My buddies and I decided to have some fun and predict the ENTIRE outcome of the World Cup. I fully expect to be wrong on many areas but I'm really hoping the team I picked to win, wins it all wink
So let's see all of you throw out some predictions and we'll see how we all did at the end of the tournament.
************************************************

Portuguese International, Deco, played with FC Porto in 2004 and won the Champions League. Portugal went on to play in the finals of Euro 2004.

Fast forward to 2006, where Deco played with FC Barcelona and won the Champions League. Coincidence?

On to my thoughts...

Group A

1. Germany 2. Poland

There's no doubt in my mind that Germany will win this group. A strong goaltender in Lehman will take them a long way. Not to mention the fact that the host nation has ALWAYS made it past the opening round. It's a real crap shoot with the other three, but Poland is experienced and I feel they'll make the jump to the next round.

Group B

1. England 2. Sweden

One of the toughest groups in the World Cup. Sven Goran Eriksson's side is strong, though they'll certainly miss Wayne Rooney. If Sven can somehow find a formation that will use Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard as its focus points, England can definately repeat 1966. As for Sweden, there's no doubt in my mind that they'll finish second at least. Henrik Larsson is on top of his game this year and he'll be looked upon to provide a ton of goals. Look for Paraguay to possibly sneak into the top two but I'll still peg them for third.

Group C

1. Argentina 2. Netherlands

The Group of Death! With the exception of the Ivory Coast, all teams in this group have a legitimate chance of finishing first. Argentina has a powerful side and I'm looking forward to seeing Crespo and Messi in all their glory. As for second place, that's a total toss up between the Netherlands and Serbia and Montenegro. Up until recently I had the Netherlands on the outside looking in. But with Montenegro splitting from Serbia, I have a gut feeling that things wont work out for the squad. Granted there is only one Montenegro player on the team that was for the split, but that could still cause a division. Either way, we're in store for some very exciting games and I wouldn't be surprised to see Serbia and Montenegro finish second.

Group D

1. Portugal 2. Mexico

I'm anxious to see the Portugal/Angola game as it will be as much a soccer game as it is a political message. Angola, of course, was a colony of Portugal which resulted in a bit of a war back in the 70s. The last time these two met, the game was cancelled with like half an hour to go as Angola had too many Red Cards. So expect a violent action packed game between those two. With that being said, Portugal should easily get passed them. It's Iran that kinda scares me as they're very fast and lethal on the counter-attack. None the less, there's no doubt in my mind that the final game of the group stage between Portugal and Mexico will determine who finishes first. Mexico play a similar style to that of Portugal but I feel that the Portuguese experience, led by former World Cup winning coach Luis Felipe Scolari, will be enough to put them through to the second round in first place.

Group E

1. Italy 2. USA

Everyone is making a big deal about the Italian Scandal (as they should!) but I don't forsee that affecting the Azzuri at the World Cup. They once again have a solid side with the biggest difference being that they're playing a more offensive style of game. They were way too defensive in years past, which I firmly believe prevented them from winning past championships. When you have guys like Del Piero, Totti, Vieri (in his prime), Inzaghi...the last thing you wanna do is concentrate on defence. Now it seems many predict the Czech's will come out of the group stages but I see failure. A key injury in the form of Smicer, and the fact that the United States are a genuinely dangerous team, has me picking the Americans in second place. The US can not be underestimated...and while they wont win the tournament, they'll certainly provide some scares.


Group F

1. Brazil 2. Australia

This is another difficult group to predict as there are so many possibilities. There's no question Brazil will make it out of the group, but I'm going out on a limb and saying that Australia WILL defeat Brazil in the group stages. Guus Hiddink is one of the smartest coaches in the game, and always gets the best out of his players (See South Korea in 2002). Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, and Aloisi...they're a team to be rekoned with.

