Who makes the semis?

[SlavikSvensk]

the bracket is now set. spain win group h and will play portugal; chile will play brazil. here's the bracket, without the group h updates (yet)

World Cup Bracket / Wallchart - FIFA World Cup 2010 - ESPN Soccernet

so who are your predicted semifinalists?

I'm going to pick:

*USA (not so much because I rationally think this will happen, but because I want to be supportive)
*Netherlands (beating Brazil in the quarters)
*Argentina (no brainer IMO)
*Spain (they seem to have got it together now)

I'd also say that Uruguay, Brazil and Portugal have great chances to make the semis, and Germany could, though I don't think they will.

[DarkYoung]

the bracket is now set. spain win group h and will play portugal; chile will play brazil. here's the bracket, without the group h updates (yet)

World Cup Bracket / Wallchart - FIFA World Cup 2010 - ESPN Soccernet

so who are your predicted semifinalists?

I'm going to pick:

*USA (not so much because I rationally think this will happen, but because I want to be supportive)
*Netherlands (beating Brazil in the quarters)
*Argentina (no brainer IMO)
*Spain (they seem to have got it together now)

I'd also say that Uruguay, Brazil and Portugal have great chances to make the semis, and Germany could, though I don't think they will.

if the USA continue to play like they have done they could make the semis and win it even. players like Langon Donovan and Dempsey are World Class, and their goalkeeper ain't no slouch either.

i doubt the dutch can beat Brazil. Brazil can up their game when it suits.

Argentina should win it, but both England and the Germans are as good if they hit form.

im not sure about the spainish group. portugal could knock them out im sure. and the other teams in their group, i dont know who? parguay / japan. who knows.

[SlavikSvensk]

think that goes for the dutch too. they haven't really played that well and they won all 3 games. when robben is in the starting lineup, they'll be hard to beat. so is brazil, but i feel like they're vulnerable.

regardless, this does feel like argentina's year so far.

[DarkYoung]

think that goes for the dutch too. they haven't really played that well and they won all 3 games. when robben is in the starting lineup, they'll be hard to beat. so is brazil, but i feel like they're vulnerable.

regardless, this does feel like argentina's year so far.

i think it's very difficult to judge.

all the teams in the competition have a chance.

you may aswell a german octopus who is going to win ;)

[SlavikSvensk]

hence the words "so far." you can't really extrapolate too much from the group stages. when france won in 1998, they struggled to make it out of their group. ditto brazil in 2002. this is even more true for the runners-up, e.g. italy in 1994 or france in 2006.

some teams that looked phenomenal at the group stages stunk it up in the knockout stages, like spain in 2006. at other times, the top team looked like it from the get-go, like brazil in 1994.

so everything predicted at this point has to come with a grain of salt. argentina look so strong, though. i mean, they started 7 subs in the last match and still won 2-0. when teams try to deal with messi, everyone else comes in and scores. i just don't see any other team that poses that kind of problem, or anyone who has the personnel on defense to solve it.

HOWEVER, this is the world cup and anyone can beat anyone, given the right circumstances. the most deserving team doesn't necessarily become the winning team, and there are several sides left with the quality to beat argentina, given some inspiration and luck. and as we should know too well by now, bad officiating can change the result.

[DarkYoung]

shaky start for the US. Ghana is your bogey team obviously.

come on - show those mf's wot america is all about!

[SlavikSvensk]

we looked tired and sloppy; they looked fresh and disciplined.

we had a couple chances, but if the match was only 45 minutes long, i'd say they deserved to win. thankfully it's 90 minutes long and we have a chance to redeem ourselves!

that said, the scary thing about ghana is that they're this good and are so young...average age of 24! they should be really frightening 4 years from now. pretty good now too...

[DarkYoung]

it's too close to call 1-1

[SlavikSvensk]

ARG. outclassed them in the second half, then fell flat in extra time.

really, really hope american fans keep up the excitement about football even though the US is eliminated. but of course, it's so much better now than when i was a kid. at least all the games are televised on network and basic cable TV. 8 years ago you needed pay-per-view for about half of them, and when i was a kid you'd only see 1 or 2 matches televised...

[force]

Ghana absolutely owned the US in the first half.
You just couldnt get that ball if your life depended on it.

[djfase]

My 4 would be URU, BRA, ARG, & PAR. An all south american line up.

[SlavikSvensk]

Ghana absolutely owned the US in the first half.
You just couldnt get that ball if your life depended on it.

true, but we redeemed ourselves in the second half. had loads of chances, dominated possession and even defended well. unfortunately, we couldn't get a second one in. then, in extra time, they managed to exploit our weakness on counter-attack one more time in extra time, and we couldn't capitalize on our chances.

they're a good team that should be truly scary 4 years from now when those young players have more club experience.

[SlavikSvensk]

in light of the US elimination, i'll revise my quarters:

uruguay
netherlands
argentina
spain

[C.O.Prodigy]

too early to be talking about it...

let's enjoy the football...


although I think Uruguay will lose to Ghana... maybe

[SlavikSvensk]

hmmm...obviously it's possible, but i don't think it's gonna happen. ghana scored both its goals on counter-attack against a side that, let's face it, can't defend the counter-attack. those are the only goals ghana has scored other than penalties in the entire tournament.

uruguay, unlike the US, defend well on the counter-attack. i didn't see much reason to think ghana can score off of pressure attacks. and the forlan/suarez attack should put at least one in the net.

[BloodStar]

my tip for semis: GER, SPA, URU, NLD.

[DarkYoung]

too early to be talking about it...

let's enjoy the football...

i'll drink to that.

i'm enjoying the football, i even enjoyed the Jerry's hammering England yesterday.

[Esox Lucius]

argentina will win it, personally i hope germany do though.

my mate text me a joke before, the england team will be suprised when they arrive home, the first white men to be told to get back to africa.

[C.O.Prodigy]

i'll drink to that.

i'm enjoying the football, i even enjoyed the Jerry's hammering England yesterday.

yup.

as long as football is the main focus and not the refs and fifa, i'm drinking to that and enjoying the footy, like this Japan - Paraguay match - it might go to penalties.

my mate text me a joke before, the england team will be suprised when they arrive home, the first white men to be told to get back to africa.

lolz


Brazil is making the semis - 99%

[SlavikSvensk]

it's never a bad idea to put a tenner on brazil. but they'll face a much sterner test against the oranje. they've had trouble with the dutch in the past, and this is a quick and sure-footed dutch side. brazil is vulnerable at the back, but then again, they can make you pay in so many ways.

the other day i thought it would be 2-1. now i think it will be 3-2 and the match of the tournament. GO ORANJE!