FIFA WC Under 20 Soccer 2007

[VERYBADBOY]

We are now down to 8 teams !!!

Games this weekend in the quarter finals are as follows:

Saturday, July 14th

USA v Austria - 2 pm (ET) Toronto

Spain v Czech Republic - 5:30 pm (ET) Edmonton


Sunday, July 15th

México v Argentina - 2 pm (ET) Montreal

Nigeria v Chile - 7:30 pm (ET) Ottawa



My picks: USA, Spain, Argentina and Chile ... I have Argentina to win it all.

VBB

 

[spino1123]

We are now down to 8 teams !!!

Games this weekend in the quarter finals are as follows:

Saturday, July 14th

USA v Austria - 2 pm (ET) Toronto

Spain v Czech Republic - 5:30 pm (ET) Edmonton


Sunday, July 15th

México v Argentina - 2 pm (ET) Montreal

Nigeria v Chile - 7:30 pm (ET) Ottawa



My picks: USA, Spain, Argentina and Chile ... I have Argentina to win it all.

VBB

I agree with the final four. If there's one team that can beat Argentina though it's Chile on account that they know each other so well and that Chile has definetely stepped up their game since the qualifying campaign. I think the winner of this potential semi final will be the champ.

 

[SneakyLB]

Disagree with Chile completely. They will be without Arturo Vidal and their captain Carmona. They already had to scrap their way through against Portugal and now they face an even better defensive side in Nigeria. Nigeria also knows Argentina very well from 2005 and i believe they are the only other team in the tournament that knows how to adjust to the tempo easily.

Will be at the USA/Austria game, if that place sells out i will have to tip my hat to the organizers cause its not the most ideal match out there anyways.

 

[VERYBADBOY]

Down to the Semis:

Austria v Czech Republic - Wednesday
Argentina v Chile - Thursday


In regards to the weekend games:

USA was favoured to win to bad they slept for most of the match, well after their 15th minute goal, as Austria cruised to a win in extra time by the winning goal by Hoffer who was substituted 2 minutes earlier and after the RED card to USA's Wallace. USA 1 - Austria 2 (OT)

Spain should have had it as they missed by inches on a few, but Czech prevailed in the shootout given their goalie was in form being one of the tallest in the competition. Spain 0 - Czech 0 (5-3 in Shootout)

Chile was no where to be seen until the extra time and then a flourish of goals to end it off in a blaze. Chile 4 - Nigeria 0

Argentina lacklustre win over a Mexico team that had some energy. I have to say though that the only goal was a highlight reel pick. Arg 1 - Mexico 0


VBB

 

[xdog]

Do we look at what Canada did differently now ... Two of the teams in their
group are on to the semi finals ... Chile and Austria ..

Nope. How about Congo?

x

 

[Big Michael]

Congo won its next round match and so they made it to the Quarters ..

Congo lost to Mexico in the round of 16, stick to B-ball , lol.

 

[Big Michael]

Hey they won their match coming out of the first round ... So a third place team in our group beat out another higher ranked team in another group ..

Oh yea I will stick to basketball .. 76'ers centre will be playing for Canada ..

http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/matches/index.html

 

[SneakyLB]

Hey they won their match coming out of the first round ... So a third place team in our group beat out another higher ranked team in another group ..

Oh yea I will stick to basketball .. 76'ers centre will be playing for Canada ..

ummm Congo only beat Canada....lol so i don't know how this whole idea of beating out a higher ranked team comes to place because we all know rankings in this sport is a farce.

 

[VERYBADBOY]

because we all know rankings in this sport is a farce.

VBB sheds a tear as Brasil are ranked number 1 again

I am surprised no one made mention of last nights game ... oh yeah, Czechs were heavily favoured to win. Czech 2 - Austria 0

Tonights game is Arg v Chi ... Arg being favoured to win everything.


VBB

 

[SneakyLB]

Czech's weren't heavily favorite to win, they were only slight favorites at odds of about 2.2 in most bookies. What i find even more frustrating was how after the 2-0 lead nothing else remotely interesting happened.

I have a feeling if the Argentines win tonite, the Czech's will find a way to beat Argentina with their boring ways of defense. Unlike the Greeks of 2004, the Czech's have no intention of attacking against Hispanic attacking sides. Quite pathetic really.

 

[Anderson]

But the question remains ''Will Oden go 1 or not ''

 

[euripides]

But they were clearly the best team.

 

[Berlin]

Argentina vs Chile . What an uglly game. Bad officiating. Lots of unneccessary calls and cards. Argentinans were diving in pain, all over the place.

BAD BAD BAD...looks like a boring final...

Viva

Word , on all counts.

The reffing was so over the top, the acting from Argentina was way over the top. One side of me was hoping the ref gets whacked by some disgruntled Chilean fans before the game ended.

But I still have to say Mini Moralez is one heck of a player.

 

[scouser1]

ok anyone still think that my argument of certain Central and South American countries getting a little carried away is wrong

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Soccer/article/238069

 

[Big Michael]

It's clear we are still novices at this. Our police have to learn, they are supposed to beat up the fans, not the PLAYERS

 

[scouser1]

actually the situation at this tournament is really interesting, fans of both teams sitting together and intermixing, that would never happen in Europe or South America, now you get this group of idiots acting like sore losers and disgracing their team and country.

 

[Big Michael]

After Canada was eliminated I was cheering for Argentina and hoping to see Arsenal's new signing Angel Di Maria when I am at the game on Sunday. After last night's debacle, I find myself looking for Czech flag to take to the game.

 

[VERYBADBOY]

Czech's weren't heavily favorite to win, they were only slight favorites at odds of about 2.2 in most bookies.

Okay maybe there weren't ... but it sounds good in print !!! I didn't check the odds and heard it from a buddy and took it at face value ... he is now in hiding due to abnormal gambling debts. LOL.

ok anyone still think that my argument of certain Central and South American countries getting a little carried away is wrong

I'm leaning your way ...

I was going to post earlier on but I wanted to hear more info and awaited the 4:30 pm FIFA media conference as well as the local/Intl news.

The German referee ruined the game at the 15 min mark by giving a RED card to the Chilian player (should have cautioned or a dual Yellows) ... then he turned everything upside down with the remainder of his calls.

Yes, the Argentinians played a game they are not accustomed to ... btw they didn't dive it was more a frog/toad hop when you get close. LOL. But Chile has also played that same game in the past on occasion.

Chile ... I can understand not keeping their cool, Vidal was livid and was almost given the 2nd yellow until that same German ref realized that he had already nailed him once. The 2nd RED was a result of touching that same ref, which is a no no, but at that point the heated emotions were called into play.

Yes the penalty kick not called and the Arg getting their 3rd goal basically sealed the deal if not for Chile's coaches making their way to confront said German ref.

All in all ... it makes for some exciting news in the next fews days following the 3rd place game ... which right now with the number of players who are going to miss that match ... almost meaningless.

VBB

 

[SneakyLB]

does anyone know if Chilean players were suspended? there were no names given out in the press release yesterday

 

[tboy]

Funny, in today's sun there's a story about how the police were heavy handed in dealing with the unruly chilean team who attacked them.

There's a line from the chilean government that says 'our police wouldn't have been so brutal" my first thought was "yeah, they'd have just shot the players....".