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Although England isn't represented , Ireland is Here , although they will be going back soon . Canada hasn't done much better .
The 1st 11 out of 16 games have been sold out . Attendance stands at 400,000 , which is big for us .
Now If they only could have given each fan a gift certificate to a Port tasting . . .

Luc,

I have to say I wondered what World Cup. Was amazed to find out it was football!
We're football mad over here, but its getting no coverage. Its probably because we've only just had the Under 21 European Championships. Holland won, England were knocked out in the Semi's.
I've never actually noticed an Under 20 Team, its always Under 21. Are any of the Big European Teams represented, and whats the official excuse for no England Team?
And finally, who's going to win it?

Alan

Here are the teams :http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/teams/index.html

I am proud to say that one of the cities the U20 World Cup is being played in is the city I work in and called home for nearly 25 years. Edmonton.

Ummm, my team (Canada) sucks. We're out. <sigh> Yep... home team couldn't even make the "Round of 16" Not a single goal in the tourney. THAT should demonstrate the (sad) state of football affairs in this country.

Mind you, I'm working on producing the next David Beckham (do you Brits still think he is the best in the world, especially now that he has moved to the US, or is he now just Colonial Trash??? ) My son, 4, scored 37 goals in 8 games (one game he only got one but was sick with the flu) having never played soccer before, and being at the extreme end of the 4-5 year old age bracket. (Sorry - proud papa moment.) Must be all the practise he does in the back yard with his old man, who never played the game because he was too busy with hockey and 'american' football when he was a kid!

Todd

Luc,

Cheers for that. As I suspected, you've got yourselves a World Tournament without the top half a dozen European sides. You've got Portugal because they were surprisingly knocked out of the under 21's a few months back.
My team had a little flirt with Freddy Adu, but we dont think he's the real deal. Is he shining?

Todd,

Beckham is a waning star. His football is declining, but I dont think that will upset the Galaxy, they've bought the package. And it can be big. Magazines,papers,tv and radio, on about fashion, affairs, music, even occasionally football!
Keep that lad of yours going. Its a million to one shot, but any kid that makes it into the big sports makes a healthy living. The balancing act is keeping them grounded whilst everyone around them, is in effect, shouting "Win"!

Alan

Hi Alan
Freddy Adu and Josmer Altidore ( team U.S.A. ) are in the top 5 goal scorers .
Adu scored 3 in one match . He's no doubt talented , quick with his feet but his attributes end there .
Altidore has talent and more heart .

I dont know that lad, but I'll keep my eyes open. There's paper talk that Adu's agent is trying to flog him to Celtic. We'll see.
There's a big game coming up in the South American Championship Final. Brasil v Argentina. Worth a watch, but its on at around 2am over here which is a bit of a late one.

Alan

To the Bookmakers surprise Brasil won 3-0 against the Argies. Good Game.

Not worth a thread on its own, but I've got to make my only comment on the Beckham Hype! (I refuse to waste more time on him, until he starts deserving it on the pitch)
Unless the American League is hopeless, and that would surprise me when they have players like Adu, and old stalwarts like Cobi Jones, etc, I suspect they are in for dissapointing times from Becks.
At his height, 3/4 yearsa ago, he was a great crosser of a ball and deadball expert. Possibly World Class in those departments.
But he has never been able to go past a man in his career. His potential for being a match winner is therefore incredibly reduced. Its no coincidence that Real Madrid couldn't win a Spanish Title for 3 years with him in it. This year, Becham was dropped for most of the season, and only came in for the last 6 games. The team won the Title this year, but with such ordinary football, they still sacked their manager!
Not sure whether I agree with that one but it still highlights that Becks is no world beater. He made commercial sense to Real when they bought him, and the same with Galaxy. I suspect he'll have a lot of niggley injuries this season. He'll have that as cover as to why its not quite happening for the team, and there's only a modest improvement.
There'll be a couple of screamers thrown in, to keep the marketing men happy, but this footballer is no Lionel Messi, No Christiano Ronaldo, No Ronaldiniho,etc,etc
On a personal level, he's not the sharpest tool in the box either. Someone was asked if he could progress onto acting when his football days are over...The answer was 'Only if they go back to Silent Movies!'

Alan

...and now I have to disagree with Alan on football, especially a Man Ure one.

