poptimists | The Pop World Cup: Group G (Reply)

The penultimate games of the group stage throw up some intriguing clashes. Hotly tipped France will be looking to win through in relative comfort, though rumours of last-minute selection wrangles point perhaps to a camp in turmoil! Switzerland will be hoping its tidy game sees it through, South Korea will be taking inspiration from fellow Asian qualifier Japan's fine Group Stage performance and finally the minnow's minnow, Togo, will be hoping to cause a major upset. Intriguing, to say the least!

You can find all PWC entries here. If you can't download or are having trouble let me know either in the comments box or at freakytrigger@gmail.com.

So are here the four Group G contenders, with exclusive team talks from their managers.

France

Saian Supa Crew - "La Patte": Outspoken manager

atommickbrane had this to say - "Bonjour tout le monde! From four corners of Paris we have a DEVASTING team of veteran strikers who have been bouncing restlessly from divers ragga to zouk (pay note,

zoukrat readers) to beat-box and now BOUND onto the pitch in overwhelming form with La Patte from the 2005 album 'Hold Up'. I have read scandalous allegations in the so-called POPULAR PRESS that that members of the Saian Team have been spotted in les cafes mangent le beouf and drinking le vin whilst wearing red berets before this all important first round - let me take this opportunity to tell you that IT IS ALL LIES. They had les oignons as well. Any more of these scandals from CERTAIN MANAGERS and we'll tuff you up with an accordion. DO YOU HEAR?? Vive LA FRANCE!"

South Korea

Shinhwa - "Oh (Remix)": Cosmopolitan boss

darkpigeon told us - "In the 2002 Football World Cup, Guus Hiddink led South Korea to a remarkable semi final run. I am hoping that if I can embark upon a similar run, good ol' Guus will come to England and formally vanquish Sven's reign of ~~terror~~ tedium.

To begin the campaign, I have tried to capture the high NRG dynamics of the indigenous genre known as K-Pop. I have attempted to flummox my opposition by turning to that unpredictable warhorse to lead my line -the live track (at least, I think it is live...).

Representing South Korea will be Shinhwa - a boyband consisting of 3 "vocalists" and 3 "rappers" (at least according to Wikipedia. Apparently, Shinhwa has released seven regular albums, one 'best of' album, and two special albums. I've no idea what a special album is but it sounds ominous for the opposition. And in case you needed any further swaying, just listen to those teenage screams - they love it. So will you. Go Republic of Korea! Go!"

Switzerland

Seelenluft - "Pleasure Boy": Cultured supremo

braisedbywolves described it as "An textbook perfect team, serious yes, also studious - but capable of playing precision football. Observers at the practice sessions tend to remark on the eerie silence, broken only by occasional faint ticking."

Togo

Afia Mala - "Fever": Confident gaffer

stevem78 told us - "Welcome, brothers and sisters, to Togo! This team plays not only with feet but with hearts and minds. It will touch you in every place! It knows when to pass and when to move and what can be achieved when passion and urgency are matched with elegance and sheen. We believe we can both surprise and tantalise people with an alternative take on a classic, recognisable style of play. As you will hear, Togo is united, committed, upbeat. Hot yet cool. Strong yet light. Catch the fever!"

So how will matches be decided? HERE'S HOW.

You have 20 points to divide between the four teams, based on how much you enjoyed their tracks and on any other criteria you like.

No team can be given less than 1 point, no team can be given more than 10. If you fail to mark a team they will automatically get 5 points.

If that leaves a points total other than 20, or if you simply can't add up to 20, then the FIPA authorities will add or deduct points according to a highly complex system which can be explained in the pub by request.

Your votes should be in the following format:

"France - 5. South Korea - 5. Switzerland - 5. Togo - 5."

With the "5"s replaced by the points you allot to each team.

You can submit votes in one of two ways. In the poll below, or by email to freakytrigger@gmail.com if you can't vote in LJ polls. Any votes in the comments box will be disqualified. Voting closes at midnight GMT on Monday.

The top two tracks, decided on total points, will go through to the next round. In the event of a tie the votes from the first 10 ballots received will be used to determine positions.

[Poll #682433]

A Special Note on Ticket Allocation: Managers and spectators are encouraged to promote the Pop World Cup event wherever they see fit. HOWEVER managers who are found attempting to influence the PWC votes outside the