I dont know if it's occurred to many yet...

[Craig_H]

But one of Uruguay or South Korea and USA or Ghana will be in the World Cup semi final.

Just goes to show how much easier on paper, England's route would've been, if they'd won their piss-poor group.

Talk about a missed opportunity.

[CJ]

Uruguay have been good. USA shouldnt ever be in a football world cup until they learn what the game is called.

and have to agree about the other two.

[little dave hedgehog]

believe me, i realize it

[little dave hedgehog]

Uruguay have been good. USA shouldnt ever be in a football world cup until they learn what the game is called.

and have to agree about the other two.

ahem:

"Soccer
Soccer is an abbreviation for Association Football. The Football
Association was formed in London in October 1863 when representatives
of eleven clubs and schools met in an attempt to standardize the rules
of the game. One of the rules prohibited the carrying of the ball, a
rule that would lead to the Rugby-oriented clubs leaving the
Association several months later. The name Association Football was
coined to distinguish it from Rugby.

By 1889, the abbreviation socca' was in use, and the spelling soccer
had made its appearance by 1895."

we didn't come up with it

[CJ]

ahem:



we didn't come up with it

it doesnt say that

and it doesnt change the fact that calling it soccer should mean instant ban from all football

[little dave hedgehog]

you think we were playing association football over here in 1895?

[little dave hedgehog]

"Why the word "soccer"?


We have to thank the students of the 1880s for the word "soccer". It
seems it was the practice amonst the well bred students of Oxford to
abbreviate words whilst adding "er" to the end; "brekkers" for
breakfast for example.

On asked if he wanted to play "rugger" (i.e. the "rugby rules") a
student replied "no, soccer", an abbreviation of "association", or the
"association rules", i.e. the rules of the Football Association in
London.

"Footer" was also used, but could have referred to either code.

David Pickering's "Soccer Companion" (Cassell, 1994) names the student
as Charles Wreford Brown, later an England international and F.A.
vice-president."

[Craig_H]

Just to put it into perspective, the two halves of the draw look like this:

Top Half:
Uruguay, S.Korea, USA, Ghana, Paraguay, Japan, Portugal, Spain (probably)

Bottom Half:
Argentina, Mexico, England, Germany, Holland, Slovakia, Brazil, Chile (probably)

Each half of the draw will provide 2 semi finalists and one finalist.

I know which half i'd rather have to negotiate my way through!

Whoever wins out of Spain and Portgual will be laughing.

England's path could (should) have been Ghana in the 2nd round, Uruguay in the quarters and then Spain in the semis, which obviously isnt easy, but you cant expect to go the whole way without facing a top side. But a run to the semi finals without facing one? Nobody would turn their nose up at that run

[CJ]

you think we were playing association football over here in 1895?

you where shooting each other riding horses shouting injuns and spitting in buckets and being run out of town back then?

[little dave hedgehog]

doc brown was building a time machine out of a train

[CJ]

Dave all your posts may be correct however you are missing the fact they are wrong

Its football.

[CJ]

doc brown was building a time machine out of a train

what happened to good films like back to the future?

[CJ]

Just to put it into perspective, the two halves of the draw look like this:

Top Half:
Uruguay, S.Korea, USA, Ghana, Paraguay, Japan, Portugal, Spain (probably)

Bottom Half:
Argentina, Mexico, England, Germany, Holland, Slovakia, Brazil, Chile (probably)

Each half of the draw will provide 2 semi finalists and one finalist.

I know which half i'd rather have to negotiate my way through!

Whoever wins out of Spain and Portgual will be laughing.

England's path could (should) have been Ghana in the 2nd round, Uruguay in the quarters and then Spain in the semis, which obviously isnt easy, but you cant expect to go the whole way without facing a top side. But a run to the semi finals without facing one? Nobody would turn their nose up at that run

since when have england had an easy world cup


oh thats not a cue for scots to shout 1966

[Kenneth]

what happened to good films like back to the future?

Dunno, but they stopped well before Back To The Future III.

[Neil Young]

Dunno, but they stopped well before Back To The Future III.