Well soon it will be BELGIUM vs JAPAN
my bet: 1-0for JAPAN:( :cry: :mad: :eek: :(
i hope it will not be like that....
and what is your bet?

Will Mpenza (Emile) play?

With him (but probably also without) Belgium should at least score a goal. I don't know if that will be enough to win cause Japan has the advantage of playing at home.
But generally they shouldn't be much better than Belgium.

Mpenza will not play.many of our players have problems so it seems bad for uss.....:(

I said 1-0 for Japan in one of the pouls too. The others 2-0 or 1-0 for Belgium. My friends needed another better for Belgium, so I (foolishly?) bet on them. :p It's only 2 euros...

I want the Japenese to win mainly because their fans have been great. Apart from supporting their own team it appears to me some of them have picked a psuedo - nationality to support. And these psuedo nationalitys are spread acrooss all the teams competing - not just the big 8.

Fair play to them.

I want the Japenese to win mainly because their fans have been great. Apart from supporting their own team it appears to me some of them have picked a psuedo - nationality to support. And these psuedo nationalitys are spread acrooss all the teams competing - not just the big 8.

Fair play to them.

And I'm still kind of fuming over Belgium's performance in Euro 2000.

I think I went for a 1-1 draw as I can see it being a close game.

Nakata, Shinji Ono....it will be great.

Originally posted by Baleog
I want the Japenese to win mainly because their fans have been great. Apart from supporting their own team it appears to me some of them have picked a psuedo - nationality to support. And these psuedo nationalitys are spread acrooss all the teams competing - not just the big 8.

Fair play to them.

Hmm, I disagree. I don't like that at all.
What the point in a "pseudo-nationality"?
Besides that it even got organized by the Korea/Japan World Cup organization, at least that's what I saw on TV months before the tournament started. People were instructed to cheer for specific teams and dress in their colours just to make it seem more like football.
But in my opinion the atmosphere in most games is quite low. There's no singing for example. Of course that ok if they do it like that but I won't congratulate on it.

Originally posted by Hitro

Besides that it even got organized by the Korea/Japan World Cup organization, at least that's what I saw on TV months before the tournament started. People were instructed to cheer for specific teams and dress in their colours just to make it seem more like football.
But in my opinion the atmosphere in most games is quite low. There's no singing for example. Of course that ok if they do it like that but I won't congratulate on it.

Hmmm.... then I'm not so sure. Instructed sounds a bit Orwellian facist. I'd say they were just asked nicely. But at least they're making an effort in some way. As it's safe to assume that Japan/South Korea won't make it to the quarters (I think it's safe, they may yet surprise) you can't just have that set of fans twiddling their thumbs for the rest of the competition. At least some will still be actively involved.

As for the no singing so far?

Did you not see the Ireland - Cameroon game. Amazing atmosphere in the second half. In USA 94 I wouldn't have expected the American fans to be singing when other teams were playing.

Originally posted by Baleog
As for the no singing so far?

Did you not see the Ireland - Cameroon game. Amazing atmosphere in the second half. In USA 94 I wouldn't have expected the American fans to be singing when other teams were playing.

Sure there was singing occasionally. And some teams had enough real fans there to ensure a good atmosphere. But for many countries' supporters it's simply far too expensive. You'll hardly find thousands of Senegalese fans who can afford supporting their team in Asia.
You're right that USA 94 wasn't that different in that matter. I generally think the World Cup should be held in countries that care about football and not those where FIFA wants to gain commercial influence.

If the world cup is never held in the non interested countries, those countries may never be interested. Obviously there is capitalism involved also, but I think such countries shouldn't be denied the world cup.

Although the football fanatical countries do deserve it more than they have been getting it recently. When was the last time it was held in S America? But say the world cup was held in Brazil. I can't imagine much Brazilian fans cheering on another country.

Singing occasionly? Are you crazy?

Actually did you know a lot more Irish people would have gone (about twice as many thereabouts) except the price of drink is too high in Japan!

Originally posted by Baleog
Actually did you know a lot more Irish people would have gone (about twice as many thereabouts) except the price of drink is too high in Japan!

:lol: Okay, okay...
Though I won't consider the Irish poor. :D

My bet,
2-0 for Belgium of course.
Cmon Philippe, you must believe in the chances of your own nation's team.

I know.....but Japan is so ful with discipline and they are in their homecountry and that counts....
And many players of our team have trouble(blessures)injuries etc.
i hope Belgium wins but....:rolleyes:
Well we will see tomorrow.

i said 1-1 in the wc competion, but it feels more like 2-1 to japan right now. they will fight very hard and press the ballkeeper all the time and belgium doesn´t, as far as i can remember, have any good dribbler in the midfield that can go through. that was what happened when we (sweden) met japan.

well I think that Japan will win 1-0 since Japan is one of the up and coming nations in the football world and a few of there players are gaining experience from playing in europe and should be a good match

Well it ended 2-2 and it was a great game. Japan were unlucky not to win near the end but I was happy with a draw.

Yep, the 2nd half was the most exciting in the tournament until now! Japan was unlucky in the final minutes when they did not get that goal. Belgium surprised me with a better offense than expected and flaws in the defense where they usually are solid.

Yeah. I saw it from the 1-1. Indeed the best game till now.

i am SO happy!
a draw!
i thought where gonna lose......
buts its a draw!
and its fair becuase Belgium AND Japan deserved a point.:D
i watched the match in my school with 1000 other poeple.
it was so crowded!
i saw the beautiful goal from Marc Wilmots but that Japaneze guy miyamoto was also good.
best match until now.:cool: :cool:

Congrats philippe and you have a remarkable objective view!

That second half was really exciting.
Japan should have won in the end because they scored a goal I'd call regular.
But on the other hand Belgium would most likely have won it if they hadn't suddenly lost their (until then) great defensive play after their first goal. The Japanese didn't have any real chances before the Belgian's terrible mistakes.
But both teams gave a good fight so a draw is the best result.
:goodjob:

Japan really should've win, but referee... ah.
Great football, anyways. Best match so far, actually football both entertaining and exciting.

I was pleasantly surprised by the results, considering all things. Belgium was lucky to escape with a draw. Good job, Japan! :D :goodjob:

Very entertaining game - I tuned in for the last 1/2 hour and was treated to 4 goals ;) Japan looks promising!

Japan was robbed! That third goal should have counted! O well, quite the exciting second half. Hats off the the japanese, I'm sure the home crowd is pleased. :)

Originally posted by Sodak
Japan was robbed! That third goal should have counted! O well, quite the exciting second half. Hats off the the japanese, I'm sure the home crowd is pleased. :) I didn't watch the match but apparently the referee sucked. :mad: Yeah, Japan shld have won.

In my school, everybody had a radio, no TV. :( :cry:
After the first goal, you could hear everybody scream.
I'm glad it's 2-2. (but we should have won. 2 defenders who normally would have played, were out since the day before, because they got wounded on a training :cry: )