Useless FIFA World Championship facts.

- Worst team in the qualifications: American Samoa (Group 1, Oceania)

They didn't score once in four games, but took 57 goals:
Fiji - American Samoa: 13 - 0
Samoa - American Samoa: 8 - 0
Australia - American Samoa: 31 (yes, that's thirty-one) - 0 (13 goals by Archie Thompson)

Other remarkable results in that group:
Australia - Tonga: 22 - 0
Australia - Samoa: 11 - 0

Australia won everything in the first qualifications, scored 66 times. Still, they're not in Korea/Japan because of Uruguay...

- Worst teams ever on all World Championships since 1930:

1. El Salvador: 6 matches, 6 lost, 1 goal, 22 goals against.
2. Zaire: 3 matches, 3 lost, 0 goals, 14 goals against.
3. Haiti: 3 matches, 3 lost, 2 goals, 14 goals against.

1. El Salvador - Hungaria: 1 - 10 (1982)
2. South Korea - Hungaria: 0 - 9 (1954)
3. Yugoslavia - Zaire: 0 - 9 (1974)

- "Worst" goalie:

1962, FIFA World Championship in Chili: after 16", Mexican goalie Carbajal is defeated...

- "Worst" referee:

1990, semi-final Italy - Argentinia: French referee Michel Vautrot 'forgets' to blow his whistle: 8 extra minutes in the first extra-time.

- Unlucky goalgetter:

In 1958, Ernst Willimowski scores four times for Poland. Poland lost 5 - 6 from Brazil.

- Meanest defender:

Uruguays Batista: in 1986, Batista is send away after 56" (fault on Scottish Gordon Strachan).
The only one who 'scored' more than one red card ever was Rigobert Song (Camerun): 1994 against Brazil, 1998 against Chili.

- Worst penalty-teams:

1. Mexico: since 1930, Mexico got 7 penalties, and only scored twice (that's 28.6%).
2. Yugoslavia: Only 40%.
3. The Netherlands: Only 50%.

Belgium: 5 penalties, 5 goals :p

Ireland (sorry Guus, just want to rub it in): 5 penalties, 5 goals. Now you see what kept The Netherlands from participating ;)

- Worst shirt-trade ever:

1966, WC in England: English coach Alf Ramsey forbids his players to trade shirts with Argentinian players ("We don't swap shirts with animals!").

1974: The Zairese coach forbids his players to trade shirts because they can't afford new ones.

- Most ridiculous team ever:

India: they retracted from the 1950 Championship in Brazil because FIFA wouldn't allow them to play barefoots.

Who ever said football was boring?

Quote:

---

Australia - American Samoa: 31 (yes, that's thirty-one) - 0 (13 goals by Archie Thompson)

Other remarkable results in that group:
Australia - Tonga: 22 - 0
Australia - Samoa: 11 - 0

---

You see, it's Australia who is dishing out these BIG thrashings - clearly they are the kings!! :)
If only we made it thru to the World Cup...damn...hmmm...maybe next time.

I think our goal keeper scored in some of those matches as well.

But, the negative side of that is, we play all these (and I don't mean any disrespect to the countries) non-talented soccer countries and whip their asses, then when we come to a decent team (like playing Uruguay to get into the 2002 finals - which we lost), we don't have the experience in BIG matches, so it could be said it's a bit of a disadvantage.

Aw well, I'm not complaining...well OK, I am, but hey, maybe next year. :)

Meanwhile, I'll stick to my AFL - GO THE BOMBERS!!!!!!

Greg

Quote:

---

Useless FIFA World Championship facts.

---

Good title. If its the World Cup, its useless ;)

hehe
Aussie aussie aussie! GO GO GO!

I'm not a big soccer fan, but... Should we talk about Italy and the referees?

1974: The Zairese coach forbids his players to trade shirts because they can't afford new ones.

that is sad...like warm fuzzy feeling sad :/