Mundial 'Germany 2006' Divinations

[jonesy]

I have no divinations for today matches.

I'd say that todays matches are total coin tosses. Any of them could win or lose.

 

[jonesy]

England wins with the single goal of the match. What the heck happened to them? It looked like they were going to steamroll over Paraguay at first.

Well well, it seems that they have a valid reason for losing momentum so dramatically:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/england/5069162.stm

"England officials will ask Fifa to ensure players get greater access to fluids during games after they suffered in the Frankfurt heat against Paraguay.

Players lost an average of between five and 10lbs and drank huge amounts of water during the 1-0 victory."

Edit:

By the way, in regards to todays matches, I find it funny how there's now a team in the games playing for a country that effectively doesn't exist since Serbia and Montenegro are no longer the same place.

 

[Klaus]

I'm surprised Argentina only won by one goal.

Ivory Coast demonstrated an awesome degree of stamina, they were everywhere! But Argentina has its work cut out for it against Holland and Serbia & Montenegro.

Later today, Portugal plays against former colony Angola. I'm torn over which to root for! Portugal is coached by Luis Felipe Scolari (coach of the brazilian winning team of 2002), whereas Angola has that underdog appeal (and great colors, just like the team I root for at home).

 

[Morrus]

England seemed lost in the offense, and the fact that they won through a self-goal by Paraguay doesn't bode well

That shot was going in anyway. The fact that a Paraguayan player failed to deflect it enough doesn't detract from it. So much so that the Goal Accreditation Committee is looking at it because there's no real reason Beckham shouldn't claim it.

 

[Morrus]

Certainly agree about the England game (though I'll be rooting the other way)

Right - you're banned!

 

[Jdvn1]

Ivory Coast demonstrated an awesome degree of stamina, they were everywhere! But Argentina has its work cut out for it against Holland and Serbia & Montenegro.

Maybe I have trouble seeing upsets. Ivory Coast did play well, but... c'mon, it's Argentina.

 

[Klaus]

That shot was going in anyway. The fact that a Paraguayan player failed to deflect it enough doesn't detract from it. So much so that the Goal Accreditation Committee is looking at it because there's no real reason Beckham shouldn't claim it.

Oh, boy, that shot was *totally* going out, as Davey was trying to center for one of the taller English players. Gamarra (the Paraguayan defender, which, incidently, plays in Brazil, in the Palmeiras team) tried to send the ball over the pole and ended up scoring a self-goal.

Sidenote: dude, Prince William was at that match and his forehead is growing by the minute! :O

On other news, Mexico defeat Iran by 3-1 and Portugal defeated Angola by 1-0. Oddly enough, Portugal didn't press the game against Angola (to net a higher goal tally), and is now at 2nd in their group. And Holland defeated Serbia & Montenegro by 1-0. So that group now has Argentina in 1st, Holland at 2nd, Serbia at 3rd and Ivory Coast holding the lantern (a brazilian slang for 'being last').

 

[jonesy]

...and Portugal defeated Angola by 1-0. Oddly enough, Portugal didn't press the game against Angola...

Why would that be odd? Angola used to belong to Portugal, and nowadays there's a flux of players from the former to the latter (maybe the other way too, not sure), so many of the players on one side know many of the players on the other. It was more of a friendly match in that regard.

holding the lantern (a brazilian slang for 'being last')

Isn't that a little backwards? Why would the last guy hold the lantern?

 

[Jdvn1]

Why would that be odd?

The oddity is that Portugal is 2nd in their group, not that they didn't press Angola.

 

[Klaus]

The oddity is that the first criteria for resolving teams with equal points is through net goal score (i.e., if you score 3 goals and suffer 1, your net goal score is 2). So now Mexico has a net score of 2 and Portugal has a net score of 1. Having better players and more experience, Portugal *should* have pressed the advantage and score at least once more, to ensure a better net goal score. If Angola wins by a good ammount against Iran and Portugal loses to Mexico (could happen, Borgetti is a headbutting machine), Portugal could end up being the 3rd of its group and not make it to the next round.