FIFA World Cup 2010 - Predictions/Discussions/Updates

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The mega event which happens every four years, and is followed by intense interest by plenty of fans around the globe. Here at HDC too we have followed WC 2006 closely before (Zwoti and Austin made sure we did!), and its about time we had this thread open for discussing the same.

This year, the Football World Cup is being hosted by South Africa. 32 teams are in the fray, split into 8 groups of 4 teams each. The huge tournament kicks off on June 11th, and the Final will be played on July 12th.

Which means one whole month of kickass, nail-biting, intensely fought football.

I hope that like last time, Zwoti and Austin will pop in again and put in their opinions and updates for all the football fans in HDC.

These are the team groupings - (Updated points along with the Goals Differences {Goals Scored MINUS Goals Conceded} in the Group Standings are given alongside them)

Group A

URUGUAY : 7 (+4) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (A1)
MEXICO : 4 (+1) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (A2)
South Africa : 4 (-2) (Eliminated)
France : 1 (-3) (Eliminated)


Group B

ARGENTINA : 9 (+6) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (B1)
KOREA REPUBLIC (aka SOUTH KOREA) : 4 (-1) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (B2)
Greece : 3 (-3) (Eliminated)
Nigeria : 1 (-2) (Eliminated)


Group C

USA : 5 (+1) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (C1) (on basis of more Goals scored)
ENGLAND : 5 (+1) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (C2)
Slovenia : 4 (0) (Eliminated)
Algeria : 1 (-2) (Eliminated)


Group D

GERMANY : 6 (+4) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (D1)
GHANA : 4 (0) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (D2)
Australia : 4 (-3) (Eliminated)
Serbia : 3 (-1) (Eliminated)


Group E

NETHERLANDS : 9 (+4) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (E1)
JAPAN : 6 (+2) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (E2)
Denmark : 3 (-3) (Eliminated)
Cameroon : 0 (-3) (Eliminated)


Group F

PARAGUAY : 5 (+2) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (F1)
SLOVAKIA : 4 (-1) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (F2)
New Zealand : 3 (0) (Eliminated)
Italy : 2 (-1) (Eliminated)


Group G

BRAZIL : 7 (+3) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (G1)
PORTUGAL : 5 (+7) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (G2)
Ivory Coast : 4 (+1) (Eliminated)
Korea DPR (aka North Korea) : 0 (-11) (Eliminated)


Group H

SPAIN : 6 (+2) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (H1)
CHILE : 6 (+1) <--- QUALIFY FOR ROUND OF 16 (H2)
Switzerland : 4 (0) (Eliminated)
Honduras : 1 (-3) (Eliminated)

Fixtures and teams to follow.

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This is the whole schedule of FIFA World Cup 2010 - (I will be updating this post regularly throughout the WC)

• Group A
  
  01 : [11/06] Mexico [1] - South Africa [1]
  02 : [11/06] France [0] - Uruguay [0]
  17 : [16/06] Uruguay [3] - South Africa [0]
  18 : [17/06] France [0] - Mexico [2]
  33 : [22/06] Mexico [0] - Uruguay [1]
  34 : [22/06] France [1] - South Africa [2]
  
  
  Group B
  
  03 : [12/06] Nigeria [0] - Argentina [1]
  04 : [12/06] Greece [0] - South Korea [2]
  19 : [17/06] Greece [2] - Nigeria [1]
  20 : [17/06] Argentina [4] - South Korea [1]
  35 : [22/06] Nigeria [2] - South Korea [2]
  36 : [22/06] Greece [0] - Argentina [2]
  
  
  Group C
  
  05 : [12/06] USA [1] - England [1]
  06 : [13/06] Algeria [0] - Slovenia [1]
  22 : [18/06] USA [2] - Slovenia [2]
  23 : [18/06] England [0] - Algeria [0]
  37 : [23/06] England [1] - Slovenia [0]
  38 : [23/06] USA [1] - Algeria [0]
  
  
  Group D
  
  07 : [13/06] Germany [4] - Australia [0]
  08 : [13/06] Ghana [1] - Serbia [0]
  21 : [18/06] Serbia [1] - Germany [0]
  24 : [19/06] Ghana [1] - Australia [1]
  39 : [23/06] Ghana [0] - Germany [1]
  40 : [23/06] Serbia [1] - Australia [2]
  
  
  Group E
  
  09 : [14/06] Denmark [0] - Netherlands [2]
  10 : [14/06] Japan [1] - Cameroon [0]
  25 : [19/06] Japan [0] - Netherlands [1]
  26 : [19/06] Denmark [2] - Cameroon [1]
  43 : [24/06] Japan [3] - Denmark [1]
  44 : [24/06] Cameroon [1] - Netherlands [2]
  
