog yet again! I mean, who'd a thunk it??

I guess at least the US will be coming into this WC with low expectations? (unlike, for example, the English who's press turns up the expectations to near stratospheric levels pre-WC).

As a US guy I never expected to think something along the lines of "Man, Ghana's really got our number, this will be tough" in my lifetime....but I just did...