Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Day 4 Recap

Italy vs. Norway- 4-3 Norway- Norway won this one, but it was definitely not easy. Italy charged back at the end of the game, coming extremely close to tying the game at the end. Norway dominated the game for the most part, but Italy had a lot of very close chances.

Germany vs. Nigeria - 4-1 Germany- Germany just had more offense than Nigeria and Nigeria was simply unable to stop them from shooting. Both these teams are tough, and the game really started to become chippy near the end. Luckily no one was seriously injured, but there were a couple cards thrown around and the first red card of the tournament right at the end. Germany takes on Ireland on Thursday.

76 comments:

Anonymous said...

who got the red

Anonymous said...

Wow norway is a joke... Chile will destroy them

Anonymous said...

ya norway is a joke. Italy still has an outside chance to make it out of there group, watch it!!!!

Anonymous said...

Anyone know where we can watch highlights of the tournament online? Anyone could post a link?

Anonymous said...

Who won tonight?

Anonymous said...

peter, paul and mary

Anonymous said...

austria beat poland, laos beat colombia

Not_Anonymous said...

Here's what I think the new power rankings for the tournament so far should be:
1) Republic of Ireland
2) Laos
3) Norway
4) Jamaica
5) Germany
6) England
7) Scotland
8) Chile
9) Northern Ireland
10) Greece
11) Ukraine
12) Serbia
13) Portugal
14) Nigeria
15) Canada
16) Italy
17) Colombia
18) Austria
19) Poland
20) Botswana

I know some of it is questionable, like NI being 9th, but they came to play and got results against two favourites and beat Canada. Also I had some trouble thinking of where to put Jamaica and Norway. Norway has not looked great but they have still yet to lose and they are the defending champs. Jamaica tied NI but then bounced back and beat Ukraine who was supposed to be the new big threat.

Scotland has yet to have a chance to really do much, but they looked strong vs Canada. Germany has looked good so far, but they have yet to really be challenged so that could be a little misleading. England got walked on by Laos but then came back out and walked all over Portugal, who is not bad but is also not among the top. There is still a lot of playing left to be done, so well see how things switch up as we move along.

I welcome all criticism but try and keep it respectable and reasonable rather than just 'roi sux they should be last' kinda stuff. If you disagree let's hear why.

Anonymous said...

Chile vs Austria game will be entertaining at 4:00 p.m. saturday, bring earplugs, if you cannot handle the noise. The tournament is getting better and better every day. The play-offs will be awesome.

Go WCP

Anonymous said...

Most flawed power rankings... what did you use to base your criteria?
How does Norway get ranked ahead of Chile? Defending champs means nothing when they have a 2-0 record, but a worse goals for and against in comparision to Chile.
Jamaica, who tied N.I. is still placed amongst the top 5?


No offense but I think if you are going to putting out power rankings you should have a criteria other then just your mere opinion.

Anonymous said...

I disagree I would rank Chile in 20th place. They have yet to be tested. This weekend is the real test, Austria and Norway.

Anonymous said...

Yes I agree. Rank Chile 20th, by far the worst team, worst style, with the worst players!
I would also say they didn't deserve to beat Italy or Poland, sheer luck.
Chile sucks no matter what happens, Chile could win the World Cup and still be hated on.
So please rank Chile 20th, as no matter who they beat the next game is always the test.

Didn't Italy and Norway play to a 4-3 match, while Chile beat them 4-1? Isn't Chile right now at 2-0 with a +5 goals for?

by: Julio

Anonymous said...

Here is what I think

1) Laos
2) England
3) Norway
4) Jamaica
5) Germany
6) Republic of Ireland
7) Scotland
8) Canada
9) Northern Ireland
10) Greece
11) Ukraine
12) Serbia
13) Portugal
14) Nigeria
15) Botswana
16) Italy
17) Colombia
18) Austria
19) Poland
20) Chile

As you can see I don't like Chile.

Anonymous said...

What's funny is that players that can't play and think they are good will always just hate on teams that can actually play.

The ranking base is so flawed its ridiculous, how can England be second when they were blown out?
Rankings actually have a criteria base that takes into consideration wins, losses, ties, and goals...

