Big Question: What is the Best Team not to Advance?

June 24th, 2006 | by: WC Bob |

The Round of 16 is complete and what a group of teams that are left! The tournament is really going to heat up now that we are in the knockout stage and so many of the big powers are playing one another. Before we move forward, let’s take one last look back at the group play by looking at the 16 teams that did not advance.

In your opinion, which team played the best but did not make it to the second round?

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Nicolás

Czech Republic
John

I think I’d have to tip my hat to South Korea as the best of the rest.
http://cloudsinthehead.org mrgn

Ivory Coast… they played with HEART!
eyna

korea
parag

Ivory Coast, Kolo and the boys really showed committment desire and technical ability, just lacked a bit in the final third….sad to see them go
Lurch McCoy

Ivory Coast. Tough draw though.

Looks like all of the traditional powerhouses got through though. Should be a great elimination stage.
Jeb

Czech Republic is easily the best team that didn’t advance. But if you’re asking which team looked the best…I’d have to pick Angola. A tough one goal loss to Portugal and hard-fought draws against higher ranked Mexico and Iran make them the best looking team that’s going home.
arcturus

Ivory Coast was better than some of the teams not eliminated. Too bad they had such a tough group.
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/worldcupfan/ dw

Once the Czechs lost Koeller, their campaign was over.
USA

Czech Republic and Croatia.
jay

Czeck Republic was the best,however Angola just had harder play.
Danny

Ivory Coast. If placed in a different group, the Ivorians could easily be a team no one would want to play in the round of 16.
http://palscape.wordpress.com Bongopondit

Ivory Coast !
Nadj

Ivory Coast
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CROATIA!
Darren

second vote for CROATIA!
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CROATIA
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croatia!!!!!!!!!
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CROATIA #1
Adam

Czech Republic and Ivory Coast
glroig

Ivory Coast !
Daniel

Ivory Coast
Kiko

Angola and Ivory Coast
http://plaza.rakuten.co.jp/goldenmama5/ gasmama

Japan. They snatched a goal from Brazil. Kawaguchi did a good job.
Miguel

Easily the Czech Rep. followed by Ivory Coast.
diego

Ivory Coast with miles and miles of heart.
The Czech Republic on paper, but their team would’ve been so depleted by this time, they would’ve been a non-factor anyway.
http://fansattic.blogspot.com Fan’s Attic

czech republic and ivory coast.
Paul

Without a doubt … Paraguay.
Elephant dancer

Ivory coast without a doubt and maybe tunisia. Sheva will fit right in with robben at chelsea. Wat diving prowess!
enzo

I agree with the majority, Ivory Coast was my disappointment not to be in the final 16.
Roland

Czech Republic
Micha

To me, Ivory coast not going through to the elimination round was not a surprise. From the minute their draw was announced, you knew it would be practically impossible for them to emerge from the group of death. Almost any other group and they would have been through. But Czech’s not making it through was a shocker, who would have predicted it before the start of WC or after their dominating performance in the first game? It seems the loss of Jan Koller completely unraveled the team. Rosicky was rendered useless, Baros was never fit and would not have played at all if it wasn’t a matter of life AND DEATH. The biggest regret is seeing Pavel Nedved on the world stage for the last time. He played incredible, if the Cech’s only had another Nedved they would have come through. But then what team couldn’t use a Nedved? I sure wish we had him in the mid-field. Hup Holland!
Rebecca

Ivory Coast
nick

Ivory Coast. Whilst not seeing perennial diver Drogba is a relief, the fact that such talented players like zokora, the toures, eboue, boka and kone are going home is a dissapointment to all football fans.
AUS

:THUMBS DOWN: for korea and japan, worse than last world cup. Korea in last world cup was all about Guus Hiddink, REMEMBER!!
Kelvin

Ivory Coast!
Majid

Ivory Coast
CP

Clearly Ivory Coast were the best performed of the eliminated teams. As for the Czechs, you can’t expect to play well in only one game and go through. Unless you’re France.
yaju

agree with you diego, nick, rebecca

What is the Best Team not to Advance?

Ivory Coast. Not the Czech Republic

And I have some reasoning…

Czech’s played Holland twice during qualification and lost 0-2 in both games. Holland picked up only 1 yellow card in two games. Dominated the games with ease and had way more shots on goal (And Robben didn’t even play one of the games)

Now when Holland played Ivory Coast last week, It was a completely different story. Even though Holland won by one goal margin, they had real tough time defending Ivory Coast. Ivory Coast deserved that game. They had the attacking flare, had more shots, corners, more shots on goal. I’ve never seen the dutch team under so much pressure playing defense. Holland committed 25 fouls and took 5 yellow cards in a single game to defend them. That really shows how comfortable they were playing Ivory Coast. Van der sar was on his toes till the very last minute.

Anyway, Its really sad to see them go. I hope they explode in south africa next world cup.
Claude

Czech Republic. Did you people really think Ivory Coast could beat Argentina or the Netherlands? You probably also thought the US would advance.
DT

I have to agree with the majority here. Ivory Coast is the best of the rest.

Claude, I knew they were not good enough to beat Argentina or Holland. I never expected them to progress. But Ivory Coast played better football than England, Switzerland, Ukraine, France, Sweden and Mexico.
arcturus

Claude:

Seeing them play, yes I thought they might beat either team. The US team does not compare to Ivory Coast’s team, not even close. I think the quality of the world cup was lessened by their early exit.
Keyser

Ivory coast, no doubt about it.
I would’ve loved to see the czech with baros and koeller.
and korea’s elimination showed that their 4th place 4 years ago was nothing but being at home and getting help from referees against italy and spain.
eowu

ivory coast – strong opposition, better luck next time
czech republic – more of a surprise.. a big pity, i’d really loved to see them challenge brasil… but ghana is a respectable replacement
watt

Ivory Coast wouald have qualified in most other groups.

Czeck and Korea the other two that are strong but were unlucky.