No, it's no coincidence that Real Madrid couldn't win the title with fat, lazy overpaid superstars. Beckham was a superstar but not fat and lazy. It was generally agreed that he was one of the few that kept them in it.

True that he has never gone past a defender apart from the one time when there was a national cry of "Bloody Hell!". However, his early swinging delivery makes up for that by putting the ball in the danger area earlier than anybody else. He is not a show-pony but a hard-working right-sided mid-fielder with a couple of very special tricks - a two-trick pony.

He is more likely to succeed in America because he works for the team whilst Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Messi would be frustrated with their lesser-talented team-mates and disappear for most of the game.

I wish him well.

Now that Paris Hilton's cell is free can someone please put Posh in it and throw away the key?

Derek

Alex, or is it ABU?

We'll never agree on football. But unlike opinions on how good a bottle of Port is, this discussion will have an end result. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating. United for the Premiership an the Champions League! Beckham to be mostly injured, and Coventry to change their manager.

Alan

OK, if you're getting into predictions I'm going for a long-shot for the 2007-08 season:

1. Celtic or Rangers to win the Scottish Premier League
2. The other one to come second
3. Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen to make up 3rd, 4th and 5th in any order
4. Scotland to fail at the final hurdle to qualify for Euro 2008, despite a magnificent start beating France and drawing with Italy, by being humped 3-0 by Georgia in the final qualifying match

Come on, what odds do I get for that?

Derek

Back on thread....

Group F

__________P .W .D ..L ..GF .GA .Pts
Japan ..........3 . 2 . 1 . 0 . 4 .. 1 .. 7
Nigeria ........3 . 2 . 1 . 0 . 3 .. 0 .. 7
Costa Rica ...3 . 1 . 0 . 2 . 2 .. 3 .. 3
Scotland ......3 . 0 . 0 . 3 . 2 .. 7 .. 0

I'm glad I didn't watch

Derek

PS: Sorry about the dots - is there a way of posting a table of data?

Do they play football up in Scotland?
Excellent, great to see.
And lots of teams as well. Well I never.

I knew they had a National side. I'll never forget Alley McCloud! That was his name, wasn't it? "We're bringing home the World Cup"

Alan

This is what you are searching for.....

We're on the march wi' Ally's Army,
We're going tae the Argentine,
And we'll really shake them up,
When we win the World Cup,
'Cos Scotland is the greatest football team,
We're representing Britain,
And we're gaunny do or die,
England cannae dae it,
'Cos they didnae qualify!

We're on the march wi' Ally's Army,
We're going tae the Argentine,
And we'll really shake them up,
When we win the World Cup,
'Cos Scotland is the greatest football team

I, for one, believed it - but then I was only 13 at the time

If you don't know the tune I may just be persuaded to sing this after the F Plan

Derek

It hasn't taken Becks long to develop some serious niggley injuries!!!

Perhaps we should send him some port - if he drank more port then surely he would suffer fewer injuries.

What should we send him?

BTW, its called SOCCER

where is that stiring-the-pot emoticon

So Becks isn't a footballer?

Is he a Soccerer?

Alan

You mean the guy that soccer (err, football) team down the street from me paid WAY too much $$$ for? I think he played all of like 12 minutes the other day cause he gots an ouchie


Yes he is now a Soccerer

Conky wrote:To the Bookmakers surprise Brasil won 3-0 against the Argies. Good Game.

Not worth a thread on its own, but I've got to make my only comment on the Beckham Hype! (I refuse to waste more time on him, until he starts deserving it on the pitch)
Unless the American League is hopeless, and that would surprise me when they have players like Adu, and old stalwarts like Cobi Jones, etc, I suspect they are in for dissapointing times from Becks.
At his height, 3/4 yearsa ago, he was a great crosser of a ball and deadball expert. Possibly World Class in those departments.
But he has never been able to go past a man in his career. His potential for being a match winner is therefore incredibly reduced. Its no coincidence that Real Madrid couldn't win a Spanish Title for 3 years with him in it. This year, Becham was dropped for most of the season, and only came in for the last 6 games. The team won the Title this year, but with such ordinary football, they still sacked their manager!
Not sure whether I agree with that one but it still highlights that Becks is no world beater. He made commercial sense to Real when they bought him, and the same with Galaxy. I suspect he'll have a lot of niggley injuries this season. He'll have that as cover as to why its not quite happening for the team, and there's only a modest improvement.
There'll be a couple of screamers thrown in, to keep the marketing men happy, but this footballer is no Lionel Messi, No Christiano Ronaldo, No Ronaldiniho,etc,etc
On a personal level, he's not the sharpest tool in the box either. Someone was asked if he could progress onto acting when his football days are over...The answer was 'Only if they go back to Silent Movies!'

