The Better Team wins???

if it was set like the CL then smaller teams would have almost no chance of making it out of the group stage. Ivory coast or Serbia are capable of an upset against us in 1 game. But they will never be able to beat us twice.

No doubt ’series’ format would reduce influence of fluke results…That said, there’s a reason Argentina and Brazil always seem to go the distance and teams like Ivory Coast, or Japan or even Mexico would need a miracle to make it beyond the second round…

By the way: Haven’t read it yet, but hearing that Shevchenko goes to Chelsea, Crespo to Milan???

The current setup is fine as it is. Its fast and fun with all teams desperate to win within the 90 mins.

By the way has anyone heard about pablo aimar. He was injured but noone knows for how long. He hasnt broken nothing but whens he back?

Pablo Aimar is doing fine. He was injured last week so I was keen to figure out whats going on. He was not there in the starting line up of Sunday’s game against Sevilla, but came in the second half and did look fine.

Interesting topic. I’d say that it is the sporadic nature of the tournament that makes it exciting.

Sure it is heart breaking when your team is knocked out, but imagine how people from Senegal felt when their team was the cheif reason for France’s early exit?

[...] Here’s a good excuse when your team doesn’t win the World Cup (Argentina blog) [...]

I totally agree with Pugnate.

Yea but Pugnate the argument was that even though senegals fans felt amazing how many other people were upset that the “power houses” did not battle each other out… We wait all this time to see Italy Germany…Argentina Brazil…France Holland England Spain Portugal… My opinion is with pugnate but i find it interesting what the other side brings to the table…

It is a tough question. On one hand, like you I love seeing the giants of football battle it out.

It is like a footie fan’s wet dream to see Argentina play Italy, Brazil play Holland, England play France etc etc.

Yet I think the balance of power is shifting all the time.

I think Germany was very fortunate to make the last final with the team they had and again don’t have a great side. Actually haven’t had a great side since the days of Klinsmen.

I think it is high time we saw new football superpowers.

I’d like to see good national teams like Czech Republic, Portugal etc. perform consistently on a national level so that they too are considered giants.

I want Argentina to win the world cup really badly. They need to win and re establish themselves.

If god forbid they fail, I’d like it if someone new took the crown. Portugal, Czech Republic, Croatia and Serbia & Montenegro are my personal dark horses for this world cup.

But that brings up the issue of where does that leave the fans? We want to see the traditional giants like Italy, Germany, France, England, Argentina, Brazil, Holland and Spain battle it out.

I think the solution is that there should be more international matches every year. Should FIFA take a step where club football is lessened in favor of national fixtures?

Wouldn’t it be interesting to see England host a four team tournament consisting of top teams every year?

Same could be done in Italy or Argentina.

But back on the subject of watching the giants play, I think the balance of power is shifting.

Germany are no longer the force they were, and were lucky in the last world cup.

France is a shadow of herself, and would have been a push over had it not been for the return of Zidane and co.

All in all it should be an exciting world cup. God let us pass through our group.

I agree with the shift in balance of power: All of it has gone to Brazil & Argentina…

In addition to evidence like Copa America Finals, Confederations Finals, etc. – the number of top class players each can boast vs any other country has never been so imbalanced. There’s no Zidane out there. I mean, who are the world’s say 5 best players (general ‘play makers’ as opposed to pureplay strikers or defenders)? Is this list crazy?:
Ronaldinho, Messi, Kaka, Riquelme (on a good day), (who else belongs on this list???) Beckham?, Aimar?…not a lot of non Br/Arg names are coming to mind. There’s greater balance in the realm of defenders and strikers, but that’s not where Maradona’s, Pele’s, and Zidane’s reside…

England and Spain are, quite a ways down the curve, probably the next most Talented teams. Of course, sometimes coaching and team chemistry make things such that the simply ‘most talented’ doesn’t always win.

If 90 minutes isn’t enough to decide a winner, then I don’t know what is.

bidinho,
that comment is ace.
it’s a bit tiresome to read about the “traditional giants” stuff again and again. tradition equals history/the past. games are played in the present.

the group stage covers three games, if i recall correctly. if that isn’t enough, how many are required for the so-called favorites to win?

personally, i don’t care what the team is i watch, as long as it plays attractive and successful football. england, italy, germany don’t fit that category to my mind (england shines against argentina and germany only, which is a bit weak). many of the so-called dark horses do and brasil and argentina (the former more often than the latter, however) do. i look forward to a similar outcome as in 2002.

speaking of fans: i suppose china and india would run without competition in that regard. we need to take of the western media-fed (read: eurocentrist) view on the sport and enjoy football for the game that it is.

i think italy is better than germany . but i like germany more than italy !^!! ahrgh!

whats that? power houses