The best player that won't be at the World Cup

[Rosco]

Will it be this man below ?

Portugal are fourth in their group, with not many games left to make up the gap.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/europe/standings/index.html



Any other contenders ?

 

[SaintGeorge67]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

Michael Owen

*runs*

 

[keniget]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

I like how Liedson has suddenly become Portuguese.

 

[Rosco]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

[quote author=keniget link=topic=35715.msg940064#msg940064 date=1252409473]
I like how Liedson has suddenly become Portuguese.
[/quote]

Yeah got his passport a few months early apparently.

What else can they do though, they just don't produce strikers. Tricky wingers seems to be all they can produce.

 

[Squiggles]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

I think they'll scrape through.

I'd like to smash Portugal in the WC, I really dislike them.

 

[Richey]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

Looking at those tables its difficult to see how Portugal will make it

Argentina still haven't guaranteed their place either, though I'm sure they will get through in the end

 

[Rosco]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

Mexico have some work left to do too. It would be unusual to have a world cup without them in it.

 

[Rosco]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

Strange stat for you, in the last five or so World Cups one of the teams that made the 3/4 place playoff has failed to qualify for the next tournament.

Portugal were in it last time if I remember rightly

 

[SaintGeorge67]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

Random question (I hope its right as ive not checked!), who is the only head of government to have resided over two world cup victories?

 

[Richey]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

[quote author=Rosco link=topic=35715.msg940079#msg940079 date=1252410453]
Strange stat for you, in the last five or so World Cups one of the teams that made the 3/4 place playoff has failed to qualify for the next tournament.

Portugal were in it last time if I remember rightly
[/quote]

Didn't both from 2002 go on to qualify for 2006?

 

[Richey]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

[quote author=SaintGeorge67 link=topic=35715.msg940082#msg940082 date=1252410686]
Random question (I hope its right as ive not checked!), who is the only head of government to have resided over two world cup victories?
[/quote]

Also without checking I am taking a guess at Mussolini

 

[Rosco]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

[quote author=Richey link=topic=35715.msg940086#msg940086 date=1252410972]
[quote author=Rosco link=topic=35715.msg940079#msg940079 date=1252410453]
Strange stat for you, in the last five or so World Cups one of the teams that made the 3/4 place playoff has failed to qualify for the next tournament.

Portugal were in it last time if I remember rightly
[/quote]

Didn't both from 2002 go on to qualify for 2006?
[/quote]

I've no idea.

That'll teach me to repeat things i hear on podcasts eh ?

 

[Richey]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

[quote author=Rosco link=topic=35715.msg940091#msg940091 date=1252411356]
[quote author=Richey link=topic=35715.msg940086#msg940086 date=1252410972]
[quote author=Rosco link=topic=35715.msg940079#msg940079 date=1252410453]
Strange stat for you, in the last five or so World Cups one of the teams that made the 3/4 place playoff has failed to qualify for the next tournament.

Portugal were in it last time if I remember rightly
[/quote]

Didn't both from 2002 go on to qualify for 2006?
[/quote]

I've no idea.

That'll teach me to repeat things i hear on podcasts eh ?
[/quote]

Sorry, I was just being lazy.

Turkey didn't qualify for 2006

 

[Brizzle]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

Unfortunately I think it will be this fella.

 

[doctor_mac]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

The best player not to be at the WC might just be:

 

[Squiggles]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

Robinho could be the only Man City striker who makes it.

Bellamy, Santa Cruz, Tevez, Adebayor,

 

[themn]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

Portugal are in real trouble (big shame) and I don't think they'll make it (bigger shame).

The curse of being Slur Alex's no.2 strikes again.

I think Argentina will scrape through, if only via the play-offs.

France are in a bit of bother and it would be a shame not to have Riberry, Benzema etc.. there but, since Zidane and Makalele retired they've been poo(ish).

 

[Richey]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

Portugal can only realistically aim for runners up now. Denmark won't be losing all their last three games.

If Portugal beat Hungary home and away and beat Malta then that will be enough, but they are still relying on Sweden to lose a game - realistically their match against Denmark.
And even if that happens they will face a play off, assuming they are among the best 8 runners up, which they won't necessarily be.

France should get 2nd. They have 4 points over Austria and still have to play them at home

Argentina are in 4th place at the moment and the teams just below them are playing pretty much the same teams as them in their remaining games. I think Argentina have the very slight advantage in that they still have to play Peru though, who are bottom.