Alan

Good old Becks...He's doing me well so far!

Man the barricades!!!

Word is that if Becks doesn't play tonight, he can't be considered for England next week. Watch those niggley injuries clear up for a fortnight!

The Beckham Roadshow will finally hit LA.

Alan

Is this guy for real , or what ??
They say love is blind , but what was L.A. thinking ??

KillerB wrote:...and now I have to disagree with Alan on football, especially a Man Ure one.

No, it's no coincidence that Real Madrid couldn't win the title with fat, lazy overpaid superstars. Beckham was a superstar but not fat and lazy. It was generally agreed that he was one of the few that kept them in it.

True that he has never gone past a defender apart from the one time when there was a national cry of "Bloody Hell!". However, his early swinging delivery makes up for that by putting the ball in the danger area earlier than anybody else. He is not a show-pony but a hard-working right-sided mid-fielder with a couple of very special tricks - a two-trick pony.

He is more likely to succeed in America because he works for the team whilst Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Messi would be frustrated with their lesser-talented team-mates and disappear for most of the game.

I wish him well.

KillerB,

Early days, but its not a bed of roses at the moment! Still holding firm on that prediction?

Alan

Ruddy Hell!

I should set up at the end of the Pier as Gyspy Rose Lee, the fortune Teller!

After his two week 'recovery' for the International, the Sod's injured again, and is going to need a long rest!!!

And the few games he's played in...They've lost!

I'd love to hear anyone who wants to defend him, or the money and fuss wasted on him?

Alan

I sincerly doubt you will find any Portonian on Gods green earth willing to defend anything to do with this situation . . .
A parallel can be drawn when Gretsky was sold to L.A. , who was also past his prime and he was used as a marketing tool . . .

This is getting quite funny.

Becks tried to play a game. This was the result.

The Becks Story!!! link

Alan

Alan , was Beckam the type of player , who , by his work ethic , made the players around him play smarter , such as Gretzky in his prime ?

What was he doing with his knee in a block & tackle anyway?

Luc,

Beckham, in his pomp, was a player I would say, was the icing on the cake. He had World Class crossing ability. Good from dead balls, an exceptional passer and he could run all day.
HOWEVER! If he didn't play in a great team, where others did the ball winning, the closing down, the running back, the confrontations, he was mostly invisible. At United, he had Scholes Keane and Giggs. At Real, they got rid of Makele, and never really replaced him.

Its all opinions, but I just couldn't/can't see him rescuing a struggling US team. He may have made the second or third team 1st, but even to do that, he'd have to play now and again!!!

Alan

Would you build a team around a Beckam type player ?

Absolutely NOT!!!

If you were a nearly team, or wanted huge publicity, he's your man.

As far as I'm concerned you should never build a team around one player but if you did it would need to be a central player. That is Centre Back, Centre Midfield, Striker, normally the central midfielder such as Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Paul Gascoigne, Glenn Hoddle, even Peter Reid, etc.

Teams based on a wide player like Beckham would be prone to one-sidedness and easily closed down. That's not to say that you cannot build a team around a Beckham, especially as he does cut in to the centre regularly, and if you were to do it Beckham is probably the one you could do it with.

Oh yes, what do you do when your one player is injured? Answers on a postcard to the usual address.

David Beckham, when not playing football that day, due to a niggling injury, decides to go horse riding.
Although he has no previous experience, he skillfully mounts the horse and appears in complete control as the horse gallops along at a steady pace.
Victoria watches him admiringly.
After a while, David becomes a little too casual and begins to lose his grip in the saddle. He panics and grabs the horse round it's neck and calls for it to stop.
Victoria screams and shouts for someone to help.
David slips completely out of the saddle and is only saved from hitting the ground because he is still clutching the horse's neck.
David decides his best chance is to leap away, but his foot becomes entangled in the stirrup!
David's head is now banging along the ground and he is slipping into unconsciousness. Victoria is frantic and screaming!

