Anybody watching U-20 world cup

Luc · Post by **Luc** » 22:24 Sat 07 Jul 2007

Although England isn't represented , Ireland is Here , although they will be going back soon . Canada hasn't done much better .
The 1st 11 out of 16 games have been sold out . Attendance stands at 400,000 , which is big for us .
Now If they only could have given each fan a gift certificate to a Port tasting . . .

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 22:49 Sat 07 Jul 2007

Luc,

I have to say I wondered what World Cup. Was amazed to find out it was football!
We're football mad over here, but its getting no coverage. Its probably because we've only just had the Under 21 European Championships. Holland won, England were knocked out in the Semi's.
I've never actually noticed an Under 20 Team, its always Under 21. Are any of the Big European Teams represented, and whats the official excuse for no England Team?
And finally, who's going to win it?

Alan

Luc · Post by **Luc** » 22:40 Mon 09 Jul 2007

Here are the teams :http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/teams/index.html

Todd P · Post by **Todd P** » 06:39 Fri 13 Jul 2007

I am proud to say that one of the cities the U20 World Cup is being played in is the city I work in and called home for nearly 25 years. Edmonton.

Ummm, my team (Canada) sucks. We're out. <sigh> Yep... home team couldn't even make the "Round of 16"

Not a single goal in the tourney. THAT should demonstrate the (sad) state of football affairs in this country.

Mind you, I'm working on producing the next David Beckham (do you Brits still think he is the best in the world, especially now that he has moved to the US, or is he now just Colonial Trash???

) My son, 4, scored 37 goals in 8 games (one game he only got one but was sick with the flu) having never played soccer before, and being at the extreme end of the 4-5 year old age bracket. (Sorry - proud papa moment.) Must be all the practise he does in the back yard with his old man, who never played the game because he was too busy with hockey and 'american' football when he was a kid!

Todd

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 09:28 Fri 13 Jul 2007

Luc,

Cheers for that. As I suspected, you've got yourselves a World Tournament without the top half a dozen European sides. You've got Portugal because they were surprisingly knocked out of the under 21's a few months back.
My team had a little flirt with Freddy Adu, but we dont think he's the real deal. Is he shining?

Todd,

Beckham is a waning star. His football is declining, but I dont think that will upset the Galaxy, they've bought the package. And it can be big. Magazines,papers,tv and radio, on about fashion, affairs, music, even occasionally football!
Keep that lad of yours going. Its a million to one shot, but any kid that makes it into the big sports makes a healthy living. The balancing act is keeping them grounded whilst everyone around them, is in effect, shouting "Win"!

Alan

Luc · Post by **Luc** » 04:21 Sat 14 Jul 2007

Hi Alan
Freddy Adu and Josmer Altidore ( team U.S.A. ) are in the top 5 goal scorers .
Adu scored 3 in one match . He's no doubt talented , quick with his feet but his attributes end there .
Altidore has talent and more heart .

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 04:28 Sat 14 Jul 2007

I dont know that lad, but I'll keep my eyes open. There's paper talk that Adu's agent is trying to flog him to Celtic. We'll see.
There's a big game coming up in the South American Championship Final. Brasil v Argentina. Worth a watch, but its on at around 2am over here which is a bit of a late one.

Alan

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 11:57 Tue 17 Jul 2007

To the Bookmakers surprise Brasil won 3-0 against the Argies. Good Game.

