World Club Championship

LostinBlanch

speriamo wrote:

Yet another clueless comment from a football "fan":rolleyes:

So you honestly think that the final is going to be anything but Sao Paolo - Liverpool? This is just a mickey mouse, money making tournament which also gives FIFA heads from all federations another chance to go on a junket. As was the case with the last one. The only "serious" teams i.e. ones that have a realistic chance of winning this tournament are Sao Paolo and Liverpool*. The others are merely there to make up numbers. It would be more honest to reclassify the Intercontinental Cup as the Official World Club Championship rather than the unofficial one it was always seen as.

* Of course I could be mistaken and Liverpool could actually lose the semi , but I can't see that happening.

Kingp35

To be fair the tournament is a total joke. Its set up in a way that the English and South American teams meet in the final. Why do they get byes? Obviously they are better sides but its stilll unfair. Also why cant they meet each other in teh semi-finals, why isnt it an open draw? the whole competition is rigged for those two to be in the final. Its a joke tournament pure and simple

blu_sonic

all in all every team thats there deserve to be, im sure if the pool win it we'll never hear the end of the 1st english world champions etc,

Kingp35

blu_sonic wrote:

all in all every team thats there deserve to be, im sure if the pool win it we'll never hear the end of the 1st english world champions etc,

I totally agree that all the teams deserve to be there, my point is that the tournaments set-up is a joke. Its set-up so more than likely the English team will play the South American team in the final. What is the point of a tournament like that?

Thanx 4 The Fish

Kingp35 wrote:

I totally agree that all the teams deserve to be there, my point is that the tournaments set-up is a joke. Its set-up so more than likely the English team will play the South American team in the final. What is the point of a tournament like that?

It is not set up so that the english team meet the south american team. firstly becaue it would be a EUROPEAN team (or CL winners who happen to be Liverpool this season but would be a different EUROPEAN club on another season), the same as many competition there are seeds and those teams get a bye on opposite sides of the draw. See FA cup for an example of how byes work and wimbledon for seeding exactly the same as this.

As regards it being a joke contest, if it was serious enough for Man u to pull out of their home Cup competition it cannot be that much of a joke.

p.pete

Kingp35 wrote:

I totally agree that all the teams deserve to be there, my point is that the tournaments set-up is a joke. Its set-up so more than likely the English team will play the South American team in the final. What is the point of a tournament like that?

By English I presume you mean European? English teams don't win the European Cup every year. I don't think the bias is too unfair seemings as they have coefficients for just about everything these days - and the European and South Americans are going to be higher in terms of coefficients.

When the Oceanic teams become consistant world beaters I'm sure whichever European team qualifies would have to play the quater final to earn the right to play against the Perth Springers or whoever.

The Rooster

Whatever about the merits of the tournament, I dont think they're running it in an unreasonable manner.

Its not unusual to seed teams in competitions. Even in the World Cup draw I believe Germany and Brazil were pre-drawn into particular groups, so that if they win their groups they cannot meet until the final.

Also, with a 6 team competition and limited time-frame, it makes sense to have two byes into the semis and for the two highest ranking teams to get those byes.

No doubt that FIFA would prefer a Sao Paulo - Liverpool final as it would be much higher profile, but it would hardly be fair to have a world club championship with representatives from only 2 continents - so the other teams have their chance too.

p.pete

What annoys me is this always seems to be in Japan when Liverpool play it, whereas ManU had a relatively short hop over to Brazil.

Kingp35

Thanx 4 The Fish wrote:

It is not set up so that the english team meet the south american team. firstly becaue it would be a EUROPEAN team (or CL winners who happen to be Liverpool this season but would be a different EUROPEAN club on another season),

Yes it was a typing mistake. I think its pretty obvious that I meant to say European team. Fair enough about the byes but I certainly dont agree with the fact that the semi-final draw is not an open draw. Will the seeds ever change? Probably not

p.pete

Kingp35 wrote:

Yes it was a typing mistake. I think its pretty obvious that I meant to say European team. Fair enough about the byes but I certainly dont agree with the fact that the semi-final draw is not an open draw. Will the seeds ever change? Probably not

That's pretty much the same question as will a world cup winner ever come from outside of Europe and South America? I hope the answer is yes and hopefully seeding will change (and also representation in world competitions in general) at that point.

As is, what's wrong with having one seed in one half of the draw and another seed in the other half?

Kingp35

p.pete wrote:

As is, what's wrong with having one seed in one half of the draw and another seed in the other half?

Because there are only four teams at that stage, there is no need to split them up.

p.pete

Ok - 6 teams, 2 seeds and 2 sides to the draw. Put one seed on either side, that's pretty much what they've done and I don't see an issue with it. I'd like to think that if it was Leeds who had got there then I'd feel the same.

Kingp35

I can understand a tournament like the World Cup having two sides to the draw, there are 32 teams and therfore the seeded teams will still have to overcome a number of matches, and play other seeded teams before making the final.

My issue with this tournament is that the seeded teams are already gaining an advantage by being given a bye to the semi-finals where they will definitely meet another non seeded team. It just doesnt work with me because more often than not the seeded teams will make the final. It takes away from the tournament and makes far too predictable. Thats my problem with it. I dont think the tournament is a waste of time by any means, its just set-up wrong in my opinion.

yop

Had to pull this one up for a larff! Note fortune tellers at the beginning!!

p.pete

Kingp35 wrote:

I can understand a tournament like the World Cup having two sides to the draw, there are 32 teams and therfore the seeded teams will still have to overcome a number of matches, and play other seeded teams before making the final.