Anonymous said...

all these commenter rankings are incredibly flawed. no more rankings by commenters.

Anonymous said...

I'm tired of hearing about Chile just because they have the most fans who go on here. Chile has only beat 2 team which combined have a record of 2 wins, 10 losses, and zero ties, in the last 2 years. Right lets rank them 1st.

Anonymous said...

Who is Ditter?

Anonymous said...

TEAM LAOS is STILL UNDEFEATED!!! The Team Laos versus Greece game will be one to watch... my money is on Team Laos to take the Cup this year!! Let the haters hate, but the scoreboard speaks for itself!

Not_Anonymous said...

I made my rankings based on what I have seen so far. Some teams have improved a lot but NI, for example, still only tied Jamaica and Ukraine, while Jamaica still beat a strong Ukraine team. I wouldn't bump them down until I see another team who is really deserving of taking their spot. Like I said the tournament is still young so lots can change, but at this point that is how I see it.

To the comment about these being too based on opinion and not fact, that is what power rankings are. They are the opinion of the one making them. In my opinion, based on how these teams played, that is how I would rank them currently. I am open to criticism based on your guys' opinions though because I recognize that a lot of people won't agree with me.

Also, this is all just for fun. Why are people so quick to say you guys are no good, just don't do rankings? If you don't like it you don't need to read it, but I find it fun to say what I think and hear what other people think. It all adds to the tournament and makes it feel more like a professional event.

Anonymous said...

The problem with the power rankings is that if you had a criteria to represent why you chose each team at each spot, then your rankings would have some sort of validity.
When Fifa's rankings are put out, they have set critieria, it's not based on which team the Fifa president likes the best.
Secondly, what makes no sense is why someone would use a 2 year record for a team?
I thought the rankings weren't meant to become current?
Chile could have lost 50 games last year and deserved to be ranked last, but as it stands in the present time; they are 2-0 in the tournament.....

Not_Anonymous said...

Well I just made a quick one before but I can justify my thoughts:

1) Republic of Ireland - Walked all over both teams so far, and though they were not strong teams, ROI showed complete dominance in all aspects of the game and no other team can say that.

2) Laos - Played very strong so far. Incredible ball control and the ability to finish from anywhere puts right near the top.

3) Norway - Haven't played great, but often play down to a teams level, which is a problem, but in a big game I think they will step it up. Also remember they are still undefeated and are the defending champs.

4) Jamaica - Also not playing the greatest, but have not lost yet, and have beating a strong team Ukraine. Until someone else shows they deserve this spot more, Jamaica stays top 5.

5) Germany - Have come out with a few big wins and are looking strong with a new experienced coach.

6) England - Lots of hype leading into a 5-0 loss to Laos keeps them down a bit, but they came back and destroyed Portugal who is not a bad team.

7) Scotland - Has only played one game but looked quite strong so far. We'll see how they do against the rest of their pool though.

8) Chile - Looking strong, and if they can do well against Norway they will keep on moving up.

9) Northern Ireland - Two big ties and a win over Canada have put them in the top 10, but they still haven't beaten a strong team yet so they still sit middle of the pack.

10) Greece - Playing like Greece plays. Always in it but never above and beyond the rest.

11) Ukraine - Disappointing. A Loss to Jamaica and a tie against NI. No amount of exhibition wins will keep them at the top.

12) Serbia - Came back and beat Nigeria after getting stomped by ROI. They look solid other than a weak keeper.

13) Portugal - Got crushed by England then lost a good game to Laos. They could be placed higher but they are yet to win a game.

14) Nigeria - Not looking too good at the moment. I expected a lot more from them.

15) Canada - Same as above. Not playing all that well and looking like last place in the pool is the realistic finish.

16) Italy - Will likely win a game or two, but with such a weak pool, even a win or two doesn't bump them up too much.

17) Colombia - Tough break getting stuck in pool D, but have not really shown much to merit a jump in the rankings.

18) Austria - Made Norway's heart beat a bit for the first half of the first game but then fell apart. A win over Poland is not enough to bump them up. They have major issues with finishing.

19) Botswana - The last few spots are a toss up but because they have some tougher games to play and they scored on ROI, they earned 19th.

