Group A

I can't really see past Germany and Poland for this one. Costa Rica and Ecuador might run them close in the games but I think that the European sides should see them off.

Germany

Poland

Ecuador

Costa Rica

Group B

England and Sweden from this group but not sure who will win it though. I expect both of them to win their first two games and it will come down to the final round on the 20th of June to see who wins the group. I think it will be settled on goal difference and England will just get through in 1st place.

England

Sweden

Paraguay

T & T

Group C

Obvious favourites to progress here would be Argentina and Holland but I wonder if Serbia & Montanegro will cause a wee upset and sneak through instead of one of them, perhaps Holland. Don't expect Ivory Coast to cause many problems.

Argentina

Holland

Serbia & Montanegro

Ivory Coast

Group D

Portugal and Mexico to get through this one for me though Iran might suprise a few with some decent performances. Angola are rubbish. Simple as.

Portugal

Mexico

Iran

Angola

Group E

I would expect the Czechs and Italy to win through in this one with USA finishing 3rd and Ghana in last.

Czech Rep.

Italy

USA

Ghana

Group F

Think this one is quite tricky to rpedict. Brazil are clear favourites to progress and I would expect them to do so. But it's the battle for 2nd that will be very interesting indeed. I would say it is between Japan and Australia myself and I think that Japan will just pip them to it. Croatia will also have a say in it as well and could get close themselves but I don't think they will have quite enough. I think this will be the most interesting group.

Brazil

Japan

Australia

Croatia

Group G

France to win this one and South Korea and Switzerland to do battle for 2nd spot. Really not sure who would win through in that one to be honest. Right now I shall take a stab at South Korea!

France

South Korea

Switzerland

Togo

Group H

Spain and Ukraine in this final group for me. Spain really should do so much better than they actually do do at these tournaments but they seem to excel in failure. Hopefully Torres will live up to the hype that surrounds his obvious talent and show us why Chelsea want to pay £40 million for him.

Spain

Ukraine

Saudi Arabia

Tunisia

WOW :010: :010: :010:

I think Argentina have just showed the world how football should be played!!

Did you see Sorins little flick? It was incredible!  :010:

The first half was definitely the best football played so far, amazing passing, wonderful goals, great stuff  :003:

Argentina are absolutely pumping S & M. This is what England should have been doing to T & T and more!  :010:

6-0 feck me. What a match!  :003: :003: :003:

This can't get any worse. Just lost £15 playing cards and the Argees go and do that :007: :008:

Argentina played as good a 90 minutes of football as I can ever remember. They were absolutely brilliant. Riquelme was something else, and as for that second goal......even better than Albertas I reckon.

By a million miles the best team in the tournament, glad I got £20 on them at 8/1 :001:

Are they scheduled to play England along the way?? Hope so, how good would it be to se Argentina gub 'em :015: :015: :015:

Argentina played as good a 90 minutes of football as I can ever remember. They were absolutely brilliant. Riquelme was something else, and as for that second goal......even better than Albertas I reckon.

By a million miles the best team in the tournament, glad I got £20 on them at 8/1 :001:

Are they scheduled to play England along the way?? Hope so, how good would it be to se Argentina gub 'em :015: :015: :015:

If England finish second and Argentina win or vice versa they'll play each other in the quarter finals if England make it that far and if they both win their groups as well as Brazil England could face Brazil in the quarters :021:.

Koller's just a big lump of a guy they can hump the ball up to, remember we had one of those too? Koller actually manages not to miss an open goal though. I think his loss, just like with us, will force the Cxechs into playing a more passing game, and they're not exactly short of players who can stick the ball in the net. If Baros is fit I cant see it making too much difference jnr.

:015: :015: :015: :015:

Go on Ghana!!

I know Harry I'm gutted! Looks like ITN Jnr might have been right (for once)  :001:

Ghana were by far the best team on the day, the USA - Italy match leaves the group wide open still.  I'm exhausted after that day of mental football!

I know Harry I'm gutted! Looks like ITN Jnr might have been right (for once)  :001:

Ghana were by far the best team on the day, the USA - Italy match leaves the group wide open still.  I'm exhausted after that day of mental football!

:004:

Yesterday saw  the worst refereeing performance of the WC IMO so far. The guy in charge of CR v Ghana was rubbish - his sending off of the CR guy at the penalty, while correct, only came about after the Ghanaians started complaining to him about sending him off waving their imaginary cards. He then blows his whistle, calls the guy over and sends him off. As the whistle is blown, the Ghana guy taking the penalty thinks it is for him to shoot and scores but then gets booked for kicking the ball away!? What a plum!

italy v usa game was superb yesterday,my only grumble of the who world cup is the commentary i cant stand david pleat he,s so annoying

italy v usa game was superb yesterday,my only grumble of the who world cup is the commentary i cant stand david pleat he,s so annoying

Plus he does actually know nothing about football!

MUPPET OF THE YEAR AWARD ..... drum roll please ............... goes to ................

Ian Wright ..... da dah !!!!

Shrieking like a girl after the France / South Korea game. Desailly sitting beside him obviously upset and yet that arse can't help but laugh and rub it in.

Think back to the N. Ireland / England qualifier when all he could do was throw the rattle out of the pram and sulk like a 2 year old. (sorry to any 2 year olds - no offence intended).

What does this man offer to a match analysis? Nothing. Absolute joke. I'd rather listen to Jimmy Hill than Ian "down wiv it man" Wright !

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!! 

Ian Wright is a ***!

Best team that round by miles was Argentina, runners up Spain (for a half) and honorary mention to Ghana for their epic ICT-v-Celtic-cuptie- esque performance and South Korea for finally getting what they deserved.  :003: :003: :003:

England were bloody awful last night and Sweden thoroughly deserved their draw. Erikkson is really looking to go out with a bang at this WC. Scrape past Paraguay and T & T and then get dominate din the final 45 against Sweden.

Why is this utter plum saught after by clubs?

Had to laugh last night - I turned on talk radio to listen to the game and they were interviewing a Swedish woman.  She was asked why she thought Sweden would win the game.  The reply makes me embarassed to be female.

"Our players are better looking"  :015: :015: :015:  Clearly that helped.

The other part that cracked me up was one of the commentary team getting over excited and he said.  'Oh there is just something about England playing in Red' - He went on to say that he had worn his red top the day before and only wished he was as good at playing football as they are.  What a tube.

So between good looking Swedish guys and the England team in Red it must have been some game.  :sleep01: :sleep01: :sleep01:

My favourite totally stupid commentator moment from the England game was

"And the only striker England have left on the bench is Theo Walcott. He's got a provisional driving license."  :015: :015: :015:

The Swedish lassie was right btw, their players are much better looking  :001:

My favourite was one of the two following ones

"Joe Cole scores the 1999th, the next will be the 2000th. Swedes need not apply"

later followed by

"We've waited a long time to be beat Swede.....oh its Larsson! 2 - 2!"

Good display by Brazil tonight, they opened the throttle a bit and simply swept Japan aside.

I will stick with them for the cup.

How good was that Argie goal the night against Mexico ,feckin stoater,  have England down on the predictor to beat Ecuador so that should be them knackered

Thats it, settling down with a wee glass of Chilean wine, (well it's the nearest I could get), ready to watch my prediction come true.

Aside from some daft defending in the first half England were never really in any danger. Great free kick from Beckham. Carrick played well as did Hargreaves ( :017:) and I thought that Rooney was good as well. Below par but they did what they had to do.

Credit to England, they never looked in serious trouble.