‘The Conversation’ is an ongoing dialogue between Voodoologic’s co-conspirators, Darren Saturday and Murray @ Midnight.
The 2010 World Cup — the largest single sport event in the world — is about to kick off in South Africa, and we here at Voodoologic Headquarters plan to watch at least a few games and maybe also make a couple of radically misinformed comments as the Cup progresses.
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Midnight |
Most of the Voodoonista (yes, both of you) are probably unaware that our resident bookie and standover merchant, Darren Saturday, is a rabid soccer fan. So, Saturday, who do you like to be in the Cup final, and how do you rate Australia’s chances in Group D, particularly going up against the powerhouse side of Germany in our first game? |
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Saturday |
well they are calling the Brazil headlining group G as the ‘group o death’… because every world cup must have one where theoretically anyone could advance but I’d argue that the Australian group has group death all over it. In fact with Group G – Brazil and Portugal with advance without much of a sweat leaving behind the Ivory Coast and the lowest ranked nation and let’s face it ‘curiosity’ outfit in the form of North Korea. Despite some team members playing in the K-League and J-League… they don’t have a chance in hell. Not much of a group of death if you ask me. Without question everyone you talk to… well everyone with a passing interest in football, will concede that Germany will advance from the real group of death, group D, and in fact Germany will also ease effortlessly through the quarters depending on their draw… but the other three group D members of Australia, Serbia and Ghana are all very competitive. Ghana was the only African nation to advance from group last cup and are a huge crow fav’ – these guys play a wonderful free flowing style and their joyous celebrations are fantastic. I think they have a good chance. Serbia play a fairly unattractive but brutal style of play and are by no means an easy team to play against. Any other team hoping to grind out a draw with Serbia will have to work hard and I suspect the Serbians to attract plenty of yellow cards as they inflict player injuries. Australia. Big problem for the Aussies is that this team is very similar to the same on that did so well in the last Cup – eventually going down to eventual cup winners – the filthy soap opera acting cheating Italians. Those guys would try to get a penalty by dropping like a marksman had taken them down everytime. Basterds. But you know… pretty stylish and getting French hero Zidane to headbutt one of them and without that went cup glory… well done I guess. This is the problem – the Aussies are fielding an old team. Not much in the way of fresh talent after four years and this is a concern going forward. And relying on Bresciano and Kewell who are both still carrying injuries is distrubing . On the flipside these guys have been there before so they should be more confident and self-assured and certainly their campaign through Asia has really conditioned them for success. My feel is that Australia would be lucky to get a way with a draw with Germany, they may get a win or a draw against Serbia and hopefully won’t suffer too many injuries and they should sneak away with a win against Ghana if the football Grods are merciful. How does this translate into group advances – well 1) Germany 2) Australia 3) Serbia 4) Ghana – with Australia and Serbia probably being split on points difference. Depending on the draw after that, Australia might advance through the quarters but will probably get smashed in the semis. The final/ In a sense I hope not because I think outfits like England and Brazil would just slaughter them in all honesty and that’s be bad for the game. The big question is – with the ‘success’ of the A-League at home, can the Socceroos present new Neills, Schwarzers, Kewells for the future? Hmmmm. |
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Saturday |
oh forgot… my tip for the world cup? kinda hard to say yet until we see the group advances but on paper England should win but they will no doubt have a thorough on pitch meltdown as is tradition since 1966. If I was to put money down on the counter I’d probably back Brazil or Spain. Certainly if it is one of those two in the final they’d have to be odds-on fav’s. Argentina as a possible bolter in spite of the fact that they are being coached by footballing cheat and cocaine fiend Maradona. |
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Midnight |