20) Poland - Have some good players, but last place in a weak pool does not look good on any resume.

Anonymous said...

To the guy that ranked Canada at #8, give your head a shake. For the most part NI dominated the game against them. Canada barely had 10 shots and half were right at the NI keeper. Canada's got too many old balls on thier team and if they can't even compete against NI (no disrespect to NI...they've improved tremenously, but they aren't a top contender) they won't be going too far in this tourney. Infact, with 2 loses, is it even possible for them to get out of their pool now?

Anonymous said...

Not_anonymous id have to agree with your rankings, just a few exceptions though.. To be fair i dont believe we have seen anything exceptional from Jamaica to rank them top 5.. Based on the tourny so far i think Scotland should be ranked a little bit higher. Also there is no way based on how they are playing Germany can be ranked top 5. On paper they look good but if you have seen there games you would see that paper dont play the games.. They havent been tested yet this saturday against serbia will there test i believe.. Chile should be top 5 definatly, i dont care what you say they look dominant. Personally i would place greece a bit lower the game against colombia was an entertaining game which saw Greece struggling alot, they havent proved themselfs yet at all.. Other then that we will have to see how the tournament turns out but, good rankings

Anonymous said...

i think Northern Ireland has a decentchance of getting out of their pool. Yes scotland is good but if NI can hang around with them then it will be a game that likely decides both teams' fates and Ukrain'es fate as well. That pool is the most exciting wiht the exception of canada who is very poor this year.

Chile are not bad but they aren't proven and comparing there stats agaisnt the weak teams to Norways is dumb.

Roi looks too good to beat almost. They have added a lot of star power even from last year. Laos at the moment looks like the only team that could really handle them.

Anonymous said...

not_anonymous

no more power rankings by you. this is for comments and arguments, not for you to try and make your own post.

I could go on and on about how bad those rankings are, but I don't have the time.

Not_Anonymous said...

anonymous

I will continue talking about this tounrnament the way I feel like talking about it. The beauty of a blog site is that anyone can say what they want. If you have that big of an issue with my rankings then you can choose to ignore them. If Clock-Cleaner wants me to stop he can delete my posts and I will take the hint. But I highly doubt he will do that considering power rankings always encourage discussion and arguements, the very thing you say this site is intended for. If you want to censor the site, you can always start your own site and then keep people from promoting discussion and voicing opinions.

Anonymous said...

not_anonymous

I personally find your comments and rankings to be some of the most enjoyable to read. The fact that you take the time to go in depth on comments which seem for the most part
fair and unbiased should be commended . Keep it up.

Anonymous said...

Fair and unbiased?
That is impossible when the measures he is using to determine his power rankings are more qualitative rather the quantitative.
If he implemented a formula that would rank teams number wise due to their statistics, that would be more fair and unbiased... but even then the rankings would still be flawed due to alot of variables.

I agree. Scrap the whole rankings, enjoy the games for what they are, and forget about the extra unnecessary intangibles that are just meaningless. Soccer is a game that is played and celebrated on the field, it is not a game that is measured due to rankings and opinions.
Just enjoy the games and take in the atmosphere!

by: Julio

Anonymous said...

3) Norway - Haven't played great, but often play down to a teams level, which is a problem, but in a big game I think they will step it up. Also remember they are still undefeated and are the defending champs.


That's the worst reasoning for a #3 ranking ever. First, the entire basis is you "think" they'll step it up. Terrible.
Second, you say because they won last year they deserve it. For the last time, it's THIS year, not LAST year. Get that through your head.

Anonymous said...

I also like how you're basing your rankings on, for the most part, 2 games. Good job. Yeah, 2 games really merits a giant change in rankings.

Anonymous said...

If you don't like the ranking don't come on here. Or do not read them.I find them entertaining and am getting sick of Julia.

Anonymous said...

Well anyone with an IQ of a peanut and the lack of understanding of the game would definitely be entertained by such flawed rankings.
If the rankings had atleast a base that could not be argued against, then there wouldn't be a problem; but as stated by someone else, who quoted the Norway ranking; the validity of those are very poor.

I agree with the two above posts that show that lack of validity with the rankings.

