Group D
Group D
Ukraine
Austria
Serbia
El Salvador
France
Colombia
Once again, Group D stands for Death. Ukraine, even though they are a stronger team this year, will definitely be hard-pressed to win their group. Much hyped newcomers France and El Salvador are the most obvious threats, and are joined by Serbia, Austria and Colombia. What it makes this group even more interesting is that Serbia is bringing in players from the Winnipeg team that rolled into Regina and won the men's cash tournament in January. Add in that Serbia recently trounced Ukraine in an exhibition game(definitely not indicative of Ukraine's power, but still), and it's clear this group will be very exciting. Colombia proved to be a fantastic team in last year's tournament, and although they fared poorly in Group D, they still had exciting games. Austria won two games last year and played strongly against Norway and Chile. Austria is a decent team and the top teams will be in trouble if they overlook them too much. Austria and Colombia will hungry for an upset.
Prediction: Ukraine has their team set, ready to rock, and should take this group. We've seen what happens to teams that bring strong players in and expect to do great...they fall hard. France and El Salvador won't have the organization or depth to take Ukraine out of the top spot. Don't get me wrong, all 3 teams are very strong and close to equal, but Ukraine is better established as a team. Serbia will in contention for the second spot, along with France and El Salvador. Serbia, Colombia or Austria WILL beat one of the top 3 teams in here, mark my words. However, it should still come down to France and El Salvador for the second spot, with France's superior goal-keeping giving them the advantage. Finishing order: Ukraine, France, El Salvador, Serbia, Austria, Colombia.
Game To Watch: France vs. El Salvador. Everyone will want a good look at the 2 new, and supposedly great teams. This one is purely of curiosity to watch them in action after so much talk about each team.
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94 comments:
Ukraine should make it through, but I don't know about France or El Salvador.
France has good strikers and a good midfield, but is lacking on defence. Tristan is a great goalie, but without a defence, France will be easy to score on.
El Salvador will have good strikers and midfielders, but again like France, lacking on defence, plus they don't have a good goalie.
So edge goes to France.
Frankly, I hope Serbia goes through.
First place in this pool is easy to call, Ukraine. Second place is really up for grabs. Its possible for any of the other teams to beat each other. I dont think people will be that shocked if Columbia or Serbia do sneak through.
I think Ukraine shouldnt have any problem getting first in this pool. Second place will be between France, El Salvador and Serbia. I think France will get through, but barley.
Whoa, looks like we have lots of confidence that Ukraine is going through in first...jinxed?
they are a pretty solid team.. lots of depth.
The predictions are dead on here. Team France have no defenders at all. We're going for an all out attack minded game. Strikers in the back, strikers in the mid, and strikers up front.....
might aswell say striker in goal too.. I have seen Tristan play up front.. very Thierry Henry like...
Gord Peever
;)
Ukraine has enough talent that if they can play like a team and not just individuals then I could see them winning the whole thing for sure. I think France is second cause like it was said if neither team has defence at least they have a good goalie. Although if El Salvador has a more defensive minded offence it could balance out a bit better… either way I’d like to watch that game because since it most likely will determine second place it should be intense.
I can't believe that El Salvador drew Ukraine... not only am I going to have to battle against my best friend of all time Andr... but the thought of trying to dangle Benno is not a pleasent one!
It will be a tough group... it's hard to say how ES will do to be honest, but know we will be out there trying to win it all.... Ukraine will be a tough team, and France will have talent that it will be a tough one....
Julio
anyone know when the schedule is set to be realeased?
december 25
es will win it all
there team is looking really strong
there will be in the final with laos
I think its better we keep the ES hype down to a minimal here... well letting the hyping start once we hit the pitch!
All I know is that if we manage to score some goals... the crowd better be ready to celebrate as we have some celebrations coming out!
jon wayne
Im david bechham and i say france who? lol they have brett they have yianni and then the have the poison players as well. and i dont think they need to be named everyone knows who they are. Not to mention how many of them are actually french? All i no is they have went around and stole other countries star players so to france congrats you are just as pathetic as Ireland
Ukraine will most definately not win the group, France should take the group with ease , and ES and the Ukes will fight it out for 2nd. With it leaning toward ES because they'll score more goals. Ukraine look decent, but do not have any real talent, just average. France look great a couple flash players that can change games, and as everyone knows its if they all click, but most of them play together anyway don't they? and ES always have a great attacking sense and flowing play. 1st France, 2nd ES , 3rd Ukraine.