Group G

1. France 2. Switzerland

The biggest question in this group is which France team will show up. Will it be the 98/00 squad, or 02/04? I'm only picking France to win this group based on their weaker counterparts...but look for Switzerland to make some noise and come second.

Group H

1. Ukraine 2. Spain

I'm banking on a healthy Andreiy Schevchenko in the lineup for the Ukranians. If this is the case, I really think they can beat Spain and then cruise through the rest of the group stages. Spain is, as always, a strong team yet consistantly underachieves. It should be interesting to see how things pan out as the tournament progresses. If they get hot, they could easily go to the final four if not further.

ROUND OF 16

Germany vs Sweden
A classic battle but with home field advantage, and a healthy Ballack and Klose, Germany should take it

Argentina vs Mexico
A very intriguing matchup. Fans can expect a quick game but I'll side with Argentina for sure.

Italy vs Australia
At first glace it should be a cake walk for the Azzuri but I have so much confidence in Guus Hiddink's coaching abilities that I'm picking the Aussie's to move on.

France vs Spain
France will manage to get through the group stages but wont go much further. The Spaniards will make it look easy and cruise into the quarter-finals.

England vs Poland
There's talk that Wayne Rooney could be back in time for the Round of 16 in which case, the English will have even more fire power up front and finally give them the striker that they sorely need.

Portugal vs Netherlands
These two countries are quite familiar with each other. From qualifying groups to major competitions, they have faced each other a lot. Portugal has consistantly found ways to defeat Holland and it wont be any different this time around.

Brazil vs USA
The US may be a dangerous team, but they're nothing compared to Brazil. A quick, powerful squad...Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Adriano will run circles around the Americans.

Ukraine vs Switzerland
This will be a snoozer...Ukraine easily over the Swiss.

QUARTER FINALS

Germany vs Argentina
I'm salivating at the thought of this matchup in the quarter-finals. One of those games that you should set your VCRs and keep this game on tape forever. The Germans run will come to an end at the hands of Argentina.

Australia vs Spain
The Australians will continue their "Cinderella" run and Guus Hiddink will once again coach a team into the semi finals (3rd time he will have done so) at the World Cup.

England vs Portugal
They met in the Semi Finals in 1966 as England went on to win their first and only World Championship...but the same will not be said this time around. Portugal has owned England in recent years (Euro 2000, Euro 2004)...we know how to beat them and we will beat them.

Brazil vs Ukraine
Shevchenko will put up one hell of a fight but it wont be enough as Ukraine will be on the outside looking in...none the less, they should be proud of how far they've gone.

SEMI FINALS

Argentina vs Australia
The Cinderella run comes to an end, and for the third time, Hiddink will fail to advance to the World Cup Finals. Argentina has a phenominal team and they deserve to make it to the Finals

Portugal vs Brazil
The game of the tournament. Both teams play a similar style with the Portuguese refered to as the Brazilians of Europe. On one hand, the Brazilians will be able to score plenty on Portugal as Ricardo struggles with crosses and free kicks (watch out for Roberto Carlos and Ronaldinho). On the other hand, Scolari coached Brazil to the World Cup title in 2002 and knows them very well. Scolari is a smart man and he'll know how to beat them. So I'm picking Portugal because of Scolari and my heart.

2006 World Cup Finals

Argentina vs Portugal

I fully admit I'm basing this on my heart and saying that Portugal will win the World Cup. But it's not as far fetched as some of you may believe. With Scolari leading the way, Portugal is no longer underachievers. Pauleta is on fire, Cristiano Ronaldo will solidify himself as one of the top players in the world, and Luis Figo will finally be able to hoist the World Cup high above his head.

2006 FIFA WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS

PORTUGAL

We are starting our preview today by soccer maven Jim Allen.

Sorry to keep everyone waiting, but this takes a long time. I started last night, and I'm only on Group G!

I promise it will be worth the wait...complete with my own shocking picks...

