The first quaterfinal game of the 2006 worldcup kicks off today, with two heavyweights in contention: The hosts, Germany, and Argentina, both world cup winners. Both Coaches have continually maintained that they are not afraid of the opponent, but what else do u expect them to say. It would be a shame to see one of these two teams go home so "early". Pekerman says Klinsman can have the first half, while he must have the second, and i guess thats when he infuses the "enfantz terrible". Anyways, our quota is to watch.The host will be favoured by home support, but the argentines can do with their own fans. U can leave ur predictions. Kick off time 15:00 GMT.

                          vs                             

                                                                   

Grizzly.
the day of reckoning is here.
I put my set on Argentina. though they tended to assume every team is Serbia & Montenegro they gave a hiding.

I do not enjoy Germany matches as its with too much noise.
I had never heard of Klose the top scorer.
Arg go and score just two goals.
riquelme is playing well but ot to that standard I know him. Crespo has brought his premiership offsides to Worldcup.
Good luck Arg.and I pray for you

Argentina is back with their sublime display of rare skills.
This team is the best team in the world cup and i tip em to knock the Germans off their stride.

The key players today are Riquelme, (Messi and Tevez)-Enfantz Terrible
I hope Saviola and Crespo starts and the Enfantz Terrible to be unleashed in the latter parts of the match to wear the German's legs out.

The German's defence is porous and i expect Roman Riquelme(The Tormentor-in-Chief) to expose the defence with the neatest of killer passes that will send the Germans to their early graves.
Gabriel Heinze and Roberto Ayala will also offer a stiff resistance to Miroslav Klose and Podolski so i am highly confident of ma favourite team.

My Prediction:
Argentina 4-1 Germany.

hucarson:

My Prediction:
Argentina 4-1 Germany.

No way. Even if they win, it can't be more than 1-0. Inshort, whoever wins it can't be more than 1-0. Also I think this match will most likely get to the penalties.

Wait! did I see a name called Asamoah in Germany?
Fooling the whole world they are not racists.
HE WONT EVEN CAJOLE ME TO SUPPORT THEM AM ROOTING FOR ARG: TO SPANK THEM.
go messi ,go plus.

Hucarson!
Dont twist it around-the infante terribles of world cup are from manchester DISUnited ( Double R) I mean Rooney & Ronaldo) plus our new millionaire bro now in Chelsea from Milan.
You know the rest

Big games demand big performances from big players!

I have this feeling of that i will get an inspiring perfomance 4rom Ballack

The "Blitzkrieg" starts 2day!

I expect the German Machine 2 roll over the Albicelestes ---"dont cry 4 me argentina"

Prediction 1-0 to Germany, Michael Ballack 2 score with a header!

forget home advantage. argentina will win this with style.

It si going to be a great match, the two sdes will fight harder but one will sure bend for the other.

therefore Germany will bow for Argentina by 2 goals to 1 in favour of the Argentines.

watch out.

This is going to be a very tough match, because both teams have what it takes to win this cup, But i feel germany are actually the favourites to win this game, but suprises happenes and we dont know. But want to see a good. Goodluck to both teams.

I really agree wit Badman.This is gonna be one hell of a cracker.The Germans have their war machine oiled by ballack,Klose and the wonda kid Podolski.On the otha side,The Argies hav the "enfant terrible" Messi,The lethal Rodriguez and Crespo.tactically I hav always rated The argies higher for their cutting edge attack.I'm yet to see any team in thi tournament which such an array of strikers.
Honestly i dont see the Germans winning at the end of the day, they might be gud but at the end of the day,Klinsmann will bow to Pekerman,

GUNNER:

Big games demand big performances from big players!

I have this feeling of that i will get an inspiring perfomance 4rom Ballack

The "Blitzkrieg" starts 2day!

I expect the German Machine 2 roll over the Albicelestes ---"don't cry 4 me argentina"

Prediction 1-0 to Germany, Michael Ballack 2 score with a header!

,



@Gunner
What was the outcome of Hitler's Blitzkrieg?, a disappiontng failure

Hitler? that tryant

This happens 2 be Jurgen klinsmann"s Blitzkrieg!

There is nothing that will stop Argentinal from winning.

Its gonna be a tough match no doubt, The home side/host cannot bear 2watch thier side crash out @this point, So Germany will give in thier best 2knock Argentina out, As 4d Argentines, they'll struggle with all thier might n not be intenidated by d host,
I predict Germany 2 - Argentina 1

Its gonna be a tough match no doubt, The home side/host cannot bear 2watch thier side crash out @this point, So Germany will give in thier best 2knock Argentina out, As 4d Argentines, they'll struggle with all thier might n not be intenidated by d host,
I predict Germany 2 - Argentina 1

you make a good prediction but you are not cause is not going to happen that way

2-1 in favour of Argentina

argentina is going down. my german asssasin got dis, 3-2

I feel sorry for Argentina. They are so going out today

word i really feel sorry 4 them. they about 2 get it,

wow Argentina scored at least it should open the game abit more,

and germany moves forward while argentina goes homw. nice game. ballack saw hell. he was so sored and tired. i pitied him.