I want Canada to win
that is smart thinking but the ES ukraine game will be a tricky one because I ukraine will be to physical for ES and as far as france i cant see them performing they have a very weak defence and to many promblem players on there team they will count on brett to hold them all together
Lee, you are absolutely insane. Ukraine has "average" talent? Do you even know who is on that team? They are loaded, and very deep. No other team in the tourney comes close to their depth.
I'll be very surprised if Ukraine doesn't take first. You're saying two teams that have never even played together, and will have played very few, if any, exhibition games before the tournament, will BOTH beat Ukraine? That's nuts. Ukraine should stomp them.
ukraine sucks.. they tied norway 3-3
you say no team in the tournament comes close to the depth of ukraine... did you forget about ROI ? every single player on that team plays premier... i don't think you can say the same about ukraine. Devin Harris isn't someone i consider a top notch man at the back. But what they lack in Devin Harris, they make up in Andy Wyatt. He's like the dwayne wade of wcp cup.
i didn't forget about ROI at all, but I wouldn't say their team is deep at all. They don't even really have a bench. They have their starting lineup, and they are in trouble if anyone off of that gets hurt. Ukraine has two full lineups of top players, and they ALL play premier.
I think the dark horse in this pool is going to be Serbia. This past RSA money tournament a team from Winnipeg came and beat every Regina team and won the tournament. Serbia, to my knowledge, have picked up four players from that team which should improve the team alot. Last year Serbia put up a fight against Gemany for that final playoff spot, but lost. This year I think they could push forward and knock-off teams like Ukraine and ES. I like France in this group for first, regardless what I may have predicted before. I still think that final spot is gonna come down to the Ukraine vs ES game, but don't be suprised to see Serbia in a similar situation.
Special One
Guess I'll have to get there to watch the Serbia Ukraine game, have to wait to see if these four players are really going to make Serbia. If the games close I think this pool is going to be a really close call. Maybe we'll see an upset.
curiouse as to who these "poison","trouble" players are in team France. ...
Da Bomb????? Please, Please under estimate team Ukraine, especially if you are in their pool.I am sure that you are probably better than guys like Benno, Sven, Dorosh, De Long, Maloche, Ferridge, Patterson and Zerr (insert sarcasm here). Every team has a bad game like the Ukraine/Norway game but this is why teams have exhibition games, but I am sure you all ready knew that! Riiiiggggght...
haha i am on team ukraine and i am one of those players you listed, i was just seeing what kind of reaction i got and i was hoping for one like yours :)
Don't tell me that Da Bomb is De Long... as that guy is a straight pansy!
Rumour has it Benno might not be participating this year
So I guess these are Ukraine's big threats:
Benno, Sven, Dorosh, De Long, Maloche, Ferridge, Patterson and Zerr.
Zerr is can finish but cant last a full game
Patterson is lazy and rarely plays at the level he should be at
Ferredge is a good player
Meloche is fast but doesn't really add to the team
De Long doesn't pass the ball so don't be suprised if his players do the same
Sven is a good midfielder
Benno is steady but rumors are saying he is injured?
I haven't heard of Dorosh before.
I think Ukraine is getting to much credit for having an alright team. Sure they had success last year but alot has changed since then. The Yorkton/Striker team is pretty overrated in my mind. I still think they have a chance to make it out of their pool, but will be in a fight with ES and Serbia.
Special One
Aww Julio are you still upset about Anikan Skywalker ... he was beaking too and deserved it. You can't leave it on the field :(?? But the reason I am posting is for Special One ... don't ever say the P Word around me again ... it makes me feel all gross and icky. But I do p#$* sometimes :D .. And just as a question when everyone is listing off our team why do they always leave off the best goalie in the province?
how has alot changed since last year? they only got better players and improved, you name alot of the negative things about those players but there is more good to them than bad and they have more players than just those eight you listed that are very solid. i think ukraine will be one of the more hardworking teams that doesnt lay off the gas and is consistently pressuring you. they will be tough.
