[anickol]

Here are my top 10 pics in order of what I belief, are their chances to win the World Cup. Judging the way Romania is playing right now, I would place Romania in the 6th place after Portugal and before Uruguay. What do you guys think?

1. Argentina
2. France
3. Italy
4. Brazil
5. Portugal
6. Uruguay
7. Spain
8. England
9. Denmark
10. Germany
11. Croatia
12. Ireland

 

[Lupi]

Here are my top 10 pics in order of what I belief, are their chances to win the World Cup. Judging the way Romania is playing right now, I would place Romania in the 6th place after Portugal and before Uruguay. What do you guys think?

1. Argentina
2. France
3. Italy
4. Brazil
5. Portugal
6. Uruguay
7. Spain
8. England
9. Denmark
10. Germany
11. Croatia
12. Ireland

I would put them in the top 4. We could beat either Portugal and Brazil.

 

[MironN]

One thing is for sure: we would have got past Spain, Paraguay and South Africa.

 

[Romire]

An interesting question, first off I'd have to change the list.

1 Argentina
2 France
3 Italy
4 Portugal
5 Ireland
6 Spain
7 Cameroon
8 Uruguay
9 Brazil
10 England
11 Sweden
12 Germany

I'd put us ahead of England in 10th spot.

 

[MariusDeDracul]

10th spot??? Especially with the awesome results we've been getting lately? Do you really think that Uruguay is better then us? And I know you're half Irish, man but Ireland 5th and Romania 10th??? No way Jose!!!

 

[GICA]

In my opinion there are 4 favourites:

-Argentina
-France
-Brazil
-Italy

Romania would be the number 5


HAI ROMANIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[David]

I'd change it to:

1. Argentina
2. Portugal
3. Italy
4. France
5. Brazil
6. Spain
7. Uruguay
8. Croatia
9. England
10. Denmark
11. Germany
12. Ireland

and put Romania on the same line with Uruguay and Croatia, definitely better than the Brits.

I think the final will be Argentina vs. Portugal.

 

[Florian Albert]

i don't see slovenia in any of those lists?-move on to the next euro champs-this question can never really be answered and is unfair to the teams that did make it

 

[David]

kiwi,
who said we want tho answer the question? We just wanted to give and compare our oppinions.

And regarding the unfairness, well, I don't think they care about some stupid Xtratime thread.

 

[Florian Albert]

fair enough

 

[Romire]

10th spot??? Especially with the awesome results we've been getting lately? Do you really think that Uruguay is better then us? And I know you're half Irish, man but Ireland 5th and Romania 10th??? No way Jose!!!

Uruguay is a great team, I was extremely impressed with them in the Italy game and in the entire S. American qualifying which is the hardest in the world IMO. They show a lot more composure then we do and while they don't have the stars we do they show a great deal of technical flair. They remind me of Romania in '94 (sans a Hagi of course). They have shown much better results against the biggest of teams. Sure we've had some really good success in exhibitions and its great. But its a building, we arn't the giant killers we once were - yet, Uruguay have that potential. Ireland is going to surprize a lot of people, coming through the toughest qualifying group in style. Ireland havn't lost a game since Portugal in qualifying, actually we havn't even drawn a game since qualifying. We have been the most consistent team in terms of exhibitions. Ireland ARE giant killers. We eat them up and chew them out we have no fear, none. We have a lot of young stars, but with a great amount of experience, maturity and composure. We have Roy Keane. I'm looking for Ireland to go the quarters, maybe the semi's if the road is right. People are ignoring Ireland like the ignored Romania in '94, we WILL surprize.

 

[The Rumaniac]

I see Ireland as a dangerous team too, specially considering the low form of most of the teams of the tournament.
Uruguay is not that good, they had a lot of troubles qualifying and they showed a poor form. Their only great player is Recoba but he hasn`t shown the same level on their NT yet. I`m sure Romania is better than them, better defenders, more technique, a defined style. I think this romanian team could beat anyone, but could also loose to inferior teams because it isn`t mature yet, a key issue in a WC.
I think France is the biggest candidate, they are really mature, defensively solid, a great Zidane and reliable goalscorers like Henry and Trezeguet.

 

[MariusDeDracul]

Here's how I see it:

France
Argentina
Italy
Brazil
Portugal
Nigeria
Croatia
Spain
Mexico (very consistent in obtaining good results at WC)
England
Ireland (Sorry Romire, if I'm wrong I owe you a few beers )
Japan
Germany
Korea
Uruguay
Poland
Slovenia
USA
Costa Rica

I would place Romania at the same level with Portugal...

