World Cup 2018

[diamond_ace 3,112]

On ‎5‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 12:13 AM, Kendrick said:

We do have a bunch of weaknesses (one will be if our youth step out there)

You guys are still easily one of the best teams. Wouldn't surprise me to see you take it. Would surprise me if you didn't get to at least the semis

[Kendrick 4,741]

55 minutes ago, diamond_ace said:

You guys are still easily one of the best teams. Wouldn't surprise me to see you take it. Would surprise me if you didn't get to at least the semis

Oh I agree, I just know somewhere some team member on a rival has studied our roster very closely and knows our weakness

[diamond_ace 3,112]

Hot take: it wouldn't be unreasonable for Argentina to not advance from the group, of the supposed "big" teams. There's usually one and we never see it coming, but Argentina struggled hard in qualifying, and there are no easy teams in their group (setting aside Messi, the rest of their roster is actually not even better than Croatia on paper - plus we know what Iceland can do, and Nigeria are decent as well).

[Ahma 1,443]

Let's go Italy!! oh wait rip

 

Brazil or Germany will win

Edited June 11, 2018 by Ahma

[diamond_ace 3,112]

13 minutes ago, Ahma said:

Let's go Italy!! oh wait rip

 

Brazil or Germany will win

For me, order of how likely I think they are:
Germany
France
Brazil
Spain
Belgium (talent of the top teams, if they can stop bottling it)
Portugal (probably not, but they managed it at Euros, so we'll see)

 

Against those six, I wouldn't even bet "the field" unless you were offering me 25-1 or better.

[Ahma 1,443]

Just now, diamond_ace said:

For me, order of how likely I think they are:
Germany
France
Brazil
Spain
Belgium (talent of the top teams, if they can stop bottling it)
Portugal (probably not, but they managed it at Euros, so we'll see)

 

Against those six, I wouldn't even bet "the field" unless you were offering me 25-1 or better.

I gotta put top then in too

 

Germany

Spain

Brazil

Belgium

France

Argentina

 

France has it, but they are somehow gonna end up messing it up. trust me. Spain has that something which in my eyes takes them over France. The top 3 are pretty much even.

Argentina because Messi and theyre attack is insane.

[diamond_ace 3,112]

2 minutes ago, Ahma said:

I gotta put top then in too

 

Germany

Spain

Brazil

Belgium

France

Argentina

 

France has it, but they are somehow gonna end up messing it up. trust me. Spain has that something which in my eyes takes them over France. The top 3 are pretty much even.

Argentina because Messi and theyre attack is insane.

They have underperformed in recent World Cups, but they got to the final in the Euros with a pretty similar team as what they're bringing.

[Victor 11,009]

1 hour ago, diamond_ace said:

Hot take: it wouldn't be unreasonable for Argentina to not advance from the group, of the supposed "big" teams. There's usually one and we never see it coming, but Argentina struggled hard in qualifying, and there are no easy teams in their group (setting aside Messi, the rest of their roster is actually not even better than Croatia on paper - plus we know what Iceland can do, and Nigeria are decent as well).

I agree, but also would say could happen to Portugal. Both can be carried but both have trickier groups than given credit for. Both have creaking old defences as well.

 

Creaking old defence is also what I think will kill off Brazil. On the contrary though, I think France is a bit on the young side,

 

Last chance saloon for Belgium and Argentina this - Belgium in particular won't replicate this generation for years, their youth teams are non-existent. Both seem a bit unbalanced.

[Kendrick 4,741]

12 minutes ago, Victor said:

I agree, but also would say could happen to Portugal. Both can be carried but both have trickier groups than given credit for. Both have creaking old defences as well.

 

Creaking old defence is also what I think will kill off Brazil. On the contrary though, I think France is a bit on the young side,

 

Last chance saloon for Belgium and Argentina this - Belgium in particular won't replicate this generation for years, their youth teams are non-existent. Both seem a bit unbalanced.

It was really tested in that Brazil-Germany match four years ago. Mind you they didn't have Thiago Silva because of suspension I think and had to put in Dante (who was Bayern's worst CB ever imo). Looking at it this year, they don't have pace.

[Victor 11,009]

3 minutes ago, Kendrick said:

It was really tested in that Brazil-Germany match four years ago. Mind you they didn't have Thiago Silva because of suspension I think and had to put in Dante (who was Bayern's worst CB ever imo). Looking at it this year, they don't have pace.

They're always ripe for an implosion.

 

Although, what I like about this year is that every good team seems to be like that. Spain are relying on a few players on their last legs (looking at you Iniesta). Germany seem to have a lost a bit of win-at-all-costs that Schweinsteiger, Lahm had.

 

Speaking of which, Leroy Sane? I don't mind but oh my god the uproar here in the UK was something else. Could have thought it was an England selection that was controversial, not a German one.

[Kendrick 4,741]

5 minutes ago, Victor said:

They're always ripe for an implosion.