OK, I have kept somewhat quiet on this site lately but I have to make a few comments. First in regards to DeLong (aka top scorer in Saskatoons top 2 indoor leagues and golden boot winner from the PSL), he is not a pansy Julio. Just because he paints his nails and wears make-up doesn't mean anything. Last year he played with two hang nails and a paper cut on the same hand!!! If that isn't tough, nothing is. As for not passing, obviously you never played with him Special One. Sure he holds onto the ball too much sometimes but that is usually a problem with the top goal scorers. I'm sure you would say Torres, Rooney, Messi and other players like that don't pass the ball either. I played with Steve for years and received too many passes to count. He will pass and will be one of the top players in this tournament.
As for Ukraine being over-rated, first the Yorkton players are the PSL champs two years in a row. The Strikers have been solid for years and I believe were at or near the top of the Regina league last outdoor. Zerr and Patterson have played at a high level for years including just being at Nationals 2 years ago and doing quite well there. If someone shits the bed and isn't playing well, we have a deep bench. You never mentioned guys like Derks, Krause, Crump, Jakubiec etc. The fact you don't know Dorosh shows you really don't know much about high level soccer. Talent wise we match up with any team in the tournament, no doubt. But I will agree with you as to us maybe getting too much credit. Lots of people think we are guaranteed to make it to the playoffs. Coming out of this group won't be easy and ES, France and possibly Serbia could easily beat us on any given date.
I could rant about DeLong... but I am not going to waste the Blog space on it.
Ukraine is Ukraine... they have good/decent players, but one real standout... and that's Benno. You can't really argue that, as you can put any of those players on other teams and they wouldn't be impact players. Ukraine, much like Yorkton, play a team system where you just need players to fill roles... ya Ukraine will do good, but don't get ahead of yourself about the actual talent level that's on the pitch.
Not horrible or bad players, just no real standouts.
why dont you rant about DeLong if you have so much to say? thats what a blog is for, im sure lots of us would like to hear.
Ya well Da Bomb... good for you for being interested... there's just no point.. and that's that
haha ok chief.
Wow, only one standout with a team that has players with numerous PSL titles as well as Provincial titles? That could be the dumbest post ever. I really would like to know who the standout players in Saskatchewan are because I haven't seen too many better players than what Ukraine has on it. Yes I could argue but not worth it on this site. You are no longer my BFF Julio, I hate you!
i like you alien... took the words right out of my mouth.
It wasn't a personal insult Andy... I am just saying, you put Delong for example on any other team.... for example Huskies... he'd be a role player... may not even register much playing time for that matter.
I didn't say you guys didn't win the last two provincial titles... which is good for you, and you can't take that away from you. I am just saying you guys win as you defend with eleven and its more of a unit than one player who does everything.
I would say Josh Northey, Jerson, Tomchuk, Jordan Schidlowsky, Michael Collins, Kevin Murphy, Stephen Krieg, Tavis... those are standout players... while Yorkton is literred with more role players.
It's not an insult towards you or Yorkton, as it takes a team to win...
Oh Julio, I really don't take offence but I like to argue. Let's use your logic and examples. You say DeLong isn't a standout and gave some examples of who you thought were standouts. Let's look at that for a second. I agree that all the guys you mentioned are good but let's compare them to DeLong. First is Northey. While Yorkton is a defensive team (in your words) DeLong tied Northey with most goals last year in the PSL. DeLong took no penalty shots or free kicks for the team all year and played an OUTSIDE MIDFIELD position. Northey was a striker (at least against us) and has had top of the line (for Sask) coaching and DeLong has had guys like me with no coaching experience. Wait until he has been in the Huskie program for a bit and you will see. Next is Tomchuk. I can't say DeLong is better than him but it is pretty close. Different players. I don't know much about Jerson or Krieg. DeLong is just as good if not better than Collins and Murphy. As for Schidlowsky, look at the stats in the indoor boarded league this year, it isn't close. Now I know DeLong is a hog in the league and Schidlowsky may not play all out but he also outscored Schidlowsky in the PSL and Schidlowsky was a striker, and DeLong definitely didn't hog the ball in outdoor. I have a lot more examples but don't need to bore you with them. DeLong is as good as him. And if you think Tavis is better than DeLong, wow. He had a good tourney last year but you can't just base it on that. Wait a couple of years maybe.