My issue with this tournament is that the seeded teams are already gaining an advantage by being given a bye to the semi-finals where they will definitely meet another non seeded team. It just doesnt work with me because more often than not the seeded teams will make the final. It takes away from the tournament and makes far too predictable. Thats my problem with it. I dont think the tournament is a waste of time by any means, its just set-up wrong in my opinion.

You still banging on about that? there was only 2 decent teams in the tournament.
Yep, the setup is rubbish but there's talk of changing that. The addition of J-League teams for example or an additional European team.
I agree that it's not well set up but I still stand by having 2 sides to the competition given the current teams entering it - the scale of the thing doesn't really make a difference.

The Muppet

yop wrote:

Had to pull this one up for a larff! Note fortune tellers at the beginning!!

Guess they can hold off on that extra trophy room for the time being eh.:D

p.pete

The Muppet wrote:

Guess they can hold off on that extra trophy room for the time being eh.:D

Should be grand, we built one by mistake in anticipation of the Carling Cup earlier this year

yop

Well in fairness Pete if ye keep up the performances in the CL it could be staying!! Us are getting fierce bloody akward to score against.

blastman

mayordenis wrote:

pretty much agreed.
Liverpool are very likely to walk through this cup with very little trouble.

Ho ho ho!!

Ardent

I thought Liverpool played very well and would have hockeyed Sao Paolo on any other day. We were denied by their keeper - who'll probably never have a better game for the rest of his career - as well as by the referee and linesmen.

Rafa's reaction to the game tells you all you need to know. Their player should have been sent off for a blatant professional foul on Steven Gerrard, Pongolle's goal should never have been disallowed and we should have have had a penalty near the end when Kewell was railroaded in the penalty box.

One of those days.

RE*AC*TOR

blastman wrote:

Ho ho ho!!

laugh it up, Chuckles!
In all fairness Liverpool played better and deserved to win yesterday - so its hardly a time for gloating. On any other day liverpool would have won, and we were a far superior team to Sao Paolo.

PHB

In all fairness Liverpool played better and deserved to win yesterday - so its hardly a time for gloating. On any other day liverpool would have won, and we were a far superior team to Sao Paolo.

You realise every time you say this, everybody who thinks liverpool were terrible against chelsea remembers said the exact same thing to liverpool fans. You remember the responce

Vokes

Still though, for all the possession and shots, there was never many real clear cut chances. We still need, along with a right winger, a proven goal poacher who can play alongside Crouch/Morientes.

Ardent

SofaKing wrote:

Still though, for all the possession and shots, there was never many real clear cut chances. We still need, along with a right winger, a proven goal poacher who can play alongside Crouch/Morientes.

This is true.

I'm loathe to criticise any player that day but Garcia really tests my patience more often than not. I've never rated him, despite some important goals last season. He's a luxury player IMO. I think any other player in his place on Sunday would have converted at least one of the countless chances that came his way.

p.pete

PHB wrote:

You realise every time you say this, everybody who thinks liverpool were terrible against chelsea remembers said the exact same thing to liverpool fans. You remember the responce

Hehe, and AC Milan that's why I'm not too bitter about losing on Sunday (though still very disappointed).

Ardent - what makes you say he'll never have a better game?

Ardent

p.pete wrote:

Ardent - what makes you say he'll never have a better game?

The Sao Paolo keeper? Well, I doubt he puts in performances like that every week - he was simply amazing. From Gerrard's free kick save to tipping over Kewell's deflected cross on to the bar, the guy was on fire.

A bit like Massimo Taibi's first game for United against us...

p.pete

Ardent wrote:

The Sao Paolo keeper? Well, I doubt he puts in performances like that every week - he was simply amazing. From Gerrard's free kick save to tipping over Kewell's deflected cross on to the bar, the guy was on fire.

A bit like Massimo Taibi's first game for United against us...

I agree he was amazing and I agree he probably doesn't do it every week but personally I don't think it was a once off. I'd reckon he's a fairly high standard of keeper. With that defence on front of him I'd say he needs to be.

blastman

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

laugh it up, Chuckles!
In all fairness Liverpool played better and deserved to win yesterday - so its hardly a time for gloating.

Isn't that the perfect time for gloating?

PiE

No... when your team wins it, that's the perfect time for gloating.

p.pete

PiE wrote:

No... when your team wins it, that's the perfect time for gloating.

Milan gave us such a gloating

The Muppet

p.pete wrote:

Milan gave us such a gloating

Was this at half time?:p

RE*AC*TOR

PHB wrote:

You realise every time you say this, everybody who thinks liverpool were terrible against chelsea remembers said the exact same thing to liverpool fans. You remember the responce

fair enough, I still don't think any of the "predicitions" at the start of the thread were reflecing some kind of fantasy. They were and stilla re in line with reality. Liverpool played two games and dominated two games. The predictions were sound - as probably were the predictions last year that Liveprool wouldn't win the CL. Sound predictions based on fact. Nothing though is certain football.

Fair play to Sao Paolo though they got their goal, and rode their luck etc.

p.pete

The Muppet wrote:

Was this at half time?:p

Nah, there was seperate dressing rooms, you've such a dirty mind