 

Although, what I like about this year is that every good team seems to be like that. Spain are relying on a few players on their last legs (looking at you Iniesta). Germany seem to have a lost a bit of win-at-all-costs that Schweinsteiger, Lahm had.

 

Speaking of which, Leroy Sane? I don't mind but oh my god the uproar here in the UK was something else. Could have thought it was an England selection that was controversial, not a German one.

There is always one exclusion from the team that hurts or is surprising knowing the way Lowe works. Sane is a good player and I'm not sure if it was the best move but I think they figured they had enough depth on the edge. He seems to play down a level for the National team though, so there's that.

[Victor 11,009]

So Spain fire their manager because he took Real Madrid job. Kick off on Friday against Portugal.

 

Might put my weight behind Germany now.

[Tagger 2,722]

Got the result of my sweepstake at work today: Peru.

 

Gonna have to put my faith in "The Cocaine Mountain" Paolo Guerrero!

[Victor 11,009]

3 hours ago, Tagger said:

Got the result of my sweepstake at work today: Peru.

 

Gonna have to put my faith in "The Cocaine Mountain" Paolo Guerrero!

I got Nigeria haha. Hoping for best kit award.

[Tagger 2,722]

Just now, Victor said:

I got Nigeria haha. Hoping for best kit award.

Funnily enough, my mum got them in hers and said exactly the same thing haha!

[Tagger 2,722]

My sister got Panama, but for hers they have a Wooden Spoon award, so at least she's bound to win there! 

[Quik 4,113]

With Italy out, don't really have a horse to back this tourney. Maybe Colombia for the shots of the fans during the games?

[Victor 11,009]

1 hour ago, Tagger said:

My sister got Panama, but for hers they have a Wooden Spoon award, so at least she's bound to win there! 

Haha yeah I was hopingfor Panama. I was 30th and the 2 teams picked after me were Australia and Spain so both higher chances of getting some money back.

 

That said we have a 'quickest goal' and that could be anyone. Go on Victor Moses.

 

30 minutes ago, Quik said:

With Italy out, don't really have a horse to back this tourney. Maybe Colombia for the shots of the fans during the games?

Yeah Colombia's a fun one, liked them last World Cup. I think Uruguay and Mexico could be entertaining and maybe Croatia will finally get it together.

[Tyler 885]

Serbia is the side I'm pulling for. Have no ties to them (family is Irish and French) but Ivanovic might be my favourite player in the world cup. Otherwise I like Belgium. I said France in my prediction but that's just playing the percentages.

 

I have a weird feeling the Saudis win tomorrow. I picked Russia but they will play a very aggressive style knowing they need to win this match whereas Russia has all the pressure in the world. 

[diamond_ace 3,112]

33 minutes ago, Tyler said:

Serbia is the side I'm pulling for. Have no ties to them (family is Irish and French) but Ivanovic might be my favourite player in the world cup. Otherwise I like Belgium. I said France in my prediction but that's just playing the percentages.

 

I have a weird feeling the Saudis win tomorrow. I picked Russia but they will play a very aggressive style knowing they need to win this match whereas Russia has all the pressure in the world. 

I think the Saudis end with 0 points. If they get any at all though, it's in the Russia match.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing Serbia do it, I do like Ivanovic although I think he's past it a bit. Definitely going for Poland though

[Kendrick 4,741]

30 minutes ago, diamond_ace said:

I think the Saudis end with 0 points. If they get any at all though, it's in the Russia match.

 

I wouldn't mind seeing Serbia do it, I do like Ivanovic although I think he's past it a bit. Definitely going for Poland though

Out of 30 analysts, Saudi ranked as the 32nd team 29 times.

[diamond_ace 3,112]

1 minute ago, Kendrick said:

Out of 30 analysts, Saudi ranked as the 32nd team 29 times.

Yeah they're one of the teams I really don't rate beyond maybe fluking into a single draw if they're lucky. I honestly expect them to lose all 3 and do it handily. Same with Iran and whoever loses out of Tunisia and Panama. Japan might get 0 too, although that has more to do with the group (there are no top teams in group H, but all 3 non-Japan teams are kind of tier 2, ones that in an even division of groups, would probably all be 2nd place teams).

 

Ultimately, I think the problem is that AFC qualifying region should never have 5 bids, compared to the other regions. 7 CONMEBOL teams are better than the best AFC team, but they have the same number of bids. Ecuador (not even the best CONMEBOL team to miss, which is Chile) would beat any of Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran, and Saudi in a 2 leg fixture. Saudi are the type of team that should be borderline scraping in when the field expands to 48, they're not close to worthy of a bid in the current 32 team format.

[diamond_ace 3,112]

(caveat, for Boom: even though they're in AFC, Australia are still deserving of a berth. Not much more than that, though - they're not good, but they're good enough.)

[BOOM 8,809]

Someone's gotta be there for the booze!

[Victor 11,009]

Wow Saudi Arabia are so shit.

 

Made Russia look like a competent team and Cheryshev like Messi.