Not worth a thread on its own, but I've got to make my only comment on the Beckham Hype! (I refuse to waste more time on him, until he starts deserving it on the pitch)
Unless the American League is hopeless, and that would surprise me when they have players like Adu, and old stalwarts like Cobi Jones, etc, I suspect they are in for dissapointing times from Becks.
At his height, 3/4 yearsa ago, he was a great crosser of a ball and deadball expert. Possibly World Class in those departments.
But he has never been able to go past a man in his career. His potential for being a match winner is therefore incredibly reduced. Its no coincidence that Real Madrid couldn't win a Spanish Title for 3 years with him in it. This year, Becham was dropped for most of the season, and only came in for the last 6 games. The team won the Title this year, but with such ordinary football, they still sacked their manager!
Not sure whether I agree with that one but it still highlights that Becks is no world beater. He made commercial sense to Real when they bought him, and the same with Galaxy. I suspect he'll have a lot of niggley injuries this season. He'll have that as cover as to why its not quite happening for the team, and there's only a modest improvement.
There'll be a couple of screamers thrown in, to keep the marketing men happy, but this footballer is no Lionel Messi, No Christiano Ronaldo, No Ronaldiniho,etc,etc
On a personal level, he's not the sharpest tool in the box either. Someone was asked if he could progress onto acting when his football days are over...The answer was 'Only if they go back to Silent Movies!'

Alan

KillerB · Post by **KillerB** » 15:15 Tue 17 Jul 2007

...and now I have to disagree with Alan on football, especially a Man Ure one.

No, it's no coincidence that Real Madrid couldn't win the title with fat, lazy overpaid superstars. Beckham was a superstar but not fat and lazy. It was generally agreed that he was one of the few that kept them in it.

True that he has never gone past a defender apart from the one time when there was a national cry of "Bloody Hell!". However, his early swinging delivery makes up for that by putting the ball in the danger area earlier than anybody else. He is not a show-pony but a hard-working right-sided mid-fielder with a couple of very special tricks - a two-trick pony.

He is more likely to succeed in America because he works for the team whilst Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Messi would be frustrated with their lesser-talented team-mates and disappear for most of the game.

I wish him well.

Post by **DRT** » 17:26 Tue 17 Jul 2007

Now that Paris Hilton's cell is free can someone please put Posh in it and throw away the key?

Derek

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 20:39 Tue 17 Jul 2007

Alex, or is it ABU?

We'll never agree on football. But unlike opinions on how good a bottle of Port is, this discussion will have an end result. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating. United for the Premiership an the Champions League! Beckham to be mostly injured, and Coventry to change their manager.

Alan

Post by **DRT** » 21:37 Tue 17 Jul 2007

OK, if you're getting into predictions I'm going for a long-shot for the 2007-08 season:

1. Celtic or Rangers to win the Scottish Premier League
2. The other one to come second
3. Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen to make up 3rd, 4th and 5th in any order
4. Scotland to fail at the final hurdle to qualify for Euro 2008, despite a magnificent start beating France and drawing with Italy, by being humped 3-0 by Georgia in the final qualifying match

Come on, what odds do I get for that?

Derek

Post by **DRT** » 21:49 Tue 17 Jul 2007

Back on thread....

Group F

__________P .W .D ..L ..GF .GA .Pts
Japan ..........3 . 2 . 1 . 0 . 4 .. 1 .. 7
Nigeria ........3 . 2 . 1 . 0 . 3 .. 0 .. 7
Costa Rica ...3 . 1 . 0 . 2 . 2 .. 3 .. 3
Scotland ......3 . 0 . 0 . 3 . 2 .. 7 .. 0

I'm glad I didn't watch

Derek

PS: Sorry about the dots - is there a way of posting a table of data?

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 21:52 Tue 17 Jul 2007

Do they play football up in Scotland?
Excellent, great to see.
And lots of teams as well. Well I never.

I knew they had a National side. I'll never forget Alley McCloud! That was his name, wasn't it? "We're bringing home the World Cup"

Alan

Post by **DRT** » 22:06 Tue 17 Jul 2007

This is what you are searching for.....

We're on the march wi' Ally's Army,
We're going tae the Argentine,
And we'll really shake them up,
When we win the World Cup,
'Cos Scotland is the greatest football team,
We're representing Britain,
And we're gaunny do or die,
England cannae dae it,
'Cos they didnae qualify!

We're on the march wi' Ally's Army,
We're going tae the Argentine,
And we'll really shake them up,
When we win the World Cup,
'Cos Scotland is the greatest football team

I, for one, believed it

- but then I was only 13 at the time

If you don't know the tune I may just be persuaded to sing this after the F Plan

Derek

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 00:02 Sun 22 Jul 2007

It hasn't taken Becks long to develop some serious niggley injuries!!!

