2006 World Cup

[Dback Jon]

Group E is definately the toughest.

 

[PHXviaDTW]

Group E is definately the toughest.

Easiest?

 

[Dback Jon]

Easiest?

G or H

 

[Renz]

Easiest?

H is far and away the easiest IMO. Spain and Ukraine should advance with little difficulty.

 

[PHXviaDTW]

G or H

I was thinking H myself.

By the way, I agree on your toughest assesment.

 

[Dback Jon]

U.S. faces Italy, Czech Republic, Ghana in tough World Cup draw

December 9, 2005
LEIPZIG, Germany (Ticker) - In 2002, the United States nearly made the semifinals of the World Cup. Next summer, it may be fortunate to escape the group stage.

The U.S. was placed in Group E - arguably the most loaded of the eight - along with Italy, Ghana and the Czech Republic when the draw was announced Friday. Italy, the U.S. and the Czechs are three of the top 12 teams in the FIFA world rankings.

The Americans just missed out on being one of the eight seeded teams, so they knew they would face at least one excellent squad. But the Czechs are extremely dangerous, having been the first to qualify from Europe, while Ghana largely is an unknown.

The U.S. will play the Czechs first, then Italy, then Ghana.

Host Germany heads Group A with Costa Rica, Poland and Ecuador.

England tops Group B and faces Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden. The English are coached by a Swede, Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Argentina leads a difficult Group C that also has Ivory Coast, Serbia & Montenegro and the Netherlands. The Dutch are ranked third in the world but are not seeded.

American archrival Mexico is the seed in Group D and meets Iran, Angola and Portugal.

Defending champion Brazil plays Croatia, Australia and Japan in Group F.

Group G is headed by France, which meets Switzerland, Korea and Togo.

The weak Group H consists of Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

What a bunch of crap, three legitimate top 10 teams in one group, with pretty much every other group full of jokers. So much for us getting out of the first group...

 

[PHXviaDTW]

Decent on-going coverage of Copa del Mundo:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com

 

[Stout]

What a bunch of crap, three legitimate top 10 teams in one group, with pretty much every other group full of jokers. So much for us getting out of the first group...

#1-We'll still advance. Bank on it. It's going to be tough, but the Czechs always fail to live up to expectations, and Italy, though they've won before, has been chokers in the World Cup as of late, and they're getting old. Granted, this will be tough, as they're both physical teams, and Ghana are tough out of Africa, but we'll advance. Remember last time around, when we played South Korea (home team has NEVER failed to advance) and giants Portugal? We advanced, Portugal went home. Hail USA!!!

#2-Every other group is certainly NOT full of jokers. There's another group of death--Group C (Netherlands, Argentina, Ivory Coast, Serbia and Montenegro)--and some other tough matchups like Mexico with Iran and Portugal (Mexico may well end up going home), Brazil with Australia and Croatia, and Spain with Tunisia (always tough) and Ukraine.

#3-Don't write in Spain and Ukraine just yet. Ukraine will be a one-man team behind Schevchenko (sp?), and Spain chokes a LOT. Tunisia is tough too. Don't rule out Spain/Tunisia, or even Ukraine/Tunisia.

 

[Chaplin]

Tough draw, no doubt about it, but I for one am excited about it. I'd rather them defeat higher ranked teams than a bunch of pansies. If we're going to go far, we're definitely going to have to earn it, and that is light years more satisfying than coasting.

 

[Stout]

Tough draw, no doubt about it, but I for one am excited about it. I'd rather them defeat higher ranked teams than a bunch of pansies. If we're going to go far, we're definitely going to have to earn it, and that is light years more satisfying than coasting.

 

[Renz]

Tough draw, no doubt about it, but I for one am excited about it. I'd rather them defeat higher ranked teams than a bunch of pansies. If we're going to go far, we're definitely going to have to earn it, and that is light years more satisfying than coasting.

It will be tough, but we should advance. IMO we will have to face two of the best keepers in the world in Petr Cech and Gianluigi Buffon.

 

[Stout]

It will be tough, but we should advance. IMO we will have to face two of the best keepers in the world in Petr Cech and Gianluigi Buffon.

Hopefully Chelsea makes the Champs League finals and wears Cech out. These guys scare me, but we can beat them, no doubt. I'd put Keller above both of them anyway, homerism aside. Wow, what a lineup of 3 goalies in a group!!!

 

[Ollie]

Tough, tough draw for you guys! (well, you're not in the toughest group but still)

Italy usually starts slowly but always qualify for the second phase with their well-known luck, and they're loaded with talent.

Nedved'll be back with Czech Republic, and they're already a top 3 euro team without him.

Ghana is almost full of unknown players (excepted Essien, Kuffour and Appiah) but they easily qualified and african teams are prone to create surprises.

You'd better start with a good game (at least a draw) against Czechs or I'm afraid you'll be toast after the first game...

 

[English on tour]

not too bad for us - Sweden will be interesting as usual!

tough one for you guys but will be rooting for you

 

[Stout]

not too bad for us - Sweden will be interesting as usual!

tough one for you guys but will be rooting for you

Likewise! I want both England and Australia (will be tough for the Aussies) to advance along with the US. Other teams I'll be rooting on? Trinidad and Tobago (very little chance, but they have scoring capabilities--could take down Sweden), Ivory Coast (like the team as an underdog, and would elimitate one of the biggies), Angola or Iran (down with Mexico!), and Switzerland and S. Korea (down with France!).

