Official Results And Standings Thread

[Faster]

Since in the past there has be numerous threads about results, I thought we could save some space and have one thread for all results, standings and commentary. Hopefully the GM with stick this thread. Results to follow

[Quintana]

Germany 4-2 Costa Rica

The fact that a very poor team like Costa Rica can score two goals against an unimpressive Mannschaft should be worrysome for ze Germans. They really need to improve a lot (especially defensively) if they want to go far this year. Entertaining game though with a some great goals.

[Faster]

Germany 4-2 Costa Rica

The fact that a very poor team like Costa Rica can score two goals against an unimpressive Mannschaft should be worrysome for ze Germans. They really need to improve a lot (especially defensively) if they want to go far this year. Entertaining game though with a some great goals.

Oh shut up, Costa Rica scored two against Brazil in 2002, and scored plenty in CONCACAF qualifying. The only problems with Germany were Freidrich's mistakes and the fact that Lehmann was caught out of position on more then one occassion. Also Metzelder needs to get his mind of scoring. Lahm was their best player today and he is defensive. Germany played well and Costa Rica isn't a push over team. Also Costa Rica has had a convincing win against the Americans in the last year.

[Stu]

A nice change to see an opening match with a lot of goals - I'm sure Germany will gain in confidence a little now - Klinsmann should have a word because they need to improve their defence - Costa Rica was perhaps the least fancied team in the group. Germany should be happy though - they've won the first match.

[Faster]

Yes but I think Costa Rica will get a win over Ecuador. Germany's defence was not to their standards, but its nice to seem they didn't shut down down like they would in the past, even as late as 4 years ago. Klinsmann did good, i was like most in questioning him, but Voller and the traditional Germany style hasn't work, try something new.

[Quintana]

Oh shut up, Costa Rica scored two against Brazil in 2002, and scored plenty in CONCACAF qualifying. The only problems with Germany were Freidrich's mistakes and the fact that Lehmann was caught out of position on more then one occassion. Also Metzelder needs to get his mind of scoring. Lahm was their best player today and he is defensive. Germany played well and Costa Rica isn't a push over team. Also Costa Rica has had a convincing win against the Americans in the last year.

Costa Rica is utter crap. Their defense is laughable. Scoring a lot of goals in CONCACAF doesn't mean ****, it is the weakest confederation apart from the OFC. I've seen the German team a few times over the last two years and their central defenders keep making the same stupid mistakes. The second Costa Rican goal (although it might have been offside) is a classic example of how not to defend. The German (central) defense is a joke, unworthy of a country like Germany.

The Germans are lucky to be in such an easy group. Poland is a rather mediocre European team, Ecuador only qualifies because they play their home games at an altitude of 2850 meters and Costa Rica can only impress Canadians. In the second round Germany will probably face England or Sweden, both of which have more quality than the Germans. The only thing that can save them is home advantage.

[Faster]

Costa Rica is utter crap. Their defense is laughable. Scoring a lot of goals in CONCACAF doesn't mean ****, it is the weakest confederation apart from the OFC. I've seen the German team a few times over the last two years and their central defenders keep making the same stupid mistakes. The second Costa Rican goal (although it might have been offside) is a classic example of how not to defend. The German (central) defense is a joke, unworthy of a country like Germany.

The Germans are lucky to be in such an easy group. Poland is a rather mediocre European team, Ecuador only qualifies because they play their home games at an altitude of 2850 meters and Costa Rica can only impress Canadians. In the second round Germany will probably face England or Sweden, both of which have more quality than the Germans. The only thing that can save them is home advantage.

Costa Rica doesn't have a good defense, but they can score goals and lots of them. Costa Rica did tie Turkey in the group stage last time around and if it weren't for the blowout against Brazil they would have gone through over Turkey.

[Olympian2004]

Costa Rica is utter crap. Their defense is laughable. Scoring a lot of goals in CONCACAF doesn't mean ****, it is the weakest confederation apart from the OFC. I've seen the German team a few times over the last two years and their central defenders keep making the same stupid mistakes. The second Costa Rican goal (although it might have been offside) is a classic example of how not to defend. The German (central) defense is a joke, unworthy of a country like Germany.

The Germans are lucky to be in such an easy group. Poland is a rather mediocre European team, Ecuador only qualifies because they play their home games at an altitude of 2850 meters and Costa Rica can only impress Canadians. In the second round Germany will probably face England or Sweden, both of which have more quality than the Germans. The only thing that can save them is home advantage.

