Is now too soon? Will you be watching, rooting, flag waving, generally loosing all sense of normality for your next buzz of footie action!

What are your teams chances? Can the org represent all 32 clubs that qualified?

N.B
Americans..…..this is a true world championship, the largest sports event on the planet (in terms of viewers) and you are in it (in case you didn't know).

The stupid thing is I am a casual Footie fan, the kind the real fans hate when it comes to the world cup. To them I am the male equivalent of the girl next door who watches for the nice thighs or David Beckham’s latest haircut. But I love the buzz, like a drug, the fever is coming and I can taste it in the air like putting a nine volt battery on yer tongue.

Come on Engerland, but almost more importantly I hope this is a great tournament, not like the referee sham of the last one which saw too many quality teams make early exits or Euro 2004, when defence and fortune made for a dull completion.

Good luck everyone, and please may the best team win.

Let battle commence………..

ENTER THE SWEEP!!
For your chance to win the sweep go here before Friday!!!

http://www.prince.org/msg/100/189700

[For all you World Cup Football (aka soccer) fans. Please use this sticky thread. Any other threads started will be and redirected to this one - luv4u]

Official FIFA website http://www.fifa.com/en/index.html


[Edited 6/6/06 6:35am]
[Edited 7/10/06 3:37am]

If we can start just 1 and make it a sticky, I think it would work out ok

Org note me.

NOW

Mach said:

Mach said:

I knew you would be Flying the flag!!

Cable all paid up in advance, main matches in TIVO, ready for the .....Early matches, Football for Breakfast, excellent!!

I am particularly looking forward to Italy/USA the old dogs and the new pups, should be a great match!

IrresistibleB1tch said:

This is where our cyber-friendship ends B1tch, on home turf the Germans become football enemy number one as we try to repeat '66

I love the build up to a World Cup. The adverts for widescreen T.V's, barbeques, mugs, gerbils etc. It's almost as good as the tournament itself.


Love it!

sj1600 said:

Don't foget beer! So many Beer adverts!

PREDOMINANT said:

http://www.prince.org/msg/100/190904

PREDOMINANT said:

and men in uniforms

IrresistibleB1tch said:

Tourists that don't want to be there either!

Oh please say it won't be so

PREDOMINANT said:

well, at least you won the Eurovision Song Contest!

oh, wait... nevermind...

PREDOMINANT said:

Dear God, no!

Now isn't even too soon for the next world cup.


[Edited 6/2/06 7:49am]

Have you all signed in here?
http://www.prince.org/msg/100/189700

PREDOMINANT said:

It's OK
We accept you the way you are

PREDOMINANT said:

Hooligan!

Can't wait!!!

i'm actually excited about this!! but i am rather new to the world of football (note the euro use of the word.... ) so i will probably be viewed like those girls next door that watch for the hot bodies. and dont get me wrong.... the hot bodies definitely interest me!!

I'm kind of excited too, living in the thick of all of this. I wasn't a fan before I moved here, but I'm enjoying football more and more with each passing year. Cities all across Germany are gearing up soooo hardcore for parties and games, it's going to be like a 6 week long Superbowl and Mardi Gras rolled into one!!!!

july said:

Let the games begin! May the best team win!

Pulls up collar and kicks it. Goalie jumps! Over into the net.

This is gonna be one of the best World Cups ever. I can feel it. Bounces the ball.

july said:

I'm sorry. I don't know if that was intentionally humourous or not.

"Throw on to the USA, that's 17 to 12. They inbound the ball and set up the play. Passing the ball forward now on offense, close to the penalty zone, but the player is checked hard. That's a free shot and a yellow card to the defender. One more of those and he will be fouled out"

Again, I'm sorry, but I had to.

Fauxie said:

Red card. Kicking a line judge.

july said:

EJECTED!

july said:

Do they got line judges in soccer?

Fauxie said:

Red card. Nudist on the field.

july said:

They have linesmen, or referee's assistants as they call them these days. They make decisions about offsides and any incidents close to them that the ref may not see, or indeed may see but the ref's assistant can flag anyway (ie. a foul near the touchline close to the ref's assistant). They also have to judge whether the ball crosses the line or not for a goal in the event that it's not obvious to the referee. Of course, they get those decisions wrong sometimes.

p.s. There is one referee, two ref's assistants and a fourth official who's primarily there as a replacement in case of the ref being injured, but also makes sure the teams' coaches don't go outside of their technical area (an area in which they are allowed to come away from the bench to shout instructions, scream at the ref etc.)

...
[Edited 6/2/06 22:20pm]

Fauxie said:

Thanks. Let the games begin. Kicks it high it the air. Pushes the player next to me onto the ground.
Kicks it into the goal on one bounce. Running. Goal! Red card. again.

Fauxie said:

I've heard them say loads of shit just like that.
Once, a striker from Boston City Lightning Mohawks or something had his back to goal with a defender on his tod, received the ball to feet and turned by side footing the ball and the commentator was like, "On my gosh Chip!, what a SPIN from DEE-FENCE to OFFENCE! That's amazing SOCCER ball control! "

I pissed me sides.

So a good 6-0 win against Jamaica in England's last World Cup warm-up game. A hat-trick (probably) for Crouch, despite an absolutely woeful penalty miss.