It's ok we forgive you...cuz you know you do graduate tomorrow hahhaa...congrats again by the way

My two surprise teams to make the Round of 16 are Ivory Coast and Paraguay. IC recently tied the Swiss and lost at Spain by a lone goal. Paraguay was strong in its bid to make the Cup -- and just tied Denmark (the best team not in the Cup) in Copenhagen.

(which means traditional powers England and the Netherlands go home early)

So my predictions

A 1. Germany v. B 2. Paraguay. Germany moves on.

C 1. Argentina v. D 2. Mexico. Argentina has too much talent to lose that one.

E 1. Italy v. F 2. Croatia. Italy wins.

G 1. France v. H 2. Ukraine. Ukraine shocks the aging decrepit Frogs.

B 1. Sweden v. A 2. Poland. Sweden wins.

D 1. Portugal v. C 2. Ivory Coast. no offense Enigma ... but Ivory Coast pulls the biggest upset of the tourney.

F 1. Brazil v. E 2. USA -- tough luck for the Americans to get this match-up. (They need to finish first in their Group to avoid this one). Brazil wins.

H 1. Spain v. G 2. Switzerland. I like the way the Swiss have been playing of late.


QUARTERS

Germany v. Argentina. As much as I think the home advantage will help Germany, I love Argentina's chances.

Italy v. Ukraine. Italy makes it as the first European team.

Sweden v. Ivory Coast. IC's run comes to an end.

Brazil v. Switzerland. Brazil all the way.

SEMIS

1. Argentina v. Italy. Italy wins.

2. Sweden v. Brazil. Brazil all the way.

CHAMPIONSHIP: BRAZIL over Italy

Thanks for posting this! But when it comes to the World Cup I'm a disinterested observer. Oh, I'm interested enough, but I don't have much of a rooting interest...I just watch what happens with fascination.

Hey, I watched the World Cup draw live last year. My "My Yahoo!" homepage is decked out in the colors of Trinidad and Tobago. (All teams have a color scheme available. Maybe I'll change a few times during the Cup period.)

But I couldn't begin to predict the outcome of it all. I will make one prediction, though: I don't think Ukraine will make it into the round of 16. That's my predicted upset.

Finally, I'm done! I'm just way too long-winded. Thanks Enigma for starting this thread- my World Cup bracket was very fun to make! We'll see how I do- I am confident I got the champs right!

Here comes my longest Outsports post ever!

Group A-
1. Germany
2. Costa Rica
3. Poland
4. Ecuador

Germany aren't great, but they are better than their Group A opponents. Michael Ballack and company will have an easy road to the top of their group and a second round berth. Below them, it's a dog fight. Costa Rica is experienced and have improved since qualifying. Poland is on the up, and Ecuador have qualified for their second straight World Cup. Poland, however, will regret not taking Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek, and will fall against Costa Rica. Ecuador simply aren't experienced enough; they will finish last in this group.

Group B-
1. England
2. Sweden
3. Paraguay
4. Trinidad and Tobago

England are an excellent team, even without Wanye Rooney. Peter Crouch and Michael Owen showed good chemistry during the Jamaica match yesterday. The one weakness I see is the lack of a strong defensive midfielder; England usually play with Steve Gerrard and Frank Lampard in the middle, both of whom are great going forward, but not excellent defensively. Sweden are good, but not quite as good as England. If Sweden make it to the quarterfinals or further, it will be on the back of Zlatan Ibrahimovich, their superstar striker from Juventus. Paraguay are the third-strongest team in South America, but I don't think they have enough potent strikers to jump ahead of Sweden. Trinidad, the smallest nation to qualify for the World Cup, will have a tough time; Dwight Yorke and Stern John may score a couple goals, but they won't advance out of the group.