The hero is JENS LEHNMAN

Germany won. Sure the cup is GERMANY's

stupid cambiasso hw can u miss that opportunity!

Jose Pekerman has to be the most foolish manager in the football history.
I cannot believe Argentina has been eliminated with the galaxy of stars they have got in their ranks.

Pekerman's substitutions are not only watery but so ineffective.
Why not start Saviola and Crespo then bring in Messi and Tevez to wear out the tired legs of the German defence?

He made the most blatant error by removing the engine room(Roman Riquelme) for a sheisty player(Cambiasso) and also substituted Crespo for an ailing Julio Cruz.
Christian Chukwu would have done a better managerial job today than Jose Pekerman.
I honestly believe he sold out this match and i suggest the Argentina's football federation to conduct an investigation.
It was a match that shouldn't have dragged to extra time,let alone get to horrendous penalty shoot-out.

Is the World Cup jinx responsible for this shock defeat?
The jinx that an European team wins on European Soil and American team always win on American soil.
Brazil broke that jinx in 1958 in Sweden but that was half a century ago.

Can Brazil break the jinx AGAIN this year by winning the world cup in Europe?

Argentina is out. I wanted the Hitlers out though but oh well.

hucarson:

Can Brazil break the jinx this year by winning the world cup in Europe?

what jinx? its been done before.

Argentina lost and I wanted them to win. By all standards of football Argentina dominated the match and outclassed Germany by all means, but then again, a penalty shoot out. This is any mans game and it went the way of the Germans.

hucarson:

Jose Pekerman has to be the most foolish manager in the football history.
I cannot believe Argentina has been eliminated with the galaxy of stars they have got in their ranks.

Pekerman's substitutions are not only watery but so ineffective.
Why not start Saviola and Crespo then bring in Messi and Tevez to wear out the tired legs of the German defence?

He made the most blatant error by removing the engine room(Roman Riquelme) for a sheisty player(Cambiasso) and also substituted Crespo for an ailing Julio Cruz.
Christian Chukwu would have done a better managerial job today than Jose Pekerman.
I honestly believe he sold out this match and i suggest the Argentina's football federation to conduct an investigation.
It was a match that shouldn't have dragged to extra time,let alone get to horrendous penalty shoot-out.

Is the World Cup jinx responsible for this shock defeat?
The jinx that an European team wins on European Soil and American team always win on American soil.
Brazil broke that jinx in 1958 in Sweden but that was half a century ago.

Can Brazil break the jinx AGAIN this year by winning the world cup in Europe?

huc,
at times u surprise me with ur careless predictions and after match reactions,how could u say the pekerman sold the match,which kain talk be that ,i just no wan answer u when u said Argentina will win 4-1,now u know better

The prediction is not careless,dawg!
Argentina has enough quality to have silenced Germany dead n buried but Pekerman goofed it.

Do u know Argentines are now calling for his head and criticising him on why he removed Riquelme just 18 mins before the end of the match?
Pekerman has resigned cos he knows he sold out Argentina to the Germans.

Substituting Riquelme is like removing Maradona in a match in Mexico 86 or removing Sunday Oliseh in Tunisia 94.
Riquelme is the engine room of the Argentines.

The goal Argentina scored was as a result of Riquelme's corner-kick and his slide-rule passes have been brilliant since the start of the tournament.
Why did he axe Leo Messi? Messi has been rated the best young player in the world and Pekerman just axed him without any serious reason.
His decisons are questionable.

I agree with Hucarson. Pekerman sold out. He is a J-U-D-A-S.

he is more than a judas,

death to the betrayer

JUDAS?



Argentina coach Jose Pekerman is likely to have a long look in the mirror on Friday night following his side's exit from the World Cup.

The South Americans, who many thought were the favourites to win this summer's tournament, were sensationally dumped out by hosts Germany.

Things looked good for Argentina with Roberto Ayala's powerful header shortly after half-time giving Pekerman's charges a lead.

However, with the game entering a crucial stage, Pekerman made a host of baffling changes - opting to leave wonder kid Lionel Messi on the sidelines.

Pekerman did have his hands tied in that he was forced into bringing on Leo Franco for injured keeper Roberto Abbondanzieri after 72 minutes, but he still had one change left up his sleeve.

Rather bizarrely he took off Hernan Crespo, who had not had a sniff up front and ran his socks off, for the ineffective Julio Cruz.

With all three changes made, having brought on Esteban Cambiasso for Juan Roman Riquelme, starlet Messi would not have the chance to shine.

While Cruz did score from the penalty spot in the shoot-out he added little during extra-time when Germany had basically ten men with Michael Ballack a mere spectator.

Messi would have torn Germany apart, as he did when impressing off the bench against Mexico last weekend, but it was not to be as Argentina crashed out on penalties.

What do you think of Pekerman's substitutions? Should Messi have been given a chance? Should Crespo have gone off?

Guys, I think you are all overlooking the fact that no coach in his right mind would have done what Pekerman did which leads us to only one conclusion. . . . . . .

Pekerman was high/drunk - make your choice.
If Messi was there, I am pretty sure that Argentina would have won that match. I am highly disappointed in him

Pekerman has shown the world his tactical naivety, duh!

and now

He quits!