 

[the_khl]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

[quote author=themn link=topic=35715.msg940141#msg940141 date=1252414814]
Portugal are in real trouble (big shame) and I don't think they'll make it (bigger shame).

The curse of being Slur Alex's no.2 strikes again.

I think Argentina will scrape through, if only via the play-offs.

France are in a bit of bother and it would be a shame not to have Riberry, Benzema etc.. there but, since Zidane and Makalele retired they've been poo(ish).
[/quote]
I've got a sneaky suspicion they'll make it to the play-off's at least.

Denmark has got a lot to prove against Sweden in their upcoming homegame as their last encounter on Danish ground was cancelled with a few minutes left to play beacuse of a fans desire to hit the ref after he showed Poulsen a straight red as he had showed desire to hit a Swede in the stomach.

If Denmark beats Sweden at home then Portugals way will be paved.

Take a look at the highlights from their last envcounter, insane match really... oh, and Agger was fit and scored.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMZ787MGVeI

 

[Richey]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=35715.msg940128#msg940128 date=1252413687]
Robinho could be the only Man City striker who makes it.

Bellamy, Santa Cruz, Tevez, Adebayor,
[/quote]

Paraguay should qualify

 

[themn]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

[quote author=Squiggles link=topic=35715.msg940128#msg940128 date=1252413687]
Robinho could be the only Man City striker who makes it.

Bellamy, Santa Cruz, Tevez, Adebayor,
[/quote]

Bellamy, ha ha ha !

 

[the_khl]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

Ryan Giggs

*He's only 37-years-old and were easily the best player in the greatest league last Season according to experts.

 

[Paddy]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

 

[Stulikesdrums]

Re: The best player who won't be at the World Cup

Good shout Paddy.
We can thank Richie Dunne for that!

 

[Frogfish]

Sweden should win their matches away to Malta and at home to Albania. That would put them 8 points clear of Portugal. It will / should all be decided on Denmark vs. Sweden and Hungary vs. Portugal. Hungary will believe they are still in it and if they take anything at home to Portugal it will knock Portugal out.

Oh happy days !

 

[Oncy]

 

[Frogfish]

I should also add though that groups 1 (Hungary 13, Sweden 12, Portugal 10) 2 (Greece 13 & Latvia 13 ) and 9 (Scotland 10, Norway 7 , fYRoM 7) are most at risk of being the group where 2nd will mean sweet FA.

I'm assuming that 2nd in Group 9 will have 20% added to their total since they only have 5 teams in the group.

Russia still have the chance of knocking Germany into the playoffs too (especially since Germany still have to travel to Russia and there is only one point in it). Maybe Ballack won't make it ;D

 

[Richey]

[quote author=Frogfish link=topic=35715.msg940190#msg940190 date=1252423086]
I should also add though that groups 1 (Hungary 13, Sweden 12, Portugal 10) 2 (Greece 13 & Latvia 13 ) and 9 (Scotland 10, Norway 7 , fYRoM 7) are most at risk of being the group where 2nd will mean sweet FA.

I'm assuming that 2nd in Group 9 will have 20% added to their total since they only have 5 teams in the group.
[/quote]

I think what happens is that the results against the 6th placed team will be excluded

 

[TheBunnyman]

The playoffs should be interesting this year - loads of big nations in them. When do they take place? Personally I hope all the big nations make it - except Portugal because they're a bunch of diving cheating cunts.

 

[the_khl]

[quote author=TheBunnyman link=topic=35715.msg940325#msg940325 date=1252438276]
The playoffs should be interesting this year - loads of big nations in them. When do they take place? Personally I hope all the big nations make it - except Portugal because they're a bunch of diving cheating cunts.

[/quote]
Pepe is turning into a dirty little player as well.

He doesn't dive that much I reckon but he's constantly trying to hurt someone. After watching his abysmal sending off for Real and now having watched how he on several occasions deliberately tried to hurt his opponents in the Denmark-game I'm convinced he's one of the dirtiest players in todays game.

It seems he knows every dirty trick in the book. I reckon Carvalho has taught him one or two along the way?

Bottomline is, I'd miss Deco and to some extent Ronaldo (especially if he got beaten thoroughly by Gerrard) at the WC but otherwise I wouldn't miss Portugal one bit.

Simao, Tiago, Pepe, Nani, Carvalho, Morales, Nuno Gomes and a few nationalized Brazilians aren't that interesting to watch after all.