Group C-
1. Holland
2. Serbia and Montenegro
3. Argentina
4. Ivory Coast

The Group of Death will kill off two of these good teams; I think it will be Argentina and Ivory Coast going home first. Holland are strong offensively, and coach Marco Van Basten has been unafraid to get rid of aging players (see Clarence Seedorf and Edgar Davids) and bring in fresh youngsters from upstart teams like AZ Alkamazaar. Serbia and Montenegro had one of the toughest defenses to crack during qualifying; I think even Lionel Messi, Juan Roman Riquelme and the rest of the Argetine team will stuggle with their smothering pressure. Argentina are strong on both sides of the ball but have a history of underperforming. If one wants to look for a team to underachieve, look no further than Argentina (who failed in 1990, '94, '98, and 2002). Ivory Coast are good and had a strong performance at the African Cup of Nations earlier this year, but I don't think they are good enough to get by the Serbian defense. A strike of brilliance from one of the multitude of great strikers or a good defensive stop might be all that seperates the teams in this group.

Group D-
1. Portugal
2. Mexico
3. Iran
4. Angola

Portugal, as Enigma has been saying for months, are very good. I don't see anyone upsetting them, but they also haven't reached the second round since 1966. Mexico were the seeded team in this group, but they aren't as deep as Portugal; Francisco Fonseca, Pavel Pardo, and Jared Borgetti form a strong attacking core that should run circles around the Iranians and Angolans. Angola are improving, but they are nowhere near as good as Nigeria or Cameroon, let alone Portugal. Iran should do ok, but they won't trouble the Mexicans for the second spot in the group.

Group E-
1. Italy
2. USA
3. Czech Republic
4. Ghana

This group is the second group of death. Italy will triumph in the group due to their tight defense and strong offense. The USA, propelled by strong performances by Landon Donovan, Oguchi Onyewu, and Kasey Keller, will take second place. Expect that to not be determined until the final match, though, and to be determined by goal difference, not points. The Czech Republic were great at Euro 2004, but the injury to Vladimir Smicer and the aging midfield will hold them back. Ghana didn't show up for the African Cup of Nations, and I can't see even Michael Essien being able to carry them past the group stage.

Group F-
1. Brazil
2. Croatia
3. Japan
4. Australia

Just because I said Australia COULD beat Brazil, doesn't mean I think they will! Brazil will breeze through the group; Ronaldinho is a class above any other player in the world, including Brazil's opponents. Behind them, it could be a tough battle for second. I personally am rooting for Croatia to take the spot; I've had many Croatian coaches in my soccer playing days lol! They are led by Niko Kranjcar, a gifted playmaker who should deal easily with the Japanese and Australians. Japan are improving but will struggle away from home. Australia are a bit of a mystery- if they get a good result against Japan, they could sneak into that second place spot. If they don't, I would be more than happy to console Marco Bresciano wink

Group G-
1. France
2. Switzerland
3. South Korea
4. Togo

France is nowhere near as good as they were in 1998, but their opponents are not that tough. Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry will have no trouble rising to the top of this group. Switzerland and France are probably sick of each other- they played each other in Euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup Qualifying. The Swiss have been playing some good soccer, and, led by Philippe Senderos and Johan Volanthen, they will take second place. South Korea will have a tough time outside of Asia. Coach Dick Advocaat has assembled a young squad, but their inexperience may hurt them. Togo are probably the weakest of the African teams, and they didn't play well at this year's African Cup of Nations. I think they are really going to struggle in this tournament.

Group H-
1. Spain
2. Ukraine
3. Tunisia
4. Saudi Arabia

The perennial underachievers, Spain, will reach the next round, but fail there. They lack a strong striker....unless relatively unknown forward David Villa takes on the scoring load. Ukraine are a very composed side, and I think this tournament will show that their team can succeed with or without Andriy Shevchenko. I expect them to make a strong run. Tunisia were the first African side to win a World Cup game, and coach Roger Lemerre is eager to erase the failure before his name (he was France's coach in the 2002 World Cup). They may test Ukraine and Spain, but I think they will finish third due to defensive undoings. Saudi Arabia are no better than they were in 2002, possibly worse. They will struggle to create chances against Spain and Ukraine especially.


