Just to complete: Brasil isn´t that bad, we have a solid defense and some good talent if Kaka and Luis Fabiano can be fit on the Cup. Remember me a lot the 94 Squad, not briliant but eficient..

France plays so bad, we'll loose in the pool. ='( (we lost against China!)

France does not play bad. France plays poorly.

Bad is an adjective, meaning it can only describe a noun. Since, in this context, you are describing a verb (to play) you must use the adverb "poorly".

wait, what? 3 matches? what's gonna happen? the ball fly out of the screen? ronaldo performs some fantastic dive that ends him up on your living room floor? doesn't seem to make sense to me...

@rdrivera - i like your take on brasil and i agree. not stunningly brilliant, but very solid with a good enough team to win it all. as long as kaka is successful pulling the strings, i think they have a good shot too

Some upsets that I predict will happen; USA wins group (beats ENG 2-1), ENG loses out to GER in Round of 16, 2-4 on PKs. DEN beats NED to win group (in the last 5 of 6 head to head matches, DEN has beaten NED), which will then pit NED against ITA in Round of 16. ITA wins 3-2, but that's not really an upset.

Quarterfinals will be
France vs. USA----2-0 FRA
Brazil vs. Denmark----1-1, (4-3) BRA
Argentina vs. Germany----1-0 ARG
Italy vs. Spain----2-1 ITA

Semifinals
France vs. Brazil----2-1 FRA makes 2nd half comeback
Argentina vs. Italy----1-0 ARG

Finals
France vs. Argentina----2-1, ARG in stoppage time.

germany isn't going to do much without michael ballack

If the U.S.A beat England, I promise to bet all my points in one game.

@Pippin - Do you really think France will reach the final :S They had to go through a qualification play-off (via Henry's hand) to get there, and just lost to China!

Argentina would be up there if it wasn't for Maradona, but they got lucky that Ballack is injured. I'm a U.S. fan, but I don't think we're going to be able to beat either England or Germany though...it's possible, but this is what I think:

Quarterfinals:
France vs. England- England wins easily against a France that barely got there.
Argentina vs. Germany- Argentina barely wins, wins because Ballack is out, barely because Maradona will do something wrong.
Netherlands vs. Brazil- Dutch play better but lose 2-3 or something to a more efficient Brazil side.
Italy vs. Spain- Spain win easily against an Italy that's way too old.

Semifinals:
England vs. Brazil- Brazil 2-1 because Kaka and Fabiano play really well this match.
Argentina vs. Spain- Spain's midfield dominates, and Argentina still screws up the lineup.

3rd place match:
England vs. Argentina- England beats Maradona's tired and inefficient side.

Final:
Brazil vs. Spain- Brazil triumph in a very close final despite Dunga's style being unpopular.

Spain must win. It's about time we do. Of course, it's best to be modest.
rdrivera2005: "Neitherland" -- That's pretty funny actually.

@Dip - I posted my predictions above and nice to see you agree.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sol/shared/inc/v4/world_cup_2010/wallchart/main.html#p01459bdejgkmopus05419edbjmkgosup904dojuko9u494ou

I'm interested to know who people think will come 2nd in Brazil's group?

USA will obviously win because i said they would

Spain is a mediocre classic European team that doesn't stand one in a million chance to win the world cup.
It's easy to win a euro cup (even Greece and Denmark did it), but world cup is another story.

need one could someone join
gameID=30758

boo

@peregrin
u've got no clue

and figles, a lot will depend upon didier drogba's arm
i guess he had surgery today, which they're saying keeps it possible he will play, but i doubt he'll be anywhere near 100%. though cote divoire are very talented otherwise, it'd be like taking messi or ronaldo out of their respective teams. portugal might have been gifted a pass out of the group stage....but i'm still rooting for n korea

@ Figle---I think that France has the easiest schedule of all the big teams in the Cup. They will easily get to the Quarterfinals, demolishing their group (South Africa, Mexico, and Uruguay), playing either Nigeria, Greece, or Korea Republic in the Round of 16, and winning.... By then I think that they should be familiar and comfortable with the world stage, and a better knit team. If they do play England though, I guess I will have to take England. But they will play USA in the quarterfinals. The French also beat Brazil 3 of the last 4 times they played each other. Sure, they lost to China, but they won’t have to play China in the Cup. Sometimes, A beats B, B beats C, but C beats A.

@ dip---You really, really can’t count out the Italian squad for being too old. Italy’s beaten Spain every time the two teams played each other on a world stage. Also, take a look at the Celtics. Didn’t the experts on ESPN say that James and the Cavs’ youthfulness would easily demolish the Celtics? And then Dwight Howard and the Magic would be too much for the Celtics because the Celts were just too old? Well, look at where the Celtics are now. Besides, age just means that the Italian squad have more experience.

@ Rule Britannia--mind if I hold you to your promise? =D

@dip
u'r not so lost, with exception of france (they'll barely pass the first round)
on the other hand, I'd prefer Netherlands eliminating Brazil

This will obviously be the result: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sol/shared/inc/v4/world_cup_2010/wallchart/main.html#p3145a8dfhjkmrqus3541afd8hmkjrsuq3a4dhrukh3u443uh
Yes, Spain, Argentina and Denmark in the finals.

@peregrin
once again, u've got no clue. U cannot predict soccer results based only in the history. Results are not produced by a computer program

Oh, I forgot to say, Spain will have to play Portugal in the Round of 16. That will be by far the hardest match to go through in that round, which will tire out Spain immensely.

Ok, checkmate. Everyone's entitled to thier own opinion, no matter how wrong you think it might be.

btw, I think I could beat you in a game of chess. if you play, that is, as your username would suggest.... :)

yes, I play, and it wouldn't be weird if you beat me in chess.
however, I think I can beat yoy in a game of soccer

Really? I'll take that challenge. I played Varsity soccer for Century High School for the past two years, and I was named an All-State player this past season, and my Junior year I was All-Conference. Never played one on one though. :)

@pippin: Maybe, but Portugal will have had to battle against CdI & Brazil, so by the same logic they should be tired when they play spain. Besides, spain have a very strong squad - most nations would sell their captain to take Fabregas or Alonzo, yet often they don't start for Spain.

that's amazing peregrin. I cannot withdraw now, however.
what position do you play, if may i ask?

Without Gooch at at least 90%, the US back line is utterly f@#$ed. That said, at least Bradley did not do something as graphically stupid as Capello naming Heskey to the British squad over Bent and Walcott.