Maybe you shouldn't boast so much (or as we say in German: Du solltest deinen Mund nicht zu voll nehmen -- You shouldn't take your mouth too full). Let's wait how the Netherlands perform against Serbia and Montenegro on Sunday -- and then we talk again.

Of course: Germany's defense had some alarming holes today. But you have to admit that the team showed a lot of its famous virtue: Fighting spirit. Nobody says that, based on that single result, Germany is about to get the cup. But it was, nevertheless, a game which gives us Germans some good lessons and a good feeling at the same time. I'm very satisfied about that.

[Citius Altius Fortius]

Goal for Ecuador!!!

Poland:Ecuador 0:1

[ThrillosAG]

Of course: Germany's defense had some alarming holes today. But you have to admit that the team showed a lot of its famous virtue: Fighting spirit. Nobody says that, based on that single result, Germany is about to get the cup. But it was, nevertheless, a game which gives us Germans some good lessons and a good feeling at the same time. I'm very satisfied about that.

They played very aggressively which I though was kinda surprising but they did play very well nonetheless.

[Rei]

tomorrow Holland vs. Argentina.. I can't wait!

[Quintana]

tomorrow Holland vs. Argentina.. I can't wait!

Ivory Coast vs. Argentina you mean, Holland plays against Serbia & Montenegro on sunday.

Maybe you shouldn't boast so much (or as we say in German: Du solltest deinen Mund nicht zu voll nehmen -- You shouldn't take your mouth too full). Let's wait how the Netherlands perform against Serbia and Montenegro on Sunday -- and then we talk again.

I have said numerous times that I don't rate Holland's chances.

[Olympian2004]

tomorrow Holland vs. Argentina.. I can't wait!

Sorry, but Holland vs. Argentina is on July 21. Tomorrow is Argentina vs. Cote d'Ivoire and on Sunday Holland vs. Serbia and Montenegro.

June 21, of course -- not July.

[Rei]

ops..

[Olympian2004]

I have said numerous times that I don't rate Holland's chances.

First of all: I didn't know that (since I read that looong World Cup rumours etc. thread only very rarely). And secondly: Why that? And why do you depreciate other teams and don't dare to say something about your own team, too? Sorry, but I don't think that this is very fair.

[dave199]

So Ecuador upsets Poland 2-0.

[Rob2012]

An interesting couple of games today.

Germany played in a very un-German way, looking sharp up front but very, very shaky at the back. They'll have to sort out their defence and the offside-trap if they are to progress against the top teams. Costa Rica aren't bad, but Germany shouldn't be conceding two goals against them. The Costa-Rican's, though not awful, are probably as weak a side as we're going to see in this tournament. They gave the Germans a lot of space, espescially on the flanks. Wanchope looks like he still has his touch however.

As for the second game, I thought Poland looked uninterested in the first half and only came out playing in the second. Their huge amounts of possession did them no good as they had no threat up front. And if you're going to dominate a game that much possession-wise, you really shouldn't be giving away stupid passes that can lead to goals! Ecaudor looked reasonably dangerous on the counter-attack and worked hard, they were always running. They certainly looked much more interested than the Poles.

That's just my 2p worth.

[Olympian2004]

An interesting couple of games today.

Germany played in a very un-German way, looking sharp up front but very, very shaky at the back. They'll have to sort out their defence and the offside-trap if they are to progress against the top teams. Costa Rica aren't bad, but Germany shouldn't be conceding two goals against them. The Costa-Rican's, though not awful, are probably as weak a side as we're going to see in this tournament. They gave the Germans a lot of space, espescially on the flanks. Wanchope looks like he still has his touch however.

As for the second game, I thought Poland looked uninterested in the first half and only came out playing in the second. Their huge amounts of possession did them no good as they had no threat up front. And if you're going to dominate a game that much possession-wise, you really shouldn't be giving away stupid passes that can lead to goals! Ecaudor looked reasonably dangerous on the counter-attack and worked hard, they were always running. They certainly looked much more interested than the Poles.

That's just my 2p worth.

Good analysis. Well, maybe the Ecuadorians repeat what the Senegalese achieved at the 2002 World Cup: Beforehand, an absolutely underestimated member of the tournament opening group A, but then the big moral winner and defeater of the so-called favourites. Remember, Senegal advanced to the quarterfinals...