Round of 16-

Germany vs. Sweden-
Zlatan Ibrahimovich scores early, and Germany frantically presses. The question of this match will be, "Can Sweden's defense hold back the German attack on German soil?" The answer: yes. Germany's attack is propelled mainly by Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose. Lukas Podolski will be a little overwhlemed in his first World Cup, and Bastian Schweinsteiger will be inconsistent. If the Swedish midfield can deny Ballack time and space, they will head to the quarterfinals. Germany will feel the pressure of playing at home and will fall to the strong, composed Swedes.

England vs. Costa Rica-
No shocker here. With Wanye Rooney likely to be back for the second round, England will be cruising. The one potential challenge: if Rooney is just coming back, coach Sven-Goran Eriksson may make the mistake of starting him too soon. Even then, I don't think Costa Rica has the weapons to compete with England. If England is rocked by injuries or suspensions, and Costa Rica finishes their group play very strongly, then Costa Rica has a chance. Any other situation and England will be cruising to the quarterfinals for their second straight World Cup.

Holland vs. Mexico-
An interesting battle. The Dutch are superb, and the Mexicans are very good. Edwin Van Der Saar and the Dutch defense will have a hard time keeping Pardo, Borgetti, and Fonseca in check. On the other end, Rafael Marquez and Oswaldo Sanchez have the dubious duty of watching Arjen Robben and Ruud Van Nistelrooy. This should set up for an entertaining, high-scoring match. Goals by each team are countered by a strike from the other. After a tense extra-time period, Holland's longer domestic season and tougher group will show: Mexico will prevail on penalties.

Portugal vs. Serbia and Montenegro-
If the last match was an offensive tale, this one will be a defensive story. Portugal are strong on both sides of the ball, and Serbia are especially good on defense. This match will produce few goals, all scored by the Portuguese. Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo, and Pauleta will overwhelm the Serbian defensive unit. Even if Serbia and Montenegro pull one back, it will be late into the match, too late to make a difference.

Italy vs. Croatia-
Another all-European matchup. This time, it's the fantastic Italians against the upstart Croatians. Niko Kranjcar and Dado Prso, no matter how in-form they are, will have a hard time making a dent in the Italian defense. Prso might grab an early goal, but Italy will get the match under control. Luca Toni is a huge forward and will score multiple times. Alberto Gilardino, Toni's young strike partner, will keep the pressure up. Croatia will not relive their 1998 glory, while Italy start to make amends for their 2002 failure.

Brazil vs. USA
A rematch of the team's 1994 matchup. Then, a resurgent Brazil took on an up-and-coming US squad at home and won 1-0. This time around, the pressure is on the Brazilians to perform. With what's been called "the best team Brazil has ever assembled", the pressure is most certainly squarely on their shoulders. For the second straight tournament, the US will be playing with no pressure, and it will show, at least early. The US will score through McBride early, but then a unique thing happens: the pressure switches from Brazil to the US. At that point, Brazil will start to play their game and will score. Only if Kasey Keller and Oguchi Onyewu can play perfectly will the US advance. Instead, the most likely result: a win for the Samba Kings in regulation.

France vs. Ukraine-
The French will feel the pressure of expectation as well, wanting to forget the failure of 2002 and perform well in Zidane's last tournament. Unlike Pele though, Zidane will have trouble leading his team to a World Cup trophy in his final matches. Andriy Shevchenko will cause fits for the inexperienced French defence, and the Ukraine will easily, though shockingly, top France. Zidane will wrap up his careers with the painful tears of defeat, rather than the tears of joy he was hoping for.

Spain vs. Switzerland-
A tough match to call. Spain should be dominating favorites, but they are possibly the greatest underachievers ever in international soccer. The Swiss, as I mentioned, are improving under their new coach. For some reason, I just can't see Spain falling (yet). I pick Spain, but in overtime. The teams will likely exchange goals in regulation before Raul breaks his scoring drought and hammers the subpar Spaniards into the quarterfinals.