Julia, who is my sister is currently out of the country; so I am sorry if she has made you sick.

By: Julio

Anonymous said...

Julio, I don't know you, but I like you.

Anonymous said...

He thinks he knows everything, and the fact that he belives chile will beat norway proves that he in fact knows nothing.

Not_Anonymous said...

I only made the rankings for something fun to do. Everyone makes predictions and of course it has some bias because I am only human. You could put the stats in a machine with all the qualitative variables and run a flawless test to see who is ranked where, but where is the fun in that.

The game is fantastic, but unfortunately it is only played at night time and on weekends so some of us enjoy something to pass the time between games. I know my logic based on determining positions is flawed in some of your minds, and that is fine, but that is how I justify my opinion.

My opinion doesn't rule and I love to hear what everyone else thinks. I agree Norway's spot doesn't make perfect sense, but I don't know another team deserving of 3rd right now. Jamaica, England and Ukraine have either lost or tied, and Germany has looked good but not great either. The fact that they won last year, showed that they always step up when they need to, and have virtually the same team as last year is what made me think they still deserve to be up there.

I believe I also stated that I know it's early so things will change, but for now this is what I see.

Anonymous said...

I think ur crazy it your ruling chile oout of the game against norway.. If Chile can ply the ball to there star striker Jerson or whatever his name is they will find them selfs successfull. If norway continues to play the way they have.. Well.. Lets just say it will be a wake up call.. Chile finishes first in the group, norway will be biting there nails to advance in the second spot.

Anonymous said...

Norway will beat Chile because the team is exactly the same as last year except for the keeper who is pretty good. There are enough clutch players on Norway that even if they crap the bed like they did in the first two games, they'll find a way to pull off a 4-3, or 3-2 win or whatever. That's what they did in the playoffs last year and they'll keep it close just so that it's interesting and people can keep doubting them. Nothing like an underdog status for a defending champion.

Anonymous said...

I agree. Norway always plays terrible against bad teams and they always win too. Its tough to say that they'll lose to Chile when Chile has only beat Poland and Italy and hasn't actually proven if they can even beat a good women's team yet. Norway beat ROI, Jamaica, and Greece last year and they are the same team

Anonymous said...

I agree. Norway always plays terrible against bad teams and they always win too. Its tough to say that they'll lose to Chile when Chile has only beat Poland and Italy and hasn't actually proven if they can even beat a good women's team yet. Norway beat ROI, Jamaica, and Greece last year and they are the same team

Anonymous said...

probably shouldn't compare chile to a womens team or Julia might get mad

Anonymous said...

Lets stop talking about Chile and Norway, it is getting boring. Lets just hope that the game is entertaining. Lets focus on some positive things about WCP.

Anonymous said...

The N.I. vs. Scotland game has huge consequences for that group. Winner will essentially make it through, while the loser is pretty much done.

Not_Anonymous said...

It is a big one definitely, but Scotland also has yet to play Jamaica and Ukraine who has been pretty much eliminated, but not completely, and even if they are eliminated, they have a lot of talk that needs to be backed up so they will be looking to walk all over their last two opponents. If Ukraine is already knocked out, look for them to play a major spoiler for Scotland. I am not saying they will win for sure but they will be out for blood.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to disappoint, but Julia, my sister, as I mentioned before is currently out of the country. Therefore she is unable to read what you are posting and unable to become upset.


Secondly, it is unreal how little respect Chile is being given. Chile doesn't need anyone to believe in them, nor do they need to be ranked in the top 5 for them to really care. Chile is out to play soccer and they have players that can actually play the game.
The biggest reason Norway will win is because they are the defending champs, that is the main reason people are giving Norway such a great advantage over Chile.
It doesn't matter who won last year, it's a new year with new players.

Chile bolsters a line up with a goal scoring threat in Jerson, but Jerson is not the only threat that Chile possess. There are a couple other players on Chile that are talented players. As I recall properly I don't think Jerson made every tackle, every pass, every save, and didn't go coast to coast every time.
Yet those peanut sized IQ fans believe that all that matters is the guy who scores the goal.