Post by **Alex Bridgeman** » 06:54 Sun 22 Jul 2007

Perhaps we should send him some port - if he drank more port then surely he would suffer fewer injuries.

What should we send him?

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 14:42 Sun 22 Jul 2007

BTW, its called SOCCER

where is that stiring-the-pot emoticon

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 15:42 Sun 22 Jul 2007

So Becks isn't a footballer?

Is he a Soccerer?

Alan

Andy Velebil · Post by **Andy Velebil** » 16:58 Sun 22 Jul 2007

You mean the guy that soccer (err, football) team down the street from me paid WAY too much $$$ for? I think he played all of like 12 minutes the other day cause he gots an ouchie

Yes he is now a Soccerer

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 21:36 Sun 05 Aug 2007

Conky wrote:To the Bookmakers surprise Brasil won 3-0 against the Argies. Good Game.

Not worth a thread on its own, but I've got to make my only comment on the Beckham Hype! (I refuse to waste more time on him, until he starts deserving it on the pitch)
Unless the American League is hopeless, and that would surprise me when they have players like Adu, and old stalwarts like Cobi Jones, etc, I suspect they are in for dissapointing times from Becks.
At his height, 3/4 yearsa ago, he was a great crosser of a ball and deadball expert. Possibly World Class in those departments.
But he has never been able to go past a man in his career. His potential for being a match winner is therefore incredibly reduced. Its no coincidence that Real Madrid couldn't win a Spanish Title for 3 years with him in it. This year, Becham was dropped for most of the season, and only came in for the last 6 games. The team won the Title this year, but with such ordinary football, they still sacked their manager!
Not sure whether I agree with that one but it still highlights that Becks is no world beater. He made commercial sense to Real when they bought him, and the same with Galaxy. I suspect he'll have a lot of niggley injuries this season. He'll have that as cover as to why its not quite happening for the team, and there's only a modest improvement.
There'll be a couple of screamers thrown in, to keep the marketing men happy, but this footballer is no Lionel Messi, No Christiano Ronaldo, No Ronaldiniho,etc,etc
On a personal level, he's not the sharpest tool in the box either. Someone was asked if he could progress onto acting when his football days are over...The answer was 'Only if they go back to Silent Movies!'

Alan

Good old Becks...He's doing me well so far!

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 15:04 Wed 15 Aug 2007

Man the barricades!!!

Word is that if Becks doesn't play tonight, he can't be considered for England next week. Watch those niggley injuries clear up for a fortnight!

The Beckham Roadshow will finally hit LA.

Alan

Luc · Post by **Luc** » 15:16 Wed 15 Aug 2007

Is this guy for real , or what ??
They say love is blind , but what was L.A. thinking ??

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 08:48 Fri 24 Aug 2007

KillerB wrote:...and now I have to disagree with Alan on football, especially a Man Ure one.

No, it's no coincidence that Real Madrid couldn't win the title with fat, lazy overpaid superstars. Beckham was a superstar but not fat and lazy. It was generally agreed that he was one of the few that kept them in it.

True that he has never gone past a defender apart from the one time when there was a national cry of "Bloody Hell!". However, his early swinging delivery makes up for that by putting the ball in the danger area earlier than anybody else. He is not a show-pony but a hard-working right-sided mid-fielder with a couple of very special tricks - a two-trick pony.

He is more likely to succeed in America because he works for the team whilst Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Messi would be frustrated with their lesser-talented team-mates and disappear for most of the game.

I wish him well.

KillerB,

Early days, but its not a bed of roses at the moment! Still holding firm on that prediction?

Alan

Conky · Post by **Conky** » 12:27 Sat 25 Aug 2007

Ruddy Hell!

I should set up at the end of the Pier as Gyspy Rose Lee, the fortune Teller!

After his two week 'recovery'

for the International, the Sod's injured again, and is going to need a long rest!!!

And the few games he's played in...They've lost!

I'd love to hear anyone who wants to defend him, or the money and fuss wasted on him?

Alan