World Cup

[Arfie]

So the biggest sporting spectacle in the world is finally upon us apparently 1 and a half BILLION people will watch the world cup

Lets have some predictions then, who will win, if not us (or your own country ) ) where will we finish? Any surprises, not necessarily winning, but getting a long way inexpectedly ?

I can see England being good enough to win it, with or without Rooney and we now have winning players in the team/squad. Gerrard has proved in 2 cup finals what the English can do when determination is added to the skill that most of our team undoubtedly have and Carragher has shown what a defender must do when faced with the best players in the world, you get up and get in the way of the next shot. The ManU and Arsenal boys all have premiership winning experience in the past and the Chelski lads have just won 2 in a row, so they all know about winning. Up front we have Owen, who though he hasn't won much recently did the 2001 season with Liverpool and he can and will hit the net against anyone, if he's fit. Basically, we now have the fittest and most skilfull squad we've had in living memory and most of the team are winners of big prizes.

If we dont win it, I think we'll certainly be semi-finalists at least and I'd go for the obvious Brazil to win As a bit of a surprise, I think Australia and USA could be the ones to watch.

Arfie

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

Argentina are my tip to win, England will get to the quarter finals semis if they are lucky, Never ever write off Germany though!!
As for surprise packages, I think one of the African teams will do well.

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

I think Germany have about as much chance as Scotland of winning the World Cup

Germany look very shaky at the back and after watching their game just i think i have the evidence to show it. Apparently they have little up front, not from what i've just seen... Left back Lahm had a good game and a great goal I think they'll make it to the quater finals.

Obviously Brazil are the favourites and are the team to watch. Everyone knows about them and their strengths. I think France are due a good tournement and i think they have as good a chance as England to win the cup.

Holland are the ones to watch for me. Not that you can't miss them with those bright orange shirts

After seeing how those balls float i can only hope Gerrard is fit to play tommorow. Him and Lampard will be our top scorers if they can make room for the shot . Rooney will also be looking to hit some long range efforts when he gets 100% fit.

England to win 3-1 tommorow and go on to win the group. About time we beat Sweden (Mclaren to take charge of this game, please)

 

[andywg]

Methinks the olympics is a larger sporting event...

Though I seem to recall that the Superbowl has a fair claim to being the largest sporting event as well.

 

[pieman]

I'd watch the superbowl but its on too late and too many adverts, and they take a break every 5 minutes lol

 

[jarmado]

just wondering, why is the team called england and not britain?
britain not a catchy name??
or because all the players from england?

 

[Lynz781]

A friend of a friend of mine S ) bet £1000 on Poland winning last night (9th June). Bit of a bummer eh?

 

[Arfie]

Methinks the olympics is a larger sporting event...

Though I seem to recall that the Superbowl has a fair claim to being the largest sporting event as well.

Ah but it matters not what you *think* Andy

Euro 2004 final Portugal v Greece 153 million
Superbowl 2005 - 95 million viewers
Olympic Games 2004: opening ceremony - 127 million
Olympic Games 2004: closing ceremony - 96 million
Olympic Games 2004: men's 100m metres - 87 million
World cup final 2002 - 1.1 BILLION viewers
Even the Champions League Final, between Liverpool and AC Milan in 2005 attracted an average audience of 73 million.

As you see the "minority" sports don't even come close, the world cup in 2002 had an esitmated cumulative viewing figure of in excess of 30 billion viewers and it's likely to bigger this time around as America seem to be getting into it now their team are OK.



iJay, it's called England because it is a team of English players, Scotland, Wales, Eire and Northern Ireland all have their own teams

Arfie

 

[andywg]

Audience figures are only one part in defining the largest spectacle in the world. That just makes it the most watched.

The olympics has far more competitors, from far more countries and far more events, thus rendering it more spectacular in all ways save the amount watching it.

It's interesting to refer to the olympics as a minority sport when it contains wendy-ball in it...

 

[PlecMama]

I drew Argentina in the sweepstake at work, so of course I hope they win so I do too....but without that, I actually hope America win. that would be a total resul for all the teasing we have done over the years about how they don't know anything about football or "soccer".

 

[jarmado]

iJay, it's called England because it is a team of English players, Scotland, Wales, Eire and Northern Ireland all have their own teams

Arfie

thanks for the clarification Arfie.
their countries did not qualify for the world cup?
when does the qualifying games usually happen?
sorry for being so ignoraemus.

 

[jkrekord]

england are gona win ha ha ha well...i hope. owen will do great crouch will do rubbish in the first game and theo walcott will take his place till rooneys fit lol
failing england win i drew italy in my school class sweepstake and come to think of it i think they have a great chance

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

I drew Argentina in the sweepstake at work, so of course I hope they win so I do too....but without that, I actually hope America win. that would be a total resul for all the teasing we have done over the years about how they don't know anything about football or "soccer".

I drew Brazil at college sweepstake so i'm pretty happy with that. I'd rather England win it than Brazil though

I think America's footie team is actually ranked higher than England in the FIFA Ranking... But then again it is FIFA

I don't want theo to play in this world cup... He hasn't played one game in the premiership all season and he gets talked into the squad. Darrent Bent had a great season and deserved that wasted spot. He was even chosen ahead of Jermaine Defoe (Who is in the team now ) and that's just a michael take.

I just hope Mc Claren tells Fergi, Wenger & Mourinho to shut it and let him do his job...But i doubt it

 

[Arfie]

Audience figures are only one part in defining the largest spectacle in the world. That just makes it the most watched.

The olympics has far more competitors, from far more countries and far more events, thus rendering it more spectacular in all ways save the amount watching it.

It's interesting to refer to the olympics as a minority sport when it contains wendy-ball in it...

Ah bless you, your bitterness and resentment towards football is amusing.

I would have thought that most people (without a bitter agenda) would say the defining criteria for the largest spectacle, would require the largest number of spectators Or would you say something like the Great North Run is a larger spectacle than say the Rugby World Cup simply because more competitors take part and very probably more nationalities too?

So yes, the Olympics is a minority event compared to the World Cup (1.1b for the final alone vs 127m for the most popular part of the olympics, the opening ceremony) and although it contains football (though apparently not rugby it seems even the IOC don't like rugby ) the restrictions on who can enter means it excludes the majority of the best players. MOST footballers start to reach their peak around age 28, the olympics is max age of 23 other than 2 or 3 overage players, excluding most of the worlds best. I wonder what the overall viewing figures would drop to if they excluded the majority of the elite of all other events?

Hi IJay: Unfortunately none of the rest of the UK qualified for this one, Northern Ireland and Wales were in with England and Poland this time.
The world cup runs every 4 years and qualification games occur in the 2 years leading upto the event.

Arfie *Right I'm off to a BBQ and to watch the England match, with tens if not hundreds of millions of others *

Darrent Bent had a great season and deserved that wasted spot. He was even chosen ahead of Jermaine Defoe (Who is in the team now ) and that's just a michael take.

I just hope Mc Claren tells Fergi, Wenger & Mourinho to shut it and let him do his job...But i doubt it

No he isn't, he's flown home as Rooney has been picked SkySports

Arfie

 

[jarmado]

thanks again Arfie!