England v Paraguay - 2pm KO

eirebhoy

We might aswell get the discussion started.

preview

Dirk Gently

any indications of the team sven is going to put out.

is gerrard fit?

county

ok,if england get an early goal i can see that winning 3-0,but it relly depends on what england team turns up,we are slow starters in the big tournaments

Lemlin

I don't think it'll be that easy county. Paraguay are a decent side. I think a 0-0 draw or else a 1-0 victory for England.

eirebhoy

I think it depends on how Paraguay approach it and what team Sven plays. If Sven plays a 4-4-2 with Gerrard-Lampard I think Paraguay have to attack. If Paraguay sit back then I can't see anything but an England win. If they push them at every opportunity I'd be very suprised if they don't at least match them.

mike65

Gerrard seems to be 80% certain to start, if not I guess it'll be Hargreavs as Holding Midfielder. Otherwise the usual starting 11.

I agree with county, England have to start the game at a tempo. A few early goals and the stuffing/disiplin will go missing from Paraguay.

Mike.

Pigman II

Probably be totally wrong here but I fancy Paraguay to get a draw tomorrow.

I say this cos if there was any team to start your campaign off against then England is one! Incredibly they've only one their opening game once in the last 9 finals tournaments they've played in.

gimmick

The pick of todays games is Argentina Vs Ivory Coast. As a spectacar, it should be great. From what I have seen both teams likes to play football, and i just hope they play to their strengths. I reckon Crespo will do damage at this worl cup. How can he not, Messi, Riquelme, Tevez etc - looks like a beautiful team.

England Vs Paraguay. I think Paraguay are being writen off way to early. They qualified well, taking points off both Brazil and The Argies. They are a physical side who could cause the papers to have a field day on Sunday. If Gerrard is alllowed to play his game though, England will walk it.

T&T Vs Sweden. I have no idea, so will not make any assumptions, but will Zlatan and Larsoon and Kállstrom, got to assume the Swedes will do the biz.

Kinetic^

Yeah some good games today, looking forward to them.

1 thing that really annoyed me was the talk on both BBC and UTV of who England are going to play in the 2nd round, they make it out as if it's almost a certainty, I thought it was arrogance but do you think it's arrogance or confidence??

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Keyser Soze 5 wrote:

Yeah some good games today, looking forward to them.

1 thing that really annoyed me was the talk on both BBC and UTV of who England are going to play in the 2nd round, they make it out as if it's almost a certainty, I thought it was arrogance but do you think it's arrogance or confidence??

Confidence. The should, in all fairness, make it. And we had earmarked Spain in 2002 long before we got them.

eirebhoy

gimmick wrote:

England Vs Paraguay. I think Paraguay are being writen off way to early. They qualified well, taking points off both Brazil and The Argies.

Argentina only got a point off them in their 2 meetings, Brazil won 1 and lost 1. They certainly have the ability to beat the best. I don't agree about England walking it with Gerrard available. Gerrard and Lampard have played together many times and we're still waiting for a good performance from England.

I have Ljunberg as my captain in the fantasy football for tomorrow as I can see him doing well against T&T.

Paul Tergat

Can't wait for the game tomorrow, will be fairly tough but i fancy us to beat Paraguay, C'mon England!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr.Nice Guy

I'd fancy England to win 2-0.

WarZoneBrother

come on paraguay i hope they beat england 1-0

_blank_

I'll get to see the England game tonight - One o'clock in the morning kick off. If I stay off the sauce for the EggChasing I should be ok to watch Ingerland.

Nice one.

Pepe LeFrits

eirebhoy wrote:

Argentina only got a point off them in their 2 meetings, Brazil won 1 and lost 1. They certainly have the ability to beat the best. I don't agree about England walking it with Gerrard available. Gerrard and Lampard have played together many times and we're still waiting for a good performance from England.

I have Ljunberg as my captain in the fantasy football for tomorrow as I can see him doing well against T&T.

Just hope he continues on his season's Sweden form and not Arsenal form

therecklessone

seansouth wrote:

I'll get to see the England game tonight - One o'clock in the morning kick off. If I stay off the sauce for the EggChasing I should be ok to watch Ingerland.

Nice one.

Thank jaysus your in eggchasing land, or I'd have forgotten about this morning's match!

How's NZ going?

England, Sweden, Argentina all to win today.

_blank_

therecklessone wrote:

How's NZ going?

Pretty good, but it's fierce cold

Lemlin

The Paraguay team looks decent. Alot of them are playing in the Spanish and German leagues which would lead me to believe that they are alot better than the English media think.

county

seansouth wrote:

I'll get to see the England game tonight - One o'clock in the morning kick off. If I stay off the sauce for the EggChasing I should be ok to watch Ingerland.

Nice one.

yes but be honest you need a few drinks in you to watch england,god i do

therecklessone

seansouth wrote:

Pretty good, but it's fierce cold

North or south island? I'd say its bloody freezing down Dunedin way...:D

Rikand

its not about the matches today, however ::

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/togo/5066770.stm

Togo's World Cup Group G preparations are in turmoil after coach Otto Pfister resigned over a pay dispute.

His former assistant Kodjovi Mawuena will take charge of the side for their first game with South Korea on 13 June.

"I'm not going back and I am giving up my work as national trainer. It has destroyed a dream of my life. I won't be messed with any more," said Pfister.

Eight years ago Pfister guided Saudi Arabia to the finals in France but was sacked on the eve of the tournament.

Fifa's head of communications Markus Ziegler said they had not yet had confirmation that Pfister was no longer in charge, but changing the coach was unlikely to be a problem.

"The situation for players is clear, but the rules do not apply to coaches," he said.

gimmick

Going to miss the England game, as I will be on the raod to West Cork , but at least that will earn me credits to see The Argies Vs Ivroy Coast this evening.

