World Cup 2010

[Anpanman]

Glad the ref booked a couple for diving too, nice to see.

[PeteJ]

Well said S-G. I'm no football expert by any means, but Germany tonight would have destroyed us... And perhaps any other team so far.

Not impressed with ITVs coverage, the studio team look like they done care!

[abigsmurf]

I don't believe that discipline and national pride are the reasons. Look at Ballack (although he didn't make the squad), he was stroppy as a Chelsea player and would sulk. You had players getting angry that game, players diving and so on.

2 factors for me:

-Playing against a poorly organised defence and a weaker team. Australia aren't as good as the USA.

- Players strengths first, then formation (unlike vice versa with England). Players are always more comfortable playing the football they're used to playing week in week out.

[MisterBubbles]

Germany would annihilate England on that performance, and even if they didn't they'd still win on pens, get real England fans.

[saturn-gamer]

Sure, Australias slow and too old defense helped them. They are also to blame. They speculated on a goalless draw, got an early goal against and had to advance forward. Which they can't.

But the fact remains that Germany almost always sails to the last 4, despite having a relatively weak squad on paper. Ballack is not to be underestimated within this team, hes the absolute star and natural leader who carried them to the finals in 2008. They suddenly had to play without him and made it look like he's not being missed.

They all played with discipline, and never out of position. Their passing game was great.

[NemesiS]

Ominous....What is it with Germany and finals. They struggle through qualifiers but stick em in a tournament and they look world beaters. Very impressive tonight albeit against a rank Aussie team, they could have scored about 8.

If we fail to top our group they will knock us out in the last 16

[Ady]

Re: Germany vs Australia

That's how you open the World Cup.

We should've dominated the USA in the same way Germany did Australia. Had we done so, Green's schoolboy error would not have mattered.

Owing to our performance, we got the result we deserved. Sadly.

[Herbalizer]

Re: Germany vs Australia

That's how you open the World Cup.

We should've dominated the USA in the same way Germany did Australia. Had we done so, Green's schoolboy error would not have mattered.

Owing to our performance, we got the result we deserved. Sadly.

USA are a much much better team than Australia. They've beaten spain and were 2-0 up against Brazil in the Confederations Cup. Australia were also (wrongly) down to 10 men for much of the second half. To draw comparisons is just wrong.

[merf]

one of the big things for me with the germans is that they mostly play in their domestic league (like England)( but unlike us they don't believe that league to be the best in the world and secondly don't all think they're world class because they are surrounded by other imported players propping them up.

still think the germans are suspect at the back but good to see the first proper performance of the tournament, hopefully will set the ball rolling for tomorrow, which could be a good day with holland and italy entering the fray.

[fallenangle]

When England anhilate Algeria we'll probably all change our tune, me included, but I pray to the footballing gods that we don't meet the Germans until much later in tournament. Their attack was, as I said earlier, devastating and even when they took their foot of the accelerator during the last fifteen minutes they still looked very dangerous.

Carragher and Terry against that sort of speed - it just doesn't bear thinking about.

[Uli]

finally the World Cup has started...

[Cuber001]

Not making excuses becasue we really sucked hard (Australia) but what the hell was Verbeek thinking? All qualification he plays safe with his defensive formation, yet tonight in the biggest game of all he pulls out this ****. I mean he drops Scott Mcdonald from the squad, leaves Kennedy on the bench and puts Cahill upfront. What the ****! I mean, i dont think it would have made a difference to the result but gee we would have maybe scored at least one. Also all this talk and where the bloody hell was Harry Kewell?

Now our job is even harder because we have to beat both Ghana and Serbia. I honestly think we will, but Ghana without Cahill will be a little harder. Also that should not have been a red card. What a load of crap, and at 2-0 it was handball in the box should of been an Aussie penalty.

[Jaz]

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, no, no, no.

[Cuber001]

hehehe Well at least we beat you guys before the world cup, and we will see how you go in the cup. We will still beat Ghana and Serbia to go through the round of 16. I still think England will top there group as well, so hopefully we will play them. I could not care what happens after but it would be such a great feeling if we could knock them out.

[NemesiS]

Don't be so sure we will top our group. The USA will also most likely win their two games as well so it will probably come down to goal difference. Everyone seems to be expecting England to Wallop both Slovenia and Algeria, and while i expect them to win both i'm not so sure more than a goal or two will be in it in either game. I actually wouldn't be surprised if we draw one.

Just on reflection from the US game, if Rooney is isoloated again then we are going to struggle to score. Personally i'd drop donkey for Barry if he's fit and have lamps and Gerrard (with Cole on the left this time) going forward in support of Rooney on his own. Whilst i don't think donkey was that bad against the US, he just cannot be relied upon to score if the games tight and in the balance and we simply cannot carry a striker who can't score as the time will come when we'll need someone else who can step up to the plate.

Also, it's almost like fate transpires to throw England and Germany together at the first opportunity after the group stages every time. We always meet them in the knockout stages, and they beat us ....and playing like they did against the Aussies last night, I honestly cannot see how we will beat them.