Group F: Brazil, Croatia, Australia, Japan

[TT Boy]

Was going for the Australians (for second) but after seeing the hatchet job they did on the Dutch, I go for Brazil and the Croats. Who will definitely fight fire with fire against Hiddink’s new found Kevin Muscat style of football.

Other than Brazil this group is not going to be pretty to watch.

 

[oz_fan]

1. Brazil
2. Australia
3. Croatia
4. Japan

 

[Craig]

I'll have a pint of what you're on.

Surely you would also want a pint on what SKD is on when he went for Japan and Croatia

 

[Robertinho]

1. Brazil
...
...
...
2. Australia
3. Croatia
4. Japan

Heart locked in fierce combat with Head.

 

[ash chaulk]

Aus: 2 Jap: 0

 

[Nate]

People under-estimate the Croatian team, honestly. I`ll be extremely surprised if Brazil and Croatia don`t make it through.

Australia to beat Japan.
Australia to lose to Croatia.
Australia to lose to Brazil.
Japan to lose against Croatia.
Japan to lose against Brazil.
Brazil to beat Croatia.

 

[bugssy]

definately brazil will take the top spot, my heart says for second spot australia however i think croatia will be too strong.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

People under-estimate the Croatian team, honestly. I`ll be extremely surprised if Brazil and Croatia don`t make it through.

Australia to beat Japan.
Australia to lose to Croatia.
Australia to lose to Brazil.
Japan to lose against Croatia.
Japan to lose against Brazil.
Brazil to beat Croatia.

I don't think people underestimate them. They are favourites to qualify after all. The main source of doubt is that nobody really knows how good Australia are on the world stage, wheras Croatia had a pretty poor World Cup last time, and have few if any players left from the '98 campaign. Judging on pre-world cup results, both teams have some pretty impressive scalps behind them, with Croatia beating Sweden in qualifying, Australia beating Uruguay and Greece and drawing with Holland.

If Australia qualify ahead of Croatia it will be a surprise, generally speaking, it's just a surprise that quite a few Australians think is possible.

Personally, I think a draw between Croatia and Australia is the most likely result, though either team could win. It could well come down to who gets hammered by Brazil the worst, or who fails to beat Japan.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Beating Greece post Euro '04 doesn't seem to be the greatest achievement...

 

[Pedro Delgado]

I'm looking foward to seeing how the Aussies fair, if they play out of their skins and the top lads fire they have a chance I think. Croatia is the crunch game, I reckon you'll beat Japan, forget about Brazil obviously. Am liking this group.

 

[Cloete]

I think Croatia are way overrated though. They really don't have a team that's anything special.

They have a solid backline but they lack ALOT in midfield and are really nothing great up front at all. They had a great qualifying but I think Sweden must have been poor to lose at home to that team. It really doesn't offer anything special in attack IMO.

 

[Simon]

Just thought id bring up my current dislike for average Australian who has all of a sudden become a football expert. It's great people are taking notice of the game in the country now but a lot of people who dont know a lot about football seem to have unrealistic expectation. Like people ring up the radio when they are discussing it and they are like "yeh go Aussies, yay, Harry Kewell hes so good" etc... they dont really have much idea and they are gonna be majorly disapointed when we dont win the cup.

Rant over.

 

[Blewy]

Just thought id bring up my current dislike for average Australian who has all of a sudden become a football expert. It's great people are taking notice of the game in the country now but a lot of people who dont know a lot about football seem to have unrealistic expectation. Like people ring up the radio when they are discussing it and they are like "yeh go Aussies, yay, Harry Kewell hes so good" etc... they dont really have much idea and they are gonna be majorly disapointed when we dont win the cup.

Rant over.

I know what you mean..

I had a discussion with a guy at work the other day who knows absolutley nothing about football yet he was telling me that Australia will go very close to winning it.. I asked him why he thinks that and he said because "Harry Kewell has the experience of playing in front of big crowds".. I Burst into laughter and walked off...

 

[Simon]

I know what you mean..

I had a discussion with a guy at work the other day who knows absolutley nothing about football yet he was telling me that Australia will go very close to winning it.. I asked him why he thinks that and he said because "Harry Kewell has the experience of playing in front of big crowds".. I Burst into laughter and walked off...

imo its become a lot like Melbourne cup time every year when every person in Australia is a racing expert...

 

[Great Birtannia]

I'd say Schwarzer, Neill, Grella, Cahill and Viduka are all more important to the side than Kewell is. Bresciano and Culina not far behind. I'm looking forward to the game tonight. Hopefully we see Beauchamp, Kennedy and I wouldn't mind having a look at Patafta for the hell of it.

 

[Simon]

Bresciano is the key man imo, when hes at his very best he is our best performer.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Bresciano plays at his best when he's got Kewell alongside him. Means he doesn't have to play on the left, and can roam around a little more in the middle of the park, where he's at his most dangerous.

 

[ash chaulk]

i believe we'll make the 2nd round tho

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

My favourite claim is that Viduka will win the golden boot, personally. I'd back Schwarzer to do it first.

Anyway, Kewell at his best is still probably the most dangerous player Australia has. However, there's several players who are more consistent and more likely to have a big impact in any given game. Kewell will certainly be a more dangerous proposition if he's not getting so much attention because the likes of Bresciano and Cahill are performing.

 

[bugssy]

I know what you mean..

I had a discussion with a guy at work the other day who knows absolutley nothing about football yet he was telling me that Australia will go very close to winning it.. I asked him why he thinks that and he said because "Harry Kewell has the experience of playing in front of big crowds".. I Burst into laughter and walked off...

funny that, that has happened at my work too... its very sad sometimes, but it is good that more people are taking notice of the sport but yes they wilbe very dissapointed.