 

[GICA]

Candidates:

1.Argentina
2.France
3.Brazil
4.Italy
5.Cameroon
6.Portugal
7.England
8.Germany
9.Spain
10.Uruguay

The surprise could be Japan,Russia or Turkey...and Cameroon of course.



HAI ROMANIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Romire]

Here's how I see it:

France
Argentina
Italy
Brazil
Portugal
Nigeria
Croatia
Spain
Mexico (very consistent in obtaining good results at WC)
England
Ireland (Sorry Romire, if I'm wrong I owe you a few beers )
Japan
Germany
Korea
Uruguay
Poland
Slovenia
USA
Costa Rica

I would place Romania at the same level with Portugal...

2 things, at least put Ireland above England, it bothers me seeing England above us in anything and secondly I'll take you up on the beer bet. So what do you wanna say, if Ireland makes it to the quarters you owe me beer and if they don't make it to the quarters I owe you? Or do you wanna be very hard on me and say the semi's.

 

[MariusDeDracul]

Actually I'll make it easier...If Ireland gets out of their group I owe you beer and I will even cheer them along to the end...

 

[MironN]

1. Argentina
2. France
3. England
4. Portugal.
5. Brazil.
6. Romania
7. Croatia
8. Cameroon.
9. Japan.
10. Spain.

People are not giving much credit to England, which surprises me. I am sure Beckham will be back in time for the most important games. I see England in the semis.
Brazil will be surprising also. No matter what happened in the qualyfiers, get 10 talented Brazillians together, add RONALDO and who knows what's gonna happen.
The same for the Portuguese.
---------------------
Anyway.

Romania would have been in group B of the WC, with Spain, Paraguay and South Africa, and we would have been the top team of the group. Since we did not qualify, Spain took our place.

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/en/t/s/g.html

Therefore, if we look at the group B schedule, we should replace Spain with Romania and Slovenia with Spain.

So:
6 02 Jun 16:30 Paraguay : South Africa Busan
8 02 Jun 20:30 Romania : Spain Gwangju

22 07 Jun 18:00 Romania : Paraguay Jeonju
24 08 Jun 15:30 South Africa : Spain Daegu

39 12 Jun 20:30 South Africa : Romania Daejeon
40 12 Jun 20:30 Spain : Paraguay Seogwipo

If we would have won the group, we could have player the second team from group E (Ireland, Cameroon, Germany, Saudi Arabia).
If we would have got second, we would have played the first team from group E. I think we could have got through Germany or Ireland or Cameroon.

In the quarterfinals, we would have played either the winner from the 1st of G and 2nd of D (G:Croatia, Mexico, Italy, Ecuador) (D:Korea, Portugal, USA, Poland) or the reverse.

In the semis it is very hard to determine, but it could be Ireland, Cameroon, Germany, Spain. I don't know, my head hurts from this but, in my dreams, this is what Romania would have done:

Group Stage:
Romania 3 3 0 0
Spain 3 2 0 1
Paraguay 3 1 0 2
South Africa 3 0 0 3

Round of 16: Romania defeats Cameroon or Ireland

Quarter: Portugal/Poland

Semi: Portugal/Italy/Germany/Spain etc

Final: ???? Brazil/France etc.

 

[David]

England in the semis? Now that's funny!

I have doubts that England could get past the group stage, not to mention the first knock-out phase.

And Beckham is overrated. He's the Kurnikova of soccer, that's what he is. Sure, England is having plenty of very good players, but they look kinda 'soft', the leave a lot of space.

 

[Romire]

Actually I'll make it easier...If Ireland gets out of their group I owe you beer and I will even cheer them along to the end...

You really must wanna pay for beer

-------------------------------------

Yeah England suck, I also don't see Spain or Germany in the semi's either. Germany is certainly not the best team anymore and with Nowotny and Scholl out I think they should be happy if they make it out of the group. Spain would have choked long before the semi's

As far as the what if's about Romania, yeah I could definetely see us getting out of that group but after that I don't know. Cameroon is a damned fine team, you don't win the Olympics, the African Cup and several youth championships without being good. That and their German coach has instilled them with the kind of compose an african side hasn't had in a long time. That and Romania has always had difficulties with African sides.