And I haven't even bothered pointing out how good our other "role players" are.
PS I still hate you Julio, you are dead to me.
wow looks like de long has some major proving to do going into this tournament. the only person he is not as good as in the entire tournament is tomchuk? last years mvp... big shoes to fill. de long is such a touted goal scorer i am excited to see him out score all those players listed. de long played last year right? how many did he get then? honestly if he is such a stand out he must have had a bunch. listen he is a good player but don't carried away.
You can't use indoor stas to compare anything... Jordan hasn't even shown up to half the games, as far as he was concerned the indoor season was over two months ago... or so he thought.
Northey never played striker... He was an outside midfielder... One on One, maybe one of the hardest players to stop. Very skilled and a good player.
I will compare DeLong to one player, and none of you may have heard of him... yet he lead the PSL in scoring two years ago. His name is Myles Shedden. He scores a bunch of goals... and yet he isn't a good player. He scores goals just like DeLong does.... yet he isn't a standout player. Another example, Cam Klien.... when he played Huskies... barely even played.. but he was in the right places at the right time and scored alot of goals. Yet overall, not a standout player...
Yet scoring alot of goals in indoor, or PSL doesn't make one a good player... I played with DeLong for the first time this winter, and to be fair he isn't horrible... but at the end of the day... the team was better off without him on the field. He was on for the majority of the goals against, and didn't score one goal... maybe didn't even register a shot... and he barely played which is the worst part as he was on for the majority of the goals against... and was at direct fault for the most of the goals aswell.
Yes DeLong may score goals in indoor and in the PSL... but isn't really all that good of a player, let alone a stand out....
Place him in a practice with other good players, and DeLong is not visible.
DeLong wants to play Huskies in the fall... and the reality is that DeLong may not even dress, yet alone start.... so how good does that make him... when he is 22/23 years of age playing with kids that are 19/20....
Does well for Yorkton, sure... Scores goals in indoor... sure.... Is he a stand out and good quality player... no... he is a role player on a good team.
I am not saying this because I don't like the guy, as I am not a big fan of Collins... yet I respect the fact that he can play. The reality is that DeLong isn't all that good because he scores goals in indoor....
Andy answer me this question then... the highest level DeLong has ever played is at Club Nationals... How many goals did he tally there? I am guessing between zero and possibly one is the answer....
Good Andy, Keep that hate going... hopefully I get a one on one against you and it will be an epic battle for the ages... ahah
I can give a whole bunch of examples of games I played to Julio but won't bother. If you really want to know about Nationals you can buy me a beer and I can tell you about it. Trust me I have a response for all your comments but I have a feeling I won't change you or Noitall's minds. Plus I don't want to focus on DeLong when my point was there are a lot of great players on Ukraine and not just Benno. Guys I never played with before like Zerr and Patterson deserve just as much credit as DeLong.
As for 1 v 1 battles in the soccer match Julio, the way you and I look it is more like 1.5 v 1.5.