It’s interesting that you mention Australia’s performance at the World Cup in 2006, which was almost the birth of soccer as a truly ‘national sport’ in Australia. By which, of course, I’m not saying that soccer wasn’t popular in Australia before the 2006 World Cup, but it was during that campaign that I started to hear people who’d probably never taken an active interest in the sport begin talking about it. So, we’re looking to England to either take the Cup, or lose it in such a spectacular way that it will take weeks for the strained look of horrified anguish to clear from the faces of English football fans. Australia will be lucky to make the semis, and will probably be hustled out of the Cup at that point while one of the soccer superpowers steamrolls its way to a finals berth. And we should all be taking acting lessons from the Italians. Lastly, as you know I have a fondness for underdogs and I have followed Cameroon in the last 2 World Cups (mostly because I like screaming "Go the Cameroonies!" at random intervals). This time round they’re sitting in Group E along with the Netherlands, Denmark (who knew they were two different countries?) and Japan. Despite upsetting the hell out of me by taking Gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, I still suspect Cameroon will deliver by putting in a great effort but being exited well before the semis, if they even manage to survive the first group stage. Go the Camerooooonies!!! |
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Saturday |
Yay! 5 of Germany’s first pick players are out injured during the lead up to the big game! Okay I know it is kinda insensitive to revel in other’s misfortunes but seriously – it’s the world cup AND it’s the Germans! C’Mon! For Group E I think The Netherlands will go through without much effort and Japan won’t qualify out of the group at all. This is in spite of an impressive effort against England over the weekend. Although they did lose the game with not one but two self-goals… awkward moments expected to be had in the dressing room after that match… anyone care to explain? This leaves the second place for moving out of the Group between Denmark and Cameroon. On paper there is very little seperating these two teams and certainly in terms of big game experience you’d probably have to give a slight nod to Denmark. Having said that I think Midnight is spot on in that Cameroon are one of those underdog favorites, not unlike Ghana in Group D, and in many ways this team have nothing to lose and everything to gain in terms of expectations. If they don’t make the cut it wouldn’t be hugely shameful but if they did most fans would be delighted for them. There is however no chance Cameroon will get past the quarters – they just don’t have the enough skilled talent to draw upon and I think they’ll tire very quickly. |
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Midnight |
Nice wrapup there, Saturday, and I assume the Aussies are hoping to capitalise on the potential weaknesses exposed by Germany through injury. I think the only thing left to say is "GoooOOooo the Camerooooooonies!!" (again), and also to mention that we’ll probably kick this Conversation off again once the Cup is underway. |
Got some thoughts on who might win the 2010 World Cup? Join in on The Conversation in the comments section below!
Interesting – yes
Misguided – yes
I have already digested the fact that Australia will be unceremoniously bumped out of the cup after a 3 – 0 drubbing at the hands of Germany and two lacklustre draws against Serbia and Ghana. But we can always ask ourselves ‘What if Harry had been there? What if his left testicle hadn’t exploded as he was running onto the field for the anthems before the Germany game?’.
Oh man I’d love to take a wager with you on that prediction Stark Raving. Ohhh man.
Okay here’s some updates. Australia beat Denmark 1-0 (without the need for Kewell and as a side note Denmark is one of Midnight’s arch enemies facing his beloved Cameroons. His fav’ team also is Africa’s strongest team, having appeared in the World Cup five time previously with 17 WC matchs. Not bad.
Another little bit of trivia – last time the madarse North Koreans were in the World Cup was over forty years ago. We look forward to another propaganda film to follow later in the year.
A mate of the Voodoonista – Dingo Dave has issues with actually posting to any website for fear of accidently downloading the entire internet. This is an email he sent directly to me that we can share.
Nice analysis, Darren.
I think Australia can definitely steal all 3 points, or at the very least a point, from Germany.
They are slow starters, have players (including their captain, Ballack) missing and need momentum, so playing them first up is a definitive advantage, rather than playing them third in the group and needing a result.
Ghana without Essien will be interesting, but unpredictable, and I think their game-plan against us will depend on how they go in their first game against Serbia, so should they need points they’ll come out all guns blazing which should leave some space at the back to exploit, a tsunami to withstand and possible points to pick-up.
Serbia are like Croatia at the last WC, so hoping by the time we get to them a point is all we’ll need, but whether we’ll get it, is a question only the 90mins can answer.