So to please the critics I say Chile will lose. Chile will lose 10 -0. Chile will be embarassed and their record will become 0-3; their two previous wins will be defaulted and given to Poland and Italy due to a majority vote. Even if Chile does win, it will be Norway's fault; as no matter what happens Chile is the worst team in the tournament.....

By: Julio

Anonymous said...

julio i agree with you chile is a very strong team and in my opinion will move on as #1 through group A. however, you have way to much time on your hands to have done this much writing

Anonymous said...

Julio just types like a mad man! You should see Julio in action, he is no holds bar!
Julio is just a crazy little guy!

Not_Anonymous said...

I think one of the main reasons why people are so against Chile now is because they are trying to defend themselves. I think Chile is a solid team, the people saying they will get last place and that they suck are just button pushers (unlike myself, although I pushed many buttons to write all this down) who say it for the reaction more-so than the validity of the statement.

To Chile, you guys are a good team, you know you are solid, only the game will tell who is gonna win vs Norway, and either way I don't see a blowout. My recommendation is to focus on Austria first because though they aren't a major threat, overlooking any team can bite you in the ass. Also, just like Laos needs to do, accept the fact that not everyone likes you so prove yourselves on the field rather than on here because that's where it counts. This blog is just for a bunch of bored soccer fans who like babbling about useless matters in anticipation of the real games.

Anonymous said...

It's no holds barred.

Anonymous said...

Yes Captain Obvious... I think it may have been an inside joke about the bar; but thanks for the clarification!

Anonymous said...

The only fair way to rank teams now are based on pts earned, goal differential, goals for, goal against and finally the quality of the opposition. You have to base on facts! not speculation.

Team GP W L D GF GA DIF PTS
Laos 3 3 0 0 14 2 12 9
Republic of Ireland 2 2 0 0 15 1 14 6
Germany 2 2 0 0 10 3 7 6
Chile 2 2 0 0 8 3 5 6
Norway 2 2 0 0 7 3 4 6
Northern Ireland 3 1 0 2 8 5 3 5
Jamaica 2 1 0 1 3 2 1 4
Scotland 1 1 0 0 4 2 2 3
Greece 1 1 0 0 3 2 1 3
England 2 1 1 0 6 7 -1 3
Austria 2 1 1 0 3 4 -1 3
Serbia 2 1 1 0 3 10 -7 3
Ukraine 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1 1
Italy 2 0 2 0 4 8 -4 0
Nigeria 2 0 2 0 3 7 -4 0
Canada 2 0 2 0 4 9 -5 0
Colombia 2 0 0 2 2 8 -6 0
Poland 2 0 2 0 1 7 -6 0
Portugal 2 0 0 2 2 10 -8 0
Botswana 2 0 2 0 4 13 -9 0

Anonymous said...

Germany has germs? Germany sucks except for Kirk? Congrats to the ROI fans whose names are on the roster, but are somehow drinking beer in the stands and beaking for no reason. Of course your going to beak when you guys have blow out games, but really how many players are valid. Hmmm...seems a little odd. BUt somehow the chileans were said to be the rude fans...all i can say is people get your facts straight. Atleast the chilean fans arent spilling beer all over their suits.

Anonymous said...

whose the top scorer of the tournament?

Anonymous said...

Thats because Chileans can't afford suits they spent all their money on drums. I like how Chilean fans get mad when other teams besides them have crowd support. F***ing Wankers.

Anonymous said...

There was nothing wrong with Ireland's fans. There's nothing wrong with anyone's fans. And if you want to talk about cheating, many teams (ex. Laos) are cheating just as much as anyone.

Top scorer as of now should be Brett.

Anonymous said...

I agree Irelands fans were just out for a good time. They were just there for fun and knew most of the guys on the German team. Shame on Chile for promoting their own fans and then condemning others.

Anonymous said...

chilean fan? i was a german fan. i was just reading through the blogs and people were beaking the chileans and i dont mind them.

Anonymous said...

That rankings system seems abit more legit, nothing against Non Anonymous; it was just that there was a lack of a base to justify why each team was ranked where. This system have a more proven system and still flawed, but a bit more valid. No ranked system is every not flawed though.

