World Cup Build Up Thread

[soggy biscuit]

First ball in opening ceremony being kicked by a quadriplegic in a 'bionic' suit apparently. Better than Diana Ross.

[soggy biscuit]

[Maguire]

Englands world cup top scorers in the last 32 years (cba to look back further)

1982 - Robson, Francis 2
1986 - Lineker 6
1990 - Lineker 4
1998 -Shearer, Owen 2
2002 - Owen 2
2006 - Gerrard 2
2010 - Gerrard, Defoe, Upson 1

aside from Lineker we have had no one score more than 2 goals in a world cup in that time Lol.

Not sure why that's lol really - in those four WCs since 1990 we've played 4, 5, 5, and 4 matches. 2-3 goals for a striker seems right from that many games. Certainly you'd think so playing in the domestic league.

Don't think Ronaldo or Messi have ever scored >1 goal in a WC tournament.

[No Fixed Abode]

England top scorers under Roy's reign

Rooney 11
Welbeck 8
Lampard 6

[stealthpapes]

I ended up watching the 1990 cameroon match last night.

Roger Milla was actually skillz, neither team really defended. It's a crazy, crazy game.

[TBM]

The current state of the pitch for Saturdays game.....not sure if this is a good or bad thing for us

[tulip]

The current state of the pitch for Saturdays game.....not sure if this is a good or bad thing for us

Has there ever been a WC game played so close to the equator before?

I'm thinking that some teams have it lucky playing their games in the coastal areas, surely the weather is better there?

[stealthpapes]

They played in Recife in 1950.

[SPARTA]

The current state of the pitch for Saturdays game.....not sure if this is a good or bad thing for us

Shambles. Apparently that stadium wouldn't pass a UK safety certificate either.

[Royalclapper]

Watched that BBC1 documentary last night with Lineker which made decent viewing.

Fcuk me sideways, the Brazilians are the most one-eyed and self absorbed International football followers around. They make Liverpool & Man Utd fans seem broad in their outlook. Talk about thinking they're owed the World Cup every time they play, John Barnes was swooning all over them like a starstruck teen as well.

The clips with Fernanda Lima were worth the entrance money though.

[daswonder]

Fcuk me sideways, the Brazilians are the most one-eyed and self absorbed International football followers around. They make Liverpool & Man Utd fans seem broad in their outlook. Talk about thinking they're owed the World Cup every time they play, John Barnes was swooning all over them like a starstruck teen as well.

Could say similar about England up until the last couple of tournaments and that's off 1 WC win at least Brazil won it a few times.

[jd82]

The current state of the pitch for Saturdays game.....not sure if this is a good or bad thing for us

Not sure about the state of it, but does that pitch look bloody tiny to anyone else?

[stealthpapes]

No, its just far away.

[Silver Fox]

I pretty sure that's not the whole pitch either

[TBM]

Why can't the players these days do the NA like this

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=502507223228148

*Now they all do an Anderton

[Royalclapper]

Fcuk me sideways, the Brazilians are the most one-eyed and self absorbed International football followers around. They make Liverpool & Man Utd fans seem broad in their outlook. Talk about thinking they're owed the World Cup every time they play, John Barnes was swooning all over them like a starstruck teen as well.

Could say similar about England up until the last couple of tournaments and that's off 1 WC win at least Brazil won it a few times.

I know what you mean and it's a fair point. However, if you're not a Sun reader or a flaky football type I think (at least as far as I can remember) the standard benchmark/cliche for England has been that we're a QF tournament team. Any further is over-achieving and anything less is often seen as disappointing.

[Sanguine]

Why get so wound up about other football fans. It is a country incredibly passionate about its football. Why find that so offensive?

[TBM]

Why get so wound up about other football fans. It is a country incredibly passionate about its football. Why find that so offensive?

Plus the fact they have won 5 of the 19 world cups there has been......so surely they deserve to believe they can/will win it

[Sanguine]

Reminds me of the utter retardation of Talksport earlier.

First some gump says this is to be the 30th World Cup, then Stuart Pearce claims that if Belgium don't make the semis their World Cup will be considered a failure.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Stuart Pearce is a fcuking idiot. I hope Forest get relegated next season.