Lol Fair enough... yet I've actually started running and going to the gym that MAYBE in three weeks I'll be down to 1.25 v 1.5 ahah
Julio ... I didn't think we were wasting blog space on me?? I knew it ... you have a man crush on me. I am wearing extra make-up to our ES game just for you buddy. While I do agree with the players you have stated as stand-out players that are more talented then me, I do not agree with the goals against theory of yours. Considering it was 3-0 before my shift came around I find that impossible. Although, I did give up a shitty goal which I can admit ... I really hope your analysis of my play in that game does not mean you felt you played strong. I like the fact you think I am a role player on a good team though because winning is all that matters. I could score 5 and lose and be pissed or play the shittiest game of my life and win and be pumped. So if that is how you see me its flattering. As per what this blog is about, Group D. I think people have put a lack of pressure on ES as a whole. I know the players on your team, including yourself and you are solid ... as solid as France or Ukraine on any given day and people who don't agree are oblivous to the talent you have picked up. You have left comments saying we will see when the time comes and at least we will have the best celebrations, but you know how good you are. Honestly I think which ever team France, Ukraine or El Salvador that does not make it out of this group should be disappointed. I am not saying the other teams in the group don't stand a chance as it is a very difficult pool all around. However, I think for ES to sit back and say we are not the favorites so we can lose and be fine with it is bs. And lastly, I am slightly confused as to your statement that scoring goals does not make you good?? I do agree that the goals Josh or Jerson will score will always look better then one I or sure someone like Myles will score. But basically what you are saying is a garbage goal or being in the right place consistently is less valuable then scoring the same amount of goals from 30 yards out?? Just curious :) ... ps. it is my b-day today Julio wanna come for a drink at the soccer centre with me?? I am being serious to actually I will be there at 6:00 as I play at 7:30 in JFK. If drinking is not part of new diet (which I doubt) I will get you an OJ ... if you don't come I will be upset :( worst b-day ever!
Ya No DeLong... I never said I played strongly, as I am still trying to get into a decent form from the two injuries I sustained in the last year... I also didn't go around calling opposing players my bitch last time we played.... and as I do recall I have 2 goals in the first five minutes and didn't bother with the unneccessary comments like you did through out the whole game... Some players score alot of goals and still suck... some players score alot of goals in the PSL and Indoor but once they get to a higher level.... they don't do anything.. I would say Lyle is one of the better finishers that I know, but outside of the 18 yrd box... well he isn't remarkable.
And man, ES is ES... do we deserve hype... I would say No.. Maybe if we start winning some games and putting out performances to gain respect... then hype away. ES will bring a great crowd. ES will try to make it out of the group.... but don't hype us up until we actually do something.
You do whatever you have to do DeLong to make yourself ready for the WCP. As for my diet... it still consists of alot of drinking! There is no real diet, its just actually going out and running for once. Yet I already have plans tonight DeLong that I am going to have to pass.
See the thing is I was not beaking him because I scored ... it was actually Sven who did it. And I only commented because on that penalty .. shitty call or not he was beaking me ... so if you are going to dish it out, expect it back.
And again you are avoiding how good your team is but that is ok I suppose, and yes I think people will be suprised by your team and I guess then you will "deserve hype". All I am saying is they should not be suprised.
And aww booo :( ... I will have to find a picture of you and bring it with me for company.
holy rude julio.. dont even say happy birthday to the guy.
happy birthday delong!
i'll see you tomorrow if your coming to regina for the exh. games ;)
Actually Steve, I have a life size cardboard cutout of Julio that I can bring if you want and we can drink with him. Usually I sit in my basement and drink with Julio and my cardboard cutouts of Brittany Spears, Michael Jackson and Conan the Barbarian but I'm sure Britanny, Michael and Conan won't be too lonely without Julio and I for the night.
delong? is that the guy who played on greece last yr that kinda looks like harry potter?
Haha, yeah that's him except DeLong is a little more feminine than Harry Potter. He looks more like Harry Potter's twin sister.
this is fun to read. I like reading.
Well i scene germany play and they are the best team i have scene play in a long time they just won a tournement in calgary watch out group D
you scene.. eh. c'mon karl.
sorry Da_bomb that isn't karl. I'm karl
is france good or bad or okay
if you scroll up on the blog, maybe you can read what everyone has been talking about. After you are done doing that, then maybe you can post and add to the ongoing conversation. If you can't comply with those simple instructions, then you are not qualified to post anymore messages on here.
