Posted on 06/23/2006 8:14:08 PM PDT by soccer_maniac
LET THE FUN BEGIN!!! The World Cup field has been trimmed to 16. The opening round of the 2006 World Cup is complete, as Groups G and H wrapped up play on Friday. Victories allowed Spain, Ukraine, France and Switzerland to move into the Round of 16. Knockout play begins on Saturday as hosts Germany face Sweden and Mexico meets Argentina.
(Excerpt) Read more at fifaworldcup.yahoo.com ...
I'll be away for the weekend, so we'll have only 1 thread for the next 2 days.
4 awesome matches -- what a weekend for soccer fans!
Thanx for the posts and pings. Have a safe weekend.
I'd love to see an England-Germany final, but it will probably be Brazil-Argentina.
Still hoping for an England/Germany finale. Have a co-worker from Germany. She said based on their styles it would probably be brutal.
Thanks for taking care of this. For me it started as wanting to see the ladies. I have had that plus learning a bit more about the game and watched the live threads and made a new FRiend. All good stuff
Thanks for the ping and the pic!
Have a good weekend.
From the list
Germany Argent England Holland are my picks.
I have been batting/kicking zero so far, so don't follow my lead;)
For me it started wanting to see alot of soccer plus I learned alot about ladies.
Go England Go!
Im going with Italia...
I was interested more in turf management, stadium seating capacity, not so much as the game itself or the soccer babes...
England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is considering giving Michael Carrick his first World Cup finals appearance.
It is understood Eriksson may switch to a 4-5-1 system for the Ecuador game, with Wayne Rooney on his own up front.
Carrick is expected to come in for Owen Hargreaves, who will move to right-back with Jamie Carragher left out.
Rio Ferdinand is still a doubt because of the groin injury which took him out of the Sweden game, so Sol Campbell stands by to replace him.
Hargreaves' likely switch to right-back means Gary Neville - who has missed two games with a calf injury - is still unable to play.
And the 4-5-1 system would mean disappointment for Peter Crouch, who has started two of England's three games so far with one goal to his name.
Ecuador will be at full strength after coach Luis Suarez rested several of his players for the 3-0 defeat at the hands of Germany.
Agustin Delgado and Carlos Tenorio, who have both scored twice in the World Cup, will start up front.
Fifa has announced that the referee will be Belgium's Frank De Bleeckere.
I'd really like to see Walcott come in for a few minutes. Hopefully England will be up two or three at the end of the game and they'll put him in just to see how he does.
FORZA ITALIA!!!
After 2 endless weeks, the fun starts now??????
I think that says it all about soccer and the WC.
Flame away...
Note to the folks in the Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA DMA.
The Germany v. Sweden match is on espn2 alternate, in standard definition.
Those of us with HDTV's, well, we're outta luck. You may wish to express your thanks to the lying jerks at News10.net. KGO-TV is carrying the match in HD. But that's not enough to make me move back to the bay area.
Univision, baby!
Thanks for these threads. Will watch today's games at home, but will see England-Ecuador in a Brit-infested pub tomorrow. Should be fun.
Vindaloo, Three Lions, and 1966!
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