Secondly, for the guy who chooses to post without a name and talk trash and make direct insults to Julio; well good luck with that.
Yes I have lived in Saskatoon my whole life, I have never left Saskatoon to play soccer, and I have never played anything higher then division three. I can't help it that I live in a cardboard box and played soccer bare feet. So what, I suck and I can barely run; I can't help it. Hence why I am only a fan and party, atleast I can admit that much!
Maybe post your name, maybe showcase your skills, and maybe you won't get beaked... but I doubt it because you prolly are horrendous, or else you would have posted your name.
If your so good and your going to attack Julio's skill level, I'd would love to see you prove to Julio that you are a better player then him! I will even admit that I am terrible!


By: Julio

Anonymous said...

Read comments over. Julio hasn't condemned other teams fans. He never put anyone down. He has stood up for Chile's fans who were getting beaked but not once put any of the other fans down!
Slow down when you read, take a couple minutes to digest what you just read and then reply!

For the Julio hater, step up and post your name if your going to insult!

Not_Anonymous said...

The Irish fans were fun, the epitome of a soccer fan: Drunk, rude, and entertaining. As people keep saying in here, don't complain about any fan because in soccer, anything goes with fans. If your team gets beaked or you are annoyed by the noise, beak back or drown them out. Have fun with this people, this sort of thing only happens for two weeks every year.

Secondly, the statistic way of ranking teams is just as flawed as any opinionated system. That system does not take into account the fact that teams in pool C and D who have no wins could have 2 wins right now in pool A. Computers and numbers can't solve everything, some decisions must be left up to opinion because even though Ukraine has a loss and a tie, they would walk all over Austria, but Austria has a win so they would be ranked higher. Plus opinionated rankings leave a lot more open to argue and discuss and that's why we are all here.

Thirdly, your name was anonymous but I will call you "STFU" because you used that term so much, lay off of Julio. He's said a lot of good things about fan support and about the tournament in general and has not sunk to immature bickering with idiots like you. So 'STFU' try and take your own advice and save it until you have something useful to say.

Anonymous said...

Whoever is beaking Julio haha you dont even know i guaruntee he has played higher level soccer then you have. WAYY higher i guaruntee

Anonymous said...

Blow out games? Its not ROIs fault they have awful teams to play against in their pool. Considering the game to watch was Germany vs ROI that was not pretty.

Anonymous said...

The only competition ROI is going to have will be Laos in the Semi's. That is the game to watch! it should be the gold medal game but unfortunately wont work out as such.

Anonymous said...

The reason ROI is killing everybody and will no doubt win the tournement is because they have 6 or 7 players from the accelerators on there team. Now i don't want to start the whole "breaking the Rules" arguement over again. Some of them i believe are heratige players(maybe they all are, not counting benno). From what i understand is that the accelerators are a semi-pro team(if i am wrong fell free to correct me)so if you have 7 or 8 semi-pro players on one team don't you think they should win and if they don't i think i would die of shock(i hope they do lose, but i doubt it).

Anonymous said...

they should be killing everyone, they only team that can keep up in tempo and skill at the moment is Laos, they wont win but will put up a good fight. personally i find the ROI games rather boring with the blow outs, the only thing enjoyable is the skill with which they all play. if ROI loses again this year, they should start over with new players. the bigger shock than if ROI loses would be NI making it to the finals, or the semi's for that matter. they have a good shot at the quarters but should lose to either Norway or Chile.

Anonymous said...

I think Ireland comes just as close to any other team to heritage players. It's just the fact that every single player they have is awesome makes them stand out a lot more. Same thing with Laos and their 8 or so non-asian players.

Personally, I would hate playing on either of those 2 teams.

On another note, they will meet in the final if they both finish first in their pools. That's a good final.

Anonymous said...

B1 plays D2 so ROI v whoever ends up second hard to say.

D1 plays B2 so Laos v germany (maybe)

so assuming so the winners of these quarters play in the semi not the finals, those would be the winner of these match ups v the winners of the A and C matchups.

please correct me if i am wrong.

Anonymous said...

There's a little card at the facility that has the semi-final matchups on the back. I don't know exactly how A and C end up, but I remember that B1 will play D1 in the final.

So no, it's not AC vs. BD in the final.

Anonymous said...