Quarterfinals-

Sweden vs. Mexico-
An interesting battle, as neither team is a regular in the semifinals of the World Cup. Sweden made it there last in 1994 (their first time in the semis since hosting the tournament in 1958), and Mexico have never been there. Jared Borgetti, Rafael Marquez, and the rest of the Mexican team's luck will run out on this day. I think Sweden have the skill to topple Mexico, on both sides of the ball. The match might be close if the Mexicans can sneak a goal in, but in this round, Sweden's defense just looks too tight.

Italy vs. Ukraine-
Another Cinderella story ends. Italy is simply too good to fall to the Ukraine. Shevchenko, playing against former AC Milan teammates, will certainly cause some problems for the Italians' defense, but on the other end, I don't see the Ukraine being able to hold Francisco Totti and company back. Not a blowout, but the outcome will never be in doubt. I expect Italy to win easily, but congratulations to the Ukraine for making it so far in their first tournament.

England vs. Portugal-
A rematch of the teams' Euro 2004 quaterfinal. A back and forth match was won by Portugal on penalties, and I can see this match extending just as far. Both teams are strong and both have improved since 2004. Wanye Rooney has become a superstar, and by this point in the tournament, he will certainly be back. Pauleta will be in competition for the Golden Boot though... It's another back and forth match, with one team scoring, and the other replying. In the overtime, though, English hearts are broken when Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo heads a corner kick home. A bitter ending to a close match...this will definitely be one of the first matches in a new rivalry between the overconfident English and the underachieving Portuguese.

Brazil vs. Spain-
No contest. Lacklustre Spain were lucky to make it this far. Ronaldinho runs circles around the Spanish defense and opens scoring with a goal rivaling the brilliance of Diego Maradona's 50-yard dribbling run against England in 1986. Adriano and Ronaldo score, with Ronaldo's strike making him the all-time leading scorer in the World Cup, finally passing Gerd Mueller of Germany. And again, with a whimper, the Spaniards depart. Coach Luis Aragones will surely lose his job, as there's simply no reason Spain should look so poor; they have the talent in their squad to compete with Brazil, but they just aren't motivated. Brazil, on the other hand, roar into the semfinals; headlines around the world call them the greatest World Cup squad since the Pele-inspired Brazil of 1970.

Semifinals-

Sweden vs. Italy-
The final Cinderella of the tournament bows out. There is no doubt in my mind that Italy are composed enough to reach the final. But, this match should provide a little challenge at least. Totti and Luca Toni will have to work to crack the Swedish defense, but Toni's size and strength will lead to a goal. From there, Italy score a second, and Sweden are left reeling. Zlatan Ibrahimovich provides inspiration for a late rally though; the Juventus forward knows Italian 'keeper Gianluigi Buffon very well. Ibrahimovich sneaks one in past the tough Italian defense and leads Sweden in throwing everything they have against the Italians. Off a counterattack though, Totti seals the win, and Italy finally make amends for their 1998 and 2002 performances.

Portugal vs. Brazil-
The colony faces off against the colonizer. The Brazilians experience in World Cup semifinals will lead them to a win; Portugal's inexperience (this being their first semifinal since 1966) will lead to premature celebrating. Tired from the England match, Portugal is caught sleeping early when Adriano finishes off a quick series of passes between himself, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho. The Portuguese respond with another Pauleta goal, only for Brazil to steal the match back through Ronaldo. The "other" Ronaldo, the beautiful Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, fires home again to tie the match. But late on, the Portuguese defense is caught sleeping again- a botched offsides trap leads to Ronaldo breaking in on goal; he finishes coolly. Ronaldinho caps off the most exciting World Cup semifinal in a long time with another spectacular goal. Portugal are inconsolable, and Brazil head to an unprecedented fourth straight World Cup Final appearance. Sorry Enigma- but this Brazil team is just far too good for Portugal to beat.

