Football (Soccer to those across the pond)

[Adasunshine]

Originally Posted by Winters_Sorrow

It's a game played by steroid-chomping fatties who need to take a break every 30 seconds before they have a heart attack - what's not to like?
You've got to love a sport where the idea of a cool nickname is to be called "The Fridge" or "The Bus"

But then again, I have a weakness for daft sports - loved Kabadi (sp?) on channel 4 and english wrestling during the 80s (Big Daddy vs Kendo Nagasaki vs Giant Haystacks! Easy, Easy, Easy!)

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH SHADDUP!

xx

[Winters_Sorrow]

Ah, another SoccerAm watcher I see

[Lacedaemonian]

Originally Posted by iratebeaver

SOCCER! U.S Women's (I'm not a feminist, just an average guy watching soccer)
I can't say much for the U.S guys but as for MLS i go for Galaxy

The USA mens football team is ranked 4th in the world. There are 205 ranked countries in the world to give you an idea. England are 10th.... crazy!

I support Newcastle United and always will do.

[Spook]

The FIFA rankings are HIGHLY debateable though. USA are down to fifth now; but according to them the Czech Republic and the Netherlands are the second and third best teams in the world respectively. I don't get that in the slightest. Iran and Denmark are above Germany too.

[Winters_Sorrow]

The FIFA rankings are based on many factors such as performance in the last international competition you were in, performance in last x number of international games played etc

So if like the USA, your World Cup qualifying groups contains the powerhouses of world football such as Honduras and Jamaica then you're going to look good

Having said that, I think the USA could do quite well at the World Cup, they have some good solid players in there and will surprise a few people I think.
I think both Ghana & the Czech Republic will choke in the group stage and Italy & the USA will go through from that group.

The pressure is all on Germany really, they'll have a tough time against Poland in the group stages and their fans are quite pessimistic about their chances.

Here's a little world cup wallchart for you all
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sol/shared/spl.../wallchart.pdf

[nixie]

Similar to Nixie, really - The Reds & The Hoops
I remember being quite torn during the "Battle of Britain" game in UEFA a few seasons ago when they both met in the semis.

That match earned me a small fortune at work.got sick of the comments of how The Reds were going to tear us apart, so told them to put their money where the mouth was

[Rane Longfox]

Aye, the FIFA rankings are completely unreliable, because of the fact that the best teams are all European and South American. The thoughest team the US has to play on a regular basis is Mexico, and the second toughest is Trinidad and Tobago

On the other hand, apart from them, the rankings are reasonably accurate. Theres no doubt that the Czechs should have won Euro 2004, if Greece hadn't got lucky with their brick wall act

[Spook]

Originally Posted by Rane Longfox

Aye, the FIFA rankings are completely unreliable, because of the fact that the best teams are all European and South American. The thoughest team the US has to play on a regular basis is Mexico, and the second toughest is Trinidad and Tobago

On the other hand, apart from them, the rankings are reasonably accurate. Theres no doubt that the Czechs should have won Euro 2004, if Greece hadn't got lucky with their brick wall act

That's not fair to call it a brick wall act. It's more of a Counter-Attacking 10-0-0 formation.

[jackokent]

Originally Posted by Lacedaemonian

I support Newcastle United and always will do.

Good luck against West Brom on Saturday and Birmingham the week after.

I'm a Pompey fan by the way.

[Lacedaemonian]

We will win both those games even without our first choice 3 strikers. Roeder is a genius.

[jackokent]

I hope so, we're counting on you to keep us out of relegation.

[Lacedaemonian]

I like Pompey but WBA have good fans too.

[Rane Longfox]

Go Chopra go!

[sanityassassin]

never been a fan of Newcastle but quite like pompey as Harry Rednapp is a good manager I've always wonder what he could do if he had the resources of man u or chelsea but old harry likes the underdogs.

As for the fifa rankings are not really a good system but there is no better way to evaluate teams as countrys from different continents only play each other compeditvally every 4 years

[Winters_Sorrow]

Originally Posted by sanityassassin

never been a fan of Newcastle but quite like pompey as Harry Rednapp is a good manager I've always wonder what he could do if he had the resources of man u or chelsea but old harry likes the underdogs.

Well at least you've got your own little Baltic millionaire down there now.
People forget that during the January transfer window Harry spent about 7 or 8 million quid (hell, it was 4.1 on that african striker who doesn't seem to know how to score, wasn't it?)