I believe that England actually has as many Accelerators players as ROI.6 on each I think. So England ROI might be a real good match up. Also shouldn't the semis be set up so that
the 1st place team from last year would meet the 4th place team and the
2nd and 3rd would meet. So it'd be AD
and BC. Doesn't that make sense?

Anonymous said...

The dude who did the stats.

I agree with people basing their ranking on opinion is more fun. My argument is that if we base the ranking on logic, such as points for, goal differential, then we have a solid foundation - even FIFA's ranking are flawed, but there is logical evidence behind it. Opinions are fun, but for those who prefer objective rankings here it is:

Team GP W L D GF GA DIF PTS
Republic of Ireland 3 3 0 0 22 1 21 9
Laos 3 3 0 0 14 2 12 9
Chile 2 2 0 0 8 3 5 6
Norway 2 2 0 0 7 3 4 6
England 3 2 1 0 11 11 0 6
Germany 3 2 1 0 10 10 0 6
Northern Ireland 3 1 0 2 8 5 3 5
Jamaica 2 1 0 1 3 2 1 4
Scotland 1 1 0 0 4 2 2 3
Greece 1 1 0 0 3 2 1 3
Austria 2 1 1 0 3 4 -1 3
Serbia 2 1 1 0 3 10 -7 3
Ukraine 2 0 1 1 3 4 -1 1
Italy 2 0 2 0 4 8 -4 0
Nigeria 2 0 2 0 3 7 -4 0
Canada 2 0 2 0 4 9 -5 0
Colombia 3 0 0 3 6 12 -6 0
Poland 2 0 2 0 1 7 -6 0
Portugal 2 0 0 2 2 10 -8 0
Botswana 2 0 2 0 4 13 -9 0

Anonymous said...

See the problem that comes with rankings is that opinions are flawed due to natural human opinion, and statiscal rankings are also flawed because a team with 7 wins and 35 goals for could have just finished playing the 7 worst teams in the tournament. Ranking in general is a very difficult situation to deal with, I think the best situation to go by is to have a statistical system that incorporates certain elements such as all the numbers above, and certain amount of points for beating a "seeded" team and such. Yet no matter how it's done, rankings will never fully satisfy everyone.

Thank you Non Anonymous. "STFU" are fans/players/person who put dampers to the game. They just look to insult for no apparent reason and hope that people stoop to their level. There's nothing wrong with beaking and having a good laugh, but once you start making things personal when there is no reason to; that shows a lack of class and just puts a negative vibe out.

Julio plays for the enjoyment of the game. Enjoyment comes from having great fan support. It is difficult to like oppositions fans, but what is important is that they are respected and appreciated.

Lol Come on now let's be real, Julio can barely kick the ball let alone have hopes of playing at a high level. The only place Julio can live the dream of being any good is on his Xbox 360 while he plays Fifa 08 with his sister Julia, who infact will be missing the weekend's matches!

By: Julio

Anonymous said...

I like Julio in the third person!

Anonymous said...

ireland has fans?

Anonymous said...

" Anonymous said...
I think Ireland comes just as close to any other team to heritage players. It's just the fact that every single player they have is awesome makes them stand out a lot more. Same thing with Laos and their 8 or so non-asian players.

Personally, I would hate playing on either of those 2 teams.

On another note, they will meet in the final if they both finish first in their pools. That's a good final.

April 25, 2008 2:40 PM"

About the Laos thing: It's just really hard for Laos to have people not of their heritage playing for their country. It is so obvious, and thats the only reason people care about it. Probably half the teams in the tournment have the same kind of thing, but it's just not as abvious, which sorta sucks for Laos.

Anonymous said...

At least Laos' heritage players sit on the bench in uniform and play a few minutes in the games. ROI's heritage players are the drunk guys in the stands cheering. Personally I think that is b/s that they get away with that and I hope that split up as a team next year for the good of the tournament. No one enjoys watching one team steam roll everyone in their way, other than the drunk heritage players who come to watch their team from the stands.

Anonymous said...

Those guys are not even on the roster . Ireland only has 15 players on the roster and they all dress except for Mikes brother.

Anonymous said...

kirk is not the best player on chile hes probably one of their downfalls