Hearing her screams, one of the Supermarket Security Guards comes out of the store and unplugs the horse.

Alan

The Image of Beckam loosing his grip on a horse in a merry go-round and Victoria franticaly screaming is too much .

I believe the American Soccer season is coming to a close.

Well what a blinding season Becks had! I wish I was as good at predicting the Lotto numbers.

Alan

Derek T. wrote:OK, if you're getting into predictions ...

4. Scotland to fail at the final hurdle to qualify for Euro 2008, despite a magnificent start beating France and drawing with Italy, by being humped 3-0 by Georgia in the final qualifying match

Unfortunately, my prediction, though being slightly inaccurate, is starting to come true. We did get humped by Georgia (2-0, not 3-0) but the final match is against World Champions, Italy.

Oh dear, this is all too familiar.

Derek

Don't worry Derek. All us English will be rooting for Scotland to beat Italy. After all, we know nothing annoys a Scotsman more than an Englishman supporting his own tartan team...


...and if Gordon Brown can support England in the rugby, then I'm sure you can too. After all, he is your prime minister.

Stop interrupting me, I'm trying to learn the words of the South African national anthem

Let me help:

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo
Yiva imathandazo yethu
Nkosi Sikelela Nkosi Sikelela

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo
Yiva imathandazo yethu
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapho lwayo.

Chorus
Yihla moya, yihla moya
Yihla moya oyingcwele
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapho lwayo.
(Repeat)

I shall test you tomorrow afternoon after you have consumed half a bottle of port.

Thanks. You will be impressed with the results. Especially as I plan to do it with the actions of The Haka wearing a kilt

D

Derek T. wrote:Thanks. You will be impressed with the results. Especially as I plan to do it with the actions of The Haka wearing a kilt

D

I was just wondering, what do you think the effects would be on us ordinary folk of all this hazardous drinking at home???

High blood pressure and periods of dilusional behaviour.

Why?

D

Just in case anyone was concerned for my welfare this afternoon, I can reassure you all that Derek did not do the Haka, was not wearing a kilt and did not sing the South African national anthem.

Personally, I don't think he knows the words and it was all bluster by a Scotsman who wants us all to think he doesn't want England to win tomorrow. But we all know the truth really, don't we?

Alex

AHB wrote:Just in case anyone was concerned for my welfare this afternoon, I can reassure you all that Derek did not do the Haka, was not wearing a kilt and did not sing the South African national anthem.

...but, rather unexpectedly, Alex was dressed as a Morris Dancer and sung Swing Low Sweet Chariot whilst jingling his bells and swinging his ribbons as the bar staff looked on in amazement

If I was English I would probably have woken up this morning thinking we had been robbed by some very dodgy decisions. But I'm not, so I don't

I think South Africa deserved the win and had the best team at the tournament. The non-Try was so close with Cueto's toe on the line that nobody could grumble if it had been given or not.

If I was English I would probably have woken up this morning thinking we had been robbed by some very dodgy decisions. But I'm not, so I don't

Maybe because you lost in the Quarter-Final you can afford to be smug - oh hang on, that's not a reason to be smug is it? Or does qualifying for the second round count for something in Scotland?

I have 42 years of sporting failure to draw on for my inspiration to mock those who believe they are better than they actually are

That's a 'yes' then.

KillerB wrote:I think South Africa deserved the win and had the best team at the tournament. The non-Try was so close with Cueto's toe on the line that nobody could grumble if it had been given or not.

I'm not complaining about the result, either. It was a close game, I don't think the ref's inconsistencies changed the result of the game although they were irritating in the extreme. In the end, the result was decided by South Africa's better ability not to break the rules when defending in their own half - Lewis Moody tripping a South African as he chased his own kick was a good example of the sheer stupidity that I thought we had got out of our game since the original humiliation at the hands of the 'boks.

I'm delighted England reached the finals after that first game. I'm pleased that they were not humiliated again and I sincerely hope that they can maintain this improved form with the younger players who finished the final and that the Six Nations is a little more enjoyable for the England supporter than has been the case for the last four seasons.

Alex