3rd Place Game-

Sweden vs. Portugal-
Both teams look to play exciting soccer, but the Portuguese do so much more confidently. Pauleta wraps up the Golden Boot with multiple goals; Henrik Larsson scores as well. But the result is no surprise: the brilliant Portuguese joining the likes of Brazil '82 and Argentina '98 as some of the greatest sides to fail to win the World Cup. Third place is good, but Euro 2008 will hopefully bring the Portuguese some success...

2006 WORLD CUP FINAL-

Italy vs. Brazil-
A rematch of the 1970 and 1994 Finals. This final will be much more similar to 1970 than '94. This match will reopen the door to free-flowing, attacking soccer like that of the 1970's. Brazil go forward often and attack with passion and effectiveness. Italy counter not with the defensive shell they are so famous for, but instead by going forward with aplomb. Quick passing, clever tricks and feints, and jaw-dropping combos will lead to the highest scoring final in decades. Brazil strike first, followed by Italy's reply. Neither team takes a definitive advance until the second half, when the brilliance of the Brazilians leads to three unanswered goals. Beautiful strikes by Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, and Adriano bring back memories of the goals by Pele, Jairzinho, and Carlos Alberto to win the 1970 World Cup. When the final whistle blows, Brazil will win 5-2, the most exciting World Cup Final since West Germany-Italy in 1982. Brazil 2006 open the door to a new era of attacking soccer, and Italy join Portugal as one of the greatest squads not to win the World Cup. No incredible feats of defense or offense will stop the Samba Kings from lifting the World Cup for the 6th time.

Excellent write up and I love how you played out the matches hahaha that was awesome!

Only one mistake...

You spelled World Cup Champions wrong...it's P-O-R-T-U-G-A-L

[ June 07, 2006, 10:55 PM: Message edited by: Enigma ]

The Swami speaks:

Group A
Germany 3 Costa Rica 1
Poland 0 Ecuador 0
Germany 2 Poland 1
Ecuador 2 Costa Rica 4
Ecuador 2 Germany 1
Costa Rica 0 Poland 1

Group B
England 3 Paraguay 1
Trinidad & Tobago 0 Sweden 1
England 2 Trinidad & Tobago 1
Sweden 3 Paraguay 1
Paraguay 0 Trinidad & Tobago 1
Sweden 2 England 1

Group C
Argentina 3 Ivory Coast 4
Serb & Mont 2 Holland 1
Argentina 5 Serb & Mont 0
Holland 2 Ivory Coast 2
Holland 0 Argentina 3
Ivory Coast 2 Serb & Mont 0

Group D
Mexico 1 Iran 3
Angola 1 Portugal 2
Mexico 2 Angola 1
Portugal 3 Iran 2
Portugal 1 Mexico 3
Iran 3 Angola 0

Group E
USA 2 Czech Republic 2
Italy 3 Ghana 1
Italy 2 USA 1
Czech Republic 4 Ghana 0
Czech Republic 3 Italy 3
Ghana 1 USA 4

Group F
Australia 2 Japan 1
Brazil 3 Croatia 0
Japan 2 Croatia 0
Brazil 2 Australia 1
Japan 0 Brazil 4
Croatia 1 Australia 3

Group G
South Korea 1 Togo 1
France 2 Switzerland 2
France 3 South Korea 3
Togo 2 Switzerland 1
Switzerland 3 South Korea 1
Togo 3 France 1

Group H
Spain 4 Ukraine 1
Tunisia 2 Saudi Arabia 1
Saudi Arabia 1 Ukraine 1
Spain 3 Tunisia 1
Ukraine 4 Tunisia 4
Saudi Arabia 1 Spain 3

Second Round
Germany over England
Argentina over Mexico
Sweden over Costa Rica
Ivory Coast over Iran
Australia over Czech Republic
Spain over Togo
Brazil over Italy
Spain over France

Quarterfinals
Germany over Argentina
Australia over Tunisia
Sweden over Ivory Coast
Brazil over Spain

Semifinals
Germany over Australia
Brazil over Sweden

Third place
Sweden over Australia

Final
Germany over Brazil

Now the Swami waits to fall flat on his fat ass.