 

[Ollie]

not too bad for us - Sweden will be interesting as usual!

Yeah, you're not in the group of death this time and even if Sweden usually worries you, I think you should be pretty happy now...

 

[Mulli]

Can anyone tell me where to find world cup rosters?

 

[Stout]

Can anyone tell me where to find world cup rosters?

Not out yet. Maybe soccernet.com has some lists of different country's pools of players.

 

[Ollie]

Can anyone tell me where to find world cup rosters?

I think that official rosters'll be announced late May-early June, so I don't think you'll find reliable rosters before then.

 

[Zeno]

Can anyone tell me where to find world cup rosters?

If you go to USSoccer.com you can look at the US national teams pool. From this pool the roster for the Finals will be pulled.

Also not sure if anyone saw this but...
>>SportsTicker
Updated: 1:31 p.m. ET Dec. 12, 2005

ACCRA, Ghana - Teenage star Freddy Adu may have a difficult decision on his hands.

Ghana coach Ratomir Duikovic has told BBC Sport he plans to offer the 16-year-old Adu a place on the Black Stars’ squad for next summer’s World Cup.

Adu, who was born in Ghana but moved to America at age 8, previously has said he is not interested in playing for anyone other than the United States, where he plays professionally for Major League Soccer’s D.C. United.

“We have decided to contact Adu to ask him to decide whether he would like to play for Ghana or the United States,” Dujkovic told BBC Sport. “In the coming days, he will be contacted by the football association.”

Adu has played at the youth level for the United States but has expressed a desire to play at the World Cup in Germany.

Ghana, which was drawn into Group E along with the United States on Friday, hopes to entice Adu to line up against his adoptive country in Nuremburg on June 22.

“We have just over a month to persuade him to come,” Dujkovic said. “I believe that if he has sentiment for Ghana, he will play for the Black Stars. And playing at the World Cup would be a big opportunity for him to show the rest of the world, not just America, that he is a great (soccer player).”

Although Adu widely is expected to be invited to a United States training camp in January, U.S. men’s national team coach Bruce Arena has indicated an unlikelihood that he would be included on the American World Cup squad.<<

I personally don't think he is ready, he was less than impressive at the last youth tournament. He would have had to be a dominant player there for him to even get a shot at the roster for this World Cup. We'll have to see how patient he is.

 

[Stout]

If you go to USSoccer.com you can look at the US national teams pool. From this pool the roster for the Finals will be pulled.

Also not sure if anyone saw this but...
>>SportsTicker
Updated: 1:31 p.m. ET Dec. 12, 2005

ACCRA, Ghana - Teenage star Freddy Adu may have a difficult decision on his hands.

Ghana coach Ratomir Duikovic has told BBC Sport he plans to offer the 16-year-old Adu a place on the Black Stars’ squad for next summer’s World Cup.

Adu, who was born in Ghana but moved to America at age 8, previously has said he is not interested in playing for anyone other than the United States, where he plays professionally for Major League Soccer’s D.C. United.
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

“We have decided to contact Adu to ask him to decide whether he would like to play for Ghana or the United States,” Dujkovic told BBC Sport. “In the coming days, he will be contacted by the football association.”

Adu has played at the youth level for the United States but has expressed a desire to play at the World Cup in Germany.

Ghana, which was drawn into Group E along with the United States on Friday, hopes to entice Adu to line up against his adoptive country in Nuremburg on June 22.

“We have just over a month to persuade him to come,” Dujkovic said. “I believe that if he has sentiment for Ghana, he will play for the Black Stars. And playing at the World Cup would be a big opportunity for him to show the rest of the world, not just America, that he is a great (soccer player).”

Although Adu widely is expected to be invited to a United States training camp in January, U.S. men’s national team coach Bruce Arena has indicated an unlikelihood that he would be included on the American World Cup squad.<<

I personally don't think he is ready, he was less than impressive at the last youth tournament. He would have had to be a dominant player there for him to even get a shot at the roster for this World Cup. We'll have to see how patient he is.

Wow, that would SUCK if he played for Ghana. He could never play for the US after that.

 

[Renz]

Wow, that would SUCK if he played for Ghana. He could never play for the US after that.

Never gonna happen.

 

[Stout]

Never gonna happen.

I don't think so either, but you never can tell. If he gets antsy, and thinks his future as a sure everyday starter would be in doubt over here, he might think about it. I don't think he will, but I believe it's a possibility.

 

[Zeno]

Anyone watched the recent US friendlies as they prepare for this summer? The US despite missing about half of their starters(no players on teams in Europe--except Heath Pearce) are looking pretty solid. 3 - 2 Vs. Japan, 5 - 0 Vs. Norway, 4 - 0 Vs. Guatemala and the only stinker being 0 - 0 Vs. Canada.

Arena is going to be forced to make some tough decisions for his 23 man roster.

I think Adu needs to realize he has ZERO shot of making the roster and be patient for 2010...when the team should be stronger than ever.