World Cup 2006

Here is my simply brilliant World Cup schedule thingy :)

2006 World Cup

Germany

8/6/06-9/7/06

Participating Nations:

ANGOLA

(Road To World Cup: Came through a tough group comprising of Nigeria and Zimbabwe)

ARGENTINA
(RTWC: 2nd in group. Level on points with group leaders Brazil. Lost on goal difference)

AUSTRALIA
(RTWC: Beat Uruguay 1-0 in play-off)

BRAZIL
(RTWC:Topped their group, level on points with Argentina. Current World Cup holders)

COSTA RICA
(RTWC: Struggled in their group till Guimaraes was reappointed as manager. Managed to steal a WC spot)

CROATIA
(RTWC: Top their group. Tied on points with Sweden but won on goal difference)

CZECH REPUBLIC
(RTWC: Missed out on automatic qualification. Therefore had to qualify by beating Norway in playoffs)

ECUADOR
(RTWC: 3rd in group, finishing behind Brazil and Argentina)

ENGLAND
(RTWC: Top their group, a point clear of Poland)

FRANCE
(RTWC: Topped their group, 2 points clear of Switzerland and Israel)

GERMANY
(RTWC: Host nation)

GHANA
(RTWC: Topped their group, beating South Africa 3-0 along the way)

IRAN
(RTWC: Finished 2nd in group, 2 points behind Japan)


ITALY
(RTWC: Topped their group, finished 5 points ahead of Norway)

IVORY COAST (Cote D'Ivoire)
(RTWC: Finished top of their group which consisted Cameroon and Egypt)

JAPAN
(RTWC: Topped their qualifying group, 3 points clear of closest rivals, Iran)


MEXICO
(RTWC: Finished 2nd in their group behind the USA)


NETHERLANDS (Holland)
(RTWC: Finished top of their group, 5 points clear of everyone else)

PARAGUAY
(RTWC: Finished 4th in their group, 3 points ahead of Uruguay)

POLAND
(RTWC: 2nd in group, 1 point behind England)

PORTUGAL
(RTWC: Topped their group, 7 points clear of 2nd place Slovakia)

SAUDI ARABIA
(RTWC: Qualified unbeaten through 2 qualifying stages, only conceding 2 goals)

SERBIA & MONTENEGRO
(RTWC: Topped their group, 2 points ahead of Spain. Only conceded 1 goal along the way)

SOUTH KOREA
(RTWC: Finished 2nd in their group, 4 points behind Saudi Arabia)

SPAIN
(RTWC: Finished 2nd in their group, 2 points behind Serbia & Montenegro)

SWEDEN
(RTWC: Qualified as one of the 2 best placed runner ups)

SWITZERLAND
(RTWC: Got through on a 4-4 aggregate against due to away goals)

TOGO
(RTWC: Topped their group, 2 points ahead of Senegal)

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
(RTWC: Qualified by beating Bahrain 2-1 on aggregate in play-offs)

TUNISIA
(RTWC: Finished top of their group, 1 point ahead of Morocco. Current African Champions)


UKRAINE
(RTWC: Finished top of a tough group, comprising of Turkey, Denmark and Greece)

UNITED STATES
(RTWC: Finished top of their group, level on points with Mexico)

Groups:

Group A

• Germany
  
• Costa Rica
  
• Poland
  
• Ecuador
  

Group B

• England
  
• Paraguay
  
• Trinidad & Tobago
  
• Sweden
  

Group C

• Argentina
  
• Ivory Coast
  
• Netherlands
  
• Serbia & Montenegro
  

Group D

• Mexico
• Iran
• Portugal
• Angola

Group E

• Italy
• United States
• Ghana
• Czech Republic

Group F

• Brazil
• Australia
• Croatia
• Japan

Group G

• France
• Switzerland
• South Korea
• Togo

Group H

• Spain
• Ukraine
• Tunisia
• Saudi Arabia

Fixtures (all times are AEST(Melb. Time) and all matches shown on SBS):

June 10

• 0130-Germany vs. Costa Rica
• 0430-Poland vs. Ecuador
• 2230-England vs. Paraguay

June 11

• 0130-Trinidad & Tobago vs. Sweden
• 0430-Argentina vs. Ivory Coast
• 2230-Serbia & Montenegro vs. Netherlands

June 12

• 0130-Mexico vs. Iran
• 0430-Angola vs. Portugal
• 2230-Australia vs. Japan

June 13

• 0130-USA vs. Czech Republic
• 0430-Italy vs. Ghana
• 2230-South Korea vs. Togo

June 14

• 0130-France vs. Switzerland
• 0430-Brazil vs. Croatia
• 2230-Spain vs. Ukraine

June 15

• 0130-Tunisia vs. Saudi Arabia
• 0430-Germany vs. Poland
• 2230-Ecuador vs. Costa Rica

June 16

• 0130-England vs. Trinidad & Tobago
• 0430-Sweden vs. Paraguay
• 2230-Argentina vs. Serbia & Montenegro

June 17

• 0130-Netherlands vs. Ivory Coast
• 0430-Mexico vs. Angola
• 2230-Portugal vs. Iran

June 18

• 0130-Czech Republic vs. Ghana
• 0430-Italy vs. USA
• 2230-Japan vs. Croatia

June 19

• 0130-Brazil vs. Australia
• 0430-France vs. South Korea
• 2230-Togo vs. Switzerland

June 20

• 0130-Saudi Arabia vs. Ukraine
• 0430-Spain vs. Tunisia
• 2330-Ecuador vs. Germany