Impressive post Better Than you... I like it...
better than you - your a jerk im going to put spagetti sauce on your shirt when i find out who you are
watch out homes lol
umm why do you guys worry soo much about how the players score goals, in reality a goal is a goal no matter how you get and no matter where it is on the pitch. players are considered good even tho they dont score 30 yrd goals, look at R. Van Nistelrooy the guy scores most of his career goals inside the box and people say he has great "positioning" not a lucky alright player. another good example is Filippo Inzaghi (italian strikers) that man scores a lot of what most people would call trash goals, but hes able to do that because hes at the right time at the right moment which makes him great. all im saying is at the end of the day its all about results, goals you score doesnt have to look pretty, you just have to score it. sometimes "role players" help a team out more than those "standout players" people give soo much attention to. as for delongs previous comment about winning...i would rather play the best game of my life and lose, than play the shittiest game ever and win the world cup. when i win it doesnt pump me up if i didnt help get that win, if you play shitty and your team wins, that means your team would have been better of without you on the pitch
Wow. This is a classy place. I'm not sure I'm worthy of posting here.
But since I am posting, I would just like to point out that Colombia is looking stronger than last year. I predict they will be half way up the scoring ladder after the first round.
I don't think the arguement was that Role Players, aren't useful to a squad.... as a good team has a balance of stand out players and role players... Different players play different roles...
For example, playing for Yorkton DeLong may be a stand out player... playing for another squad.. DeLong is a role player.
A goal is a goal, and that's what matters. I don't think the most talented players are the best goal scorers... for example 3 years ago, Ronaldinho was the top player in the world and he didn't score many goals in La Liga.... I was aruging that just because a player scores a million goals in indoor soccer, that isnt a cause to hail them to be unreal.
OK Kier, you would rather play a great game and lose than play a bad game and win? That is brutal. It always sucks when you play a bad game but if you win, it really doesn't hurt as bad. Part of playing a team game is having teamates picking you up when you have a bad game. I really don't see the logic in your comment. You say your team would have been better off without you because you played like crap but still won? Who cares, you won. How much better would you want to be? You play like crap and win 2 - 1 or you play great and win 6 - 1 does it really matter? The only importance is selfish reasons for feeling good personally. If you got a team that resents you after winning a game you probably have a shitty team to play on.
And Julio, this is your last warning. I am beginning to wonder if you are infatuated with DeLong the way you keep bringing him up. I do not want to point out all the flaws in your logic. I like you and don't want you looking dumb in front of all these bloggers. You are entitled to your dumbass views but don't pretend you can justify them with intelligence. Stick to insulting the kids on the site, some of those comments are damn good.
Um ya Illegal... you need to take it easy... take a deep breath before you post next time
nvm you dont get what i meant by playing good and losing
are you kidding me? there's not much room for interpretation there.
Quote: "i would rather play the best game of my life and lose, than play the shittiest game ever and win the world cup."
How can there possibly be any other meaning behind this?
That is the most selfish statement I have ever heard. If your team wins, how bad you play doesn't matter at all.
There's two levels of play in soccer. Individual, and team. Team level always trumps individual level. No matter what happens to you as an individual, what matters is what happens to the team. You're a part of that team.
Say my team wins the wcp cup, and I play terrible in the final. Would I go back in time and change it? Hell no. How can the result get any better?
Well said Al, and Julio, I'm not mad at you, I love you buddy, you're my BFF. It would take a lot more than insulting that loser DeLong to get me upset. I was just calling you stupid, I didn't think that was too offensive.
Poision players- the Bravos
so now they have played for all the clubs in the city now there goin to play for all the teams in the wcp, do you get passports for that?
my prediction for EL Salvador next year : Anibal will be starting center mid, Flavio will be the starting goalie, and Carlos will be the headcoach
ha what every happened to Anibal being a goalie? I'm pretty sure when he was younger, his team put him in the net because he wasnt able to play out? ha and now they get him to play out because they dont think he's able to play net.. he might as well try out center mid, his attempts at every other position havent seemed to work out....
how much people are coming from saskatoon to play with es.
how much are you stupid?
BAHAHA BAHAH
if you are going write on this blog please make it make sense.aka aka aka aka Da_Bomb ha hah hahahahhahahahahahahha
romeo...shut the hell up.