  
  Group F
  
  11 : [14/06] Italy [1] - Paraguay [1]
  12 : [15/06] Slovakia [1] - New Zealand [1]
  27 : [20/06] Slovakia [0] - Paraguay [2]
  28 : [20/06] Italy [1] - New Zealand [1]
  41 : [24/06] Italy [2] - Slovakia [3]
  42 : [24/06] Paraguay [0] - New Zealand [0]
  
  
  Group G
  
  13 : [15/06] Portugal [0] - Ivory Coast [0]
  14 : [15/06] Brazil [2] - North Korea [1]
  29 : [20/06] Brazil [3] - Ivory Coast [1]
  30 : [21/06] Portugal [7] - North Korea [0]
  45 : [25/06] Brazil [0] - Portugal [0]
  46 : [25/06] Ivory Coast [3] - North Korea [0]
  
  
  Group H
  
  15 : [16/06] Chile [1] - Honduras [0]
  16 : [16/06] Spain [0] - Switzerland [1]
  31 : [21/06] Chile [1] - Switzerland [0]
  32 : [21/06] Spain [2] - Honduras [0]
  47 : [25/06] Spain [2] - Chile [1]
  48 : [25/06] Honduras [0] - Switzerland [0]
  
  
  Round Of 16
  
  49: [26/06] URUGUAY [2] - SOUTH KOREA [1]
  50: [26/06] USA [1] - GHANA [2] (**Extra Time**)
  51: [27/06] GERMANY [4] - ENGLAND [1]
  52: [27/06] ARGENTINA [3] - MEXICO [1]
  53: [28/06] NETHERLANDS [2] - SLOVAKIA [1]
  54: [28/06] BRAZIL [3] - CHILE [0]
  55: [29/06] PARAGUAY [0] (5) - JAPAN [0] (3) (**Penalty Shootout**)
  56: [29/06] SPAIN [1] - PORTUGAL [0]
  
  
  Quarter - Finals
  
  57: [02/07] NETHERLANDS [2] - BRAZIL [1]
  58: [02/07] URUGUAY [1] (4) - GHANA [1] (2) (**Penalty Shootout**)
  59: [03/07] GERMANY [4] - ARGENTINA [0]
  60: [03/07] PARAGUAY [0] - SPAIN [1]
  
  
  Semi - Finals
  
  61: [06/07] NETHERLANDS [3] - URUGUAY [2]
  62: [07/07] GERMANY [0] - SPAIN [1]
  
  
  Third Place Playoff
  
  63: [10/07] URUGUAY [2] - GERMANY [3] <--- GERMANY WIN 3RD PLACE
  
  
  THE FINAL
  
  64: [11/07] NETHERLANDS [0] - SPAIN [1] <--- SPAIN ARE 2010 WC CHAMPIONS!!!

FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 Golden Ball Winner: Diego Forlan (Uruguay)

FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 Golden Shoe Winner: Thomas Muller (Germany)

FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 Golden Glove Winner: Iker Casillas (Spain)


You can also visit the official page, and click on the small clock icon on the top to see your local times - http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/index.html

[TheWickerFan]

I've been married for 22 years to an Englishman (still the hottest man in the world!!) so I have watched 5 World Cups (never watched sports before I married him; now I watch all the popular American sports AND all the popular English sports). I see the U.S. and the U.K. are in the same group this year. I guess I'll have to divide my loyalties this time.

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Some of the players to watch out for -

Thierry HENRY (France) - Arguably the fastest Forward in the world for quite some time, and one of my most favorite footballers. Age is catching up with him though.

Lionel MESSI (Argentina) - In the same league as Henry. One of the most dazzling footballers you ll ever see in your life.

KAKA (Brazil) - The third name in the must-watch list.

Diego FORLAN (Uruguay)

Frank LAMPARD (England)

Miroslav KLOSE (Germany)

Arjen ROBBEN (Netherlands)

Shunsuke NAKAMURA (Japan)

Samuel ETO'O (Cameroon)

Gianluigi BUFFON (Italy)

Roque SANTA CRUZ (Paraguay)

Didier DROGBA (Ivory Coast)

Cristiano RONALDO (Portugal)

Fernando TORRES (Spain)

[ferretchucker]

BOOO! HISS! Football is for sissys. Rugby is a man's sport.

[Ferox13]

Originally Posted by ferretchucker

BOOO! HISS! Football is for sissys. Rugby is a man's sport.

Rugby is for sofities - now Vale Tudo thats a real sport.

[TheWickerFan]

Originally Posted by ferretchucker

BOOO! HISS! Football is for sissys. Rugby is a man's sport.

I'll be sure to tell Vinnie Jones you said that.

[ferretchucker]

Vinne Jones lost any self respect with his infamous low blow! Bring it ooooooownnnn!

[PlagueBearer]

No Zidane magic this year, still im gonna stick to France - wont top last WC surprise though...

[TheWickerFan]

Originally Posted by ferretchucker

Vinne Jones lost any self respect with his infamous low blow! Bring it ooooooownnnn!

I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about; please explain.