So I guess that both Poland and Ecuador will be very tough opponents for Germany in the remaining two group matches: Ecuador is, as I said, better than expected. And Poland will fight relentlessly to defeat Germany since this game will be a "small final" for them -- because if they fail also against Germany, their time at the World Cup is already over. Oh my, oh my...

[Faster]

I thought both games were great veiwing. Exciting, interesting and filled with some impressive goals.

BTW I would rate Togo, Angola, Saudi Arabia, and Trinidad worse then Costa Rica.

Hopefully there can be more good football, more amazing goals and more proper referring for the rest of the tournement. Unlike in 2002 the tourney began with great results, hopefully it continues.

Group A Standings

1. Germany 1 0 0 4 2 +2

2. Ecuador 1 0 0 2 0 +2

3. Costa Rica 0 0 1 2 4 -2

4. Poland 0 0 1 0 2 -2

[Olympian2004]

Germany will have a lot of work in both matches.

(Sorry, that should be an addition to my previous post. I hoped that it would be integrated directly into that post again.)

[Stu]

I was so surprised how sluggishly Poland seemed to play this evening - they had so much possession and yet did nothing with it.

[arwebb]

I thought it was a terrific opening game with two wonderful goals from Lamm and Frings. Frings will be a key man for Germany in this tournament, I feel.

Germany, however, must be concerned by the state of their defence. Better sides than Costa Rica will have a field day against Germany if they continue to defend as they did today.

As for the second game, Poland looked a pale shadow of the side which pushed England close twice during qualification. They were very poor. Ecuador looked sharp on the break and defended very well, but their goalkeeper looks very shaky and I reckon he will face much greater pressure in future games.

[Quintana]

First of all: I didn't know that (since I read that looong World Cup rumours etc. thread only very rarely). And secondly: Why that? And why do you depreciate other teams and don't dare to say something about your own team, too? Sorry, but I don't think that this is very fair.

I fail to see why I can't comment on other teams if I don't say something about my own team first (which was clearly not the case but ok). This is discussion forum, I should be allowed to say about other teams whatever I want. I think the German defence is joke and no matter what Bild Zeitung tries to tell me, I don't rate Germany's chances. If you keep making the same mistakes for two years you're clearly not good enough. Sweden or England will eliminate you in the second round and Brazil will eventually beat Italy in the final.

I have said a lot of things about my own team - including why I don't have high hopes - in other threads. Although I don't believe this the right thread to do this I'll give you a short summary:

- The team is (too) young and unexperienced.

- Because the team is so young we have too many "boys" not enough "men".

- Van Basten used to make ridiculous choices based on the clubs players play for rather than quality. He seems to improve on this aspect though.

- Mathijssen is one of our central defenders. He's playing very poorly all year (say Per Mertesacker level) which is going to cost us.

- The only time we played good football in the last two years was in a friendly against the Germans (a game that somehow ended 2-2), all our other games weren't impressive.

- Our main strength seems to be the very undutch qualities of fighting spirit and luck.

- Conclusion: we might get out of the group and if we don't have to play Portugal in the second round we will reach the quarters but I can't see us getting passed that. However, the future is bright, the future is Orange! Our under-21 team was crowned European champions in Portugal last week with a kind of B team (we have 7 or 8 players in our world cup squad that could have played there but did not). I give us a better chance in 4 years time if we can find a suitable replacement for Van der Sar.

[Stu]

England 1 - 0 Paraguay

Well England won and dominated in the first half but seemed to struggle in the second half - perhaps the heat but I also thought they were beginning to look weaker when attacking, although the goal attempts still out numbered those of Paraguay.

The referee was also making a few strange decisions - though perhaps I'm biased!

Three points though - England usually struggle with nerves in their first game in tournaments but began confidently.

[Olympian2004]

England 1 - 0 Paraguay

Well England won and dominated in the first half but seemed to struggle in the second half - perhaps the heat but I also thought they were beginning to look weaker when attacking, although the goal attempts still out numbered those of Paraguay.

The referee was also making a few strange decisions - though perhaps I'm biased!

Three points though - England usually struggle with nerves in their first game in tournaments but began confidently.

Yes, but let's face it: If England really wants to win the cup, it has to show a lot more. That was no champion-like performance. But there's comfort for you: Germany also played a terrible group stage in Mexico in 1986 (1-1 against Uruguay, 2-1 against Scotland and 0-2 against Denmark) but advanced to the final nevertheless and at least became Vice World Champion.