Romeo please stop!! You're killing the moment here!! Just shut up for once!! hahah
thank you i will shut up.does scotland play es today
i think that es will shock this group and turn this group around with alvaro playing mid i dont think any other midfield can go through alvaro. and alvaro has a sick shot so all the keeper better get ready for es and alvaro.
alvaro is just the best! i don't know why they have other people playing on the team, they should just let alvaro play every position at the same time. alvaro is the only player in the tournament worth watching. nobody else is as good as alvaro.
NOTICE: Anyone looking for Romeo will be able to find him in El Salvador's dressing room. Don't bother trying to talk to him though, his mouth will be full.
WTF?! Thanks I guess.... but I didn't even do anything worth while last game.. that I am not sure the hype is deserved... but I am not going to complain I guess.
And Better Than You... I actually like my teammates man, that it would suck being the only guy out there... it's a pleasure playing with guys like Ronnie, Jer, Dion, and Rolfe... as its fun to play soccer....
is bubba playing for es.
Alvaro is a good player, but i wouldnt say he's a player thats going to make or break a team. smart player that doesnt make many mistakes, (we played together growing up) He can really control the pace of the game if he wants. ES could have used that at the end of the Austria game.
But overall im very impressed with the ES squad. Definitely some scoring threats on this team.
But France has so many weapons, some probably thought a little too highly of in my opinion.
And Ukraine also has alot of potential.
This pools top 3 definitely, going to be an pool to keep an eye on
Valid point JW.
Alvaro could control the pace of any game; WHEN HE WANTS! That ultimately is the problem. When he wants he is brillant; when he is too busy being a jokester he can be the worst player on the pitch.
A CDM is a player who is skillful and does the right things, argueably the toughest tackler and the most simple ball moving CDM to have played thus far.
I don't see CDM's being game breakers, but a quality CDM makes a huge difference that many people don't notice.
France vs. Austria; what an exciting contest. Tough luck for Austria.
As for the top 2 teams that go through in this pool, it is evident it's still between the three favourites. It will all depend what happens when the heavy wieghts clash. I fore see France possibly being the odd team out.
Last night's games between France and El Salvador was the best game so far.
As the last couple of bloggers stated, Alvaro can make or break a game and he broke last night - tried to do too much. El Salvador's weakness is their back line so far and too much fancy shit.
France played as a team. I did not see anybody outshine anyone among the starters - great to see. Kevin, stop your flicks and just play like you can. You have sick skills.
Great Game!!
It was a tough loss, but you can't take anything away from France... their pressure on our back line resulted in a couple turn overs that lead to goals.
I can't disgree with you Mystroman... I had a shocking performance and ultimately did not do anything to help contribute to helping my team get a victory, as I was at fault for their second goal in letting my mark go.
With that being said, it is only one game and we still have two more to go. Hopefully we buckle down as a team and do what it takes to get through to the second round. Hopefully personally I can put out a more respectable performance as it was a shocker last night.
What was important as well though, is hopefully it was an enjoyeable game for the fans to watch... as it was a highly hyped game and it always sucks when those games disappoint.
france has group d all locked up now, they had a bad game against austria but shut out ukraine, so much for having no defense as stated in previous posts. ukraine is probably the most powerful offense team in the tournament but frances defense held them to nothing. cant help but wonder who the so called poison players are? seems like a pretty solid squad to me.
Beckham - Team France has proven itself to be worthy contenders. Who are you to say who has ties to a certain nation, you need to remember people have 2 parents and can belong to more than 1 eligle country to play with. And 'stole' other countries players?? Didn't the players themselves make the choice to switch teams? Don't even put Ireland and France in the same category - as long as there are people like Collins, O'Hare, and Giroux who's ego's should be counted as extra players - they will always be a less respected team.
haha O'Hare is a knob. Old guy that still thinks hes 16 years old. Grow up.
You can't take anything away from France... well rounded team, and more importantly they play intelligently. I think France has been the most balanced team, as the way they defend is just as strong as their attack.... may not have the BEST defenders, but they defend as a unit and pressure well... that it's very effective.
Sick goal Alvaro, unlucky way for the tourney to end
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