The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Thread

[Arwon]

commercial for Asia (they badly want China in the competition, or at least India)

China is way closer to the level required than India, btw. China was alive til pretty much the last matchday in the last qualifier stage (I think they needed a couple goals and Syria to lose). India went through the first stage of qualifiers with the tiny countries then finished behind Guam in the second stage group. India isn't really much of a soccer country, they're all about cricket.

Along with China, the next few in contention who aren't there this time are likely to be Uzbekistan, Iraq, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain. Iraq and Kuwaiti have won the Asian Cup before, the UAW and China have lost the final, and the Uzbeks best finish is fourth when they were pretty dangerous about a decade ago.

Syria made a pretty storied run from nowhere, but who knows how sustainable they'll be.

There's also gonna be Qatar taking one of the spots in 2022, of course. Shoulda been us.

 

[Sofista]

So, Sweden is still up and fighting. Well deserved indeed: Switzerland did very, very little. I maintain that they have an aim problem (that Berg guy isn't possibly a striker, right? He won a lottery or something, right?), but know well how to use their strong points - size and power - and turn it into menacing counterstriking. As neither England nor Colombia have very tight defenses, their future could still be bright.

 

[cain3456]

Gawd what an ugly game. Ref needs to quit being afraid of showing red cards.

 

[Ferocitus]

Hahaha. What a great goal in an otherwise horrible game.
Did the Colombian player who gave the penalty away get paid for that?
It was as stupid a foul as I've seen for a while.

 

[Uberfrog]

I was dreading the inevitable when it went to extra time, but they actually managed to win a penalty shootout! Incredible! England can into a quarter final.

Bad game overall though, save for the Colombian near-miss that preceded the equaliser.

 

[Sofista]

And pause 'til Friday. Can't wait myself, the next four matches really look hard to predict to me.

Taking the lead, trying to breaak away with seven points, Serutan, Turquoiside and Uberfrog. The sprint to the finish is close, get ready!

In hot pursuit, with six points, the group of AdrienIer, caketastydelish, Ozbenno, red_elk, Sofista and ThERat.

Right behind, with five points, are Azale, BirraImperial, Rik Meleet, shadowplay and Takhisis. Everything is still open.

Closing, with four points, we find Ferocitus, raen, Snerk and Timsup2nothin. Choose the next ones carefully, folks!

England-Colombia was hard-fought, tense... just not very enjoyable: not enough chances, both teams were very tight. Ref Geiger (the same one who after Germany went down against South Korea decided a hyperlong injury time was necessary) looked quite a bit out of his depth.

 

[Ferocitus]

As much as I hate England (not the football players; just the vile country, its
vile history and hypocrisy) an early exit wouldn't hurt enough. A Brexit-like
loss, where defeat is snatched from the teeth of victory with Boris Johnson
caught cheering for France or Russia, would be far more satisfying.

Colombia didn't deserve to deliver the coup de grace with their poor play and
their grotesque faux innocence after deliberate fouls. They aren't the worst
cheats in this Cup, but it's good to see the back of the pitiful actors.

 

[Ferocitus]

England-Colombia was hard-fought, tense... just not very enjoyable: not enough chances, both teams were very tight. Ref Geiger (the same one who after Germany went down against South Korea decided a hyperlong injury time was necessary) looked quite a bit out of his depth.

If FIFA have taught us anything, it's that you have to pay big $'s to
get the right refs and the right decisions.

 

[Tigranes]

Guys!!!!!

I just discovered an interesting pattern: there were 8 Groups and EACH Group had one and only one Spanish speaking country: A-Uruguay, B-Spain, C-Peru, D-Argentina, E-Costa Rica, F-Mexico, G-Panama, H-Colombia. What are the odds of that! And now only one country remains to avenge them all -- Uruguay! Vamos Orientales!

 

[Takhisis]

Aaahhh… Belgium broke my heart but won me a bet. Also, I deserve half a point for predicting that England wouldn't win.

Sweden delivered, Ingerland showed that when it's penalties and it's not Germany they can do it, but now they'll have to face the team that came on top in Germany's group.

Brazil beat Mexico without being anything special.

Russia plays a bit like Greece played in 2004...I totally hated it when Greece beat Czech, which in my mind was one of the fabulous teams that never won anything. I still sometimes watch the highlights of the Czech - Netherlands game which is one of the best games ever imho.

That said, I wasn't so unhappy to see Spain booted. Ramos alone is a reason to be happy to see them out.

Spain and Portugal and Argentina all out in one same round means a lot of the spoiled self-entitled players are already out.

Soo close though, urgh. Also the Danes' Norwegian coach is no traitor. He's quite popular and pretty much all the people who are into football in Norway were hoping the Danes would get through to the quarters.

We need a Scandinavia and the World comic strip about this.

Has Neymar ever read The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Rivaldo in '02 showed that it was a viable tactic.

By the way, if England manages to win against Columbia, there will be only one non-European team left. I think Europe needs to be stripped more places for the next few World Cups

Well, yes, but it'll never happen.

 

[Takhisis]

New round of betting:

Uruguay - France
Brazil - Belgium
Croatia - Russia
England - Sweden

The first and last matches are the two I'm less sure about than the other two. Anything can happen in football, anyway.

A pity about Belgium-Japan, really. I wish Belgium and Japan could both go through and both Spain and Russia could've been thrown out.

 

[red_elk]

Uruguay - France
Brazil - Belgium
Croatia - Russia
England - Sweden

 

[Takhisis]

Croatia - Russia

red_elk = dušman

 

[Tigranes]

England - Sweden

Today has shown that they just might. So much focus against dirty play and jinxed penalties. Very hard to beat this team. Modest, strong, professional, cool under pressure. to England.

 

[ThERat]

Going with predictions of who I would like to win:

Uruguay - France
Brazil - Belgium
Croatia - Russia
England - Sweden

I like it that after all those years of thinking they are one of the best teams, a more humble, well managed team without fancy stars is getting England within reach of something bigger.
Except for Brazil with Neymar, the remaining teams seem to work more as units rather than teams formed around one or two stars. I like that
Of course, Sweden and Russia are not really working, but got to this stage nevertheless.

 

[ThERat]

Also, since this is the second knock out round, shouldn't correct predictions count double? Then semis give 4 points and the final 8 Got to keep the competition a little interesting for those that didn't score so well in the first knock out round.

 

[Takhisis]

You want it spicy, eh, ThERat? How many points for the 3rd-4th match?

Going with predictions of who I would like to win:

Uruguay - France
Brazil - Belgium
Croatia - Russia
England - Sweden

Are those your bets?

 

[shadowplay]

France, Brazil, Croatia, England

 

[BirraImperial]

Quarterfinals

Uruguay - France - This one is really though to predict...France with their explosiveness in attack might hit a wall against the strong Uruguayan defense and Luis Suaréz as a deadly striker. This might go both ways, but I see France going through...It depends on whether Cavani can play or not...
Brazil - Belgium - Belgium is one of the teams that have played better football, but left some doubts after barely beating Japan...I still think they're a top side. Brazil hasn't been as dominant as people thought.
Croatia - Russia -The hosts surprised everyone by taking down Spain, and they might as well complicate things for Croatia, but I think that's not gonna be the case...Croatia needs to improve from their last game, when they had huge issues trying to break the Danish defense...
England - Sweden -This one might be a really close match...I think England has some problems at the back that Sweden could exploit. I'm going out of a limb here and say England somehow wins it in the end...

 

[caketastydelish]

Uruguay - France
Brazil - Belgium
Croatia - Russia
England - Sweden

I would be lying if I told you I didn't vote with my heart for every one of these picks.