# SD FIFA World Cup 2002 prediction game!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 14, 2002, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085 "2002-05-14T21:10:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/101 "2002-05-31T13:34:37Z")
nope. no one got a single point. Now, that was a shock!! And Senegal played very well. Very well indeed. Come On Ireland! ---
**Author:** ![woolly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ebca7d/32.png) [@woolly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woolly)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/102 "2002-06-01T00:15:34Z")
Thought I might be in with a chance of a point for the 1-1 draw until the end. But it was fated to be the night for the underdogs. Great result. ---
**Author:** ![Norrybaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9a28c/32.png) [@Norrybaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norrybaby)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/103 "2002-06-01T04:56:10Z")
I’m too late for the first round, but I’ll see if I can catch up in the second 🙂 In the meantime, I thought I may as well post this soccer story which appeared in an article in today’s paper, which made me laugh: _In countries like Iran, soccer fandom is replacing cigarette smoking as the iconic image of Western youth culture. A British friend of mine was approached on the street in the Iranian town Ishafan last fall by a student who bombarded him with questions: “You are from England? After Israel and America, you are our biggest enemy. Don’t you think George Bush is the biggest terrorist of all for supporting Israel? Do you think Beckham should play on the right for Manchester United or in the centre?” Trying to answer at least the last two questions, my friend said: “Sure. On the right.” “What?” said the flabbergasted student, “and Paul Scholes in the centre?”_ ---
**Author:** ![Anahita](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9a28c/32.png) [@Anahita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anahita)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/104 "2002-06-01T06:13:14Z")
France was really strange yesterday after the loss. Really really strange. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/105 "2002-06-01T09:20:13Z")
I wouldn’t have thought that the Parisiens would care. They certainly didn’t for the first week in '98 - and that was in their own back yard! Anyway - Ireland 1 - 1 Cameroon. SO that’s three points for **kabbes**. Kick ass! Oh yeah - and well done to Ireland too. Bloody good second half, that. Unlucky not to get the win, too but Mick would certainly have taken the point before the match started! pan ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/106 "2002-06-01T09:25:10Z")
I thought Ireland were lucky. They were definitely the better team for the last 30 minutes or so, but if Geremi had scored those two good chances I doubt they could have salvaged a draw. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/107 "2002-06-01T10:55:24Z")
**L\_C** off the mark with one point for the Ireland draw !..Haven’t checked all the predictions but the set listed immediately below mine is having a blinding day so far. Congrats to **ruadh** …four points today ! Damn !! ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/108 "2002-06-01T11:09:34Z")
So is anybody else on 0 points after 3 games or is it just me? No-one got France and I’ll admit Uruguay was a gamble, but I’m very disappointed in Cameroon. Come on Germany. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/109 "2002-06-01T11:47:30Z")
I wanted Uruguay to win for this prediction competition and because I have Paolo Montero in my work fantasy XI. Guess I’m not winning so far. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/110 "2002-06-01T11:49:09Z")
…and the one German player I have in my XI isn’t playing. Argh. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/111 "2002-06-01T13:04:33Z")
I didn’t realise Saudi were quite this bad! Currently 6-0 to the Deutschlanders. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/112 "2002-06-01T13:26:08Z")
8-0. Wow. Germany didn’t even have to try. The Saudis looked worse than my old five-a-side team. ---
**Author:** ![Watermelon\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/22d042/32.png) [@Watermelon\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Watermelon_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/113 "2002-06-01T13:28:12Z")
The predictions were too realistic to be true I guess… This is what makes football so popular, always expect the unexpected!!! 8 - 0??? Germany?? This is an even bigger surprise than Senegal beating France. ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/114 "2002-06-01T13:28:40Z")
So Holland and Australia were eliminated so that Saudi Arabia could take part. What is that about? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/115 "2002-06-01T13:31:33Z")
Nah. Senegal beating France was more of a surprise. It’s just the margin of Germany’s win that’s a bit unusual. Holland and Australia weren’t eliminated to make room for the Saudis. Different regions. The alternative would be to only invite ‘good’ teams to participate, which is hardly democratic. Global qualifying just wouldn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/116 "2002-06-01T13:35:01Z")
Obviously I didn’t mean they were deliberately evicted for that express purpose. It was a reference to the regional system. And I thought sport ( professional sport, anyway) was supposed to be elitist, not democratic. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/117 "2002-06-01T13:37:01Z")
Yep, it must be particularly galling to folks like the Dutch. I understand it’s important to be ‘inclusive’ but we _could_ have watched a modern classic instead of that nonsense…and not even John Motson to liven up the dirge. Christ! Saudi you-can-call-us-all-Al Arabia were lucky to get away with zero. ---
**Author:** ![Watermelon\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/22d042/32.png) [@Watermelon\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Watermelon_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/118 "2002-06-01T13:37:12Z")
Yep, Germany’s winning the game is no surprise. BUt this team scoring 8 goals… Did anybody expect such a thing? tHis could be the biggest surprise of the cup… [sub]unless China ends up winning the cup or something!![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/119 "2002-06-01T13:37:19Z")
Meritocratic. Teams and players rise to the top by being good (yeah, laughable, I know, but it seems to work mostly). I’d much rather be watching Holland or Australia than Saudi Arabia, but I can’t blame FIFA for using a regional group system. If they’re trying to spread football worldwide only allowing top European and South American nations is hardly going to help. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085/120 "2002-06-01T13:38:32Z")
Anyone betting on the Saudi coach to go today? Ireland should put up a stiffer resistance. I didn’t think most of the Germans were outstanding today (especially Klose: three headers with bad marking, nothing more). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sd-fifa-world-cup-2002-prediction-game/109085.md?page=7)