WC 2010: Group C Chat (England etc)

[bickster]

[table color=#D9E2EC:d725f5f59b]

[mrow color=#8c333c:d725f5f59b][mcol]Group C[mcol]P[mcol]W[mcol]D[mcol]L[mcol]F[mcol]A[mcol]Pts[mcol]GD

[mrow][col]Slovenia[mcol]1[mcol]1[mcol]0[mcol]0[mcol]1[mcol]0[mcol]3[mcol]1

[mrow][col]England[mcol]1[mcol]0[mcol]1[mcol]0[mcol]1[mcol]1[mcol]1[mcol]0

[mrow][col]USA[mcol]1[mcol]0[mcol]1[mcol]0[mcol]1[mcol]1[mcol]1[mcol]0

[mrow][col]Algeria[mcol]1[mcol]0[mcol]0[mcol]1[mcol]0[mcol]1[mcol]0[mcol]-1

[/table]

[table color=#D9E2EC:d725f5f59b]

[mrow color=#8c333c:d725f5f59b][mcol]No[mcol]Date[mcol]K.O.[mcol]Team[mcol]Score[mcol]Team[mcol]Venue[mcol]TV[mcol]Scorers

[mrow][col]5[mcol]12/6[mcol]19:30[mcol]England[mcol]1 − 1[mcol]USA[mcol]Rustenburg[mcol]ITV 1[mcol]Gerrard 4', Dempsey 40'

[mrow][col]6[mcol]13/6[mcol]12:30[mcol]Algeria[mcol]0 - 1[mcol]Slovenia[mcol]Polokwane[mcol]BBC 1[mcol]Koren 79'

[mrow][col]22[mcol]18/6[mcol]15:00[mcol]Slovenia[mcol]-[mcol]USA[mcol]Johannesburg - JEP[mcol]BBC 1[mcol]-

[mrow][col]23[mcol]18/6[mcol]19:30[mcol]England[mcol]-[mcol]Algeria[mcol]Cape Town[mcol]ITV 1[mcol]-

[mrow][col]37[mcol]23/6[mcol]15:00[mcol]Slovenia[mcol]-[mcol]England[mcol]Port Elizabeth[mcol]BBC 1[mcol]-

[mrow][col]38[mcol]23/6[mcol]15:00[mcol]USA[mcol]-[mcol]Algeria[mcol]Pretoria[mcol]BBC Int[mcol]-[/table]

[bickster]

Group C discusion and poll

[Hanky]

Actually this is turning out to be a more interesting group than it might have been when first drawn. Obviously there is England first and foremost who, hopefully, will go through as group winners however it will not be easy as certainly I, first thought. Slovenia have beaten Russia in the play offs and will be no push overs along with the very unpredictable USA who can beat any body on their day as the Confederations Cup showed. Algeria are the weakest but still have the PL experience of Yebda and Belhadj.

I'll go for England as group winners but not maximum points and USA with them.

[RichardCanning]

England to win it with 9 points and The Sun and a lot of morons to get very excited very quickly about our prospects

[briggaman]

Actually this is turning out to be a more interesting group than it might have been when first drawn. Obviously there is England first and foremost who, hopefully, will go through as group winners however it will not be easy as certainly I, first thought. Slovenia have beaten Russia in the play offs and will be no push overs along with the very unpredictable USA who can beat any body on their day as the Confederations Cup showed. Algeria are the weakest but still have the PL experience of Yebda and Belhadj.

I'll go for England as group winners but not maximum points and USA with them.

I posted something similar to this in the other World Cup thread earlier today and thus I would have to agree.

I think Slovenia will push USA hard for that second place. Algeria should be left to finish last.

[VillaChris]

England and U.S both through, no sweat.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

England. USA.

[leviramsey]

[TheTransferWindow]

From an American perspective, I think the fixtures favor Slovenia progressing. They get to open up against Algeria, who could be the weakest in the group, then finish against England, who could be thinking about the next round and happy to get a boring draw.

[kurtsimonw]

Depends how you view it.

You could say you get your tough game out of the way first, while they may have to get something out of the hardest game (in theory) in the group to progress.

It pretty much goes down to the US-Slovenia result, in my opinion.

[ozvillafan]

Hmm.... I think the US could suprise England. The game against the Aussies this weekend will give us a clue.

[Jon]

I'd say we need a draw at worst against the USA. I think we can do them though, hopefully.

On paper we should.

If we win that, then i think we are through.

[Jon]

Hmm.... I think the US could suprise England. The game against the Aussies this weekend will give us a clue.

i don't think the fact that the US have some decent players will come as any surprise to us any more.

Beckham's input will also be useful here, i would imagine, following his recent stint against many of the players we will be facing.

Having a few of them playing in the PL will also help us.

On paper we beat them though, and i don't think we will be either under-prepared or take them lightly.

[ozvillafan]

On paper we beat them though, and i don't think we will be either under-prepared or take them lightly.

I think this is the thing with England. Capello is just too good to screw it up.

Having said that, the US did defeat Spain in the confeds cup.

Still, England to win this group.

[the_eristic]

Beckham's input will also be useful here, i would imagine, following his recent stint against many of the players we will be facing.

All two of them?

:!:

(Protip: there are only four MLS-based players in the squad, two of which are his teammates.)

[ChrisVillan]

Plus a few he may have played against in MLS before this season.

[Jon]

Beckham's input will also be useful here, i would imagine, following his recent stint against many of the players we will be facing.

All two of them?

:!:

(Protip: there are only four MLS-based players in the squad, two of which are his teammates.)

every little helps ... :winkold:

[the_eristic]

Plus a few he may have played against in MLS before this season.

Clark, Holden, Guzan, should be the only ones he's played against in MLS, possibly Edu and Altidore.

Honestly, though, I was just being a bit facetious, as I really don't think Beckham is going to be anywhere near as useful in that regard as the media seems to think. The "big" USA players, like Dempsey, Donovan, Howard, everybody already knows VERY well. Most of the other guys have enough caps to be easily scoutable, and those that don't are likely to be little more than fringe players, and are mostly one-dimensional. It doesn't take any special David Beckham analysis to understand that Robbie Findley is fast but inconsistent in front of goal, or that Edson Buddle uses his size and strength to get into dangerous positions, or that Ricardo Clark is tenacious but has kinda poor technique and tends to tackle too aggressively (as does much of our side).

It's probably just Gomez that Capello will want to know more about, mostly because the rest of us do, too!

[Zatman]

Not as clearcut for England as they think as USA are a good team and Slovenia are tricky ask Russia who are arguably a better team than England. England should go through but a lapse in concentration could have a nasty surprise

As for Algeria they will be whipping boys.

[Jon]

It's probably just Gomez that Capello will want to know more about, mostly because the rest of us do, too!

Gomez are an English indie rock band from Southport, comprising Ian Ball (vocals, guitar), Paul "Blackie" Blackburn (bass), Tom Gray (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Ben Ottewell (vocals, guitars) and Olly Peacock (drums, synths, computers). The band are distinguished for having 3 singers and 4 songwriters, employing traditional and electronic instruments. Their sound is versatile and evades typical music genres falling into indie, alternative, rock, folk and experimental.