Group F - ITALY, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

[mattfb]

Discuss everything about the teams in this group from warm ups, injuries, squads and then the group matches.

Fixtures
Monday, 14 June 2010
Italy v Paraguay, Gp F, 19:30

Tuesday, 15 June 2010
New Zealand v Slovakia, Gp F, 12:30

Sunday, 20 June 2010
Slovakia v Paraguay, Gp F, 12:30
Italy v New Zealand, Gp F, 15:00

Thursday, 24 June 2010
Paraguay v New Zealand, Gp F, 15:00
Slovakia v Italy, Gp F, 15:00

Table prediction
Italy
Paraguay
New Zealand
Slovakia

I feel NZ will be a surprise package much like Australia were in 06. They've got a good group but I can't see them getting out of it.

 

[CG123]

New Zealand FTW!!!
If we can pick up one win and one draw against Paraguay and Slovakia we may be able to sneak through, it's an outside possibility but not impossible.

 

[Abhas]

Italy and Paraguay - should be.
Italy and NZ - Could be.

Every year there is a surprise package, and to me, NZ is this year's team that can upset the group standings, not because they are good, but because the rest of its group is average

 

[mattfb]

It'll be interesting to see how NZ go when they play Mexico in a warm up. If they can win that or at least be competitive then they may go through.

 

[Auwais]

I think you lot are forgetting that fact that Slovakia and Paraguay have something NZ don't, some quality players.

In a fairly open group - barring Italy, the presence of Hamsik in their side may be enough to sneak them through.

Cardozo will need to show his true ability on the international level if Paraguay are to go through.

 

[CG123]

Well we do have an EPL captain, but that's about it.

 

[TheGreemSim]

Well we do have an EPL captain, but that's about it.

a few of our players have played for premier league teams at some point in their career though. i.e Chris James, Simon Elliott, Chris Killen and Chris Wood plays for West Brom who got promoted to the premier league a few days ago.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

well under-rating slovakia imo.

Marek Hamsik is a rising star and one of the most gifted young footballers in the world, dunno if skrtel will make it but a good whack of their team plays regularly in german teams and there is a smattering of guys in the english league.

they're not a bad side, I fancy them to pip paraguay to 2nd spot here.

 

[LongLegs?]

Yeah, unfortunately for New Zealand, Slovakia and Paraguay are just much better teams. Paraguay were great in the South American Qualifiers this time around and Slovakia have Marek Hamsik, who almost single-handedly took them to this World Cup. He has a knack of finding the goal at key moments, so yeah, watch out for Hamsik.

I believe that Slovakia will pip Paraguay too, but generally you'd think Paraguay should go through as they have a better overall team.

 

[riz7khan12]

new zealand could beat slovakia they've just come off a 2-1 loss against australia and a 1-0 win against slovenia I think. you never know..

 

[-D-S-B-]

1-0 win against slovenia I think. you never know..

Serbia.

 

[riz7khan12]

they all sound the same :sarcasm

anyways apparently they are 17th in the world

 

[CG123]

Actually they were 15th in the world.

Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, same thing, why don't they just call them all the Russian Federation again?

 

[Chewie]

Actually they were 15th in the world.

Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, same thing, why don't they just call them all the Russian Federation again?

Slovakia and Slovenia weren't part of the USSR

 

[CG123]

I knew someone would say that when I posted that...