Alexa

Teams Qualified:

EUROPE (14 teams): Germany (hosts), Ukraine, Italy, England, Poland, Netherlands, Portugal, Croatia, Sweden, France, Serbia & Montenegro

CONMEBOL (4.5 teams) Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay

AFRICA (5 teams): Angola, Ghana,Togo, Ivory Coast, Tunisia

CONCACAF (3.5 teams): United States, Mexico, Costa Rica

ASIA (4.5 teams): South Korea, Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia

OCEANIA (0.5 teams) Australia beat Solomon Islands 9-1 on aggregate to play Uruguay in a playoff game.

No Ireland ? Hmm.

So, what's your favorite team ? Who do you think will be the winner ?

I'm sure Germany will do her best as a host. Do you think its team has the chance to take the Wold Cup ? It's your chance to make your choice. And we'll see together in June the winner team.

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"Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true" (R.W. Emerson)

Manuel

The other teams that have now qualified are Australia, Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, Switzerland and Cezch Republic. Well done Australia, first time they have qualified since 1974! Congratulations to Trinidad & Tibago and Czech Republic the first time they have qualified ever!

The World Cup is a great tournament, it's one of the great things in the world today. It brings people of all people together and gives them one common language, the language of football. I can't wait. I don't think I'll be getting to any of the games over in Germany but you can guarantee that I will be watching as many games as possible. Being half Italian and half English, I'll be supporting those teams, but will be looking forward to watching the skill of the Brazilians (as ever).

As for who will win, well who is to say? Euro 2004 was won by Greece, and they haven't even qualified for the World Cup! But the perennial favourites will be as they always are ; France, Holland, Germany, Brazil, England and Argentina.

But for a bit of an outsider, I think the Czech Republic will do well. They have some excellent technical players in Nedved, Baros and their goalkeeper Petr Cech is probably the best in the world at the moment.

I suppose England will have all their hopes placed on the shoulders of a twenty year old boy called Wayne Rooney. Even Maradona says he's the new Maradona ....

Alexa

I'm happy too for all the new qualified teams. Even if they are not able to get the cup, they already won it in.

I had a feeling this will be the year for Germany's team. But as long as we don't see them in action on the field, we'll never know what surprises future reserves for us.

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"Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true" (R.W. Emerson)

Manuel

You really think so? The more I see of Ronaldinho, the more I think he is unstoppable. He has been playing so very well of Barcelona, he almost beat Real Madrid by himself last week.

Leto

Ronadhino, wasn't he the guys P-SG supporters complained so loudly about last year ?

Manuel

He used to play for PSG, yes, but then moved to Barca about two years ago, maybe?

He's this bloke

Leto

One year, two years... I don't know. Football is not my fav sport, since World Cup 1998 at least.

But P-S.G. supporters are so loudly that, even without remotely interested in it, you soon hear players and coach they hate (none are loved).

Alexa

I have to admit, he's not bad at all that guy. :smilie:

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"Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true" (R.W. Emerson)

Culhwch

Australia all the way. I'm not even sure why the other thirty-one teams are bothering to show up.

Well, I'm nothing if not optomistic. I'd say the Brazilians will be hard to beat, and I'll be cheering for anyone they play. Tall poppy syndrome in action. I've always had a soft spot for England, too, so I will cheering for them, so long as they're not playing us.

Manuel

They'll be very hard to beat. Even if the opposition score four against them, they'll be scoring six. They are annoying like that.