Edit to add::the team most likely to pull off at least one upset: Ghana

[ June 09, 2006, 03:47 AM: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

With over half the teams now set for the Round of 16, our predictions were pretty true to form. Except for Ecuador -- no one picked them to move on. The one true surprise thus far.

After Round One

Enigma
14 of 16 teams correct
Groups B,C,D,F EXACTLY correct

Metromathis13
12 of 16 teams correct
Groups B,D,H EXACTLY correct

DC Bucky
11 of 16 teams correct
Groups D,H EXACTLY correct

Sportinlife, I didn't use yours because some groups didn't add up...(ie. Group A...you had Costa Rica advancing though in your results Ecuador has more points)

I guess I didn't account correctly for "goals against". Not that it matters. I always hope for more upsets than what actually happens.

I love an underdog.

Going to be checking out both games today on the sports offerings. Really looking forward to Germany/Sweden. It should be a fan yell fest. wink

My revised Second Round, and beyond, based on corrected winners of the original groups:

Second Round

1-Germany over England

2-Argentina over Mexico

3-Sweden over Poland Costa Rica

4-Iran Ivory Coast loses to over Ivory Coast Iran

5-Italy Australia loses to over Australia Czech Republic

6- Togo Spain loses to over Ukraine Togo

7-Brazil over Czech Republic Italy

8-Spain over Switzerland France

Quarterfinals

A-Germany over Argentina

B-Australia over Ukraine Tunisia

C-Sweden over Ivory Coast

D-Brazil over Spain

Semifinals

I-Germany over Australia

II-Brazil over Sweden

Third place

Sweden loses to over Australia

Final

Germany over Brazil

I sort of juxtaposed what I recalculated to be my actual Group winners/results in bold based on my original scores for participants in that Group, with my original miscalculated results, left in normal type.

I don't know if it means anything to anyone except me, but at least I'll sleep better tonight - unless someone tells me I screwed up again. :cool:

Regardless, this has been a great Cup to watch. And I'm really looking forward to the rest of it.

Round of 16 Results

Enigma
6 of 8 winners correct
Round Robin Results
14 of 16 teams correct
Groups B,C,D,F EXACTLY correct

Metromathis13
5 of 8 winners correct
Round Robin Results
12 of 16 teams correct
Groups B,D,H EXACTLY correct

DC Bucky
5 of 8 winners correct
Round Robin Results
11 of 16 teams correct
Groups D,H EXACTLY correct

Sportinlife
Made one little mistakes with your revised choices...went back and fixed some stuff up for ya

Round Robin
10 of 16 teams correct
Group F EXACTLY correct

The only mistake you made...

You actually had Tunisia with 4 Points, while Ukraine only had 2 Points...so Tunisia should be in the Round of 16

So this is how your quarter-finals should look...

Germany x England
Sweden x Poland
Cote D'Ivoire x Mexico
Iran x Argentina
Italy x Australia
Czech Republic x Brazil
Togo x TUNISIA
Switzerland x Spain

So based on your results

3 of 8 correct in Round of 16

Now you can sleep better hahaha great job though bud!

[ June 28, 2006, 08:43 AM: Message edited by: Enigma ]

I spent six hours commuting to and from work today on what should have been 1 1/2 hour max round trip, because of all the flooded roads.

Believe me, I will sleep veeery well tonight. wink

Thanks for the fixes anyhow. I intend to do just as poorly in 2010. UP WITH THE UNDERDOGS!!!