Of course should Australia sneak second place then in all likelihood they’ll meet England in the round of 16 and I really can’t see England losing, at least not until the semis or even the final.
England have a great 11, but should there be any injuries (like Australia really), especially to Rooney, then I can only see heartache, but what would a WC be without English tears.
My prediction is Spain, with Holland as a roughy; but deep, deep, deep down somewhere below the cockles of my heart I hold a small, flickering flame that England will win, but won’t admit it for fear of cutting off the oxygen and extinguishing the flame……..it’s the hope I hate.
Here’s another piece of trivia — Johannesburg is at an elevation of 1735 metres, which is about the elevation of Thredbo. So maybe there is a chance that Harry’s testicles could explode from decompression…
Murray @ Midnight
OK here is some reality. Germany may be missing a few players but unlike Australia they have depth. We have Luke Wilkshire, need I say more? We will not pinch the three points against Germany, they have a defence and we don’t really have much of an attack. Australia’s defence is made up of pensioners. Harry will not play out the World Cup he is simply injury prone, if his testicle doesn’t explode, it may be gout again, or that groin of his.
Okay, so what’s the friendly wager here? Stark Raving, you’re saying Australia won’t make it out of Group D? Saturday, you’re betting they will?
Murray @ Midnight
Excuse me while I choke back the guffawing at the predictions of an individual who supports the New York Jets NFL team. Sorry Saturday, like everyone else you have paid scant attention to the teams who are likely to shine in this tournament. Let’s take a look ateach group, proffer winners and runners-up, and follow them into the final.
A. France and Mexico have this group wrapped up. despite France failing drmatically at the last couple of World cup’s, this year they will get their merde together and do well.
B. A lame group that by the end of the World Cup, the winning of it will be all Maradona will be able to claim. A valiant attempt by the Nigerians will however be too short as the Koreans will scrape through on goal difference.
C. England will be a level above all the other teams in this group, the American’s coming a poor second.
D. Yes Germany will win it despite their injury concerns. their professionalism and experience equip them to know that a good start is essential. you can’t start slow and get better in this tournament. to finish behind the German’s, Australia will need to win it’s other two games which it will, but a victory against Germany is something that will elude them.
E. The Dutch should win this with a good fight between the Danes and the Japanese, but Korea will be the only asian nation (besides Australia technically) that will advance beyond group play. Danes to come second.
F. This is where I go out on a limb. Italy of course will be too strong for anyone else here, but I think the Slovakians can defeat Paraguay here for a second spot. Kiwis alas are totally outclassed.
G. Brazil and Portugal for sure. The clash between these two will be a highlight of the early rounds. I pip the Portuguese in an early defeat of the Brazilian machine.
H. Spain like England shouldn’t be tested in their group. I think the Swiss will come close here and are one of my dark horse teams.
Round 2:
France will defeat Korea in a one-sided match and Mexico will stun Argentina by a 3-0 scoreline.
England will defeat a spirited Australia, primarily because the Ozzies will be reduced to 10 men early.
The German’s, still struggling with injuries will hand the USA a soccer lesson. 4-1 with the consolation American goal coming from the penalty spot.
The Dutch will beat the Slovakians in a lack-lustre 1-0 game that will be the early warning of their implosion.
Italy and Denmark will be a terrible red card affair that will go to a penalty shoot-out that the Danes will lose.
Portugal will defeat the spirited Swiss but the big upset will be the Brazlians being defeated by Spain. After the group loss to Portugal, the Brazilians go into meltdown.
And that leaves us with the quarter’s:
4 great games, 8 great football nations.
England defeat France
Germany find their strides and beat Mexico
Portugal defeat the Dutch
Spain the giant killer defeats an undermanned Ital, still suffering from the tussle with Denmark
Onto the semi’s and England will defeat Portugal in one of their finest victories in recent memory and face a Spanish team that has endured systematically overcome the three World Cup pwerhouses – Brazil, Italy and Germany.
England will be yet another notch in the belt as the Jules Rimet trophy heads to Spain.