World Cup 2006 Favorites

...I mean, seriously... if they go out and absolutely demolish Brazil in all their upcoming friendlies... then aiming for that fifth title in 2026 won't be an issue at all...

No one will ever catch up to them... I’m living in Rio right now, and there are more kids playing soccer on these beaches than there are people in my entire hometown back in the States. And they actually have talent... I hold my own, but I can't even get a game going with the local kids because everyone's already occupied.
They really are insanely good.

As long as Brazil has Ronaldinho and Kaká leading the charge alongside Ronaldo, there's nothing to fear. I suppose even the toughest Greek defense wouldn't stand a chance against them.

Chloe Palmer2 said:With Ronaldinho, Kaká, and Ronaldo leading the charge, Brazil is terrifying. No defense in Greece could even touch them.

They were the heavy favorites back in '98, too, and look how the French absolutely wrecked them.

ivansa said:Back in 1998, they were the clear favorites, but then the Frenchmen absolutely demolished them.

The French were powerhouse back then. Honestly, they aren't much of anything today. I guess you could tell me one single national team that can actually compete with Brazil on talent alone... besides Greece.😁

If they stick with this lineup, Brazil is the clear favorite for the 2006 World Cup. I mean, look at the roster. When you've got Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká, Adriano, and Did along with the rest, you’re basically unbeatable. They have to be the number one pick.

nimblemarlin17 said:If they stick with this roster, Brazil is the clear favorite for the 2006 World Cup. I mean, when you have Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká, Adriano, and Did all on one team, they essentially have to be the top seed.

Exactly... if Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká, and Adriano actually start together, they're basically running a four-attacker formation.😲
Uruguay played with four attackers back in '30 and '34, but still... it would be quite something to see if the Brazilians take the pitch with a lineup like that.😍
Even fourteen Zagorakis players wouldn't save Greece at this point.😁

Chloe Palmer2 said:The French squad was elite back then. Now? They're a total mess.

Nah, you've got it backwards. On paper, their talent pool is way deeper now. Back then, Henry was just a rising star, Pires was still finding his footing, and they had Guivarch clogging up the attack (seriously?). They only pulled it off because everything clicked—including those two goals from Thuram. 😠

Dennis Baker34 said:The crying over that Greece win just won't stop. What more do you losers want from me?

I'll buy everyone here a round if Greece actually makes it out of the group against Turkey, Denmark, and Ukraine. 👋

brightscout63 said:I’ll buy everyone here a round of drinks if Greece manages to make it out of the group stage ahead of Turkey, Denmark, and Ukraine. 👋

Wait, you're buying a round if Greece wins the whole EP? Oops—they already did!

Greece!!Greece!!Greece!!Greece!!Greece!!Greece!!Greece!!Greece!!Greece!!Greece!!Greece!!Greece!!

bluntman said:You're wrong. That roster was way weaker on paper. Back then, Thierry Henry was just a kid coming up, Robert Pires was raw, and they had Christophe Guivarch in the attack (seriously?!). They only won because everything fell their way—including those two goals from Lilian Thuram. 😠

Yeah, I'm with you there.
Plus, they beat Italy on penalties in '98 and snagged the golden goal against Paraguay.

Chloe Palmer2, haven't you realized by now that there are no favorites in major tournaments? One bad day is all it takes for someone like Japan to knock out Brazil.

bluntman said:I think you're mistaken. Honestly, the French roster looks much more formidable on paper now. Back then, Thierry Henry was just a rising talent, Robert Pires was unproven, and they even had Christophe Guivarch in the attack (?!). It seems like things just happened to fall their way back then—aside from the home-field advantage—mainly thanks to those two goals from Lilian Thuram.😠

Well, they certainly had a powerhouse squad then, and they still do today. I suppose it’s just obvious that fatigue has set in, especially among the veterans like Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Robert Pires, and Patrick Vieira... it was pretty clear when we almost knocked them out.😁
I doubt Brazil will have an off day.😁

Ken said:Look, they had a powerhouse squad back then, and honestly, they still do. It’s just obvious they're hitting a wall—especially the veterans like Zidane, Thuram, Pires, and Viera. You could see the fatigue when we almost took them down.😁
Brazil won't have a bad day easily.😁

everyone has a bad day. Once in a while. Maybe the Americans just didn't have the same fire they had in '98, which explains why they looked so sluggish.