June 21

• 0200-Costa Rica vs. Poland
• 0430-Sweden vs. England
• 0700-Paraguay vs. Trinidad & Tobago
• 2330-Portugal vs. Mexico

June 22

• 0200-Iran vs. Angola
• 0430-Netherlands vs. Argentina
• 0700-Ivory Coast vs. Serbia & Montenegro
• 2330-Czech Republic vs. Italy

June 23

• 0200-Ghana vs. USA
• 0430-Croatia vs. Australia
• 0700-Japan vs. Brazil
• 2330-Ukraine vs. Tunisia

June 24

• 0200-Saudi Arabia vs. Spain
• 0430-Togo vs. France
• 0700-Switzerland vs. South Korea

To be continued...
*****************************************************************************

Hmmm...im definitely gonna try to watch as many matches as I possibly can...but im definitely gonna watch all the matches in bold. So if anyone is staying up, please let me know...so got kaki hehe. Group C is gonna be a fun group, where all 4 teams have a chance to progress. Ivory Coast and Serbia & Montenegro shouldn't be taken lightly. I've a feeling that Ivory Coast will cause major upsets in the world cup. Im not expecting any Asian team to go as far as South Korea did the last world cup.

My favs to win are Argentina or Portugal. In my opinion, these two teams are the only teams that can match Brazil at this moment in time. Brazil will always be the top favourite in everyones mind and England has everyones sentimental vote. To be honest, i dont really care who wins. Just as long as the football is beautiful.

I'll be updating this post after each match with perhaps a little commentary by the side of the matches that i watched. If you have any suggestions on how to improve this post, please leave a comment. Maybe we can have an open forum in the comments section hehe. Toodles.

Lift Off

Kuching is now in the hands of the Rocket...having overthrown a few of the Weighing Scale's big superstars. The chinese are finally realising that they have less to gain if the weighing scale remains in power. Forza Rocket. Bring on the changes. In your face pek-moh.

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Case Of The Ex

I wonder if anyone can truthfully claim to be on good terms with their ex(s). If you're the dumpee, you let this person rip out your heart and grind it into the dust; and if you're the dumper, you have to live with the twinge of guilt everytime you remember the bewilderment and hurt in their eyes.

Ask anyone about their past and you'll usually get a carefully vague answer from a completely blank face, or, in more extreme cases, a look of anguish or grimace followed by an all out slag-fest.

I guess in some cases, when one party's being all martyr-like, they'll be thinking well okay, so we'll be friends, at least s/he'll still be in my life, then the other party can claim that everything's just peachy. It's really evil.

Things can never go back to the way it was before the relationship. It's like having a stone in your shoe, and although the passing of time dull the awkwardness, I don't think it ever fully goes away.

So after a period of ignoring the stone in your shoe, the way to completely feel comfortable again is to take the stone out, thus ensuring a more comfortable journey on life's road once more. Shouldn't everyone just move along?

Forever Love

They've been together forever, so long in fact that people can't think of one without the other. They were the oxymoron of our teenage years, the icon of stability in a tumultuous time. When everyone was messing around, getting their hearts broken, breaking other hearts, they were there, together.

Relationships came and went in the tapestry of friends around them, yet they endured, and they were good at it. Quick fix patches held longer than expected, only to be replaced by new ones. No one except their closest confidants knew how deep the cuts went, sometimes not even them. But what’s a relationship without a few problems?

Of course they care very deeply for each other. They’ve shared the best part of their teenage years, been to hell and back in each other’s arms. But things are changing. Needs and wants are different, more persistent. Yet their public façade was perfect, the porcelain surface did nothing to indicate the cracks underneath, maybe until they even started to fool themselves. They didn’t see it coming until it was too late.

So what does he do now? Hold hope so tightly in one hand while fighting their battles with the other? Or break free? After so long, hand in hand, the latter would be like walking across a yawning chasm with no safety net or tether. It takes two to have a relationship, but if you love someone, shouldn’t you let them go?

It’s so hard to stand on the side and watch him struggle, lost together in the very idea of such a huge change. I wish I could throw out a safety line, but I don’t know how.

aku berhenti berharap dan menunggu datang gelap

sampai nanti suatu saat tak ada cinta kudapat

kenapa ada derita bila bahagia tercipta

kenapa ada sang hitam bila putih menyenangkan...

aku pulang...

tanpa dendam

kuterima.. kekalahanku

aku pulang...

tanpa dendam

kusalutkan.. kemenanganmu

kau ajarkan aku bahagia kau ajarkan aku derita

<>

There are two kinds of love, you know. Selfish and unselfish. Most of the times, these two are best-fucking-friends. They come in a package. But more than half of the time, 99% really, our love is selfish. It makes us feel secure, happy, daring or well, it just makes us feel. Good or bad. It gets to the core and damnit, that's enough. I mean, what a riot, right? We really aren't alone on this universe. Wow, there is really someone who would sacrifice so much for me. Selfish love is one that serves you a purpose; it comes with expectancy. & we often mistake this for unselfish love, even in the midst of all the obligations, responsibilities and the vague sense of suffocation- you just can't put your finger on.

So then, what about the unselfish kind?
I'm not gonna lie - I'm not even really sure if i understand it. But i know that it can't be squeezed into a feeble paragraph like I'm going to try to anyway. I'm not too much of a romantic (or at least I pretend not to be), but I don't underestimate real love, if it really does exist. It's unconditional, it's continuous. & here's the thing: it's still unbreakable even when it's not returned. No dependency, no expectancy. When it no longer has to do with your relationship to the other person and it's just something that's crystallized and brilliant, that's love. & The closest allsion I can think of is: Like the way a mother loves a baby. Unselfish love is incapable of hurting.