Prediction: England by the odd goal, Sweden by 3, and Argentina 3-2.

Love the world cup me.

eirebhoy

Rickylovesuall wrote:

its not about the matches today, however ::

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/togo/5066770.stm

Excellent, a step closer to me winning a grand with my accumulator (including all 3 of Togo's opposition).

_blank_

county wrote:

yes but be honest you need a few drinks in you to watch england,god i do

Had a few during the match, just killing some time now before the real game starts.

therecklessone wrote:

North or south island? I'd say its bloody freezing down Dunedin way...:D

I'm in Dundein actually!! And yes, it's cold.

MrJoeSoap

gimmick wrote:

Love the world cup me.

The feeling I got when Lahm's strike hit the net yesterday was incomparable to anything I've ever felt. It's a month of sheer euphoria!

mike65

Is this the England-Paraguay Official Match Thread?

Mike.

Rikand

i thought there was a dedicated thread made yesterday, but i must be hallucinating, i dont see it anymore

_blank_

think it was merged

ThE_IVIAcIVIAIV

hoping the score will be england 0 Paraguay 100 , but more realisticly i think it will be england 2 Paraguay 2 . im not giving england a capital letter. not worth it. lol

Pacifico

Hope England destroy them. 3-0 or so.

Wont get to see any of the damn matches today :mad:

therecklessone

England will ein, but it will be a very close contest. Paraguay are not a soft touch.

[nicK]

sven emailed me the script last night.. "0-0 at half time, 1-1 final score.." (you heard it here first..)

Running Bing

Paraguay 11/2 on boylessports:eek: Yes please.

Lemlin

I've a few quid on:

1. A draw
2. Lampard to score first
3. Joe Cole to score first

[nicK]

Babybing wrote:

Paraguay 11/2 on boylessports:eek: Yes please.

i think they're around 8 or 7/1 on betfair.. but i'd suggest waiting until kick-off when you'll have the whole of the english fanbase piling into the 1.6 about england leaving paraguay drifting out to around 9/1 hopefully..

eirebhoy

Currently 26 degrees in Frankfurt with very little wind.

[nicK]

just noticed englands outright odds have come in to 7 and 6/1, 5/1 in places..
did ronaldinho transfer or have i missed something?!

eirebhoy

[nicK] wrote:

just noticed englands outright odds have come in to 7 and 6/1, 5/1 in places..
did ronaldinho transfer or have i missed something?!

Terrible odds and I think it's a reflection of the English dominance in the gambling industry (there's almost double the amount of money matched on England than there is Germany). I assume the change in odds is to do with Germany's poor performance yesterday. It didn't take a world cup match to show how bad Germany's defence was though.

[nicK]

eirebhoy wrote:

Terrible odds and I think it's a reflection of the English dominance in the gambling industry (there's almost double the amount of money matched on England than there is Germany). I assume the change in odds is to do with Germany's poor performance yesterday. It didn't take a world cup match to show how bad Germany's defence was though.

in all fairness, germany are hardly their biggest threat..
but yes, their dominance in the gambling markets does has a big influence on the odds which i suppose is a treat for all of the betfair layers.. (i, however, couldn't be arsed opposing england at this stage.. even at those terrible odds)

mike65

Teams

England: Robinson, G Neville, Terry, Ferdinand, A Cole, Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, J Cole, Owen, Crouch.

Paraguay: Villar, Caniza, Gamarra, Caceres, Toledo, Bonet, Acuna, Paredes, Riveros, Valdez, Santa Cruz.

Mike.

Pepe LeFrits

Er, anyone watching the BBC coverage? That Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant bit was a bit... odd!

Vokes

That Flintoff dude is so very trashed!

Pepe LeFrits

hahaha yeah he's absolutely blotto, he could barely string a sentence together.

... I hope he's drunk, anyway!

Ronan|Raven

Crazy that Carragher cant get a game ahead of Ferdinand or Neville.

PHB

Not really.

Gary Neville is England's best RB, and has been for years.

Carragher and Terry play behind a DMC with great ability to mop up the play, Ferdinand doesn't, and along with Campbell is the only defender they have who can deal with that.
Terry's preformance for England have not been very good, and that's cause the Makelele effect(tm). Carragher has the Alonso effect.

It has to be Rio + somebody else, imo it should be Campbell, he is the big game player.

besty

PHB wrote:

Not really.

Gary Neville is England's best RB, and has been for years.

Carragher and Terry play behind a DMC with great ability to mop up the play, Ferdinand doesn't, and along with Campbell is the only defender they have who can deal with that.
Terry's preformance for England have not been very good, and that's cause the Makelele effect(tm). Carragher has the Alonso effect.

It has to be Rio + somebody else, imo it should be Campbell, he is the big game player.

I agree with most of that except for the last bit. There's no way in hell Campbell should play ahead of JT

Pighead

Babybing wrote:

Paraguay 11/2 on boylessports:eek: Yes please.

Pighead will give you a 100/1 if you want. Paraguay are an average team and nothing more. Their warm up games leading up to the world Cup have been dissapointing and they've only managed 1 win in 5
(V Georgia last week) Even Wales held themto a draw ffs.

Anyway Pigheads going for a 3-0 walk in the park for England. Crouch to score 1st.

Anam

besty wrote:

I agree with most of that except for the last bit. There's no way in hell Campbell should play ahead of JT

Agree with that.

England should be more worried about their midfield pairing rather than their CB pair.

finnpark

Come on Paraguay.:p . Can't wait to see England been knocked out.

Today's Prediction: Draw

mike65

The RTE Panal are worse than BBC/ITV in thier own way, Apres Match caught the mod nicely I thought.

Mike.