http://www.groupofdeath.com Insights to major tournaments around the world Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:41:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Even though Euro 2008 doesn't start for nearly 600 days, most teams have already played four matches in group play for qualifying. Host countries Austria and Sweden qualify automatically, and the first two teams in each group will move onto the finals. With only 7 teams in each bracket (Group ... http://www.groupofdeath.com/worldcup/2006/euro-2008-qualifying/ Both France and Italy are surprise finalists in this year's World Cup. Italy, coming out of the Group of Death, and with the world class scandal going on at home, I had expected Italy to crumble to the pressure somewhere along the line, and be knocked out. Italy has been ... http://www.groupofdeath.com/worldcup/2006/world-cup-finals-match-prediction/ Well, someone had to lose. Germany, who had been playing so well was even with Italy for 117 minutes, then gave up a fantastic goal with less than three minutes to play, and a second less than two minutes later after throwing everyone forward. This was a great match, and ... http://www.groupofdeath.com/worldcup/2006/world-cup-3rd-place-match-predictions/ Wow, it is all I can say right now, wow! France pulls off the upset of World Cup 2006, with a 1 - 0 win over Brazil. France, the team that failed to score in 2002 after winning at home in 1998, the team that barely escaped the worse group ... http://www.groupofdeath.com/worldcup/2006/world-cup-semifinal-predictions/ During the 8 matches in the round of 16, there really was only one surprise. Spain had been playing so well, really dominating their three group stage matches, while France had stumbled through their group, barely qualifying. I just didn't see any problem in this match for Spain, and they ... http://www.groupofdeath.com/worldcup/2006/quarterfinal-predictions/ Game 1 - Germany vs. Sweden - With Germany playing at home, and playing well, we should see Germany advance past Sweden fairly easily. I have not been impressed with Sweden at all, they are dangerous up top, but their defense is suspect, and should give up several goals to ... http://www.groupofdeath.com/worldcup/2006/round-of-16-predictions/ Group G and H were both extremely weak, with France in group G with no one else in the top 30 and Spain in group H with no one in the top 20. These two groups are a perfect example why FIFA's ranking system is horribly flawed. My guess is ... http://www.groupofdeath.com/worldcup/2006/group-g-and-h-decided/ In what turned out to be the Group of Death after all, nothing at all had been decided going into the final day in Group E, and all four teams still had a valid chance of advancing, win and you were in, for the most part. Group F already had ... http://www.groupofdeath.com/worldcup/2006/group-e-and-f-decided/ Going into World Cup 2006, the US team was regarded as it's best ever, a vast improvement that advancd to the quarter finals of World Cup 2002, and most likely the semi-finals had it not been for Torsten Fring's hand. Once seeding had been announced, and the US was not ... http://www.groupofdeath.com/worldcup/2006/dont-tread-on-me-unless-you-are-ghana/ Going into the matches today, Group C had already been decided (group of death, my foot), while Portugal had already advanced out of group D, and both Mexico and Angola had a chance to be the second team out of the group. Group C Both Argentina and Netherlands had already qualified for ... http://www.groupofdeath.com/worldcup/2006/group-c-and-d-decided/